GOOD WITH CUSTOMERS
SEASON 3, AFTER KNOCKDOWN
RATED M

Usually when his phone rings late at night, it's Beckett calling him about a case. So when it chirps one Thursday night, interrupting his latest bout of procrastination, he reaches for it right away. A glance at the screen tells him it's not his partner, but his new bar instead. He sits up straight, his mind immediately going to the worst-case scenario.

"Castle," he answers. He winces at the loud background noise; he hasn't owned The Old Haunt for very long, but it has been long enough to know that weeknights aren't usually this busy.

"Mr. Castle, it's Brian at the bar," comes the slightly panicked voice of his manager. Castle kept him on after his acquisition, raising his salary enough so he doesn't have to skim money to pay rent, and Brian is even working toward having a financial stake in the bar itself. He's one of the calmest bartenders Castle has ever seen, so if he's stressed, it must be bad.

"What's going on, Brian?"

There's a muffled sound, like someone talking with their hand covering the phone, before the background noise quiets just enough so Brian doesn't have to yell. "I'm sorry to bother you," he starts, "but Caleb went home sick, and a huge party just came in. And no one else is answering the phone."

Castle shuts his laptop and grabs his wallet from his bedroom. "I'm on my way."

Brian lets out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, boss."

He expects to find a line of angry patrons waiting to order, but when he arrives fifteen minutes later, he's surprised to see that almost everyone seems to be holding a drink. He spots Brian behind the bar, and is about to join him when he catches a glimpse of a familiar shock of brown hair next to him.

He stops just inside the door and watches for a minute, awe filling his chest and lust soaring through his veins. Although he has his employees dress in the style of a 1920's speakeasy, Kate is wearing one of the souvenir t-shirts they sell. Judging by the line forming in front of her, just having her behind the bar is a better sales strategy than any marketing campaign.

She makes drinks and talks to customers like she's a pro, her face lighting up when she shares a laugh with one of them.

Goddammit, he's so in love with her, it hurts.

Her eyes sweep the room, passing over him once before coming back to meet his gaze, and he didn't think it was possible for her smile to widen more. He returns her grin, and he rolls up his sleeves as he approaches the bar.

"It's about time you joined us," Kate teases when he steps up beside her, nudging his side with her elbow as she reaches for a bottle on a high shelf.

He doesn't respond, just flashes her a crooked grin. The three of them are able to serve the remaining customers quickly, and after just a few minutes, Rick banishes Kate from behind the bar. "You're not my employee," he points out, setting her preferred beer in front of her. "But thank you for the help."

She shrugs and takes a long swig. "I was here already," she explains, "and you let me drink for free. It's the least I could do."

They both stay through closing, Castle continuing to tend bar until finally the last customer leaves and the three of them clean up. As Brian gives the bartop a final wipe, Castle closes out the till, stuffs the cash and receipts in the bank bag.

"You can head out," Castle tells his employee. "I'll close up."

Brian flings the towel over his shoulder. "You sure?"

Castle nods. "Yep. Have a good night."

As soon as Brian leaves Castle turns back to Kate, and he smirks when she lifts her eyes from his arms. "See something you like?" he teases, flexing his forearms. He'd caught her staring a few times during the night - which was one reason he rolled up his sleeves - and he makes a mental note to buy more flannels.

Kate clears her throat, her cheeks flushing as she refuses to meet his eyes. "Tonight was fun," she tells him, her gaze firmly on the bar. "You're really good with customers."

He shrugs and grabs the bank bag. "Thanks. I like to spend time behind the bar sometimes. It helps me stay connected to customers, get their live and honest feedback." He jerks his head towards the stairs that lead to the basement office. "Wanna keep me company for a bit? Or do you need to get home?"

She draws her bottom lip between her teeth as she appears to consider his invitation. They'd solved her case, she doesn't have another one waiting, so he hopes she does stay.

"Lead the way."

Her jaw drops when she follows him downstairs, and she has to pause as the entire basement comes into view. It had already possessed a certain charm, but Castle has taken it up a notch.

"I wanted to keep the speakeasy theme," he explains when he notices her. "I don't spend a ton of time down here, but keeping the basement in theme with the rest of the place just helps with the whole ambiance."

