*If any one is interested, I'm LordofKavaka on Twitter. We can chat about fanfic, Castle, or anything else. I also generally tweet about when I'm working on stories and when I post.

Still Here – Chapter 35

Kate waited for Castle to respond. He looked at her with wide eyes, almost like she scared him, which was okay. She didn't mind that she could put the fear of God into him—it's what reassured her that she could keep him in line. Plus, it kind of irritated her that he wasn't as upset as she was at having their private life violated to such a degree. But then again, Castle was still the same guy who had stole—sorry, "borrowed"—a police horse so he could take a ride… in the nude. So maybe this didn't faze him as much as it did her. Still, it was aggravating that he didn't appear to be too worked up over it. If anything, he appeared more concerned with her reaction than with the video itself.

"Castle," she ground out, tempted to raise her fist. "Am I going to have to hit you to make you talk?" She knew they'd joked about it before, but now she was seriously thinking it.

Castle sighed, raking his fingers through his hair, relenting with a slight incline of his head. "Okay, fine… It wasn't a stalker… actually, I probably would have preferred if it had been, then at least we would have caught this sooner." Castle looked up at her, noting her confused expression. He dropped his hands to his sides. "Apparently there was a peeping tom in the apartment building across from yours."

Kate crossed her arms over her chest. "You think," she grumbled sardonically, huffing a little. She was putting up a front, though, using sarcasm to hide her terrified vulnerable side. It didn't help that her hormones were running wild as a result of her pregnancy. Recently she'd discovered that she had to double her efforts to keep her emotions in check. And for someone who didn't like having her emotions put on display, dealing with that was highly frustrating.

"A couple of months ago, a young woman caught him spying through her window with a telescopic camera, and called the cops," Castle explained. "When they arrived at his place, he freaked and made a run for it. Had a bad tumble down the fire escape, and ended up in the hospital with a broken leg and fractured arm."

"Can't say I'm all that sorry for him," Kate interjected.

Castle gave her an amused smile. "Neither can I," he agreed.

They stared at each other for a moment, soaking in each other's slightly amused gaze before he cleared his throat.

"Look, Kate, I'm as upset about this as you are… truly, I am," he asserted, earnest and honest, stepping a little closer. "Firstly, I can safely assure you that none of this has been posted anywhere online and that no member of the media as seen it."

"Okay," she bobbed her head, averting her gaze for a moment. "Just… continue."

Castle gave a nod. "Okay…," he said, "So, after the arrest, they went through his place and found some kiddy porn hidden away in a thick medical book. After that, SVU and Vice were called in and did a thorough search of his apartment, finding a lot more disturbing pictures. Eventually they got to his computer and well… along with some pretty troubling videos, they also found…," he gestured towards the TV. "Turns out he'd been peeping in on you and some of the other female tenants in your building for… um… quite a while. He had loads of videos and pictures."

Kate shuddered, unconsciously wrapping her arms around herself, feeling exposed and violated. She swallowed and looked away, trying to think back to how often she'd stripped off her clothes while passing through her living room window, unaware that some pervert could be watching her. "How long?" she asked, hating how her voice quivered.

"From the digitally coded dates stamped on the photos and videos… it seems he started about two weeks after you initially moved in."

She crushed her eyes shut and groaned. That meant there was at least a year's worth of pictures and videos… which meant that some of those videos were probably of her and Josh. She rubbed her forehead in exasperation, beyond frustrated with the situation.

Biting her lower lip, Kate gazed up at Castle, a thought suddenly occurring to her that had her confused. "Why was I never told about this?" she questioned. "If he was caught spying on me, surely someone from Vice would have contacted me."

"I… I honestly don't know why they didn't contact you," Castle shrugged, swallowing past a lump in his throat as he looked at her. Damn it, he was telling the truth. She could tell by his wide apologetic eyes.

She turned around in place and stared at the now black screen. "How did you get the video?" she asked, arching her neck to glance at him from over her shoulder.

"Look, Kate, I may only follow you around, but I do have other sources within the NYPD and District Attorney's office," Castle replied enigmatically, not really answering her question.

