Sorry, it's been awhile, but I had to get it right. ;)

Hot & Sweet

Okay, the look on Rick's face when she dropped the dress was definitely worth not just having him right there in the kitchen. He'd still been in his sexually stunned mode when she told him bring the pastries along. It was amusing, and so classically Castle. If she hadn't been so turned on herself she might have decided to torture him a bit more, just because he was so damn cute like that.

However, when she'd walked in the apartment door and seen him, her entire body had been slammed with lust. All she could see was his nearly nude body: slightly glistening skin stretched over his wide breath of shoulders and broad chest, a strip of it from the side of his ass down his thigh... A white towel sagged low on his hips...very low. Her mouth went dry, her muscles tensed, and her breasts ached. She hadn't dared move because if she had gone over to him she'd have been yanking that towel off and kissing him senseless...not necessarily on the mouth either. Yeah, there was no way in hell she would have made it through dinner.

It was only when Kate registered that he was eating something that she'd become less carnivious. The juxtaposition of the hotness of his body and the look of boyish pleasure as he stuffed the pastry in his mouth had made her smile and her heart expand. A different kind of warmth had suffused her, a sweet airy lightness that made her feel floaty. It swirled through her stomach, up through her chest and to the top of her head. She'd felt almost faint, yet there was still that heated pulse in her breasts and between her thighs, the pulse that made her blood feel thick and hot as it raced through her veins. It's a new combination for her. She remembered the floaty feeling from schoolgirl crushes, her first kiss...maybe alittle with Royce, but it had been from afar...

No, not going there. She'd seen herself trying to rebuild a wall, create some distance from the feelings Castle stirred in her. Not gonna happen. She's done too much work on opening up to let that scared 19 year old girl blow this. She watched him a moment longer, smiled softly as he continued savoring what she realized was a cannoli and let herself feel it: the buzz and softness, the burning and melting, all the sensations that were caused by her being in love with Rick Castle. Only then had she called out to him.

Now she's opening the door to her bedroom, a tiny smile on her face as she comtemplates what to do first... There's so much she wants to do, has wanted to do for over four years. Take off the towel...or tell him to take it off? Both thoughts cause that heavy, insistent pulse through her body to increase. Some of those things she wants to do may have to wait. She's hot and wet and more than ready for him. She turns, expecting him to be be pretty much behind her, but he isn't.

"Rick?"

"Just getting the pastries!"

Oh my God, no way! Kate can't help it, she sits on the front edge of her bed and dissolves into a fit of giggles. He actually went back for the...

"Voila Madmosielle!"

She looks up and there he is, white pastry box in one hand - while the other is holding the towel together against his side - and a huge Castle grin. He's freakin adorable, and in that moment Kate loves him so much she feels like she might explode with it.

RC

She's staring at him and he's stunned by the brightness in her eyes and the breath of her smile. It's like she's lit from within. A memory of an explosion and a bank vault flits through his mind. Those eyes...she looked at him like that then. Only now she's shifting, tilting her head slightly and biting her lip.

"Rick...it's ridiculous how much I'm in love with you."

Her voice is low, and a bit incredulous in tone, but she's looking him in the eyes as she speaks, looking at him with those luminous eyes. She loves him - and not just a little. It occurs to him that maybe, back when the bank blew up, she'd loved him then, too.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Wouldn't want people to know my detective's into being ridiculous.

God, he loves when she tries not to laugh.

"Good. Because I'd have to shoot you just to prove a point."

Then she stands, unfolding upwards like a goddess, all flowing curls, long limbs and firm curves, soft golden skin, nude but for the pieces of shiny blue half-covering her breasts and where he'd touched through her jeans...

The click of her heels across the floor seems loud, a slow steady beat that match the sway of her hips. She's taking the box out of his hands, careful not to touch him. At least there's a tremble in her fingers, at least he knows not touching him is as difficult for her as not ripping that bra off is for him. Now she's...walking away from him?

"Kate?"

"I'm on the pill, Rick. Anything I need to know about you ?"

Huh? The pill...oh, THE pill.

"Oh! Uh, no, I'm fine. I would have -"

" - Drop the towel, Ricky."

Oh, it's THAT voice, and he lets the ends go without thought, making a slight groan as the terrycloth slides against him to the floor. He's been physically aroused since she'd dropped the dress, holding the towel closed because he'd had to adjust it to be comfortable and the change made a difference in how well the damn thing stayed on.

She's sitting on the front of her bed again, her eyes dark like chocolate as she takes ALL of him in.

"Do you think you'll need more...sustenance, Ricky?"