She runs her hand along the shiny, brass railing and finishes her descent. Some of the work had been completed by the previous owner, so most changes she sees just take it up a notch. The middle of the room is dominated by an ornate desk, and as Castle sits behind it, she can't help but wonder how sturdy it is, whether it would support their combined weight.

"Beckett?"

Startled by the sound of his voice, she lifts her gaze to his, finds him almost examining her, concern etched across his forehead.

"You okay? You look a little flushed," Castle asks, pushing his chair back and moving to stand.

She waves him off and sits in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Yeah, I'm just a little warm."

"I can turn down the thermostat-"

"No, don't," she insists. "I'm fine. I promise." She is warm, but not from the temperature of the basement.

Castle lifts a brow and studies her for a few moments, then turns his attention to the cash and receipts from the bank bag. "I didn't know you could tend bar. Yet another layer to the Beckett onion?" he teases with a smirk.

Kate shrugs. "It's not much to tell," she admits, shifting so she can cross her legs under her. "I worked at a bar my last year of college, before I went to the Academy. Sorry it's not more dramatic for your book," she adds with a smirk.

She expects him to laugh it off, make some quip about having Nikki Heat go undercover as a bartender. So when he just puts down his pencil and gazes at her, she squirms, uncomfortable under his intense stare.

"That's not why we're friends, Kate," he says, his voice soft and caring. "Maybe at first, but not anymore. Not for a long time."

She feels her cheeks flush again at his words. It's obvious to everyone at the precinct, even her, that Castle doesn't need to shadow her every day for procedural accuracy. And she figured out long ago that his feelings for her are beyond friendship. If she's honest with herself, her feelings for him have been the same for a long time. She just hasn't been able to act on them.

Until now.

She unfolds her legs and stands, lifting her arms in a stretch before stepping towards Castle. She notices his gaze flick to her lower belly when her shirt rides up, and she smirks, grips the hem when she lowers her arms.

"Can I tell you something?" she asks, perching on the edge of the desk.

Castle clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck. "Of co-" His voice cracks and he clears his throat again. "Of course."

She reaches out and touches the collar of his flannel, her fingers rubbing the soft fabric. "I broke up with Josh."

"I-"

"It was time," she continues, interrupting him. "Past time, probably. It was never going to progress between us, and it wasn't fair to him, or to me." She drops her gaze to his lips. "Or to you."

Castle's tongue darts out to wet his lips. "To me?" he asks, his voice a low husk.

She lifts a brow. "You can't tell me that kiss the other day was entirely undercover." She pushes herself off the desk and leans down, grabs his armrests, nudges him back. "And I, for one, can't stop thinking about it."

Castle sputters when she straddles his lap, and his hands drop to her hips as she loops her arms around his neck.

Her fingers play with the hair at his nape and she looks into his eyes, examining them for any hesitation, anything that would tell her she's wrong. But aside from confusion, all she sees is desire.

"I want to kiss you again," she husks, leaning forward, pressing her forehead against his. "May I?" Their noses bump together when he nods, and she brushes her lips to his, a taste, a tease.

His fingers dig into her hips as he lifts himself into the kiss, swiping his tongue along her bottom lip. She tangles her fingers through his hair as her tongue meets his, and she grinds her hips down, hears him inhale sharply through his nose before he tears his mouth from hers.

"Jesus," he breathes, his eyes fluttering open to bore into hers. "I should let you lead, I'm sorry."

She shakes her head, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't okay," she assures him, trailing her fingers to his jaw, scraping against his stubble. She cups his jaw and lowers her mouth to his again.

He wraps his arms around her back, holding her to him as her tongue sweeps inside his mouth. His fingers toy with the hem of her shirt, and when they sneak under and touch her skin, she tugs her mouth from his.

"Too much?" he gasps.

Her eyes flutter open and she shakes her head, lifts her lips when she sees the arousal and desire in his dark gaze. "Not enough," she breathes. She shifts in his lap, grins at the low groan that comes from his throat when she grinds down against the bulge in his jeans. "Rick?"

"Hmm?"

"How sturdy is your desk?"

Somehow his eyes darken even more, and he tightens his grip on her as he stands and drops her on his desk, sweeps his arm out and pushes everything off. They both ignore the receipts and cash that flutter to the floor, and instead focus on each other.

As soon as he steps between her legs and grinds against her she grabs his shirt, her fingers making quick work of the flannel and shoving it to the floor. She runs her hands up his torso before draping her arms over his shoulders, and she moans into his mouth, curls her tongue around his.