Kate scowled, knitting her eyebrows together, but decided to let it slide for now. She slowly turned back to fully face him, still hugging herself. "So, how'd you find out?" she asked, flicking her eyes up to look at him.

He gulped and gazed down at her with nervous eyes, a blush rising up from his neck to stain his cheeks. "Turns out one of the Vice detectives was a fan, recognized me from the video. She called up the legal department at Black Pawn, who then contacted Paula, who contacted me."

"Then what?"

"After the guy was released from the hospital, he was formally charged for the possession of the child pornography," Castle explained. "But before he was officially arraigned, he got shanked in lockup. Seems the other occupants, some gang bangers, weren't too keen on sharing a cell with a guy who dealt in kiddy porn."

Kate gave a stiff nod. Child molesters, and anyone who abused children, were the lowest of the low in society, and even criminals seemed to have standards. She wasn't all too surprised that something like that had happened, but right now she was more concerned with the pictures and videos the guy had had of her on his computer.

"And how long ago did all this happen?" she asked, unconsciously playing the hem of her blouse.

Castle licked his lips apprehensively, automatically shifting into a defensive stance. "About 3 months ago—Ouch!" He blinked, and stuck out his lower lip in a pout as he rubbed his shoulder. "What was that for? I thought you were only joking about hitting me?"

Kate gave him a tight smirk and shrugged, suppressing the need to roll her eyes. "That's for not telling me about this sooner."

Castle continued to pout, really working on his wounded puppy-dog eyes. "Hey now, you were busy with the wedding plans, and settling in after the move. You were happy… finally happy, and content, and… and I just didn't want to burst that bubble by placing all of this in your lap, especially when I could handled, safely and discreetly."

She chewed on her bottom lip, giving him a steady gaze before sighing and inclining her head in acceptance of the situation. What had been done was done. She couldn't change it. There was no use dwelling on it now. "Fine," she grumbled out. She scrunched up her nose in thought, glancing back at the TV. "What about the—?" she questioned, directing him back on subject.

"Right, the video," he nodded, looking shamefaced. "Luckily for us, the file on the computer was the only copy. Seemed he had his camera hooked up to his computer and recorded all the videos that way."

"And all the other videos and pictures?"

"Still on the hard drive, locked up in evidence," Castle answered her quickly, pursing his lips, an anxious expression written all over his face.

She furrowed her brow, and a creased formed between her eyebrows. "Have… have you seen all the videos, then?" she questioned, clenching her jaw and averting her eyes, feeling utterly exposed and humiliated. She didn't know what she'd do if he'd seen the other videos.

"No," he answered, having the decency to duck his head in embarrassment and blush. "Just… just this one." Again, he gestured towards the TV to make his point.

"Okay," she gave a slight nod. Kate could tell by his expression that Castle was acutely aware of what the other videos would be. And she was eternally grateful that he hadn't watched them. She wouldn't, if the roles had been reversed. "Do you know what they'll do with the… evidence?" It felt better to call it that rather then what it really was.

"As far as I know, they really don't need them anymore, since the pervert's dead," Castle said with a shrug. "I suppose they'll just keep them locked up in storage, right?"

Kate let out a sigh of relief as she inclined her head. "Yes, that's most likely what they'll do," she replied, fully aware of all police procedure with such evidence. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Castle seeing the video he had obviously watched, but she definitely didn't want him to see any of the others, especially the ones that would no doubt involve her and Josh. There were just some things a current lover did not need to know, especially when he was the love of her life, not to mention her husband.

He nodded, ducking his head, as he let out a shaky breath. "I got a copy of this video of us thanks to some crafty legal talk by my lawyer. I tried making this the only copy, but they wouldn't allow that. Said they still needed the one on the hard drive. But they assured me that they would be discreet and—"

"Castle," Kate stopped him with a soft and tender gaze. "I'm sorry." She tentatively brought her hand up and caressed the side of his face, gently leaning into him. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you. This wasn't your fault. I just felt so violated. You did everything right, everything you could to ensure our privacy was protected. And for that, I'm very thankful. What we have between us is so very special to me, and I don't like the idea of someone watching us. I… I just want…" her voice trailed off as she knitted her eyebrows together in thought. "How much is there?"

