AN: I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this to you. It's what happens when I write as I go instead of finishing the story before I start posting. I tried to make the story worth the wait -- this is a long chapter. redrider6612 did an especially excellent job editing this chapter for me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.
Booth and Brennan walked towards their cars, turning back to wave at Angela and Hodgins standing in the door. Ever the gentleman, he escorted her to her car, trying to forget just how good she looked earlier in her swimwear. She unlocked the door and turned to find him standing very close. Surprised, she looked up and saw the desire burning in his eyes.
"Booth, we have an audience," she hissed quietly. Then more loudly, "See you next week, Booth."
Trying to cover his distraction, he nudged her to the right and reached for the handle of her car door. As she slipped into the driver's seat, he said in a low voice full of promise, "I'll see you before then, Temperance."
Then he stepped back and carefully closed the door, regretting that he couldn't just follow her into it. As he moved toward his vehicle, he waved one last time at Jack and Angela, but thoughts of his partner occupied his mind.
Brennan woke early the next morning, and like every Sunday, she enjoyed the luxury of taking the morning slow before heading into the office. Coffee and light breakfast followed a long shower, but it wasn't long before she was immersed in completing paperwork and identifying a body from limbo.
A little after noon, Booth walked into her office.
"Hey, Bones. Told you you wouldn't have to wait 'til next week to see me!" he said with a wide grin.
She looked up at him and couldn't help but smile in return.
"Technically, Sunday is the beginning of the week, so you are seeing me next week," she replied dryly, smirking at him.
He rolled his eyes at her. "Let's grab some lunch," he said. When she opened her mouth to object, he continued, "Yes, I know you're perfectly capable of feeding yourself. I also know that you haven't done it yet."
She hated it when he seemed to know what she was going to say and was usually right. "I'm not hungry yet," she said, "and I'm in the middle of finishing this report."
"The report can wait until tomorrow," he replied.
She glared at him.
He moved to stand right behind her. He leaned over and spoke into her ear. "C'mon Bones," he wheedled, "you know you want to have lunch with your favorite FBI agent."
The feeling of his breath on her neck completely distracted her from her work. She turned her head to find his face inches away. His charm smile was at full wattage and she involuntarily sucked in a breath as her pulse increased.
"Fine," she said, saving and closing her document.
When they arrived at the restaurant and were seated, Booth surprised her by sliding into the seat next to her instead of the one across from her. She was a little uncomfortable at first, but he acted like it was completely normal and soon conversation flowed smoothly between the partners.
Near the end of lunch, Brennan eyed the last few fries on his plate. His fries always tasted better than hers. When she scooted close to him to grab a fry off of his plate, he casually draped his arm over her shoulder. Immediately she started and then turned her head to look at him with wide blue eyes. His eyes held a warm expression that made her heart pound. Suddenly uncomfortable again, she slowly slid away from him and he let her go, resting his arm on the seat of the booth.
After a short argument about who would pay for lunch, the two climbed into his SUV and he pulled out of the parking lot. Thoughts of Booth's behavior over the past few days occupied Brennan and she stared out the window without really seeing where they were going. Things had been different between them lately and she felt the need to understand what had changed.
As he pulled the vehicle into an empty parking spot, Brennan shook off her distraction and looked around.
"Booth, where are we?" she asked.
"Rock Creek Regional Park," he answered.
"But I have more work to do," she objected.
"Bones," he pleaded, "it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Please stop thinking about work for the afternoon and just enjoy the day."
She glanced at him for only a moment, but suddenly hanging out with him seemed more important than work. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she climbed out and waited while he grabbed a large backpack from the back seat.
"Let me know if you want me to take a turn carrying the backpack," she offered. "It looks heavy."
He let out an amused chuckle. "Bones, in the army we used to carry an eighty pound pack on all day marches. I think I can handle this one for a few hours," he replied.
She muttered a sentence that contained the words "alpha male tendencies," but since he couldn't hear the rest, he decided that he didn't need to answer.
For a while they meandered along one of the trails. Occasionally, she would see a flower she recognized and go into squint mode, practically giving a lecture about the particular species of flora.
After the first two, he asked, "Bones, can you just tell me names? I won't remember more than that anyway."
To his surprise, she didn't lecture him about losing a prime learning opportunity, instead she smiled and nodded. They continued to wander, eventually leaving the marked trail. About the time she realized that he was leading her in a particular direction instead of ambling aimlessly, he stepped over a large log.
Brennan eyed the log doubtfully. 'I'm not really wearing the right kind of shoes for this,' she thought, looking down at her feet. 'Too bad I'm not a few inches taller. If I was I could just step over it like Booth did.' Then Booth offered her a hand, and she stepped onto the log, holding his hand to keep her balance. Once she was safely on the other side, Booth picked up the pace a bit.
About twenty minutes later, he led her into a semi-circular clearing near a creek. Near the trees the sun created a dappled shadow, but most of the clearing was bathed in sunlight. He let go of her hand and dropped the backpack to the ground.
While Booth pulled a blanket out of the bag and spread it out in the shade, Brennan suddenly realized they had been holding hands ever since the log. 'And I didn't even notice. When did I become so comfortable with him that holding hands became second nature?'
