The floorboards creaked beneath his hesitant steps and he winced at each groan of old wood, dreading every movement that brought him closer to a conversation he didn't want to have. A thin beam of light fell out onto the rug, escaping through the crack of the door where he paused, jaw tensed, eyes partly squinted. Stop it. He berated himself. This is Alexis. It's just Alexis. You can do this. You're the cool Dad. His heavy breath broke the silence as he steeled himself, hand rising to the smooth, painted wood. You've had conversations like this before. You've had girlfriends before. He nodded, trying to relax. She's never caught you desecrating the kitchen counter with any of those girlfriends. His eyes flickered closed. Shut up. He shoved a hand through his hair in frustration. Now he was arguing with himself. Great.

"Dad, you can come in you know," Alexis' voice floated out. She sounded amused. That was a good sign. Right?

"Hey Honey," he smiled, poking his head into the room, his body nervously following suit. Alexis was sat on the bed, propped up against numerous cushions, and with legs curled up to the side.

"Hey," she murmured, eyes trained downwards on the heavy medical tome balanced on her lap. Castle inched forward until his knees bumped softly into the edge of bed. Still Alexis wouldn't look at him. He noted the pink tinge to her fair cheeks and he sighed. Crossing the final distance around the bed, he sank down onto the covers beside her. With a deep breath, Castle dove right into it.

"Alexis, I'm really sorry that you saw that," he began slowly. "It was irresponsible of me... and I'm sorry that that was the way you had to find out about Kate and I."

Finally she glanced up. He took that as a sign to power on. "Now I understand that you're embarrassed and probably even angry or upset… I completely get-"

"Dad, dad!" the young girl cut him off, shaking her head. "We don't need to do this. It's fine."

"Yes. Yes, we do need to do this," he countered, "I know you're trying to be mature about it, but-"

"That's not it," she laughed, cutting him off and making his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Then she sighed. "You're right, it was embarrassing." She shuddered for effect, drawing a smile from her Dad. "But why would I be angry? Or upset? I've known that you and Detective Beckett are more than friends for a while Dad." Castle did a double take at his daughter's smug expression.

"Honey," he raised his hands, "we have only been friends until very recently. As in as recently as the past couple of days."

"Could've fooled anyone," she quirked an eyebrow. Castle narrowed his eyes. Then he laughed, a real full-hearted laugh. Alexis tried to dodge his attempt ruffle her hair. "So you guys are together now then?" she asked suddenly, seriously.

"Yes," he affirmed, then paused, "I think so."

"You think so?"

"It's still early stages," he smiled, "but I'm glad you're okay with this."

"I can't believe you thought I wouldn't be okay with it," she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Sometimes I forget that you're an old soul," he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. With that, he stood again, heading for the door. As he passed through the doorway and turned to shut the door, Alexis called to him again.

"Dad?"

"Yeah pumpkin?"

"I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks sweetheart," he smiled softly.

"But Dad?"

"Mmm?"

"Please no more PDA in the kitchen? We prepare food in there!"

"Goodnight Alexis!" he cried, shutting the door quickly, laughing as he strode away.

Kate watched the last of the wine trickle out of the bottle's mouth, the deep red liquid staining the glass as she listened to the footsteps approaching slowly. Turning, she glanced up at him furtively, trying to gage the situation as she held out a glass to him. Castle took it gratefully, eyes widening as he gazed around the kitchen.

"Kate, woah, you didn't have to clean up," he scolded her gently. Lolling back against the counter with one arm across her stomach, she shrugged, wine glass resting against her cheek.

"I needed something to do," she admitted, smiling through her nervousness. He nodded, returning the small smile as he took a large gulp of the wine. She watched him, worried, not wanting to pry. Finally, he sighed.

"It's fine," he murmured, "with Alexis. Like always, she was frighteningly mature about it."

"And you're absolutely certain she's your daughter?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood a little, relief flooding her voice. It worked, drawing a crooked grin from him.

