OK, this is the end of this story. Again, my profoundest thanks to all who read, followed, favorited, and especially messaged and reviewed – it's the feedback that makes writing and publishing online so worthwhile. My special thanks to 4evercaskett, gawilliams, and especially Selene Illusinia.

And huge thanks to ShimmerAteDeath, who gave their blessing to my taking their partial story and running with their original ideas.

As before, I have no further plans to write any more. But I said that after my first story, and look at how long that lasted...

The Bones In Bones

Chapter 7

Bones slithered on top of Seeley, her body pressing down on his, full-length. She realized she'd been neglecting one aspect, though, and pressed her lips to his.

She found she greatly enjoyed kissing him. He was a superb kisser. When he kissed her, she could sense that his entire attention was focused on her, on the kiss, and excluded the entire rest of the world. There was only him, only her, and only the kiss.

Several moments passed. At some point, his hands had found their way to her back, stroking up and down. Now he had taken her by the hips, and was pressing her against him. She took the hint.

Bones reluctantly pulled her head back, and rose up. She settled on his lap and took her hands in his. She slowly rocked back and forth, gliding her labia up and down the underside of his penis.

"Is this what you've been waiting for, Seeley? Me on top of you?"

"Not quite..."

"Oh, you want to be inside me, don't you? Well, aren't you lucky – that's what I want, too." She raised up her hips, then freed one hand to grasp his penis. She pressed the head against the entrance of her vagina. She slowly lowered herself, so he was just barely inside her – then slid back up him. Her control was so fine that the head of his penis was just barely slipping in and out of her, but never fully withdrawing. "Is this better?"

"Better, but..."

"You want more, don't you? This isn't enough for you? You want to be entirely inside me?" With that, she suddenly dropped, sheathing him entirely within her. "Is that what you were waiting for?"

"Oh, God!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes.' Now, from this point, I see three options. One, I can just stay still, and enjoy the feeling of you inside me. That has its appeal. Or, I can start rocking my pelvis back and forth." She started doing so. "This feels much better for me, as it lets me press my clitoris against you. But I understand that while you enjoy it, too, you prefer if I instead move more vertically than horizontally, sliding you in and out of me. And since tonight is all about your pleasure, that's what I'll do."

"Temperance, you feel so good..."

"Yes, I do. And you make me 'feel good' too, Seeley. But I'm going to need a little help from you."

"Anything you want."

"Give me your hands." She braced his elbows on the bed, then took his hands and shifted a bit of her weight on to him. "Making love to you this way puts a bit of strain on my thighs, and if you can help support my weight, it's easier for me and I can go longer without discomfort." She stroked his hands with her thumbs. "Also, I enjoy holding your hands. I love your hands, Seeley. They are strong, perfectly formed, and remarkably talented. It always impresses me how, considering all the stresses you've put them through, you can be so tender with me."

She continued sliding up and down, studying his face, never breaking his gaze. It was important to both of them that they constantly keep in mind that this wasn't just sex. This wasn't just the convenient interaction of erogenous zones. This was about the two of them – Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth – pleasing each other, rejoicing in the pleasure they could give each other, and rejoicing in the attentions of the other. This was about the two of them, together, and no one else.

"Seeley, I'm going to have to shift around a little. My thighs are getting tired. You don't mind if I let go of your hands, do you?"

"That depends. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I'm going to put my hands here," she reached behind herself and pressed her palms against his thighs, "to change my weight distribution." She gave him one of her trademark wicked smiles, one that she saved just for him. "But that means that your hands are free, so you'll have to find something else to do with them..."

Seeley smiled back. He could take a hint. He reached up to cup her breasts, gently caressing them and teasing her nipples. She'd told him how sensitive they were, and he hadn't needed to be told twice. He also noticed that her shifting had slightly changed the angle of her hips, and now he was sliding in and out of her in an even more pleasant angle.

"You're getting close, aren't you, Seeley?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Then I think it's time for you to take control a bit." She reluctantly took his hands away from her breasts, and placed them on her hips. "Why don't you set the pace here, move me how how you want me to move?"

He didn't need any more encouragement. He started rocking her back and forth and holding her tight against him while he thrust in and out of her. He could feel his orgasm building.