Booth's voice distracted her from her musing.
"Hey Bones, you want some water?" he said, offering her an open bottle of water.
"Thanks," she said, grabbing it from his hand and taking a swig.
"It's warm out today, isn't it?" he observed, wiping his forehead with the back of one hand.
"A little, but not that much," she replied.
"Well, I'm really hot," he said.
She noticed his face was flushed and the back of his shirt was damp where the backpack had rested, telltale signs that he was hot.
"Why don't you have some more water to help you cool off?" she suggested.
He looked at her for a moment and was about to take her suggestion when he got a better idea. It would help him cool off and maybe she'd… He stopped thinking about it and just pulled his shirt off.
At first Brennan was surprised by his action, but as before, she was drawn almost inexorably to touch his bare chest. Mesmerized, she took a step toward him, her fingers dancing lightly on his skin. She silently named the muscles as her hand slid slowly down his chest toward his waist. His breathing hitched and his pulse raced. He loved how his nerves thrummed when she touched him.
Fascinated, he watched as her hand settled for a moment on the center of his chest and then slid down toward the bottom of his rib cage. Her mouth was moving, but no sound emerged. Her hand came to rest on his hip at the waistband of his pants, and he suppressed a moan of desire. He wanted her to keep exploring his body with her talented fingers, but she jerked away, suddenly aware of her actions and acutely embarrassed.
"I… I'm sorry, Booth," she stammered.
"Don't be. I was enjoying it," he replied with a cocky smile. Her gaze flew to his eyes and for a moment the world disappeared. Then a nearby bird chirped loudly, and the spell was broken.
Booth sat down on the blanket and then settled back into reclining position, one arm propping up his head. After a moment she sat down next to him.
Not wanting to use the phrase "touching me" for fear of scaring her off, Booth queried,
"When you were… you know… what were you mouthing?"
She looked puzzled for a moment, and then her expression cleared when she realized what he was asking. "I was naming the muscles and the bones," she replied softly, turning her head away with embarrassment. 'There's something about him that's just… what? Appealing? Irresistible? No those aren't exactly right.' She couldn't think of a good way to describe it.
"Teach me?" he asked just as softly.
Her eyes flew to his. When she saw that his request was sincere, she scooted closer and reached out to touch his shoulder.
"Deltiod," she began. Her hand slid down a bit. "These are the pectorals, but I'm sure you knew that." She continued to move, naming the muscles as she went. "Rectus abdominus, tranversus abdominus, external oblique…"
When she was finished, he tried to repeat the list back to her but he got stuck in the middle. Patiently, she went over it with him again. When he had the list down, she stretched out beside him, one hip on the ground and a hand supporting her head.
She started to speak, but his gaze ensnared her and its warmth blew the thought out of her mind. For a time, the sound of the rustling trees faded and they were the only two people on earth.
Booth smiled at her and said, "This is my favorite thinking place. I've never seen anybody here and if you walk a few feet that way along the creek there's a great rock to sit on. Listen!"
Her attention tuned to her sense of hearing, Brennan heard the sound of the creek burbling, the wind sighing softly through the trees, the chirping of birds, and the scuttling of small animals along the ground.
She turned a question gaze to him, and he said, "We're only a few miles from the road, but here it's almost like civilization doesn't exist."
He closed his eyes, appreciating the silence, the feel, and the smell of the glade. It wasn't long before Brennan became restless.
"I didn't bring anything to do, Booth," she said.
He opened a lazy eye and looked at her. "Today isn't about doing something, Temperance; it's about being. Relax. Enjoy the moment. Stop and smell the roses."
After a quick glance around her, she protested, "There are no roses here, Booth."
He sighed, "It's just an expression."
Brennan fidgeted, unsure of just how to do what he asked. She looked around again, slower this time, and noticed a few small flowers wilting under the sun beating down in the middle of the glade. Then Booth moved his right arm from behind his head and traded it for his left. She began to admire his solid frame. He had broad shoulders and narrow hips. His muscles were well-defined and looked pretty symmetrical. His face was almost in profile to her… straight nose, kissable lips…. 'Where did that thought come from?' Brennan panicked mentally.
"Booth, I…" she began, and then stopped unsure of how to continue.
He opened his eyes and turned his head in her direction. "Bones?"
She waved a hand between their bodies. "What is this?" she asked, wanting to understand how things were changing between the two of them, but not sure what words to use to describe it.
A soft smile played over his features. "This is two people falling in love," he answered simply.
"I…" Brennan started to speak.
He reached out a finger and pressed it to her lips. "Sshhh. Don't think about it yet. We'll talk about it tonight at dinner. For now, just enjoy where we are."
"But Booth," she began to object.
He gazed at her tenderly. "We will never have another moment exactly like this one. Just experience it, Temperance."
Then he shifted his head and closed his eyes again. He knew she needed time to think, but he hoped she would take his advice. He didn't want to give her too long to think, so after about half an hour, he stood up and pulled a small bag out of the backpack and tossed it to her.
