First and foremost, let me say that I am still working on "A Drop in the Ocean." However, the story has driven me to the point where I needed to write, but needed the material to be substantially less 'heavy' than the current events of that story. That said, this story will have it's share of angst, but nothing like the peril befalling Lucy and friends at the moment.
I am excited about where this story is going to go, and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
It was a fun game they played, watching how the boys and Lanie would speculate about the new man in Kate's life. Between the two, she had a much harder time justifying herself, insisting that nothing was different and there was no mystery man. Castle used the sensitivity the boys tried to bring to the situation to his advantage.
Kate informed him pretty early on that she knew they would avoid pressing him for information on her mystery lover. Afterall, the way he felt about her was no secret, and it would simply be cruel to throw the fact that she was dating someone in the writer's face. So the boys, according to Kate, would avoid talking about their suspicions while he was around.
It appeared that she was right, as their whispers always seemed to quiet when he came into the room. He would ask what they were talking about and they would make up a lame story or try to distract him. It was somewhat of a relief, but truth be told he was a bit disappointed too. Afterall, nothing pleased the writer more than to fabricate interesting and twisted stories, and he relished the mystery of their new relationship.
When it came to Lanie he was simply relieved. Afterall, the medical examiner had some sort of sixth sense where Kate was concerned, and it seemed to be only heightened when it came to the detective's sex life. He had to say that it stroked his ego more than a little bit when he overheard the comments about how great she looked, how peaceful and relaxed her mannerisms were, or how fulfilled she seemed as of late. The only conclusion the medical examiner could reach was that Kate was having the best sex of her life.
Castle delighted in these observations, especially because there were no comments about how wonderful Kate seemed when she was with Josh or Tom. There was no change in her then. Hell, he and the boys had all been shocked when Josh strolled into the precinct, ready to take her away by motorcycle. No, the sex-induced transformation of Kate Beckett was all him and no one else.
The writer smiled to himself, afterall the doctor was out of the picture and now the only person sharing her bed was him. He was determined that things would stay that way too. After finally knowing how they were together, knowing how she was in those most vulnerable and intimate magic moments, he was determined that nobody else would ever touch her in that way again. So, the information he gathered from their curious friends told him one thing, he was good for Kate. Yes, he was indeed, Very good for Kate.
She rolled her eyes at him on evening when he brought it up. "Be careful of that ego, Castle. If it gets any bigger I don't think there will be room in bed for the both of you." She elbowed him, but didn't deny his claim, turning instead to dig back in to the carton of Chinese food she was currently feasting on.
"Say whatever you want Kate, but I think your friends are very wise. They know what's good for you, and I-dear detective, am positively fantastic for you. I have medicinal powers." He smirked at her.
At his words she turned to him, her expression sultry as she leaned dangerously close to him,
"Do you know what you're best at, Rick?" He could feel the heat radiating from her body as his senses were overwhelmed by the mere scent of her, his body was quick to respond as usual. Afterall, it had been three days since they'd last had sex. To them, anything more than 36 hours seemed like a dry spell. To say the couple was insatiable would have been an understatement.
He'd grown to recognize her scent, to love it in the years they'd worked together; he'd become obsessed with in the months since they'd become lovers. She was fully aware of the impact she had on him too, and he knew it. Still, he couldn't bring himself to care as he found himself leaning towards her delicious mouth, seeking her lips for just a taste.
"What am I best at, Kate? Tell me." He whispered, his breath mingling with hers as they inched ever closer.
"Bringing me food." She spoke loudly and somewhat bluntly as she shoved him back, "now pass me the spring rolls." He glared at her,
"tease." He replied as he passed her the carton she'd requested.
"I'm only a tease if I have no intention of seeing my actions through, Mr. Castle." She spoke matter of factly, "and I have strong intentions of acting on my every whim with you in just a few hours, just a few feet from here." She spoke flirtatiously, nodding her head towards her bedroom.
He smiled at her, leaning in to plant an open-mouthed kiss on her neck before he returned to his own food. He sucked at her skin just hard enough to leave a slight mark, earning him a glare when he pulled back from her. "What?" He shrugged, making innocent of his foreplay.
"I've always liked the previews," he justified. She tried to suppress her smile at his words, but not very hard.
It was a Friday evening and they were both enjoying the prospect of a weekend off after what had been a long and gruesome week.
A family had been murdered and the killer was, of all people, the single-surviving teenage daughter. It had been especially trying for Kate, as she'd spent a great deal of time helping the girl process the death of her parents, helping her to grieve and showing her that life got better; only to find that the victim was the killer. It had been disheartening and Castle was determined to bring some light back into her life again.
Saturday evening found them cuddled up in bed at the loft. In the past, Castle had been determined to keep television out of his bedroom. Afterall, he reasoned, it detracted from the romance. There were only two things he wanted to be doing in his bedroom, and watching television was not one of them. Then he became involved with Kate, discovering that even when they weren't having sex, or curled up into one another fast asleep, he still loved to have her in his bed.
He'd installed a flat screen just for the purpose of watching old movies in bed with Kate, relishing in the feel of her body completely relaxed against his as they cuddled beneath the soft down comforter and smooth Egyptian cotton sheets of his bed. He sighed happily as he brushed his nose against her temple and kissed her gently. Their lips would roam and their hands would explore, but eventually they would always find one another, lacing their fingers in the gentlest of caresses.
