Chapter 14

First Date

Releasing a slow, deep breath, Kate took one last look in the mirror before she went out into the living room to wait for Castle. Not knowing where he was taking her, she had finally settled on a pair of jeans, and an emerald green peasant blouse. And of course, a pair of killer heels. She always felt just a little more in control when she had the height advantage heels gave her, and right now she really needed it.

She had tried to tell herself that tonight was no big deal. After all, she had eaten with Castle more times than she could count. They had danced together; been to the movies together. Almost died together on more than one occasion. The only thing different about tonight was the word 'date'. Right?

Of course it would be easier to believe that if she hadn't spent the past two days on sensory overload. Every smile left her catching her breath. Every casual touch sent shock waves through her body. Every moment that she wasn't occupied with the case, she found herself watching him. The whole situation was a bit unnerving.

The only logical explanation she could come up with was that until two days ago she hadn't let herself think too much about her future. Although she had known that there was a good chance that she would have a relationship with Castle, it was always in the terms of some time down the road. Maybe. Some day. But not today. Not yet. She had therefore kept her feelings tucked safely away, refusing to let herself feel too much. More importantly, Castle had taken her lead and done the same.

But now...now the rules had changed. Just knowing that made all the difference. Now a look or a unintentional grazing of fingers could lead to more. No, not could, she amended, her heart beating a little faster. Would. Soon there would be hand holding, kissing, touching...

Castle slowly walked up to her door, a single rose in his hand. He hadn't intended to get flowers. He wasn't convinced that she had changed. Not that much. Not over night. In fact, he had once again withheld information from his family, not mentioning this 'date' with Kate. Then if it turned out to be nothing, he wouldn't have to explain it and see that look on their faces.

Instead, he decided to go into this with no expectations. Just a good time with a good friend. Then if she realized that she wasn't ready for this after all, his heart would be safe. But then he had driven by a flower stand and that small part of him that refused to cooperate with his 'no expectations' plan had him pulling over. He decided against a large bouquet and had settled on the single rose.

He knocked softly, then stood back. waiting. She opened the door almost immediately. He let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had changed her mind.

He stepped in and awkwardly handed her the rose. She took it and held it to her nose, with her eyes closed, breathing in deeply. The look in her eyes when she finally opened them made him grateful that he had decided to stop at the flower stand. He could see the smile in them before it made it's way to her mouth.

"Thanks Castle. It's beautiful," she said quietly, almost shyly. "Let me go find something to put it in."

She returned a minute later. "I wasn't sure where we were going.. I hope this is okay," she said referring to her outfit.

He had been so lost in her eyes, he hadn't even noticed what she was wearing. He smiled as he looked down, noticing her obscenely high heels. The smile faded as his eyes slowly traveled upward, appreciating the dark denim that hugged her long legs. The shirt she had chosen was loose and feminine, with a small tie around her waist that seemed to exist only to tempt him to untie it. He felt his mouth go dry at the thought and he quickly lifted his eyes back to hers.

He was surprised to see the nervous question in them. He couldn't help but smile. Didn't she know that he would think she was beautiful if she were wearing a burlap bag?

"You look perfect," he answered honestly and was rewarded by a shy smile.

"Let me just grab my jacket," she said as she walked over and pulled her red pea coat out of the closet. He took it from her and held it up for her to put on. He felt her shiver as the tips of his fingers came into contact with the back of her neck and in turn, felt a answering sense of awareness tingle up his arm. He quickly stepped away.

Frowning, he held the door open for her. They hadn't even left yet and his 'no expectation' rule was proving to be easier said then done. Obviously it was going to be harder than he thought to keep his guard up.

"So, do I get to know where we're going?" she asked after they settled into his car and pulled away from the curb.

"How about the 'Blue Note' ?" The 'Blue Note' was a world famous Jazz Club. He had been there several times and it was one of his favorite places. He chose it because of it's great atmosphere and food. Suddenly though, his choice seemed a bit short-sighted. He didn't even know if Kate liked jazz.

"Really?" she asked, sounding excited.

"If that's okay. I mean, we can go somewhere else if you want to."

"Are you kidding! Castle, how did you know I loved jazz? I've always wanted to go to the 'Blue Note'".

He smiled, relieved. "Okay, 'Blue Note' it is."

Thirty minutes later, after circling the block twice searching for a parking space, he looked at her apologetically. "Do you mind walking?"

"Of course not."

"Are you sure. I can drop you off and-"

"Castle, it's fine. Let's walk."

Satisfied that she meant what she said, he drove a couple of blocks and parked. He helped her out and they headed towards the music that they could already hear drifting down the sidewalk.

As she had the night that they had had dinner with Alec, her eye's were drawn to the other couples as they walked along. She couldn't help but wonder when she would feel comfortable enough to reach out and touch him while they walked.

