So far it has been the perfect day. Kate has to admit she had been beyond excited when Castle asked her to go on a long weekend away with him to the Hamptons. It had only been a few weeks since they'd moved from friends and partners to so much more. Everyday had been a new adventure with him. This step of being away from the city, just the two of them secluded in a little world together had brought a nervous round of flutters to her stomach.
The last two days since they arrived at his lovely beachside home, she has felt so free, so joyful taking in the fresh sea air, sleeping in late with his warm body pressed against her back. Here there were no worries about having to attend to the woes of the world.
The made sandcastles on the beach. Competing over whose was the best, the most original design until they decided to join the two together, making a mote of water around their fortress. They swam and ran through the waves; They took turns dunking the other under water like a couple of flirty teenagers. Splashing water and playing catch. She hasn't been able to keep her hands off him either, stopping every few minutes to tug him close and run her hands up his chest, around his sides, reveling in the way the sun warmed his skin. Reaching up on her toes every now and then to sip from his delicious lips.
When their stomachs protested the need for nourishment, he insisted she take a long hot bubble bath in his jet tub while he prepared dinner for her. There was no room for negotiation, he insisted that he wanted to do something special for her.
She lounged in the tub until her fingers were wrinkly and stepped out onto the rug, wrapping a plush towel around her body. Kate took her time, curling her hair, putting on some light make up even though they would be staying in. She slipped on a soft, silky flower print summer dress. It was one Rick had never seen on her and she imagined how it would feel to have him run his hands up and down her sides. She still felt the desire to look good for him, even though he had now seen her countless times with no makeup, coming back sweaty from a run.
When she ventured down the stairs and into the kitchen, her senses are overtaken by aromatic garlic and italian spices, but Rick is nowhere to be found. She's just about to check the back deck, when he pops his head in from the sliding glass doors, a huge lovestruck smile gracing his handsome face when he sees her.
"Wow, Kate. You look...extraordinary," he breathes out in awe of her. She's struck by his deep sincerity. No one has ever looked at her the way that he does and heat blooms in her midsection.
"Not looking too shabby yourself, ," she teases as she saunters towards him, entwining her hands with his and leaning in for a kiss. He keeps his hold on one of her hands as they part, gently pulling her outside with him.
"Come on," he says, shifting close behind her, chest pressing into her back as he covers her eyes with his other hand.
"Ok, where are you taking me now?" She asks and he can hear the delight in her voice even as she feigns sarcasm.
"It's a surprise, Beckett. Just trust me."
Soon she feels her feet sink into the soft cooling sand and the sound of the waves grows louder and clearer. She gives him the control and lets herself be swept up in the feeling of this moment.
Soon he stops and uncovers her eyes to reveal an intimate beach picnic. A lush blanket, one she remembers seeing in his study, anchors the spot on the grainy white sand. A bottle of good wine, glasses and candlelight help to set the mood. Nature's perfect backdrop, the sun setting in yellows, oranges and light pinks fill the sky all around them.
"I thought it might be nice to eat out here tonight," Rick whispers in her ear.
She pulls his hands around her sides to rest on her stomach, covering them with her own as she delights in the feel of him around her body. "Rick, it's beautiful."
He leans in to place a gentle kiss to the soft flesh of her neck, and her body shivers at the contact. He gives another slight squeeze of his arms at her waist before he releases her and encourages her to sit on the blanket with him. He begins to pull out the pasta from the container keeping it warm inside the woven picnic blanket.
Kate is still, eyes transfixed on his body, his face, as feelings of love rush through her and make her heart pulse in her chest faster and faster. He is such a wonderful, kind and patient man. He is the best thing that has ever happened to her. Suddenly she's overtaken by her emotions, something that is so rare for her, but with Castle, it just feels right.
"Rick," she says stealing the plate and setting it aside so she can take his hand. His eyebrows lift in wonder as he watches her and waits for her to speak.
"I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying this trip."
"I'm glad. That was my goal," he smiles as he rubs his hand up and down her bare arm.
"And…" she continues, her voice turning more tender, "it just seems like the perfect place to tell you that... I love you."
She watches his eyes widen, the swirls of cerulean blue deepening in color, as they reflect the tint of ocean and he takes in the full meaning of her words.
"Kate, you have no idea how amazing it is feels to hear you say that. I love you. I love you so much."
She can't stand even the small distance that separates any longer and she raises up on her knees and leans towards him, runs her hand along the sexy stubble on his jaw that he'd let grow out over the last two days as she caresses his face. His eyes close without permission as she says it again.
"I love you, Rick. You are the love of my life." He winds his arms around her back and pulls her the rest of the way towards him, crushes their lips and bodies together as their tongues tangle in the sweetest of ways.
They only stop when they struggling to breath, pulling away only far enough to inhale as they hold each other close and let their foreheads meet. The last of the sun's rays fall below the horizon and their faces are aglow with new love, with the soft flicker shining from the candle light.
"Now, feed me so I can take you back inside and make love to you," she says, her voice expressing the perfect mix of love and lust.
Rick smiles, wide and unburdened as he steals one more kiss from her pink lips and passes her a plate of food. "Whatever you say detective."
Yes, it has been the perfect day.