A/N: Yay, I finally won some of you over =D Hopefully I'm going to win even more of you over now. =] Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the feedback. I love you guys 3

Well, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, because, frankly, it was a huge pain in the ass ('scuse my French xD) to write. I actually found myself sighing in relief once I was finished. I'm not really sure why it was such a pain to write, but, at points, I found myself wanting to pull my hair out, erasing and rewriting every other sentence. xD So please tell me how it came out.

And, it's pretty long too, so hopefully you all have the attention span to read it.

Chapter Eleven

"Your lips upon my lips,

can you envision it?

Temptation I could never resist.

Your skin upon my skin, would be the sweetest sin.

That would be the sweetest sin."

-"Sweetest Sin" by Jessica Simpson

Booth looked down at her when he heard the words, brown eyes meeting blue for only the second time that night, the first being when Brennan opened the door. Brennan looked up at him, her chest heaving as her eyes scanned his, looking for some sort of answer.

"Booth?" She asked again, her voice meeker this time around.

"Bones," Booth shook his head, his eyebrow furrowing in confusion, "do you realize what you just said?"

Brennan nodded confidently, reaching up to ghost her fingers over the line of his jaw.

"Make love to me," she repeated, cutting him off when he opened his mouth to object, "it's okay," she assured him, smoothing the hand she had at the back of his neck down his shoulder blade, "I'm not afraid. You shouldn't be either."

He simply looked at her, unable to speak at the moment, since he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to say. Of course 'yes', but, he knew that wasn't going to be enough. He couldn't just agree to make love to her without saying something, anything.

"You don't have to," Brennan could feel her disappointment growing when he stayed silent, getting the message that he didn't want to, "I know it's going against our agreement, but, I just," she paused, shifting underneath him, all of the sudden, feeling uncomfortable, "I was just, caught up in the moment, I guess."

"Shh," the word fell from his lips in a soft, gentle whisper, his finger coming to her lips to silence her. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, hearing a small whimper from under him. "Just, stop talking, Bones. For five seconds, please, just stop talking."

His tone sounded a mix between frustrated, confused, and lustful. But she knew he wanted her. As conceited as it made her sound, she knew he was never able to resist her. He always wanted her, the same way she always wanted him. She knew the only reason he was frustrated was because she wouldn't stop talking, and the only reason he was confused was because he didn't think that she wanted him the same way he wanted her.

"If you want to-"

"Bones," he half growled, "enough. Do you ever stop?"

Brennan was a little taken back by the harshness of his tone.

"I, don't understand," she said, honestly.

"I just, I need a minute, and you're making that really difficult, because you're always saying something. Just, give me a minute, okay? I need a minute, Bones" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, cutting her off when she went to speak, unable to control herself, "shh, it's okay. Don't say anything right now."

Brennan was quiet, simply running her hands over his shoulders and arms, giving him the minute he asked her for, his head resting against her chest, his own rising and falling with his erratic breathing. After she figured he had long enough, she finally spoke again.

"I want you," she told him, honestly, no element of seduction to her voice, only truth.

"I know," Booth assured her, kissing the center of her chest gently, "and so do I. You know that. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't."

"But you don't want to make love to me?" She asked.

Seeing that they needed to have a serious discussion, Booth moved himself off of her, sitting up straight on the couch, the way they were meant to be sat on, taking her hands and pulling her up so she was as well.

"Can I be honest with you, Bones?" He asked.

"Always," she assured him, preparing herself for the rejection she knew she was about to receive.

"I would love to make love to you," he assured her, before he went any further, not wanting her self esteem to be damaged any further, "this, reluctance thing, it isn't about you, it's about me. I'm kind of, afraid, that if we make love tonight, either, A, I'm going to disappoint you, or, B, it's going to make things awkward between us."

"We made love already," she reminded him, "the first night we slept together."

"Yeah, I know, Bones, but that was a while ago, and you said it had been a while for you, so maybe now that you've been sexually active again, emotional and gentle just won't cut it for you," he informed her of his fears, "and, I need to make sure you're aware of the emotional strings that come with making love. It's not just sex."

"I'm aware," she assured him, "I'm not a child, Booth. You don't have to explain to me the things that come along with sexual intercourse."

Booth sighed and kissed her cheek gently.

"This could ruin everything," he told her.

