Booth fought back the urge to tug at his bowtie. He also fought back the urge to take out his gun and shoot somebody at this high society intellectual elite awards dinner. His eyes flashed to Brennan's, and she smiled at him, her eyes smoky and pretty. Her black dress—the one that had been hanging on their closet door and tempting him all week—fit her to perfection. She'd straightened her hair, and it seemed longer than usual, brushing against her bare arms when she walked or turned to talk to him.

Beneath their table, he linked his fingers with hers and he noticed the way her hand was warm. He knew she was nervous about the speech she had to give, and it reminded him of their conversation that morning.

"Booth," she walked into their bedroom, holding a cup of coffee in each hand.

"Yeah?" he turned toward her and accepted the coffee and the kiss she gave him. He watched as she set her cup on the side table and then fiddled with what looked like index cards in her bathrobe pocket. "What is it, Bones?"

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I have to give a speech tonight. Would you mind if I practiced on you?"

His eyebrows waggled, and she shook her head, but also laughed.

"Sure, baby," he moved up to rest his back along their headboard. "Knock yourself out."

Her eyes narrowed, "I'm not sure if that is some sort of speech euphemism, but I would prefer to remain conscious while reading this."

Booth laughed. "It just means go for it…let's hear your speech."

She eyed him for a moment, and then took out the notecards. He understood about half of what she was saying, but he figured the rest of the people on that night's guest list would know what she is talking about. When she was finished, he shrugged a shoulder and gave her a thumbs up. "Sounds good to me."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she stepped closer to the bed. "I'm just not sure. I'm not good at these kind of speeches."

"What?" Booth stretched out his hand and motioned for her to do the same. She smiled and linked their fingers together. Booth ran his thumb against her hand and tugged her closer. "Baby, yes you are. Believe me, you always know what you're talking about, and you always do great."

"At anthropological seminars," she argued, but allowed him to pull her onto the bed with him. She sat on her knees next to him, their hands still joined together. "But this is a fundraising gala. I hate dealing with Jeffersonian endowments, and when the administrators try to ask us to put a price tag on the work we do." She frowned. "And worse, then we have to pander to the wealthy, and I find it uncomfortable."

"You're wealthy," he reminded her.

"Now," she countered. "I didn't always have money. These people…they were raised around money. It's different." She sighed and moved to sit next to him.

Booth wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her so her back was against his chest.

"This is something Hodgins should do," Brennan continued. "Or Cam."

"Yeah," Booth shrugged a shoulder. "But you're the name, Bones."

She peered at him over her shoulder. "I don't know what that means."

"It means…" he explained. "You're the draw. The attraction. People want to see and meet the famous Dr. Temperance Brennan. If you think something is a good idea, people will want to do it. You're the main event."

Brennan frowned. "You make me sound like some sort of circus act. Like a freak or something."

Booth scoffed, "No, that'd be me," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Brennan turned to look at him. "What does that mean?"

He eyed her for a second, his expression practically begging her to understand. When she just stared back at him with her clear blue eyes, waiting for an answer, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It means…you know, Bones…I don't fit in with that world. Your world"

"Booth-" Brennan tried to argue, but he held up a hand.

"Hey, don't worry about me, Bones," he shook his head. "I'll be cool. I promise. I mean, I know this is our first…" he motioned between their bodies. "Fancy shmancy thing as a couple and stuff, but I won't embarrass you. I hope," he flushed a bit and looked down.

"Booth, you could never embarrass me," Brennan countered, moving toward him so she could straddle his thighs. She pressed two fingers to his chin and forced him to meet her eyes. "Don't you know that by now?"

He swallowed, but didn't say anything, and her head tilted to the side as she realized he had insecurities about how she saw him.

"Why would you think that?" she asked him, genuinely curious to know.

Booth didn't look away, and he shrugged a shoulder. "You're this classy genius, Bones…and I'm…not," he shrugged again. She watched his jaw tighten with vulnerability, but still he didn't look away. "I don't know…I guess no matter what happens between us, I'll always be a kid from Philly. A roughed up Army Ranger…better with his gun than his brain."

"That's not true," she interrupted him and shifted on his lap. Her eyes were like blue fire. "Booth, you're the best in your field."

He did look away then, and she followed the movement. "Booth, do you know why I became your partner?"

His eyebrows lifted, and he met her eyes. "Because of my ruggedly handsome good looks?" he tried to deflect.

Brennan ignored his attempts. "No, because you were the best. It would have been ill advised of me to allow my talent and skills to be wasted on some FBI agent who didn't know what he was doing or how to work with me."

The side of his mouth quirked up with a cocky smile. "Yeah," he fingered the knot of her bathrobe. "But that was just at the beginning."

"Exactly," she interrupted him again. "And I can't believe I'm asking this, but do you know why I'm with you?"

His lips parted, and he ran the back of his knuckles along her rounded belly. "Because I'm the best?"