"Huh?" Castle jumped, having relaxed somewhat with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Kate smiled softly at his reaction. She couldn't blame him, though, since even she was surprised at how her mind wandered and brought the question to the forefront of her mind. "The video," she elaborated, tucking her head against his chest as she sought out the warmth of his embrace. "You know, the duration. How long? How much did he film?"

"Oh," his mouth dropped open slightly. "Pretty much all of it. I mean, we kind of christened your entire living room and kitchen before moving to the bedroom, didn't we?"

Right, she frowned to herself, he didn't remember much about it. She had gotten him drunk and… taken advantaged of his inebriated state and painfully obvious want for her. Okay, so maybe she hadn't completely taken advantaged, since he'd made it clear from day one that he wanted in her pants. But still, Kate had used him that night. It had been wrong of her, yet so very incredible as well.

And so very right.

There was no doubt that they had a connection. Their verbal repartee was unlike any she'd ever had before. What she had never imagined was just how well that connection would be in the physical sense. They literally fit together in a way she'd never imagined, and it wasn't just about how awesomely amazing the sex was—which was great, by the way. It was how everything was just in sync with them.

The way she felt when he touched her... God, the way she felt when he was inside her… it really was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. He could have her undone with just a look. That alone was unbelievable. So when she finally gave in to the physical desire, the want and need, and everything just clicked like it was meant to be… well, it was kind of mind-blowing, to say the least.

So, in the end, she would never regret what she did that night, especially when she factored in how the consequences turned into a catalyst that finally brought them together. Kate just wished he'd been able to remember some of it without the haze of alcohol-fueled memories.

Castle's chest vibrated as he chuckled lightly, pulling her out of her ruminations. She leaned back and glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow in question. "What?"

He sobered quickly, looking sheepish. "I've watched the whole thing, Kate," he informed her in a soft voice, smirking as her eyes went wide. "I… I'm just surprised, is all."

"Surprised?" Kate raised an eyebrow, perplexed. It's not like they hadn't had wild evenings since then. Hell, their honeymoon week alone encompassed some of the best sex she'd ever had in her life, which still amazed her, considering how heavily pregnant she was. "Why… what surprised you?"

Castle blushed slightly, averting his eyes. "We're married, and we've been together—romantically—for months now, and…," his voice trailed off, his cheeks growing redder.

"Just spit it out, Castle," Kate leaned back to give him a little glare for encouragement. Though, there might have been a little too much bite in her voice, but thankfully he didn't seem to notice.

"Uh," he stuttered, pushing back to reach for the remote. "Here, it'll be easier if I just show you."

"Okay?" she frowned, growing a little worried. Castle was never one to beat around the bushes. She was used to him being confident and sure in himself. He'd never had a problem before when it came to speaking his mind, no matter where they were. He'd embarrassed her quite a few times in the precinct with the innuendos he so casually threw around.

Castle worked the device quickly, turning the TV and DVD player back on. The images of them heaving and going at it like rabbits came back on, causing Kate to blush, watching as the video sped up when Castle pressed the fast forward button. She'd almost forgotten all the various positions and places they'd… explored one another. Castle was kidding when he said they had almost christened every surface in her living room and kitchen before heading off to the bedroom.

Kate furrowed her brow, stunned at how flexible she was. Her mouth dropped and she tilted her head slightly, disbelief written all over her face. She seriously did not remember doing that. Hell, before just now, she'd thought such a position was physically impossible. She smirked, flicking her gaze up to Castle. Once she'd delivered and gotten herself back into shape, they were going to have to try doing that again.

Placing her hands on her swollen belly, Kate ran soothing patterns along the taut skin through the fabric of her blouse. She shifted her feet, leaning back against the side of the desk, sneakily watching Castle out of the corner of her eye, taking note of how his breathing was low and heavy, and his eyes fogged and dark. Oh, he was so aroused by this, wasn't he? She grinned, a little aroused herself, if she was being honest, even if she was still a little perturbed at the notion of having been spied on by some sicko pervert.

