AN: Here's the next one! Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews for this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 21

Rick looked in mirror, adjusting his hair with his hand. His suave smile reflected back at him as he chuckled before winking at himself. There it was! He may be a bit out of practice, but he still had it. Richard Castle, millionaire playboy, returned for the night! Okay, well, not completely resurrected. He would play his part until needed, then he would return to Kate's side. He didn't want to be 'on' all night long honestly. He'd rather be with Kate, Mother, and Alexis most of the night. He didn't care it was his first book launch in while. So, he finished preparing, straightening his collar of his white shirt before going into the kitchen.

"You ready, Dad?" Alexis asked from the island, looking up from her book.

He nodded. "I'll meet you and Mother at the hotel. I'm picking up Beckett at work."

"Ferrari or town car?"

"Town car. Figured it would be better to be inconspicuous. I don't think she'll be thrilled if all eyes are on us the minute we pull up to the curb."

"Smart move," his daughter remarked.

"See, I can think ahead, sometimes," he joked, picking up a rose from the counter. "Well, I'll see you two later."

"See you, dad." Alexis waved as he left.

He went outside where the car and Thomas waited for him.

"Evening, Thomas," he greeted, smiling as the man held the door open.

"Good evening, Mr. Castle. Where are we headed to tonight?"

"Off to pick up a lovely lady. You remember Kate Beckett?"

"Of course." The older man smiled at the memory of meeting the pleasant woman Castle brought home from the hospital a few months ago.

"Well, she's my date tonight for my book launch. So, off to the twelfth precinct."

Thomas nodded before heading into the driver's seat. Rick sat in the back, his fingers tapping nervously on his knee, while the other hand clutched the thorn-free rose. He hadn't been on a date for a while, even though this wasn't a real private date, he still hoped Kate enjoyed it nonetheless. Due to her being back to work, they texted each other back and forth, in order to make up for the fact that he saw her less. However, they still occasionally met up for dinner or something on the weekends, but Kate felt she needed to catch up on work, and he wasn't going to hinder her when it came to her job. So, this was going to be their first real date.

While waiting, he checked his cell phone, rolling his eyes at some texts Gina sent, in which she pestered him to be on time. Thankfully, Paula seemed to be silent. However she would badger him when he arrived at the venue, no doubt. Shaking his head, he sent a text to Kate, telling her he was on his way.

They arrived at the precinct a few minutes later and he entered the building, placing a charming grin on his face for the officer at the front desk. She directed him to the homicide floor and he entered the elevator, pressing the button for the fifth floor.

As the lift moved, he bounced on his toes nervously, twisting the rose in his hands. In retrospect, he probably should have asked her if it was okay for him to come up to her workplace, but he thought it would be a nice surprise.

The door opened and he stepped off the elevator, his eyes searching for Kate. However, she wasn't in sight. Frowning he stepped in further, but a voice a few feet away stopped him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" the voice spat.

Then, he found himself thrust against the precinct wall.

Kate hummed to herself, applying a layer of lip gloss to her lips. She doubled checked her hair in the mirror and straightened her knee-length navy blue dress with a v -neck. Simple, but elegant. She chuckled a little, the image of Castle's jaw dropping when he saw her playing in her head.

She shook her head, sighing. No man had ever made her feel like this. Humming to herself while prepping, eager for a date. Only Castle could do that and it was…odd. Pleasant, but odd.

Once she finished inserting her earrings, simple diamond posts, she left the bathroom, beginning to head toward the elevator to meet Castle downstairs. However, she stopped, hearing a tussle by the doors. What the hell?

She walked over, eyes widening when she spotted Castle shoved against the wall, Esposito gripping his shoulders. Ryan stood by him, attempting to free the author from Esposito's hold.

"Espo," she called, stalking toward the trio. "Get off of him!" He loosened his hold on Castle, but he didn't turn to gaze at his comrade.

"She told you to stay away from her," Esposito said to Castle.

She rolled her eyes. Although, to be fair, he and Ryan didn't know she was seeing Castle, so she understood the mix up. However, it didn't mean she liked the way her fellow detective was treating her boyfriend.

"Esposito, it's fine."

"You sure? You don't want us to put him in lock up?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan eyeing Castle and her, the pieces falling into place as he took in their attire.

"Uh, Javi," Ryan started.

"Because we'll more than happy to teach this guy a lesson about stalking," Esposito continued.

"Javi," Ryan stated again in an annoyed tone.

"What?" his partner snapped, scowling. The Irishman's eyes flicked back and forth between Kate and Castle again, Esposito following his gaze. He groaned.

"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered. "He's your date? What did he do to get you to go out with him, after what he did?"

Castle shrugged. "Beats me. I wonder the same thing quite often." He tossed her a smile and she smirked.

"Alright, guys, let him go. We're going to be late and I don't need his publisher yelling at either of us."

He gave her a grateful look as Esposito backed away, grumbling.

