IT'S BEST IF WE BOTH STAY
CHAPTER FOUR
She's just putting the finishing touches on her makeup that evening when she hears the knock. She knows nothing about what Castle has planned; he only said that he'd be picking her up at 6, and they'd be going someplace nice, "no ifs, ands, or buts about it." So she's wearing a deep blue cocktail dress that Lanie had insisted she get because it made her legs look "really damn sexy." She's noticed that Castle likes to play with the ends of her hair when they're lying in bed, so it's down in soft curls.
She opens the door with a smile, and feels her face flush when Castle's pupils darken as he takes in her outfit. "Hey Castle," she greets him, and eyes the bouquet at his side. "Are you just going to stand there or do you want to come in?"
Castle starts at her words. "Oh. Um, yeah. Wow, Kate, you look...you look great."
She grins and gives a little twirl. "You've seen me in nicer dresses than this," she points out, teasing him.
"Well yeah, but it's always been undercover, or that time you went out with Mr. July." He steps through the door, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Never for me. These are for you," he adds, holding out the flowers.
"Thank you." Kate leads him to the kitchen, where she finds a vase and arranges them. She turns back to him and reaches out to thumb the collar of his deep green shirt. "Do we need to go right away?"
"No, we have a few minutes. Why?"
"Because I really want to do this." She cups the back of his neck and pulls him to her. His mouth opens on a groan when her tongue swipes against his lips, and she presses her body flush against his, rising up on her bare toes so they're almost the same height. She lets him push her against the counter, but when his hand starts to creep under her skirt she pulls away.
"Do we have a reservation to get to?" she gasps as his lips trail down her neck.
Castle grunts and lifts his head, and he looks at her with hooded eyes. His fingers play with the strap of her dress. "Uh…yeah." He blinks several times, as if to blink away his arousal, and follows her to the door. "Do we have to?"
"Yes, Castle. I'm hungry."
The restaurant he takes her to is just a mile and a half away, but they take his car anyway. She prods him the whole way about where they're going and what they're doing, but he refuses to tell her anything, only says that the restaurant is one of his favorites and that he's wanted to bring her here for years.
"Since I met you, Kate," he says quietly, lacing their fingers together. "This is going to be really, really cheesy. But this place is special to me. I never even took Meredith or Gina here. It just…it didn't feel right. You know?"
"Yeah, I think so. And you're right, it's really cheesy." Kate smudges a kiss along his jaw with a smile. "But I love it. And if it means a lot to you, it means a lot to me."
Castle turns his head and captures her lips with his, reaching up to tenderly cup her jaw, exploring briefly before the car comes to a stop. As soon as they step hand-in-hand into the restaurant, the owner greets them with a smile and leads them to the private room that Castle had reserved.
Castle keeps an eye on Kate's reaction when they step into the basement, a large wine cellar that's stacked floor-to-ceiling with bottles. She looks absolutely floored, her jaw open in wonder, and when she sees the small candlelit table in the middle she looks at him with a grin.
"Really, Castle? You reserved a wine cellar?" She's teasing, and she lists into his side, her cheek meeting his shoulder briefly, smiling when he takes advantage and presses his lips to the top of her head.
Castle grins against her hair and leads her to the table, where he pulls out a chair for her before taking his place at her side. "It's not just any wine cellar." He pauses to allow the waiter to pour him some wine, and he samples it, nodding appreciatively. "This cellar allegedly inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write The Cask of Amontillado. So, you can see why I like this place."
Kate smiles at his excitement. "Yeah, I can." She lets him brush his lips against her knuckles before leaning in for a kiss. "This is amazing, Rick," she whispers against his mouth. "I love it."
They laugh their way through dinner, Castle sharing about some of the more ridiculous people he's met during research, Kate describing awkward arrests from her patrol days. He's heard a few of them before, but Castle doesn't mind; he could watch her like this forever, talking animatedly with her hands, a smile never leaving her lips.
He pays, tutting when Kate offers to leave the tip, and as they slide into his town car he can't help but smile at her little huff of frustration.
"You could have let me leave the tip, Castle," she insists, glaring at him with as much fire as she can muster. It doesn't have much weight behind it, though, and he easily tugs her into his side.
Castle slides his arm around her shoulders, relishing the way she leans into him. He likes this Kate. She's by no means a damsel in distress; as much as he wants to protect her, she's strong and independent and can definitely take care of herself. But now she's showing him this other side of her, the soft romantic, and he really, really likes it.
"It's called a date for a reason, Kate. I want to woo you tonight. Let me woo you." He lifts her chin with his finger and leans down to brush a kiss against her lips.
She responds almost immediately, bringing a hand up to curl around his neck, the other laced with his. Their mouths work against each other as the car moves through the streets, but when his fingers inch towards her hair she pulls away.
"Do we have other plans?" she gasps against his mouth, nudging her nose against his cheek.
Castle lets out a low groan. "Kinda, yeah."
"Can we reschedule?"
"Not really."
