***I apologize in advance for all errors found in this chapter. Football took over my brain and I only had time to write during commercials and halftimes. Go Ducks!

Rick tucked the Chess board under his arm and raised his hand to knock on Kate's door exactly nineteen minutes after his last text to her. He was a nervous wreck! Less than twenty minutes ago he was reading a very steamy scene involving a game of Chess, Nikki, and Rook... Now he's outside 'Nikki's' door, with a Chess board and the remnants of a raging hard on.

Kate cracked her door to make sure it was him, she smiled at him as soon as their eyes met and his heart ached, he loved her so deeply it crushed him yet lifted him up at the same time. Every little thing she did, amazed him... kept him wanting more.

She released the chain and opened the door, motioning for him to enter. He couldn't help but inhale deeply as he passed her and his eyes rolled back in his head as he picked up the scent of cherries. He walked over to the tiny island in her kitchen and sat the game board down then turned to her. She was dressed for bed.

"Do you want some wine?" Kate ask as she walked behind him to open the fridge.

Rick was trying his best to not think about the story he had been reading before she text him but it seemed inevitable, aside from the names, everything else was the same. He was Rook, she was Nikki, they were about to drink wine and play Chess... "Yes, please."

Kate poured them both a glass of red wine then sat down across from him as he separated the pieces. "I want to be white."

"Why? Because you want to go first?" Rick tried his best to separate this situation from the one in the story he was previously reading.

Kate picked out the white pieces and started arranging them on her side of the board. "Ladies first, Castle!"

"Always, Beckett." Rick mumbled as he began to place his black pieces on the board. He fought the urge to grin as his mind went through all the ways he could make her 'go' first. His lips, fingers, and cock ached to make her quiver beneath him as many times as possible before he followed her...

"Castle!" Kate's loud shriek snapped him back to reality. "Your move!"

Rick cleared his throat and leaned on closer to the board. Without hesitation, he reached for a pawn and moved it forward then raised only his eyes to look up at Kate.

Kate reached for a Knight next and Rick smiled. He had never played with anyone who pulled their Knights out so quickly and he began to question her level of skill, she was either very good and knew exactly what she was doing, or she was totally clueless. He studied her as she slowly removed her fingers from the piece and began to play with the tiny strap of her pajama top as she waited for him to make his move. Rick quickly averted his eyes when she caught him staring and reached for another pawn and slid it up one spot.

Kate smiled as she reached for her bishop, she slid it into position and then scooted her chair back and stood up. "More wine?"

"What? Uh, Yeah... Sure." Rick stammered as he thought about his next move. He got distracted when she moved away from the island and he noticed how soft her pajama bottoms looked. If his hand moved to the left just a tad as she walked by, he would be able to feel just how soft they were. His fingers twitched against his will and he had to force them to curl around the surface of the countertop instead of reaching for her.

Kate stood behind him and reached over his back to refill his glass. Her breast rubbed against his back as she stretched her arm out over his shoulder. Her lips were just above his ear, if he tilted his head up and to the right he could kiss her. Unable to think straight, Rick sat up straighter and looked up at her. His eyes were glazed over and nearly closed as he reveled in the feel of her boobs pressed against his back. He cleared his throat and pushed away from the island. "I need to use the bathroom."

Kate felt a tightening in her loins as she looked down at him. She licked her lips, straitened up and moved back a step, giving him room to stand. "You know where it is."

Rick stood and turned towards her, something was different about her tonight. The way she pressed herself against him, the way she licked her lips before each sip of wine, the way she was dressed... He mumbled something under his breath as he turned away from her and headed towards the bathroom.

"Did you say something, Castle?" Kate called out as he strode off.

Rick never turned around, he just kept walking. "Don't cheat, I'll be right back."

Kate finished off her drink and reached down to loosen the ties to her pajama bottoms. After refilling her glass again, she hoisted herself up onto the bar and waited for him to return.

Rick stood over the toilet and opened the fly of his jeans. "You're not helping." He scolded his less than flaccid penis as he pulled it through the opening of his boxers. "We are here to play Chess, nothing else!" He finished his business and washed his hands, opened the door to leave and noticed a notebook on Kate's bed. One peep was all it took for him to know that Kate couldn't see him and so he stepped over and grabbed up the tablet.

After quickly scanning the words on the page that was on top, he flipped back a page, and then another. He gasp when he realized he was looking at the rough draft of the FF story he had been reading before coming over to play Chess with Kate. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding in his chest. 'That means that Kate is...

"Cassstle!" Kate bellowed out. "If you shake it more than three times, it's called masturbation!"

"I'm Coming! Uh... I mean, I'm on my way..." Rick stammered as he threw the notebook back onto Kate's bed and tried to figure out exactly what kind of game was being played here tonight, and how was he going to play now that he knew her secret.

"There you are, I was beginning to think you fell in!" Kate quipped out as soon as he turned the corner and came into her line of vision.

Rick stopped dead in his tracks and ran his hand through his hair when he spotted her perched upon the counter. The smart ass remark that had just been on the tip of his tongue was suddenly forgotten and he just stood there, staring at her.

Kate hopped off the counter and removed a scrunchie from around her wrist. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back and very seductively wrapped the elastic band around her hair. over and over again. She smiled as she felt the waistband of her sleep pants slip closer to her neatly trimmed pubes and her top ride up toward her navel, just the way she planned. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the desire in Rick's eyes. The next thing she noted was his clinched fists and stiff posture. He was fighting the urge to reach out to her with every fiber of his being.

"Kate..."

Hearing Rick whisper her first name sent a chill down her spine and she took a step closer to him. "Yes, Rick..."

Rick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The little devil on his left shoulder told him to just go for it, while the angel on the right one warned him of the consequences of making such a bold move.

As he mentally cursed the halo wearing mirage for being right, he looked down at the floor then moved over to his chair. He looked back over his shoulder before he took his seat and noticed she was just inches behind him. "Can we just get back to the game?"

Kate could hear the vulnerability in his voice and she almost regretted her actions. Almost! She had fought this thing between then for too long and now her mind was made up, she wanted to be with him. She loved him.

"I'm ready." Kate told him as she stepped in front of him.

Rick smiled up at her and tilted his head in the direction of her chair. "Take your seat then because it's my move."

Kate stretched her arm across the table and toppled her King over. "I meant, I'm ready for this..." She place her hands on his thighs and leaned in closer to him.

"Kate..."

Kate took one hand off Rick's leg and covered his mouth to silence him. "I heard what you said at Montgomery's funeral, when I got shot and you begged me to stay with you. You told me you love me."

Rick could feel tears welling up in his eyes, visions of her bleeding out beneath him and the fear of losing her forever flooded his memory. He couldn't speak, not for lack of words, but Kate's hand still pressed tightly over his mouth. Instead of reaching up to remove her hand from his face, Rick wrapped his arms around Kate's waist and pulled her between his legs and just nodded his head.

Kate took her hand away from Rick's mouth and placed it on his shoulder. "No more fighting it, no more pretending I don't care... I love you Rick!"

Rick slid his hands from her waist up her back and forced her even closer, their lips only centimeters apart, then he closed the gap and sealed their lips together.

***You know the drill... Drop me a line or look me up on Twitter Rayleenw :) Let me know what you think!