Hope you guys are enjoying this story. This chapter took a while. Not sure why I had such a hard time writing it. I must have re-written it 8 times. Thought Tropical Storm Irene was going to hinder my posting this today, but so far so good. Hope you guys think it is ok. I can't believe it is already at chapter 7. Probably just 3 or so chapters left I think. We shall see, just aq few weeks til Sept 19!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Castle (Except one show script I bought on Ebay)….sad but true.
When she arrives downstairs she sees a white limo with a chauffer holding the door open. The driver helps her in. Inside there is a champagne flute poured for her and a single white lily with a red ribbon tied around the stem. Beckett picks it up and brings it to her face to smell. It is beautiful, and so like Castle not to give a rose. She picks up the flute, sits back and watches the city she loves pass by.
Castle has been busy in the hour and a half since he left her at her loft. He has been busy cooking an Italian dinner, with salad, and bread included. His phone has not left his hand as he orders, wine, flowers, and lavender vanilla candles to be delivered. When she calls to say she would be ready in twenty minutes he calls the car service and leaves instructions. He jumps into the shower and after 10 minutes quickly dries off and gets dressed. He wears nice khakis and a soft blue Tommy Bahama shirt. He runs his fingers through his hair and sets out to put the finishing touches on his evening with his beautiful detective.
Cole Porter plays on the stereo, flower arrangements have been placed in all the rooms, and dozens of lavender vanilla scented candles litter the loft giving the loft a soft romantic feel. The small table elegantly set with an arrangement of red and white roses in the middle. He has plated the dinners and has the salad and bread sticks ready to go when there is a gentle knock at the door.
"Welcome my dear Katherine," he says to her as he helps her remove her wrap from around her shoulders. He can't take his eyes off her. He takes a step towards her and wraps his arms around her, pressing himself firmly into her back. He moves her hair from her neck, and places soft wet kisses to her neck and whispers into her ear.
"You look exquisite, Kate. Last time I saw you in this dress I wanted to rip it off you and make passionate love to you in the middle of a crowded dance floor." He hands find her hips and he presses his hips against her firm bottom letting her feel what she was doing to him.
"Last time you saw this dress I may have just wanted you to do just that, Mr. Castle." She whispers, her voice low and raspy. A chill runs through both of their bodies, and one of his hands brushes up to cup a breast while the other pushes her hip back towards him again.
"Oh God Castle," she moans as she turns around in his grasp. "You are killing me. I thought you were going to romance and feed me. Not just skip to dessert."
"Your wish is my command, Detective." Castle gave her a quick kiss and slowly drops his arms, leaving just his hand on her lower back as they walk into the loft. Beckett's eyes widen in surprise as she finally takes in the scene spread out before her. Flowers everywhere, candles sprinkled throughout the room providing a soft romantic ambiance, and a beautifully set table. She hears the beautiful melody of a Cole Porter song; she takes in a breath as she turns around to face the man who would do this for her.
"Castle, this is just beautiful. I am speechless," she says as she throws her arms around his neck and draws him to her. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before. How did you do all this in the little time you had?" She nips at his bottom lips then kisses him.
"Magic, my dear Kate, and you are worth every bit of it." With that he walks her to the table and pulls out her chair for her to sit down, and places a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
Castle walks into the kitchen and brings out their salads and the wine. He places the salads down at each setting then turns to open the bottle of wine. He pours each of them a glass. Castle sits down and looks over at Kate across the table as she starts with her salad, and smiles. Their eyes lock onto each other as their hands snake towards each other across the table. The instant their fingers touch they can feel the electricity between them. Castle traces small circles on her wrists. This was finally it, what they had both been waiting for.
Castle picks up his wine glass, "To Always." They clink their glasses together and smile shyly at each other. "To always," she answers him in a shy sultry voice.
Dinner passes quickly with small talk about their lives. Talk centers around the precinct, the newest book he was working on, Martha's acting school, Alexis going to college and her Dad. The entire time their eyes would meet for long drawn out moments where everything else they weren't talking about was expressed. Looks that portrayed lust, love, passion, determination but also the desperate look of wanting to make this real and forever.
After dinner Castle takes her hand and walks her to one of the large windows in the loft. He stands behind her and wraps his arms around her slim waist. He pulls her close to him and lays his chin on the top of her head and sways to the music. Beckett leans back against his chest and lays her head on him. They look out at the city full of lights and life.
"A penny for your thoughts," Castle asked as her started rubbing small circles up and down her sides.
"Is that all my thoughts are worth, Castle?" she giggled. "Can't afford more?"
"If I thought you would let me, I would show you exactly how much I thought you were worth." He answered as he nuzzled his nose into her hair. He loved the way her hair smelled, the way it fell on around her face. How it felt in his hand or on his face. "But my dear detective you haven't answered me."
"I was thinking that it was a long windy path that got us here, and even if it was three years I wouldn't trade a second of it." She turned in his arms to look at him as she spoke, her hands snaking around his waist. "Rick, I am ready for this now. I have never been ready before with anyone. It took you and every annoying, sweet, adorable thoughtful thing you have ever done and said to me to bring us to this spot. It is all you. I fought you. I didn't want you to tear my walls down, I hid behind cases. You were right I hid in relationships with men I didn't love. Yet, you never gave up."
Castle looks down into Beckett's eyes. He brushes her hair behind her ear and runs his fingers down the curve of her neck and along her shoulder.
"Kate, before I started working with you I was bored. I could predict everything I was going to do. I wasn't living anymore. Then fate brought you to me. That first case we solved, I turned on the charm, and you didn't fall for it. I wasn't used to that. Then you whispered into my ear that "I had no idea" and you were something I needed to have. You were a conquest. I used my connections to get assigned to you, and you weren't happy. As time went on and we went through cases, saving each others lives, sharing with each other. You were no longer a conquest, but a need. I needed to make you happy; to see you smile. Sorenson, Demming and Josh killed me, but if they were going to make you happy then I could learn to be ok, as long as I could still be your partner. I had given up hope that you would ever see me as anything more than your plucky sidekick."
"You have been so much more than that for a long time," she whispers as she brushes her fingers down the side of his face and traces the outline of his jaw. She seems to memorizing his features. "I didn't want to risk losing what we have on something that was a risk."
"So, is this still a risk, Kate?" he says close to her ear. He takes her hands and moves them up to wrap around his neck and start to sway again, letting the music wash over them.
"Yes, but it is a risk my heart has decided I have no choice but to take," she answers; then takes his ear between her teeth. Her lips leave a trail of heat as she kisses him across his jaw line and to his lips. Castle moans as she finds his mouth and licks his bottom lip. Her hands play with the hair on the back of his head gently tortures him.
"Rick? Take me to bed?" she says between kisses.
Special thanks to everyone who has reviewed, made this a favorite or put it on alert. I am shocked at the numbers, 94 reviews, 45 favorites and 140 alerts, not to mention 19,087 hits. Pretty cool huh? This chapter is dedicated to baterista9 for helping me become a better writer Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, so maybe I'll just let your imaginations take over what happens next? Don't forget to review or I might just be that cruel…..LOL