Kate scoots to put a few inches of space between them, even though the glance at his lap hints at her desire. "Then we should probably stop before you mess up my hair." Her face is serious, but the glint in her eye and smile in her voice betrays her.
"Challenge accepted." Castle lunges for her, but before he can continue his assault on her mouth the car rolls to a stop.
Kate pushes on his shoulder when the driver opens the door behind him. "Later, Castle." She eyes the line that snakes along the sidewalk when she follows him out of the car, and tucks her hand through his arm. She starts to move towards the line, but Castle pulls her towards the door.
He grins down at her. "We have a reservation," he says matter-of-factly, as if he's offended that she even questions it. "Besides—"
"You know a guy," Kate finishes with a smile.
The hostess of the little jazz club leads them to a booth in the back, where Castle slides in next to the wall, tugging on Kate's hand lightly so she scoots in next to him. Normally he'd let her in first, but he's seen how she likes to sit at the end of a booth, so she can get out easily if needed. He knows it's her cop training, and he thinks it's sexy as hell.
The martinis he orders for them arrive quickly, and they sip in relative silence, both taking in the environment and enjoying each other. The way Kate leans into his side and tucks her hand in his suddenly makes him wish he hadn't made these plans. He just wants to take her home.
He's just about to suggest they leave when the band comes onstage and starts playing, and he feels her relax into him even more. He smiles and presses his lips to her hairline, slipping his arm around her shoulders.
Yeah, he's good here.
They forego the car on the way back, partly because they're just a few blocks from Kate's apartment and partly because she wants to walk off the drinks she had at the club.
It's a cool night, and Kate shivers as she leans into Castle's side, goosebumps erupting on her arms. She has a sweater, but it's thin; she didn't think to bring anything thicker.
"You okay?" Castle asks quietly, his hand coming up to cover the one looped through his arm.
Kate shrugs. "Just a little cold, that's all."
He immediately pulls away from her and shrugs off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. "I can get the car if you want."
"No, don't." She reaches for his hand again and lets him tug her back into his side. She stumbles a little, a little unsteady on her feet, and giggles when he holds her up with his arm around her waist. "Thanks, babe."
Castle quirks his eyebrow at the endearment. "Babe?" He squeezes her waist, and takes advantage of a stoplight to look down at her. "You called me babe."
Kate pulls his head down for a kiss and deepens it for a moment before pulling away. "Yeah, I did. It kind of slipped out. What do you think?"
He stares for a moment, taking in the woman in his arms, the bite of her lip accompanied by the gaze through her lashes. Finally, he tugs at the lapel of the coat and brushes a soft kiss to her mouth. "I think I want to take you home."
"Kate, over here!"
Kate hears her name over the din of the Remy's lunch crowd a few days later, and quickly spots Lanie. They share a quick hug; they haven't seen each other in the week since Kate resigned, and this lunch date is very overdue.
"Hey, Lanie," she greets her friend, sitting across from her. "Sorry I'm late. I was just—"
"Shacking up with Castle?"
Kate freezes. "Um…"
"Can I get you ladies something to drink?"
Lanie looks up at the waiter with a smile. "Just water for me, please. Kate, you probably need coffee, right?"
Kate just glares at Lanie for a moment. "Coffee would be great, thank you," she tells their waiter. As soon as the young man is gone she turns back to Lanie. "What are you talking about?"
Lanie just leans back and smirks. "Come on, Kate. Ryan said that Castle just waltzed into your place like he owned it, with coffee and a pastry. He didn't believe for a second that you two were, and I quote, 'just hanging out.' And this—" She waves her hand in front of Kate's face. "You're glowing, Kate. I haven't seen you this happy in a long time. So." She leans forward and settles her elbows on the table. "How long?"
Kate shakes her head slightly, not quite sure what's happening. She and Castle had considered keeping their relationship quiet for a while, but decided to tell their friends and families. And judging by Martha and Alexis's excitement when they'd been told, it had been a good choice.
"Castle and I have decided to pursue a relationship, yes," Kate says slowly, wincing at the loud yelp that escapes Lanie. "Can you keep it down?"
Lanie reaches across the table and grabs both of Kate's hands. "Oh my God, I knew it. I knew it! So, what's he like?"
Kate shushes Lanie, but she's smiling nonetheless. "He's great."
"That's it? Details, girl. I need details."
"I'm not—"
They're interrupted by the waiter again, who brings Kate's coffee and takes their orders, and when he leaves Lanie leans closer.
"So?"
Kate smiles as she thinks about just an hour before. He'd taken her in her bathroom, hot and quick against the sink, and though he'd made her late to lunch, it had been amazing.
But Lanie doesn't need to know everything.
"He's wonderful," Kate says, a flush creeping over her cheeks. "He's kind, and considerate, and Jesus Christ, he knows what he's doing."
Lanie just grins. "Girl, you have it bad for him. Have you set a date yet?"
"Oh my God, Lanie, it's been a week!"
"Mm-hmm. So you're in the 'spend every minute together and do it all the time' stage." Lanie leans back and gives her a nod. "Girl, I've seen how that man looks at you, and you look at him the same damn way. You two are crazy about each other."