"No," she insisted, leaning close to press a soft kiss against his lips. "Because I love you," she whispered. Booth's eyes watched her mouth as she kissed him again. She pulled back, a pretty flush on her cheeks. "You are still the best FBI agent, and yes, at one point, I considered you to be the best candidate to help me have a child, but…" she placed her hands on his shoulders. "While all of those things are still true…more importantly, I love you."

"Bones," he murmured, and pulled her in for another kiss. Their lips parted and he wrapped his arms around her waist before rolling them until he was pressed on top of her. Her bathrobe was no match for him, and he quickly peeled back the fabric, revealing her long, pale and naked body to his gaze and his touch. He sighed as he ran a hand from her neck all the way down to the juncture of her thighs.

Brennan gripped his wrist and brought it up to her mouth. "I'm not sure what the best thing is to say here," she admitted. "But you are the only man I could ever want. I love you". She pressed a kiss to his palm and then moved his hand to her breast, encouraging his fingers to close around her curvy flesh. She arched beneath his touch and let her own hand fall away. Booth leaned down and wrapped his lips around her pink perky nipple, and Brennan let her arms stretch over her head until her fingers tangled in the sheets near the headboard.

"I love you too, Bones," he kissed his way to her other breast and lazily tongued her to a tight peak. "I don't deserve you,"

"Stop," she insisted, spearing her fingers through his hair. He lifted his head, and she frowned. "I don't mean stop what you were doing…" she encouraged his mouth back to her breast. He smiled against her skin, and she sighed. "I mean, stop disparaging yourself, Booth."

He considered her words and let his hand roam over her bare body. Her thighs were sleek and smooth, and he slid his fingers between them, up to where her warm folds beckoned. He skimmed over them with his fingertips and then splayed his hand over her hip as he sucked harder on her nipple.

Brennan ran the smooth cut of her fingernails against his bare shoulder—not deep enough to leave a mark, but strong enough that he shivered down his body. He rubbed his thumb in the crease where her leg met her torso, and she arched up. He knew her. He knew her body and how to please her.

"Booth," she moved her hips to try to encourage him to touch her between her legs. "I want you. Only you," she added, letting one of her legs fall open in invitation.

Booth smiled against her neck and basked in her words as he cupped her mound. She rocked provocatively against him, but he resisted and placed an open mouthed kiss where her shoulder met her neck. She arched against him, and he felt her wetness against his palm. Her clit was puckering out from her folds, and he rubbed his hand against her.

Brennan spread her legs wider, trying to get some relief. She gripped his wrist and moved his hand down until his index finger rested at her opening. "Inside me. Please."

Booth didn't deny her, and he slid his finger into her, turning his hand so his palm faced up and the pad of his fingertip worked against her walls as he stroked in and out.

"Yesssss," she hissed and held onto his hand to keep him in place. "I love the way this feels, Booth," Brennan complimented him in her husky voice. "You always know the right way to touch me to make me absolutely- OH!" her words trailed off on a gasp as he used two fingers inside her. She was getting wetter, practically dripping on his fingers, and he worked her harder. Brennan keened beneath him, but she gripped his shoulders and then cupped his cheek, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Only you," she panted, her back and buttocks sliding against the silk of her spread robe. "You satisfy me. Completely. Not just…" she arched her neck back and Booth felt her inner muscles squeeze against his fingers. "Not just sexually", she breathed and rode his hand. "In every way. Booth…" she leaned up and pressed her forehead against his. "You have to know that. You do know that, right?"

Booth heard her words and let them sink in around his heart. "Yeah," he murmured. "I know," he agreed and pressed his lips against hers. He pressed his other hand against her shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the mattress until she was flat on her back. He rested over her, leaving his weight on his knees and on one hand as he used his other hand to finger her rhythmically.

"No other man makes me feel the way you do…" she writhed, her words setting him on fire. He picked up the pace, determined to give her the best orgasm ever.

She clutched the sheets, then his back, then his shoulders, and then his head as she pulled him down for a kiss, gasping against his mouth as she came against his hand.

"Yeah," he encouraged, helping her ride through her pleasure.

Brennan's forced laughter broke through his thoughts, and he blinked and focused on her. She was obviously forcing a smile toward some old guy who had said something to her. Booth missed what had been said, so he forced a smile of his own and nodded.

"It was lovely to meet you, Dr. Brennan," the man smiled, and Brennan shook his hand. "And you too, Dr. …," the man stretched his hand out toward Booth and waited for him to introduce himself. He obviously expected Brennan to only associate with PhDs, and Booth's jaw twitched as he released Brennan's hand so he could shake the man's hand. "Nice to meet you," is all he said.

He shifted in his chair and looked around at the rest of their dinner party. His tie felt tight around his neck, and he cleared his throat. And then he felt Brennan's hand on his again. She gently rubbed her thumb against his palm, and then she ran her thumb over his index finger, up and over his fingertip once, and then again.

Booth spared her a glance and smiled. She returned his gaze and smiled. Anyone looking at them would think they just made a nice couple, but Booth knew what she meant. He satisfied her. She didn't care what these other people thought. She just wanted him.

He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek, and she smiled at that too.

-b&b-