Sometimes short and sweet is all you need. Thanks ladies for the prompt, this was a fun one!

#22: What if… the "you smell like cherries" moment wasn't interrupted by Ryan and Esposito?

Prompt by Kris

Addition by Kate: MAKE THEM KISS!

"You smell like cherries."

Kate lifts her chin and he's close, so close that she can smell him as well. It's some heady combination of spice and sandalwood, and it's completely surrounding her.

"Mmmm," she hums in reply. "I know."

"Is it your perfume?" Castle asks. "No, wait. Shampoo? Conditioner? Body wash? Lotion?"

Kate rests her hands on the arm of his chair and she's fairly certain he'd be able to see right down her shirt if he wasn't so focused on her mouth. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She's playing with fire and she knows it, but she can't bring herself to stop.

"Yes, very much," he replies without missing a beat.

"Maybe," Kate utters, so low and sexy, "it's my lip gloss."

He lifts his gaze to hers, pupils wide and dark and gleaming with challenge. "Only one way to find out."

And then the graphic novel and photo of Morlock are falling to the floor and Castle is kissing her.

Before Kate can even consider all the reasons this is a terrible idea – he's annoying, he's obtrusive, he's shallow, she's still wary of him after last summer – she's kissing him back and her hands are fisting in his jacket, holding him close even as he inexplicably breaks their connection.

"It's not the lip gloss," he whispers against her lips.

Kate tugs him back to her but he veers left, pressing his lips to her cheek and then the soft skin behind her ear, and she swears she hears him take a whiff of her hair before descending to press a kiss to the side of her neck.

"It's lotion, isn't it?" he utters, lips brushing her ear. "I can taste it on your skin."

The ding of the elevator sounds before she can reply, shattering the moment and sending Kate and Castle staggering apart. Her hands release their hold on his jacket and he launches out of his chair so abruptly that it rolls into the shelf behind him and rebounds, hitting him in the back of the legs and nearly causing him to stumble into the table.

When Ryan and Esposito appear in the doorway mere seconds later, Castle is bending down to pick up the fallen papers and Kate is busy forcing the heat to leave her face and her heart rate to return to normal.

"Bro, what's all over your mouth?" Espo asks as Castle rights himself, the graphic novel and file on Morlock now stacked neatly in one hand.

The author hastily wipes his free hand across his lips, pulls it away for examination. "Huh," he offers uselessly. "No idea."

"Uh huh," Espo answers doubtfully. "And what about the wrinkles in your jacket and the fact that Beckett's blushing?"

If possible, Kate feels her face get even hotter.

The boys slip from the room without another word, but the knowing smirks on their faces and the twinkle of triumph in their eyes as they depart tells Kate all she needs to know.

She and Castle are so busted.

"I uh," Castle stammers once they're alone again. "Sorry."

Kate runs a hand through her hair, turns her back to him for a long moment to regain her composure. "It's fine," she offers eventually. "Let's just get back to the case."

"Uh, sure," he agrees, hoping he's sufficiently disguised the reluctance in his voice. He doesn't want to make things uncomfortable for her at work, but he would very much like to kiss her again. It would appear, however, that that's not on the table. "What's, uh, our next move?"

She turns to face him once more, gestures to the papers in his hand. "We try to find Morlock."

Castle swallows hard. "Right."

"By the way," Kate murmurs as she walks past him on her way to the door, leaning in far closer than necessary, "it's my perfume."

And then she's gone, leaving behind a thoroughly flustered Castle and the heady scent of cherries.

Thoughts?