Kate smiles around her coffee mug. Lanie's right; she's crazy about Castle, and she has been for a long time. "Maybe I am," she concedes, "but this relationship thing is still new. We've only technically been on one date, like a real, 'we both know it's a date' date."
"What did you do?"
Kate dives into a recap of their night out, from the private dinner at the restaurant to the corner booth at the jazz club. Lanie audibly sighs when Kate describes that Castle had had the band dedicate a song to her, and although Kate leaves out some of it – Lanie doesn't need to know just how much making out happened in the car – she's noticeably impressed at the end.
"You do realize," Lanie says once she's done, "that it's only a matter of time before there's a ring on your finger."
"That may be the case, but it's new right now. I'm still getting used to the idea that he actually wants to be with me." Kate falls silent for a few moments, picking at the remnants of her French fries. "Especially since I quit my job. I mean, that's what attracted him to me in the first place."
"No." Lanie sets down her fork. "You being a cop has nothing to do with his attraction to you. He loves you for you, Kate. Because you're smart, and strong, and sweet, and sexy. You can ask anyone and they'll tell you that he'd still be head over heels, even if you'd never been a cop."
Kate nods at her friend's words. She knows that Lanie's right, but there's still a part of her that isn't sure. What she feels for Castle, how he obviously feels about her, she's never had this before. She's afraid of it ending; she's also a little scared of it being forever.
Lanie's phone buzzes and she mutters something under her breath when she glances at it. "I gotta go, sweetie," she says, dropping down money for her lunch and giving Kate a hug. She looks right in Kate's eyes when they pull apart. "I'm happy for you, Kate. Really, really happy."
Kate gives her another quick squeeze. "Thanks, Lanie. See you later." She sits for a few more minutes to finish her coffee, and she gets a text just as she's paying.
How's lunch?
She grins. Castle. Impeccable timing, as usual. She types her response when she's outside.
Just finished, Lanie had to go in. What are you up to?
Writing. I could use a distraction. Come over?
Kate draws her bottom lip between her teeth as she considers. "Writing" usually means "doing everything I can think of besides writing," so she doubts the wisdom of her going to the loft to distract him further. Then again, he'd probably end up at her apartment if she didn't, and his bed is much more comfortable than hers…
She keys in her reply before she can change her mind.
On my way.
She can hear him talking even through the door, obviously agitated, and he gives her an apologetic smile when he lets her in.
"No, Paula. I said no. That's off the table." Castle walks back through his kitchen as Kate slips off her shoes, and he leans an elbow on the table, propping his forehead in his palm. "I told you, I don't want you to spin that anymore. No, I won't tell you why." A pause. "Because it's none of your damn business, that's why! I gotta go, Paula. Talk to you later."
Kate's standing at the end of the island, smirking. He looks so frustrated, his hair sticking up from where he's obviously been running his fingers through it, but she manages not to laugh at him. Instead, she taps a finger mindlessly on the countertop. "So, how's Paula?"
Castle lets out a low growl and drops his forehead to the counter. "Paula is…Paula. She's insisting on revisiting the 'free spirit bachelor' persona for the next book launch. I've told her no, but she's used to getting her way." He straightens back up and reaches for Kate, who comes willingly. "But I don't want that image. Not anymore. And I haven't wanted it for a long time."
Kate lets herself sink into his strong embrace, closing her eyes at the scent of his aftershave and detergent, and the faint smell of coffee. It's only been a couple hours, but she's missed him. God, she's missed him terribly.
Shit, Lanie was right. She has it bad.
Suddenly, his words to Paula sink in and her eyes pop open. "Why didn't you tell her about us?" she asks, pulling back so she can look up at him. "You said it's none of her business. But if you don't want that image anymore because we're together, she should know that."
"It's not that simple." Castle leans down to kiss her. "I've been on the Most Eligible Bachelor list for a long time now, and the minute it gets out that we're together, we'll get ambushed by media. They'll be all over you, Kate. Do you really want that?"
Kate furrows her eyebrows. "Well no, but we went out last week and it was fine."
"We went to places where I'm friends with the owners, and they were discreet. Plus, the book isn't coming out for a few months so I can fly under the radar. Come fall, when I have to do press, well, it's different." He takes her hand and leads her to his office. "I just…I know you like your privacy and I want to respect that."
Kate laces her fingers through his. "True, I do like my privacy." When he sits in his desk chair, she follows onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But I also don't want to watch women fawn over you and ask you to sign their chests because they think they have a chance."
"They don't have a chance," he insists, shaking his head. "None of them ever will, because none of them are you."
Kate smiles and shifts to straddle his thighs. "Good." She kisses him, slow and deep, and feels the low rumble of his chest when she pulls away. "Because none of them can have you."
Thank you for the support! Also, Callie is a beta rock star.
The restaurant Castle takes her to is real, it's called Il Buco and the address is (ready for this?) 47 Bond Street in NYC. It's about a block and a half from the address used for Castle's building. It is, in fact, allegedly haunted by Poe's ghost. Feels like fate, no?
