FACE TO FACE
CHAPTER 1
NOTE: THIS FIC IS RATED M
I had a few
Got drunk on you
And now I'm wasted
And when I sleep
I'm gonna dream
Of how you tasted
-Medicine by Harry Styles
"You sure this is the place?" Kate asked, her eyes on the large Victorian-style mansion as it came into view. A dozen or more cars sat in the driveway, so it must be, but as Kate took in the elegant exterior - not to mention the high-end vehicles - she found it harder to believe that the party would be held here.
Rich people must really get bored with the normal, day-to-day grind of life, if they were having orgies.
Swinger parties, Kate reminded herself, remembering the words of her boyfriend. She'd agreed with him when he admitted that their relationship had started to stale, the sex losing a lot of excitement. They'd tried a few things that the adult store employee had suggested - a card deck to pick random positions, a couple new toys, new lingerie - but nothing had stuck.
When Chris had mentioned opening their relationship to include others, her first thought had been one of disgust. She didn't judge others for doing it, but her idea of a relationship had always been monogamous. How could their relationship improve by having sex with other people?
Still, the more she thought about it, the more intrigued she was. It would be like watching porn, Chris had argued, only live. And they occasionally watched porn together, so, why not?
So, Kate followed his lead. He'd had a discreet conversation with a friend, and the next thing she knew, she was wearing a brand-new cocktail dress, Chris was in a crisp open-collared shirt, and they were approaching the door.
The door opened just moments after Chris knocked to reveal a blonde in a more modest dress than Kate would have expected. Kate gripped her boyfriend's hand tighter, suddenly insecure. This woman was much prettier than she, so what the hell was Kate doing?
Chris squeezed her hand. "Hi, we're here for the party. Steve invited us," he added when the woman didn't respond right away. "Chris and Kate."
The woman smiled and stepped aside to let them in. "Of course, he mentioned you. He's not here tonight," she added, shutting the door, "but I'm glad you made it. It's your first time, correct?"
"Yeah. We just wanted to try it out, you know?" Chris said, glancing down at Kate with a smile. "Spice things up a little."
"Right. I'm Tiffany, let me show you around."
Kate half expected to see bodies in various levels of undress writing around on every conceivable surface, so she was surprised to see that the current floor was relatively free of people. The kitchen had been converted to a bar - Tiffany explained that everyone had tabs, which guests had 24 hours to settle - and Kate saw some hors d'oeuvres in what looked to be the dining room.
"People get hungry," Tiffany explained, "so we started providing refreshments."
"Is participation, um, required?" Chris asked her after giving his credit card to the bartender.
"Of course not."
"How do you know that everyone's-" Kate hesitated. She didn't want to imply anything, not that she was planning on participating tonight, but if her or Chris did…
Tiffany seemed to read her mind. "Safe?" At Kate's nod, she continued. "Condoms are supplied and required, and everyone is tested regularly." She explained additional details of the party, from requiring consent, to where the bathrooms were.
Kate could feel Chris's excitement. His fingers kept twitching around hers, and when Tiffany pointed out where they could undress and put on robes, she heard him inhale sharply. A glance at his slacks confirmed her theory that he was more than ready. Despite his excitement, though, she hesitated to change clothes.
"Are you sure about this?" Kate asked him in a low voice when Tiffany left them alone. "It just seems so…"
"Awesome?" When she just glared at him, Chris abandoned his belt and put his hands on her shoulders. "It's totally out of our comfort zone, I know. If you want to leave, I'll put my shirt back on and we'll leave." His thumbs rubbed circles on her collarbone. "But babe, you gotta admit, it's intriguing."
Kate sighed. "You're right, it is." She covered his hands with hers and leaned up to press a kiss to his mouth. "'Kay, let's do this. I can't promise I'll participate," she added when he grinned, "but I'll at least consider it." She tightened her grip when he started to move away. "This is only tonight," she reminded him. "Unless we both agree otherwise. If either of us wants to leave at any point, then both of us will leave." They'd had the same conversation before, when the topic had first come up, but she felt that it bore repeating.
