Author's Note: Okay...so, "HI GUYS" (me peeks around my computer screen). Please don't hate me for being such a bad updater?I know I promised you this chapter like 2 weeks ago...and I would've had it done too if my screwy life made any sense right now! But I'm back now...am I forgiven? Okay, so here's chapter 8...me hopes you all like it! And without further ado...or groveling... :oP
Chapter 8
"…stay with me tonight…"
The words were simple enough…but it was the tone that he'd used as he whispered them…beyond inviting…beyond tempting…it was…it was…
Hopeful
…Um…
Temperance found herself swallowing down whatever remained of her hesitance. The sultry look his brown eyes fixed on her had her pinned firmly in place beside him.
"What uh," she could feel her breath quickening, "what happened to 'taking things slowly'?"
Grinning almost teasingly, Booth inched ever closer; the timbre of his voice was hushed, "You trust me don't you Bones?"
"Of course I trust you…"
"Well then…?"
"I'm just not sure that we're ready to…"
"Relax Bones," he smiled reassuringly, "I promised you that we'd take our time, and I meant it. I'm not trying to catapult our intimacy level into the stratosphere here…well," he quirked a suggestive smile, "at least not yet."
Her responsive blush was slight but unmistakable.
"It's late. It's New Year's…and I promise to behave myself…Army Ranger's honor…" he vowed.
She studied him thoughtfully. Little did he know that it wasn't him she didn't trust...
…if anything, it was herself…
"And besides…" he added more softly, "you wouldn't deny the man who loves you the right to hold you…would you?"
Like I really need convincing….
"No…I could never do that," her voice was equal parts decisive and thoughtful.
"That's sort of what I was hoping you'd say."
Taking their wine glasses in hand, Booth moved to set them both on the coffee table in front of them. Then standing up, he reached down to help her up; the gesture was unnecessary, though because it was clearly intended more as a gesture of intimacy she readily accepted his offered hand.
"Laying the Booth charm on a bit thick aren't you?" she smiled good-naturedly as she let him pull her up out of her seat.
"What? Who…me? I don't know what you're talking about," he played.
"Yeah…I'm sure…" she mouthed quietly as he led her by the hand around the side of the couch and faced the hall. Now with her attention focused on the closed door leading into Parker's bedroom, Brennan suddenly felt her hesitance returning.
"Booth…" she whispered hoarsely, "…what about…I mean won't Parker…?"
Her concern for his son's perceptions was deeply touching, and suddenly he couldn't resist the urge to pull her closer into his chest. The suddenness of his movement startled her enough to where her free hand reached out to brace herself against the solidness of his chest.
Smiling softly, Booth's searing brown orbs penetrated straight through her, "Don't worry Bones. I'm an early riser. And besides, he's a good boy…sleeps well past nine. I'm guessing even later tomorrow considering how late a night he had tonight."
Nodding quietly she eagerly accepted the soft peck he left on her lips, "Oh…"
With another small smirk Booth resumed their trek down the hall to his bedroom.
"I didn't bring anything to change into Booth," she half whispered.
Another step and they were crossing the threshold into his bedroom; once inside he half turned his head back to answer, "A brilliant forensic anthropologist and a savvy FBI Agent…between the two of us I'm sure we can figure out something."
Letting go of her hand Booth moved to rifle through one of the drawers in the dresser on the opposite wall. Within a few moments he was crossing the room towards her.
"Here…this should work," then gesturing over to his bathroom, "…you can change first. I'll…uh…" then scanning her up and down in slight awkwardness he finally managed, "I'll be back in a minute."
As he left her, presumably to give her some privacy, Brennan watched him step away and then through the door from which they'd come. A second later the soft click as he pulled the door closed behind him sounded through the air.
Turning into the bathroom, she neither rushed nor hesitated in her movement to change. Undressing out of her own clothes, she swapped them for the garment Booth had provided her and then neatly folded her things into a pile. When her task was complete she turned to consider her reflection in the mirror, then carefully she began removing the jewelry she still wore. She added the large beaded necklace to the pile first, then removed each of her earrings and set them on top. Carrying her neatly arranged pile with her she carefully set it atop the chair standing in the corner of the room. Then she expertly searched her purse for the travel toothbrush she kept there and returned to the bathroom.