At least all the videos and pictures that the guy had taken were locked up in police storage. They should be safe there for now, until she could finagle her way in and get them all erased. It's not like they were needed anymore, considering the perp got shanked in lockup.

"Here," Castle said, calling her attention back to the present, and placing the video back on normal playback.

Kate pursed her lips and turned her attention away from him and towards the screen, more than a little curious over what had him all at a lost for words.

On screen she was standing with her back bare towards the camera, and despite the disturbing way this had been filmed, Kate couldn't help but congratulate herself on how toned and firm her ass was. She could understand why Castle never complained about walking behind her—not that she was condoning him staring at her ass all the time. Shaking her head, chuckling softly at her own thoughts, Kate focused on the video, wanting to see what it was Castle was so eager to have her see, especially since he'd said it had surprised him. Considering some of the unique positions she'd already seen them try on the video, she was beginning to get curious what it was that had stunned him so.

By the looks of it, they were resting between rounds, Castle leaning back against the doorframe that had led into her bedroom. She was pushing up against him, her arms looped around his neck as they kissed soft and slowly. His hands were draped around her waist, fingers teasing along the soft curve of her ass, as he slipped his mouth from hers to suck on her neck. She was attempting to pull him back for a kiss, but he just kept ignoring her as he lathered the soft flesh along her shoulder in wet kisses.

Kate smiled slyly, as she watched, her bottom lip tugging under her teeth, having no trouble remembering this moment. It had been a brief lull in the activities… a pleasant interval of rest. She had just been about to guide him to her bedroom, so they could fully enjoy the rest of the evening in the comfort of her bed.

She had had fun exploring their connection in the hot and wild ways they'd been doing in the living room, but she'd wanted to slow it down and savor a steady and slow pace that would be more akin to lovemaking than fucking.

Kate watched the image as her on-screen self reacted to his touch, the way his hands swept down her back to grab at her ass, tugging her towards him as his hot wet mouth did delicious things to the spot where her neck met her shoulder. She could feel the trickles of arousal course through her veins just watching them.

"Here it is," he croaked out next to her, his voice dripping with unrestrained desire.

Licking her lips, Kate watched anxiously as her on-screen self gently pushed Castle back, pinning him against the wall. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to recall what was going to happen next. Then, the swift naked movement of her past self, brought the memory back. Kate watched as her on-screen self slipped down to her knees in front of Castle, kissing her way down his stomach and… Oh. She'd forgotten about that.

Kate swallowed nervously and glanced over at Castle, not even bothering to watch anymore. She knew what she was doing on screen. Castle blinked, his cobalt eyes dark with desire and lust. Flicking her eyes down, she saw confirmation of his arousal. Licking her lips, Kate heaved in a deep breath and forced herself to move.

Truth was, she'd been wild in her youth, and had done a lot of things she wasn't exactly proud of, and would like to forget about if she could. First time she ever did what her on-screen self was doing was in college. He'd been some upperclassman, and Kate had been curious. She wasn't particularly fond of it, but she was young, inexperience, and eager to please. And over the years, she'd done it a couple of times with various boyfriends, but only after they'd coaxed her into it. And with Josh, she'd always felt pressured to do it, like he expected it of her.

But Castle… he was unlike any of the others. She never felt pressured, or had any expectations thrust upon her when it came to their intimate activities. Never. Not once. When they were together, Castle always seemed more interested in pleasing her, doing what she wanted. He never asked her for anything, other than to let him love her. Even, if secretly, it was something he clearly wanted.

"Castle," she mumbled softly, pulling his attention away from the screen.

He jerked, his head turning sharply to look at her, his cobalt eyes practically black. She smiled warmly at him, reaching out to caress the side of his face. He closed his eyes, easing into her touch. A quiet sigh left his lips as she leaned into him, taking the remote out of his hands and, once again, stopped the DVD and turned the device off.