Chris leaned down and kissed her. "Agreed."
As soon as she and Chris stepped through the door to the basement, Kate felt a dramatic mood change. The stairs descended into a large room, empty save for a large sectional and several people. Despite the dim glow from scattered lamps, she could see that most people were naked and in various sexual positions. She reached for Chris's hand, but he didn't notice and moved ahead of her.
There was still a shadow of doubt in the back of her mind - the idea of having sex with other people to keep her boyfriend took some getting used to - but she was willing to do it. If spicing up their relationship this way would save it, she'd certainly try. And, judging by the erection he already had, Chris was more than excited.
She paused on the last step, gripping the stairwell, still undecided how far she'd go. Over the quiet music that sounded like slow R&B, she could hear the distinct sounds of pleasure. Moans, grunts, even the loud slap of skin on skin.
A shout caught her attention and she looked to her left just in time to see a man - a very well-endowed man - stroke himself to climax, coming on the breasts of the woman kneeling in front of him. The man slumped against the wall, his chest heaving, and Kate felt her face flush, clenched her thighs together.
She'd watched plenty of adult films, both with and without her boyfriend, had gotten off to them more times than she could count. But she'd be lying to herself if she said seeing it in person wasn't even hotter.
The woman stood and crossed the room to kneel in front of another man. They appeared to exchange a few words, then she smiled and took his cock in her mouth. The man threw his head back in pleasure, cupped her head in his hand as she bobbed. After just a minute or two she stood, took a condom from a nearby bowl, and after sheathing him, laid on the floor with her legs open.
Kate watched as the man entered her, his hips thrusting several times before his whole body tensed. She could see his ass clench, and his hips jerked once, twice before he pulled out. He didn't get up or move aside, though; instead, he slid down her body, draped her legs over his shoulders, and had her arching within moments.
It wasn't until the woman stopped squirming that Kate noticed another woman nearby, a pretty redhead, her hand between her spread legs, fingers slowly thrusting as she watched the couple.
Once the woman on the floor seemed to recover, she moved next to the redhead on the couch, pushed her to her back, and replaced the redhead's hand with her own mouth. Yet another man moved behind her, slipping a condom on, and as he gripped her hips and entered her, Kate felt her breath quicken.
Holy Jesus, this is really happening, she thought to herself, her hand drifting to her breast, cupping it under her robe, then brushing against her sensitive nipple. Her breath caught in her throat at her own touch, arousal shooting straight to her core. She wanted to find Chris, needed some relief, but she couldn't tear her gaze from the trio in front of her.
They moved in what seemed like a practiced dance, the man moving smoothly, the redhead moaning, her fingers buried in the hair of the woman between them. A few others were watching as well, some while fucking, others just enjoying the show and stroking themselves.
Suddenly the man tensed and gave a shout, and that seemed to trigger the two women, both arching or shuddering with their own orgasms.
Kate couldn't help it; she needed to come. If she couldn't find Chris she'd go to the bathroom and finish herself off, but she was so fucking horny that she couldn't even see straight.
A familiar profile caught her eye and she turned, a little startled to see her boyfriend leaning against the wall, a blonde kneeling between his legs with his cock in her mouth. For a moment Kate considered taking her place, but instead she headed towards the corner, where there was an illuminated bathroom sign.
The bathroom was empty, thank God, and Kate tore off her robe, propped one foot against the lip of the tub, braced one hand against the vanity, and buried two fingers between her legs. She furiously thrusted, pressing her palm to her clit, but it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough to get her off.
She stopped trying with a loud frustrated grunt, and she swore and rinsed off her hands.
Well, she was at a swinger party. She should have no problem finding a willing dick.
She flung the door open, robe forgotten, and gasped when she ran right into a solid chest. "What the-" Her exclamation died on her tongue when she recognized the man whose book signing she'd attended just a few weeks before. "You?"
Rick Castle shook his head. "No names here." He motioned towards her naked body. "Need a hand?"
Kate glanced down at his erection and smirked. Chris wasn't available, but Rick certainly was able, willing, and impressive. "I'd prefer that."
