As promised, the next chapter. Warning, spoilers for 'Heat Wave' in this one.

Disclaimer: I wonder if we can invest in Castle like you can the stock market... Wouldn't that be awesome? But I doubt it.

Kate liked to savor Castle's novels the first time she read them. She would light candles around the room, grab a glass of wine and fill up her tub with frothy cherry-scented bubbles. To make the book last a little longer, she only allowed herself to read until the water turned from hot to lukewarm, which usually gave her an hour. It took her an average of three evenings to read a story from start to finish. Last night had been her first with 'Heat Wave.' She had read up to the end of chapter six.

"There's a sex scene in the book?" Kate didn't know why she was so surprised. This was Castle, after all. Such scenes were common in his novels. But this was different. This was personal. "Between us?"

"There's a sex scene in the book between Nikki Heat and the roguishly handsome reporter who is helping her," Castle corrected her.

As if that made it any better. Nikki Heat was based on her; it was the whole reason he shadowed her. And Rook? Even if the reporter's disregard for rules and expressly given orders didn't give him away, the fact that the character's last name was the castle chess piece would have.

"Oh good, so he's nothing like you."

Except in every way possible.

Her eagerness to get away to find out exactly what Castle had written was mortifying, even if she was the only one aware of it. She told herself it was so she would know what she was up against once the teasing started.

It wasn't. She wanted to know, she needed to know, how Castle imagined things would be between them.

After a moment of hesitation she grabbed her bag and hurried down to nearest precinct bathroom. Castle had already left, but she wasn't taking any chances. Once she had shut and locked the stall door she sat with her legs crossed on the commode, the bag in her lap. She took out the book, the bag all but forgotten as it fell with a soft thump onto the bathroom floor.

So where would it be? It had to have been after chapter six, since she'd already read that far. But would it be in the middle of the story, or towards the end?

Kate didn't like knowing things in advance with mystery novels, Castle's in particular-it would defeat the whole purpose of reading it-but she was willing to risk it for this.

"Ah ha!"

Kate gasped. She knew that voice; of course she did. Castle.

"Castle, what are you doing here?"

In the ladies restroom, for crying out loud!

"I knew you were reading it," he said with a satisfied smirk.

"I-wa-" Kate wanted to deny it, but the evidence was there in her hands.

Maybe he was just glad to have caught her reading his book since she had denied it so vehemently?

"It's on page 105, by the way." His eyes danced with sensual amusement as he looked down at her.

Or not.

"What?" Kate's voice was high-pitched, almost a squeak.

Yeah, he was really going to believe any denial she made now.

"That sex scene you're looking for." He was enjoying this way too much. "And Agent Grey was right; it's steamy."

"I wasn't-"

"See you tomorrow," he said.

Finally, he left.

Whistling.

This could be bad. Very bad. What if, in her eagerness to find out what he had written, she had revealed too much?

No, her secret was still safe. If he had known, he would have used it to his advantage.

Wouldn't he?

Regardless, she couldn't think about that now.

She had a sex scene to read.

Kate quickly turned to the correct page, her jaw dropping as the words jumped out at her.

Their kisses were deep and urgent….

They would have been, if they hadn't gotten interrupted. Kate sternly reminded herself that she was grateful; getting together with Castle would have ended in disaster and heartbreak.

One of his hands began to reach for her blouse….

She knew just what his fingers would feel like.

…she let herself do a slow fallback, pulling him with her….

Kate realized suddenly her fingers were starting to ache as she clutched the book, her fingernails digging into the pages.

They dove into each other again….

She wished she had the freedom to just dive in. That she could have a friends with benefits type of situation like Nikki had with that guy, Don. But it just wasn't her to have casual affairs. And even if it had been, she could never handle such an emotionally detached arrangement with Castle.

Nikki stirred and began to unbutton his shirt….

Kate was jealous. Of a fictional character. But the woman would get to see Rook's bare chest; she would never allow herself that luxury with Castle.

…ripped the blouse open….

Would he actually do that?

…made a frenzied dive onto him….

