Bathing Beauty Chapter 18
Disclaimer: Bones and it's characters do not belong to me in any way shape or form.
A/N: I hope you are all still interested because there is still more to this little fantasy that grew up to be a many chaptered smutfest with a plot. I believe this is the first chapter that does not contain a full sex scene but I managed to do 17 in a row which I think is some kind of a record. Do not despair though the next chapter will deliver as always. I did have to get a little more relationship in here at some point though so please indulge me. As always thanks so much for reading and your comments are welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Seeley is packing the duffle bag after another hour of shooting time and Temperance decides it's a good thing. She had a hard time concentrating on anything other than how good he looked and how well he shot. The powerful images of him just wouldn't leave her. Of course she wasn't making a real effort to get rid of them either. She wonders how Angela would paint this moment, the strong sweeping lines of his form, the burst of speed and thundering noise surrounding the astounding accuracy. These are the things she's thinking about instead of the target. How amazing it was that within all that movement from him his eyes and his hand ended up finding the same spot on the horizon. It left her a little breathless every time. He tosses the empty boxes from the bullets into the trash and then sweeps and bags all the casings from the floor and the can on the counter.
"Why do you take the casings?" She thinks it has something to do with FBI regulations until she sees the look on his face. There's a shift in his features that tells her he's uncomfortable.
"I have a buddy that came back from the war in a chair and I always collect the casings for him because he uses them to make repacked bullets and sells them for target practice. It gives him a way to make money and he knows everything there is to know about bullets so the business does well for a one man operation." He slings the bag over his shoulder and opens the door for her.
"You should have told me, I would have given you mine all this time."
"Thanks Bones, just bag them whenever you come to the range and I'll get them to him."
She wanders down the hall getting an idea as she rounds the corner and sees Patrick still behind the counter. He smiles deep into his dimples as she approaches.
"Mr. O'Shey I wanted to ask you if you think Seeley is a good shot." Patrick arches his brows and looks to Seeley who's clearly surprised by her question.
"He's one of the best in a very small elite group of men. As his partner you already know that though so why are you asking?" She smiles sweetly and watches Seeley trying to figure out where this is going.
"Well of course I know he's a remarkable shot, he's far better than I am at it. I was just wondering what you thought so thank you." Seeley is laughing behind her and Patrick is sure that he has missed some vital part of this conversation.
Seeley places his hand low on her back and turns her toward the exit. "Bones, that doesn't count, you don't know him."
"Yes I do, I met him today, before the bet. His name is Patrick O'Shey and since both of us know him I believe that's one down and two to go on this part of our bet." A very smug smile tugs at her lips as they push through the door into the cold evening air.
"It was supposed to be someone that knows us well. I don't think it rattled your competitive nature or your ego at all to tell Patrick that I was a better shot." He tries to seem like he's pouting but he just feels too good to even fake a bad mood.
"When we made the bet you didn't say it had to be three people that knew us well. Just out of curiosity if you could have picked the three people that you wanted me to say this to, who would they have been?" They climb into the car and he immediately starts it and gets the heat going. The crisp chill of the afternoon has turned to a biting cold without the heat from the sun to temper it. The hand of winter tugs at the night air as it whips against the truck. Seeley cocks his head to the side as he considers his answer.
"Let's see, your father, Cam and Hodgins." He's chuckling even as he finishes.
"Why those three?" The idea gives her some anxiety for her own reasons but she tries to keep her voice steady.
"Your father because I'd like to hear you tell him that I was better at almost anything since I don't think he has a very high opinion of me. Cam because you two are always in some level of power struggle with each other although neither one of you will admit it. Hodgins because he would understand what it meant for you to have to say it, with him it would be one of those guy things that you hate." He seems very pleased with his answers.
"Are you still in therapy? Because after that answer I think you need to be. My father wouldn't have anything to say about it, I don't care what Cam would have to say about it and Hodgins would say what ever he thought you'd want to hear to be part of your guy thing." She's completely serious and he has to crush his urge to laugh or she will certainly kill him. He decides he should lighten things up before she gets really worked up about the whole thing.