When they got to the club, she was shocked by how crowded it was. Judging by the row of people leaning against the wall in the back, it was standing room only. She didn't care. She was just thrilled to be there. She was surprised when Castle put his hand on her lower back and started to lead her through the crowd towards the front of the room. In the front row, there was one empty table. It had a small 'reserved' sign in the middle of it.

"Castle? How did you get a table on such short notice?"

He shrugged, smiling. "I know people."

The waiter appeared almost as soon as they sat down and took their drink order and dropping off the menus. By the time he returned with their drinks, they were ready to order. Despite the elaborate menu choices, she ordered a cheeseburger at Castle's recommendation.

"This place is great!" Kate said as she looked around. "For some reason I'm surprised that you like jazz."

"It surprised me too. About ten years ago I was writing a book and one of the main characters was a jazz musician. I found this place doing research. After one night I was hooked."

Within minutes, the band took the stage. Kate's mouth dropped open. "I don't believe it!" she whispered loudly. "That's Chris Botti!"

He nodded, impressed that she recognized him. Before they could talk anymore, the music started and the soulful sounds of the trumpet filled the room.

Near the end of the set, he made the mistake of looking over at Kate. Although it was dark in the room, the lights from the stage danced over her delicate features. Listening with her eyes closed, she let her body sway gently to the music. Enthralled, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was still staring when the song ended and she opened her eyes.

"Something wrong?" she asked, when she noticed him looking at her.

"What? No. Nothing's wrong." I just couldn't help noticing how sexy you are when you let yourself let go and enjoy the music, he thought to himself, wondering how she would react if he said it out loud. He was enjoying himself too much to find out.

Suddenly a waiter appeared by their table with two desserts. "Tiramisu with Grand Marnier for the lady, and for you Mr. Castle, the Chocolate and Vanilla Tartufo with raspberry sauce. Compliments of the Chef."

Castle smiled. "Please tell Chef Pilet that I gratefully accept."

"You're gonna love this. Chef Pilet makes the best desserts." He watched expectantly as she took her first bite.

"Oh my... Castle this is to die for."

He grinned. "I know right." He took a bite of his own dessert and groaned. "You've got to try this. It's incredible." He scooped up a spoonful of the creamy Italian ice cream, dredged it through the raspberry sauce and held it up for her to try. Without thinking, she opened her mouth and accepted the frozen dessert. As her lips closed over the spoon, their eyes met and the innocent act of sharing a dessert suddenly became incredibly intimate.

Swallowing hard, Castle quickly put his arm down and forced himself to look away. He had seen the brief flash of panic in her eyes, and was worried how she would react if even half of what he was feeling was reflected in his. He was relieved when the lights suddenly dimmed, signaling that the the next set was about to begin.

An hour later, the show was over. After waiting several minutes for the crowd to disperse, they finally made it to the doors, and out into the night air. Castle smiled as Kate chatted excitedly about the band the entire time that they made the short walk to the car and most of the drive home. As they got nearer to her place though, she suddenly grew quiet and they drove the rest of the way in silence.

He knew why. The date was almost over. He would soon be walking her to the door and he was sure that she was thinking about the possibility of a good night kiss. Although disappointed, he reluctantly decided to wait on the kiss. He had had a small taste of what it would be like to date Kate and he wasn't about to ruin it by moving too fast.

As they pulled up to her loft, Kate waited for Castle to walk around and open her car door. She was a jumble of nerves as they walked slowly to the door. She unlocked it and walked inside, Castle following her.

"I had a really great time tonight Castle," she said.

He smiled. "Me too." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

He turned to leave, but she put her hand on his arm, stopping him. "Castle, wait."

"Thank you," she said quietly when he turned back towards her.

"For what?"

"For not pushing. Not just tonight. But..." her voice broke as she looked away.

He knew what she meant. He smiled. "You're welcome." As soon as the words left his mouth, she surprised him by enveloping him in a tight hug. He turned his head and placed a soft kiss on her temple, through her hair. She responded by kissing him on the cheek. He pulled away, just a little, and kissed the corner of her mouth. She looked at him, startled. He knew that if he kissed her now, she wouldn't push him away. But that wasn't enough. He held his breath, his eyes locked on hers, as he waited to see what she would do. As if in slow motion, she leaned closer and let her lips lightly graze his before pulling back. He shook his head and whispered, "Not enough." She smiled that shy smile that threatened to drive him crazy and leaned in again. This time she let her lips linger on his as she kissed him gently before pulling away completely.

"Good night Castle."

He reached up and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Night Kate."

After he left, Kate stood looking at the closed door for a full minute before turning away. As she did, her eyes landed on the single rose sitting in the small vase on her counter. She walked over and took the flower out of the vase and carried it into the bedroom, laying it on her pillow while she got ready for bed. Then she reached over and grabbed the book off the small table by her bed. She opened it and gently traced the words "Richard Castle" that were handwritten on the inside cover before placing the flower inside and closing the book. Setting it back on the table, she slipped under the covers and went to sleep, a small smile on her face.