It was a good thing Castle had left, or she just might.

…she pounced on him….

She wanted to, wished she could.

….needing to feel every part of him she could touch….

Kate shut her eyes and let out a slow, deep breath.

She had to make sure she never read this scene again.

Because his fantasy was nearly identical to hers.

Kate didn't even notice how close they were, intent on the pictures they were looking at that had just given them a break in the case.

Until Castle's breath caressed her cheek as he told her, 'You smell like cherries."

Their gazes locked when she turned to look at him.

The precinct was forgotten.

The case was forgotten.

Her mind went blank except for one thought: Castle.

She glanced down at his lips.

So soft.

So close.

So accessible.

So-

Interrupted by Ryan.

"Are we interrupting something?" Esposito asked as he walked into the room a moment after Ryan.

"No," Kate insisted.

Nothing that shouldn't have been interrupted, anyway.

"Yes," Castle said at the same time.

"O-kay." Ryan's tone told Kate that he believed Castle.

Not that it mattered.

Another potential disaster avoided.

That was the important thing.

"Kate!"

She heard his desperate call but could only cough in response. The heat was intense, the smoke saturating the air she breathed.

"Kate, you're alive!"

Kate turned so that Castle would only see her back, but his, "Oh, and you're naked" reminded her that he could still see her bare backside.

Really? Now? she thought, disgusted with herself as she felt her body's reaction to the possibility of Castle laying his eyes on her naked form.

"Castle, turn around!"

At least then she could focus on what was truly important-getting out of her burning apartment alive. And properly covered.

"You know, your apartment is on fire," Castle pointed out. "Now might not be the best time for modesty."

She wished that was the issue. If it had been anyone other than Castle who had found her, she really wouldn't care. But it was Castle who had found her. She had done so well controlling her attraction to him for the last few months. All of that would be for nothing if he got a good look at her now. Her body's reaction to him was a major inconvenience at the moment, but there was nothing she could do. Not now, exposed like this.

"Castle, hand me a towel."

"The towels are on fire."

She wasn't going to give up that easily. "Well, what about the bathrobe?"

"The-do you have anything that's not flammable?"

"Castle!" She tried to put a note of command in her voice when she saw that he had turned back around as he spoke but it came out sounding more like a plea. He got the message anyway and turned back around.

"Sorry."

There had to be something-

"Give me your jacket." Finally, the clear tone of command was in her voice.

"Don't look," she reminded him.

"I'm not."

Watching carefully to make sure his face was turned, Kate stood and slipped her arms into the sleeves of the jacket, wrapping the garment around her naked form. Warmth enveloped her, as did the scent of his high-end cologne.

Her body's reaction worsened, sensitive to everywhere the jacket touched.

At least now she could keep him from seeing what the whole situation was doing to her.

"All right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said and turned towards him.

"Okay," Castle said and held out his hands. Using his arm for support, Kate carefully started lifting one leg out over the tub.

"Can you walk?"

Kate let out a pained gasp as she lifted her other leg over the high edge of the tub. "Yeah, just a little banged up."

That's all she would need, to have Castle swing her up in his arms and carry her. The thought wasn't entirely unappealing but she was glad to be spared that indignity.

And the temptation.

She needed a distraction.

Immediately.

"Nice and easy," he cautioned her.

"Yeah," Kate agreed, leaning into him no more than necessary. His arms around her, the rest of his body so close to hers while she hobbled along, the jacket whispering against her with every step, was almost more than she could take. It was only the aches that seemed to be in every muscle of her body that kept her from doing something stupid.

"You in any pain?"

Kate gladly grasped the mental distraction that his question provided. She couldn't be too careful where Castle was concerned.

"Not nearly as much as you," she made the attempt to banter, her breathing a tiny bit labored. "It's killing you, isn't it?

"What?"

"Having to wait this long to tell me how you banged down the door."

"You want me to start from the beginning…?"

So did I pick the right scenes from season 2? :) I was going to split this into two chapters but decided not to. Next time we'll be in season 3...