Chapter 1

For the hundredth time in the past five minutes Kate Beckett glanced to the clock then turned to look over her shoulders at the elevator doors, noting each time that neither were moving terribly fast.

The morning was becoming at little too late for Castle to arrive. Without a murder case to solve he might not even arrive. She was hungry for her bear claw and coffee and wasn't willing to wait too much longer.

On training mornings, Castle usually turned up at the Precinct with breakfast right about the time she would normally be out of the shower but today he was clearly delayed. She checked her cell phone for any message from him for the fiftieth time. Nothing. She dropped the phone on the desk and pursed her lips, debating whether to check on his whereabouts or forget about him, walk downstairs and buy herself breakfast. She gazed vacantly at Esposito and Ryan who were at their desks working, and Ryan happened to shift his eyes from his computer to look at her, their eyes meeting.

"Where's Castle?" Ryan inquired.

"Don't know. Maybe his friend is holding him up or he's changed his mind about bringing him in her," Kate responded her eyes returning to her monitor.

"Oh, yeah? Isn't he bringing along some other writer?" Ryan inquired, recalling the conversation with Castle the previous evening.

"Not another writer." Esposito complained, looking in the direction of Kate who shrugged her shoulders.

"Writers seem to be attracted to this precinct." Kate replied.

"Do you know who this one is?"

"No Espo, but this one is apparently in from LA for a couple of days. Castle's been very excited, says this writer likes to write cutting edge fiction." She half scoffed, emphasizing Rick's phrase with quote fingers in the air as she mimicked Richard's voice. A smile of amusement crept over her face recalling Castle's elevated conversation yesterday during their lunch break. He had also refused to even give her a hint as to who the writer was, pressing that the writer's appearance would be a surprise for her. Kate had decided to behave as though she didn't care who he was bringing to the precinct.

"Male or female?" Ryan inquired.

"Bro!" Esposito scorned immediately after he saw Kate's reaction.

"Well, cutting edge could be interesting if it's a guy writing." Ryan defended.

Kate remained silent thinking the friend could well be a woman writer. Her stomach somersaulted in jealousy at that thought and she sat up, dismissing her internal dialogue, hoping the boys hadn't seen her response. They heard the ting of the lift bell and each of them turned towards the lift doors waiting to see who would appear.

Castle, in a blue shirt, jeans and brown jacket stepped out of the opening doors with another guy in black jeans and t-shirt. Kate, acting casual and taking a drink of water from her bottle, nearly choked when she recognized the guy who walked beside Castle. She'd breathed air into her lungs and coughed it back up.

"Oh my god!" She muttered under her breath but loud enough that the boys heard her words. They turned back to her, both pulling questioning faces. She felt her cheeks burning.

"Who is he?" Ryan whispered and saw Kate shrug her shoulders in response. She started to pretend to be busy at her computer. Castle, as usual, wandered to her desk bringing her coffee and today because it was her training day, a paper bag he placed upon her desk with a smile to her eyes. In her usual constrained manner she lifted her eyes to meet his almost cautiously, and a timid smile broke her pursed lips. She felt her heart beat quicken, her tummy buzz in excitement seeing Castle as it did nearly every day.

"Morning." Caste said smiling and catching Kate's version of a smile – well, a quick hint of one.

"Morning. Thanks." She picked up the coffee and took a much needed sip of it before she stood to meet the guest.

"Beckett, I'd like to you meet a friend of mine who happens to also be a writer …."

"Hank Moody," Kate finished smiling broadly. She reached out a hand, her eyes locked on the hazel eyes of the other man. They shook hands, Kate feeling a bolt of electricity shoot through her body. Her eyes stayed on his face perhaps a little too long but it was worth it. He was as tall as Castle, slimmer in build, dark brown mussed hair, sported a couple of day's growth of whiskers, square jaw similar to her own.

"Kate Beckett," Hank greeted, his voice already provocative to Kate's ears, "I finally get to meet Rick's muse." He stepped closer looking to the tall slim woman before him. Everything about her appealed to Moody, her square jaw, large hazel eyes and her long dark wavy hair all had his adam's apple wavering. He wanted this woman. She reminded Hank of his ex-wife.

Kate let go of Moody's hand and placed her coffee on the desk, suddenly not interested in coffee and bear claw any longer.

Castle observed Kate and had pulled a strange face when he realized what was rolling out before his eyes. She was attracted to Moody. However, deciding to ignore it, he pushed on introducing Esposito and Ryan to their guest. Everyone shook hands. Two boys were not up to speed with who Hank Moody was but they saw Kate was quite up to speed with who Castle had the company of. The boys glanced to each other having also noticed Beckett had become quite elevated in her mood and blushed in the cheeks.

Moody made his way back to Kate, his interest in getting to know her very strong. He didn't hide the fact he was checking her out, in fact was quite upfront about it. "So I think that Castle has kept you his special little secret," he stated leaning toward Kate.

"Oh, I don't think so." Kate replied sitting on the edge of her desk, unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair with her right index finger.

"He keeps you hidden." Moody confirmed. "Well, he would hide you from me." He joked with a cheeky smile.

Somehow Kate knew that was the absolute truth of the matter and was surprised Castle had even risked allowing them to meet, particularly when Moody's reputation as a womanizing male preceded him.

