Ok, so I had planned to keep this story a one-shot. But I was inspired to continue it for a bit, so here is chapter 2. Enjoy.

"Huh?" Castle snorted awake, having been startled from his nap by a thumping on the front door of his Hamptons home. On the advice of his doctor and his friends in the NYPD, he had retreated north from the city, with prescription pain killers and weekend travel bag in hand, to recover from his recent ordeal. He had arrived at the house that morning, then after getting himself settled, had taken one of the pain killers and fallen asleep on the couch with the latest James Patterson book spread out of his lap.

As he worked to unfuzz his brain and climbed off the couch, he tried to remember if he was expecting company. Alexis had joined some friends and very responsible parents for a cruise to the Caribbean for Spring Break and he imagined his mother was celebrating the same occasion in her own unique way, one that made his stomach twist. So he couldn't imagine who would be visiting him.

Unless…

He searched the vestibule for anything that could be used as a weapon, and finally settled on a garishly-colored umbrella that could only have been his mother's. Holding it by its handle, he lifted it up and behind himself in his best imitation of a major league baseball player awaiting a pitch, and pulled the door open with his free hand.

"Kate!" He exclaimed and immediately let the girly umbrella slip down his hand and behind his back. However, the trained detective's eyes were too quick.

"Expecting rain, Castle?" Beckett teased.

"Uh…no, actually. Just…I wasn't expecting company, so I thought…maybe someone was coming after me again. Sorry."

She hadn't thought of that. The smirk left Beckett's face and she nodded knowingly. "Don't worry about it. And I'm sorry to make light of what happened."

"No worries."

They stood there for a long, lingering moment, not sure what to say each other. In the couple days between his rescue and his leaving that morning, they hadn't talked about the kiss they'd shared after his rescue, mainly because he'd spent most of the intervening time in the hospital and she'd spent it at the precinct closing the case. But a small part of the reason was because both knew something in their relationship had shifted in a much more visceral way than when they'd faced death previously. It felt like a small dam had burst forth, threatening a larger one downstream which they both struggled to hold in place. And both wondered, unbeknownst to the other, why bother with protecting the second dam at all. They each were just looking for the right time to seize the moment.

"Oh, hey! Sorry. Come in. Come in." Castle finally said, realizing his manners. Beckett entered the vestibule, pulling a small suitcase on wheels behind her.

"Going to your Dad's cabin for some time off?" Castle said, this time remembering to be a gentleman and taking the handle from Beckett to drag the suitcase himself into the house's main living room. His hand had brushed hers in the transfer, resulting in her cheeks becoming slightly flushed. They deepened as she built up the courage to confess why she had come.

"No, actually. I…I hope it's not an intrusion, but apparently so many people have been complaining to the brass about not being able to use their overtime lately, so Captain Gates put it out that if we have any we want to use before the summer hits and things get busy, we'd better use it now, so…I took off until Monday. And…I wanted to see how you were doing."

That warm smile that turned Beckett's insides to butter and her knees to jelly slowly bloomed on Castle's face. "Why that's very sweet of you, Detective." He took a step closer to her, threatening to crowd her in her personal space.

Beckett raised an eyebrow in curiosity and to test the waters of flirtation a bit. "Detective? We work together for years, know each other's families, have visited each other's houses and saved each other's lives several times and you're still calling me Detective?" She inched closer to him now, figuring two could play at this game. She was also surprised at how easy and natural the heat seemed to flow between them.

"If I remember correctly, the last time you saved my life, you did more than just pull me out of a swimming pool." His voice grew quieter and his entire face softened as he inched still closer to her, leaving mere inches between their chests. Sensing he wouldn't get a better chance, Castle lifted a hand to trail his fingertips tenderly across Beckett's cheek and down to her jawline. Her eyes fluttered closed as adrenaline spiked and shot from her head down to her toes at record speed. She leaned into his hand and lifted her own to cover his then her eyes met his. "What would you like me to call you, Detective Beckett?" He whispered, his voice gentle and with an undeniable husk in it.

Wife, was the first word that popped into her head before she could regain her sanity. No, not that kind of partner, she thought. Calm down. Girlfriend, maybe? Get a hold of yourself, she ordered. Small moves, Kate.

But how could she calm down when he was so close, looking at her with so much desire, happiness and – what was it also? Love? Could there also be love there? Her heart leapt at the prospect. And there was only one way to find out.

"Call me Kate. Just Kate." She breathed, and unable to stop herself, she closed the distance between them and kissed him slow and deep.

Her arms wrapped around his waist so her hands could run over his broad back. His hand that had been stroking her cheek snaked around to the back of her neck and made its way through her hair while his other arm held her close at her waist. They kept things gentle, but passionate and simply enjoyed the quiet and the feeling, smell, and taste of each other. Sensing the need for both of them to breath, Beckett gave Castle's lower lip one last strong caress that elicited a moan then broke the contact. They stood in silence for a minute or so, foreheads touching, arms around each other, chests heaving to refill their lungs. When her heart rate finally stabilized, she cocked her head slightly to look at him.

"I'm guessing that means that you don't mind if I stay?" She asked and couldn't contain a small laugh.

"You're always welcome…Kate. Always." Castle replied. His use of her first name and their personal catch-word sent another jolt through Beckett's veins.

"Thanks. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'm gonna get myself settled. Maybe change clothes."

Until Kate had brought up staying then coyly mentioned changing clothes, Castle had worried that she'd retreat into herself after their kiss. As confident as she was at work, she was much shyer and less certain of herself when it came to relationships, so he worked hard at not pushing her.

"Sounds like a plan. The guest room is upstairs to the right. Second door on your left."

"Thanks."

As she picked up her suitcase and turned for the stairs, he made a snap decision and reached out and took her free hand.

"Kate?"

"Rick?" She smiled.

"I know this will sound presumptuous and dirty-old-man-ish, but did you bring something to swim in?"

Where was he going with this, Kate wondered? Of course she had brought a one piece and a couple bikinis. After all, it was the Hamptons and she knew his house overlooked the beach. Still, if he had wanted a swim, he could have just suggested she join him in the pool. But she could see in his eyes that he had an altogether different idea.

"Of course," she answered. "Your house does back up to the beach."

"True. But there's something else I want to show you."