Chapter 1 – Trouble

Rick chuckled; a low, throaty rumble that vibrated through Kate collarbones as he kissed the spot just under her ear. She shivered involuntarily.

"I'd really like to take my time exploring this luscious body. What do you say?" he growled, loosening his grip and turned her around so that she faced him. Kate carefully placed her arms around his neck. He leaned in, his gaze so full of heated passion, Kate nearly melted right then and there.

And when his lips met hers, their tongues clashing and colliding, she couldn't stop the trembling that shimmered through her body, not even if she tried. She clung tightly as he nibbled at her lower lip, barely registering his fingers at the waistband of her shorts.

Then his hand slipped inside her panties; rough fingertips circling her sensitive bud as he pushed her shorts off her hips. He dipped one long finger into her wetness, then another, catching her cry in his mouth.

One hand slid down his broad chest and the other down his shoulder. Shrugging off his jacket, Rick let her fingers map the planes of his muscles all the way to belt buckle, down his happy trail.

She unclasped them, nipping along his neckline as she reached inside. He was big, smooth, and oh-so-hard against her palm as she stroked him base to tip. She moaned as he slid his fingers in and out of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling him, and he leaned her gently against the headrest. Holding her tightly with one arm he shoved his clothing out of the way with the other, entering her in one long, smooth thrust.

Kate's head dropped back, her body thrumming with the intensity of unexpected emotion. She felt his lips on her chest, moving up her collarbone and over her neck, on the tip of her chin. She lifted her head, eyes closed as she waited to feel his mouth against hers once more.

"You're mine," Rick said in a low, carnal voice.

"I'm yours," Kate whispered and he rewarded her with a crushing kiss and began to move within her, sending spirals of pleasure rushing through her. Kate let her eyes flutter close again, giving herself over completely to the feel of his lips moving down her neck, his body locked tightly to hers. She felt whole, as some part of her she hadn't even known was missing had been restored. Moving with him, she matched his movements as she gave herself over to passion.

Her body tightened as his thrusts came faster, insistent. The tension wound stronger, exploding out from her core with a shocking intensity as she felt him come inside if her. She was floating, all of the tension draining away as she collapsed in his arms.

There was a series of thumping on the door.

"What?" Rick growled. Kate noted that it was harsher than necessary.

"There's someone at the door." It was Alexis and Rick's face instantly reddened, much to Kate's amusement. "I looked through the peephole, but I don't recognize her. And I, uh, really don't want to . . . intrude."

"Wait, how long have you been standing out there?"

"Long enough to hear . . . things happening."

Rick bit his lower lip to stop himself from cussing out loud. "Damn it, Alexis," he mumbled. Kate was no longer amused.

"Well, we'll be right outside. Please go away now," Rick said as subtly as he could manage. They waited for a few minutes to hear any sign of Alexis, but there was none. Simultaneously, they threw off the covers and scrambled frantically for their clothes.

"I told you we shouldn't have done this now," Kate hissed, pulling on her panties and dark blue jeans.

"Hey, it's not my fault Alexis came home early from the library!" Rick hissed back, then added, "Which is weird, if you ask me, because she usually stays there for hours and hours at a time."

"Well, then it's a dastardly coincidence she decided to head home so soon," Kate admonished.

"Oh, come on now, don't be such a sour puss," Rick said jovially in an attempt to lift Kate's mood. He moved toward her, only in his dress pants and his belt not properly buckled, and kissed Kate lightly on her lips. She returned it, though she was unwilling at first. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that while it lasted."

"Mmhmm," was all Kate could mumble in response as she felt herself arch her back against the wall, wound his arms around his neck and pressed her still bare chest to his.

"Hey, are done in there?!" came Alexis' demanding voice again.

"DAMN IT, ALEXIS!" Rick couldn't help but half-shout this time.

"Well, excuse me for keeping a visitor waiting."

"Why don't you just invite her in and offer her tea or something?"

"I don't want to. I have a bad foreboding coming from her."

"Well, that's not like her at all," Rick muttered and quickly slipped on his dress shirt. "You think this visitor's trouble?"

Kate was halfway done putting on her coral V-neck blouse, putting on her black suede heels and shook her hair, leaving them in a wild, tangly mess.

"I guess we're going to find out," she said soberly.

They exited the bedroom together.

"About time," Alexis exclaimed as she leaped from the sofa.

"Sorry for the wait," Rick said, though he didn't sound sorry at all. If anything, he was perturbed and slightly annoyed. "So, what's the fuss about this . . . mysterious guest?"

Alexis jerked a thumb towards the door. "See for yourself."

Rick walked towards the door, Kate and Alexis in tow (Alexis fiddling with the hem of her sweater anxiously and Kate folding her arms across her chest), and squinted an eye through the peephole. "There's no one there."

"What?"

"See for yourself."

Alexis and Kate took turns peeking outside. Sure enough, there was no sign of any human visitors.

"But she was just there a minute ago!" Alexis dissented. "I swear!"

"Maybe she's pulling a prank," Kate said wisely and twisted the knob. "She's probably just around the corner preparing to scare us—AAH!"

Her scream was mingled with an unfamiliar one. Kate leaped back in time, very nearly trodding Rick's bare feet, as a girl no older than Alexis by a few years fell rearwards as she had been sitting on a moth eaten luggage and leaning against the door, which explains why they couldn't spot her through the peephole.

The doozy girl with the bedraggled dark caramel locks had assembled together a set of atypical pieces of garment, consisting of a figure-hugging, bright red camisole topped with a diaphanous, white chemise, army green cargo pants, dusty purple Converse, a ridiculous amount of metallic bangles that lined each arm, an evidently ersatz ruby ring and a wide, teal headband that suspiciously resembles a cummerbund.

"Who're you?" Rick asked, more wonderstruck than cross, unlike the two women behind him.

The girl's eyes—they immediately noticed its viridescent tint—leapt to her feet and extended her arm, making her bangles jangle.

"The name's Trouble," she said with a grin and added a little curtsy to her greeting after Rick awkwardly shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Castle. Ms. Beckett. Alexis."

"Huh? How do you know our names?" Rick asked, astonished.

"Don't be daft. Everybody knows who you are."

"Yes, but who are you?"

"I told you, Mr. Castle," she said indignantly. "My name's Trouble. I'm your niece. Remember?"