"My official theory is that mine and Meredith's irresponsible genes reacted to create the opposite," he laughed, moving towards her slowly. She watched him come closer with heavy lidded eyes, her entire body buzzing in anticipation of his proximity.

"The science behind that sounds a little sketchy," she breathed, trying to keep the to and fro going with difficulty as he crowded her into the counter, not quite touching her, heat from his skin radiating across hers. His knowing smirk infuriated her. She wanted him to touch her. Castle let his hands slip onto the counter on either side of her body, smirk widening to a grin as she began to arch involuntarily into him. He held back, keeping them millimetres apart, fighting the urge to surround her. His fingers tightened on the cool marble as he slowly leant his head down, letting his warm breath curl around her lips as they parted slightly, beckoning him in.

Beckett's free hand skimmed lightly across the skin of his neck, leaving a red-hot trail as it grazed upwards. With a soft sound in the back of his throat, Castle tipped his head further down, attempting to close the distance. Her fingers had tangled tightly in his hair and she firmly held his head still as his lips came into near contact with hers, mirroring their parting. Now he made a sound of confusion and frustration as she held their mouths so close he could feel the tantalising heat of her breath along his tongue.

"I don't think we want your Mother coming across us too," she murmured, the soft movement of her lips brushing ever so lightly against his. Groaning, he pulled back.

"Stop being so irresistible," he muttered as she pressed her face into his throat, muffling her laughter. He let his mouth and nose nuzzle into her hair, breathing her in.

"You showered." It was almost an accusation. Waiting all day for her to ring had been torture, the seconds edging by like eternity.

"I think you could do with one of those," she smirked, scrunching her nose in mock distaste.

"Only if you join me," he leered down at her, hands circling her waist.

"In your dreams Castle," she snorted.

"Oh-so-many of my dreams have come true in the last twenty-four hours," he pointed out, sliding his hips forward to meet hers.

"I've already showered," she chuckled, "another time."

"I'm going to remind you about that," he promised, fingers curling into the waistband of her jeans, tugging her away from the counter with him.

"I hope so," she moved with him, letting his strong hands steer her out of the kitchen and towards the study.

As they shuffled awkwardly through the door, neither willing to let the other go, Kate took in the state of his desk, laptop open, scrunched up paper and coffee mugs littered across it. Her eyes widened in wonder.

"Were you writing?" she breathed, filling with excitement as she imagined him sitting there, writing those beautiful words that had pulled her out of the darkest places.

"I was very inspired earlier," he smirked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. She turned quickly to look at him, teeth tugging at her lower lip.

"Oh, really?" she grinned, arms curving up to hook around his neck, pulling his head down to catch his mouth in a brief kiss.

"You were very… muse-y last night," his eyes glinted with something that made heat blossom in her stomach, "So Nikki and Rook had a somewhat similar…" His lips grazed the length of her jaw, pausing at her ear, "experience."

"Can I read it?"

"Sure, when it's published," he chuckled. Annoyed, she nudged him away with her hip. "Hey!" he protested, trying to grab for her as she shimmied out of reach. "I thought you didn't like spoilers?"

"I don't," she admitted, backing towards the bedroom door.

"You just really want to read a Nikki and Rook sex scene don't you?" he smirked, prowling after her, "I knew you were turned on by the one in 'Heat Wave'." Pausing just past the doorway, she levelled him with a sultry gaze, tongue curling behind her upper teeth as she let her eyes drop from his face, slowly tracing down his body to his groin, then flicking up again.

"You have no idea," she purred.

His body collided with hers with a soft thump, causing her to shriek and laugh as he careened them down onto the bed.

"You have no idea how often I've fantasised about you fantasising about us," he growled, mouth pressing hot, damp kisses to her throat and jaw.

"Oh, I think I can imagine," she grinned, letting her eyes flicker shut in ecstasy as she arched her head up, giving him better access. Then she frowned and paused, fingers tugging at his earlobes, pulling his face away from her skin.

"What?"

"I wasn't kidding about the shower," she told him seriously, eyebrows arched. Muttering, he clambered off of her and pulled his t-shirt up, taking a tentative sniff.