"Am I still in therapy? Funny, I'm glad to see you're working on your sense of humor. That was pretty good. Now let's think about something more entertaining like where we want to go for dinner. I certainly worked up an appetite at the range; I can't remember the last time shooting practice took so much out of me." He can see the smile starting and he knows he's safe. "I don't know where the special place is that we're going to later so I thought I'd let you pick a dinner spot in case you wanted to head in a certain direction." He creeps his hand across the seat and laces his fingers through hers, part of him still expecting her to pull away.
"Get on the expressway and head North out of the city and I'll give you directions from there." She settles back into her seat as he puts them on the road and they ride in a comfortable silence. She likes this time with him when words aren't necessary and unlike other men he doesn't feel the need to fill the space with pointless conversation. She doesn't feel awkward being with him and she knows if she says or does something socially out of line he'll just correct her. He never makes her feel like it matters that she doesn't know anything about movies or pop culture. Instead he presents it as this world of wild and interesting information that she's been missing. He manages to make the simplest things seem fun. She wonders if that comes from being a father or if having that quality is part of what makes him a good father.
"Booth have you always been a person that approached every situation with the idea that it could be fun?" He's surprised by the question because he has no idea why she's asking. He should be used to it by now though because he is aware that her brain bounces all over the place at lightening speed. He has tried to help her learn not to let everything spill out of it.
"I guess so. I mean if I have to do something I figure I may as well try to make it enjoyable. There are things that I just find too disgusting to be fun though, like your dead bodies at work." This brings a small laugh from her. "I try to be open-minded and adventurous when it's something I've never done before but I am a guy so there are things I won't do. Like when I was a kid I wouldn't let my sister dress me in her tutu." She's laughing now at the thought of a young Seeley in a tutu with an angry look on his face.
"It's not that funny Bones. Why are you asking questions about having fun?" He hopes he knows the answer but this being Bones he has learned not to assume anything.
"Sorry, I just keep picturing you in that tutu and it's highly entertaining."
"I said I didn't let her put it on me."
"I know but it doesn't matter, I already have the visual. I'm surprised you see yourself as adventurous when you won't wear waders into a river, won't climb through the mud and you hate digging into the earth. You really aren't fond of being dirty in that guy kind of way."
"Hey what are you trying to say? Just because I don't like doing all those things to get to some stinky dead guy doesn't mean I'm not adventurous. It's not an adventure if you know your climbing through all that to get a gross body. Besides, I'm always in one of my good suits when you want me to go get all muddy. I can't tell you how many suits I've ruined since I started working in the field with you. Believe me, if you want to go out and wrestle with me in the mud without some rotting corpse being involved I'd be all over that offer. Now that would be fun." There's a twinkle in her eye and it occurs to him that she may actually be teasing him a little.
"You don't like clowns and clowns are supposed to be fun."
"Bones I can't believe you're going to the clown thing. No, I don't like them and you know that. Even after therapy I still think they're seriously creepy. Everyone has things they don't like. If I remember correctly you weren't overly fond of snakes and some people consider them fun. It's all a matter of perspective. If you wanted to try skydiving or hand gliding or hiking through the mountains I'd consider any of those things an adventure. Clowns have nothing to do with fun or adventures. Where are we going with all this conversation?" As usual he's starting to get frustrated by feeling he has to defend himself with her. It seems she attacks his manhood with her words and builds it back up with her touch.
"You would go skydiving and hand gliding with me?" She's completely serious and is still not telling him where this is going.
"Yes, if you really wanted to try it, I'd take you. Do you want to go sometime? We would need to pick a warmer day than today." He pictures them for a moment in tandem on a hand glider drifting in the breeze over a beach. He can't help but smile remembering how excited she was over the zero gravity flight they took with the space crew the previous year. "You would love hand gliding. It gives you that same sense of freedom that came with the zero gravity flight and the hot air balloon."