So could Bones. It was time for his final little surprise. It wasn't much of a surprise, as she usually did this, but he was never quite certain when she would. She took one hand off his thigh, reached down behind her, and cupped his testicles. She gently stroked and squeezed him, urging him to climax.

He didn't need much of a hint. He tightened his grip on her hips, then lunged upwards one final time. Bones could feel him burst deep within her, and let his convulsions trigger her own climax. As the waves diminished, she lay back down atop him, and he gently slipped out of her. She resumed kissing him for a while, but with considerably less intensity than before.

"So, Seeley, did I fulfill the terms of our wager?"

"Oh, Bones, did you ever. We're going to have to have more bets like that."

"I told you before we began, I'm quite willing to do these sorts of things every now and then merely for the asking, and I presume you are, too."

"Yeah, Bones, but it's so much better when it's earned. When there's the thrill of the risk involved."

"I believe I understand you. The difference is when it's the terms of a wager, there is a certain random element involved. As rewards tend to be more valued when they are earned than when they are given, simply offering such attentions as we have enjoyed is not as satisfying as knowing that one had to work to achieve them."

"That's a part of it, Bones. Plus the competition between us – you know that that's always a big thing."

"It is also a healthy way for you to indulge in your obsession with gambling, allowing to sublimate the urges and avoid the destructive potential. Because as I said, in cases like this, there's no real loser – it's more about who wins more."

"Now you're starting to get it, Bones. But don't go trying to change the subject."

"What do you mean? I'm not trying to change the subject. What subject am I trying to avoid?"

"Yes, you've given me my reward for winning the bet. But there's still the matter of your penalty, for telling me I lost and claiming your prize when I actually won."

"That was an innocent mistake. There was no malice involved, no intention to cheat, and I apologized. I deeply regret the error."

"Yeah, that's true, Bones, but there still has to be a penalty. And we'll address that tomorrow night." With that, he pushed her off him and tucked her against his side, her head on his chest.

"Tomorrow night? You're going to make me wait?"

"Consider that as part of the penalty, Bones."

"Can't you at least give me a hint?"

"Definitely not. I wouldn't want you to..." he smiled, "'bone up' before I got home."

BB BB BB BB BB

"Hey, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"There's nothing, wrong, Angela. Why do you think there is?"

"You're so wrapped up in that lab coat. I've never seen you wear your lab coat so much – and so tightly."

"I just feel like it today."

"Is that just it? Or is it something else? Something like..." With that, Angela's hands darted out and pulled open her lab coat. "...that?"

Bones sighed. "Yes, it's Seeley's 'cocky' belt buckle. Under the terms of a wager I lost, I have to wear it to work for a week. He called you, didn't he?"

"Nope. No phone calls." She paused. "He texted me. And he also said to tell you that you have to wear it where everyone can see it, or it doesn't count."

Bones slipped the belt off, then threaded it through the loops of her lab coat. This was going to be a very long week. On the bright side, who knows what sort of substances and contaminants the buckle could be exposed to, during the normal course of her duties...

BB BB BB BB BB

Booth pushed open the door of their apartment, a wrapped package under his arm. "Bones, you home?"

"Right here, Booth. I presume that has something to do with my 'penalty?'"

"Yup. I had to stop by the book store to pick it up. And you better study it most carefully, because there will be a test. A test you had better not fail." He gave her his most predatory smile. "And I believe that we've established 75% as the passing grade."

"Seeley, if that's a Kama Sutra, I've told you I have four copies of that already. One's an antique, and two of them are quite extensively illustrated."

"Why, Dr. Brennan, you have such a dirty mind. Where on earth did you get the notion that this would have anything to do with sex?"

"Well, considering our previous wagers and terms, I just assumed..."

"I thought you just learned the dangers of assumptions, Bones. Go ahead and open it."

She carefully removed the wrapping paper. Seeley was right; there was nothing at all sexual about the book he intended for her to study.

OFFICIAL RULEBOOK OF THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

She sighed and briefly considered just tossing the book aside and accepting whatever "penalty" he had cooked up. She had a hunch that it would be less unpleasant than studying...