Thanks again to all my readers for the nice and encouraging reactions to my story. I really appreciate them and they mean alot to me.
Warning: This chapter is a borderline T, hope you don't mind.. so here we go
A reverent whisper fell from his lips, "Bones..."
As a gentleman and her friend, Booth knew that he should turn away, but he couldn't. Her beauty literally took his breath away. Creamy white skin, soft curves, long legs... He knew he was staring, but oh, by all that is Holy, he couldn't help it.
"What?" She stepped into the tub and slowly sat down. "I am sure you have seen multiple women naked?"
"You know it's not the same!"
"Why?"
"Because… none of them were you." This was spoken so quietly, she nearly didn't hear it. He held her gaze.
"Because you are special, Bones."
She had planned to tease him a bit, but she wasn't prepared to find such a warmth and sincere admiration in his eyes. What would have been a playful, challenging offer under any other circumstances instantly became a softly spoken plea. "So, are you going to join me?"
"What!?" His voice cracked like an adolescent. Is she really asking me to share the tub with her?!
Booth's stomach was doing somersaults as he became breathless. Within the blink of an eye, all his blood was rushing south. "I don't know if that's such a good idea!"
What the hell is wrong with me? He questioned his own sanity. In front of him, the most beautiful woman in the world was sprawled out naked in the softly churning water of the hot tub. She was the only woman he truly loved for years, and she was tempting his strength to the core. It would be so easy to just give into temptation...
But doing that would mean erasing the line. Completely. He knew, deep down, that he was ready... but what about her? His eyes helplessly pleaded with her.
"You know, I have seen you naked before." Brennan's voice was not as steady as she wished it was.
"That's not the point!" The tension in his voice betrayed his typically cool exterior.
"Oh, are you disturbed by the differences between the circumstances surrounding your exposure? When I last saw you without clothing, you were flaccid… but now, you are clearly erect… Does this bother you?"
Her observations came out so bluntly, he nearly rolled his eyes. Of course, she noticed.
"Bones!" This time his voice sounded conflicted.
"It is a perfectly normal and healthy reaction for a male's body to respond in such a manner upon seeing a naked female, Booth. It is a natural and necessary physiological occurrence that the body undergoes in preparation for the act of copulation, which ensures the continuation of their species, and in particular, the prolongation of one's familial bloodline. You have nothing to be ashamed of. "
The rambling lesson was her typical squinty talk. But for him, it was his undoing.
"Fine... Fine!"
He bent down to remove his socks and opened the zipper of his pants. In one swift move he got rid of them and the boxers. Brennan's keen eyes were following every move he made, and she had to admit to herself, she quite liked what she saw.
Booth sat down at the other end of the tub. It was a large enough space that they only touched as far up as the halfway points of their calves. With a quiet sigh, he laid back and relaxed into the steamy water, thankful for the heating controls. The jets were only on low speed, creating gentle waves in the water instead of big swirls. He watched her from beneath half-closed eyelids. She looked completely at ease, resting her head on the rim of the tub, her eyes closed. Her arms rested at the sides of the basin; the water was softly twirling and lapping against her perfect body.
Booth wondered how the hell he was supposed to remain calm when the most alluring thing he'd ever seen was sitting right in front of him. There were no soapy bubbles to hide anything from his view, no disguises. She was just gorgeous. Lifting his head, he looked at her with unveiled adoration and desire. His gaze followed her long, slender legs up to her hips, and continued across her well formed bust, eventually settling back on her face. Blue eyes were staring back at him, wordlessly waiting while simultaneously speaking volumes. Brennan couldn't hide the smile when his dark browns finally reached hers again.
He blushed, swallowing thickly while he forced himself to look away, his attention returning to the emptiness of the window.
While they had been debating the logistics of sharing the hot tub, the kids outside lit a big Christmas tree and were decorating the area with small glasses containing candles. The whole waterfront was sparkling in light.
"Bones! You have to look outside. It's just beautiful!"
She turned her head, but from her end of the tub she didn't have a proper view. So, without overthinking her actions, she just turned in her seat, scooted over to him and settled back against his chest. It all happened so fast, he couldn't react or protest. He was frozen in place, not knowing where to put his hands, while absolutely aware that she would definitely notice his erection pressing into her lower back.
Oh yes, Brennan had noticed, and in pretending to move for a better view, she decided to wiggle a little bit closer, obviously relishing every moment of it. Booth placed his hands on her shoulders, which seemed to be the safest place. Her hair was held up by a rubber band to keep it out of the water, giving his eyes an unobstructed view as he glanced over the soft skin of her shoulders and her neck. Desire was burning him from the inside out, challenging his will power to hold back, to not press a gentle kiss right there...
Her breasts heaved with every breath she took and her nipples stood firm. It was apparent that she was affected by the romantic setting, too. Neither said a word for several minutes, both afraid to interrupt their intimate moment. It was sensual, it was surreal. Everything around them faded away, not mattering anymore.
It was just the two of them… in a tub… in a honeymoon suite... Skin to skin, closer than they had ever been before.
