II.
"Babe, you saw my keys?"
Shaking her head, Brennan smiled into her coffee mug. Usually, she was the first to leave in the morning, and so she enjoyed watching her partner buzzing around for a change. Crossing her legs in a way that caused her red robe to fall apart slightly, she took another sip of the steamy brew.
"You know, Booth, leaving your things in just the same appropriate place every evening might help the matter."
He frowned, binding his tie while rushing by.
"Lectures about my tidiness are just what I need right now, thank you very much."
"They could prevent situations like this in the first place. And I am totally able to sense your sarcasm. Which doesn't help, either."
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Totally?"
"I try to become more colloquial."
Slipping out of her chair, she sashayed in his direction.
"Let me do this."
Booth gave up his struggle with the stubborn tie, surrendering himself to her deft fingers. He loved when she focused on such a mundane and domestic task like binding his tie. Being the center of Temperance Brennan's attention still gave him a ridiculous kick.
He couldn't help but dive in for a quick kiss. She was sleepy warm, her hair in disarray.
"Thanks, my dear."
Leaning against his solid frame, Brennan inhaled deeply. She appreciated court days for the expensive shaving cream he only used then. It was a very sensual add-on to his natural scent. However, he had worn it fairly often in the past weeks, and she hoped that this last day of trial would end with the desired verdict.
"Have you tried the pockets of the coat you wore yesterday?"
One quick kiss later, he was by the door. A triumphant outcry followed, as Booth threw the keys into the air.
"You're the best, Babe. What would I do without you? You're up for lunch?"
"Sure, pick me up two-ish."
"Two-ish? Bones, please don't get too colloquial, your squinty talk is quite a turn-on."
Smirking, he approached her a last time, catching her feminine body with his strong arms. The thin fabric of her robe felt so good in contrast to his fully clothed body, and he peppered little kisses along her jawline.
"It's a shame to leave you when you don't seem to feel any time pressure."
She met him for a slow and deep kiss.
"Maybe I should rethink my morning schedule for the upcoming week."
"Yeah, that's the way to talk that gets me high."
She giggled, and he could feel the vibrations against his lips.
"Ah, let's retire and spend the rest of our life in bed."
Pushing him away with her palms on his chest, she tried to muster a strict facial expression.
"And that's my cue to remind you of court day."
Clearing his throat, Booth tried to get his body's reaction under control again.
"Right, I'm leaving. Lunch, Babe."
A quick peck later he had his files, keys and opened the door, ready to face the day, when he heard her soft voice again.
"Oh, Babe?"
He turned around just in time to witness the flimsy robe sliding down her frame, revealing gorgeously naked skin. His mouth went dry.
"Don't forget me."
Blinking twice, Booth shook his head and tried to recover.
"You're a very mean person, sexy as hell, and I'm madly in love with you. Tonight you'll pay for that."
On his way out of their building, he couldn't stop smiling. She kept him on his toes, that much was certain.
By the time Booth testified, Temperance Brennan entered the Jeffersonian Institution Medico-Legal Lab, and when Caroline Julian began to tear the defense lawyer apart, the forensic anthropologist listened to the bones speaking to her.
It was business as usual.
-BONES-
"Hey, Brenn."
Brennan raised her head, slightly annoyed about the interruption.
"Angela, I'm working."
The artist gave her an ironic look.
"I figured that much out. The skeleton on the table is quite a strong indicator. Anyway, Sweetie, I need you to do me a favor."
Brennan sighed.
"I don't want to talk about my sex life right now, I really don't need new clothes and I'm very satisfied with the man I have."
"Yeah, funny. You know, I'm going out with Jack tonight."
"And I approve of the fact that you and Dr. Hodgins consider reviving your former bond."
"Me too. Brenn, I want to blow his mind tonight. I need your help in dressing up for that."
"Angela, I'm positive you have already 'blown᾽ his mind a long time ago, and since when do you need my help to choose something to wear?"
Angela rolled her eyes.
"Fine, don't help me, then. But I need your support. I need my best friend to tell me how gorgeous I look and that I'm doing the right thing. After all, you have been my inspiration to restart things with Hodgins."
Brennan was taken aback by the confession.
"Me?"
"Yes, Sweetie. Don't get me wrong, but if even you can be happy in a relationship without messing up, if you can commit yourself to someone, I should be able to do it as well. I miss Jack and what we had. I want to be happy again. I want what you have, as well."