"He hides me because I told him to keep me out of the public." She looked directly at Moody's eyes, then to his mouth, attracted to his shapely almost pouting lips, his beautiful mouth.

"Castle doing as he's told? I don't think so." Moody responded glancing to Rick.

Kate prompted herself to breathe, did so and looked back at Moody's eyes as she said very firmly, "He does what I say." She turned her dark eyes to Castle who was standing with Esposito and Ryan, his expression already slightly annoyed. She cleared her throat realizing she was using too much of a bedroom voice. What was it with her attraction to the bad guys, and worse still, the fact that Castle knew she had that rebellious streak in her persona.

Castle coughed. "Is she playing with her hair?" He quietly asked the guys.

"Oh yeah. Who is this dude man?" Espo asked. "He's cutting in on your property."

"But she's not mine." Castle replied.

"Won't be now," Espo said causing Castle to shoot him a filthy look.

"She won't go out with a guy like him," Castle said, almost confidently seconds later.

"He's exactly what she used to go out with," Espo corrected.

"Not anymore," Castle grunted and moved off to intercept the two.

"So you like to be in control," Hank commented to Kate his eyes sparkling, naughty.

"Some people think so." Kate replied just managing to conceal the hormonal rage occurring within her. She was well aware this guy was a thorough womanizer but she also sensed the pheromones oozing from him. He was so appealing to her bad side and she couldn't stop her own body's reaction to his presence. Her body wanted him and it was doing all the physical things she knew would be telling him she was available for him. She couldn't control it.

"Oh, I think you could be tamed Ms Beckett. Just need the right handler." Moody replied.

Kate coughed, felt her throat heat up and knew her skin was going to be flushed. She straightened up as Castle approached them, and dropped her hand from her hair, looking back to the familiar blue eyes and light brown hair. Castle was her safe option and her sensible choice. She smiled at him, feeling her heart rate quicken as it did whenever he came closer to her. She decided sitting in her chair was a good option whilst her body was in overdrive, as it would also prevent her hips from taking over. She was well aware her body like to betray her mind so she had to force herself not to move too much.

"So Beckett, is it ok if Moody joins us for the day?" Castle asked taking a sip of his coffee, acting very casual. He tried his hardest not to act threatened because another man was theoretically pissing on his turf right in front of everyone. Worst still, he could see Kate was responding, that she was more than willing to participate in Moody's little promiscuous game.

"Mmm .. I don't know if I can control two writers chasing me." She replied unconsciously using her bedroom voice and leaned back in her chair, crossing her long legs right over left. She pushed out her chest a little then relaxed in the chair. That had been for Castle attention.

Castle choked on his coffee, coughed it up, as he placed the cup down on her desk. He looked to her face seeing her large hazel eyes innocently staring at him. She took a calm drink of her coffee. Moody slapped Castle on the back laughing.

Internally, Kate had a giggle to herself over the comment and posture she'd made and glanced down to Esposito and Ryan who were laughing at the writers' expense.

"We'll take one of them off your hands Detective Beckett." Espo offered, nudging Ryan.

"Yeah. Castle can join us." Ryan agreed and saw the dark look come from Castle. Espo caught the slight change in Kate's expression as well indicating she didn't want that either.

"Castle's my partner," Kate replied with authority, "He comes with me." She instantly saw her partner breathe again, "If Moody gets too much to handle, I will just have to punch him." She added extremely seductively.

Castle and Moody both cheered instantly looking to each other, slapping hands with a high five. Kate tried to hold in a grin in response to her own cheap shot at Moody's novel. Esposito and Ryan had absolutely no idea what had just happened.

"You guys need to read. " Kate offered them and smiled to the writers.

"Obviously you have read my filthy literature," Moody stated.

"I have," Kate replied and as she breathed out she added, "Late at night, when murder is far from my mind."

Moody glanced to Castle their looks exchanging a thousand words. He nodded and said in a tone of writer's wisdom. "I understand."

Caste grinned, "I told you," he high fived Moody again.

"What's that locker room behavior about?" Kate asked confused.

"Writers logic, Beckett." Castle replied.

"Well, Detective Logic tells me we'd better get going before this turns bad." She stood, collected her coffee, breakfast and car keys and started to walk toward the elevator. All the men remained still staring down the walkway at Kate who turned, looking back to them, "Castle," she called, paused and added, "Don't forget your friend." She turned back to the wall and hit the lift button dangling her car keys as though she were teasing a dog.

Castle and Moody glanced to each other then hurried after her.

Kate, staring at the wall, smirked and stifled a giggle, when she heard them, comfortable in the fact she now had two men running after her like puppies.

"Where are we going?" Castle asked excitedly in the box as they descended to the ground floor.

"For a drive and a walk," Kate responded, almost bursting into laughter but maintained a straight face, as thought she was playing a serious game of poker.

"Cool." Castle replied and turned to Moody. "Wait till you see the condition of the car we have. Springs in your back…"

"Castle" Beckett said and he hushed, remaining silent the rest of the trip to the ground floor.

"This is gonna be a fun day." Hank stated, checking out Kate's ass in tight blue denim jeans. Both Kate and Castle turned and stared him down but he just grinned devilishly back, particularly in Kate's direction.