She thought the bookshelves in his apartment were vast but they were nothing compared to the room in his Hamptons house dedicated to the printed word. Wooden shelves lined three of the walls, arching above the doorway. The fourth wall was all glass, a floor to ceiling vista across the beach and the looming horizon. The light that flooded through the glass stopped the room becoming gloomy and uninviting; it was an airy haven which Kate was already dreaming of relaxing in.
She spied the complete collections of most authors of note alongside those less well known; a shelf to the left hand side held a surprising number of rival crime authors' novels. Her fingers lightly traced the spines of Patterson and Cannell in wonder; her man really was one of a kind. She hadn't heard the door open, nor his soft tread across the floorboards but his arms wrapping around her stomach and bringing her against his chest stole her attention from the books in front of her.
"Fraternising with the enemy I see. Thought you could get away with it when I wasn't looking," His question was a heated whisper against the shell of her ear- the stubble of his chin brushing against her shoulder as he spoke.
She twined their fingers together against her stomach before replying, "I just couldn't resist them. The complex plots, the sparkling dialogue, the prose that is just so beautiful..."
He cut her off with a growl, lips finding her pulse point and sucking hard. "Take it back, now!" His voice deliciously deep and playful.
Kate's laugh was rich and rhythmic, her body shaking with mirth. He spun her around and pressed her against the bookshelves, her laughter dying at the look in his eye. Rick's hand found their way to her hips and rested there. Their noses brushed together in an Eskimo kiss as they enjoyed the closeness. It was nice to have the time to spare to stand together in the silence; Rick's adoring gaze meeting hers and Kate's fingers winding into the hair at the nape of his neck.
"I love you." She whispered, her voice steady but pitched low enough as not to break the hush.
Castle's grin was instantaneous, "I love you too." He brushed their noses together once more before pressing a light kiss to her lips. "Grab your bikini, I'll meet you on the beach?" His tone was hopeful.
"Don't be long, Rick." She answered before strutting out of the room, this would be fun.