"That might be a good idea," he assented finally, pulling a face. "Will you be here when I get out?"

"I'm not going anywhere," she grinned, spreading herself lazily over the bed to emphasise the point. With a last, hungry perusal of her body, he turned quickly and raced into the bathroom. Kate let herself lie languidly on the silky sheets for a few moments, breathing him in, a soft smile playing at her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this… content. Her entire body thrummed with joy yet she was relaxed… calm. Cocking her head to listen to the sound of the steady rush of the shower filtering in from the bathroom, she licked her lips slowly, imagining the hot water streaming down his naked body, the steam curling around his broad shoulders… the delicious curve of his ass. Smirking, she slipped off of the bed and to her feet, fingers tugging the hem of her shirt up and overhead, letting it pool onto the floor behind her as she stalked forward.

"Kate?" Castle called as he wrapped a towel around his waist, hooking it together not-so-securely. Silence. Confused, trying to force the worry away, he grabbed another towel and headed out into the bedroom, vigorously rubbing his hair dry. He paused just past the doorway, taking in the empty room. Just as his insecurities creeped in, as he began to let himself believe that she had left, his eyes settled on her top, discarded and crumpled on the floor. Glancing up towards the study, he grinned as he spotted her jeans a few feet away, then gasped, hurrying forward. Hanging enticingly from the door handle was a black lacy bra. His fingers brushed over the soft material as he curled them around the handle and, holding himself together, pushed the door open.

"About time," she huffed, and he barely had time to raise his hand and catch the thing she threw at him. His eyes widened and travelled from the sheer, black panties dangling from his fingers to her, in all her nude glory, perched on the corner of his desk, legs crossed as she surveyed him with lust burned into her eyes.

"You're naked," he grinned, his eyes darkening as he stalked slowly towards her.

"Nice to see your years working with Detectives have rubbed off," she rolled her eyes, "but why aren't you naked?" Her eyes flicked to his towel, frowning softly. Smirking, he hooked a finger under the damp material and yanked gently, unravelling it and tossing it aside.

"Much better," she murmured, sliding down from the desk. She trailed her gaze down from his face, lingering on the soft water drops clinging to his broad chest. She watched as one dislodged itself and trickled slowly down over the firm muscles until it disappeared in the dark trail of hair below his belly button. Kate closed the distance, still intent on those water droplets, her head ducking down so she could suck each one from the flushed, feverish skin, rolling her tongue over every piece her mouth marked. His fingers gusted up the length of her arm to her shoulder where he brushed the soft curls aside, replacing them with his lips, kissing each little freckle that he had discovered the night before.

Her own hands curved down his back, fingers leaving imprints on his skin as she stroked them over his firm ass cheeks, grinning against his throat. She would never admit to him just how often she checked out his ass… or how hot beneath the collar she got when he showed up at the precinct in those jeans that just cupped it perfectly. They also created a very pleasing display of something else that was currently digging impatiently into her hipbone. With a smirk, she traced one hand round his hips, bringing it down between them. His gasp was loud in the heavy silence as her fingers wrapped tightly around his shaft, squeezing firmly. She moved backwards slowly, her hand keeping its tight grip on him, forcing him to move with her, his eyes wide with arousal when they met hers. As they snaked around the large desk, she rotated him carefully until the back of his legs bumped into the soft leather of the chair. Releasing him finally, she slipped her hands up his trembling body and curled them around his shoulders, pressing down hard, knocking him backwards into the seat.

Castle stared up at her, his wide, sapphire eyes smouldering with lust and awe as she bent towards him, hair brushing across his shoulders and cheeks. She grazed her lips across his, tongue tracing the seam until he opened them for her, letting her in, breathing her in. The chair creaked as she raised her legs, one by one, to either side of him, trapping his thighs between hers. His hand came up, gusting the length of the inside of her thigh. A harsh moan caught in her throat as his thumb dragged through her soaking folds in one swift motion before his index finger slipped inside her. She gasped against his mouth, back arching sharply as he curled the finger deep inside, thumb pressing hard against her throbbing clit. When a second finger was thrust within her, she dropped her face heavily to his shoulder, mewling softly as he built a steady rhythm. Kate arched higher again, head thrown back in ecstasy, a choked cry of pleasure ripping from her lips as his own closed around her nipple and his tongue flicked the stiff bud.