"Even though I'm slightly uncomfortable with being your role model, I have to confess that the concept of a monogamous relationship has grown on me."
"So you'll meet me at seven tonight? To spread the love?"
Brennan nodded.
"I'll be there Ange."
The artist flung her arms around her best friend.
"Thanks, I won't forget that."
Looking at Angela's retreating form, Brennan shook her head in wonder. Since when had she become a specialist in relationships? She felt as if she was playing for the other team now. Hell, playing for any team at all instead of watching the match as a spectator.
Not long after that Brennan heard a very familiar whistle, and her lips curved into a smile.
"You nailed the bad guy?"
Booth was leaning against the door frame, his jacket thrown casually over his shoulder, a smug grin on his face.
"You can bet on that, lady."
It had been a tough case. The suspect, now convict, was a pretty "big fish", as he would call it, in the organized crime, and several units of the FBI had been involved. So Booth's smugness was justified, Brennan supposed.
She tilted her head.
"Is this one of the occasions where you want me to act all girly and taken aback by your awesomeness?"
"I insist on it."
Removing her gloves and her hair tie, Brennan approached her partner, and when she was within reach, he outstretched his hands. Accepting the offer, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his midsection. His palms cupped her ass securely, and yet again she felt a rush of weakness and desire faced with his physical strength.
"You are a big, tough guy, and I'm so very proud of you," she purred, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Her voice got more serious.
"You make the world a safer place, and I love you so much for it. You did an amazing job, and I'm lucky to be your partner. In every sense of the word."
She lifted her head, and deep brown burned into baby blue, as he captured her lips for a kiss that was as sweet as her words.
Brennan cradled his cheek in her palm, and after a few seconds her face got playful again.
"Was that enough gushing? Because I have a reputation to maintain, Booth, and me being carried around by you in the lab could be counterproductive regarding that matter."
He released her with one more kiss, and she slid down his body.
"You're ready for lunch?"
"Absolutely. In fact, I'm quite hungry."
"Then let's go. I'm starving as well. Babe, me and the guys are going to celebrate tonight. Wanna join us?"
"Maybe later, Angela required some girl time first. Is that okay?"
"Of course. Have fun, and meet me afterwards. I'll be the drunken one dancing on the table."
She threw her head back in throaty laughter.
"I highly doubt you could be intoxicated enough to actually do that, Booth."
"Then await your surprise, my dear."
With his hand on her back he guided his partner, love and everything out of the lab.
-BONES-
Several hours later Brennan gave the cab driver the address of the bar where Booth and his fellow agents were celebrating. She was glad to sit, not only because of the heels Angela had talked her into wearing, but because of the dizziness in her head as well.
Brennan should know her best friend good enough not to be surprised that dressing up Angela ended with an empty wine bottle and both of them in fancy clothes. Though, she had to admit that Angela did actually seem fairly sober when she had left her.
In an attempt to make the best of the situation, Brennan mused that she was at least in a proper state to serve as Booth's "girl" for a chance.
Resting her head against the cushions, Brennan gained herself a minute of silence.
-BONES-
"That friend of yours is a hottie."
The blonde woman leaned to the man standing next to her at the bar, his collar slightly open, the tie loosened. However, her eyes were glued to a particularly outstanding exemplar of the male species. He was tall, his body showing evidence of hours full of sweat in the gym. The first buttons of his white dress shirt were open, revealing deliciously bronze skin. He had his tie slung around his head, a glass of golden liquor in his hand.
The agent let his eyes wander from the blonde to his wound up coworker.
"Booth? Forget it. He is crazy about his lady."
"Well, his lady is not here, is she?"
Slapping his arm, the woman grabbed her drink and set herself in motion like a predator on the hunt. The other agent shook his head in amusement.
He had seen Seeley Booth together with Dr. Brennan.
Even back then when they used to pretend that they were just partners, she was the sun he was circling around.
'I could almost feel pity for blondie,᾽ the agent thought.
Booth was drunk. Seriously drunk and deliriously happy. He felt the last weeks' tension leaving his system, as the effect of the alcohol kicked in. More stumbling than dancing, he tried to mimic a famous rock star he had once watched on TV, cheered up by his colleagues.
Suddenly he felt pressure on his chest, and his eyes fell to a female hand, taking in artificial red nails. Bones kept her nails short, so this was not right.