"Ready to go?" Castle asked, holding out his arm.

"Yep," she replied, looping her arm through his. "Night, guys. See you tomorrow!" She laughed as they entered the elevator, leaving the boys wearing confused and surprised expressions on their faces.

"Guess we shocked them," Castle muttered. "Oh, before I forget," he said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a rose. "For the lady."

"Thank you, Castle," she hummed, grasping the stem, rolling it in between her fingers. "It's beautiful."

"Beautiful flower for a beautiful woman."

She gazed at him, an amused expression on her face. "You're sappy tonight. And you don't look so bad yourself."

"Well, it is our first date, technically. I think I'm entitled to a little sappiness."

She chuckled, leaning her head against his broad shoulder. He placed a gentle kiss the on top of her forehead.

"You prepared to meet everyone?" he asked.

She sighed. "No," she grumbled, earning a chuckle.

"You'll be fine."

They exit the elevator, walking outside to the car.

"Well, m'lady, your chariot awaits." He gestured to the open car door and she took a deep breath before sliding in the back seat. She shouldn't be nervous, not really. However, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that something could go wrong. She had been so confident earlier, but now she realized she could stick out like a sore thumb. She wasn't one of the high elites, so to speak and she hadn't done any real socialization in weeks, with the exception of Castle and work. The night might turn out to be a mess!

As if sensing her nervousness, Castle placed a reassuring hand on her knee.

"You'll be fine," he said, giving her a wink.

She swallowed, nodding as the car pulled to a slow stop. He opened the door for her, holding out his hand. Plastering on a smile she took his hand, feeling slightly more at ease as their fingers came into contact.

Well, here goes nothing.

The party seemed to be everything he'd grown to expect. Bulb flashes, woman gazing at him, some shouting his name, and the all the autographs he would be doing later. Same old, same old.

The only thing that wasn't the same was the gorgeous and intelligent woman on his arm. She wasn't the usual fair picked out from some bachelorette list. No, he picked her, or rather, she chose him. He gazed at her, smiling as she adjusted to the crowd. She grew more into her element, which helpfully stayed once Gina whisked him away for reading.

"There are a lot of girls here," Kate commented teasingly. "Lots of chests." She eyed him and he gave her a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, I might have to sign some of those," he warned. "Don't worry, I won't look."

She snickered. "As long you don't feel them up, we're good."

"Oh, there's only one pair I want to feel." He waggled his eyebrows, earning a snort.

"Well, the doctor did give me the all clear."

He pouted, about to respond when he spotted Gina weaving through the crowd.

"There you are, Rick!" she exclaimed, tugging him on the arm. "It's time to get up there."

"I know," he said.

"Oh," she said, addressing Kate. "I don't know what you did, but thank you. You finally got him to produce something for once."

"I don't know what I did either, honestly," Kate admitted.

"Well, whatever it is, keep it going." Gina then led Rick to the podium, doing a quick introduction, allowing Rick to get into his element.

When he reached the stand, he eyes examined the fairly large crowd, all eager to hear his words. However, his eyes automatically landed on her and his body relaxed, the words flowing from his mouth. Everyone appeared entranced, including her. When he finished, he relished in the applause for a moment before joining her again.

"How was I?" he asked.

"Hmm, it was…okay," she answered, eyes light, full of mirth.

"Liar." He bumped her hip gently. "I saw how mesmerized you were."

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, taking a sip of a champagne glass she must've snagged earlier. "Time to meet some of your friends?"

"And sign autographs," he added. He hated this part, now. Last time he didn't mind so much, but now he'd rather stay and chat with his friends and introduce Kate.

So, they moved through the barrage of people, occasionally being stopped by a fan asking for an autograph on a book or other places. Rick made sure his gaze didn't linger, which caused him to receive a brief kiss on the cheek from Kate once or twice.

They talked to some of his fellow author friends, who congratulated him for being back in the game. They talked politely to Kate, but Rick could see the occasional raised eyebrow. He rolled his eyes internally before turning to another set of friends. When the rounds were done, they went to the bar, where his mother and Alexis waited.

"How are you two?" he asked.

"Good, just studying," Alexis remarked. "I did talk to some of my friends."

"And I went fishing," the elder red head said. "Though there wasn't much to catch." Her expression appeared disappointed. "Maybe an extra martini or two will remedy that."

Rick groaned, having no desire to hear his mother's night plans.

"It's been fun, actually," Kate chirped from his side. "Castle has some…interesting friends."

"I'm sure you met his poker buddies," Martha remarked.

"Yep. They even invited me to play with them at some point. "

Rick smirked, his friends not knowing how much trouble they were in. During her time off, they would play poker on occasion and she won a number of times. So, she would be on his team if they ever played against his fellow authors. They'd be sure to win.

"That should be fun," Alexis said.

"Mhmm," she hummed, finishing off her glass.

"I'm surprised Paula hasn't gone after me, yet," he commented.

