A/N: There is a passing reference to Max being alive in this chapter. He was still with us during the time frame of the Tutor in the Tussle, and that's approximately when this chapter takes place.
"I can't believe you're actually going to eat that." Jessica shook her head in amazement as she watched Aubrey start on his sixth piece of pizza.
"Come on, Jessica. You know how much I love this version of the meat lover's special." He sprinkled more red pepper flakes on the slice before taking a large bite of it. "And I'm still hungry. It's been a long time since I ate lunch."
Daintily munching on her second slice of vegetarian pizza as she sat on the kitchen counter, Jessica rolled her eyes as she sighed in exasperation. "I know, but anchovies and garlic drizzle on a Parmesan crust? That's a really smelly mixture, isn't it? Hardly the recipe for a romantic evening at home." She giggled as he stuck his tongue out at her. "Do you really think I'm going to want to kiss you after you eat that combination?"
"If I remember correctly, it didn't stop you from kissing me last time we had this for dinner. In fact, it didn't stop you from doing a lot of things with me, did it? Anyway, it's not my fault that you don't appreciate the finer things in life...like anchovies." Aubrey smirked as his picked up a morsel of sausage from his plate and put it back on his pizza slice. "You know, I read somewhere that both garlic and anchovies are aphrodisiacs. I'm just thinking of you, okay? I wanna be able to satisfy you all night long..." He took another big bite of the pizza, reaching for his napkin as tomato sauce squirted out of the slice. After cleaning the sauce from his mouth, he grumbled as he looked down at his bare chest. "That's just great...now there's pizza sauce all down my front…" He pretended to be annoyed when Jessica giggled at his predicament. "So you think it's funny, do you?" He pushed his chair away from the table and pretended to glare at her. "I don't think it's very nice for you to laugh at me like that…"
Giggling at her boyfriend's supposed annoyance, Jessica shrugged a shoulder as she had another bite of her pizza slice. "Yeah, actually it's very funny. I guess it's a good thing I'm wearing your shirt since you're so messy when you eat. Otherwise there'd be stuff all over it, and it'd smell like anchovies and garlic." She gave him a flirty grin as she adjusted the tee shirt around her, crossing her legs so the shirt would ride up high on her thigh. "I like this shirt. I think I'm going to keep it."
Aubrey couldn't help but notice the tantalizing view offered by his girlfriend's position on the counter. The shirt had slipped down off her shoulder, offering a glimpse of the upper curve of her breast, and at some time during the evening's festivities, she'd lost her panties. Her dark red hair was flowing loose around her face and neck, and the contrast between her hair and her creamy skin was practically intoxicating...so much so that Aubrey forgot all about his meat lovers' pizza in favor of becoming a different sort of lover. He sauntered over to the counter where she sat, putting a hand on either side of her as he positioned himself between her knees. "Oh, no, you don't. That's one of my favorite shirts, and I'm gonna take it back from you…" He took her slice of pizza from her hand and set it on the counter next to her before grabbing the hem of the tee shirt and pulling it off over Jessica's head. "There...much better."
"You need to learn to share, Aubrey." Jessica made a show of stretching as she shifted on the counter. "Oh...it looks like you missed a spot." She wet her finger with the tip of her tongue before running it back and forth through an imaginary drop of pizza sauce, laughing as she tickled his bare chest. She gave him a saucy grin before licking her finger. "You taste so good…"
"And I bet you taste good, too. C'mere, you…" An almost primal growl erupted from Aubrey as he pulled Jessica close, nibbling at her ears before kissing and nipping gently at her neck, throat, and clavicles as he massaged her breasts. He laved her hardening nipples with his insistent tongue, spurred on by her moans and mewls of pleasure. Jessica arched her back, using her elbows to support herself as she reclined on the counter while his mouth slowly worked its way down her body before reaching his ultimate prize.
"God, James...what are you waiting for?", she groaned as he paused from his efforts. He gave her a cocky grin as he rested his chin on her belly.
"Oh, I'm just trying to decide what I want to do to you next…" Aubrey chuckled as he dodged her playful swipe at his head. "I take it the whole 'anchovy and garlic are stinky' thing hasn't bothered you too much while I've been kissing you all over your body…" He gently ran his hands over the smooth skin of her breasts, abdomen and her hips. "God, your skin feels so good, Jess…it's just like satin." He laid a delicate kiss on her navel before taking a step back to admire her nude form. "I could just stare at you all night long…"
"Nope...I'm not gonna let you waste my time like that. Break time's over. Back to work." Jessica put her legs around Aubrey's hips, laughing as she used them to pull him closer to her. "You know what I want…"
"I think so…" He gently stroked her inner thighs with his fingertips, pleased that he was making her body so hot with desire for him. "Ready for some more lovin', Baby?"
Jessica threw her head back in frustration, exasperated with her boyfriend's teasing. "Arrgh! Seriously? I was ready hours ago, Aubrey! I can't wait any longer. Get busy!"