She turned into him, leaning up on her toes to kiss his lips, prodding his mouth open with her tongue, deepening the embrace. He moaned, his lips parting, his entire body quivering under her attentions. Kate smiled against his cheek, running her hands down his button-down shirt, tugging it out of the waistband of his slack. He shivered, his head lolling forward, his open mouth seeking out hers.

Rising up, she met his mouth with hers, allowing his tongue in, gently nipping at his lips as he pulled back to nuzzle his nose into her hair, breathing her in as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He let out a deep sigh, his chest heaving as she ran her fingers along his skin. His hands dropped to her hips, cradling her body into his. Their eyes met, and she smiled seductively at him, capturing his lips in another kiss, slow and sensual. Her fingers worked at his belt, deftly unbuckling it and popping the button, tugging the zipper down before reaching a hand inside to stroke his growing arousal.

"Kate," he gasped, dipping his head down on her shoulder. His tongue darted out to lick at the exposed skin of her neck. He shuddered, closing his eyes, before opening his warm mouth and seeking out her pulse point.

Her breath hitched when he found it, and she tilted her head up, giving him more access to her neck. His hands came up to wrap around her waist as she continued to stroke him, soft and slow, teasing him with her fingertips. Kate gave him a few more strokes, squeezing gently, smiling as a groan rumbled through his chest. Pulling her hand back, she gripped his hips, tugging at the waistband of his slacks, pulling them—along with his boxers—down until they bunched at his knees.

Then, she eased away from him, gripping his sides for balance as she slid down onto her knees before him. Castle let out a puff of hot air and followed her with fluid eyes. "Kate… what are you…? God," he gasped, realization hitting him. "Oh, God… Kate… you… you don't have to do—"

She looked up at him, sweeping back her hair with a hand, and gave a slight nod. "I know," she said softly, meeting his eyes. "But I want to… for you."

"Kate…," he whimpered her name as she reached up and took him into her hand, lightly wrapping her delicate fingers around his firm length as she gave him a few more teasing strokes.

She flicked her eyes away from his, turning her gaze to his length in her hand. He wasn't asking her to do this, but she would. She knew that that's what had bugged him when he'd seen the video. Castle had been attempting to explain this to her, talking about how they'd been together, sexually, for a while, and she had yet to offered to perform oral sex on him, despite the numerous times he'd done it for her. It was kind of hard not to appreciate his talented tongue. She wanted to show him that she was just as talented.

Castle told her he'd been surprised when he viewed the video. Now she knew why. At some point during the beginning of the sexual side of their relationship, she must have inadvertently implied she was against doing this, which wasn't necessarily true. It had never been her favorite thing to do, but with Castle, she generally wanted to try.

She wasn't timid or afraid to try new things, and she was no longer the young, inexperienced coed eager to please. No. Far from it. Kate was a grown woman who understood how to please a man, and she had never really needed to rely on anything other than her own alluring sexuality. Far from feeling demeaned and cheapened by this act, Kate felt empowered. She held absolute power here, the power to please the man she loved… the man who loved her with all of his being. And she was going to use that power.

Kate inhaled deeply, and licked her lips. She could do this… for him. On a gentle sigh, she moved closer, pressing her lips against the tip of his length. Castle gasped, his neck arching back as he groaned. Parting her lips, Kate eased forward, slowly taking him into her mouth. She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose, fighting the gag reflex as she took as much of his length as she could.

The last time she'd done anything like this had been that night. In a lot of ways, it felt so long ago, seeing how much had happened since then. And just like him, Kate had been somewhat drunk herself. So, she reveled in the feel and texture of him against her tongue. He was warm and hot in her mouth, and she felt him respond instantly to the hot wetness of her mouth as her tongue darted up to tease. She wrapped her lips around him and pulled back, making a slight sucking noise, before popping him out of her mouth and hungrily running her tongue up along his length, from base to tip, before taking him back in.

"Oh god… Kate!" he groaned, his hands dropping to her head, his fingers dangling in her hair.