When minutes later she heard the soft knock from across the room, Brennan dabbed the towel to her lips before calling, "Come in Booth," and turned back to the mirror.
Rubbing at the remnants of her eye make-up with the pad of her finger, she stayed at the mirror a second longer before she turned to face the opening doorway. As she stepped out of the bathroom and into the space of the bedroom she noticed Booth standing still as he stared at her silently.
Slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she momentarily halted in place.
"What…?" her self-consciousness leaked through both her tone and her movement as she bent to look down at herself.
…Do I look ridiculous?
"Wow," she heard him say and her eyes shot back up to meet his.
"What…?"
"Nothing…I uh…I didn't mean to make you self-conscious I just…I never…"
…What is it? Spit it out already would you!
"You're…" she watched as he attempted to shake himself out of his incoherence. "You're beautiful…"
…Oh…
Suddenly shy she found herself fidgeting in place.
…What the…I don't fidget!
"Really?" she heard her small voice break through the deafening silence hanging between them.
"Yeah…really," clearly the sight of Bones standing in his bedroom dressed in only his navy blue Ramone's T-shirt was not one that he'd prepared himself for. "I mean, you know you're beautiful Bones…"
…do I?
"But you're…you're just so…" he continued to fumble.
Smiling again at his reversion back toward inarticulate, she looked at him softly. She wasn't sure she knew the appropriate response.
Should she go give him a hug? Give him a kiss? She could attempt to bake him a cake or something domestic like that…
In the end her warring mind settled in favor of the safest response.
"Thank you," she spoke meekly as they watched one another carefully from their opposing positions in the room. Another second later she instigated a break in the tension, "Bathroom's all yours."
"Right," a tight smile played at his lips as he advanced towards her. When he brushed past her on his trip to the bathroom she instinctually reached a hand out against his arm to halt his progress. His dark eyes met hers questioningly, a small grin still pulling at the corners of his mouth.
…So much for safe…
The minimal distance between their bodies was closed in an instant as she deliberately reached up, and with one palm poised against his chest she drew his lips to hers in a tantalizingly sweet embrace.
When she separated their kiss, the surprise was evident in his gaze. It was rare in their moments together that she initiated intimacy. And while she'd never made him doubt her attraction to him, or ever unwelcomed any of his advances, it was always a pleasant surprise whenever she was the one to pull him closer. Her shyness was a habit that he was determined to break her of…but in the meantime, he was enjoying the rush it gave him to know that her desire for him could break through whatever barriers she'd imposed on herself.
"Thank you," she whispered meaningfully. And suddenly he became aware of yet another of one of Temperance Brennan's carefully guarded insecurities.
"You're welcome," he hoarsely replied before gripping the angle of her lower back and pulling her into him for another fix of sweet intoxication. Another long second later and their kiss broke.
"My turn to change," he told her quietly, and with a suggestive grin he stepped away from her warmth and into the bathroom.
Feeling it was only fair to provide him the same respect for privacy he'd allowed her, "Should I wait in the hall for you?"
Turning on his heel to face her he was stunned, "Are you kidding me Bones?"
Her genuine confusion was so endearing it made him grin all over again.
Gesturing over at the bed he fixed her with a challenging look, "When I come out of this bathroom I want to see you in that bed…you understand?"
Grinning widely she indulged him, "Yes Sir."
"Good," he nodded, and without further explanation he disappeared into the bathroom.
As she turned more fully in the direction of Booth's bed she heard the noise of running water as he turned on the faucet. A few footsteps later and she was pulling down the comforter and reaching for the sheets underneath. As she lifted herself onto the mattress, the reality of what she was about to do resonated within her.
She was about to spend the night with her partner…with Booth…she was about to spend the night in Booth's arms…
She was about to surrender herself to possibly one of the most intimate experiences a couple could share.
Settling more comfortably into her side of the bed, the thought suddenly occurred to her that the understanding of what she was about to do wasn't as frightening as it had once been.
As it would have been with someone else…
…And that in and of itself was a revelation…not to mention an empowering feeling that increased her confidence ten-fold.
Pulling the sheets up over her lap she turned to face the side of the bed that Booth would occupy and smiled.
She was ready for this.