"Wasn't it you who said that anticipation heightens pleasure during sex? Maybe I'll just make you wait…maybe I'll go finish my slice of pizza." He chuckled as he saw her scowling at him. "Oh, okay…if you insist..." He began laying delicate kisses from her navel downward, stopping to ghost small puffs of air on her wet heat. "You're so ready for me, aren't you…"
Shivers ran down Jessica's spine as her boyfriend made love to her with his talented tongue until finally she cried out his name in ecstasy and collapsed back on the counter, almost delirious with such intense pleasure. "Oh, my God, Superman…you're amazing…" Waves of pleasure vibrated her body as she ran her fingers through his thick hair. "That was wonderful. No one's ever made me feel this way…I love you so much…"
"I love you, too, Darlin'." Caressing Jessica gently, Aubrey smiled. "But I think we've spent enough time in the kitchen for one evening, don't you? Why don't we adjourn to the bedroom?"
She giggled softly as she gave him a quick kiss. "I thought you were hungry…"
"I think I've had enough pizza to tide me over for a few hours...but I haven't had my fill of you yet." Laughing, Aubrey scooped Jessica from the counter and threw her over his shoulder fireman style, playfully patting her butt. "Come along, little girl. I think I need some more of you…" He carried his squealing girlfriend to her bedroom and gently bounced her down on the bed, quickly stepping out of his jeans before laying down next to her. "Time for the main course…"
"I can't wait for dessert…" Jessica pulled him close and wrapped her arms and legs around him in a tight embrace. "I'm hungry, too…"
Oooooooooo
It was quiet Sunday evening at home for Booth and Brennan. The lights were turned down low except for a few strategically placed candles on the dinner table. Brennan sipped her wine as Booth set a heaping dinner plate before her. "My secret Bolognese sauce over handmade whole wheat linguine." He flashed a grin at his wife before taking his seat. "I hope you like it…"
"I'm sure I will, Booth." She smiled demurely as she felt his loving gaze on her. "Thank you for cooking dinner. You know I love your Bolognese..."
"My pleasure." He glanced at her shyly. "I've been looking forward to this evening...you know, spending time alone with you…ever since we first decided to do this a couple of weeks ago."
"It was an excellent idea to observe Valentine's Day early, Booth, and I'm glad we decided to stay home this evening. It's much more relaxing being here with you than going out to a crowded restaurant somewhere." She smiled at her husband as she buttered her garlic roll. "And we can have as much wine as we want without having to worry about getting home safely."
"And we don't have to worry about the kids and how they'll treat the sitter." Booth chuckled as his wife rolled her eyes. "I mean, rushing back home and then seeing her off and getting the kids settled down…it sometimes adds a lot of stress to an otherwise pleasant evening..."
"Yes, that can be problematic. I think your solution is imminently more practical." Brennan smiled at Booth as she continued, reaching over to pat his hand. "You made all of the arrangements for this evening quite efficiently."
"Things did work out well, didn't they? Christine's going to stay with Jennifer tonight and Mrs. Applegate will take the girls to school tomorrow. Hank's staying with Angela and Hodgins tonight and they'll take him to daycare at the Jeffersonian in the morning. We're gonna keep Michael-Vincent next weekend in return…" Booth twirled a forkful of spaghetti on his plate. "I hope you don't mind that I said we'd do that. I figured they could use a night like this themselves…"
"It seems to be an equitable arrangement. So I guess we can pick up the children tomorrow after school…" Brennan sighed softly. "I was hoping we'd be able to extend our time together a bit longer, but we do have responsibilities, don't we?"
"Actually, I think we're gonna have a few hours longer than what you think." Booth was obviously proud of himself, grinning happily at his surprise. "Someone else is going to pick up Hank and Christine tomorrow afternoon."
"Really? Who's available to do that, Booth? Max isn't feeling well…" Trying to hide her worry about her father, Brennan sipped her wine. "Angela and Hodgins will be busy…"
"Caroline is going to pick them up and feed them dinner. She'll have them home by eight…"
"Caroline Julian? How did you manage that, Booth?" Brennan chuckled as she thought about the venerable attorney managing her two small children.
"Yep. She was happy to do it, seeing how she owes me a favor. I did a background check on her daughter's new boyfriend, you know, in sort of an off the record kind of way..." Booth cringed slightly as he remembered what the report had said, but he shook off that unpleasantness before continuing. "Anyway, I lent her my car seats from the SUV. You should've seen me trying to fit those seats into the backseat of her old Gremlin…" Brennan and Booth both laughed at that image. "She doesn't have any grandkids of her own, and I think she wishes she did, so when I mentioned that we needed someone to pick up the kids tomorrow, she volunteered, and I accepted quickly before she could change her mind."
"I've always known you were a clever man, Booth…" Brennan purred. "I'm going to miss having the children at home this evening, but I'm also glad we'll have the house to ourselves tonight…"
"We can be as rowdy as we want this evening, right?" Booth winked broadly as he clasped Brennan's hand. "And another good thing is that we'll have them home with us for the real Valentine's Day. I imagine Christine will bring us both a giant red paper valentine's card covered with a ton of glitter, and we can take our time to appreciate them instead of rushing off to go out somewhere." He took another bite of spaghetti. "So what did you tell Cam?"
