Kate gets to work half an hour earlier than usual.
She was half-hoping he'd stay out of the precinct today. But when she walks back in from the break room, a half-eaten bagel in one hand, she freezes. There's coffee on her desk.
Castle's sitting talking to Ryan and Esposito at their desks. She almost steps back out, but Ryan sees her and waves. "Beckett. Hey. You got here early."
"Yeah."
Esposito waves a sheaf of papers at her. "Got the stuff on our perps processed. You want to take a look?"
"Sure."
She means to come over and take them, but Castle - of course - snags them and shuffles over, handing them to her. "Hi."
"Hi." Her throat closes up. He looks delicious. He looks rumpled and sexy and even scruffier - how is it even possible? - and last night was a terrible mistake that she wants to repeat. Right now. In any empty office they can find.
His eyes linger on her mouth, but then he looks at her turtleneck. Her face goes hot. Because he knows exactly what she's hiding.
"I brought you coffee," he murmurs, and her chest gets tight. No. This can't happen.
She straightens up.
"I'm not thirsty."
That hits him. His face falls, flickering from confused to hurt and back to confused, and it twists her heart - shit - so hard she has to look away. No, Castle. No. Don't do this. Don't make it something it's not.
"Sorry."
He steps away and mumbles something apologetic, and it's so very not Rick Castle that it hurts her to watch.
The day gets worse.
After she brushes him off, Castle just - sort of - gives up. He hangs around Ryan's desk. He makes paper footballs with Esposito. He has an extended conversation about fantasy football with Montgomery. He even discusses his daughter's nail polish colors with Karpowski.
But he keeps shooting her these looks, longing looks he has no business giving her, from wherever he is, and Kate just can't deal with it. She can't keep staring at his stubbled jaw and remembering the slow torture of his hands and lips and body. It was wrong.
She's off-balance, he's not himself, and it's all his fault, because it was his bright idea to kiss in that dark alleyway.
Besides. He's the one who left her alone in bed, isn't he?
But he kissed me before he left.
Or did she dream that part?
When Castle leaves at lunchtime, he tells the boys it's a slow day and he wants to get some writing done. He's convincing. But he doesn't quite meet Kate's eyes before the elevator doors close.
Ryan shakes his head. "He seem weird today, Boss?"
"What do you mean?"
Ryan shrugs. "I don't know. He just - seemed kind of off. Like he was thinking about something else."
She knows exactly what he was thinking about. But she keeps her face neutral. "It's not my day to watch him."
That night, she breaks a plate, drops a book, and almost drops her phone into the kitchen sink before she finally gives in.
It's midnight when she gets to his door, and she knocks before she can change her mind.
I'm here to talk to him. That's all.
The door swings open. He looks tired. Scruffier. Half-awake. In a rumpled white t-shirt and shorts.
"Kate?"
That's all it takes - his voice is low, husky with sleep, so unbearably sexy, and suddenly she can't keep her hands off him. And then they're stumbling into his bedroom and he's kicking the door shut behind them.