"Castle... Can I ask you something?" She asks hesitantly.
"Sure. What's wrong?" He questions not liking the hesitation in her voice. "You can ask me anything, you know that."
"Can we go home tomorrow instead of waiting until the weekend?" She mumbles.
"Why, did something happen?" He asks, giving her his undivided attention at this unexpected request.
"No, nothing happened. I just...just" She stutters to a stop as Rick pulls her into his embrace.
"Just what, Kate? Are you not enjoying Venice... our honeymoon anymore?" Castle asks, clearly stung by her request to go home. He thought everything was going great, that they were having fun.
Noticing the doubt that clouds her husband's features, Kate takes a step back so he can see her face when she explains her need to go home. "Rick, I am loving every minute of this time alone with you. I just want to get back home, sleep in our bed. Enjoy the last days of our honeymoon in familiar surroundings and our own time zone." She meets his eyes, graces him with the smile she saves just for him and continues. "It is going to be hard enough to go back to work on Wednesday and not be able to be like this." She uses her free hand to motion to the closeness of their bodies and their joined hands. "Let alone an early wake up call for a body drop while suffering from jet lag. I just want us to be ready in case we do get that unwelcome 4am call and have to start our first day back in the real world far earlier that either one of us would want."
"Oh." Is all he can manage because as much as he hates her logic, he knows she has a point.
"I'm not saying our honeymoon has to end Castle, I'm just saying it's time to go back to New York." She says lifting up on her toes to kiss his chin.
"So we can still sleep in, hide out from the world...just the two of us for a couple more days?" He pleads.
"I might even consider spending an entire day in bed with my husband if he plays his cards right." She grins. "As long as it is our bed. At home. In the loft." She punctuates her statements with a kiss.
"I've been told I am a pretty good card player...maybe we could play when we get home." He says with an exaggerated wiggle of his eyebrow.
"I am not play strip poker with you Castle." She shakes her head as she pulls him back toward the hotel with their armload of purchases they've collected for their family and friends.
"It was worth a shot." He shrugs. "I'll make a few calls when we get back to the hotel, see if I can change our flight. You sure about this?" He looks to her for confirmation.
"Yeah, I really want to head home tomorrow, but only if you are okay with it." She says. "And it doesn't cost a fortune to change our tickets."
"Really, do you think I am going to stay here over a few hundred dollars in change fees when you have your heart set on going home? You know that I would go to the ends of the earth to give you whatever you wanted." He assures her. "I'll get us home tomorrow, one way or the other...even if I have to charter a private plane to do it." He adds in all seriousness.
"I promise, I'll make it worth your while Mr. Castle." She gives him a saucy smirk as they walk hand in hand down the crowded street.
"Oh and I intend to collect on that promise as soon as all of the arrangements have been finalized. I will so enjoy reaping the rewards of all my hard work." He grins as he kisses her temple. "You might want to rest up when we get back to the hotel... might be a really long night Mrs. Castle."
"Bring it on. I guarantee I won't be the one calling apples when the night ends." She giggles.
"I hope not... I hope you'll be calling my name instead. Many, many times." He chuckles as a smug grin splits his face.
"Better get cracking on those travel arrangements then. The night isn't getting any younger. It's already after five." She informs him as they cross the lobby of their hotel to wait on the elevator.
"You know that my Mother and Alexis might be at the loft when we get home. We might not have any privacy right?" He worries at the thought of them having to share living space with someone else for the final days of their honeymoon.
"Actually, Alexis is supposed to be in the Hamptons with Paige and a few of her friends that are home from college and Martha is at your place in the Hamptons 'entertaining' friends." She points out, surprised that he wasn't aware of his family's plans during their absence.
"Our place." He corrects.
"Huh?" She hums, not understanding his statement.
"You said your place. It's ours, not just mine anymore." He explains.
"Oh, guess that's gonna take some getting used to." She shrugs shyly.
"How is it that you know where my mother and Alexis were going to be and I had no idea?" He asks thoroughly confused by his ignorance of their travel plans.
"Your overly observant mother and your way too perceptive daughter mentioned that they would make sure to be out of town upon our return to the loft. Martha said she would ensure our privacy needs wouldn't be an issue during our first week at home as husband and wife." She states as she grabs a fistful of his shirt and pulls him in for a searing kiss.
"What is it with you and making out in elevators Kate Castle?" Castle sputters as they break away from each other for much needed air as the elevator ascends to their floor.
