The Foreplay Series

A Simple Good-bye

Scene 1 in a series of Season 5 wishlist scenes.

Author: Bama Elroy

Rating: PG-13

Temperance Brennan's apartment.

10:47 p.m.

Friday evening

He grinned at her as he finished his beer off and let her make her final point, watching as her cobalt eyes flashed with that keen intelligence that so fascinated him. What were they originally arguing about anyway? Oh yeah, the current economic state and government take-overs. Which made sense considering their latest case had involved a man who had lost his job and killed a low-level government bureaucrat in revenge.

Relaxing on her sofa, he let her have the point and simply leaned back with a sigh. He could get used to this. They usually hung out at his place but of late, they'd been spending more time at hers. He stared up at her shelves of books and then back at her. She was so pretty tonight with her blue fitted shirt over equally well fitting jeans.

As she leaned up on the sofa, she laid the copy of Time she had been reading from on the coffee table. He took the opportunity to study her slim back. It would be so easy to reach his arm out and touch her. To run his hand lightly down her back. So easy. Would she mind?

Better not.

The more sane part of him warred with the needy part of him and won. He hoped it could continue to win.

"Well, I guess I need to say goodnight." He really didn't want to leave. But it was getting late and he had to pick Parker up in the morning.

And...he was feeling that tug again. That now familiar tug that told his senses he wanted to do much more than just talk to her.

Yep, definitely time to go.

Leaning forward, he pushed himself off the sofa and rose to his feet. Pretending to stretch, he gave a yawn.

"I better get going Bones. Gotta pick up Parker early."

She said nothing but he could hear her rise behind him and follow him to her kitchen area where he tossed his empty bottle in the trash. He made his way toward the door. When he turned, she was closer than he thought.

What now?

They had recently been giving good-bye hugs and even a couple of hesitant brushes on the cheek. But tonight somehow, he was hesitant to do so. He knew what the problem was and he suspected she was beginning to as well.

They both needed more.

Did he dare?

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks for the beer. And for seeing things my way."

His grin increased as her eyes narrowed.

She was about to argue with him again when she realized he was teasing her. He'd done a lot of that lately.

She tilted her head at him and tossed him a smile of her own. She liked having him here. She could admit that.

Was he going to kiss her again?

A few days ago, they'd been at his place just sitting on his sofa discussing something case-related- oddly she couldn't remember what- when he'd just leaned over and dropped a small kiss at the edge of her mouth. It had been so quick and so unexpected that she'd stopped talking.

He'd claimed it was just a 'thanks' for working late on the body I.D.

But it had felt like...

She didn't know. It had just felt...different.

Things were changing between them. And she wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with it.

But she knew she liked his mouth close to hers.

And he was standing here at her door now, saying good-bye and she wouldn't see him until Monday and suddenly, it just felt like the right thing, the logical thing for her to do.

Leaning up, she was going to kiss him lightly on the mouth just as he had her on his own sofa a few days ago.

But he was watching her and as she brought her head upward, he turned slightly and let his lips meet hers. They lightly rubbed them against each other for just a moment.

Booth closed his eyes as he let himself enjoy the feeling of her mouth on his. When, he dared open his slightly, he could see she was held in a similar thrall.

"Bones..." It came out as a growl and he brought his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

This was her fault. Why did she have to go and do that?

And then he opened his mouth on hers and kissed her. Really kissed her. Tugging at her lower lip with his own, he swallowed her tiny, surprised gasp as he turned his head to taste. She tasted exactly as he remembered but even better. It had been so long. Too long.

Her saliva on his mouth. Those soft lips moving against his own. Yes, this was what he wanted. He let himself deepen the kiss slightly and she made a noise in her throat that drove him crazy. Biting back at his mouth, she decided to fully participate; to give as she was receiving.

She pulled her arms upward and let them slide across the muscular planes of his back, briefly registering how very good he felt beneath her hands. So solid. So warm.

Booth could kiss. How could she have forgotten just how delicious he tasted?