Kate set herself into a rhythm, taking him in and out of her mouth, kissing his tip, and then using her tongue to coax soft gasps and moans from him, before taking him back in. She flicked her eyes up at him, seeing him gazing down at her with hooded eyes, watching her as she worked over him, her hands on his hips, holding him steady. She could feel his tight restraint, how he was preventing himself from thrusting into her as she took him in.

She squirmed her head around, taking slow steady breaths through her nose as she took all of him into her mouth, her nose brushing against his lower abdomen. Castle let out a strangled moan, his hands dropping away from her head and fisting at his sides.

"Ah… KATE!" he grunted through clenched teeth.

She slipped him out of her mouth slowly, running her tongue along his entire length as she did so, and for the first time, finding she didn't mind doing this. There was no pressure or expectations. He didn't grab her head, holding her steady as he thrust violently into her mouth. No. He was surrendering completely to her. He let her take control. He was at her mercy. She had complete domination.

Leaning back, Kate licked her lips and stroked him, squeezing her fingers gently as she glanced up at him, flashing him a sultry smirk. "Like that, do you?" she teased, her voice rough and raspy. She'd strained her throat a bit taking him all the way in, but it was worth it, just to see the dark hooded look of pleasure glaze over his eyes. Yet his love still shone through, even bright than his lust and want. It made her breath catch, seeing that. God… the things this man did to her.

And she was the one doing all the work!

"Are you always so good at everything you do?" Castle questioned, a little amused tug to his lips.

"Just about, yes," she winked at him, adding a wiggle of her eyebrows—something she picked up from him—as she gave his length a slight squeeze, before flicking her tongue out teasingly through her teeth. She opened her mouth and took him back in.

Castle shuddered, his breath releasing in a long hot sigh. His hands came back to rest lightly on her head. His fingers played with the long strands of her hair as she continued to work over him, losing herself in the erotic nature of what she was doing. She was amazed at his willpower. Most guys would have started to roughly thrust into her mouth, making her gag.

But not him. Not her Castle. Her love and husband. Her always.

He was putty in her hand. He went where she directed. And that was not something Kate took for granted. She was honored at his trust and faith, beyond touched that he would let her have so much control. If she was honest, it frightened her a little just how much power she had over him. It have her the power to hurt him, and that was not something Kate ever wanted to do. It was why she'd held back so long on her feelings.

It had had a dual purpose—protecting both their hearts. Because, he had just as much power over her as she had over him. They were in this… together. And that's what made this so important to her… to do this for him, to show him just how much she was willing to do for him without him even asking.

Castle groaned, his hands gripping her hair tighter. "Kate…," he panted, his chest heaving. "Oh, Kate… I'm going to…"

She shushed him with a flick of her fingers across the contracting muscles of his stomach. She knew what he was saying. He was giving her an easy out. But she wanted to. She wanted to taste him, just as he'd tasted her. Slipping a hand up to help urge him along, Kate stroked the based of his throbbing length as she continued to tease and tantalize him with her wet mouth and talented tongue.

Castle let out a grunt, his breath coming in raspy pants. His fingers gripped her hair as his hips bucked slightly forward. Kate prepared herself, taking a deep breath through her nose, but was still a little startled when he came in her mouth, all hot and thick. She grabbed his hips, holding them steady as she waited out his release, letting him spill completely into her mouth before she swallowed, taking the time to savor the unique flavor that was her Castle. Running her hands soothingly along his clenching stomach and bare thighs, Kate licked him clean, gulping down every last drop.

When she finished, Kate stayed down there on her knees, nuzzling his abdomen with her nose, before planting a soft kiss on his hipbone. Castle shivered, letting out a hot sigh, as his hands landed on her shoulders, gently pushing her back as he eased down to join her on the floor.

Now he, too, was on his knees. Castle gazed at her with unfettered love and adoration. He tenderly brushed his fingers through her hair, before cupping her face in his palm and looking deeply into her eyes. The pad of his thumb skidded across her bottom lip.

"I love you, Kate, so very much," he whispered huskily, and then crashed his mouth against hers.

