She was an easy mark tonight. Complaisant. He'd been watching her for the better part of the last hour. Relaxed by the time off work and the soft music filling the large ballroom, she swayed gently by herself. One arm wrapped protectively around her waist, the other clutching an untouched flute of champagne. She stood off to the side, on the peripheral of the highly polished maple dance floor. Standing in the shadows while the wedding guests fussed over the bride and plied the groom with alcohol. The couple were shooting each other glances across the ballroom. Silently communicating their wishes of a quiet bedroom and soft candle light. He knew that look well, was fairly sure it had crossed his own face a few times. Her features were smooth, placid. A dreamy smile and bright, shiny eyes. Had she been crying? She was vulnerable, that much was obvious.
It would be nothing to grab her, take her away, do with her what he pleased. Not yet.
Inch by inch he neared closer. Furtively checking his surroundings, making sure to go unnoticed by the revelers. He kept close to the wall, silently thanking the hosts for going with a romantic mood. The only lighting being the spotlights on the dance floor and diffused fairy lights twinkling on the perimeter. It created a contrast perfect for his guileful activities. He enjoyed this kind of obscurity, it sent a thrill thorough his highly charged body.
A new melody began to play. Familiar, yet different. 'If I Fell' by the Beatles. Re-imagined by a soulful woman's voice he had not heard before. Less tempo, more feeling. It had obviously affected the woman of his attention. She let out a sigh, a low hum that spoke of her discontent. Couples gravitated towards each other on the gleaming floor. The bride and groom locked in a slow kiss. He allowed them a small smile before continuing on his mission.
He was close now, mere yards from her. The sheer material of the second layer of her dress glittered in the filtered light. Tiny strands of silver were woven through the plum hued chiffon. He had not noticed. He mentally chastised himself for not observing this previously. He took great pride in his work, he was ashamed to have missed it. To his credit though, there was a lot to this dress to be noticed. The deep plunge in the back, it promised of all kinds of secrets hidden below. Made his fingers ache with a need to touch. To squeeze. The bodice was not lacking either. The fabric was pulled taught across her breasts, two milky globes of flesh heaved enticingly with each breath, to all who would dare look. The rest of the dress flowed gracefully away from her body towards the strappy, silver heels that he couldn't imagine how she managed to walk in.
She set the glass down, gazed out amongst the dancing pairs. Searching. He watched as her shoulders sagged, as she almost deflated before his eyes. This woman who was usually as alert as a cat, her guard always up, her senses always on edge. This woman who could take down suspects without raising a sweat, interrogate perps until they were quivering in fear and then calmly sip on her coffee like it was a game. This woman who brought men to their knees with a quirk of a well sculpted eyebrow was distracted, and more importantly, unarmed. Now was his chance to take the opportunity. Grab her and do what he must.
She softly swiped at a single tear as it burned it's way down her cheek. He let out a gasp and quickly retreated back into the dark. Hid like a coward beside an artfully pruned topiary. Crap!
He watched as her body stiffened. Tense and alert. Crap crap, crap!
She turned, scanned the darkness. There was no fear etched into her beautiful face, a curiosity and maybe still, a hint of longing. She scanned his vicinity, looked thoughtfully in his general direction and furrowed her brow. He held his breath and tried not to breath. He was surprised when she abruptly shrugged and turned once more towards to dance floor. Resumed her swaying to the melancholy music. Oh yes, she was definitely off her game. He was slightly disappointed, he expected more from this woman who for months, years, had eluded him.
The time had come. Silently he moved, the blood rushing to his head, all his senses on alert. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and propelled him forward, pushed all thoughts of reconsideration to the side. His moves were determined and finely tuned. He was under no assumption that she couldn't take him down if he made the wrong move.
Quickly, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Let the other wrap tightly around her neck, bringing her firmly to his body. She let out a quick gasp of shock but did not fight him. She was still as a rock. Waiting. He released his grip a hair, undecided. Not the reaction he'd been expecting. The music played on, reaching it's crescendo. He smiled as the answer to his quandary materialized.
"I'd catch you." He whispered huskily into her hair. His voice was gravelly from disuse and from the overwhelming scent of Kate assaulting his senses and sending shivers of delight to his lower regions.
"What if I've already fallen?" She asked it timidly but he felt her body relax into his. He didn't miss the sharp intake of breath as her nuzzled at her ear.
He turned her around in his arms and looked deeply into her watery, hazel eyes. They spoke volumes of the pain and fear. But also shone brightly with a new tinge of hope, and maybe he thought, love.
"Then I'll pick you back up. Always."
"Always," she conceded.
He kissed her with a passion he'd never knew existed. Poured into it four years worth of pain, regret, desire and longing. She returned it with equal fire. Thrust her tongue into his mouth with a force that surprised him. She held tightly onto his shirt and he ran his hands through her long, curling hair. They broke apart, breathless.
She giggled. Katherine Beckett giggled like a schoolgirl. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. For once blessedly speechless, she thought comically, smiling.
"I heard you coming."
"You did not."
"Castle. A blind, deaf, child in Uruguay would have seen that approach coming."
She laughed again and he smiled at the way the joy reached all the way to her eyes.
"I wanna dance, Castle," she stated as she swung her hips and made her way into the light and on to the dance floor.
"You coming?"
"Wild horses, detective. Wild horses," he chuckled as he quickly ran up beside her.
End.