"Hey, Sugar, are you celebrating something?"
The voice was wrong as well, and finally his pupils could focus on the woman standing in front of him. Quite close in front of him, to be true. There had been a time in his life, when Booth would have felt flattered or aroused by an approach like that.
But that time had been long before he had lost himself in Temperance Brennan.
Knowing that he wasn't interested one iota and that this would lead nowhere, he decided to share his happy mood.
"Yeah, we caught a bad guy."
Bright blue eyes were blinking at him under long, dark lashes.
"So you should be rewarded for that."
Leaning closer, Booth whispered.
"Which I will be. Later at home."
She wasn't one to give up early.
"You really wanna wait that long?"
From his place on the bar, the other agent could observe the not so subtle hit-on, and when the door opened, he whistled. Oh oh, trouble in paradise.
Temperance Brennan had arrived.
Standing next to the entrance, she let her gaze roam over the crowded place, completely oblivious to the fact that every pair of eyes in the room had just turned to her.
She was wearing a midnight blue dress that emphasized her female curves rather than covered it. The skirt ended mid-thigh, and her legs seemed to go on forever, leading to simple silvery heels one could impossibly walk in.
Safe that she could.
And then some.
The elegance and grace she radiated forced every man in the room to sit a little bit straighter.
Pushing a curl that resembled pure silk out of her eyes, she kept on looking out for one face. The agent at the bar could tell the exact moment she had spotted it. A furrow appeared on her forehead, and her big eyes glistened dangerously.
She walked in the direction of her partner, and it seemed as if the crowd parted for this angelic woman.
Her foggy mind allowed jealousy to flow unrestrained. With one glance at Booth and the woman clinging to him, Brennan knew that he wasn't responding to the advantages or encouraging them in the first place, but no other woman had the right to touch him. To smell him when he wore the expensive shaving cream. To enjoy his male scent at all.
"Excuse me, Sweetie?" She had learned a lot about the ironic use of pet names from Angela. "This one is mine."
Booth's face brightened, as he registered the familiar, soft voice, but he was too drunk to get the dangerous undertone. He was just happy that she was finally here.
The blonde let her eyes wander from the man in her arm to the woman standing in front of them. Even without his beaming face she would have known that the battle was lost.
"You shouldn't leave something so gorgeous alone. And I didn't see a ring, Honey."
"Just because there isn't a ring doesn't mean there is no commitment. Do me the favor and disappear."
Sighing with disapproval, the blonde let go of the strong arm, witnessing how the man turned to the dark-haired woman.
"Babe, I've missed you."
The agent on the bar ordered another drink, as he observed how his colleague pulled Dr. Brennan into his arms. She melted against his body like a perfect fit, and even though he was no pathetic fool, the man couldn't tear his eyes from the two of them. They were a hot couple and obviously very much in love with each other.
Sensing a presence next to him, he cast a glance at the unlucky blonde woman.
"See? I told you the guy is crazy about his lady."
Booth was still in a state of heavenly drunkenness, and now everything about it felt right. Nuzzling Brennan's hair with his face, he let his big palms encircle her slim waist.
"You were jealous," he murmured, his teeth grazing her ear.
"So what? You belong to me."
Pulling her closer to his body, his lips brushed over the curve of her neck.
"Is that anthropologically speaking, Bones?"
Her hands slid down his back and came to a halt near his rear end, just within the boundaries of modesty.
"No, Booth, this is your woman speaking."
He chuckled.
"Believe me, nothing would have happened. I wasn't the slightest bit interested in her. You know, you are mine as well and compared to you everyone else would be a number-two choice. Or no choice at all."
"I trust you, Booth, but I did not trust her. Nobody may touch you like that."
Her words sunk in, and Booth lifted his head to look at her face. For the first time he noticed the rosy color of her cheeks and her slightly dilated pupils.
She was intoxicated. And aroused. Wearing something that screamed "take me". Instantly, he was hard.
"Bones, are you drunk?"
She picked her words carefully.
"Not as drunk as you are, but not as sober as the blonde woman is."
"Angela found a dress for you as well?"
"I suppose it was naive to assume she wouldn't use the opportunity. You like?"
"Like? That doesn't do justice to it." He brought his lips back to her auricle and whispered, "I wanna fuck you. Without removing the pretty dress before I bury myself in you. Just showing it up your thighs until I can spread your legs."