"Maybe its the intimacy of enclosed spaces..." She says kissing his neck. "Maybe it's the thrill of being discovered..." She says nibbling his ear. "Maybe it's being in a foreign country where nobody knows us..." She mumbles as she runs her tongue along the seam of his lips. "Or maybe it's being married to you." She finishes as she pushes her tongue into his mouth for a knee-buckling kiss.
"Kate...um..." He stumbles to regain his footing and his breath. " I think this is our floor."
"Oh..." She sighs and brushes a hand through her hair to compose herself as they step from the elevator.
"God, Kate. Are you trying to kill me?" He gasps as he looks at her glazed eyes knowing that he probably has that same look in his eyes.
"I told you I would make it worth your while didn't I?" She throws over her should as she adds a little extra sway to her hips when she turns to walk down the hall toward their room.
"Yeah, but I haven't even done anything yet." He calls as he jogs to catch up to her.
"Preview of coming attractions Writer-Man." She tells him as they finally enter their room.
"If that was a preview, I'm not too sure I can survive the feature. You buckled my damn knees with that stunt in the elevator." He admits with a shy smile.
"What stunt? Can't a girl kiss her husband in an elevator?" She scoffs.
"That was some kiss, Kate." He mumbles still shocked by her actions. "You're a tease!"
"Not a tease if I plan on backing it up later, is it?" She grins. "I'll be in the bedroom...resting... if you need me for anything. I believe you have some phone calls to make."
"Yes, this is Rick Rodgers in room 423, I am expecting a delivery in the next half hour. Could you ring the room when it arrives? I need to request a nine o'clock wake up call for tomorrow morning." Castle says into the hotel phone as he peeks into the bedroom and sees his wife sprawled out on her stomach flipping through a magazine, completely oblivious to her surroundings. "Could you have room service send up dinner? Yeah an order of lasagna, an order of spaghetti and a bottle of your best red wine."
"Castle? Who are you talking to out there?" Kate calls from her perch on their bed. "Did you get everything worked out yet?"
"A bit anxious to give me my reward are you?" He quips from the doorway as he takes in the site of his wife relaxing in their way too tempting bed.
"Just wondering." She claims, her teeth worrying her bottom lip.
"No, still working on it, having a little trouble getting anybody to call me back." He lies knowing that all it took was one phone call to his travel agent back home to get everything squared away.
"Rick, you know it's okay if it doesn't work out. We'll just stay here and go home on our original flight as planned." She says with a note of disappointment in her voice.
"No, I got this. We will fly home tomorrow, okay?" He promises as he hears the hotel phone ring.
"You want me to get that?" She asks but already hears him speaking into the phone although she can't make out what is being said.
"That would be great. Is there anyway to get some flowers sent up for my wife also? Whatever you can find would be great...short notice and all." He says as he hangs up the phone.
"Who was that?" Kate asks curious as to his mumbled conversation.
"Just room service confirming the dinner order I placed while I was making phone calls. Figured we could eat while we waited to hear back in regards to our travel plans." He answers as he sits on the bed beside her, running his hand over her long legs and appreciating the view of her backside.
"I am kind of hungry. Those small deli sandwiches didn't really stick with me. I need something filling to last me until breakfast." She says with a twinkle in her eye. "Don't say it."
"What?" He asks innocently.
"You know exactly what. You were going to make some shameless innuendo. I know you Richard Castle and I know how that twisted mind of yours works." She laughs.
"Fine, I had a really good one too. If you don't want me to say stuff like that you really shouldn't lob those open ended statements out there for me to pounce on." He chuckles, a knock at the door ending the conversation.
"That was quick." She says.
"They were already to send it up when they called. I'll get it, you coming out there to eat or do you want to eat in here?" He tosses over his shoulder as he goes to open the door.
"Out there, I'll be right out." She says as she rolls off the bed to join him in the living area. "What did you order."
"Lasagna, spaghetti and a bottle of wine." He says as he tips that delivery guy and pushes the cart the rest of the way into the room. "These are for you." He says as he hands her bundle of flowers he requested.
"Mmm, thank you." She mumbles puzzled about why he is giving her flowers.
"Just cause." He says answering her unspoken question. "Thought we could share the food, wasn't sure how hungry you would be or what you would want tonight."
"No this is good. What's on the side of the tray?" She points out the white envelope resting next to their food.
"Always the detective aren't you? It's for you." He says handing her the envelope.
"I thought you said no more surprises." She glares.