She broke the silence with a soft voice. "Are we still partners?"
It still amazed him how her brain worked. "Why would you ask that? What makes you think we aren't?"
"You always tell me about the things that partners do… like sharing meals, having drinks, protecting each other, giving hugs. Is this, what we're doing here, is it a partner thing, also?"
Of course her mind would go down that path, trying to define their relationship now. She sounded a little unsure, and he was trying to think of an answer that would help her understand their new situation. He wanted to ensure her that everything would be alright, that they were okay.
"Yes, partners share meals and drinks, and they have each other's backs…" He measured his words, speaking slowly. "But spending late hours watching movies... the late night phone calls just to make sure the other is ok... spending weekends together at the pool... and taking care of Parker and his education. Those things have always been more than what partners do. And y'know," he grinned, "they aren't really guy hugs. But all of this is what we do and who we are, so yeah, we're still partners, Bones."
She craned her neck and turned a bit to look him in the eyes. She felt like there was more he wanted to say, so she waited until he continued.
"But, sharing intimate kisses under mistletoe… or sitting together naked in a tub… These things, for sure, are not what partners do. It's what lovers do."
He wondered what her reply to that suggestion would be. He'd opened a door to her, now it was her turn to step in.
"But we are not lovers..."
Her voice was hesitant. She felt like this was a turning point in their relationship. She searched his eyes to find out, and quickly got her answer. There was only pure and simple love shining back at her. There was a time she would have protested, claiming that love doesn't exist, that the feelings were ephemeral, nothing more than chemical reactions.
She would have argued that the very same people who claim that they love would eventually leave. But, over the years Booth had shown her evidence to the contrary. He'd proven to her, that he wasn't going anywhere. Her partner, the man she trusted with her life, had promised that everything happens eventually, and that out there in the world, there was someone for everyone.
"What are we?" Brennan asked.
"What do you think?" He purposely didn't answer her question, leaving it up to her to label their relationship.
Leaning back again, her head on one side of his shoulders, she finally found the strength to open up to him. She had never felt safer than she did in his arms. One of his hands was pressed to her stomach, holding her near to him. The other was running up and down her arm, sometimes scooping water over her to keep her warm, and to simply see it running down her soft skin.
Booth waited patiently; he could sit there with her forever.
"Booth, I haven't dated anyone since Mark, you know, the deep sea welder."
Okaaay, he thought. That was not an answer he had expected, but he let her talk. Over the years he had learned that she needed to process things in her way. He was curious where her train of thought was leading.
"I tried, but," she shrugged. "I started comparing the men to you... they all fell short. You somehow set a standard and there was always something missing. I couldn't name it, but, it was there. Mostly we didn't even make it to second base, as Angela would name it." A smug smile crossed his face.
"Not even Hacker?" He had to ask.
"Especially not Hacker!" Brennan chuckled.
So, Booth realized, he was not the only one with standards. He knew all too well what she was talking about.
"You know, after I broke up with Cam, I only dated once. She was good looking and smart, but she had one fault - she wasn't you. Guess you could say I have specific standards, too. I'd already fallen in love with you. I just didn't admit it, even to myself." He snickered before continuing.
"You can't imagine how embarrassing it was, Bones… While I was having sex, I called out your name. The woman I was with… she didn't deserve that, but it was involuntary… She was, obviously, a bit irritated and confused because it was 'Bones.' I don't think that she figured it was the name of the woman who already owned my heart…" Booth shrugged. "I never went out with her again. To tell the truth, I didn't even date anyone after that. It was too risky that it could happen again."
She didn't say anything, but he knew she was considering his confession. His partner was trying to determine what it all meant for them.
Finally, he whispered into her ear. "So, it took a snowstorm and a hot tub for us to figure out that we've both been kind of waiting for each other to catch up."
"What happens next, Booth?" She turned her head, her eyes searching his.
Brennan was so close, he couldn't help but let his lips brush over her cheek.
"Bones, we need to be certain that we both want the same things. If we take this next step, I have to be sure, that this is it for you. Y'know, there's no one else for me, never again, but I have to be the only one for you, too. And, I need you to understand that I want it all… I want forever."
"Booth, you know that I'm bad with relationships. I don't know how to do forever. I'm so afraid I'll ruin everything."
"Baby, you're not bad at anything. Trust me. Trust in us. We take one day after another. Can you agree with that?"
"Yes." She craned her head, speaking against his ear. She tried to convey all of the trust she had in him into this single, whispered word.
He felt like his heart was overflowing; a rush of joy surged through him. He put his arms around her and held her close as she sank deeper in his embrace.
Yes, everything felt right. Finally she felt like she belonged to someone. To him. To them. In his arms, a deep contentment washed through her entire being.
"Booth?"
"Yes, Baby?" He held his breath, unsure if she would let him get away with using the term of endearment.
"Would you… touch me… please?"
A/N: For those of you who haven't put this story on alert. The rating will change to M in chapter 4. You will find the next update there.