This was one of my favorite chapters to write so I really hope you enjoy it!

2x14—The Third Man

"Some people just don't know how to act on a date."

"Especially on a first date!"

"Exactly."

Beckett drove and they arrived at Remy's in under twenty minutes, ordered their food, and got their usual corner booth in the back, sipping their milkshakes as they waited for their food to be done.

"So what did the journalist say about your little blurb on the list? Is she going to write something else that denies the rumors?" Kate asked, trying to sound casual about it.

Castle shrugged. "Perhaps," he said, "if I do something for her in return."

"Something as in…?" Kate asked, lifting one brow.

"As in a private interview and a sneak peek of the next book," Castle answered her unspoken question. "What do you take me for, Detective?" he asked, acting affronted. Kate snorted.

"You don't wanna know," she joked. Castle gave her a teasing look before chuckling as he took another sip of his milkshake. His was chocolate; hers was strawberry.

"Would it really be that horrible?" he asked, suddenly. Kate's eyes widened in confusion.

"Would what be?" she asked.

"Us dating," he said, before correcting himself, "people thinking that we were dating or 'romantically involved'." He used air quotes and Kate almost laughed, but the serious tone of his voice gave her pause.

Would it be so bad if they were thought to be dating? She knew that the boys at the Precinct would give her hell for it, but eventually they would tone it down and give her the respect she'd earned; she was their boss, after all. And, if she were being honest with herself, she used to imagine this—dating Richard Castle—back when she was a shy little college girl, still smarting from her mother's death and trying her hardest to play rough with the big boys. She'd been to his book signing and had barely been able to peep out a thank you after he signed her book with a flourish, but night after night after night, she had gazed at his headshot on the back cover of each of his books and imagined a man as sophisticated and worldly as his writing made him seen.

Instead, she'd gotten Playboy Rick Castle; man-child extraordinaire. She'd had no idea how a man who wrote as beautifully as he did could possibly be as immature and self-centered as the man in front of her…but that was back in the early days, when she still thought she knew everything about him.

Now…now she really wasn't sure what she knew about this man, other than he had an 'image' to uphold. An image that he'd insinuated would be ruined if his fans thought they were romantically involved.

"You tell me," she shot back. "What was that you said before? Us together would ruin your 'reputation'?" It was her turn to use the air quotes.

Castle sighed. "You know that's not what I meant," he said. "I was just trying not to get shot. Besides, I don't really care about my image further than my getting paid for it enough to support myself and Alexis. Other than that, the only two people who even care about my image are my publicist and my publisher; I couldn't care less. But you act like it would be the end of the world. Now, why is that? Am I really that horrible? Because I think I've proved how much of a good man I can really be, don't you? I mean, I'm a good father, I'm a good citizen…now, I don't do drugs or drink more than I'm supposed to, I do my best to help you out at the Precinct…why do you still act as if I'm just some big distraction? Like I don't do my best to help you out?"

Kate was silent for a moment, wracking her brain for the answer to that question, but the second she opened her mouth, their order was called and Castle stood.

"I'll get it," he said, not looking at her, "you just…keep thinking about that."

When he returned with their food, he placed Kate's burger and onion rings in front of her and his own burger and fries at his place and sat down, picking quietly at his food until suddenly, Kate's hand reached out and took his. He glanced up, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry," he said, softly. He said nothing and she continued. "I'm sorry that I continue to treat you like an imbecile. I'm sorry that I act as if you're just some annoyance that has no place in my precinct. I'm sorry for acting like you aren't instrumental in our cases. I'm sorry that I acted as if I wouldn't be thrilled at the prospect of being 'romantically involved' with you when the reality is…I would be the luckiest woman in Manhattan." She smiled at him and her heart fluttered at seeing him return it.

"You would be pretty lucky, wouldn't you?" Castle said, grinning cockily. Kate rolled her eyes and pulled back, digging into her onion rings as she kicked him, discreetly, under the table. He just grinned at her and caught her foot with his own, stroking it as they settled into companionable silence, eating their dinner together.

X_X

When they finished their meals, Castle helped Beckett into her coat and they waved at the server behind the counter as they made their way out of the restaurant.