Her eyes brighten and she finds herself thinking that she would probably love it but partially because doing it with him would be fun. Which brings her full circle in her thinking about this whole concept. "It just seems to me that you know how to take simple things and make them fun. So, I was wondering if that was something you learned or if you were just always that kind of person."
Even before she finishes he realizes where she is in her head. It makes his chest ache for all the things she didn't get to do as a child. He squeezes her hand, wishing he could hug her instead. "It's something you learn and it's as simple as having the right attitude when you approach a new thing. You know Bones, it's never too late to have fun. We should all take time to act like a kid now and then. It's been proven that the laughter and stress release is very good for your health."
Her eyes are wide as she turns. "You're using science to back the benefits of fun in a person's life? That's quite the turn on Seeley." Her voice has dropped a little and her fingertips tap restlessly against the back of his hand.
"Should I pull over Bones?" Her laughter is quick and clear in the stillness of the truck.
"No, not right now. We'll save that for later. We're almost at the restaurant and I'm starving. Get off at the next exit and turn left at the second light." She's getting nervous because she made these plans earlier in the day and now she's not so sure it was a good idea. She wanted to do something for him, give him some part of her world that would cause him to get that wide eyed look of awe. She wanted to give him a gift the way he had been giving them to her, with time and experiences. It was more than that, she wanted to open a door in her life and offer him something of herself. He seemed to give to her so easily.
"Bones, where to now?" He's turned the corner and slowed down waiting for more directions.
"Sorry, go to the end of the block and there'll be a small restaurant on the left. It's called Orion's." As they pull in the lot she takes her hand and lays it on his arm. "I want you to wait here for a moment and I'll be right back."
He looks rightfully confused. "I thought we were eating here. Why would I wait in the car?"
"It's a surprise now just wait in the car. I won't be long." She slips out the door of the truck before he can ask any more questions.
Seeley doesn't know what to make of her planning a surprise. On one hand it's exciting and on the other it's kind of scary. They haven't been seeing each other very long so he doesn't know what her idea of a surprise could be. He leans back his head and closes his eyes. Images of the last week float in his head. The way her body rises under his touch and arches beneath his has been so much more than he ever thought it would be. He never imagined that being with her would be so all consuming. He knows she'll never be easy and although that thought can be exhausting, it excites him too. His thoughts are interrupted when she opens the door to the back and a man sets a large box on the seat. He can smell the food wafting through the car and realizes she has gotten them some sort of take-out.
"There you go Dr. Brennan, good luck."
"Thanks Paul, I really appreciate it." Seeley can see the man rub his hand together against the cold air before he turns away from the car and heads back inside. She climbs back in her seat and smiles brilliantly. "Okay, let's go."
"Where to now, Bones? I have to admit this all has me very intrigued but I do hope we're eating soon. Whatever's in that box smells amazing."
"It's not far, turn around and go back out to the end of the block. Then turn right at the corner and keep going past the point where the road turns to dirt." She's taking deep breaths and thinking about what she's going to say to him when he asks about their destination. The truck jumps as the road turns to dirt and she glances over at him. He's lost in thought and from the type of smile on his face she's pretty sure it's all sexual. She suppresses a chuckle and feels calmer. "Turn at the next drive and follow it to the building at the end."
They've been traveling up hill for a while and Seeley wonders exactly where she's taking him. He has an idea of the general area but he didn't know there was anything out here. As he turns up the drive the road curves sharply up and he tightens his grip. Just when he thinks this may be the world's longest driveway, the trees clear and he's in front of a large pale grey building. "Bones where exactly are we?"
