So...here it is? Please note the increased rating.

For anyone with more self control than me (what with my resolve to keep this T rated lasting for only three chapters) you can either skip this chapter entirely, complete and content in the knowledge that you haven't missed anything of any particular significance or stop reading at the break.

He can't believe it, he's fairly certain this isn't really happening. The bomb went off. He's dead. This is heaven.

She is heaven.

Warm in his arms, soft and pliable, her mouth pressed to his, her naked body aligned with his, noises he's sure will be the end of him tumbling unbidden from her lips as water cascades over their entwined bodies.

They'd undressed each other slowly, taking their time to reveal previously uncharted territory. Their hands and lips travelling, discovering, with no particular destination, in no hurry, until they were both bare and had stepped into the shower stall and under the warmth of the rushing water with lips locked together.

They'd continued to explore lazily but with an underlying hum of reverence for where they are now. Both in awe of the point they have come to; together.

Finally.

Trails of soapy bubbles are left in the wake of roaming hands as they map the contours and planes of each other's bodies and Beckett delights in the sensation of being surrounded by his scent; him.

He'd discovered a light dusting of freckles in the middle of her back that reminded him of constellations of stars, running his lips and tongue across the smooth skin and committing them to memory. She'd found a crescent shaped scar on his thigh which he explained was the result of an unfortunate incident involving a pen knife while researching an escape for Derek Storm.

At some point, neither are sure when, she'd turned around to stand with her back pressed against his chest. His hands never still in their questing, tracing the lines of her muscles and the shape of her body, his touch both firm and gentle. She rested her head back against his shoulder, her hands lying across his as they slipped across her skin and, sometimes, drawing meaningless patterns on his forearms.

She gasped and gripped his forearms tightly as he ran his hands low across her abdomen and across the crease at the top of her thighs. She turned her face towards him and he captured her mouth instantly, his fingers rubbing gentle circles against her inner thighs. His name tumbled from her lips as one of his hands tracked back up her body to cup her breast. The flesh heavy in his hand and her nipple pulled to a tight peak despite the warmth of the shower.

The fingers of his other hand teased gently through her folds and he felt a small shiver run through her body as she, whether consciously or not, widened her stance slightly. The quiet, lazy exploration dissolved in a second as his fingers slipped between her folds to press directly against the sensitive bundle of nerves hidden within.

"Castle," Beckett moaned and pressed her hips back against his as two of his fingers began moving in circles against her. A sound akin to a whimper left her mouth only to be swallowed by his as he kissed her again. Sliding his fingers from her clit he entered her smoothly, curling his fingers forward as his thumb replaced the pressure against her centre.

He brought her slowly to the peak of desire, his other hand still cupping her breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and pinching gently. His mouth broke from hers and her head lulled to the other side, exposing her neck to him. "Let go, Kate," He whispered, running his lips along the side of her neck, nuzzling against the sensitive spot behind her ear as he increased the speed and pressure of the hand between her legs. "I've got you,"

Her muscles contracted around his fingers, her whole body going ridged for a moment before giving way to deep tremors, her inner muscles convulsing around his fingers as he worked her slowly through her orgasm. He slipped out of her and lifted his hand to hold her more securely against his chest as she regained some composure, caught off guard when she spun quickly and pressed the weight of her body into his. She forced him to step backwards, his back slamming against the tiled wall, his hip just missing the tap, and her mouth crashing against his.

His hands skated down her back and cupped the back of her thighs, lifting her completely off the ground as he turned them to one side. Her back came to rest against the wall and her spine arched slightly, away from the cold tiles, and her arms wrapped more tightly around his neck. She banded her legs around his waist, locking her ankles behind him, and broke away from his mouth to pull much needed oxygen into her lungs.

Castle took advantage of the slightly increased space between them to trail kisses down her neck, nipping at her collarbone before running the flat of his tongue across it to soothe the skin. A string of disconnected, inarticulate noises filled the shower stall as Beckett ground her hips against Castle's, his erection trapped deliciously between their bodies.

"Kate," He all but growled, adjusting his hold on her slightly. Without speaking Beckett reached between them, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as she guided him to her entrance. She met his eyes, her lip falling free of her teeth, and tightened her legs around his waist once more; pulling him to her, inside her, with the strong muscles housed inside the impossibly long limbs.

Another string of groans and gasps filled the shower as Castle slid home, the pair remaining perfectly still for the space of a few heartbeats before Beckett began to rock her hips. Castle found her rhythm and matched it, stroke for stroke, the friction coaxing them both higher. Castle lifted Beckett higher against him, delighting in the sensation the new position afforded them and acutely aware of her approval as he caught all her sensitised nerve endings with each stroke. Beckett caught his earlobe between her teeth, biting gently as she slid one hand between them again to press against her clit.

With the added stimulation it was only moments before her inner muscles began to spasm around him again and she shattered in his arms, pulling him along with her. Castle clutched Beckett to his chest and slowly sank to his knees, her back gliding down the wall until she came to rest in his lap as he sat on his heels. His forehead came to rest against her shoulder and she turned her head to press her nose against the side of his neck.

They were still again, unsure how much time passed as they sat in a heap under the still running shower in a mass of boneless limbs. Beckett was the first to move, straightening slightly and lifting her hands to run through Castle's drenched hair, lifting his head and turning his face towards her so she could kiss him again.

She pulled her bottom lip into the vice of her teeth again, unable to stop a grin spreading across her face as she leant backwards to look at him. She stroked her thumbs across the light stubble on his jaw and brought her forehead to rest against his.

"Warm?" Castle croaked and cleared his throat quickly, regretting the decision to trust his treacherous voice.

"Yes," Beckett all but giggled and nodded once.

Apologies for any errors but I didn't hand this over to my beta for full proofing before I posted, having given it little more than a cursory glance myself due to fear that if I don't just get this thing up and posted I'll lose my nerve and it'll never happen.

If you made it this far; thanks for sticking with me.

If anyone wants me, I'll be hiding under my bed...