It takes longer than usual for Kate to get ready for work. Between memories of the party, the amicable cab ride to her apartment and the toe curling kiss goodnight against her front door she's off to a slow start even without the twenty minutes wasted on deciding what to wear.

Her indecision towards a closet full of clothing eats away at the rest of her morning routine meaning that she arrives to the office ten minutes late and without her usual coffee and pastry. Already there are detectives waiting to ask her questions or update her on various cases, and she dreads opening her email to see what 1PP have overloaded her inbox with.

If she were to bet, case closure rates are at the top of the list and running hand in hand with reducing overtime and attempting to cut staff.

"Captain Beck…." she hears Esposito's voice as she winds her way through the bullpen, heels clattering against the hardwood floor. Kate can feel people staring at her, sense that the gossip she had been concerned about after meeting Officer Hastings on her way to the theatre last night was well paced, and she straightens her shoulders against it all, eyes cutting across the rows of desks to make out Esposito and Ryan with their heads bent together.

Right. She owes them an explanation.

"My office in ten minutes, Detective," is her ultimate reply, heading off whatever her friend might be wanting to approach her with. Kate doesn't stand around to see if he meets her gaze, instead she pushes open the door to her office and nudges it closed behind her in a silent request that everyone on the opposite side just give her a minute.

"Do you need me to leave?"

The rumble of a voice jerks her from the slumped posture she's holding against the door, eyes popping open to see a very amused writer lounging on her couch like he was always intended to be there. Castle still hasn't shaved, a smattering of coarse dark hair decorating the hard edge to his jaw in a way that makes her stomach flip-flop. In fact, he's altogether attractively rumpled with his disheveled hair and lopsided grin, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a leather jacket draped across the arm of her dark, beaten up leather couch.

"…..Castle…." Kate drawls his name, feeling a little stupid at how just his presence in her office as reduced her mind to something altogether useless. All she can think about is the heat of his mouth, the vague taste of champagne and chocolate on his tongue, the breathless little grunt he'd released when her teeth had grazed across his bottom lip. "Hi."

Focus, Kate.

She clears her throat, ignoring how his easy smile is now an infuriating and distractingly sexy smirk. He knows she's remembering their kiss, and Kate hopes that it's starred in a few early morning thoughts of his own on her way towards her desk to deposit her briefcase and to power up her computer.

The rich aroma of coffee assaults her senses immediately at her approach and her eyes rove across the small white takeout box and a black fork before they reach the grande travel mug.

"You brought me coffee?" she asks, eyes lifting to meet his and catch the resulting nod.

"Took a chance, yeah. You seemed to enjoy it yesterday," Castle mutters, reclining back against the overstuffed couch cushions while she pops the lid on the box and gives a pleased gasp at the iced bearclaw within.

Her sip at the coffee is tentative, more in concern for the temperature than the taste, but it's perfect. So perfect that she bites her lip to hold back the moan of appreciation that presses against the back of her throat.

"You did well," Kate replies, temporarily abandoning her coffee to type her password and bring the desktop to life. She leaves her desk altogether after that task is finished, carrying the coffee and the pastry to the couch. There is plenty of space at the opposite end, but Kate doesn't take residence there. Instead, her seat is directly beside her office guest, close enough that she doesn't need to stretch in order for her lips to brush his cheek, "Thank you."

The silence is companionable while she digs in to her breakfast, Castle watching her with a scrutiny that Kate thinks should make her uncomfortable. Instead, she feels herself blushing just a bit at the obvious appreciation in his gaze, how his eyes darken when the tip of her tongue darts out to remove the stray crumbs from her lips after her last bite.

"Did you go home and write more?" The question is pertinent to the reason he is here, to the piles of paperwork and liability releases he will spend the day signing in order to shadow her and the detectives but it is also one that has her curious. He'd painted a stunning portrait of what he thought Nikki Heat could be as they'd wandered among the library shelves, descriptions of her skills in the field and the spunky personality that had made her laugh and stirred up an inexplicable shyness.

"A bit," he tells her, hand lifting to tuck some wayward strands of hair behind her ear, "Mostly background information on Nikki, research on names for other potential characters. Not so much actual writing, not since before the theatre, but the foundation for the rest of it."

Kate smiles at that, her cheek resting against the warm, smooth plane of his hand, "That's good then," she mutters, "But I do have to tell you that you can't shadow anyone today. There's all sorts of paperwork that has to be filed, approval to get from people who are higher up in the food chain than me."

The noise he makes is a bit of a whine, the very same exclamation that the initial Castle had made when she'd excused him from butting in to her case. Rather than filling her with guilt Kate only chuckles at the man in front of her, tugging her bottom lip with her top teeth to tamp down on the smile that so eagerly wants to appear, "Castle, it's not going to be that exciting, not with me. I spend time in this office, or downtown in meetings with administration. There's very little field work anymore, not unless its a high profile case that requires my mediation."