"Grab the box and follow me and I'll show you." She gets out of the truck, grabbing a blanket and her bag from the back as he gets the box and waits for her. At the door to the building she has to enter a password into a keypad and then use two keys to enter. The hallway they're walking is curved and ends at a small elevator. As the doors close she punches a floor that has the letter O on it. Seeley is taking in as much as he can but is still at a loss as to where she has brought him. The security tells him it's not a public building and the lack of signs tells him it's not a place that a lot of people use or are supposed to find. She unlocks another door and they walk through an office without turning on the lights. She obviously knows this place very well. At the end of the room she slides open a door wall and they walk into a small room that holds a short sofa, a table with two chairs and an enormous telescope. She moves to a panel on the wall and punches in some numbers and the wall in front of them begins to move, sliding in panels to the side. When it finishes opening it feels like they're touching the sky. The stars are bright and seem so close the view takes his breath away.
"It's amazing." His eyes are large and he has just stopped moving, still holding the box. She lets him take it in for a little longer before interrupting him.
"Hey, why don't you put the box down on the table?" She punches a few more keys and heaters light on each side of the porch. The feint smell of something burning reaches him as the coils begin to glow. He sets down the box, finally dragging his eyes from the view.
"What is this place? I mean I know it's some type of an observatory but how do you know it?" She knows she's surprised him and she can't contain the smile.
"It belongs to the Jeffersonian. I did some research here for a college paper and actually made the contacts that ended up leading me to my job. This is one of the private observatory rooms where students and researchers put in hours of time tracking different astrological events. Sometimes I still come just because it's so beautiful and peaceful that I can calm down and think here. You know, sort things out when they get too complicated or overwhelming. When I look out there it makes me feel so small in the universe that I find perspective on what ever it is that's troubling me. Since this balcony faces west it has less activity that the other two and it's also the oldest telescope so I can usually book time when I need it." Even in the dim light he can see the color rise in her cheeks as she tells him this personal thing about herself.
"This is your place, the one you come to when the world gets bigger than you can handle. That's a pretty personal thing to share. As beautiful as the view is out there, I can't tell you how impressive the one I have now is." He leans forward and presses his lips softly to hers before pulling away. He doesn't want to confuse what he's told her with passion.
He understood and for the first time since they left the range she takes a truly relaxing breath. "Thank you for appreciating it. I wanted to share something with you." She pauses and he waits because even though she's struggling with her words he knows what she's trying to tell him is important. "You always give so much to me, so much of yourself and I wanted to reciprocate." Her bag slides down her arm to the floor and her head falls forward. He can't resist anymore so he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to him. He moves his lips against her ear and kisses the edge of it.
"Temperance it means everything to me that you thought about this, that you wanted to offer me this place where you spend private moments."
Her voice drops so low he can barely hear her. "That's not all I brought you here to offer." His breath catches as she presses into him. Just as quickly she steps away. "We should eat though before the food goes totally cold."
"What did you bring for us to eat?" He pulls the table a little closer to the heater as Temperance moves the chairs to one side. She opens the box and begins unpacking, pleased with how thoroughly her directions were followed. There are plates, napkins, silverware, food containers, a bottle of wine and they even stuck in a candle for the table. She pops the lids on their salads and puts them on the place settings.
Seeing his questioning look she smiles and hands him the dressing packet. "It's a no lettuce salad with cubed cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, onion, peppers and a ton of feta cheese." She opens her packet and pours it over the salad, mixing for a second and then stabbing a bite. She holds the fork up to his lips, her eyes sparkling in the glow of the heater. He opens his mouth and takes the bite from her fork, humming in appreciation as he chews. He finds it a little sexy that she fed him so he decides to return the favor. He plucks a cherry tomato from the salad and holds it to her lips. She parts her lips and slips out her tongue, wrapping it under the tomato and pulling it into her mouth. She then sucks the dressing from his fingertips. He should have remembered from that first breakfast with her after they had slept together that she can get down right pornographic with food. He can't tear his eyes from her mouth as she chews until her tongue comes out and traces her lips to signal her little show is over. He sighs heavily and turns back to his salad.
She opens the rest of the containers in front of them. There are beef tips in mushroom gravy and pan seared dumplings. She pulls off the next lid and it's some type of stuffed noodles in a spicy sauce. Everything smells amazing to him. She hands him the wine and he pulls a pen knife from his pocket and cuts the foil as she unwraps the glasses. Their movements are easy and synchronized and he smiles as he watches. He's pulling the cork from the bottle when she stabs a piece of beef and dangles it near his lips. His smile spreads as he pulls the bite from the fork. The meat is so tender it almost melts in his mouth and he moans in appreciation of the astounding flavor.