They break apart just long enough to tear her shirt off. She leans forward to kiss him again, but he takes a step back, out of her reach, drops his gaze to her chest.

She flushes when he hooks his finger under the strap of her bra and tugs it off her shoulder, does the same to the other strap. She leans back on her palms, smirks when the cups of her bra stretch over her breasts and he groans.

"Kate," he husks, trailing his hands over her ribs, "we should leave."

She draws her bottom lip between her teeth. "Why?"

"Because I don't want our first time to be on the desk." He leans forward and takes her mouth with his, nips at the corner of her mouth when he pulls away. "It should be on a soft surface, so I can take my time with you."

At the vision of him hovering over her, his head between her legs as she writhes on her sheets, the arousal between her legs becomes almost unbearable. She nudges his shoulder and hops off the desk when he steps back, and retrieves her shirt before starting to gather up the discarded credit card receipts.

Castle doesn't join her right away, and she pauses, looks up to see him watching her. Her eyes drop to the front of his pants, to the obvious bulge, and she smirks. "The sooner we get this cleaned up, the sooner we can leave."

Although his apartment is closer, they opt to go to hers, so they can be alone. For that she's grateful; she barely has her door locked before he spins her around and pins her against it, drops his mouth to hers.

His hands tug at her shirt again but she pushes him away and takes his hand before he can go any farther. "I thought you said something about a soft surface," she teases, lacing their fingers together.

He narrows his eyes but follows her without a word, his hand with a firm grasp on hers. When they reach her bedroom he pauses, and she turns back to him.

"Is something wrong?" she asks, noticing the unreadable look on his face as his eyes sweep over her room.

He shakes his head. "I've never seen your room before," he says in a quiet voice, almost a whisper.

She furrows her brows. "Sure you have. You've used my bathroom, you must have seen it at some point."

"Glimpses through the door, sure. But I've never come in or looked closely." He shifts his gaze back to her and squeezes her hand. "I've wanted to," he admits with an embarrassed smile. "But it always felt like an invasion of your privacy. I didn't want to cross that line."

Kate's breath catches in her throat at his admission, at his reasoning, at the realization that hits her like a bullet.

She's in love with this man.

She doesn't just love him like a friend, or love spending time with him, although she does.

No. She is head over heels, wants to spend the rest of her life with him, would die if she lost him in love.

As much as he bulldozed his way into every aspect of her life, he refused to cross the boundary into her bedroom, her most intimate space, without permission.

She steps close, and she takes his hands, wraps them around her waist, feels him lace his fingers at the small of her back.

"You can come in," she tells him, her own arms looping around his waist. She grasps his shoulders and lifts herself to her toes so she can brush her mouth to his. "I want you to," she whispers against his mouth.

Her words seem to snap something inside of him, because he drops his hands to her ass and yanks her into him. Judging by the bulge pressing against her, he wants her just as bad as she wants him, and she makes quick work of his flannel, runs her hands over his chest before the shirt even lands on the floor.

He starts walking her backwards, and she manages to tear her mouth from his long enough so she can tug her shirt off and make sure she doesn't trip on her way to the bed.

When her knees hit the mattress she sits and reaches for his belt, but he bats her hands away, quickly undoes it himself. Before he moves on to his pants, though, he pauses, his fingers cupping his large bulge.

"Do you have condoms?" he asks, his voice rough with desire.

She nods.

"Were they for…"

She narrows her eyes in confusion for a moment when he stops, but when she realizes what he's asking, she shakes her head. "No." She feels her face flush. "I threw those out and bought new ones. For you." She moves away from him and tugs open her nightstand drawer, extracts her new box of condoms.

Castle examines them with a raised eyebrow. "How did you know my size?"

"I guessed?"

When he smirks, she knows that he sees right through her. She absolutely looked at the uncensored photos from the naked horseback riding incident, and somehow he knows.

"Well, I'm flattered," he teases.

"Great. Can you take off your pants now?" She's done teasing and talking and examining condom boxes. She tugs her shirt over her head and unsnaps her bra, throwing them both to the floor before moving on to her pants.

She's ready for him to be inside her.

Castle's eyes lock on her as she lies down so she can unbutton her jeans, and as she shoves them and her underwear down her legs, leaving her bare for him, he runs his palm along himself.