And that's when her eyes once again settled on the overturned book sitting on the nightstand. Reaching across the bed she palmed the book and pulled it to her.
She could still hear the faucet running.
Leafing mindlessly through the pages she wondered if maybe her next book wouldn't be riddled with even more sexual tension between the characters…or if maybe she'd feel compelled to draw upon her own blossoming romance for inspiration.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she'd failed to notice when the noise from the running water ceased.
"Ah…" Booth's satisfaction drifted from the direction of the bathroom, "…all tucked in bed like a good little solider."
Her eyes snapped up to meet his approving stare, and suddenly she was met by a sight that was more than she'd expected…a sight that stunned her into silence.
Against the wall beside the bathroom, Booth stood dressed in a pair of charcoal sweatpants and a black sleeveless undershirt.
She was stunned into speechlessness as her gaze devoured him; his well-toned physique, the noticeable definition in his shoulders and forearms, and that was to say nothing of the line of his…
Get a grip Temperance!
He easily picked up on her distraction.
"What's the matter?" he asked with a curious stare.
"Nothing…" she smiled through her longing consideration of him, "it's just…"
Damn now she was the bumbling fool!
His interested stare was fixed on her from across the room, "Yeah…?"
"It's just that suddenly Charlie the 'Overnight Guy' seems a lot less impressive," she remarked honestly in classic Temperance Brennan style.
The glorious smile that overtook Booth's features in response to her compliment overwhelmed her. And suddenly the thought occurred to her that he might not have expected such open admiration from her. The realization spurred a smile of her own; it felt good to know that she could catch him off guard with flattery.
This could be a fun little nugget of knowledge to have…
"I've behaved myself Bones…" his teasing tone was matched with a pearly white smile, "…are you going to hold up your end of this bargain?"
She followed him with tender interest as he strode to the other side of the bed, "You're safe Booth…" she promised.
"Damn!" he cursed disappointedly, thereby making her smile grow even wider when he climbed into his side of the bed.
"Hey Bones," he wondered aloud, "…you think you'll ever call me Seeley?"
Quirking a thoughtful brow she responded, "I suppose that depends. You think you'll ever not call me Bones?"
"Well…but…Parker can call you Tempe!" he recycled his once lame protest; the rebuttal quickly drew a laugh from them both.
Then catching a glimpse of the book she still held in her hands, and sensing her contemplative mood he asked, "You gonna sign my copy?"
"You going to give me a gun?"
"Ha! That's a good one Bones…"
"Hey I thought it was worth a shot…" she whispered smugly before she felt the book being gently pulled from her grasp.
"You never give up do you?" he mused thoughtfully.
Following Booth's movements with her gaze, she watched as he returned the book to the nightstand beside him. Then as he leant back into his pillow, Booth encircled her with his left arm and nudged her closer into his body.
Brennan went willingly but not before teasing him gently, "No late night reading tonight?"
"Nah," with her ear poised against the center of his chest, she felt the low timbre of his voice hum beneath his sternum, "…who needs fiction when you've got the real thing?"
With her cheek tilted against the thin material of his shirt, she barely hid the beaming smile that spread over her lips when she felt him angle towards her and bury a kiss into her hair. With her arm stretched across his abdomen, she molded the line of her body against his as he pulled her more firmly against his warmth. Their comfort was immeasurable, and had they been any less exhausted, it would have been unabashedly arousing.
The even rise and fall of Booth's chest beneath her ear was a rhythmic kind of soothing, and within seconds she felt herself being steadily drawn away from wakefulness. Completely content and nestled within in the security of his embrace, Brennan wondered how she'd ever sleep another night alone.
…Or maybe I won't have to…
"Sweet dreams Bones…" the quiet rumble of Booth's voice deep in his chest tugged at her last remaining bits of consciousness.
…That's a pretty safe bet partner…
"Goodnight Booth," she whispered back…and they were the last words either of them would utter before they relented to the silence, and finally and contentedly drifted into slumber.
Alrighty guys...this is the end of "That Auld Lang Syne". And I'm going insane with curiosity...what did you guys think? I'm still planning on expanding the series...but I'm reserving judgement until I hear what you guys want. So what say you? You want more? Or should I just hang up the series with these two stories?