III.

The following Friday found Temperance Brennan standing in front of her closet once again, rummaging through its contents. Booth had told her to dress comfortably but not too lightly, and she wondered about his plans for the evening. This time she did feel nervous and excited. She had never experienced her partner on a date so far, and the unknown territory troubled her in a pleasant way. Brennan wanted to look nice for him, but "not too light" somehow excluded every dress she owned, so she finally chose low-cut black pants and a creamy blouse. Soft curls played around her face, and when she regarded herself in the mirror, she was taken aback by the shimmer in her eyes. 'I look happy,᾽ she thought, as her reflection smiled back at her.

The doorbell interrupted her musings, and her heart skipped a beat. Or two.

Opening the door, Brennan took in her partner who was leaning casually against the frame; a single daisy in his hand, a smirk on his handsome face.

"Good evening, Bones."

"Hi, Booth."

He outstretched his hand, and she accepted the flower with a sweet smile.

"You brought me a daisy?"

The simple gesture caught her off guard, and her bashfulness touched him strangely.

"A lovely flower for a lovely lady."

Brennan was grateful that watering the daisy gave her an excuse to turn her back to him. Nobody had ever brought her a single flower, let alone one that she loved.

"That's very considerate of you, Booth. I like daisies very much."

Her finger brushed over the soft petals.

"I know, Bones, second favorite flower. You wonder why I did not bring you a bunch of daffodils?"

"No, but now that you've mentioned it…"

"There has to be room for improvement."

His voice was very near to her auricle, and Brennan was surprised to feel his presence behind her back. Her skin tingled at the closeness, and as she turned around, she was captured by his eyes. So dark. So promising.

Brennan held her breath as he lifted his hand to tuck one of her auburn curls behind her ear, grazing the sensitive lobe in the process. The swing of her long earrings brought him back to reality, and Booth lowered his eyes, breaking the spell.

"You ready, Bones?"

"Absolutely. I find that I'm eager to know what you've planned for tonight."

"Patience is a virtue," he teased, as his palm claimed its common place on the small of her back, leading her towards the hall.

- BONES-

Brennan was mildly surprised when Booth parked the SUV in front of a public park and turned to the backseat to grab a picnic basket.

"A park, Booth?"

"Ah, Bones, not just a park. This is D.C.'s finest location for open air cinema, and today they give an Indiana Jones double feature."

Brennan erupted in laughter.

"You're taking me to a movie about a fictional anthropologist?"

"Yup. And you can tell me about every single mistake in the films, my dear."

She left the car, still giggling about this date he had set up for her.

"That could be quite amusing."

"I thought so, Bones. Come on, let's go."

He reached out his hand to her, and after a brief moment of unsureness she accepted it. His warm palm closed around her cold finger, brushing her knuckles with his thumb.

It felt natural. And right.

They found a nice place underneath an old oak tree, and Brennan watched her partner spread out a plaid blanket on the grass. After everything was to his satisfaction, Booth lowered himself to the ground and turned his attention to the further contents of his basket, producing bread, cheese, grapes, a bottle of wine and two glasses.

He seemed to be well-prepared, and she smiled at his thoughtfulness. Not that she would have expected him to feed her sausages and soda, but still...

Smiling up at her, Booth outstretched his arm one more time.

"Care to join me? It's not the Plaza, but it promises to be cozy and delicious."

She accepted his hand anew, taking a seat next to him on the blanket.

"It's wonderful, Booth. I love it."

Knowing her so well, he saw that she was telling the truth, and Booth couldn't help to admire her easiness with this... Them.

He poured two glasses of wine and handed the fuller one over to her.

"To a wonderful night, Bones."

She appreciated his toast, but felt the need to add, "And a pleasant company."

Their glasses clang against each other, and Brennan took a first sip of the rich wine. It was excellent, she had to admit.

"This is very tasteful, Booth. Thank you so much."

"No, Temperance, thank you for doing this."

At the use of her first name, her wide blue eyes burned into his, and Booth felt the world disappearing. Her irises were bright, and he saw emotions in them he couldn't quite name.

"Is this still an experiment, Booth?" she asked in a low voice.

"We agreed it is, Bones. But," he silenced for a moment, taking in the woman sitting next to him, "it doesn't feel like one."

"Is that good or bad?"

The opening credits of the movie saved them, and soon the characteristic Indiana Jones theme filled the air.

"Why don't we enjoy the movie and judge the rest later?"

Brennan nodded, accepting his proposition and the slice of bread he offered her.

"You know, there are quite a few scientific failures in Indiana Jones."

Smirking, Booth leaned closer.

"I counted on that, Bones."

- BONES-

Three hours later they were more than halfway into the second movie, and sometime in the past hour, Booth's arm had come around her shoulder – tentatively at first, but when she had leaned into him, his embrace had gotten more confident. He felt warmth radiating from her skin underneath the flimsy blouse she wore, and his fingertips caressed her lightly. His other hand held hers, and Booth looked at their intertwined fingers in amazement.