When they were out on the street, Castle grinned, almost shyly, at Kate, and she smiled back. Taking a chance, he reached for her hand and she accepted it, edging closer to him as they walked. Something had obviously changed between them, though neither seemed ready to acknowledge it verbally, more than comfortable just clutching each other's hands as they made their way three blocks down to Beckett's car.

Occasionally, they sneaked glances at each other from the corner of their eyes, but looked away as soon as the other turned. At one point, Castle opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as they stepped under a streetlight and Beckett's face was illuminated magnificently, her skin taking on an ethereal glow and her eyes shining happily. Even her teeth sparkled. Castle's heart almost burst at the sight and he realized, in that moment, that what he felt for Kate went way deeper than a simple attraction. What he felt for her was…well he didn't want to even think it for fear that she would sense it and go running for the hills, but he knew that his feelings for her were stronger than he ever could have imagined.

This thought made him involuntarily squeeze her hand and Kate turned to him, her smile still present on her face, though her eyes were slightly questioning, and a tad hopeful, for whatever reason. Castle smiled at her, partly nervous, and partly excited, his feet halting in the middle of the sidewalk and forcing her to stop as well. Without a second thought to what he was doing, he pulled her towards him, smiling when she let out a tiny gasp when their bodies met. Castle's bright blue eyes locked with her excited green ones and it took him less than a second to make his decision before he was slanting his lips down over hers. Kate moaned, the sound sinfully sweet and erotic at the same time, her arms immediately rising to wind around his neck. Castle smiled into the kiss, his hands gripping her waist as he deepened the kiss, their tongues mingling as they moaned into each other's mouth.

When they pulled back, both were gasping for air, their foreheads pressed together.

"Kate…I…I…" Castle gasped, trying to relay his feelings, but Kate placed a finger to his lips.

"Shh," she said, shaking her head. "I know." His eyes widened, searching hers and found nothing but understanding in the bright green depths. He smiled, laughing somewhat shakily, before leaning down to kiss her again.

"God, I want you so bad," he groaned, gruffly. "You are so gorgeous and brilliant and wonderful and you're way too good for me…"

"Hey," Kate said, cupping his cheek and shaking her head. "Don't say that," she ordered, sternly, "if anything, you're too good for—"

Castle cut her off with another kiss and she moaned against his lips. When he pulled back, his hands were cupping her face, forcing her to look up into his eyes. "Let's just agree that we're both too good for one another and especially too good for those 'dates' we had tonight." He stuck his tongue out in disgust and Kate laughed.

"Agreed," she said, before leaning forward and kissing him again, "now, let's get out of here." He grinned and nodded, allowing her to pull him the rest of the way to her car.

When they got there, he took his chance and crowded her against the driver's side door, his hands going straight to her hips as his lips traveled to her jaw, kissing up and down it, making her whimper and let out the sexiest little purring sound he'd ever heard.

"God, you're hot," Castle growled in her ear, receiving a chuckle from the detective, who leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"You have no idea," she husked, nipping his ear, and he growled again, shoving his hips against hers and making her moan.

"This is what you do to me," he growled, rubbing up against her. "Can you feel it? Can you feel what you do to me?"

"Yes," Kate gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders, "but the real question is: What do you plan to do about it?"

Castle growled before pulling away from her and heading around the car. "Get in!" he practically barked. Kate raised her eyebrows but unlocked the car and got in, meeting him over the center console for another heated kiss, in which she scraped her fingers over his scalp.

Castle groaned and pulled back. "If you keep doing things like that, I'm not going to be able to wait until we get to your apartment," he warned.

Kate moaned. "But yours is closer," she complained pouting.

"But it's also infested by redheads," Castle reasoned, grinning at her petulance. "Now, come on; drive. I can't wait anymore."

Kate gave him a naughty smile, reaching over to cup him boldly. "Why wait?" she asked, saucily. Castle groaned and clutched her hand in his, pulling it away.

"Kate," he growled, "you're a cop; I think we'd be risking more than just an indecent exposure charge if we were to do…that…here. Don't you?"

"What if I said I know somewhere private we could go, close by, for a little privacy?"

"Well, my first instinct would be to ask how you know this place; my second would be to tell you I really don't want to know; and my third would be to tell you that I don't want our first time to be a quick fuck in the back of your car." Kate moaned, her eyes closing when he said the word 'fuck'.

