I have a note to dedicate this one to xosnickersxo, although I don't remember exactly why. I'm pretty sure she requested a beach kiss, but if that wasn't the reason, her constant reviews are good enough of a reason for me.
Chapter 21—Ocean Breeze
"Where are we going, Booth?" she whined, lagging behind as he walked further down the beach. Stopping for a moment to remove her shoes and socks, she hurried to catch up to him where he had stopped at the bottom of a lifeguard tower.
She watched him climb up the ladder and settle himself on the edge, legs dangling free as he stared out at the ocean. Spying the "Keep Off" sign, she decided to point it out to him.
"Be a rebel, Bones, and get up here, would you? We only have a couple of hours left in California, and I want to watch the sunset," he replied, looking down at her from the tower and offering his charm smile.
"Alright, but I'm not getting in trouble because of your bright ideas," she said, climbing the ladder and settling down next to him.
"FBI agent, remember, Bones?" the teasing was evident in his voice as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Now look out at the ocean and relax, please."
She had never just sat somewhere, staring off into the distance, clearing her mind, but she rather liked it. As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, a brilliant shade of red illuminated the dark silhouette of an island. "What island is that?" she asked, pointing towards it.
Impressed she had stayed quiet for so long, he decided to humor her questions, "Catalina Island."
"Oh, okay," she replied, watching the sky fade from a dark purple into the vibrant reds and oranges just above the horizon. The stars were just beginning to appear, and she realized for the first time how deserted the beach was. They were the only people in sight.
Shivering from the cold breeze coming off the ocean, she shifted closer to her partner, who just wrapped his arm a little bit tighter around her. Tearing her eyes away from the breaking waves, she looked up at her partner in time to catch him looking down at her.
They sat there, staring at each other, for what seemed like hours, although in reality it was only a couple of minutes. "Temperance," he finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes," she whispered softly in response, as his mouth closed over hers. Running his tongue along her lower lip, he moaned when she opened her mouth to him. Tilting her head to the side, she deepened the kiss, pulling him closer with one hand buried in his hair.
His fingers were tracing circles under her shirt on her lower back, causing her to shiver under his touch as he pulled her closer to him so that she was basically in his lap. The kiss was hot and passionate, like she always knew he would be, and she never wanted it to end.
Pulling back to gulp oxygen into her lungs, she realized the sun had completely set, and the moonlight was reflecting off the water. "We should go soon, or we'll miss our flight," she whispered huskily in the vicinity of his neck.
Shivering as her hot breath ran along just below his ear, he began kissing a line from her jaw to her ear, whispering in response, "There are flights out in the morning."
AN: Again, I was saving this one until the bitter end, but I decided to give it to you sooner. I got back to my parents' house a few hours ago and had my lovely ocean to inspire me to write it now. I'm actually sitting on my favorite lifeguard tower right now, writing this for you, as the sun is coming up and my brother is yelling at me to get in the water. Which is my cue to be off, since there is a perfect swell this morning, and I'm long overdue for some good surfing.