Kiss me Again

When Kate awoke the next morning, she didn't know where she was. Then she heard his steady heartbeat, and memories of last night's events flashed before her eyes.

She was in Rick Castle's loft, in his bed, in his arms. She thought that when this happened she'd be scared. But she wasn't ready to run; she couldn't let what just happened between them go to waste. Lying in his arms, she had never felt so content.

Realizing she was a little stiff, she tried to stretch her aching muscles without waking him, but to no avail. He began to stretch with her, and he let out a big yawn.

"Good morning, gorgeous," he told her. She blushed furiously.

"Morning, Rick," she answered shyly, pulling up the sheet to make sure she was covered.

"I gotta say Kate, I wasn't expecting you to come this way and…and fall into my arms."

"Neither was I. I just…I knew I couldn't deny this feeling any longer. When I was hanging off that ledge…"

"Shhh," he soothed her, placing a soft kiss to her temple. "Let's not think about that now. Let's just think about how you're alive, here, now."

"I just couldn't let you go, let you float away. Dying without telling you that I...that I love you...would've been the biggest mistake of my life."

Kate cracked a smile that she just couldn't wipe off her face at his words. She nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck.

He desperately wanted to kiss her, but he settled for running his hands through her still-damp hair. There'd be plenty of time for kisses later.

"I would close my eyes, and not be able to stop thinking about you." He pulled back to look at her. "You're more than a friend, and I knew it from the first sight."

"My heart beats a mile a minute when I'm with you, Kate."

She leaned up and brushed her lips against his, just barely, so they were hardly touching. "How fast's it beating now?" she asked. Minx of a woman.

"Hold me feel my heartbeat…" he whispered. "Put your arms around me and kiss me." Who was she to deny his request?

When she kissed him, it was full force, nothing held back. She didn't need to feel his heartbeat to know what she was doing to him; other parts of his anatomy were making it explicitly clear.

After spending another hour in bed, seeing how high they could get each other's heart rates, they finally relaxed and snuggled up to each other. Waiting in vain for their blood to stop pounding in their ears.

After a few minutes of blissful silence, Kate spoke. "I've gotta say something I've been thinking about."

"Anything, my love."

"I can't wait to lay around with you, for more moments like these. And to tell you all the secrets I've been keeping to myself."

"I will be more than happy to oblige. I always knew you were a mystery I would never be able to solve, but this will certainly help."

She laughed, a content and clear laugh that made his heart soar. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just…it's been a while since I've felt butterflies…do you feel the same way too?

"Of course I do. Kate, I've felt butterflies every time I've talked to you since the day we met." She couldn't believe how open and honest he was being with her, after all the times she lied to him. Well, she was done with lying.

She wished every single second could last that much longer, so she could spend forever with him. Whoa, was this Kate Beckett, thinking about forever?

Yea. It was. That's what Rick did to her. He made her hope for the future. Forget the fact that she quit her job, that someone was still hunting her. She had a future. A future with the wonderful man beside her.

"Oh, just kiss me again."