Title: Three-Inch Rule

Author: Chocolatequeen

Rating: K+

Series: 206 Ways to Say 'I Love You'

Remember the Three-Inch Rule:

Seeley Booth had a healthy respect for rules. As both a soldier and a law enforcement officer, rules had formed the structure of his life. They kept him safe, they kept his buddies and his partner safe, and they kept everyone from making stupid mistakes they'd regret later. What was more, if he knew the rules he would know which ones could be bent.

Never ask a girl if you can kiss her…

Still, there were some rules he hesitated to follow, and the Three-Inch Rule was one of them. He'd had plenty of opportunities—late nights together when he'd looked up from his paperwork and found her closer than he'd thought, or times when they'd been dancing almost cheek to cheek and her lips had been so tantalizingly close. Always though the Three-Inch Rule was tempered by the "Bones can knock me on my ass" rule, and he'd let all the opportunities slip by.

If her lips are within three inches of yours…

That had changed about five minutes ago. He'd been walking her to her car after another late night, his arm slung over her shoulders. (It was one of the few types of physical contact she allowed, and frankly, he'd take what he could get.) They were almost to her car when it happened; he'd looked over at her, and she was looking at him, and she was smiling that special smile she saved just for him—the one that softened her eyes and curved her lips in the most enticing manner.

That's invitation enough.

Her lips. That full, sweet pout invited him to kiss them, and for once, he didn't second-guess himself. He crossed the remaining three inches and kissed her. The sensation was completely new and exciting and yet utterly familiar at the same time. She tasted like coffee and Chinese food and some rich, exotic spice he knew was uniquely Temperance.

He was almost lost in the kiss before he realized what he was doing. He was kissing Bones without any question, without permission. Fear for his person warred with a desire to keep on kissing her, but caution won. He pulled back just far enough to see the look on her face. Her closed eyes and slightly parted lips didn't give the impression of a woman who was going to kick his ass, but he'd learned not to make assumptions where she was concerned.

Before he could say anything, she opened her eyes and glared at him. He dropped his arm from her shoulder and took a step back, ready to protect himself if he had to. "Why did you stop?"

The question was so far from what he'd expected that he was momentarily speechless. When his brain caught up, he said, "I didn't ask… I wasn't sure if this was what you wanted, Bones."

She rolled her eyes. "I thought you could read body language, Booth."

"I can!"

"Then you should know that anthropologically speaking, when a female gets within a certain proximity of a male, she's initiating contact."

Relief filled Booth, and he laughed. "It's called the Three-Inch Rule, Temperance."

She stepped forward and he stopped laughing. "How far away am I now?" she challenged, her voice a throaty whisper.

"About two inches," he answered, and some part of him was surprised he could still speak.

"Then shut up and kiss me."

Diclaimer: Bones and all its characters don't belong to me. The Three-Inch Rule doesn't either. I've seen it credited to Ann Landers, though I don't know if that's accurate. For those wanting it in one place, here it is. "Remember the Three-Inch Rule: Never ask a girl if you can kiss her. If her lips are within three inches of yours, that's invitation enough."