XXIX
The first thing she noticed, before her eyes had even opened, was his scent. It enveloped her in its familiar spiciness.
Before the light even hit her pupils, she realized something. She felt safe.
She felt comfortable and she didn't want to jump out of bed and shower. She had no urge to get out of bed and get a cup of coffee or get dressed. She just wanted to stay in his arms.
As it turns out, they never got a chance to go to both places. They stayed at Booth's all night, talking, making love, arguing, laughing. And the strangest thing of the whole night was that it didn't feel a bit abnormal. When he took off her clothes, she felt... loved. Not used. She wasn't an object of desire, but an object of his love. And when they made love, it was perfect. Each and every time. It was like they had made love a hundred times before and yet it felt like the first time every time. They knew one another inside out. There wasn't a single awkward moment in the whole night.
I guess that's what happens when you fall in love with your best friend. Things aren't awkward. You never feel demeaned. You feel like this. Knowing his every movement before he makes it, yet being surprised when he does it.
And when he said that he loved her, that didn't bother her like she thought it would have once upon a time. There was a time when that thought trickled through her mind. How would she react if he told her those three little words? Would she turn cold with fury or fear? Turn him down? Run away? None of that happened. She found herself repeating the words. And it wasn't accidental and it wasn't unfounded, either. She once put up walls around that word, love, fearing that if she let anybody use it against her, she might lose that thing that made her an independent and strong woman. But when he said it against the nape of her neck as he rocked slowly against her body, she realized something. She'd loved him all along. It grew from sexual attraction, to respect, to friendship, and finally, to a deep love.
Booth's eyes opened at that moment. He didn't have to open them to recognize the familiar scent and curves of the woman whose head laid against his shoulder. He smiled. Could life have handed him a better Christmas gift? The love of his best friend, a beautiful and fascinating woman? He shifted so he could look at he could look into those gorgeous crystalline blue eyes. And he kissed her tenderly.
It didn't work out that way. She laughed against his lips, "Not until you shower."
"Wanna join me?" He muttered against her neck.
"I meet you there," she smiled and stepped out of bed, not caring to wrap a blanket or robe around her naked body. Booth admired her for a fraction of a second before chasing her into the bathroom.
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One more chapter and I promise the dance!