He had no idea how exactly it had happened, but during a particularly suspenseful scene she had reached out to him and hadn't let go so far. Never before this day had he held hands with his partner, and it felt so intimate that Booth noticed a strange ache inside his chest. Her fingers were long, her nails short, and his own thumb played around her mother's ring. She felt so small in his big palm, and Booth was awestruck at the realization of what those hands were able to do.

Identify human remains. Bring salvation to grieving families. Lock away bad people.

He had always known that his partner was a brilliant and outstanding woman, but sitting here with her, guarded by an old oak tree, he realized how awesome she really was. And how normal underneath all her grandness.

When Brennan moved to take a sip from her third glass of wine, her hair fell against his cheek and he enjoyed the sensation. Upon another cautious rotation his nose made contact with her temple, and he felt her shiver.

"You cold, Bones?"

"Not really. It's a mild night. Besides, you're producing quite an amount of body heat."

"So you're sitting this close only to stay warm, then?"

She tilted her head and regarded him curiously.

"It's a good excuse, isn't it?"

"Are you flirting with me, Bones?"

"I don't know, Booth, am I?"

Suddenly the air between the crackled with electricity, and Booth was lost in her big eyes one more time. Long, dark lashes framed baby blue orbs in which he found every reason for sitting here with Temperance Brennan in this very moment.

"I believe you are, Bones."

Brennan felt as if Booth was looking into more than only her eyes, and maybe it was the wine, but she was brave enough to tease him.

"Well, considering that this is a date, I should be allowed to flirt, shouldn't I?"

She leaned closer into his body and did not waver under his intensive gaze.

"Following your logic, I should be allowed to do this, then."

And he loosened his hand from hers to cup her face in a gesture full of sweet affection. Her rosy cheek felt warm and soft under his touch, as her lips parted in wonder.

Suddenly all he could see anymore were those lips; full, red and so enticing.

His palm slid into Brennan's hair, as he cradled the back of her head to close the distance between them. The moment before their lips touched, Booth stilled, leaving the decision to her – and she made it without a second thought. A beat later they met each other in a dance of lips and tongues and fire. Brennan's arms flung around his neck as she pulled him close to deepen the kiss, exploring the velvet heat of his mouth with fierceness that shocked her with its intensity.

Booth held her in place with a secure grip, and his physical strength only heightened her arousal. They kissed for a long time – stroking, licking, nibbling – and when he softly bit into her lower lip, she moaned into his mouth. At her little noises, he lost the last ounce of control and devoured her lips with his until they finally broke the kiss, panting breathlessly.

Kissing Booth was epic. The whole date had been wonderful so far; they had shared a delicious meal, laughed about the errors in the movie, cuddled in the dark – but kissing Booth evoked a feeling in Brennan she was unable to label.

Seeley Booth was speechless, as he glanced at the beautiful woman sitting next to him. Her hair in disarray, her cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling with arousal and her lips swollen from his kiss. She looked so alive, so young, so ethereal in the pale light of the movie screen, and he wanted to kiss her over and over again.

So he did.

Before she could wrap her mind around a coherent thought, Brennan found herself in Booth's arms anew, and another powerful kiss took her breath away. Pressed against his solid body, she could feel his fast heartbeat against her own chest, smell his familiar scent, sense his arms around her waist until every single feeling blurred in the overwhelming sensation that was kissing Booth...

When their foggy brains registered the Indiana Jones theme one more time, they broke apart, noticing that they had taken on a lying position with him slightly on top of her. Movement around them indicated the end of the screening, but Brennan and Booth couldn't care less. A few of her buttons had opened, revealing the soft swell of her cleavage to the night air. Goose bumps covered the milky white skin, and Booth traced them with his fingertips until he reached silky lace.

"You're so beautiful, Temperance," he whispered, and his voice was so raw that she had to tighten her arms around him, pulling him closer to her body. His shirt had ridden up, and her palms caressed the warm skin on his strong back.

"Kiss me, Booth."

His lips captured hers, and Brennan could have made an oath that, instead of blood, liquid fire was circulating through her body, burning her from the inside out. She wrapped her leg around his hip until he was nestled against the juncture of her thighs, gasping at the pleasant friction of his hardness against her most sensitive parts. Booth's hands roamed over her narrow waist, eager to find more naked skin under the hem of her blouse, and his palms on her were so sensual that her whole body was humming with vibration.

Suddenly they were illuminated by an irritating light, and an harrumph interrupted their sweet closeness. Turning their heads, the couple saw an old night guard, shining a bright flashlight at them.

"Kids, this is a public park. You seem to be old enough to have your own bedroom, so I suggest you'd transfer your actions to it. Or shall I arrest you for scandalization?"

