49
Kate wakes up to the susurration of ocean through the screen door, the sheet tangled in her legs, his mouth at her shoulder.
She turns her head, opens her eyes. "Morning."
"It's actually afternoon," he murmurs.
"What?" She jerks upright, then remembers, feels heat climb her cheeks. She buries her face back into her pillow.
"You only slept an hour," he laughs. "Did I make you that-"
"Shut up," she groans, using a hand to shove on him even as she keeps her face in the bed. Castle lays over her, crushing her, and his laughter vibrates through her body. "Ug, get off me."
"Not what you were saying an hour ago."
"Go get me coffee. I need to pee."
"Those two things should not go together." But he peels himself off her back and slides out of bed; she cracks open an eye to watch him go.
"And put some clothes on," she hisses. Oh, yes, please. Before she does something stupid and drags him back-
She closes her eyes again, blocking out the vision.
"Where did Martha and Alexis go?" she asks, feeling better after a shower. She watches him study her legs, smirks when his eyes finally lift to meet hers. She takes the coffee from him, sipping it, but she feels the fan blowing cool air across her skin and his gaze on her.
"Shopping. San Pedro is entirely tourist-driven. There are lots of shops. A thousand shops. And a library, interestingly enough."
"We should go walk around."
"Not in the heat of the day. Let's go to the pool instead."
"Or we could stay here, since we're alone," she says, sliding into his lap. His face goes blank for just an instant and she's delighted she could surprise him. She puts her coffee mug on the side table, using the movement to make him squirm.
"But we already-"
"Are you saying no?" she murmurs, lifting an eyebrow.
"I'm saying. . .I need some recovery time, Beckett. You're insatiable."
"Oh that's too bad," she sighs, rolling her hips into him, drawing a hand down his chest.
"Yeah, it really is. It's a crime, really. You should arrest me."
"I don't do that any more, Castle."
"You can always arrest me. I'm up for it."
"Are you now?"
He gulps and she leans in to press her mouth to that fast-swallowing throat, scrapes her teeth at his adam's apple. He clutches her hips, drags her closer.
"I am. Definitely. Sorry you took a shower."
"I'll survive."
"I'm not sure I will though."
"They're back," she hisses at him, throwing his pants in his face.
He doesn't laugh, just hops around their bedroom suite as he tries to get a foot in a pant leg, sweat sheening his chest. She hooks her bra, pulls the straps up, searches for her tshirt even as she hears the lock turn in the front door.
They're okay, really they are. There's still the whole living room, open air and white, touches of blue in a native, Central American theme, and then the gorgeous kitchen with the granite countertops and chrome appliances, and only then would they reach the slatted wooden door to the master suite.
Slatted. Someone wasn't thinking.
"Dad, Kate! We're back. You gotta see what we found!"
"Kate, shit, put on your pants."
She presses her lips together to keep back the retort. So yeah, one more time was her idea, but talking to her like that is uncalled for - so low, throaty, sex dripping from his voice. She'll never make it if he keeps saying her name like that. And looking at her like he wants only to rip her clothes off. Again.
"Stop looking at me like we haven't been doing this for the last two months," she moans, shoving on his shoulder when he comes over offering to help her with her pants. Which she hasn't found.
"I am not. And you were the one-"
"Hey, Dad?"
"Be right there, pumpkin."
"You go out there first," Kate mutters. "I can't find my shorts."
"Richard. We have the loveliest, hand-carved, wooden statues. You should see the gorgeous things they are selling just off a card table. It's amazing."
"I think I threw your shorts over here-"
"Dad? What are you do-" A sudden pause as everyone holds their collective breath. "Oh, ew. Dad! Kate!"
Kate? Now, she's getting blamed too?
"Get out there, Castle. I can find my own shorts."
Dinner is rice and beans and some kind of meat in orange sauce - she has no idea, but it's good, and rich, and the flavor burns down her throat. They eat on the patio out of the takeout cartons Castle ordered from a restaurant called the Salty Dog - they offer local cuisine and everyone was up for trying it.
Not too bad.
"You ever been here before?" she asks him, licking a grain of white rice off her thumb, some of that orange sauce catching her by surprise, burning her lip.
"Belize? No."
"Really?" she asks.
"You sound surprised."
"Did you do a lot of research before we got here?"
"Some. Enough. Why?" he asks, putting his fork down and leaning back in his seat. She can see the ocean water just past his head. Their villa is built on stilts right out on the beach; the sun is just now setting and creating a pink-pearled haze across the sky. The luxury would be obscene if it weren't for the amazing display of nature as far as the eye can see, completely outshining their accommodations.
"You just looked like you knew exactly what you were doing," she says finally, shrugging at him. She leans back as well, slides a leg out under the table, encounters his bare feet.
She feels his toes wriggle in hello and she smiles at him.
"Just good at faking it, I guess. And they speak English, so it's not hard." He's giving her this cautious smile back, like he doesn't know what this is about.
Martha is on the phone with one of the acting school's teachers, giving last minute preparation tips and directions - orders - and the sound carries out to them. Alexis walked down the stairs from the patio to the beach and is sitting out against a palm tree, listening to her ipod and watching the water.
Kate turns back to Castle, curls her toes at his ankle. "It's sexy," she says back. "When you take charge. Didn't know I thought that."
He laughs, low and delighted, something kind of beautiful beaming at her from his eyes. She wants to watch this man smile at her for. . .ever.
"Yeah, I might have noticed you thought that. And I might have noticed you were surprised by the thought too."
She hums and grins back, thinking about twice today, and what might have happened if the other two hadn't gotten back so early. She trails her toes up his calf and he just watches her. She loves how he watches her.
"Hey, Castle?"
He smiles, lifts an eyebrow for her to continue.
"This is it for me."
She sees all of the humor and amusement fall right out of his eyes, but it's a good thing. He looks stunned, but it's a good thing.
"You," she clarifies, just in case he needs it. "You're it for me."
His mouth drops open, but nothing comes out.
Kate pushes back from the table and stands up; his hand darts out and grabs hers, but she just squeezes and shakes him off.
She heads down the stairs to the beach, the light fading.
Castle still hasn't managed to find words.