"Are you just going to pet yourself," Kate snaps, "or are you going to show it to me?"

He smirks and, although she's almost shooting lasers from her eyes, he takes his time taking off his pants and boxers. She barely notices the Superman logo on his underwear before her attention is on his erection.

His cock stands hard and proud, and before she can stop herself she licks her lips and leans back against her pillows.

Castle grabs a condom and rolls it over his length before he kneels on the bed, propping himself on his elbows as he hovers over her. He shifts onto one arm and teases his fingers against her folds, and she gasps, arches her back as he slicks his fingers through her.

"Please," she gasps, gripping his wrist and trying to guide his fingers inside her.

He tugs his arm from her grasp and curls his fingers around her thigh. "I need to taste you," he rasps, almost growls. When she whimpers at his words, he lets go of her thigh and grips his cock, drags it along her center, coating it with her arousal before prodding her entrance. "Later."

She grabs his biceps when he thrusts into her, pulling out then slamming back in, barely letting her adjust before he sets a frantic pace. Her back arches when he touches her clit, and already she feels the orgasm approaching, doesn't even have time to marvel at how fast he's learned her body before her heels are digging into his ass and she's trembling with aftershocks.

He grunts as he continues to move through her orgasm, his fingers drawing out her pleasure. She's climbing back towards her peak, and feels herself start to spasm around him. But before she falls over the edge again he pulls out, captures her mouth in a passionate kiss before dusting his lips down her neck.

"Rick," she gasps when his lips find her nipple.

He cups her other breast in his hand, flicks his thumb across that nipple as he suckles the sensitive flesh.

Her hips roll, her pelvis hitting his stomach, and she's so close again, just wants him inside her. Why the hell is he teasing her, why won't he just-

Oh.

As soon as his mouth is on her she cries out and buries both hands in his hair, holding him in place as he licks his way through her folds.

She comes again as soon as his mouth touches her clit, as he scrapes his teeth against her, slides three fingers inside even as she arches under him.

When she eventually opens her eyes and looks down she sees him between her legs still, his chin propped on her thigh, gazing up at her. She can see his hand curled around his cock, lazy strokes as her breathing returns back to normal.

"I thought you were going to do that later," she teases, reminding him of his own words.

He smirks and kisses her center once more before moving back up her body. "It was later," he murmurs when he passes by her breasts.

He pauses when he moves to kiss her, but Kate won't have any hesitation, cups the back of his head and pulls his mouth to hers. She curls her fingers around his cock and his hips jerk, but he manages not to come. She bends her knee at his waist, opening herself up to him, and guides him into her.

They both groan when he sinks to the hilt, and she grabs onto his ass, squeezes in encouragement.

The words fall from her mouth before she can stop them.

"I love you."

He lifts his head and meets her eyes, his gaze softening just the slightest with her confession. He smirks. "I love you too," he rasps, his hand coming up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. He leans down to press a soft kiss to her mouth, but as soon as they part, he grips her thigh, holds her to him as he moves his hips.

His thrusts are rough and erratic, and neither of them will last. Her hips rise to meet his with every thrust, and when he almost falls she touches her own clit so he can prop himself on both elbows.

He drops his forehead to hers, and although she tries to keep her eyes open so they can watch each other, she can't. His cock and her fingers are too overwhelming. After just a few more moments she locks her ankles around his waist and spasms around him as she falls over the edge.

After just a few more thrusts he grunts and buries himself deep, his hips giving a few final jerks as he finds his release.

Her fingers map a lazy trail along his spine as his breathing slows, but after a minute, he smudges a kiss to her mouth and rolls to the side.

"So," he says when he returns from the bathroom and joins her under the covers.

She shifts to face him. "So," she echoes. "That was amazing."

He chuckles. "Yeah, that's an understatement." His hand comes up to cup her cheek. "What now?"

Kate turns her head to the side so she can brush her lips against his palm. "I don't know," she admits with a sigh. "But I'd like to find out."

He grins. "Me, too. I definitely want to have sex again."

She laughs, and her mind drifts back to earlier, when they were in his basement office. "Maybe later we can christen your desk at The Old Haunt," she suggests, grinning at how fast his eyes darken with arousal.

"Consider it done," he growls, lunging forward and taking her mouth with his.

-FIN-

A/N: Inspired by, of all things, a t-shirt on Redbubble.