"Ever been rock walking, Bones?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," she replied.
"Well, go put those on and I'll show you how it's done," he said.
Brennan opened the drawstring of the bag and saw her bikini and flip-flops. She glanced up at him.
"Booth, where did you get these?" she demanded.
"I used the spare key you gave me in case of emergencies," he answered with a small shrug.
She frantically tried to remember where she had left her suit yesterday. Giving up, she stepped behind a large tree. Without a mirror it was hard to tell if she'd gotten everything tied right, but it would do. She folded her clothes into a neat stack, placing her underwear between her pants and shirt. When she walked back into the clearing, Booth was in swimming trunks.
Booth looked up and then gestured her to stand on the blanket. She carefully set her clothes down on the edge and then stepped out of her sandals onto the blanket. Slowly he drank in her appearance, savoring the details he hadn't been able to appreciate the day before. He moved his index finger in a circle and she turned as he requested.
When she was facing him again, he said, "Wow! Your body is just as amazing as your brain. I wanted to do that yesterday, but…"
"Turn again, please," he practically begged her.
In the normal course of things, Brennan probably would have begun a lecture involving the words anthropology and biological imperatives, but something in his voice urged her to comply without protest. Other men had appreciated her looks, but there was something about his open admiration that made her stomach flutter.
Then he said, "Okay, step back into those flip-flops and let's go."
He reached for her hand and led her toward the creek. Gravel covered the bottom, but there were a number of large stones. Booth stepped gently on the nearest one, testing to see if it was sturdy. Standing on it, he looked for the next rock, tested it and then moved. She followed after him. Some of the rocks were wet and others had moss growing on them.
After a few rocks, he said, "See? Rock walking! If we go a few minutes up stream there's a nice pool."
When they reached a wide pool, Booth let go of her hand and floated on the water. As she stood on the last rock trying to make up her mind about getting in the water, he admired the way the sunlight set off her curves.
Brennan dipped a foot in the water. It was a bit cold, but not too bad. She stepped in and the water came to about her waist. She had just decided that she didn't want to get her hair wet, when a large splash drenched her.
"Booth! That was unnecessary," she scolded with a shiver.
"But you look so good wet," he replied with a huge grin.
'He's impossible when he's like this,' she thought, before splashing him back.
After their splashing war, he put his arms around her to dunk her, but electricity jolted through him when he touched her. Suddenly, all he could think about was kissing her. She seemed to melt into his arms. Dark brown eyes met blue ones in an intense gaze and then he slowly lowered his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.
The kiss didn't last more than a few seconds, but Brennan felt as though an accident had happened in a fireworks factory. One sensation after another exploded through her body. When he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open and she found herself mesmerized by the love and desire she read in his eyes.
She moved out of his embrace. "Booth…" she began, her brain desperately attempting to unscramble her thoughts.
"Don't think, Temperance, just feel. Be in the moment. We will never have another first kiss," he said softly.
When she started to speak again, he pulled her into a tight hug and stroked her hair. A moment later, she relaxed in his arms. They stood for a long while, bodies pressed together. It was impossible for him to hide his physical desire for her and after a moment, he decided he didn't care. He had hidden from her long enough.
When she began to shiver, he led her back down the creek to their clearing. He extracted beach towels from the backpack and tossed one to her. Immediately she began dry off. He couldn't help but watch her as she moved.
"Booth, you're staring," she observed.
"I'm sorry. I just can't help it. You're so incredibly smart and amazingly beautiful, I just…" he trailed off, uncertain how to express what he was feeling.
His compliment warmed her heart. A smile stole over her face and he felt as though the air had been sucked out of his lungs. He took a deep breath and restrained himself from kissing her again. He needed to give her time to sort things out in her mind.
He flopped onto the blanket and stretched out. A moment later she followed his example and they were both lying on their backs side-by-side. He grinned lazily at her and she smiled back at him. He delicately reached out and touched her stomach, naming the muscles as she had taught him earlier.
Brennan couldn't suppress the pleasant shiver that shook her body in response to his touch. When he finished naming the muscles, he began to caress her stomach with smooth strokes. Uncomfortable with the intimacy of his actions, she sat up.
"I'm getting cold," she said.
Although he was disappointed, he simply reached for his clothes and said, "I'll just go get dressed. Let me know when you're done."
Booth walked around the tree she had used earlier and slowly dressed, trying to get a handle on his emotions and hormones. She too dressed slowly, trying to organize the thoughts whirling in her brain. She called his name and he stepped back into the clearing. They stuffed everything back in the pack and headed toward the park exit. Still cold because of her wet hair, Brennan shivered in the late afternoon sun. He slipped an arm around her shoulders.
"Booth, if you show people your thinking place, it won't be a good place to think any more," she said as they walked.
"Not people, Temperance, just you," he replied.
"I… you… thank you. Booth," she said softly, thinking that he had shared something very special with her.
The rest of the walk to the SUV and the drive to her home were accomplished in silence.
"I'll be back in an hour and half to take you on a proper date," he said. "Wear the dress I laid out for you. We'll talk."
'Overbearing alpha male,' she thought, as she climbed out of the car.