"Mmmm, that's a red wine sauce and not the mushroom flavor I was expecting. It's absolutely delicious." She smiles and feeds him another bite, watching him chew, the muscles in his jaw moving and reminiscent of how they move against her. He pours the wine and then feeds her a bite of the dish. She too moans at the well balanced and perfectly cooked dish. He holds the second bite a little higher and watches her lips part. The slender column of her neck looks long and luminous and after she tugs the bite from his fork he drops his head for a taste of her. She swallows the bite and her neck flexes under his lips.
This feeding and feasting reminds her of something primitive. Species in the wild that tear and dangle their captured prey for their spouse and offspring to feed on in frantic snatching bites. There is something basic that leaves behind a profound sense of satisfaction when one of the biological imperatives is met with such attention to detail. This is caretaking in the rawest form. Even our most distant ancestors filled these needs with one another. Even though she understands why, it's odd for her to feel so connected. It's what she loves about anthropology, the patterns of behavior that exist in all people no matter how far back in history you go.
He's dangling another bite and this time when she parts her lips she tugs the bite with her teeth and slips her tongue out to follow it off the fork. Seeley is staring at her, his chest rising in short breaths.
"Damn Bones did you do porn movies in another life?" The comment comes from his mouth before his brain has reengaged.
"What?" It's after she speaks, when he goes to restate the question that he realizes what he said.
"No, no wait…not, not that I watch porn or think of you that way or anything. It's just that was so hot and I just…"
Her laughter stops his words. It's obvious to her that he has no idea how endearing he is when he's flustered and unaware of himself. "Seeley relax, I'm hardly a prude. I was just making sure you meant it as a compliment." She leans over until her lips are near his. "Is that what you want for your fantasy Seeley? A scene from a porno that you saw somewhere along the way? Because I could do that for you."
For the first time in his life Seeley Booth thinks he may be in over his head. His dick is so hard he's afraid if she even brushes against it the results will be both painful and embarrassing. He is either in some state of sexual shock or the sudden rush of all his blood to his dick has left him unable to function. Maybe both. She may not be a pro but her bold approach certainly makes him feel like a drooling seventeen year old with out any directions. His mouth is moving but nothing is coming out of it. She smiles at him and turns back in her chair.
"It's okay, you don't have to know right now." She picks her fork back up and stabs a few bites of noodles and eats quietly while he tries to remember how to get air into his lungs. She may be trying to get to him but she really has no idea how devastatingly sexy she can be. There is still something pure and naive in what she offers him that hasn't been damaged by her past. He studies her and pictures her out in the field bending over a dead body. The more he gets to know her, the harder it is for his mind to negotiate between that woman and this one.
"Seeley, you have to eat. We don't want to waste this wonderful dinner." He turns and begins to eat and after a few bites his focus rises from between his legs back to his stomach and the food. The nutty spicy sauce on the noodles captures his attention and he eats several bites to take in the full flavor. He offers her a bite and watches her take it with a twinkle of knowledge in her eyes. He can't help the smile he gives her.
They sit comfortably then, eating and feeding each other the occasional bite. He lets her have the last dumpling and doesn't even give her a hard time about it. The sexual tension is thick and she's sure it's keeping them warmer than the heaters ever would. She's looking up at the sky and sipping her wine when he sees her expression change.
"Can we skydive at night? It would be amazing to be falling and watching a sky like this one."
"Yes, if you want to there are places we can schedule to go during a full moon or carrying illumination lamps. I'd be willing to do a jump at night. Let me make some calls and arrange it. I know that if you've never jumped before and your first time is going to be at night we should jump in tandem and then once you have a feel for it you could go independently."