Kate moaned, melting into him. She looped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Her eyes closed as she felt her heart pound furiously against her ribs. His fingers danced through her hair, pulling her back to press his forehead against hers. They panted, breathing in the same air, before he leaned forward, gently seeking out her lips in a soft and languid kiss.

"You didn't have to do any of that," he murmured, his warm breath tickling across her cheek.

"I know," she whispered back, caressing the side of his face and dropping one hand to his chest. "But I wanted to. You've done so much for me, Castle. So much. I wanted to do something for you. I wanted it to be about you for a change. It's always about me. You're so attentive and caring. I just wanted to return the favor." She paused and licked her lips, still tasting him. "Rick… I… I owe you so much."

Kate began to choke up. Damn her hormones. Tears threatened, and she clenched her eyes shut, willing them away. She would not cry right now. Not after what she'd just done for him. She didn't want him to think she regretted doing what she'd just done, because she didn't. She had actually enjoyed it, not because of the erotic nature of it, but because it was him.

Castle, as he'd done often in their tangled up lives, seemed to understand. He hugged her to his chest, his hands brushing down her sides, soothing her with his gentle touch.

"It's okay, Kate," he said, softly, his voice so tender and loving. "I understand. It's the same way I feel about you."

She blinked, and shifted back on her knees to look up at him. "What?"

Castle smiled at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Why do you think I married you? Because I wanted arm candy?" he snorted out a laugh. "No. Come on, you know better. Though, you are pretty hot. Sizzling. Smoking hot! Like supermodel hot—"

"Castle, you're getting off topic."

"Um, oh yeah, sorry," he blinked, pulling himself back to the moment. "So, why did I marry you? I think that's obvious, Kate. Don't you? I mean, it should be crystal clear by now. I married you because I love you. So much more than I ever thought I could. Before you, Kate, I'd given up on the idea of love. I succumbed to the persona thrust upon me by my fame, happy to settle for cheap flings with no emotional depth other than getting laid."

Kate swallowed, biting her lower lip as she gazed at him from under her eyelashes. "Really?"

He bobbed his head, a little more enthusiastically than he probably needed to. But it made her smile, so maybe that was his plan. "When I met you, I began to realize that it was okay to want more, to deserve more," he replied, smiling down at her as he caressed the side of her face. "That first day, you rejected my overt advances. It made me realize I had to be more subtle… more crafty… if I wanted to get into your pants."

She laughed, rolling her eyes at him, as he grinned at her, adding a wiggle to his eyebrows.

"Obviously it became about more than just getting into your pants," he chuckled, his grin goofy and adorable. He tilted his head, nuzzling against her, placing a light kiss against her temple. "You made me want to be a better man. A man more deserving of you. And I thank whatever higher power there is that I eventually got your love in return. You are my everything, Kate. And I'm so very happy to be yours. Always."

"Oh, Rick," Kate mumbled, her bottom lip trembling as her emotions got the better of her. She leaned forward and kissed him hard, letting her actions speak when her words couldn't.

After what seemed like forever, Castle pulled back and rubbed his nose against hers, chuckling softly. "Now, why don't we go to bed, and I can return the favor."

A grin cracked her face, and she matched his amused chuckle with one of her own. "You can return the favor anytime, Mr. Castle. Anytime at all!"

Castle laughed, as well, beaming brightly down at her as he readjusted his pants before he stood, bending down to extend a hand to help her up. Placing a hand on her swollen belly, Kate let out a grunt as he pulled her up. She grimaced, shifting her weight on her feet.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

She looked up at him, startled. "Yeah," she smiled warmly as she reached over to caress his face. "I'm okay. Just… my legs kinda fell asleep."

Castle snickered, wrapping his arms around her as he tugged her closer, allowing her to lean against him for support. "We can't have that, now can we?" he grinned, eyes sparkling. "Come on, Mrs. Castle… let's go wake up those long legs of yours." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, adding in a boyish wink.

Kate grinned, biting her lower lip as she shook her head at him and his antics. But other than that, she made no attempts to stop him as he guided her to their bedroom.