His uncharacteristically blunt words took her by surprise, and she moaned into his neck, rubbing herself against his full length.
"Then I'll let my fingers run over you. Are you wet for me, Temperance?"
She groaned, meeting his eyes in challenge.
"Tell me, Booth."
"Oh, you are."
The peak of his tongue appeared, flickering over her earlobe, followed by his teeth as he tugged the tender flesh into his mouth.
"You are impatient for me to touch you, and when I finally sink my fingers between your thighs, you are wet and hot. For me, Bones."
She could feel his arousal where her lower belly was pressed against his body, and the dizziness in her head increased. Brennan wondered if she was more drunk than she had thought or if it was simply him doing this to her.
"But I can feel you as well, Booth." She swayed her hips, and he gasped. "You want me."
"I always do. I want to touch and lick every inch of your sweet skin. I wanna feel your legs around me. I wanna hear you scream my name."
His fingers combed through her hair, massaging her scalp until she closed her eyes in pleasure. When she was fully relaxed and distracted, Booth cupped the back of her head, crushing his lips to hers.
The intensity of the kiss shocked her somehow, and she clutched his shirt to pull him closer. He tasted like Scotch, success and the promise of sex.
Brennan loved gentle Booth, protective Booth, caring Booth – but Seeley Booth uninhibited and demanding, kissing her like that in a public place, made her weak in her knees. Oh yes, she was his girl.
The kiss went on for a long time – to the delight of his fellow agents surrounding them – and when they finally broke apart, her chest was heaving, her lips red and swollen.
"Babe, if we don't leave soon, I'll take you right here, right now."
"Not that I'm averse, but you might regret that in the morning."
"Home?"
She nodded, already dragging him towards the exit. Some of his coworkers were clapping and whistling, but Booth didn't really care. Before they left the bar, he turned to the clamorous crowd a last time.
"Hey, guys, get a life. And stop staring at my woman, I might remember that on Monday."
"Ah, Booth, you're one lucky son of a bitch. Don't blame us, the two of you were putting on quite a show."
"Well, the show is over now. Have fun."
The clear night air sobered her somehow, and Brennan turned around to face Booth.
"You in trouble now?"
He chuckled in amusement.
"Trouble? Because my incredibly cool woman just entered the scene in fuck-me-heels, and now I'm leaving with her? No way. I'm the king."
She laughed and raised her hand to hail a cab. Booth wasn't surprised when a vehicle stopped immediately. Even with him in the picture, she was way too stunning not to be picked up.
In the backseat of the car she snuggled into his side, and he draped his coat over her. Her scent hit his nostrils, calling out to him, and Booth inhaled deeply.
In the dim light of the cab she looked like every definition of beauty.
His hand slid down her thighs under the hem of her dress. With a moan almost too low to hear she opened her legs just a few inches. Accepting the invitation, Booths fingers traveled up her soft skin until he met flimsy lace, teasing her by brushing his knuckles over her core.
Her own hand found his, interlacing their fingers. Without warning he tugged the fabric of her panties aside, dipping each of his and her fingers into her body. Brennan gasped at the unexpected sensation and tried to hide it with a cough.
Chuckling, he placed a soft kiss onto her hairline while he stroked her slowly and deeply, just because. He had been right, she was wet. Silky soft, tempting warm, deliciously tight.
His thumb grazed her short curls, circling the sensitive spot, and Brennan buried her reddened face in his shoulder.
She knew he didn't mean to tease or embarrass her, he was just touching her because he couldn't not do it. Only half an hour ago she had verbally acknowledged that he was hers just like she was his, and now the alpha male in him claimed his possession.
She was his to be taken, and tonight that was all Temperance Brennan wanted to be.
Booth felt almost sorry when the cab stopped in front of their building. But only almost. In the blink of an eye he had thrust a few bills into the driver's hand, left the car and opened the other door for her.
Accepting his hand, Brennan left the taxi on wobbly legs. Immediately, Booth wrapped one arm around her waist, drawing her into his side.
"You know, I could walk on my own," she murmured hoarsely.
He squeezed her briefly.
"Not today. I'm already compromising because I'm in the mood for carrying you. So take it."
"You're quite uncivilized tonight, Booth."
"Are you complaining?"
"Actually, I find that I like it."
Encouraged by her words, Booth bent his knees and scooped her up in his arms.
"Booth," she protested weekly, "I had no intention to embolden your chauvinistic behavior."
He pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Too late."
With a sigh Brennan rested her head against his warm chest, surrendering herself to his care.
Booth was pretty sure that he would've failed every sobriety test, but with her in his arms his motor skills came back. He simply knew that he would never tip over, never betray her trust. She was so easy to lift, and it was such a rare pleasure that his chest almost burst with joy.
"Don't fall asleep on me, Babe."
She smiled.
"Won't happen. But just in case, you have the permission to wake me up in whatever manner you like."
"Still, I prefer you awake and responding."
In the elevator she opened her eyes again and found him looking at her. Her languid smile dazzled him.
"Have I already told you how much I love you?"
"Yes, but it doesn't lose its charm when you repeat it."
He brushed her eyebrow with his lips.
"I love you. You make special days even more special."
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Brennan pulled his head down to kiss him.
"I love you, too, Booth."
With a clang the elevator door slid open on their floor.
"Bones, can you reach the keys in my pocket?"
"Why don't you simply put me down?"
"Nope. Try the keys first."
With a little fumbling they managed to open the door, and Booth enjoyed carrying her over the threshold.
"The archaic symbolic meaning of that wasn't lost on me, Booth," she informed him.
He chuckled, determined not to listen to her.
"I don't know what that means, Bones."
Without stopping or switching on the light, Booth carried his precious burden into their bedroom, bending over to place her on the bed. His back protested mildly, but he chose to ignore that as well.
Drawing himself up to his full height, he stood still and simply looked at her in the city's night light shining in through the window. Dark blue satin over milky-white softness, framed by unruly auburn strands. Her big eyes were burning almost feverishly, her reddened lips slightly parted. Her voice was smoky when she spoke.
"Booth?"
"Sh... I need to watch you one more moment. Have you any idea what you look like?"
"Well, since you voted against the mirror above our bed which I suggested..."
"That would have been too weird. Let me tell you, instead. I see flawless creamy skin."
He started undoing the buttons of his shirt.
"Your dress is an exquisite tease. I can guess your breasts underneath it. I know how full and good they feel in my hands."
The shirt opened, falling down to the floor, already forgotten.
"Your legs. Your legs are long and strong, but you're not a runner. Those legs are made for catlike strides.
She watched with wide eyes how his fingers moved to his belt buckle, loosening it.
"Your feet are screaming at me to be freed from those heels, but I won't do it. It looks sinfully good."
Unzipping his pants, Booth simply kicked them away, alongside with his shoes.
"But the most beautiful thing is your face. Your eyes have a million different colors. Normally, they are light and gray-blue, always curious. But when you're aroused, they turn to a darker shade. Right now they are almost azure."
Balancing on one leg, he removed his striped sock, shortly followed by the second one.
"Your lips are just so kissable. Long before I was allowed to do it, there were moments when I found it hard not to stare at them. Just as hard as it was to ignore the temptation to touch your hair, run my fingers through it."
Dipping his index fingers under the hem of his boxers, Booth pulled the last piece of garment down, and her mouth watered.
"Booth..."
"That's what I see when I look at you, Temperance. But of course, there is more. I see passion, strength and vulnerability as well. A brilliant mind, a big heart. Therefore, I don't need a mirror. I don't want to see a reflection of you. I don't want to settle for the second best when it comes to you."
She outstretched her hand in his direction.
"Come to me."
"Oh, yes."
Crawling on top of her, he pressed his naked body against her fully clothed one, teasing her nape with his nose. Her legs widened to accommodate him, and he nestled deeper into her softness. Brennan let her fingernails run over his bare back, following the curve of his spine until she reached his buttocks, enjoying the firmness of them.
He moaned, shifting her head to one side. His nose was replaced by his tongue, as he licked along the side of her neck, tasting the breathtakingly familiar flavor of her skin.
His mouth slid lower until he found her satin-covered breast, biting gently. Crying out in pleasure, Brennan arched her back to press herself into his mouth. His hands locked behind her shoulders, holding her close.
Sucking her through the fabric wasn't enough, so Booth lowered the neckline of her dress with his teeth until he could close his mouth around naked skin. Her bud was taut and damp when he released it, the dolphin locket – his Christmas gift – resting safely in the valley between her breasts.
"Still sure you don't want to remove my dress?" she whispered.
"Absolutely."
Slowly, he moved down her body, coming to a halt between her parted legs.