Brennan blushed in embarrassment and buried her head in Booth's neck. He cleared his throat, fishing for the FBI badge in his pocket.

"That won't be necessary, Sir, we're leaving."

The night guard scrutinized the badge.

"FBI, huh? You should know better, son. Take your lovely lady to a more appropriate place."

Under the strict glances of the old man, the two of them rearranged their clothes discretely, gathered their belongings, and stumbled on wobbly legs out of the park. When they arrived at the car, Brennan had regained her composure and turned to Booth. He avoided her eyes like a little boy who had been caught stealing some cookies, and she couldn't suppress a giggle.

Booth regarded his partner with mock dignity.

"You think this is funny?"

Brennan laughed in earnest now, and before she could think twice, Booth's hot body pressed her into the side of the car. The contact with the cold metal sent shivers down her spine, and all playfulness left her face, as she widened her legs for his hips and met his stare.

"Fun was definitely a part of it, Booth."

"And the other part?"

His voice was a whisper close to her ear, and he grazed her sensitive lobe with his teeth.

"Ah, is that a serious question, Booth?"

"Tell me, Temperance."

Another soft bite, this time next to her jaw.

"The other part was the best date I've had in a very long time."

The honesty in her tone melted his heart, and he touched her face tenderly.

"Me too, Bones. What does this mean?"

"I don't know, Booth, right now all I can think about is taking you home and finishing this," she admitted in her typical bluntness and felt him throbbing in response, as he ground his belly against hers.

"Is that bad?"

His mouth was back at her throat, licking the soft flesh there, and she moaned.

"No, but how can we make a reasonable decision when we're unable to think clearly, Booth? What if we have sex only to find out that this is all we've wanted? What if we ruin our partnership with it?"

Her vulnerability sobered him somehow, and he gave her a few inches of space.

"Bones, nothing will ever ruin our partnership. What we do is too important. I won't let it happen. But... you're right. Let's not conclude anything tonight. Let's go home and process everything that has happened. But please," he searched her eyes, "don't run from this. Let's discuss this the other day before we decide anything."

She nodded, and although her body screamed in protest, part of her was relieved that he understood her.

"Then, home?"

"Yeah, home it is. And thank you for the lovely evening, Bones, I enjoyed it very much. You're the most amazing woman I've ever had the pleasure to be on a date with."

He took her hand one last time and brought it to his lips to kiss her delicate knuckles.

"This is not finished yet, Baby."

His words lingered in the air like a promise as they entered the car, marking the end of the night. And when Booth stopped in front of her building, drawing her close and stealing a sweet goodnight kiss, neither of them thought that they were just testing a theory.

- BONES-

Back at home, Booth felt in desperate need for a strong beverage and a cold shower – and not especially in that order. Being the designated driver, he had barely touched the wine, and he definitely hadn't been prepared for kissing Temperance Brennan like that. She had stirred up the equivalent of an earthquake in his body, and he cursed the night guard for interrupting what possibly could have become the best sex in his life.

The alcohol burned down his throat and he coughed. His mind wandered back to the experiment – if he had known that experiments could have such an outcome, he would've become a scientist himself. Heading into the bathroom, Booth turned the water as cold as possible and gasped in satisfaction, as the tension left his muscles. He had no idea what he should make of the events of the night, but every fiber in his body longed for kissing her again. Stepping out of the shower, he dried himself, and a few minutes later he was on his way to bed, as the ringing phone cut into the silence.

"Booth."

"Hi Booth, it's Bones."

He paused mid-track, irrationally glad to hear her voice but worried at the same time.

"Hi, Bones. Everything okay?"

He heard her taking a deep breath.

"Yes, everything's fine. I... I just found that I felt the desire to hear your voice again. What are you doing?"

He smiled in relief and slipped under his blanket.

"Just came out of the shower. Thinking of you."

"Why are you thinking of me?"

"Oh, let me consider it for a moment. Maybe because you've just turned me upside down?"

He half-expected to hear, 'I don't know what that means,᾽ in reply, so her actual answer caught him off guard.

"You turned me upside down as well, Booth."

"I did?"

"I find that kissing you is a pretty exciting experience."

"Hmm, tell me about it."

"Well, I seem to react to the pheromones your body produces, and the movements of your tongue-"

"That was just an expression, Bones."

"Oh..."

"But... I react to your pheromones as well."

She smiled, although he couldn't see it.

"That was a very nice date."

"Understatement of the year, Bones."

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know. Have coffee together? Talk about it with, to quote you, 'the needed precaution and honesty᾽."

"I said that."

"You did."

"You'll pick me up at lunch time on Monday?"

"Don't I always, Bones?"

"Yes, you do. I like it."

"Mm-hmm. Sleep tight, Temperance."

"You too, Booth. See you on Monday."