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Georgetown DC – Home of Katharine Beckett and Richard Castle – 6 weeks after the move.

226 Miles

Chapter 1

The front door to the three story townhouse opened and closed without a sound. It was late, really late. A single lamp burned in the first floor entry way illuminating the path to stairs whose familiarity had been missed the last two nights. Taking two steps at a time, the trip to the top floor was effortless and quick. The hallway on the third floor was dark and the door at the end of it was open, but only a crack. There was no sound coming from the room. Pushing open the door, a sleeping form could be seen in the bed.

Quietly creeping into the open side; controlled breathing became a challenge. He was so still; so warm, so inviting. Hands found the exposed flesh of his shirtless back; then lips brushed his skin, he groaned in recognition. Kneeling over him; shirt and slacks discarded, the need for skin to skin contact burning intensely.

Eyes opened and gazes locked. His smile turning lustful as hair tumbled to shoulders. Even in sleep his body reached to sate a thirst so primal that all it took to awaken it was mere awareness that she was near.

"Kate," his voice was deepened from sleep.

Her mouth found his; lips parted and waiting; she moaned into his tongue as it crashed into hers and she gently sucked and held it drinking from him.

Her time above him was short lived. In a practiced motion, he pulled the elbow she was using to hold herself up free and employed the full scale of his body to flip her onto her back; his weight pinned her seconds later.

Nails found their way to his shoulders; arching toward one another they communicated without words. His mouth found hers again; urgency compelling his movements. He wanted her; he needed her, but more than that he was in love with her and intended to show her. He sat up on his knees between her thighs and ran his finger tips down her chest and beyond her hips; even in the dark he could see her skin rise where he had touched her.

She reached for him with her left hand; he grabbed it as the smallest shard of light reflected off of the promise they had made to one another; her engagement ring. Its implication; they would belong to one another; always.

"Castle," it was her call to him. He recognized it; lived for it and would answer it with eagerness. He removed what was left of both of their clothes. She was watching him; her tongue wetting her lips in anticipation. His finger tips teased every place he dared touch; her body chasing his fingers when they danced away.

Castle watched her face; her desire for him transparent and undeniable. Again she reached for him, but this time with both hands at his waist. He let himself fall forward where she guided him and the change that spread across her face was pure pleasure as she took him inside. His mouth landed at the base of her throat where he licked, sucked and rubbed his teeth against her skin. He used his hands to caress and stimulate her as they moved together while using his position over her to control their tempo. She might have started this, but it was his to finish.

Kate clung tightly to him pulling him inside; her teeth finding the flesh of his chest, she had missed him. Not just in this physical being, but in the ways that add up over time. She missed his voice, his eyes following her every move, his humor and intelligence. The last six weeks had been long and hard on them; so much time apart and little together.

Kate felt him building and climbing; she knew his rhythm and he knew hers. She let her body and mind go up the rise needing to be there with him. His movements scrambling any coherent thoughts she might have. All she could think about was him; now.

When he called her name, she fell with him into the swirling, icy fire that brought her the kind of fulfillment she had never known with any other man. She was in love with him and she whispered that truth into his ear; fingers tangled in his hair, arms holding fast across his shoulders.

When he was still, she held him in place and he didn't resist. The weight of him grounding her; she felt like she was where she was always meant to be. His breathing began to slow and she could feel his heart pounding against her chest. She wanted to hold him this way all night.

After a few minutes, Castle shifted to where he could see her, "Miss me, Beckett?"

Kate felt him trying to slide off to the side and she reluctantly let him go, "I've been thinking about you for two days, Castle; the last twelve non-stop. It got so bad I couldn't even concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing."

Castle settled on his back and pulled Kate into his arms; her head resting on his shoulder, "What time is it anyway?"

Kate didn't have to look at the time, "It was after 1:00 AM when I got home and I came straight upstairs."

Castle heard the grin in her voice, "Straight up?"

Kate kissed his chest, "Yes, I dropped all my stuff in the front foyer. Don't trip over it if you get up."

"I've missed you too Kate," Castle kissed her on the forehead. It was a simple statement that didn't even begin to cover the half of it, but for now, he let it rest.

He heard her take in a labored breath, "I have to be back by 6:00 AM."

Castle didn't allow himself a reaction, it only made things worse when she left again, "Big case?"

He felt her nod against his chest, "Yeah, complicated."

Castle knew better than to ask any questions about it. All of her cases were confidential now; they were literally federal cases. He thought there was a joke in there somewhere.

Instead he asked, "Is the cocktail party you told me about still on for tonight?"

"Yes, and it begins at 7:00 at Trinity Washington University. I'll leave the invitation for you so you'll have the specifics to give the driver," Kate sounded sleepy.

"We're not going together?" he was unsure of what she had in mind.

"I doubt I'll have time to come home and change. Can you just meet me there?" Kate's exhaustion was dragging her conscious mind down.

Castle could tell by her breathing that she was already asleep So he didn't bother to answer. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled into the warmth and security that his body provided. He hoped the party would be a diversion from the boredom he had been battling lately. At least he knew they would be spending the evening together and he intended to take full advantage.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

When Castle awoke the spot next to him was long since cold. He searched his mind for proof that Kate had really been there last night; his body provided it; she was all over him. He smiled as his recall of her took him and he decided he would put off taking a shower until after he had coffee to enjoy her just a little bit longer.

Glancing at the clock, he realized that Kate had been at work for several hours already. His day would be spent finishing up with the contractors who still had some detail work to complete throughout their new Georgetown home. There was touch up painting that needed to be done in almost every room and the new tile in the master bathroom still needed to be sealed. Castle's decision to add tankless water heaters throughout had been both expensive and time consuming, but having hot water that never ran out was a luxury he had come to enjoy particularly when Beckett was around.

The other item on his to do list was of the entertaining variety; the New York book release party for Deadly Heat. He found that this event gave him just the excuse he needed to head back to the city he loved for a visit; that and he had some crucial Old Haunt business that needed his attention.

Castle was excited to be going to what he had to admit he still considered home. Six weeks of texting, Skype and phone calls just weren't quite cutting it anymore. This was the longest period of time he had ever been continuously away from Alexis; her last few Skype's had really pulled at his heart, she hadn't been able to hide how hard their separation was on her and frankly neither had he. Even his phone calls with his mother were becoming an emotional strain and he found himself thinking that he could use a dose or two of Martha Rogers right about now.

Deadly Heat had been put to bed within the first couple of weeks of being in DC and since then Castle had poured all of his free time into renovations to the townhouse that were now all but done. He had known that Kate was going to be busy getting to know her new job, colleagues and expectations, but he hadn't anticipated spending so much time alone in the evenings nor her increasingly frequent multi-day absences. More often than not, Kate didn't make it home before 10:00 PM on a good night and 2:00 in the morning on a bad one. There had been four or five nights where she hadn't come home at all. That didn't even take into consideration the overnight jobs she had been on where he wasn't even allowed to know where she was.

Castle expected tonight's party to be a bright spot for him and Kate before he headed off to New York. He knew Agent Stack, but Castle had never met Anthony Freedman; the boss of both Kate and Stack or anyone else she worked with for that matter. He had purposefully kept a low profile letting Kate find her way in this bigger pond as a smaller fish. He knew how important this opportunity was to her and he didn't want to spoil it for her; even unintentionally.

Castle barely had time to shower before the first contractor showed up to go over the details list. Before his mind shifted over to the mundane but necessary tasks of owning a new home, Castle allowed himself to anticipate the coming evening. They were having a night out together for the first time since they had arrived in DC; she would be stunning; she would be with him. At the moment, he couldn't think of anything he was looking forward to more.