Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.
Prompt #6: Snicker - "Why the hell must she always be NAKED?" Beckett yelled, making more than one head whip around in surprise.
Words: 555
You'd think she'd be used to it by now. I mean, it's been that way for the last three books.
Heat Wave, holding her gun up. Naked Heat, draped over a typewriter. Heat Rises, behind the title.
Each time, Nikki's strategically placed silhouette is undoubtedly posing au naturale. Standing, lying down, holding her gun - any which way, she's clearly wearing her birthday suit.
So when the tentative cover art for his next novel came out online, Beckett was completely ready for almost anything Castle could come up with.
Except that.
"Castle!" She screamed loud enough to make even the cops in the elevator wince. "Get your ass out here right now! Move it!"
He came out bearing a cup of coffee from that espresso machine for her. Quickly leaving the sacrificial caffiene on the desk, he backed up quickly. "Whatever you think I did this time, I swear to God and on my daughter's head that I didn't do it."
Beckett fixed him with an angry glare. She leveled a finger at her computer screen and snapped, "That, Richard Castle. That is what I'm blaming on you."
"Oh, that," he sighed. "Okay, that I did have a little hand in creating. But you've gotta admit, it's smokin'."
"She's in total profile. Leveling a gun at the reader. Naked!" She said the last word in a raised voice, but still quiet so as not to let anyone else hear. A moot point, since everyone was listening in anyway.
Castle stared at her, waiting for the punch line. When none appeared, he said, "So?"
"So?" Now Beckett was beyond angry. "We talked about this, Castle. I don't want a naked Nikki Heat on the covers. It's embarrassing!"
"Beckett - "
She plowed on through. "Do you know how bad I get razzed when the newest one comes out?"
"Wait, Beckett - "
"Not to mention all the crap I get when people actually read the book and get to the sex scenes - "
"Beckett, let me - "
" - believe you keep doing this, Castle! Why don't you just - "
"Kate!" Castle shouted, cutting her off. "That's the least risque of all the ones the artists came up with," he explained patiently. "There was one where she was laying on a bed - "
"Okay, okay!" she said, holding up her hands to stop him. Around the precinct, some people looked like the Cheshire Cat had just dematerialized, leaving only his smiling grin behind over their face. "I get it already." Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
Castle grinned boyishly. "Why Detective Beckett, did I just embarrass you?"
Yes. "No," she said instead, huffing as she picked up the coffee and took a long sip. With a decisive click, she closed the window with the cover art. "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything!" he objected with that smug grin.
"You weren't saying anything very loudly."
Castle shrugged. "A gift."
"Do you still have the receipt?"
Review please!
And for those who noticed the Firefly reference in the last chapter, kudos to you! Those who didn't, it was the arson detective, Miranda (planet from Serenity) Reynolds (Mal, in other words, Nathan Fillion's character).