All she wanted to do was taste more. She opened her mouth wider, sliding her tongue against his own. Hearing him groan, she did it again and felt a surge of sexual excitement suddenly rise inside her.

And suddenly, he pulled his mouth from hers. And left her gasping.

Breathing heavily, he jerked back from her, pulling from her arms.

"Don't do that!"

She stared at him dazed and confused for a long moment. Why were his eyes closed as if in anguish? What had she done wrong? A wave of fear washed over her, froze her in place.

"Booth?" She asked a question she didn't quite know how to.

Slowly, his chin raised and he attempted a half-smile at her, his eyes softening as they often did when he was trying to talk seriously to her and suddenly she felt better. Maybe whatever it was she had done wrong could be fixed.

She continued to stare at him and he let out a long breath.

"Bones...you can't um, you can't do that."

She shrugged. What had she done so badly? She had confidence in her abilities. Well, she had until now. Maybe he just didn't like her technique.

"Do what Booth?" Her eyes widened as she forced her eyes to remain steady on his.

"You know...use your..." He made a gesture toward his mouth.

She furrowed her brow, now completely baffled.

"Use my?"

"You know...your...tongue."

"My tongue?"

He sighed again, now fighting embarrassment of his own.

"You know...to...to... kiss me."

She let out a frustrated breath, not understanding. "That is how I kiss Booth!"

He nodded slightly, knowing it was true. He wasn't sure he understood either. She had darted it into his mouth the first time she'd kissed him under that damn mistletoe so long ago and he'd almost come unglued.

And again tonight, she stroked it into his mouth with such ease and he'd tasted her immediately and he'd wanted her then, there, now, anywhere.

He felt himself grow even harder if possible thinking of how her delicious tongue had felt sliding against his own in that second just moments ago.

"Well...you...just can't."

She threw her hands out to her side obviously getting irritated.

"And why not?" She then tilted her head to the side as if suddenly having a breakthrough.

"Oh...you're not comfortable with deep, sexual kisses."

Booth tightened his jaw, fighting his own irritation at her. So haughty. So smart. He wanted nothing more than to show her exactly how deep and sexual he could be comfortable with.

But he had to keep things in check. In perspective. Keep himself from taking advantage of things too soon. Take it slowly. Very slowly. Just like he had promised her they would when she'd tried to retreat after his surgery.

Why should he feel responsible though? He wasn't the one kissing like he was ready to have sex against the wall.

He took a step toward her and her eyebrows raised slightly. She didn't back away.

Of course not. Damn her. Temperance Brennan had never backed down from him. From day one, she had challenged him and excited him like no other would ever had and he suspected ever would. But she needed to. Oh, man, did she need to.

He didn't need to be pushed by her in this...thing developing between them and yet, the dark temptation of her doing so was almost too much for him to resist.

He leaned into her, putting his mouth right next to hers. Almost daring her to challenge him this time. He was pleased when her breathing became a bit more shallow. It thrilled him that he now knew with a certainty that he affected her because she sure as hell affected him.

"Because that tongue of yours is going to get you on your back."

He spoke the words matter of factly and waited a moment for them to sink in.

He knew the moment they did as her eyes widened and her mouth formed a small 'O'.

Raising his head slowly, he let out another long breath and reached for her door knob. Swinging open the door, he took a step past her and then paused to look back at her once more.

"See you Monday morning?"

She nodded slightly, still seemingly in a daze.

He felt a little bad for doing that to her but she had to realize that when it came to what they were trying to do, she had to let him do the leading. Or else it was all going to explode on them both.

"...I've got some paperwork we need to go over. I'll bring it by your office around nine. With donuts."

She nodded and looked at him. "Um, sure Booth...that sounds fine."

He almost walked away. But those blue eyes of hers...They always made him go one step further than was wise. Always had. Always would.

"And hey, Bones..."

She continued to stare at him.

"I do want that tongue...eventually."

He smiled a regretful little smile and clicked the door shut behind him.