"I've fantasized about you and that dress since I laid my eyes on you tonight."
She chuckled.
"I'd say you did a lot more than just fantasizing, Booth. You were quite naughty in that cab."
"Well, you did not complain, my dear."
"I was busy trying not to scream."
"No need to hide that now, right?"
Placing himself between her knees, he let his palms follow her legs up to her hips, gently lowering her panties. Realizing that there was no way to remove them without changing his position, he left them mid-thigh.
He could see her now, and without prudence Brennan let him enjoy the view.
His eyes wandered from her pink folds and the exposed globes of her breasts to her ivory face and all the way back down. His own arousal was towering between his legs; undeniable evidence of the effect she had on him.
"Babe, touch yourself."
"What?"
Brennan regarded him with astonishment. In all these months he had never asked her to do that.
"Please, touch yourself."
She wasn't one to object when it came to Booth and sex, so Brennan brought her hand between her legs, stroking her clit tentatively before inserting one finger into her wet core. She moaned at the pleasure, and he was mesmerized by her face.
Brennan felt herself tightening around her phalanges, but it wasn't enough. She needed more. A second finger joined in the first, and Booth watched it disappearing into her body. When it surfaced again, it was glistening with her moisture, and he growled, lowering his head between her legs.
Brennan gasped when his tongue met her working fingers, gently lapping the wetness away. With a low sigh she removed them, but he stopped her.
"No. Keep on going. You're so incredibly sexy."
The husky timbre of his voice hit her oversensitive nerve endings, and a cry left her lips.
Her fingers were back between her legs, sliding in and out, encouraged by his tongue. He varied in licking her digits, accompanying them on their way inside and sucking her swollen little nub whenever he had access. It was wicked... and oh so good.
Then his hand took part in the game, and he added one of his thick fingers to her own just when he sucked hard at her clit.
The dam broke, and she screamed as wave over wave rumbled through her body, propelling her right into the sphere of ecstasy. Inner muscles gripped their fingers, coating them with the evidence of her pleasure. Booth watched her face, fascinated by the rosiness that covered her hot cheeks.
Eventually, her hand stilled, and he removed it tenderly, licking it clean before raining soft little kisses on her overheated flesh.
With a quick move, Booth freed her from her underwear and settled back between her knees.
Brennan shivered in the aftermath, and then she felt him on her anew. This time he had unrestricted access to her, and his rough tongue stroked her folds, soothing the sensations and creating new ones at the same time.
She almost whimpered.
"Booth..."
"Sh..."
He blew over her dampness, cooling the hot skin, carefully nibbling at the tender flesh of her inner thighs. When she felt his teeth sinking into her skin, followed by a nearly painful suction, she knew that he was marking her.
His primeval behavior pleased her deeply, and Brennan spread her legs further to encourage him.
Wetness began to pool again, burning in her lower belly like liquid fire.
He released her flesh with a final bite that elicited a gasp from her.
The pain quickly vanished when he concentrated on her most sensitive spot one more time, licking her thoroughly and slowly until she was ready to beg.
"Booth, please..."
He stopped briefly, looking at her with burning dark eyes.
"Please what?"
"More. Harder. Faster. Take me, make me yours."
His tongue skimmed her entrance, tentatively dipping into her wetness.
"Do you want me to fuck you or make love to you?"
"Both."
A smile played around his lips, and Brennan knew that her answer had been good.
She didn't have to wait long until his mouth closed over her, sucking hard while his tongue plunged deeply into her heat.
Brennan tensed, her whole body clenching, teetering on the brink one more powerful orgasm, and it promised to be so good. A second later she felt him on top of her – thrusting into her tightness, finally joining their bodies like they both needed it – and she whimpered as he stretched her fully.
Immediately, her muscles contracted around his thick hardness, and he pumped into her without holding back, prolonging her pleasure while she was riding the waves of her release.
Grabbing a fistful of silken hair, he pressed his lips roughly to hers, invading her mouth, drinking from her with urgency.
Brennan threw her arms around his back, pulling him harder into her body, meeting him stroke for stroke. Stars were dancing behind her eyelids, and she reveled in his dominance. Never before had she felt so female, so unleashed. Never before had she flown that high.
"Booth, come for me," she whispered between kisses, and he doubled his speed, groaning into her mouth.