"Ruin what?" She asked, not following his logic. She reached up to stroke his cheek gently, her hand finding it's way to the back of his neck, pulling herself close to him, "Honestly, Booth? Everything was ruined long ago. Our partnership, our friendship, it was all ruined after you came back to D.C. with Hannah."

"I know," he admitted quietly, nuzzling her temple softly, "I'm sorry. I screwed everything up, and I'm sorry."

Brennan shook her head, taking her turn to press a finger to his lips and silence him.

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?" She asked, "Do not apologize for moving on and being happy with someone else. I had my chance. You don't have to feel sorry for moving on with your life. It would be incredibly selfish of me to expect you not to."

Booth smiled, feeling just slightly overwhelmed at the moment, her hands stroking over his face as he leaned down to kiss her forehead once more.

"Booth?" She asked, after a few seconds of silence, "Can you make love to me now?"

He laughed lightly, standing up and holding his hand out to her. She accepted it without hesitation, letting him help her up, even though she didn't need the help.

"C' mere," he smiled, pulling her against his chest to hold her tight to his body, not feeling very willing to let her go at the moment, "promise me this is what you want."

"I've never wanted anything more," she told him honestly, pressing her cheek to his chest, "but I'm just curious as to why we can't do it right here."

"Because, I don't want this to be on the couch, or the floor, or against the wall," he told her, honestly, "no talking about fantasies of Tie-Me-Up, no rough grabbing or pulling, or yanking each other's clothes off with our teeth. I want to do this the right way."

"Should I get the candles, rose petals, and Seal records?" She teased.

"Bones, I'm serious," he warned.

"I know, Booth, I was just trying to be amusing," she told him, "although, I really wouldn't mind making love to 'Kiss From a Rose'."

"Maybe some other time," he stroked her hair, gently cupping the side of her face after the third stroke, "mainly because I'm not sure if I can wait long enough for you to find the Seal records and go out to buy roses for rose petals."

Brennan laughed, looking up into his eyes, for the first time in a long time, seeing her actual partner again. She wasn't sure why, but, all of the sudden, she was nervous. Booth, sensing the change in her attitude, leaned down to kiss her temple affectionately again.

"What's up, Bones?" He asked.

Brennan shook her head, taking a deep breath through her nose.

"Are you nervous?" She asked.

"No, not really" Booth admitted, moving to kiss her mandible softly, "it's you, Bones. I'm never nervous with you, about anything. I trust you."

"Does the fact that I'm feeling a little anxiety mean that I don't trust you?" She asked, fearing that his answer would be yes.

"No," Booth had to laugh at her question, "it's normal."

Without responding to his last comment, Brennan loosened the knot in his tie, looking up into his eyes, as if she were seeking approval for her actions. He gave her a simple nod, as if saying 'go ahead', as she finished untying the piece of material and slipped it out of the collar of his shirt. Tossing the tie onto her coffee table, Brennan looked up at him once more.

"Stop looking at me like that," Booth laughed softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear for her, "it's okay," he paused when he saw the questioning look in her eyes, "is there something you want to ask me? Because now's the time."

Brennan smoothed her hands down the front of his shirt, carefully untucking it from his pants before she spoke.

"Do you love me?" She asked, focusing on the front of his shirt, not daring to make eye contact.

Booth froze, looking down, only to see the top of her head as opposed to her eyes. That was not the question he wanted to hear. Truth be told, he barely knew what love was anymore. With all the talking he'd done about love, one might think he was experienced in that category, but, lately, he came to realize that love wasn't as cut and dry as he always thought it was.

"Bones," he started, warily.

"It's okay," Brennan cut him off, finally looking up at him again, pretending like it was no big deal, even though Booth could see the tiny glint of hurt in her eyes, "you don't have-"

"Yes," Booth was the one to cut her off this time, looking into her eyes when he spoke, "I love you. And not in a strictly professional 'atta girl' kind of way. The real kind."

Brennan blinked, surprised by his sudden change of heart.

"Do you love me too?" He asked.

Brennan swallowed, unsure if she would be able to get the words out.

"I, care about you," she said, avoiding using the three little words, "I really care about you, Seeley."

"Please don't call me Seeley," he practically begged. All the women in his life called him Seeley. Something had to be concrete proof that Brennan was different, even if it was just a simple name, "you care about Booth, not Seeley."