She turns to look at him and he loves the eager anticipation on her face. "That would be amazing. How long do you fall?" He can see her mind working, filling with questions for him.
"If we go up 14,000 feet we'll get about a full minute of freefall followed by six to eight minutes of gliding with the parachute before we have to concentrate on landing."
"How soon do you think we could try it?" He almost laughs at her enthusiasm but he doesn't want her to be self conscious.
"The biggest factor for us right now is the weather but I can check into it tomorrow and let you know." He refills their wine glasses and grins broadly because whether she realizes it or not he's aware that they are slowly making future plans together. Plans that are really dates and events that when strung together become a life.
She stands and packs away their dinner and he gets up and helps her. He thinks about how it feels to do these simple tasks with her. She turns and spreads the blanket over the couch and they sit together, pulling the ends over themselves. He wraps his arm around her and she curls against him. They get lost in the view before them and sit quietly.
Temperance slides her hand across his chest and thinks about how easy it would be stir his arousal again. She knows that despite all their recent activity it simmers just below the surface in both of them. She has been very pleased to find that his sexual appetite has matched hers. At the moment though, something else is stirring in her. She wants him and at some point between now and when she sleeps for the night she's going to have him again, she knows. It's just that at this moment what she needs from him doesn't feel just sexual. At this moment she's quite content tucked under his arm with his solid body next to her and the scent of him lingering in each breath. It confuses her to feel satisfied and comforted just by his presence. It isn't loving him that has overwhelmed her in the last few days, it's all of the other unfamiliar emotions that have come with it.
"I can feel you thinking Bones, what's up?" He feels her sigh heavily and shift closer to him and he stokes her arm to sooth her discomfort.
"I'm just used to have my life organized and compartmentalized so that each day had a clean logical flow to it. I enjoy how we are together but I have all these feelings now that are messy and difficult to control."
"Well the solution to that problem is right within the statement. You don't have to control these feelings. Good feelings are meant to run through you without being contained, that's the beauty of them."
"Don't you find it exhausting just keeping up with them all?" He knows her question is sincere but he has to think about it for a moment.
"I guess I don't really think about it anymore. I just try to pause on days like today and make sure that I'm taking everything in because I don't want to miss a moment of it. You spent so many years dealing with difficult painful emotions that you learned how to contain them but that's not what you need to do anymore. It's just going to take you a little time to adjust."
They watch as several shooting stars arc across the night sky. "Make a wish Temperance."
"On the stars like children do?"
"Yes, I'm sure you remember how. Your mother seems like the type of woman that took you in the yard at night and had you wish on stars."
"She did but we both know wished don't come true just because you wish on a star."
"Well we don't have any proof one way or another so lets err on the side of hope and do it anyway. It's not like it hurts anything." She laughs at his childlike beliefs but it also makes her feel good to do these silly things that make no real sense. There was a time that she would have argued over his statement that no proof existed but she finds she's much more indulgent with him these days.
"Okay, star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight." She closes her eyes for a moment to make her wish and then relaxes against him. When she opens her eyes he leans down and kisses her, his tongue sweeping into her mouth in hunger. She lifts her knees and eases down onto the couch, pulling him with her.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Cam is sitting at her computer when the light in the corner begins to flash. She opens the document and looks at it with confusion. Why would Dr. Brennan's security code be used at the Jeffersonian's observatory? Well at least the program is working correctly. She flips to another screen and checks the cameras that she spent the afternoon placing. Whoever invented nanny cams was a genius, they were so easy to set up a third grader could have done it. So far there's no activity on the screens but if Brennan was out at the observatory on some geek mission it would be quiet until morning. Of course this still didn't explain why she couldn't locate Seeley.
She places the four small tins filled with clay into her bag and smiles. She's sure she'll have the opportunity to make impressions of their respective house keys at some point in the next few days. After that she'll be able to track most of their movements. It's almost frightening to her how easy this all was to set up; she should have gone into surveillance work. She sets the alarm on the program to beep when there's activity and heads into the other room. She loves it when a plan goes this smoothly.