Not once in his life had he been able to deny her for long what she wanted, and tonight would not be the first time. After some more deep thrusts his body started to quake, and Brennan felt him pulsating deep inside of her. Locking her ankles behind his back, she held him as close as possible, her fingernails whispering over his back like she knew he loved it.
A second later he collapsed on top of her, panting breathlessly, and she cradled him gently.
Her head was still spinning, but this time it had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything with him.
When he could form a coherent thought again, Booth rolled them around until she was sprawled out on top of him. She stretched like a kitten, sleepy and satisfied, and he caressed her back lovingly.
"Don't fall asleep like that, I'm scared that you could poke me with those heels."
She purred.
"Just one minute, I think I cannot move right now."
In her languid state, her thoughts started to wander, revisiting the events of the last hours. The blonde woman came back to her mind, and she frowned.
"Booth?"
"Hm?"
"Are you getting hit on regularly or was tonight an exception?"
"Hm, I wouldn't call it 'regularly᾽, but from time to time it happens."
He felt her tense on top of him.
"Don't worry, I know whom I belong to. I always have. You're it for me."
"Still, I don't like it."
"I know what you mean. It makes me crazy when you go out with Angela alone, wearing a dress like this one."
Brennan lifted her head to look into his eyes.
"You know that you don't have to worry, either, don't you? I have learned to appreciate the benefits of monogamy."
"I trust you, but still..."
"Booth, the blonde woman said something about a ring-"
He silenced her with his hand over her mouth.
"Stop, Temperance, right here. I know what you think about marriage, and I accept it. Regardless, there are a million reasons why I would love asking you to be my wife."
Her stomach did somersaults at the word "wife".
"But jealousy is none of them. I will never ever agree to wed you just to prevent getting hit on. Marriage is commitment, it stands for something. It's not a means to an end. At least not for me. Do you get that?"
She nodded, but still he didn't remove his hands, and she could feel him thinking.
"Now that we're talking about it, let me tell you one more thing. If you ever change your mind, please give me a sign. Will you do that?"
She nodded again.
"And be sure that it is a sign I will be able to understand."
He saw her quizzical look.
"Okay, maybe I'm acting ridiculously, but this is too important. Probably the time will never come, but, Babe, when you awake one day with the irrational wish to be my wife," some more somersaults, "buy... I don't know... just buy a single lilac, place it on the kitchen table and don't say anything."
Still, he saw confusion in her eyes.
"When you haven't changed your mind by the time the branch starts withering, cook Brussels sprout for dinner. Don't worry, we don't have to eat it. Even you can't stand the gross stuff. But that way I will know it means something. Okay?"
She nodded, his intentions dawning on her.
"The next day I will ask you to go out with me in the evening. And if, by any chance, you're still sure you want me to be your husband," that word could evoke somersaults as well, she noticed, "say 'yes᾽ to my invitation. But only then. Can you accept that?"
When she nodded one more time, he finally removed his hand.
"Did you understand everything?"
"Lilac branch, Brussels sprout, yes to dinner invitation."
He kissed her softly.
"Thanks for not laughing, Babe. And don't be afraid, I won't ask about the likelihood of you cooking Brussels sprout anytime in the near future."
"Booth, you know that the day might never come, don't you?"
Her eyes got serious, clouded by a flicker of insecurity.
"I'm fully aware of that. It's not as if I really think you might change your mind."
"And you're okay with that?"
"I have you, that's everything I need. The rest are just dreams. You're the important thing."
She searched his face for any indicator that he might not be honest but found none.
"Booth, I can promise you one thing. If I ever considered matrimony, it would be with you. And because of you."
He smiled down at her, cupping her sweet face with his palms.
"That's already the jackpot."
Kissing her one more time, he started to move, dragging her with him.
"Hey, where are we going?"
"Bathroom. Like I said, you cannot fall asleep in your clothes."
Half an hour later, Brennan was clad in an innocent white night gown, her back pressed against his chest, Booth's arm draped over her stomach.
He was snoring softly, and she felt enveloped in love and warmth. She tried to analyze her body's reactions to the words "wife" and "husband". Those were just labels belonging to an archaic concept, but for the first time in her life they implied something else as well.
Something as warm as his body next to her in the night. As magical as the first snow. As comforting as a closet with dresses and suits next to each other.
In this early summer night it seemed to be just another way to show her belonging to the man sleeping in her arms right now.
Closing her eyes, she placed her hand over his one resting on her belly.
She would consider it.