His exes had always been on the go, wanting to be out on the town and basking in the spotlight. Sure they wanted sex, but his credit cards and his celebrity always seemed to be the best part of the package where they were concerned. He'd simply accepted it as part of his career, a pitfall of success. However, Kate simply wanted him-nothing more and nothing less. He was a lucky man and life never seemed more perfect than it did on those lazy days spent in bed together.
He couldn't imagine a better life. They solved crimes by day, bantering, theorizing and finishing each other's sentences. He brought her coffee, took her to lunch, they hung out with the boys, put criminals behind bars. Then at night, they would always find their way to each other. Locations would shift between her apartment and his loft, but they rarely slept apart anymore. He went to bed with her at night and woke with her in his arms. Life was indeed perfect.
Kate never slept as soundly as she did when she was in his arms, her dreams were light and her rest was restorative. Once able to completely let her guard down, she found it so incredibly easy to let herself go. As a result, she would often drift off to sleep during their movies, her head resting on his chest as his caress lulled her into unconsciousness. She was satiated, completely content and hopelessly in love with him. What surprised her most was that on days like this, she couldn't bring herself to care.
Of course there were doubts. In the light of day she would often reflect on his past, and wonder what exactly had happened to his past relationships. She tried not to think about whether or not the same fate would befall them. For all the love she carried, she also struggled with confusion and uncertainty. Kate didn't want to be without him, but she also didn't want to become ex-wife number three.
She knew that if it didn't work out with them she could lose everything, and the thought of not having him by her side was unfathomable. Being with him was a risk, but being without him didn't seem like an option. They needed one another too much.
She'd leapt, she'd given her mind, heart and body, but the realities of their lives, and the unlikely combination that they were as a couple weighed heavily on her. Would love be enough? What would happen when the rose-colored glasses came off? What had happened to the celebutants-chasing womanizer she'd met? Had he really changed his ways, or would he eventually become bored with her?
Before they'd become lovers it was easy to keep him interested. He was enthralled by the mystery that she was, always trying to solve her, to figure her out. Now that the mystery was gone, and he'd gotten this far with her, would he lose interest? Kate could never bring herself to ask him these questions. Afterall, they sounded pathetic, needy and completely unlike her. Still, they were at the back of her mind, nagging her from time to time.
It was easy enough to distract herself from those uneasy thoughts. Afterall, he was there. He was warm, willing and above all else, it felt so damn good to finally be with him. Yes, the sex was out of this world, but the tenderness that they carried, the lingering looks and the gentle touches when nobody was looking, the way they kissed until they were dizzy, the whole package was better than her wildest dreams could have concocted.
Yes, there was a lot of uncertainty, and a certain level of anxiety, but at the end of the day she didn't think she could walk away if she wanted to. So, she tried not to dwell on the unknown and chose instead to focus on the present, and at the present his touch felt wonderful.
She let out a long and satisfied moan, cueing him that she was awake as she stretched out languidly against his body. He was clad only in his silk boxer shorts, she not much more covered in her purple lace panties and camisole. She'd discovered early on that he loved her in lace, and her current attire had been the product of a shopping trip planned with just him in mind.
Kate loved lace too. It made her feel feminine and sexy, the material was so incredibly fragile, yet the effect it had on him when she wore it was nothing less than powerful. The fierce and sexy detective loved to string him on in the day, but the feminine and vulnerable woman loved him to take control at night, and nothing seemed to spur that transition more quickly for him than seeing her in lace.
His fingers skimmed along her lower back, dipping below her panties as his palm spread across her behind, grasping her firmly and pulling her up and in line with his groin. They both shuttered at the new contact this brought, Kate feeling her nipples harden suddenly against his bare chest.
"Undress me, Castle." She softly commanded as she pressed her hands against his chest and pushed herself up to straddle him. They never lost contact where they needed it most as he slid his hands up her sides, taking the soft material with him and tossing it lightly over her head. She yelped in surprise when he suddenly shifted them and came to rest on top of her.
Their movie was completely forgotten as he slid her panties over her hips and down her legs, shedding his boxers before coming back to rest on top of her. She sighed as she let her legs fall open, thrilled by the sensation of him settling there. She struggled to catch her breath in the next moment as she felt him fill and stretch her completely. It never got old and she swore that he could bring her to the edge without even trying.
Soon they were both there, struggling to prolong the moment but failing miserably as their bodies took over, winding them both impossibly higher and higher. He usually waited, seeing to it that she released before he did. However, every now and then the stars would align and they would both climax in the exact same moment, falling over the edge together.
In those rare and precious moments Kate wasn't sure she would have remembered her own name, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was them, that moment, when they were close enough to lose sight of where one ended and the other began.
With each passing day they became more and more enmeshed, the unity they found in bed building into the connection they already possessed in a powerful way. Truth be told, they were both amazed that the world didn't see it, that they continued to go on in secret. Little did they know that their perfect bubble would soon burst, and with the discovery of their romance, their untarnished little universe would come crashing down upon them.
