Hello, hello, hello!

Want to give a quick shout out to everyone who has joined us with a story alert in the past 24 hours. Welcome! We're having a good time over here in Fantasy Week, aren't we?

If I can be honest, I have to admit that this chapter is the one I am the least pleased with. It just doesn't feel the same, but I couldn't exactly wait a few days to think it over, on account of that would mess up the whole days of the week thing, you know? Sigh…I'll just get over it, and chalk this chapter up to character development, I guess.

Thanks everyone for all of the kind comments. I am behind on replying, but I promise to do so soon. I am enjoying each and every one of them, sincerely.

Thought I might answer a couple of Frequently Asked Questions from the reviews:

Will Booth and Brennan ever kiss? Yes

Will Booth ever 'take charge'? Yes. Oh yes, yes, yes, he will. Everything happens eventually, you know. ;)

But will it happen on Wednesday? Hmmm…read and find out…

--b&b--

Day Four: Wednesday

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep….

"go away…" Booth mumbled and swatted his hand in a vague direction. But the annoying beeping only got louder when his arm was closest to his ear. Squeezing his eyes shut, hoping it would just go away, he tried to figure out where the noise was coming from.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep….

"What the hell is that?" he growled and cracked open one eye, trying to pinpoint the noise. He lifted his palm to press against his forehead and the beeping increased in volume. Opening both eyes, he realized his watch alarm was going off. Why?

Groaning, he pushed up with his elbows to a sitting position against his headboard and stared at his alarm clock beside his bed. 5:20 AM. Why would someone have set his watch alarm for 5:20 AM?

Sighing, he fumbled with the watch at his wrist until he must have hit the right button because the beeping stopped. Quiet. Nice…

Booth tried to think back over the past few hours. He'd woken up, alone…again, in his partner's office around 10:30 last night and driven himself home. And if it hadn't been for the towel left on the front of her desk, he would have sworn he'd dreamt that whole encounter too. Except in his dreams, Bones didn't cry. Ever. She smiled and laughed and teased, but not once, not in any dream he'd ever had of her, had she ever cried.

And his mind hurt as he tried to figure out what had upset her. He didn't like upsetting her, that was no secret. "This is getting out of hand" he whispered to himself. Gotta put a stop to it. Tonight.

And he would too. He'd just calmly inform her that while he was certainly thankful for everything she'd…done, it was probably a good idea to stop.

Yeah, that would be good.

Except….

Except…why had she cried a bit? She almost never cried. Ever. Not in his dreams, and not in real life. And in comparison, it seemed her eyes had been brighter this week than he'd ever seen them. And she was smiling and laughing, and happy, and…she seemed genuinely pleased with her efforts.

Maybe he owed her this. Maybe he should just go with it, to give HER a good week. She deserved that, right? After all, she probably was putting a lot of time and effort into her giving.

Yeah, that's what he would do. He would just sacrifice, and accept whatever she wanted to give him. Because he he knew that a lot of times, just letting someone give was better than receiving.

So yeah…that was a plan.

And in that instant, an image of her shoving his arm across the seat in the SUV with a smile on her face crossed his mind, and he sank back down into his bed, a smile of his own on his face.

A real sacrifice, all right…

--b&b--

---three hours later---

Brennan slowly opened the door to her office, not sure what she was going to find. It could be empty, or her partner could be snoring on the couch. And Brennan wasn't entirely sure which one she wanted it to be.

But the room was quiet as she entered, and she froze when she saw what was on her desk. Walking quickly toward it, she reached out with her hand and then paused, her fingers just above the neatly folded towel. She hadn't folded it, she hadn't even remembered she'd used it. It must have been…

Whirling around, she pressed her back against her desk and stared at her office couch. Never before would she have guessed that the place where Booth would come to relax was also one of his secret fantasy spots. Her cheeks flamed as she remembered how warm he'd been. He'd been out of control, too, and a shiver coursed over her spine. Brennan could almost feel the soft clutch of his palm against her nape, could almost hear the slight hitch in his voice when he'd called out her name over and over.

