Disclaimer - I own nothing exempt my imagination, actions and ability to entertain, sadly I do not own FOX/ABC/Castle or Bones
Chapter 3 – Crime Novelists Gala – Fate
They stepped out onto the lush balcony dotted with secluded corners and benches to assist the romantics in the group. Temperance leaned her head on Booth's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist, content to be in each others' company.
Temperance and Booth make their way along the balcony path and head to a secluded bench just overlooking the magnificent Central Park entrance. It's an enchanting view of carriage riders embarking on a night time ride of the park.
A street performer's rendition of Poco's "Keep on Trying" brings an added smile to their faces.
Temperance grinned and nodded her head in the direction of the street performer, "Hmmm, do you think we should add our voices to his, I think we know all the words, don't you?"
Booth on the other hand clearly believed in fate and thought "Okay, this is a definitely a sign, its' now or never". His hand move of its own volition and gently guided her face so that she's looked into his eyes, as he stares into hers mesmerized'.
Booth sends a silent prayer up for good luck and fortitude plunges ahead, watching for any reaction. "Temperance, have you thought about us ever being a couple?"
Startled, Temperance replied, "Booth, you know we can't do that, the FBI would break up our partnership and I couldn't stand it if we couldn't work together. My books, even my anthropology have allowed me to meet you in the middle and make us the team we are; I just can't let that go." Tempe's eyes plead with Booth for understanding, she couldn't give up her life for something that might not work.
"Temperance, I've been thinking about this for quite a while now and just haven't found enough courage to ask you but you don't know all the facts, I've gotten some professional advice from our favorite attorney."
He smiled and added, "Caroline looked over the Jeffersonian and FBI regulations from top to bottom and she has found nothing in the statues that stipulate we can't be together." Booth looked into Temperance's eyes again trying to gauge her reaction, while he prayed he hadn't done irreparable damage to their partnership.
"Why Booth," Tempe pleaded, "why would you want to change things, we may not work out and we could ask to be reassigned to other agents, I couldn't stand it if I lost you." Tears pooled in her eyes, clearly upset by the thought of losing him.
"Tempe, we work dangerous jobs, do you want to regret never taking this chance, either of us could die without ever really knowing. To me that's dying slowly, I need you to trust me on this, do you trust me Bones?" Booth pleaded as his hand moved to tip head back so he could meet her eyes and she could see the sincerity in his.
"Booth, it's not a matter of trust, I trust you with my life," Temperance started.
Booth agitated declares, "Sure you trust me with your life but not your heart; you who don't believe in love certainly are doing everything to protect your heart." He added with a whisper, "I'm just asking let's give this weekend a chance and see where it goes, though if you feel one tenth what I feel for you I'm sure by Monday we'll be on the same page. Let's just give this a chance, three days, 72 hours; just give us a chance," Booth's eyes pleaded as he waits.
Temperance looked into his beautiful chocolate brown eyes, the eyes of a man who has protected, befriended and loved her in atta girl sort of way.
Tempe assessed, if she was honest with herself, she knew she was scared, scared to death of what this change might mean. But, she also knew, not giving this a chance would drive Booth away.
She wasn't a fool to believe no change was possible, science had taught her well. Everything must change, everything must evolve, and just being partners after this conversation wouldn't be possible.
Temperance leaned slowly into Booth; her answer was in the softness of the kiss she pressed to his lips. She first kissed the corners of his mouth, then softly traced his lips with her tongue, all the while knowing she was tempting Booth beyond belief.
She loved the mastery he had over his body, but she now felt emboldened to see just how strong that control was. She then leaned forward and grabbed his lapels with her beautiful hands and feasting on his mouth.
After a groan of acceptance escaped Booth, it was lightening fast how the control of the kiss switched from Temperance to Seeley. Yes, Seeley, Booth was for work, moments of camaraderie, bickering but for private times, it would always be Seeley.
She groaned his name "Seeley," which broke the spell as they each sprung from each other, they looked deeply into each other's eyes and questioned, "Is this real?"
He gasped but didn't let go, instead he traced her lips with his finger and marveled that he could now do that, he looked into her eyes and dared to ask.
"I take it you decided to give us a shot?" he grinned at how ridiculous the question sounded, rather than wait for her answer he kissed her again, making the first kiss seem more like a kiss between friends.
Tempe willed her eyes to open, her eyes hazy with desire she murmured, "I like your proposal very much and while in New York this weekend, we will be a couple in every way and I mean every Booth, I want no puritan thoughts in your head."
Smirking she added, "If you thought page 187 was racy, you should read page 269. I will let you read that before the books released on Monday, I wrote that with you in mind."
That statement has Booth grinning from ear to ear, as his arms wrapped tightly around her. He listened as she continued, "Not everything from Andy and Kathy's relationship comes from Angela, and we have a creative collaboration. You'd definitely enjoy being in the room for those conversations, other than visuals it's pretty much a conversation involving porn, everyman's' dream."
Temperance winks at Booth's shocked expression and leans in for another kiss and then another and another.
Tempe sighed softly when at last Booth pulls away slightly to murmur, "We better stop, before we can't." Booth's words clearly did not matching his actions as he continued to press light kisses along her jaw and moved to the sensitive skin of her earlobe.
Booth sighed as he pulled Temperance to her feet, he wrapped his arms around her and began to sway with the music being played just below at the park's entrance, and clearly our musician is enchanted with Poco he had moved onto "Crazy Love".
Tempe wondered in just those brief moments what made her hold back all this time. She already felt cared for and protected by the most wonderful man in the world, who'd die before letting her get hurt. No she was wrong to hold back, she tipped her head back to look into eyes she trusted implicitly and declared, "Booth, you should have kissed me senseless a long time ago; we could have saved ourselves a lot of heartache along the way".
He wrapped his arms a little more snugly around her waist as he chuckled, "Are you kidding Bones, had I done ANYTHING before you were ready, I'd be bouncing on the asphalt out there. You are one tough cookie, who I learned on our first case together, never, ever grab or push. That rules still holds today, I'm just better at knowing the rules now," Booth declared with his charm smile and twinkling brown eyes.
