Almost Forever

Chapter 2

The sound of his climax still hung in the air when Booth rolled away from Hannah. He lay there panting, sweat cooling on his overheated body, one hand over the heartbeat thudding in his chest.

"Wow." He smiled at the ceiling without turning his head. "If that's engaged sex, we might kill each other once we're married."

"But what a way to go, right?" Just as breathless as Booth, Hannah shifted toward him. Before she could curl into his warmth, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "Where are you going?"

"To get my phone." He followed the trail of discarded and scattered clothes around the bedroom until he found underwear. "I was a little distracted when we got home and left it in my coat. I need to put it on my dresser so I'll hear it if I get a call tonight."

She let him see her pout. "Just this once can't you turn it off?"

Booth shook his head. "I'm never really off duty. You know that. But I tell you what . . ." He leaned across the bed and gave her a lingering kiss. "I'll keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't ring. How's that?"

"I guess I'll take what I can get."

The somewhat teasing grumble followed him into the living room. Since they'd stumbled their way from the front door to the bedroom locked in a passionate embrace, the room was still dark, lit only by the glow of streetlights and headlights coming in through the window. His coat was easy to find, though, as was the solid rectangle of the phone in the pocket where he'd left it, right next to the velvet ring box. He removed them both.

The phone was cold to the touch, the screen black and empty. A swipe of his finger brought it to life but only the bright numbers of the current time showed. There was no 'message waiting' icon. No missed call.

He stood there, staring at the silent phone while the edges of the small square box cut into the palm of his other hand. A minute passed, and then another.

"Seeley?"

He turned automatically toward the bedroom. Hannah was waiting, blonde hair spread across the pillow, a seductive smile on her face.

"I thought you got lost."

"Not as long as you're here, babe."

If his tone was exuberantly jocular, Hannah noticed nothing amiss. When he got into bed, she slipped beneath one arm and laid her head on his chest. Within minutes, she was asleep.

Booth lay awake for much longer.

.

.

.

"Why don't you meet me for lunch so we can get your ring sized?" Booth was all smiles the next morning, chuckling at every not-a-morning-person joke Hannah made and peppering her with kisses whenever she was near. "There's a little jewelry repair shop on 10th, I bet they can take care of it while we wait."

Hannah shrugged and picked at the celebratory pancake he'd insisted on making for her, over her protests and stated lack of hunger.

"I don't know what my morning is going to be like. Can you just take one of my other rings and do it yourself?"

The wattage of Booth's smile flickered. "Well . . . we should do it together, shouldn't we? It's part of the fun of being engaged, right? Besides . . ." He rounded the counter and pulled her to her feet. "If they're quick, we can have lunch here - and I know exactly what I'm hungry for." The hands sliding up her ribcage and the nuzzling kisses against her neck provided the only explanation necessary.