"Uh, Bren? Knock, knock?"

Brennan stood up straight and smoothed her hands down her thighs. "Good morning, Angela. How are you?"

Angela's eyebrows rose at the formal greeting, but she just shook her head, "I'm great. How are you? Everything okay? You seem a little flushed."

Brennan swallowed and straightened her shoulders. "I'm fine. I don't feel flushed at all. I'm sure it's only your imagination."

"Mmhmmm…"

Brennan waited for Angela to continue, and when she didn't, she merely walked to sit behind her desk. As she sat down and inched closer to her desk using her chair, another blast of intense heat spread through her entire body and she may or may not have gasped.

"Brennan?" Angela stepped closer, "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Brennan shook her head, then nodded. "No. I mean, yes. I mean…nothing is going on, and yes, I am fine."

Angela was clearly disbelieving, so Brennan met her eyes and nodded, "Everything is fine, I promise."

"Okay, well, I just came in here to let you know that the darkroom photo paper you ordered this morning was delivered and is down in the shipping dock. Do you want me to ask one of the guys to bring it up for you?"

Brennan's shoulders tensed, "No thank you, I'll take care of it."

"What do you even need that for? I didn't know you were into photography."

"I am, Ange" Brennan nodded and reopened the book she'd been looking at the night before, "It's a useful skill for any anthropologist. I'm thinking of changing that second bedroom at my apartment to a temporary darkroom." Brennan lied.

"Fun" Angela shrugged. "Need help? I haven't set up a darkroom in a long time."

"What?" Brennan looked up, "Oh, no. No. I can handle it myself. And if not, I'll just ask Booth to help me."

Angela eyed her for a couple more moments. "Okay, sweetie. Let me know if you need anything, I guess."

"Of course" Brennan answered seriously, "I will do that."

And after Angela left, Brennan closed the book on her desk and sat back, pulling in a deep breath. She needed to be more careful around Angela. It wouldn't do to have other people asking her questions. Especially when she didn't know the answers. That was never a comfortable scenario for her, but, she'd been doing some thinking, and she'd come to some conclusions.

Sliding her hand into her pants pocket, she pulled out the list she'd prepared that morning at breakfast.

Rather than trying to control myself, I should try to control Booth. This way, his reactions will be expected and therefore I can prepare for any contingencies accordingly.

My actions will then be rational and without needless emotion.

Perhaps a blindfold or some other sort of block would help. It would heighten Booth's experience.

And…Brennan admitted to herself as she stood, folding the paper back into her pocket, then I won't have to look into Booth's eyes.

--b&b—

A few hours later….

Booth tossed his plate into the dishwasher, and then frowned when he heard a knock at his door. Stopping by his record player, he turned down the volume, and then heard it again. He wiped his hands on his jeans and headed for the door, opening it quickly.

"Seeley Booth?" the delivery man asked.

"Yes" Booth nodded as he accepted the electronic signature pallet.

"Have a great day"

Booth nodded again. "Thanks."

Not expecting a package, he pulled the box into his apartment and closed the door. Grabbing his keys from the bowl nearby, he cut open the top. Inside was a roll of black, thick paper, or something. He didn't really know. But also on the top was a small notecard.

Booth,

Please cover your windows with this. Make sure they are entirely covered so no light can come in.

Till tonight,

And she'd left it at that. "Huh" he huffed as he turned the paper over in his hands. Another look in the box revealed some heavy duty tape, and he smiled as he stood up. Bones thought of everything.

--b&b—

That evening…..

Brennan frowned and shifted her weight, reaching up to knock for a third time on Booth's door. But still, there was no answer. Oh…

She tried to analyze the week's events to pinpoint any sort of indication that Booth was unhappy with their arrangement. He'd put up some initial resistance, of course. He'd think it was the honorable thing to do, she figured, but, for the most part, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

And they hadn't exactly set a time to meet, but 8PM had been the standard pattern set, and he really should be here.

