Note: The one is a follow-up to the last chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
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"I think we should talk about this."
At the sound of his partner's voice, Booth looked up from the newspaper he had been pretending to read. "Nothing to talk about, Bones."
Undeterred, she joined him on the small couch. "I know you've been uncomfortable since we kissed in Joe Nolan's office, and I'm sorry. I thought it was the only way out."
He chanced meeting her eyes for a second. "It's fine." Determinedly, he turned his attention back to the paper.
"If it makes you feel better", Brennan continued, "I was aroused as well."
He slammed the paper shut as she continued, "It's a normal reaction, Booth. I'm attracted to you, and you obviously are attracted to me as well. Spending several minutes kissing would naturally prompt our bodies to prepare for intercourse."
He glared at her. "It was a little more than kissing, Bones. My hand was …." He cut himself off and stood, stalking towards the bathroom.
Her voice followed him. "We've kissed before, Booth. We almost spent the night together when we first met. Surely we can get past this and go back to being partners."
He could hear the slight undertone of panic in her voice and couldn't walk away without reassuring her. "We will, Bones. Just … I need a little time, OK?"
"OK." She sounded a little hurt, but pasted a forced smile on her face. "I'll go down to the casino for a while, let you have the room to yourself. Once we solve the case, we won't have to share the room anymore."
He didn't want to hurt her, but he needed a little time to come to terms with what had happened, so he stood there silently as she put on those ridiculously high heels, grabbed her tiny clutch, and walked to the door. As she reached for the door handle, she looked back at him. "We'll be fine", she said. He could hear the strain in her voice, the desperate hope that their partnership would survive.
He knew their partnership wasn't the only thing at stake, but he nodded, and she slipped out the door. As she stepped into the hallway, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. It wasn't his day – he wouldn't have even a minute to figure out how he felt. Making sure his voice didn't reflect his inner turmoil – this wasn't the kind of conversation he wanted to have over the phone – he answered "Hello, Camille."
