Back at the precinct, Beckett blessed her good luck in finding Esposito in the break room alone. She quietly walked up to where he was sitting, absorbed in a newspaper article. "SO," she began, relishing the way he jumped at the sound of her voice. "It seems as though you and I are overdue for a conversation."

"About what?" he challenged.

"About you being more loyal to Castle than to me."

Before he could answer, another voice sounded from the doorway. "Now I know there's a joke in there somewhere about the kids taking sides when Mom and Dad fight."

"It's not the same, Ryan. You guys have known me longer."

"So that means we should ruin the surprise for you?" asked their resident romantic.

"I was surprised alright." She tried to control the acid in her voice.

"Yeah, Jack's a top notch trainer," Espo acknowledged, oblivious.

"So is Chris, apparently."

"Really?" Esposito shrugged. "Never met him."

"SHE is very pleasant," Beckett retorted. Ryan's eyes went wide with worry, while Javier's narrowed speculatively. Abruptly he got up to leave, fishing out his phone. "Where are YOU going?" Kate asked.

"To call a buddy about a sparring partner," Esposito shot back with a leer. "If it was good enough for Nikki and Don…"

Ryan came closer to her, seeking to smooth things over. "So you and Castle are ok?"

"We will be, thanks. And don't tell your 'brother' I said this, but he did a good thing. Castle's in much better shape now, which is a win for all of us."


"Ready?" she called from behind the bathroom door.

"I am so beyond ready," he replied, rubbing his hands together gleefully. The outline of light around the door vanished, and slowly the door opened and she slunk into view. Wicked black heels appeared and disappeared beneath the hem of a sheer black robe. "Oh, and you even wrapped my present for me. How thoughtful," he teased.

"It's probably more than you deserve," she retorted, mostly joking.

He rose and met her in the middle of the floor, taking her into his arms. "I have something to say about that, a rebuttal argument, if you will. In case you didn't already know, you stimulate every facet of my being. My sensuality, yes," he allowed at her wry smile, "but also my creativity, my intellect, my personal growth. How could you think I would ever even consider looking to anyone else to have my needs fulfilled?" He searched her eyes, willing her to truly consider what he was asking. The residual storm clouds of doubt blew away, to be replaced by a sultry glow.

She stepped backward out of his embrace and released the tie on the robe. It fell open to reveal an outfit that made him speechless. Her bra's base fabric was black, with green-gold iridescent embroidered detailing. The scallop-trimmed halter neckline plunged down and gave her cleavage that should be illegal. A matching garter belt held up black lace trimmed stockings. The same lace adorned her barely-there panties. He reached for her eagerly but she took a step backward with a sly smile. "Uh-uh-uh, Castle. You said model. I don't think it's ok to touch the models. Guess I'll be the one doing all the touching…"

She gave him a gentle shove and he staggered backward, weak-kneed, until he sat heavily on the bed and let out a whimper. Kate slid her arms free of the robe and turned away to carefully drape it over a chair, buying herself time to get into the proper mindset.

Turning back to him, she caught her lower lip, made that much fuller with a special lipgloss, in her teeth and tilted her head down so that she was looking at him through her lashes. She brought her index finger, freshly polished with a matching iridescent shimmer, to her chin and dragged it down the column of her throat. When her hand reached the notch where her collarbones met, she fanned her fingers out and kept going so that her thumb and pinkie brushed the bra over her nipples. Castle made a choked noise and she turned away from him with a toss of her hair. She strode the full length of the room, giving him a view of her ass, showcased by the thong, and her calves, made all the more gorgeous by the killer heels.

Kate looked over her shoulder to check on him. A telltale twitching of his fingers caught her notice, and she glided back to stand before him. "I said I'll be doing all the touching," she playfully chastised with a pointed glance at his lap. "Don't make me get out the cuffs."


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