Just as she decided to give up, she turned to see him turning the corner to his apartment in a suit, carrying Chinese Food and a six pack of beer. "Hey, Bones. Uh, sorry I'm late."

There was a flush on his cheek, but Brennan wasn't sure if that is from rushing or if he was embarrassed to be in a hurry. Or for her to think he was in a hurry.

"It's okay." She shrugged calmly, surprised by his clothing, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah" he used his key to open his door and nudged it open with his hip, motioning with his head for him to follow her into his kitchen. "I just had a meeting that ran late, that's all."

"A meeting?" she frowned and took in his gray suit with the red tie, "Were you…working?"

Booth turned at her accusing tone, "No" he smiled. "Not that kind of meeting."

"What kind of meeting, then?" she followed him to the kitchen and watched as he pulled a couple of plates from the cupboard.

When he didn't answer her, she tilted her head to the side. "Booth? What kind of meeting?"

He pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek and his hands to the counter, waiting a moment before turning his head in her directions. "You know…one of my…meetings."

His eyes willed her to understand, and she did. "Oh."

He sighed and began opening a carton of rice.

"Are you…" she began, "I mean…is everything…are you gambling?"

His neck tensed and he cracked open a couple of beers, handing her one. "No, and I want to keep it that way, so…that's why I went."

"Oh" she repeated, and then accepted the plate of food he'd prepared for her. This scenario was at once extremely familiar and yet the underlying current of what she had in mind was so disproportionate to their normal socializing that for a moment, she couldn't quite pull her thoughts together.

"Yeah" was all he said as he motioned with his beer for her to follow him in to his living room.

"Has something happened?" she asked as she sat beside him, "A trigger?"

Booth shrugged a shoulder and clicked his chopsticks together once, "Yes and no. I mean…this week, I've been kind of bored. During the days, I mean" he cleared his throat and met her eyes before looking away quickly, "Normally, I'm really busy. With my job and Parker and all of that. And while I'm enjoying my vacation, when I get bored, it's almost like…I don't know."

Brennan sat, stunned. It was rare for Booth to open up to her like this. Part of her wanted to ask him to stop. This wasn't the kind of confession she was hoping to get from him tonight. But the other part of her secretly loved when he confided in her. She knew it was based on a hard earned trust, and she desperately wanted to be deserving of that trust.

"It's like what?" she encouraged, and he met her eyes again.

He pulled in a deep breath and his jaw twitched. "It's like an itch. In my fingers, you know? And they just want to be busy, doing something…"

He trailed off then and she could see the way his fingers clenched together and then relaxed. "So that's why I went. Just…to make sure. That's all."

"That is very admirable" Brennan nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

The side of his mouth tipped up in a small grin and he nodded. "Let's eat, yeah?"

Brennan looked down to the plate of food in her lap. "Sure…"

--b&b—

It was fairly quiet as they both ate, both of them thinking and wondering about what the rest of the night would bring. Booth was feeling a little raw emotionally from his admissions, but, he knew that part of staying on top of his addiction was keeping himself accountable. And he knew he could trust her.

He stood then and walked into his kitchen, and he could tell she was following him, almost taking her cues from him.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?" he turned to see her leaning in the doorway between rooms. "Why did you wear a suit to your meeting?"

He chuckled and took the plate from her hand. "Well, Bones…it was clean." He shrugged a shoulder and placed the leftover Chinese food in his fridge.

When he turned around, she had a slight smile on her face, and he chuckled, "Nice trench coat."

"Thanks" she smiled, and just like that, they were back in fantasy week. She took a couple of steps closer to him. "Did you get the package I sent today?"

"Y-yes…" he nodded, pulling at the tie at his neck.

"Good" she walked around him, "And did you follow my instructions?"

He huffed out a breath, "Yes".

"Good" she repeated. "Now, go on into your room, and wait for me. I'll be right in there."

