Dos gardenias para ti, con ellas quiero decir te quiero, te adoro, mi vida.
Ponles toda tu atención que serán tu corazón y el mio.
Dos gardenias para ti, que tendrán todo el calor de un beso.
De esos besos que te di y que jamás encontrarás en el calor de otro querer.

As they sat in the back of the town car, he tried to recall the last time they danced. Not in a slow shuffle around the kitchen, not in the morning rush around the bathroom, but actual dancing, in a club, with music so loud it could be felt as well as heard. He decided it must have been when they were undercover, in a club to arrest some drug dealer, before they'd even kissed for the first time. He couldn't recall all the details about the case, but the way she had looked, had moved, had danced, had let his fingers graze her hips before she shimmied away... yes, he remembered all that.

A hand squeezed his as the car pulled to a stop, bringing him out of his memories, and he glanced out of the window before turning back to the owner of the hand with a smile, "We're here." She smiled back, the grin taking his breath away.

"Come on, Castle, let's go," she said, with a gentle shove to his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. Right." He got out and smoothed his red silk tie down as he offered her his hand. One long, long leg came first, then another, and Kate unfolded her body to stand barely half an inch shorter than him in her killer heels and slinky dress. The flared black satin billowed a little in the breeze, skimming her knees. She wore a necklace that draped down her bare back instead of her front with a large red semi-precious stone set as a tear drop at the end of a dainty gold chain, and while the back left little to the imagination, the sleeves were lacy and long and the neckline was high enough to hide her collarbones. Rick tugged on her hand and brought her close to him to kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

She giggled, "Looking for a lifetime count, or just tonight? If the latter, then yes, about once every quarter of an hour," Kate smiled indulgently.

Castle frowned, "Guess I need to up my game a bit then." He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her inside. She checked in their jackets while he chatted to the manager with the grin that got him places. Kate moved to his side and she tapped her finger against his shoulder in time to the muffled music while he finished his conversation.

Rick turned to Kate, and the manager smiled pleasantly, "I hope you enjoy your evening, Señor y Señorita." He ushered them towards the door into the main room, and the doorman dutifully opened it.

The room was decorated to resemble a 1940s Cuban dance hall, with several small round tables with candles clustered near the bar, and a large open space in front of a low stage. A jazz trio of piano, string bass and percussion was playing, and there were four couples moving around the dance floor, oblivious to the rest of the room.

Rick continued to guide Kate across to the bar where the barman juggled spirits and mixers. Kate tried to stifle a laugh when Rick ordered his drink. "Seriously, Rick? A banana daiquiri?"

"If it's good enough for Hemingway, it's good enough for Castle," he replied with an air of seriousness. Kate rolled her eyes and ordered a mojito. As they awaited their drinks, Castle undid his cufflinks and carefully rolled his shirt sleeves up to just above his elbows. When he finished, he loosened his tie slightly and undid his top button before running the palm of his right hand deliberately down his tie to flatten it to his chest. He flicked his gaze over to Kate and caught her staring, lips parted and eyes deep and wide.

"See something you like, Detective?" He quirked his eyebrow up and smirked at her. She merely narrowed her eyes in reply because she knew full well he had done it on purpose to tease her, and, what's more, he'd caught her watching. She almost pounced on her drink when it was set in front of her a few seconds later. He chuckled and nudged her elbow with his, catching her eye to smile at her, and she couldn't help but smile back into his eyes as they twinkled and crinkled at the edges.

Their position at the bar afforded them a good view of the whole room, and they could see the club getting busier. By the time they'd finished their drinks, the previous small band was exiting the stage and in their place came a larger twenty-piece ensemble, none of whom could be considered young. As they settled in, Castle took Kate's hand and slowly led her in the direction of the dance floor. "Did you ever see that film called 'Buena Vista Social Club'?" he asked, and she nodded. "Well, this is them!" He grinned, clearly pleased with the surprise revealed.

"You didn't fly them over from Cuba just for this, did you?" Rick looked disappointed.

"Why didn't I think of that?" She laughed as the band struck up the first chord of their set. Rick pulled her gently towards him and she sashayed her hips as she stepped closer. Her fingers tickled the hair on his forearm as they travelled up to rest on his shoulder, the nail of her index finger gently scratching just above his collar. His broad hand moved to her waist before he slipped it around to her lower back to press her body to his.

They moved together around the dance floor, and Rick was pleasantly surprised at being allowed to lead for once. Though he wasn't sure how he was managing to not knock them into any of the other couples. Her dress was distracting him. At least, he thought it was the dress. It might have been the necklace that poured down her bare back. Or it could have been the one lock of her hair that had escaped from the loose bun, whether by accident or design he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was the way her right hand clasped his left, delicate but firm all at once, while her thumb occasionally stroked his or tapped in time to the band.

Whatever it was, she was distracting him. And if they bumped into someone, he wouldn't let them hold him accountable. All he would have to do is point at her and they would forgive him. It honestly wasn't his fault that he couldn't keep his head on straight with the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms.

She smiled at him questioningly, wondering what was tripping through his mind that could make him so preoccupied. She couldn't concentrate on anything other than him. The feel of his black cotton shirt and his broad shoulder that was hidden by it under her fingers, the way his fingers kept fiddling with the pendant at her back and tripping across her skin. The twinkle in his eyes was even more overwhelming than usual, and her smile softened as he brought his gaze back to meet hers.

She slipped both her hands up around his neck as they moved with the music. The singer weaved his voice in harmony with the band, the words of two gardenias to represent his heart and that of his lover, or the heat of a kiss, or to speak of the love and adoration he would never find in the passion of another lover. Rick rested his forehead on Kate's and sighed happily.

"I love this," she said, in a lull between songs. She bit her lower lip, and he smiled.

"You're welcome."

"And, I love you."

His eyes twinkled and he pulled her body flush to his. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered, "I love you too, Kate."

A/N: I wrote this while I was away on holiday, I hope you like it. I hope to have the next chapter of Angel of Manhattan up on Monday, only just started writing it though. Watch this space :)