She's opened the box, and before he can blink, she's popped a cannoli in her mouth, sucking the end in, pulling it out slowly, a dab of white cream on her lips.

He loses it.

KB

One minute she's looking at a beautifully naked Rick, imagining her mouth taking him in like the cannoli, and the next she is flat on her back being ravaged by one crazed Richard Castle. His lips are everywhere: her mouth, her check, her neck. He's popped open her bra and his hand palms her breast, skim over her nipple and there's moaning...but that's her, crying out at the friction as little Ricky presses hard into her wet center, grinds down, hips thrusting, rubbing against her just right...

"Ooohhh, Fuck! Rick...!"

Kate comes hard, completely unplanned for the second time that night, the second time in her adult LIFE. Her body trembles against his even as he's sucking on her neck, still moving deliciously on top of her. He's kissing up towards her ear, a puff of air damp air against it makes her shiver.

"Do you always come so hard, Kate?"

Oh , she hears it. Sure, he's got a touch of wonder in his voice, but mostly it's that pure Castle smugness. She shifts her hips up against him, runs her nails lightly down his back, and smiles as he grunts against her cheek. She starts tiny nipping kisses along his throat.

"No..." she didn't mean to sound quite so breathy, but with Castle's body draped over hers, and she still tingling a bit from orgasm, it's the best she can manage.

Rick pushes up to look down at her then.

"No?"

Kate's smile is soft and lazy as she let's her hand brush his face. His eyes are so very blue...

"No."

She kisses his chin, let's her tongue circle it's sharp but rounded end. Rick gasps and she feels him throb against the scrap of blue satin that's keeping him from what she wants. Letting go, she pulls back to look into his eyes.

" If we ever get around to having actual sex...I'm gonna come even harder."

His eyes go wide, his jaw drops - just as she intended. She pulls him down into a hot openmouth kiss, her tongue sweeping in and over his, running over the places she learned would made him groan and spur him to kiss back. God, why had she ever resisted this?

"Love you."

He's murmuring against her mouth.

"So much, Kate...so much."

She's out of thoughts. Her other arm encircle his back, her legs spread wider to cradle him and wrap around to rest on the back of his thighs. All she wants is Rick, but...his kiss is softer and he's pushes his upper body up off her as his lips pull gently away. Kate opens her eyes and finds him staring intently at her face.

"Rick, what -"

"I wanted to see your eyes"

Then with a grin, a hand slides under her back and he's flipped them so she's sprawled on top of him. He's laughing at her surprise, but his hands are now skimming off her underwear, so she can't be really mad, and merely slaps down on his chest as she pushes up.

"Rick, what the hell!"

She's shimming her hips so he can slip the blue satin down and bites down on her lip as his thumbs skim down the lines between her pelvis and thighs, his giant palms gliding over her butt, bringing the blue satin down to her knees. From there it's easy for her to slide one knee up, then the other, leaving her completely, finally, naked, hair curtaining the sides of his face as she stradles him.

And from there she can't be mad at him at all. Not looking down at his gorgeous bare chest, little Ricky resting stiffly against her belly, twitching lightly everytime she breathes. Watching him watch her, she lets her eyes close briefly as he reaches up to cup her breast, skim a thumb over her nipple. Her eyes open and he's looking into hers, breathing heavily, but still with a twinkle of mirth in those baby blues.

"...I figured you would want to drive."

It takes a moment to register and then she's rolling her eyes and laughing as he looks up at her with that pure Castle grin. And, just like that, the impossible happens. She loves him even more. Her hand reaches down to brush his cheek.

"You like me driving, Castle?"

"Oh, yeah...you are so hot when you drive. "

She laughs at his enthusiam, but really can't hide the sparkle of pleasure and desire his words cause. Then she leans over to kiss him, even as she reaches down to touch and guide him to the center of herself.

"You're the hot one, Ricky."

She says it against his mouth before sliding down slowly on him. Letting her body adjust and stretch to take him in, every inch she takes has them both watching each other's smiles and sighes. He's louder, panting roughly on an "Ah" while her soft little breaths pushed out through pressed together lips, make a higher, whimpering "mmmm." Then she's there, taking in all of him with a sudden final gasp, staring down into his dark blue eyes her own emerald ones shiny with wonder.

"This...is amazing"

Her words are soft, as she lets herself feel what she's been imagining for years. A move to brush a kiss across his forehead creates shooting sensations of delicious pleasure through them both. Breathing, staring...feeling...she has to have more.

She pushes up slowly so that she's sitting straighter atop him, gasping quietly as it angles him even deeper inside her. She lets her hips circle and they both gasp .

CASKETT

"Kate..."