Booth's body tensed at her words, but he did as he was told.

--b&b—

Brennan went to his spare bathroom and washed her mouth with the mouthwash she found there. Booth didn't have any little cups like she did, so she had to pour it into the lid and then her mouth. And a little shiver tingled in her belly at the thought of Booth doing the exact same thing in a morning ritual. She stared at her reflection in the mirror before leaning over to spit. Standing straight again, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and nodded. She could do this.

She knocked lightly on Booth's bedroom door and opened it, pleased to find that it was utterly dark inside. Absolutely no light was present. She couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.

"Booth?"

"I'm here" he answered and his voice was low and darker it seemed.

"Are you standing?"

"I'm sitting on my bed."

Brennan followed the sound of his voice and used her memory to guess her steps, and soon her hands came in contact with one of his shoulders.

Booth hissed sharply and Brennan felt his indrawn breath. "Hello, Booth" she began, "I need you to stand, please."

She couldn't see him at all, but heard the slight rustle of his suit pants against his comforter and her hand was lifted against his shoulder as he stood. "Thank you" she smoothed her hand down his arm. "Tonight is all about the senses, Booth."

Stepping to his side, she leaned forward until she met his bed. Lifting one knee, she climbed on and felt her way to the headboard before turning to lie on her back. "Not all of them, of course. You can't see me. And I can't see you. But also, you can't touch me. And I can't touch you."

The room was silent, and for a moment, Brennan felt a slight panic. "Booth?"

He didn't answer, and she sat up on her elbows. "Booth, are you here?"

"I'm here" he whispered, and she could tell he'd moved to stand at the foot of his bed.

Lying back down, she smiled to herself, "Excellent. Let's get started."

The sound of fabric whispered in the room as she pulled the belt on her trench loose. "You can't see me, Booth, but I'm taking off my jacket now. Can you picture that?"

"Yes" he growled, and Brennan felt a rush of pleasure to her core at his participation.

"It's pretty hot in this coat. And I think you want me to take it off. Don't you?"

His only answer was a groan, and Brennan was thankful for the dark as just the sound of his reaction was also causing a sharp heat to slide over her body.

"I'm going to take off all my clothes for you, Booth. You just won't be able to see me. But that's okay. Because I'll explain everything I'm doing."

His answering groan was louder and deeper, and Brennan's hips shifted on the bed in response.

Biting her lip to gain some control, she let her coat fall off the side of the bed, making a mental note of her position, so she could pick it up later. "Do you want to know what I have on under my coat?"

He didn't respond, and Brennan paused. "Booth?"

"Yeah"

She could almost imagine the clench in his jaw, the way his neck would twist. He was probably loosening his own tie right now.

Sure enough, the slide of silk against cotton whisked through the air. "What was that?" she murmured. "Your tie?"

"Yes" he answered, "And my jacket too."

"Ah" she encouraged, "Nice. Isn't this exciting?"

--b&b—

Booth pulled in a shuddering breath. Exciting? Hell yes. This was one of the craziest things he'd ever done. But in the back of his mind, something just didn't seem…right.

"I'm wearing that dark red sweater you like a lot. You know the one?" she asked, and he almost laughed.

"Yeah, I know the one."

And, oh, he could just imagine her too. Lying back on his bed, her dark hair fanned out against his pillow, that red sweater caressing all her curves the way his fingers always wanted to. Talk about an itch.

"But it's still kind of hot in here, Booth"

Was she whining? Jeez, she was so hot. Okay, okay. Bones was pretty freaking amazing at this whole fantasy thing. But Booth's fists clenched in denial. Yeah, this was hot. But it wasn't supposed to be like this. He needed a distraction, fast.

"Should I take the sweater off?" she was asking, and he groaned.

His bed creaked and he closed his eyes, imagining her leaning forward, pulling the sweater over her head before leaning back down.

