Chapter 11

Jacinta Sawyer is not accustomed to failure. She's a successful property developer from Atlanta and you don't get to manage twenty-million dollar developments by taking no as an answer. There are always different approaches, little swerves or alternative ways of couching the question if your first attempt is rebuffed. So tonight is an exercise in frustration for her.

She studies the man across the table from her. He's said all the right things, made all the right moves but the salesperson inside her tells her that he's not going to go through with the deal at the end of the night. Maybe it's time to bring out the girls, let him know exactly what's in it for him. Jacinta leans forward, giving him an unimpeded view straight down the front of her dress and a very impressive cleavage.

Castle's eyes widen slightly, appreciative of the sight that is a testament to the skill of the dressmaker. Any further forward and Jacinta would be experiencing what the entertainment industry referred to as a costume malfunction. The thin material could only defy gravity for so long. He's seen a lot of female chests and signed more than a few, Jacinta's is definitely up there, top twenty at least.

Tonight's date, in fact, all his dates today have been nice. Three beautiful women, interesting if superficial conversations and enough mutual flattery to keep his ego super-sized. These women are much more his scene, exactly the kind of women he's dated in the past.

Huh, see this Beckett? There are some women who actually think he's a bit of a catch, women who don't turn him down at every opportunity.

Jacinta has already made it clear that she wouldn't be averse to sharing the Fantasy Suite with him tonight. He got an inkling that she might be interested earlier when she accidentally let her breasts brush against his arm as he helped her out of the car. It's confirmed when her fingers hook into the back pocket of his trousers as they walk along the beach, admiring the sunset as her fingers admired his tight ass. And now she's issuing a full-on declaration of intent by sending her bare foot tracing up the inside of his thigh under the cover of the table. She couldn't be any clearer unless she stripped naked and lay down in front of him.

"Are you ready for dessert?" Jacinta's tone implies that she's not talking about the food.

Eep! Castle jerks back in his chair, his hand dislodging the northward progression of her foot. "Umm, yes?" his voice squeaks in a distinctly unmanly way. "I hear that Chef Pablo's deconstructed strawberry and pomegranate cheesecake is to die for." Rick smiles nervously, deliberately misconstruing her question. He knows exactly how a gazelle feels on the savannah as it's being eyed up by some hungry lion, this woman is definitely a hunting cat.

"How about another glass of champagne?" He holds the bottle up as it's a barrier for him to cower behind. It's the second bottle of the night, it's almost empty and he's hardly had a drop of alcohol. Yes, he's trying to get her drunk but it's not because he wants to get her into his bed, in fact, he's hoping for the opposite. Maybe if he's lucky, she'll pass out and he can sneak out with all his parts intact.

Jacinta makes a moue of disappointment but holds out her empty glass for a top-up. For a guy, who regularly has his face splashed across page six of the tabloids with various beautiful women, Rick Castle is playing hard to get.

Castle keeps up a babble of inane conversation, hoping to distract his date but, judging from the predatory gleam in Jacinta's eyes, she's just biding her time. "Mmm, this cheesecake is really good," he says after a bite of the creamy concoction. In reality, Rick's hardly tasted his food at all, he's been too busy trying to avoid being groped.

Jacinta's never had a man say no to her before and she's not about to break that record, that's not arrogance, it's the truth. Unless there's a reason for why he's so reticent...

"Rick, are you gay?"

He coughs and splutters, almost snorting the cheesecake out his nose in surprise at the question. "No. No!" He denies it. "Wh ...wh...why? Why would you even ask me that question? Not that there's anything wrong with being gay."

"You just seem to be ..." she pauses and shrugs, "...reluctant."

"Oh no, definitely heterosexual and there's no reluctance here," he blusters. "It's just I'm not an exhibitionist." He looks pointed at the cameras that are positioned around the room, using that as an excuse.

"Well in that case, let's move the party somewhere private then." Jacinta smiles, she doesn't, for a second, consider the possibility that he might not be interested in what she's offering. She stands and moves around to his side of the table, she wraps her hand around his tie and tugs on it to pull him up to his feet. "Don't worry Rick, I'll be gentle." She says over her shoulder, pulling him behind like a dog on a leash as she guides him to the bedroom.


Beckett finally gives up on sleep, all that she's achieved by staying in bed is a good impression of a washing machine with the way she's been tossing and turning. Insomnia is, unfortunately, not a new companion. There have been times before when her mind is too busy for her body to shut down and just rest, usually it's due to frustration with a case that just won't crack.

Yes, that's probably her problem now. Beckett refuses to admit that her reasons for frustration are purely personal and not professional. No, it's because she's achieved nothing by going undercover. She's been kept so busy by her supposed job, as an assistant, that she's hardly had any time to do any investigating. Yes, she's met Frank Curran but she's no closer to pinning Pritchard's murder on Curran or his hired muscle than if she'd stayed in New York.

Kate sits up in bed, swings her legs over the side and gets to her feet. She snags a robe from the end of the bed, slips her arms into the terry cloth material and shuffles out of the bedroom. Maybe a hot drink will relax her enough to let sleep come, maybe some chamomile tea but definitely not any coffee. Beckett rubs at her eyes, fumbling in the dark as she searches for the light switch in the sitting room. It comes on with an incandescent ferocity that leaves her temporarily blinded and the sight that greets her has her blinking in confusion.

"Uh ... Castle?"

He freezes in place, caught by his bedroom door like some errant teenager sneaking home after curfew. "Oh, hi Beckett." He gives her a half-hearted wave.

"What are you doing here?" she quizzes him.

He doesn't know if he can explain it. Hell, he can't even believe it himself. Jacinta had been waiting for him on the bed, exactly the kind of beautiful, uncomplicated woman that he'd hoped for and what had he done? He'd hidden in the bathroom like a reluctant virgin until she'd finally fallen asleep, either from boredom or too much alcohol, and then he'd snuck out of there and come back here to spend the night in his solitary bed. He'd have to hand in his guy card, he's wimped out.

"Umm, I thought I might go to bed?" he says, hoping that she won't question him any further.

Her raised eyebrow puts paid to that hope. As if she'd let him get away with that pathetic answer. "Well yes, but why are you going to sleep here?" Beckett says it slowly as if he was mentally impaired. "Aren't you meant to be spending the night at the beach in the Fantasy Suite with your dream date?" she asks with a sarcastic tone.

Rick shrugs. "It turns out that she wasn't a dream date after all, not really my type." Which is kind of true, Jacinta isn't his type now but even just a week ago she would have been exactly the kind of woman that he'd be happy to sleep with.

"Was it performance anxiety?" Beckett smirks.

"No! I've never had any complaints about my performance," he emphasizes the last word with a cocky grin. Time to turn defence into offense, he's found that the best way to distract someone from their line of questioning is to start asking questions of his own. "What are you doing up at this time of night Beckett? Couldn't sleep because you missed me?"

"Of course not," she scoffs. "I ...um... heard a noise and I came out to see what was going on. You were a bit loud when you came in."

Except he hadn't been loud at all and they both know it. He grins, letting her know that he's aware of her little lie.

"Well good night Castle." Kate makes a move to retreat back to her room.

"Until tomorrow Beckett."

She pulls the door shut softly behind her and leans back against wood. Castle has managed to surprise her, and she doesn't surprise very easily. The fact that he didn't jump at the opportunity to have meaningless sex is ... unexpected. Beckett isn't fully conscious of the small smile on her face at that thought. Suddenly Kate feels tired and this time she thinks that sleep won't be so elusive.