"That I was taking a personal leave day. I considered telling her we were going out of town, but I wasn't sure I could be convincing in the presentation of a falsehood like that…" Brennan chewed her lip slightly as she concentrated on her dinner plate. "I don't have to offer any explanation when I take personal leave, and she didn't ask for one…"
"Um, yeah. I know you don't like to lie." Booth shrugged as he continued. "I took a sick day tomorrow. I've got a ton of them plus all my comp time, so I decided, 'What the hell? Why not?' I guess if anyone asks I'll just tell them I was lovesick…" He winked at his wife as he twitched his eyebrows and licked his lips in a suggestive manner. "...and I needed to spend time with my wife for the cure…"
"Booth, you know there's no such thing as being lovesick…" Brennan gave Booth what he called her stern school teacher look before turning her attention back to her plate. "That's simply ridiculous…"
"I know you don't think it exists, Bones, but if I don't get to spend enough time with you, it starts to wear on me, you know? I get cranky and irritable...more than normal, anyway, and nobody at work needs that shit from me. I need to spend some quality time with my wife every so often in order to operate at my peak efficiency. Anybody who's been around me knows I'm an ugly bastard if I don't get enough attention from you. I'm just thinking of the other agents in my office...and I need you to do your duty to your country by assisting me in taking care of my illness tonight and tomorrow so I'll be cured by the time have to go back to work."
"I see. So you're going to blame being disagreeable at work on a lack of sexual intercourse?" Brennan giggled as she poured another glass of wine for herself. "I think that's a very illogical excuse, especially considering the frequency with which we actually do engage in coitus…"
"Maybe so, but it's the only excuse I've got." Booth smirked as he sipped his wine. "So I think tonight and tomorrow morning you need to help me recharge my 'niceness' batteries as only you can…" He rose from the table and picked up the empty dinner plates. "Do you want some tortoni? I picked some up after Mass this morning…"
"Not right now." Brennan took the plates from Booth and set them in the sink. "Maybe later." She put her arms around him and pulled him close for a passionate kiss. "I think the dirty dishes can wait as well."
"Oh really?" Booth caressed his wife gently, reaching under her tee shirt to stroke her soft skin. "What do you have in mind?" He pulled her close and nibbled her earlobe as she ran her hands down his muscular arms.
She gave him a sly grin as she took his hand in hers. "Close your eyes and come with me…"
"Wait a minute. Where are we going?" Booth pretended to close his eyes tightly as he whined softly. "C'mon, Bones…no fair..."
"No peeking…" She giggled as she led him into the small room adjacent to the kitchen. "Stand right here." Quickly stripping down to her underclothes, she turned to her husband with a big smile. "Okay, Booth…you can look now..."
He opened his eyes and laughed out loud. "Oh, I see...I guess I'm gonna help you with the laundry, right?"
"That's right. I believe we should start a load right away, don't you?" She undid the clasp on her bra and threw it into the empty washer. "What else can we put in there, Booth?"
"Maybe my shirt and my jeans? And how about my socks and my boxers?" He quickly got rid of his clothing and added them to the laundry load.
"Excellent choice. Now all we need to do is start the washer...I think we should use the extra long cycle, don't you?" Brennan started the machine and pulled her husband close. "I love you, Booth…"
He grinned as he picked her up and set her on the rapidly vibrating washing machine. "I love you, too, Bones, and now I'm gonna show you just how much. Happy Valentine's Day…"
Oooooooooo
Aubrey checked out his appearance in Jessica's mirror one more time before leaving her bedroom. He was very tired, but he had to go to work today since Booth was off. He walked into the kitchen to give his girlfriend a kiss. "I gotta go to work, Darlin'..."
Jessica sighed contentedly, pleased with how good she felt as well as how good her boyfriend looked in his suit. "Okay. I had a great time last night with our welcome home celebration…"
He embraced her and kissed her tenderly. "Yeah, me, too. Are you sure we can't have a replay tonight?"
She shook her head slightly as she turned back to the refrigerator. "I wish we could, Superman, but since I was gone for two weeks I need to get caught up with things around here, especially since we're going to be busy the next couple of days. You asked for a day off after Valentine's Day, right?"
"You bet." He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair. "So seven tomorrow evening, okay?"
"Okay. What do you need me to bring?"
"Just yourself. Everything else is ready. We're gonna have a great dinner." Aubrey bent down to kiss Jessica again. "I love you, and I'm so happy we're gonna spend Valentine's Day together."
"Me, too, Superman." She glanced at the clock on the microwave. "You'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow evening. I love you…" She giggled as he kissed her again.
"I love you, too. Hey, even if you don't wanna come over tonight, do you think you could send me some pictures? You know what kind I like…" He twitched his eyebrow at her. "I won't show them to anyone else…I promise."
"I'll think about it. Now go on so you're not late." Jessica pretended to scowl as she hustled him out of the kitchen.
One more kiss, and then Aubrey headed toward the front door, turning to back to smile at his beautiful girlfriend. If everything went according to his plan, they'd be able to play out this scene many times over the years. "Bye, Jess. See you soon…"
"Bye, Superman." Jessica closed the door and smiled, thinking of how pleasant it would be able to see her hero off to work over the next thirty years or forty years.