Chapter 25: Woman's Worth

This chapter was inspired by the following songs:

J Holiday: Bed

Maxwell: Woman's Work

R. Kelly: Seems Like You're Ready

"Lucas, I was talking to him." I chuckled.

"Oh, okay." He laughed and took Lucas out the door.

"Dad, I need advice." I started once Rick left with our son.

"Shoot." He said over the line.

K POV

"Rick and I are on the rocks right now." I started.

"Well, what seems to be the problem, Katie?" He asked.

I ran a hand through my hair, "I kissed Josh, thinking that we'd work out. You obviously know about my amnesia and I just didn't know if Castle was right for me. So, I made that mistake until today when I told Josh that I loved Castle." I explained.

I heard him sigh, "It took me four years to realize I loved your mother and the way I looked at her, is the way Rick looks at you, Katie. You need to make things right. I know that if your mother would've done that to me – especially seeing that Rick is still taking care of you and my grandson, Lucas – I would've been heartbroken, placing walls – thick walls – around me. That could be the reason he's acting the way you think he might be." I could tell he shrugged over the phone.

"So, just apologize?" I asked, confused with what he was telling me to do.

"Do what you feel is necessary, Katie. You love him, he loves you, and you both love Luke. Make things better. Anyway, I have to go, Katie. I'll see you in a few days." He said.

I sighed, told him I loved him and hung up.

"Luke just went to sleep," Rick said, placing his hands on the chair, watching me clean the dishes, "He had a long day; so you shouldn't be worried about him getting up in the middle of the night."

"Thank you, Castle." I smiled softly in his direction.

He placed his hands at my hips, "You're tired?" He whispered against my neck, breathing into my ear.

I sucked in a breath, leaning into his muscular frame, "A tad bit. I'm awake now, though." I smirked.

A cool chuckle hit the back on my neck when he lathered my neck with small kisses.

It was a couple of minutes before he started thrusting into me. I came, gasping moaning his name and digging my nails into his shoulders. He kissed me until me came down from my high and started to thrust slowly into my body again.

I flipped him as he picked up speed once more, straddling him again. I moved above him as he knead my breasts, playing with my nipples. He sat up to suck on them and I clawed at his hair pushing his face into them more. Rocking back and forth, he started moaning my name; I knew that he was close. I liked being in control of this, making him come by my movements, but Rick was obviously on a different page to me as he flipped us once more and pounded into me with ferocity. His breath was hot on my neck again and I could feel my body tense.

I moaned his name for the second time and he came with me. My body quaked and twitched with aftershocks as he stayed in me, hands trailing all over my body, lips on my neck, feeling me tremble.

I kissed him again waiting for the tremors to stop. I pulled his head back from mine by the hair and told him again. 'I love you.' I bit her lip as I watched his face smile.

'I love you, too.' He kissed me quickly before moving out of me and wrapped me in his arms. We were content to just listen to the other breathing.

His fingers traced the middle of my shoulder blades, allowing his breath to caress my back. He continued to draw small hearts on my naked body, pulling my hair gently away from my back, onto the front of my body, allowing more access to draw with his smooth fingertips.

"Rick," I giggled, "What're you doing?" I furrowed my eyebrows curious as to why he continued drawing on my back.

"I just feel like I need to touch you." He chuckled, huskily.

I squirmed to face him in his arms, planting small kisses on his jaw, "We could always go for round two." I whispered seductively.

His smirk was too sexy, "I love you, Kate." He whispered seriously.

"I know." I nodded, placing my chin on his chest, looking into his blue orbs.

He rubbed the small of my back, pulling the sheets a little lower along with his hand.

His eyes dilated with lust, "I'd love to go for round two." He flipped us, positioning him above me, spreading my legs apart with his knee.

"I'm sure you do." I laughed, letting him see the glint in my eyes.

"Mhm," He mumbled into my neck, sucking on my skin.

A hand trailing down my stomach, I twitched and moaned when his hands slipped between my thighs.I started rubbing my hips into him, grinding as I started to feel him harden again. I couldn't get enough of this man. I felt like I was on fire everywhere he touched me. His fingers strokedme, probing me, making me twitch and moan every time they grazed my clit.

"I just want to taste you, Kate." He whispered, kissing down my stomach, lowering himself down south. I moaned, grasping his hair between my fingers.

He kissed my inner thigh, sucking on it and licking around the love bite he just made. His cool breathe hit my wet heat, "Seems like you're ready." He chuckled, the huskiness in his tone. He licked me, causing my head to fall back onto the pillow, moaning loudly, my moaning filled the room. He picked up his speed, not allowing me to catch my breath. He wanted me to come for a second time in less than thirty minutes. Then it hit me. I felt like I was on fire as I convulsed, arching towards him.

How the hell is he doing this to me?

'I love watching you do that.' He smiled at me.

I couldn't form words; I just smiled and pulled his lips to mine. Minutes passed as our lips moved together, until I finally took control, flipped him over and slipped him into me again. Taking his hands and pinning them above his head.

'These are not to move.' I breathed seductively. I started moving up and down on him, rolling my hips occasionally – oh and he likes that, I noted. He bit his lip, wetting them with his tongue when he let go. I started to ride him quicker, his eyes closing as I brought him closer this time. My fingers intertwined with his, my weight on them forcing them into the mattress. He squeezed them tighter as his breathing fastened. He was close, though he looked like he was trying not to release.

"C'mon, Ricky. You know you want to unravel yourself," I purred seductively, nibbling his ear.

His eyes closed, moaning into the crook of my neck, "Kate," I continued rolling my hips against him, "Ugh, You will be the death of me." He muttered, finally releasing his juices into my body breathlessly.