"You were so good though!" he exclaims, hands smacking onto his thighs with his adamance, "I read some of the articles written about your cases, Kate. You were amazing! Don't you miss it?"

Sweet man, she thinks, giving a nod in answer to his question. "I do, but things change. I was needed here," Kate gestures towards her office, to the large desk that dominates the room, "But there's still procedure that we can discuss and I'm going to send you with Ryan and Esposito. You'll really like them, and they're my two best. I worked with them for years before my promotion."

The answer doesn't really mollify him though Castle gives her a nod that is obviously meant to do so. She can still see the disappointment lurking in his eyes, "Cheer up, Rick," she chuckles, "I'll buy you lunch later."

His gasp is predictably put upon, some of the dramatic flair that he's clearly inherited from his mother coming in to play. But there's also a smile, a wisp of a thing that tugs out an unconscious response in her own grin, "Captain Beckett, did you just ask me on a date?"

"I did, yeah," Kate laughs, top teeth sinking into her lower lip while he seems to ponder her request.

"If you insist," Rick tells her a moment later, swooping in to press a lingering kiss against her mouth that she sighs into, fingers lifting up to stroke against the stubbled edge of his jaw. There's just a hint of coffee and whatever cologne he uses invading her senses, and the smooth cushion of his lips sliding over hers is enough to make her forget she's sitting in her office and, even as Captain, there are some rules meant to be observed.

Rules like no public displays of affection, lest your detectives open the door and catch you.

"Beckett…." Ryan's voice is a little high pitched and yelping, as effective as someone dousing her body with a bucket of cold water. She springs away from Castle immediately, cringing as the cold dredges of coffee topple from her hands. It's like a slow motion horror movie, how the impact of the container breaks open the lid and the dark liquid splatters against the blue cotton of his shirt.

"Oh, Castle, I'm sorry!" she's gasping at him, ignoring Ryan's slacked face and Esposito's amused skepticism to find some sort of makeshift sponge. There's a gym towel in the depths of her bottom drawer that she's yet to use and Kate stops short of letting herself drape it against his abdomen and attempting to pat him somewhat dry.

She can already hear Espo's muffled laugh.

"It's fine, I'm fine," Castle tells her, lifting the hand not occupied with mopping up the mess to wave at the two men who have blocked the entrance to her office and, therefore, most of the view to anyone else (everyone else, if she's honest) who might be trying to peek in.

"Shouldn't tagalong be in the hospital?" Esposito asks, closing the door behind him at Kate's gesture, "And didn't you kick him out?"

"Twice," Ryan confirms with a nod, gaze still suspicious where it lingers on Castle who looks ready and eager to explain himself, at least until he looks toward her desk and catches the look she's sending his direction.

"I did but….." Kate finds herself hedging on giving the whole truth, aware that Ryan would likely believe it while Esposito would go on the defensive and ask her where her common sense has gone. She doesn't want to lie to them, not really, but the truth seems so improbable when you aren't faced with the evidence that she's seen, "….Mr. Castle has proved himself a valuable asset, and he's going to be with us for a while. The new book he's working on requires him to shadow an active field detective and since you are the best I've got, you get the job."

The eye roll and look of disbelief Espo shoots at her is expected, as is the muttered "Aw hell," that's just loud enough to reach her ears.

"What is it, Espo?" she questions, waiting out the reluctant glance until her friend spits it out.

"I can't believe you let this guy get to you. I know you're a fan of his crime novels but c'mon Beckett, we don't have time to babysit…."

"How big of a fan is she, exactly?" Castle pipes up, bouncing up from his perch on the couch to stand beside Esposito, eyes sparkling with curiosity and an eagerness to learn more about her. It's not truly a threat to Kate, not when the only thing Esposito knows is that she had several of his books among her collection. And she'd never told him that, not even when Castle consulted with McNulty on the copycat case. That'd been Will's doing, sharing some part of her private life in an attempt to butter up her friends.

It hadn't gone well, not for Esposito when he'd teased her and not for Will when she'd asked him what he had been playing at.

"I don't think so, Writer Boy. I don't trust you," the detective replies, daggers shooting over his shoulder when his partner fails to hide his laughter.

"What! What did I do!" The sound is a pure whine, not far removed from something that might fall out of the mouth of a toddler, "You can't seriously be mad that I was kissing your boss in her office, she started it anyway with the….."

"Castle!" Kate hisses, eyes going wide in an effort to shut him up. She hadn't started anything, though it was hardly the point. "Stop talking," she adds for effect, pushing away from the desk to stride forward and approach all three men.

"First things first, I don't need you to protect me from a boy. I sleep with a gun, I can handle it," she begins, eyes cutting to Esposito and Ryan in turn, "Second of all, I'm not giving you a choice. Mr. Castle was who solved the case, I just followed his lead and he protected me from a bullet. He's asked for a favor and we're going to fulfill it, understood?"

Again she waits her two detectives out in silence, joint nods of their heads the only sign they understand and agree until Ryan gathers the courage to voice a question, "Can he still get us house seats?"