Brennan nodded, understanding where he was coming from.

"Okay," she agreed, unable to argue with his logic. Besides, she didn't like the way it felt calling him Seeley. It made him less of her partner and more of just another man. "May I remove your shirt now?"

"Bones, you don't have to ask before you do something, just, go with the mood, do what feels right," he instructed her, knowing she was new to this, "but, let me take you to bed first before this winds up happening right here."

Brennan glanced down at him when she felt his arms wrap around her waist, preparing to pick her up and carry her into her bedroom.

"Booth, don't," she warned.

Temperance Brennan was not a woman who liked to be manhandled, but Booth decided to pick her up anyway, sliding a hand under her thigh, urging her to wrap it around his waist. He grunted when he lifted her, always forgetting that she was heavier than she looked. She looked tiny, like her arm would snap in half like a toothpick if you touched it, but underneath it all, she was all muscle, and he loved that about her. She wasn't fragile, and he knew that.

"I really hate you sometimes," she mumbled, resting her head against his shoulder, but not making any attempts to escape his hold, letting her legs tighten around his waist.

"Don't even pretend you don't like it when I carry you," he teased, losing focus on what he was supposed to be doing when he felt her lips against his neck, "remember that night on Halloween, Wonder Woman?"

"That was only because I was frightened," she gasped when she felt her back hit the wall.

Booth had grown impatient on their way to her bedroom, not remembering which door lead to their desired destination, so he just gave up, deciding to just press her against the wall for now instead.

"End of the hallway," she reminded him breathlessly, when he pulled her lips away from his neck in order to kiss her collarbone.

He pulled her away from the wall and made his way blindly to the end of the hallway, with the woman of his dreams wrapped around his waist. It was almost surreal what was going on at that moment. Even though nothing had even happened yet, just the thought that he was about to make love to Temperance Brennan, actually make love to her, sent shivers up his spine.

When they reached her bedroom, Booth quickly got her inside, shutting the door behind them and pressing her back against the wall, only letting her legs drop from his waist this time, pressing his forehead against hers. He could hear her breathing become shallow, probably from nerves, and reached up to touch her face gently.

"It's okay," he promised her, assuring her the same way she did to him when she first requested that they make love, "I'm not afraid, you shouldn't be either."

"Hey, that's precisely what I said to you before," she recognized her own words.

"Yeah," he laughed lightly, seeing a small smile come to her lips before her hands moved to start on the buttons of his shirt, "wait, Bones," he put his hands over hers to stop her.

"No," Brennan said, stubbornly, looking up pleadingly into his eyes, "please, Booth. I don't want to wait anymore."

Unable to resist her words, Booth took her face back between his hands, pressing his lips hungrily to hers. Once she had his silent approval, Brennan went back to work on the buttons of his shirt, slipping each of them open carefully, running her fingers over the newly exposed skin when it was revealed. Before she could get the shirt fully open, she felt herself being lifted again, only being brought to her bed this time, as opposed to around the apartment. It was only a short few seconds before she felt herself being lowered to the mattress, clutching the fabric of his half open shirt in her hand to pull him down with her, his lips never leaving hers as she did so.

Feeling his hands move to the hem of her shirt, Brennan moved her hands down to meet his, assisting him in pulling it up and off her body before tossing it to the floor, her fingers immediately moving back to his buttons when she was finished helping. When the shirt was completely open she slipped it off his shoulders and froze, her eyes locked on the one scar that always caught her attention on the top of his chest. She smoothed her thumb over it gently, feeling her eyes well up with tears when she was finally able to give it the attention it deserved, not having to worry about being too affectionate, or making their affair into something more than it was.

"Bones?" He asked, when he saw her eyes shimmer with unshed tears, "Bones, what's the matter?"

Brennan shook her head, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to the scar, pressing her forehead to his shoulder afterwards, letting her breath touch it intimately as she wrapped an arm around his neck to hold herself up.

"I almost lost you then," she finally spoke.

Booth glanced down at the spot she kissed, seeing the scar that was left from when he was shot by Pam Noonan.