He could smell her perfume from where he stood, and imagined himself crawling up on the bed to lie beside her, letting his nose nuzzle into her skin to see where the perfume was more concentrated. He imagined her spraying it near her wrists, and right on her pulse point every morning. And then he imagined her spraying it on tonight, with this in mind, wanting to torture him.

Without any thought, he began pulling at his own clothes, quickly pulling his shirt off his body.
"Ah…" she admonished, "Not so fast, Booth. You're getting ahead of me."

He groaned and paused, his hands at his waistband.

"I wish I could see you" she whispered, "I love your body, I must admit. It's obvious that you take great pride in maintaining it. It seems a shame to cover it up."

He could hear the faint snick of her zipper and the bed creaked again. His mind raced with the image of her pulling her tight jeans down her long long legs.

--b&b—

Brennan smiled to herself as she heard Booth whimper a bit. This was going perfectly. On the surface at least. Because while she was certain she was arousing Booth with her actions, her own body felt colder than normal and methodical, but not in a good way. Perhaps she just needed to concentrate harder,

"Booth, your breathing patterns have changed. I can hear them. I can imagine the way your chest is pulling in and out with each breath. It makes me want to run my hands all over you. You like when I do that, don't you?"

She didn't wait for an answer, "But I can't, because that would be against the rules. But I can touch myself…I can do that, Booth. Isn't this exciting?" she asked again.

Brennan slid her hand over her chest, "What's your favorite color, Booth?"

"Hmmm?" he asked, and she smiled, imagining the furrow in his brow, "What?"

"I said, what is your favorite color."

There was a pause, and then… "…blue"

"Blue?" she repeated. "Just blue?"

Another shaky breath from him, "Okay…um…you know how right after the sun goes down, that dark, dark, dark shade of blue? That's my favorite."

Ah…nice. "Thank you for telling me that."

Just as she began to slide her hands down her side to hitch her thumbs into her panties, she heard his throat clear.

"What's your favorite color, Bones?"

Brennan paused, surprised at his question. She hadn't asked to make conversation. She was just trying to get him into a sensual mood. Studies showed that when a man thought of his favorite color, he could get more aroused.

"I…um…yellow" she whispered, and the admission felt more intimate than the slight scent of him on his pillow. She needed to get back into control.

"Booth…you may take your pants off now."

It was quiet for a moment, and then she heard his fingers fumbling with his button and zipper. Following that was the sound of cotton against skin as his pants fell to the floor.

"Mmmmm" she moaned and swirled her fingertips against her stomach, "I'm touching my stomach right now, Booth. Imagining it's you. You've never touched my stomach before, but I think I would probably like it if you did. Your fingers are soft and rough at the same time, and I've never felt anything quite like it" her last words lifted on a gasp as her hips arched off the bed, just the thought of the heat of Booth's hands against her skin enough to make her knees spread slightly.

"I think I want to take my bra off too. Would you like that?"

There was no answer, and for a moment, Brennan paused. She opened her eyes, but it didn't matter because she couldn't see a thing. "Booth?"

"I'm still here…"

Brennan swallowed and relaxed, letting her fingers slide under the silk straps at her shoulders. "I have a confession to make, Booth."

He groaned and she smiled, glad to know she'd found another one of his hot points.

"I've thought about your hands on me many, many times." She confessed as she pulled her bra completely off her body. "I've imagined what it will feel like the first time you touch my…"

Brennan paused for a moment, her hands resting just below her chest.

"What word to you like, Booth? I'll say whatever you want."

She could hear the sound of his knuckles crack and she shifted on his bed, the bedspread slightly coarse against her shoulders. "Come on, Booth, you can do it…what word do you like?"

"Tits" he whispered, and Brennan flushed.

"Of course you do" she soothed, "Most men do. I'm going to touch mine right now, while you stand there, Booth."

Brennan slid her fingers up and over her flesh, biting her lip against the whimper that threatened to escape at the thought of Booth really being her with her. Soon the soft stimulation wasn't enough and she began tugging gently at the tips. "Women hate that word, you know" she tried to get back to the discussion as her hips rolled in time with her fingertips. "I think that's why men love it so much. And you are definitely a man, Booth."

