Return To Maine Chapter 14
A/N: Thank you all for your condolences, thoughts, and prayers and for your love, enthusiasm, and support of this story. Blown away! I have never had this many reviews and comments on one of my stories. You guys are AMAZING and I am so thankful for each one of you!
I'd like to give a shout out to GeekMom who fostered me in the beginning and to WRTRD who gave me the idea of a Maine setting. I owe these two people a ton of gratitude for which without, this story wouldn't be.
When I originally started this story, I had an end scene in mind, but I have decided to take the advice of a reviewer and continue this story beyond that. Still looking for thoughts, ideas, ways for Kate and Rick to have some fun with Ryan and Esposito for snooping, but that still won't happen for another few chapters.
Upon returning to the hotel, they had decided that Kate should have the bathroom first since there wasn't enough room for them both to bathe or shower together and that was fine with her. It would take her longer, anyway.
After grabbing her cosmetic bag from her suitcase, she headed into the bathroom, grabbing one of the white, terry cloth bath robes the hotel provided on her way.
"I'll leave you to call Alexis and the bathroom door will be unlocked in case you need in there."
"Okay. Thank you." he said, brushing a soft kiss to her lips.
She entered the bathroom and turned on the taps after stopping the tub, adding her favorite scented bath crystals and disrobed.
While she was pinning up her hair, she heard Rick's voice over the running water. His voice was muffled so she assumed he had stepped either out on the balcony or outside the room to make his nightly call home.
Shrugging, she placed one foot gingerly into the tub of hot water and then the other, allowing herself to adjust to the temperature of the water before lowering the rest of her body into the steaming hot water with a sigh.
After washing her body, she slathered her legs with the lady shave cream and ran the razor over legs and under her arms, the razor gliding easily over her skin.
Sighing, she turned off the water taps, and decided to relax. Just for a moment, leaning her back against the back of the tub letting the hot water work it's magic. Ahhh, this was heavenly! She'd just rest for a few minutes because Rick would want to take a shower and time was marching on.
Having concluded his business call and his nightly call home, he realized that he hadn't heard Kate in a while. Concerned, he went and listened at the bathroom door.
Not hearing a sound, he rapped his knuckles against the door and grinned as he heard her gasp and the sound of splashing water. She had let the heat of the water lull her to sleep.
"Wha… ? Oh. Sorry, babe. Be out in a second." she spluttered, more splashing sounds and the sound of the plug being pulled from the drain.
"No hurry, honey. We still have time. I was just worried."
"I'm okay." she replied through the bathroom door.
For the first time he wondered if this had been such a great idea, after all.
Their two month separation had been hard on both of them and it appeared that it had been harder for her than on him. She had stopped eating and had lost a few pounds and had admitted to him yesterday that she hadn't slept well in his absence. Maybe they should just return to the cabin and spend the rest of the weekend just relaxing.
He wandered to the french doors leading to the balcony debating over the decision to call this trip off or not.
He turned at the snick of the bathroom door opening and Kate stepped through it, the white terrycloth robe draped on her body, tied at the waist, with her toiletry bag clutched to her chest.
"I'm so sorry, babe. The water should be nice and hot… What's wrong?" she asked when she saw the concern on his face.
"Kate, if you're too tired for all of this, we can always come back at a later date…"
"No! I'm fine. I'm a little tired as I explained to you yesterday, but it's nothing I can't handle and there's no way in hell that we're missing this opportunity. I love you and I've missed spending time with you. You've given me a wonderful gift in this trip and I'm loving every single moment of this!"
"You sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely!"
"Good. I was hoping you'd say that. We'll stay in that case and go through as planned and return to the cabin Sunday morning. That will give us a little time to catch our breath for what I have planned for Sunday evening."
"And that would be what be, exactly?"
"You'll see." he answered, grinning at her.
She moved into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, leaving only the barrier of their clothing between them. "Babe, I am so thankful for this. This has been the best gift you could have given me and tonight when we get back I have every intention of showing you just how much I love this." she whispered against his ear, her tongue flicking over the lobe of his ear before taking it between her teeth and nipping at it.
"I'm looking forward to that. You wouldn't care to show me now, would you?" he asked in a husky voice at her ear, his hand already working at the knot of her robe.
"As much as I'd like that right now, no. We have a dinner cruise to get ready for and there's not a snowball chance in hell that we're being late."
"Evil woman. Okay. I guess I'd better get in the shower, then." he taunted, giving her a roguish smile.
"Yes, you should." she laughed, stepping out of his arms and giving him a playful shove towards the bathroom.
"Okay. Okay, I'm going." he laughed, sauntering off to the bathroom, his hands raised slightly in mock surrender.
She laughed at his retreating back and moved to the small vanity and began applying her makeup.
After applying her makeup, Kate swept her hair up and pined it in place, allowing her hair to cascade in soft curls to the nape of her neck, leaving small tendrils at her temples to frame her face in soft, subtle curls.