"You almost lost me a bunch of times," he joked with her, trying to make lightly of the situation. He knew it wasn't working when her head didn't lift from his shoulder, and she simply continued to stroke his back slowly. "Hey," he whispered, feeling her tears wet his shoulder, "it's okay, Bones," he touched the mark on her arm from where she was stabbed with the syringe only the year prior, softly, "I almost lost you then," he moved his hand to touch the two little marks left from the Gravedigger's stun gun on the back of her neck, "and then. And a million other times. But I didn't, and here we are."

"That bullet was meant for me," she whispered, her voice shaking, "you, you didn't think I cared when you were dead," she finally picked her head up to look at him, "but I did. Honestly, that was the worst week of my life."

"I knew you cared," he promised, wiping her tears away with his thumb, "when you were mad at me for days because I didn't tell you, when you punched me in the face at my own funeral," he saw her laugh half heartedly, "those type of things showed me that you cared. It doesn't matter that you didn't cry at my funeral. Do you understand?"

Brennan nodded, looking down when she felt the hand that wasn't on her face hold gently onto her waist, feeling slightly embarrassed when she realized she was only in a plain bra, no fancy lace or pretty colors.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm not wearing any sexy lingerie or anything."

"That doesn't matter," he promised her, looking into her eyes, to make sure she knew he was serious, "that's not what making love's about."

Brennan nodded once more, gasping lightly when she felt his lips against her neck, making their way down the center of her chest and to her stomach without wasting any time. She arched her back when she felt him kiss over each individual rib on her left side, letting out a soft moan when she felt his tongue trace around her naval.

"Seeley," the word slipped out as a breathy moan, quickly correcting herself, "Booth."

He stopped when he heard the pleading tone of her voice, kissing her bellybutton softly instead. After he quickly got rid of her sweat pants, pushing them off the edge of the bed, he moved to ghost his lips over her hip.

"Oh, Booth" she whispered hoarsely, "s-stop," unable to hear her faint whisper, his mouth continued down, kissing the inside of her thigh softly, able to feel her body tremble, "Booth, stop, please."

That time he heard and picked up his head to look at her, moving up so they were face to face once more.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, unsure of why that upset her, but apologizing just because he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable making love with him, "if you don't want me kissing that low, I won't," he promised.

"No, that's not it," Brennan shook her head quickly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea, "it's just, I had something I wanted to tell you, but I forgot."

He looked at her curiously, not exactly believing her one hundred percent.

"Can you do that thing with your tongue again?" She asked, shamelessly.

She watched him move down her body, his lips not touching any part of her body until he reached her naval, tracing it slowly with his tongue once again.

"That?" He asked.

Brennan nodded, biting down hard on her bottom lip.

"Booth?" She asked again, as he stopped and kissed down to where the fabric of her panties started, going no further before moving back up her torso again.

"Mmm?" He mumbled his response against the skin of her stomach.

"I-I remember what I wanted to tell you," her heart was pounding and she was stuttering over her words when she felt him kissing slowly over her torso.

"Go ahead," he murmured, too caught up in his actions to stop.

God, he could kiss this woman all day.

"I," she paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath, "I-I think, I think I'm f-falling back in love with you."

Booth moved back up her body once more, feeling her hands move down to pull at his belt.

"What?" He asked, unsure if he heard her correctly.

"I, think I'm falling back in love with you," she repeated, "I stopped loving you when you left me, but, I think I might be falling back in love with you."

Booth kissed her mandible, then her earlobe, then her neck, his hands skimming down her waist.

"I know," he admitted, "I can feel it."

"Really?" Brennan asked, feeling exposed all of the sudden, knowing that this man knew her entirely too well.

"Really," he confirmed, looking into her eyes and smiling, "don't be scared though."

"I'm not scared," she promised, unbuttoning his pants slowly, getting them off in only a matter of seconds, "I just, really, really, want you to make love to me now."

Booth smiled again, leaning down to kiss her lips again, his tongue seeking entry into her mouth after just a few seconds. She reached up to touch his chest, her fingertips barely touching him before she felt her hands being grabbed, pinned gently above her head. So, instead of touching him with her hands, since that wasn't an option anymore, she simply arched up into him, longing for more skin contact. After a few more minutes, Booth disconnected their lips, looking at her seriously.

"What?" Brennan asked, nervously, hoping he hadn't changed his mind.

He was quiet for a few seconds, simply studying her features. Then he finally spoke.

"No more waiting."