Ah…oh, it felt so good…"mmmmm, yes…oh, Booth" she moaned and her legs twisted on his bed, "But I'll bet you almost never say it, do you, Booth? Hmmm?"

"No" he answered, and she felt a thrill at knowing him so well.

"I am sure. Because you are careful about that kind of thing, aren't you? You don't want anyone to think that maybe, maybe you might like things just a little dirty, right, Booth?"

Caught up in her own imagination, she barely heard the sound of his boxers hitting the floor, "You don't have to answer me, Booth. Because I know you. I know what you're thinking. And right now…right now you are thinking that you want me to be naked. Naked…on your bed."

His knees buckled and pressed against the mattress. "Bones…please. Let me see you, touch you. Anything" he begged hoarsely.

With another hard squeeze to her breasts, she abandoned them to move her hands back down to her waist. "No, no, Booth. You can't do that. That would be cheating. And you are not a cheater, are you?"

He groaned, and she smiled.

"Can you hear that, Booth?" Brennan taunted. "I'm sliding my underwear down my legs. It feels so good to finally be totally naked. Naked, right in front of you, Booth."

"Stop…stop…"

"Stop?" she asked. "Stop what, Booth? Stop running my hands up my thighs? Stop imagining your hands clutching the backs of my knees? Stop wondering what your hands are actually doing right now?"

"Just stop…stop talking." His voice rasped. "Please, I can't take it anymore."

"Ah…" Brennan let her fingers flutter between her thighs. "Okay, Booth. If that's what you want."

Silence heated between them, punctuated only by the slide of her fingers against her heat. Brennan bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out as she imagined Booth actually being able to see her. But her orgasm was elusive, and she struggled to pinpoint where her arousal was highest.

He groaned again and her hips shot off the bed. "Yes…" she panted. "Booth…please."

That was what she needed. "Booth, talk to me…please…"

"I can't…" his answer was a harsh whisper

"Yes, you can" She encouraged, "Please, I need you to."

He cleared his throat. "Okay…okay…I can do this. Bones…Bones…I want you."

Ooooh…oh, yes…

"You are so damn sexy. I can't stop thinking about you."

Brennan whimpered and her fingers moved more rapidly, "Yes…"

"I'm going to touch you now" his voice was low.

"What?" she was incoherent as she neared her plateau, "No, no…no, Booth."

"Yes, Bones."

She tensed slightly as she sensed him kneel on the bed, his knees straddling her spread thighs. Every inch of her body tingled with anticipation. All of a sudden, the room felt cooler, and she realized he'd pulled back. She could imagine him sitting back on his knees near her feet, and her hips began twisting on his bed, the sounds coming from her mouth unlike any she'd ever made.

Just the hint of one of his fingers brushed against the bottom of her foot, and she exploded, pleasure gushing in and out and over her. "Oh yes. Oh…Oh…" her body trembled violently, "Booth…mmmmm….ah!"

Booth growled, and slid his body over hers without touching, pulling in a deep breath of Bones from her core to the top of her head. His whole body tensed, and he rolled to the side, collapsing on his back. And without any physical stimulation at all, he came, his hips jerking into air, his chest heaving, his knees locked straight.

"Damn it, Bones" he cursed softly, "That was…"

But she didn't answer, and instead, he heard her get off the bed and slowly make her way to his bathroom. Trying to catch his breath, he laid his arms over his eyes.

--b&b—

Brennan shielded her eyes from the bright light in his bathroom. The light was too intense for her and she blinked rapidly as she tried to locate a towel or washcloth. She found one and opened her eyes in time to see her reflection in his mirror. Naked, she felt incredibly exposed, and uncomfortable with the awkward sensation, she turned the lights off quickly and reentered Booth's bedroom.