"Rick," a voice called and a slight whine emanated from him.

"Spoke too soon, darling," his mother stated.

"Richard Castle," Paula said, stalking up to him. "If you ever make it this hard to schedule a venue again, I will personally see to it that you do everything by yourself next time. Understood?" She glared and he shrank a little into Kate.

"Yes," he squeaked.

"Good." Looking satisfied, she continued. "Tonight went smoothly and very nicely. Keep this up and maybe they'll be a book deal for this series."

"Well, that's not completely up to me," he answered, eyes sliding to Kate. His girlfriend blushed, clearly not enjoying being put on the spot.

"Well, hopefully you let him keep writing, since apparently you're his inspiration. Trust me, if you want to keep swimming in money, then you'll be smart."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon, but I'm no gold digger. I can hold my own, thank you very much," she replied, her tone sharp. Rick restrained himself from puffing up his chest and giving his agent a 'so there' look.

"Oh, feisty. I like you," Paula replied before turning a pointed look to Rick. "Don't mess this up." Then she disappeared into the crowd.

"She's lovely," Kate muttered.

Rick scratched the back of his neck nervously, glad Kate stood up for herself. "Yeah, she and Gina can be quite scary when they team up."

"I can tell."

He rolled his eyes, pulling her closer to him so that her head rested on his shoulder.

"I'm surprised no one asked me about Nikki Heat. Not that I really want them to."

He snorted. "Don't worry. It'll happen once people put two and two together. They only ones who figured it out were my fellow writers."

She laughed. "Only because you bragged about me being your inspiration, your muse."

"Hey, having you as inspiration is certainly something to boast about."

"Mhmm."

Alexis snickered, stopping their banter by saying, "Well, I have to go, since I have an exam tomorrow." She closed her book, hopping off the bar stool.

"How I got a responsible daughter, I will never know," he mused, giving her a kiss on her forehead before she headed downstairs.

"I'll go with her. I'm too tired to go on another expedition tonight." His mother smiled, pride in her eyes. "Tonight was lovely Richard. I'm glad you're finally able to write again."

"Thank you, Mother."

She nodded before heading in the same direction Alexis went.

Rick turned to his date, who looked fairly energetic still.

"What about you? I know you have work tomorrow."

"I don't go in until later, unless a body drops. Besides, don't you need to stay?"

He shook his head. "Not really, I did my duties. We can hang out at the loft or your place?"

She thought for a moment. "My place."

Decision made, they headed downstairs after he notified Paula and Gina he was leaving. Thankfully, they seemed fine with it.

The couple went to the car and slid into the back seat, Rick placing his hand on her knee.

"Tonight was fun. I've never been to any of these before," Kate commented, voice full of wonder. Good, it made him happy that she had a nice time.

"I'm glad you found it enjoyable, because they'll plenty of them in your future." Her eyes widened at his implication. Yes, he was in this for the long run. He hoped, and pretty sure she was too.

He leaned over, pressing his lips to hers for a gentle, slow kiss. She pulled him in, their kiss becoming more fierce and frantic. Just as it started to get really heated, the car came to a stop, and they both groaned.

"Come one, let's go up to my apartment," she said, quickly following him out of the car, her eyes full of lust. The sight almost made him shiver in delight.

After thanking Thomas, they all but ran into the building and the elevator. He silently cursed as two other people were in the elevator, meaning he needed to keep his hands to himself. He could tell she felt the need to do the same, since she kept clenching her hands into fists, the ever present buzz between them brewing.

After what felt like forever, the doors opened to their floor. The couple practically ran down the hallway, Kate inserting her keys into the lock the moment she reached her door. As soon as she opened the door, he followed suit, turning her around and continuing their kiss. Backing her up against the wooden surface, becoming adventurous, his hands roaming her sides.

"Castle," she moaned as his hand crept under her shirt.

"Yes?" he breathed into her neck, peppering little kisses along it. She tasted so good. He wanted, no, needed, more.

"Bed, now," she commanded.

He stopped suddenly, backing away enough to look at her. He searched her face for any evidence of uncertainty, but found none.

"Are you sure?" he asked anyway.

"Yes."

With that, she crushed her lips to his again, stopping long enough to take his hand and guide him to her bedroom. Leading him to the bed, she gently pushed him into a sitting position, climbing on afterward to straddle him.

He glanced up at her, gazing at her in wonderment. Never had he seen such an appealing site. Not that Kate was never appealing, but this particular situation was something he'd fantasized about for quite a while.

While he stared at her, he saw a flicker of something in her eyes. Not just lust, no; something more than that. Love, maybe? Yes, he believed that's what it could be. Love. With that look, he knew this was it for him, that she was it for him. There would be no other woman in his life that would make him feel like she did. He thought about it earlier, but he felt more sure now than ever.

"What?" she asked with a chuckle tilting her head in curiosity.

"Nothing," he said, before going to kiss her again.

There was little talking after that.