Buzz. Buzz.

I opened my eyes, feeling around my bed for the phone that was now buzzing next to me.

I tried remembering last night, looking at the left side of my bed, seeing that it wasn't as messy as it was last night with Rick.

I slid my finger across the phone, answering it, "Beckett." I muttered, sleepily into the speaker.

"Kate, sorry for waking you up, are you okay?" He asked over the phone, apologetically.

"Castle, where did you go last night?" I questioned.

Why wasn't he next to me when I woke up? Did he leave earlier?

"Kate? You saw me leave the apartment right after we kissed. I called to apologize for that. I shouldn't have done that." He explained, he was the one confused now.

I stayed silent.

All of the love and hot steamy sex was just a memory through a dream?

I wished that it would've been repeated last night like I thought it had.

"Beckett?" He snapped me out of my thoughts, "You still there?"

I shook my head, "Yeah. I'm sorry, it's okay. Don't worry about that. I didn't mind it." I whispered.

"We're not together and it was inappropriate." He corrected me.

"Castle, since when did us being together stop you from doing something sexual or hitting on me?" I chuckled into the phone.

He stayed silent, not laughing at the comment I had just made.

"I'll be over soon to hang out with Luke. He wants me to watch Spongebob with him today." He changed the subject.

"Of course," I nodded, "That'll be fine."

He sat with Luke between his legs. Luke rolled a racecar along his thigh, giggling and squealing with joy whenever Patrick hurt himself doing something so idiotic.

I continued to cut the crust off of the three sandwiches in front of me, one for me, one for Rick, and a small finger sandwich for Luke.

I sliced it slowly, making them even, keeping my eyes on Rick the entire time.

Imagining his hands wandering over my body, grasping my ass, telling me how sexy I looked in one of his buttoned up shirts.

The way his mouth would brush against my own, sucking on my lower lip, pumping two fingers in and out of my soaking heat, whispering unimaginable things into my ear lustfully.

The knife in my hand slipped slightly, piercing my finger.

Blood oozed out. I took grasp of my index finger, cussing under my breath, holding it over the sink. Luckily, I moved the sandwiches before cutting my finger.

Rick must've noticed my pained expression because he moved Lucas off of his lap, placing him on the carpet and walked over to my side.

"Are you okay?" He placed his hands on the counter across from me, not noticing the blood in the sink.

"I accidentally cut my finger." I whispered, pushing the nozzle of the sink up so the water could hit my stinging finger.

He made his way to my side, placing a wet rag on my finger and dragged me by my wrist to the bathroom, telling Lucas to stay on the carpet while he went to go help Mama.

He clicked the tip of my finger with an alcohol wipe.

I clenched my jaw, it burned like hell.

"How'd you cut yourself?" He asked, curiously.

"With a knife, Rick." I answered sarcastically.

He shot a death glare at me, clearly not amused with my pain mixed with sarcasm.

"Obviously it was with the knife," He got up, went to the living room and grabbed Lucas and his finger sandwiches and moved him to the table facing the television, but in sight of us in the bathroom to make sure he wouldn't choke on his cut up food – which Castle made sure to cut up (with a different knife). He made his way back to me taking a seat on the edge of the sink, "Why were you so distracted? Were you thinking about something important?" He looked down at my face with curiosity filling his eyes.

"It was something stupid." I muttered, embarrassed.

"What was it?" He asked again.

"As a novelist, I'm sure you've heard the saying: 'Curiosity killed the cat.'" I smiled, blush coloring my neck and cheeks.

"As a novelist, I have. But, as Rick, I really don't care. I'm not a cat. I'm a big boy, I can handle it."

"I know you're big." I said, covering my mouth with my free hand that he wasn't placing the bandage on, noticing that I had said that aloud.

He smirked, roaring with laughter at the way I covered my face. The heat on my face was probably radiating off of me.

"That's what you were thinking about, huh?" He laughed, egotistically. I hadn't seen him laugh like that since we first started talking when I introduced him to his son. In fact, the only one who could make him laugh like that in front of me was Lucas himself, who was still sticking small sandwich pieces into his tiny mouth as he watched the yellow sponge dancing across the screen.

I let him finish wrapping the bandage around my finger, standing up and making my way out of the bathroom, "Pfft." I laughed nervously.

"Did you remember us doing that?" he continued on asking, following me around the kitchen to grab his sandwich.

I didn't answer.

I turned around to find him leaning towards me, his hands on either side of my body.

"You did, didn't you?" He asked again.

I pushed a piece of hair out of my face, blush creeping its way to my face once again, "Okay, yes." I admitted.

He smirked and pushed himself away from me once again, "Okay. That's all I needed to know." He winked and made his way to sit by Lucas to eat his sandwich.

Okay, I know you all want to kill me because it was just a dream, but c'mon. I needed a little heat in the story even if it was just a dream ;) This is rated M for smut as well ;D C'mon, I know you guys had to like it just a tad bit, even. Now, I loved Castle's jealousy in The Squab & Quail, so I had the inspiration to write a chapter today c: Along with your all many reviews which has made me so happy lol!

I saw the supposable "I love you" scene for "Still" on a tumblr and I have to say, "Wow." I cried. I won't spoil the episode with a "She did say it" or "She didn't say it", but I have to say the scene I watched was pretty emotional and I cannot wait to see the entire episode. If you want to see it, here it is: thelifemodeldecoy. tumblr post/48699878545/the-scene-everybody-has-been-wait ing-for-sorry

No spaces. lol. It's pretty emotional. I know some of you want to see it ahead of time so you can watch that. If not, wait until Monday but either way you'll know what I'm talking about :3

Anyway, reviews make me happy. Share your thoughts on the chapter?