She was just checking her appearance in the mirror when she heard the snick of the bathroom door and Rick emerged from the bathroom and entered the room with a towel slung low on his hips.
Catching a glimpse of him in the reflection of the mirror as he moved into the room left her breathless. The temptation to rise and go to him, and pull that towel, it would be so easy, just one little tug... no. She had to tamp that urge down for now, and a stuttered sigh left her lips.
She shook herself to bring her thoughts back in check and began putting her cosmetics back in her bag. She was so focused on doing this simple task, that she wasn't aware of Rick coming up behind her until she felt the warmth of his lips against the side of her neck, just behind her ear lobe.
Her eyes slid closed as she tilted her head to the right, giving him access and sighing into the kiss, reveling in the softness of his lips against her neck.
"Mmmm." she hummed, bringing her right hand up to curl around the nape of his neck.
"Love you." he murmured, his hand sliding down into the vee of her robe.
"Love you, too." she uttered breathlessly, her body responding instantaneously to his touch, heat coiling low in her belly. "As much as I love this, this isn't getting us ready."
"I know. I just can't seem to keep my hands off of you. You just feel so good and I love the way your body responds to my touch. These two months of separation has been hellish and I've missed..."
Rick groaned as his cell phone on the nightstand began to ring. "I'd better get that." he grumbled against the side of her neck, withdrawing his hand and reaching for his phone.
She laughed when he picked up the phone and checked the caller id. rolling his eyes. "Gina."
Kate nodded in response before he hit the accept button.
She could hear an irate Gina from across the room, demanding to know where the hell he was and just when was he coming back to complete his book tour.
"Woah! You need to calm down and take a step back. Where I am is of absolute no concern of yours. You work for me, not the other way around and that can change. I left a message with Paula that I will be back on schedule bright and early Wednesday morning and not a moment before."
Not wanting to listen in on this conversation, Kate busied herself putting her cosmetics back in their bag as the argument droned on.
She collected her garment bag from the small closet and her pumps from her suitcase as quietly as she could and retreated into the bathroom.
When she emerged a few minutes later, she found Rick off the phone and dressed in a navy blue suit, sky blue button down shirt and a navy striped patterned silk tie.
''Is everything okay?" she asked, stepping into the room.
At the sound of her voice, he turned from the french doors, his gaze raking up and down her body, taking in the sight of her.
He swallowed around the hard lump that had formed in his throat before answering. "Everything is fine. God, you take my breath away."
"What is that?" she asked, noticing a rectangular box, wrapped in white, glossy paper with silver bells imprinted on it , decked with silver ribbon and bow reminding her of something you would wrap a wedding gift in in his hand.
"Uhhh. Whlle you were shopping, I did some of my own." he began
"Yes, I know. The sun hats."
"Well, while I was waiting for you, I saw this and couldn't resist." he said, pressing the gift into her hands.
"Babe, I thought we agreed…"
"No. You agreed. I know that you're not a materialistic person, but Kate, I love you. Other than Alexis, you are the most important person in my life. Please, don't deny me the joy of giving you gifts. Please."
After a moments consideration and the pleading light in his eyes and tone of his voice, she could no longer resist. She was fighting a battle that she would never win. For all his aggravating, at times egotistical, annoying ways, Richard Castle was a loving, giving man. That was who he was at his core and to not accept his tokens of love and appreciation would both break his heart and his spirit. And that was the heart of the man that she was so hopelessly in love with. To ask him to be anything else was just wrong.
"Okay." She gently untied the ribbon and slid her fingers beneath the taped edges, careful not to rip the paper to reveal a white, narrow, long, rectangular box.
Lifting the lid, she sighed at the sight of two white gold hearts intertwined with each other, elegantly rimmed with diamond chips on a long, delicate, white gold chain.
"Oh god, babe." she breathed, lifting the necklace from the box.
"So, do you like it?" he asked, hopefully.
"No."
"No?"
"No. I love this! Would you put it on for me?"
Relief flooded through him and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Of course." he replied, taking the necklace from her hands as she turned so he could drape it around her neck and fasten it.
The necklace fell elegantly down her neck to rest just above the cleavage of her dress and long enough to hide beneath most of her clothing for work. It was a reminder that no matter how many miles they may be separated, they were still joined in hearts and she never wanted to take it off.
"There." he said once it was clasped around her neck.
She spun to face him, lacing her arms around his neck and pressing her body as close to his as she could.
"Thank you! It's beautiful and I love you!"
"You're welcome. So no more protesting over me giving you gifts?"
"No more protesting."
"Good. Shall we go?" he asked, offering her his arm.
"Yes, just let me get my wrap from the closet."
He took the wrap and draped it around her shoulders and arm in arm, they left the room to meet Rob.
A/N: So sorry for the delay in this chapter. I know I promised the dinner cruise in this chapter, but in reading through the previous chapters, I decided that this chapter should set the next one up nicely. Sorry about that. Going to work on chapter 15, which will definitely be the dinner cruise once I get this one posted. Still trying to get on a regular schedule so please, bear with me. Hope you all have a wonderful day.