"Just kinda came up all of the sudden." He shrugs.
She tears into the package expecting to be angry with him for doing something silly when she realizes that the envelope contains two tickets on the first flight out of Venice to JFK tomorrow. "But I thought?"
"I know a guy." He admits smugly. "I've had the ticket thing squared away for over an hour, I was just waiting for them to be delivered to tell you about it. Wanted to see your face. You were winding yourself up to give me grief about another surprise when you saw the envelope weren't you?" He grins. "I know you pretty well too Kate. I could tell you were all prepared to twist my ear or another one of my extremities if I did something stupid. He leans in to steal a kiss.
"So you were just messing with me the whole time?" She questions.
"Yeah, I wanted to give you time to rest before I collected on that promise you made earlier. Not my fault you wasted it looking through magazines and doubting my ability to pull this off." He nudges her arm as he takes a bite of lasagna.
"I never doubted you Rick. I just wasn't tired. Besides, I can sleep the entire plane ride home tomorrow if I don't get enough sleep tonight, right?" She beams as she pours two glasses of wine.
"You got me there. Eat up Mrs. Castle. I'm very anxious to get my reward for those tickets you're holding." He leers.
"Let me finish this food and I am all yours." She says taking a bite of his lasagna.
"I like the sound of that... you being all mine." He hums as he scoops up the last of the spaghetti.
"Always." She says as she runs her fingers along his jaw.
"You want more wine? We could take it in there with us." He nods to the bedroom as he stacks the plates back on the cart.
"No, I'm good. Wine might make me sleepy if I drink too much of it. Thought you were trying to keep me up all night Rick?" She teases as she pushes off the floor to help him with the dishes.
"I'll do my best." He laughs giving her a mock salute.
"What was that?" She gives him a eye roll at the gesture. "You are so weird."
"You chose this!" He laughs using his hands to indicate himself from head to toe.
"That I did. Starting to question my own judgment." She teases. "Maybe you can help convince me that I'm not going insane."
"Oh, I assure you. I am going to take you completely over the edge." He smirks and adds. "And more than once too!"
"Promises, promises." She smiles noticing how his eyes have darkened from a light blue to almost black as desire surges to the forefront. "I'm hearing a lot of talk Mr. Castle. Can you back that up?"
"I thought you liked my words?" He pouts.
"I love your words, babe. But there is a time for talk and there is a time for action." She purrs.
"Did you just call me babe?" He asks in disbelief.
"Yeah I guess I did." She says, realization dawning that she actually did call him babe. "That is not the point here. Focus Castle!"
"Right. It's just..." His thought is interrupted when Kate grabs him roughly by his belt buckle.
"Stop talking, Rick and make love to your wife!" She blurts, catching herself by surprise at the urgency in her voice.
Shocked speechless by the urgency in her tone, his fingers fly to attack the button and zipper on her skinny jeans. His hands grip the waste-band of her pants and slowly push them down her ridiculously long legs to puddle on the floor at her feet. Noticing that his pants lay in a heap on the floor as well, he nods for her to step out of her discarded clothing as he does the same. Returning his attention to her fully clothed torso he begins sliding his hands under the hem of her shirt torturing her with slow deliberate movements as he peels off another item of her clothing.
"Castle." She pleads as she makes quick work of his button-down shirt and tosses it to the floor behind them.
"Kate." He mumbles into her neck as he latches onto her pulse point sending shivers down her spine. He begins walking them backwards so he can lay her down on the bed before they end up in a heap of tangled limbs on the floor.
Once he has them safely on the bed, Castle makes it his personal mission to kiss every inch of his wife's body, uncovering more skin as he makes his way from head to toe. When he has fully divested her of every stitch of clothing he works his way back up her body paying particular attention to that ticklish spot behind her right knee and the overly sensitive spot above her left hip. He trails open mouth kisses across her surgical scar that continues to fade with time and he lingers at the scar between her breasts that symbolize all the things that she has survived and almost lost. He stops to tease her as he clamps down on one of her nipples eliciting a gasp from Kate. He finally makes his way to her mouth where he slips his tongue inside to engage in a battle for dominance.
"Castle, stop teasing. You're killing me here." She whispers with a hint of embarrassment.
"Are you calling apples?" He asks as he brushes a kiss to her collarbone.
"No, but I am gonna be forced to take control of this little mission of yours if things don't take on a more physical nature very soon." She prods.
"Tell me what you want Kate." He sighs.
"You." She breaths.