Walking as carefully as she could, she made it to the bed and wiped her legs before leaning over to wipe up against Booth's stomach. A new and unexpected rush of intimacy caught her off guard at the thought of using the same towel as him, and it doubled when he wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

Booth removed the towel from her hand and laid it beside him. "You don't have to leave, you know." He whispered, "You can stay if you want."

Brennan tensed, glad for the darkness and hoped Booth didn't notice her flinch. Guessing his sniper training was in full alert in the pitch black, she tried to joke. "I can't. I should get home. I actually have to work tomorrow".

Booth let her off the hook and chuckled softly, and in the darkness, it felt more intimate than ever. Then Brennan felt her arm being raised and Booth pressed a soft kiss to the inside of her wrist. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Brennan pulled her hand back quickly and got off the bed, scooping up her clothes as quickly as possible. She set them down and pulled on her trench coat, tightly wrapping the belt around her waist. Picking up her clothes again, she walked over to his door.

"Goodnight, Booth" she swallowed.

And she rushed through his apartment, careful not to look in the mirror near his bedroom or at the evidence of their dinner and conversation from before.

--b&b—

Booth heard the sound of his front door closing firmly, and he groaned and pressed his hands to his eyes. How could something be so good and so bad at the same time?

Isn't this exciting? She'd asked in her hoarse voice, and Booth had to admit the experience had certainly been one of the hottest of his life.

But his shoulders were tense with uncertainty. He rolled out of bed and made his way to the shower, standing under the hot water for long moments, letting the spray hit his face. Booth didn't know how to explain how he was feeling.

Used, maybe. Robbed. Turned on like crazy, but also…empty.

It had felt like shallow sex, and once again, she'd just left afterward. Even though he'd asked her, sort of, to stay.

With a sigh, he reached behind to turn off the water. Barely drying off, he padded his way back to his bed, pressing his face to his pillow.

But that did him no good, as he could only smell her there. The faint scent of her perfume and her shampoo, and her desire for him.

But was it really for him, or just any man?

He tensed and rolled away again, unwilling to stay in his bed for the night.

Wrenching open his top drawer, he pulled out a clean pair of boxers and tugged them on before heading to his living room.

Uncomfortable, he laid his head against the headrest and tried to settle in. Tried to forget the sounds she'd made, and more importantly, tried to forget her sweet smile over dinner and her caring about his meeting.

And that was the rub.

How the hell could she go from one to the other like that?

Compartmentalization sure was a real bitch, sometimes.

--b&b—

Brennan stood inside her bedroom door and stared at her bed. Shaking her head to soothe her thoughts, she moved toward it, turning on a bedside lamp before she sat down.

She leaned back against the mattress and stared at the ceiling. She'd gotten exactly what she'd set out to get. Booth, his voice without the controlled edge, his fingers twitching to touch her, his mind in overdrive. And she'd even been able to take the edge of her own sexual need in the process.

But she still felt so unsatisfied.

But she wasn't sure how to process her thoughts, which was perhaps the most distressing. Sitting up in frustration, she ripped at the belt on her coat and tossed it off, fumbling through the pile of clothes she'd bundled together.

"Oh, my…"

She hadn't noticed when she'd done, it, but as she'd grabbed for her sweater and jeans, she'd also managed to grab Booth's shirt in the process.

Brennan stared at it in her hands, the white bright against her skin, the feel of the cotton both soft and rough. Just like Booth.

Pulling in a deep breath, she quickly leaned over to turn of the lamp, not wanting to see what she was about to do.

Then just as quickly, she pulled the dress shirt over her head, immediately encompassed by the feel and scent and presence of Booth all over her naked torso.

Her nerves felt raw and exposed, and she quickly burrowed under her covers, pulling them up over her head so it was too dark and warm to analyze anything.

--bb—

So yeah, this chapter is a little darker. I promise the next three are sweeter. Thanks for hanging in there. Stay tuned for tomorrow, when I hit you with Day Five: Thursday. I'm very excited about it. In fact, it's the whole reason I started this story in the first place!