His fingers slipped out of her, one by one with soft pops and she growled in discontent, mourning the connection. Reaching down, she curled her hand around his wrist, raising his fingers into the faint light where they glistened with her arousal, proof of just how badly she wanted him. Needed him. Through dark eyelashes he watched, his heart thudding maddeningly inside his chest as her hypnotic eyes held his gaze and her bee-stung lips slipped down the length of his index finger.

"God, Kate," his voice was harsh, ragged, exploding through the tension-soaked silence as she let the digit slip from her lips, teeth grazing the soft skin. His hands slid down to grip her hips tightly as she lowered them down to meet his, their eyes fluttering shut in unison as he sunk deeply within her. They paused for long moments; entirely still save for the shaky, harsh gasps that racked their damp bodies.

Finally, her eyes quivered open to meet his, already wide and wild, drinking in her face. Beneath his trembling fingers, Castle felt the firm muscles of her thighs tense and flux as she lifted herself up until barely a breadth kept them connected. Eyes locked tightly, they each inhaled deeply as one. Their muffled cries of elation filled the dim room as she slammed back down onto him, fingers tugging roughly at his hair, ears and skin. His hands slid upwards, digging into the soft flesh of her ass, taking control, lifting her high and surging his hips up to meet her. They moved fluidly together, a rolling motion of hips and hands and the soft smack of skin against damp skin. He surged into her again and again until his name became a curse on her lips, chanted out as if in worship, driving him on further and longer and harder. Her eyes were up on the ceiling but all she saw was light as her body shook with a building tsunami of ecstasy that threatened to burst from her very pores.

Just as he felt her body begin to shudder with tension, her eyes losing all focus, Castle clamped his hands back onto her hips and slowed their bodies to a complete stop. She swore loudly, desperately trying to gyrate down onto his pelvis, but he held her firmly.

"Castle, don't you dare…" she growled at him. He darted upwards, capturing her snarling mouth with his and she sunk her teeth into his lip, fingernails scrabbling at his back. "Don't you dare stop." The pain erupted something inside him and he started again, pounding relentlessly into her, their heads thrown backwards in unified ecstasy, soaring upwards together until in one shattering moment they crashed through into oblivion.

Kate collapsed down onto his chest, arms limply thrown over his quivering shoulders as she drew in a rough gasp of cool air. His own arms slipped up her sweaty body, enveloping her within them as she lowered her forehead to his, pressing them tightly together.

"Castle…" she breathed, words failing her for the moment. She had never realised how much energy it took to speak. "If I didn't love you so much right now I would probably kill you for that stunt you pulled." She frowned as she felt him tense beneath her. "What?" she opened her eyes to find his wide and sparkling, millimetres from her own.

"If you didn't what?" his entire body hummed now as she narrowed her eyes in confusion. Then her lips popped open in a silent 'oh'. Suddenly she was grinning against his mouth, kissing him deeply and repeatedly until neither of them could breathe.

"Yeah, you heard me," she murmured against his lips. Then she was crying out in surprise as he flew from the chair, lifting her with him. She wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively, stopping herself from hitting the ground. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to my bed where I plan to make love to you until you say it again," he whooped as they careened into the bedroom. The solid thud of the door shutting behind them echoed in the silent loft.

A/N: Hope you all liked it. This chapter took me too long to get out. I think this story is definitely drawing to a close. There'll be one, maybe two more chapters at most. I've really loved writing this and loved all your support and kind words, but I may have dragged this one out a little now. I still need to deal with Kate's secret coming out so it's not quite over yet! :) I have a big idea for a much longer story brewing and I can't wait to get started on that and see what you all think. Happy Castle Monday for tomorrow (wooo Gina Torres!) and I'll try and have the next chapter up soon. xx