"Castle, Castle, Castle," she tutted, "you should know that it doesn't matter where it happens, so long as the fact that it happens with you." She squeezed him again and he groaned. "Only you," she said, sincerely, her eyes pleading with him. Castle sighed, his eyes closing tightly as he tried to think of something, anything, other than her hand on him.

"Fine," he groused, "but then we're going to your apartment and we're doing this thing my way."

"Deal!" Kate agreed, letting him go and gunning the engine.

Within minutes they were pulling into a parking garage just about half a dozen blocks away. Kate drove until they reached the top level, where there was not a car in sight and the only lights illuminating them were a few flicking fluorescents every dozen spaces.

Kate parked and unbuckled her seatbelt and in record time was straddling Castle's lap, thoroughly surprising him.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, barely paying attention as her lips attacked his neck and jawline. "How did you do that?" Kate just grinned against his neck and nipped him, before soothing the bite with her tongue. He moaned, forgetting his question as he grasped her hips in his hands and pulled her down, their hips making sweet contact. Kate moaned against his cheek.

"Backseat," she gasped, before disentangling herself from him and scrambling to get into the back. Castle blinked for a moment before turning to follow her, practically choking himself when he realized that he forgot to remove his seatbelt.

By the time he fell into the backseat, Kate had already removed her pants and blazer, smiling up at him, wearing just her blouse, heels, and panties. Castle gulped and Kate had to tug at his tie to get him to move, causing him to fall on top of her. He grunted as he caught himself on his hands, either one falling beside Kate's head. Kate smiled up at him, reaching up to cup his cheek, her eyes shining in the tiny bit of light that was able to reach them from the outside of the car.

Castle swallowed thickly. "Beckett," he husked, "are you sure about this?" Kate nodded.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she said honestly.

"Does that scare you?" he asked, immediately wanting to kick himself.

Kate smiled softly at him. "Yes," she said, honestly, "but I'm done letting fear win. I'd rather feel something else." With that, she ground up and into him, making Castle groan. Kate chuckled, reaching down to unbuckle his belt and shove down his pants and boxers, releasing him from their tight confines. Castle retaliated, reaching for the hem of her panties and pulling them down, urging Kate to bend one of her knees so that he could slip them off. With the boy shorts hanging off of one leg, Castle's hand trailed back to the apex of her leg, groaning as he felt how ready she was.

"God, you're wet," he moaned into her neck, before pulling back to look her in the eyes. "This isn't going to last very long," he revealed, apologetically. Kate smiled at him.

"I know," she said, stroking his cheek, "and I don't care; we'll have plenty of time to get it right. I just need you right now."

Castle groaned, leaning into to kiss her again, plunging his tongue into her mouth as his hips did the same with her heat. Kate gasped into his mouth, swallowing the little moan he emitted from his. Her arms tightened around his shoulders and her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. Castle stilled for a moment, trying to keep himself from coming too soon.

"Castle," Kate moaned after a couple of still moments, "move…please."

Castle nodded. "Yeah," he grunted, his hips beginning to move in a slow and steady rhythm. "Yeah."

Kate's breath stuttered at the perfect feeling. It had been so long and some part of her hoped that the same was true for him, even though that thought was absurd; it didn't matter how long it had been, because now they were together. But still…

"Oh God, Castle!" she groaned, her nails raking over his shoulders.

Castle groaned, his thrusts increasing in speed. "Kate," he moaned, grinding against her.

Kate didn't know if it was the feeling of his hips grinding so hard on her or the fact that he used her first name, but she found herself falling over the edge, his name on her lips. Castle followed three thrusts later, emptying himself into her as he chanted her name—her first name.

He collapsed onto her, his muscles practically turned to butter and his breathing stuttering against her chest. "That was…" he sighed.

Kate chuckled, her hands stroking up and down his back. "Yeah," she said, smiling as she placed a kiss in his hair.

"I love you," Castle whispered against her skin, causing Kate to freeze. He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry," he said, "it's too soon, but I—"

"No," she said, "it's okay. I'm just…I'm not there yet….is that okay?"

Castle nodded, kissing her neck and moving up to her lips, kissing them sweetly. "Take all the time you need," he said, smiling down at her. Kate grinned back, reattaching their lips.

So…? REVIEWS please!