"Yeah..."

Those breathless whispers are the only words either can manage. Rick's large hands slide up to her waist as he falls into her rhythm, thrusting up into her heat as she rides him, her inner muscles pulsing against the hard thickness now buried so deep within. She watches his eyes flick from her face to her breasts and back. Without thought she grabs one of his hands and places it on her breast. It makes them both gasp, makes her arch back and grind down harder as he cups and strokes it, circles around, flicks and then rolls the stiff ruby tip between his fingers. Her soft moans are almost constant now - practically a steady hum - as she moves faster on him.

RC

"So perfect ..."

Rick mutters it as he moves in her. She's arching back and crying out loudly now - not just those breathy, sexy little moans. He can't help it, his hand drops back to her low on her waist, steading her so she can ride him harder. So he can fuck her harder. He's past words too now, grunting with the effort to meet her pace. Fuck, she's arching back, hands griping his thighs, In this angle he finds his hands slip around to her ass, pushing her against him as he thrusts and grinds against her. His eyes snap open and he sees her hair flying around her. Her entire body is flushed, shiny with sweat, and she's got a smile he's never quite seen before...she's beyond beautiful and he's inside her, a part of her, and oh fuck, he's so close...

KB

She hadn't meant to get here this fast. She'd wanted to savor it, savor him. She'd wanted to explore his body from head to toe, pleasure him with every skill she has...but she'd taken him in and nothing could have prepared her for the feelings. She's never felt this connected, never felt this full, or this tightly wound. Every movement between them registers on his face and in her body. Every touch burns through her being. The term heart-felt has a whole new meaning as the friction of him sliding between her thighs rushes blood through her heart, makes her skin hot and tingly. It pulls tension ever tighter, arching her back, arms flying behind her to brace, her hands gripping his strong muscled thighs. He seems to know because his own hands slide down from her waist to come grip her ass. His eyes are slits of midnight blue, staring up at her with that happy and amazed look she loves...that she so loves... Castle...God, she loves him so much...

CASKETT

The wave hits them both at once. Castle is gasping, shaking and yelling out her name, while she's moaning his. Her entire body is ridgid as she spasms helplessly, gushing and flooding over him and down her thighs. Exhausted, she shifts and collapses against his torso, her head fitting perfectly against his shoulder. After a minute of just lying there, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest against her breasts, she starts kissing neck, moving up to his jawline, pushing up alittle so she can see his face. He's smiling and he wants to just keep looking at him, to keep feeling the sweetness of his smile pour through her. Smiling back, she brushes that lock of hair back that falls just above his eyes.

The only sound is their breathing. Green into Blue, blue into green they are one breath, gazing, falling, melting...

"I love you."

They whisper it at the same time, eyes and smiles widening as the words tumble out. She runs her fingertips along the plane of cheek, down the side of his jaw. He's both relaxed and wired. She can feel the pulse of his blood inside her, and realizes he'd come, but not...released. Considering earlier that's not a surprise. Still, it means all the dampness she feels between them is...her. She's beginning to realize what the saying "He turned me into a puddle" REALLY meant. Her body's been a regular waterworks tonight and while she's never felt as good as she did right now, she's alittle embarassed. As if he could hear her thoughts, she hears the rumble of a chuckle in his chest.

"What?"

"You were right."

"About what?"

"You did come harder."

Her eyes narrow a moment, is he commenting on - but, no, he just looks awed. She laughs softly, as much at herself as at him. She HAD said that. She just hadn't thought it would actually be true.

"I told you I would.

C&B&R&K&C&B

Hope it was worth the wait. As you can see, the night isn't over. I thought I'd do one huge chapter, but in editing I thought it was better broken up. So I'm currently reworking the second installment.

On the health front, I'd like to say thank you for all the well wishes and prayers. I had surgery January 18th and it and the treatment I'd been under all fall was a complete success! I have four more rounds of chemo to do starting in March and then, God willing, I'll be given a complete bill of health!

Castle is something that has made going through this a bit easier by giving me a show I can throughly enjoy and get lost in for an hour a week. Plus, all the time reading and writing fanfiction, watching Castle fanvids, and just sharing the passion for this show with all the other fans. The writing is always phenomenal whether dramatic or comedic and I appreciate the time Andrew Marlowe takes in making sure all the pieces fit together in the telling of this epic love story. I think that's a good enough disclaimer - right? The Castle characters ain't mine - I just love to play with them. Always. (Which, if you put "Tinkonbrink Castle" in a Youtube search, click on the one that says "I'll Be Watching..." Best "Always" love letter to the show ever. (No, I didn't make it. :D)