In general, she wasn't a fan of having sex standing up, since Chris was tall enough that it always ended with one, or both, of them getting leg cramps. But as Rick encouraged her to turn around and slid inside her wet heat from behind, she could tell that this time would be different.
Kate let out a low moan as he filled her, her hips rolling, encouraging him to move. He started slow, for which she was grateful, as he was a little thicker than what she was used to. But she was soon panting, pushing back into him, one hand braced against the wall, the other finding purchase in his hair.
Rick had both hands on her hips, his grip tight as his thrusts quickened, becoming almost frantic, primal. The fingers in his hair kept his head close to hers, and he dropped his forehead to the back of her neck, panted against her skin.
When she shuddered and cried out, he moved one hand to her clit, and at the lightest touch she clenched around him, her grip tightening, almost yanking his hair. Her climax brought him over the edge, and he buried himself inside her, hips jerking as he came with a loud groan.
He withdrew almost immediately, and Kate felt his mouth press against her shoulder before he stepped away. She leaned her forehead against the cool wall, breathing hard, willing her heart to stop pounding.
She just had another man's dick in her for the first time in years, and holy shit did it feel good. Chris wasn't bad in bed, not by any means - recent staleness aside - but she'd forgotten what it was like. The thrill of someone new, someone different.
"This yours?"
The voice at her side brought her out of her thoughts and she glanced up to find Rick holding out her discarded robe. She took it from him, draped it over her shoulders with a nod. "Thanks."
Rick offered her a small smile. "No problem. Oh, and I was serious about the no names here. Some of us know each other outside this bubble, but the motto is 'discretion.'"
Kate nodded and glanced around. Tiffany had covered discretion earlier. "Right. It's like Vegas. What happens here stays here."
Rick grinned. "Exactly. Or fight club, except less violence. Fuck club, if you will."
"Right," Kate repeated, tying her robe tight. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get a drink."
As she headed towards the stairs she spotted Chris on the large sectional, a short-haired brunette on top of him, her head thrown back in pleasure as she rode him. Kate paused and watched for a few moments, the embers of desire beginning to spark once again.
She couldn't help but wonder if that was what they looked like when she was on top. They'd never watched themselves; maybe that was something else they could do. Her fingers ached to touch herself as she watched Chris and the woman, his cock moving in and out, saw it glisten even in the dim light.
Yeah, they should definitely watch themselves. She made a mental note to buy a large mirror, maybe a video camera.
She managed to tear her gaze from the sight and went back upstairs, found the kitchen-slash-bar with relative ease. Tiffany was right about the refreshments, she mused to herself, spotting the food. She'd only been downstairs for a short time, only had sex once, and she was parched. She couldn't imagine how hungry - and thirsty - some of the others may get. She ordered a vodka martini and grabbed a bottle of water, sat on one end of the couch.
Since she knew more about what to expect, she noticed subtle details, even upstairs: a stack of towels in the corner, all the upstairs curtains drawn, the light thump of bass from the music downstairs. She seemed to recall Tiffany explaining that, despite living in relative seclusion there was always concern that someone would look in the windows, so they kept the house shut off from the outside.
Kate let her mind wander to her encounter a short while before, and she smiled and shook her head in disbelief.
Her favorite author attended swinger parties.
And he'd fucked her.
She'd had some casual flings, a couple friends-with-benefits in college. But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined something like this.
She'd just been at Rick Castle's book signing, for Christ's sake!
"Mind if I join you?"
Kate looked up, started, the very man from her thoughts standing in front of her, fully covered - unfortunately - in a robe. "Be my guest."
Rick sat on the other end of the couch a glass of what looked like bourbon or whiskey in his hand. "So. Is it your first time?"
Kate lifted a brow. "I thought discretion was the word here," she retorted, lifting her martini to her lips.
"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't have casual conversation. The, uh, environment isn't quite right for that downstairs," Rick added with a smirk.
Kate felt her face flush and her thighs clench. No, downstairs wasn't conducive for anything more than what she'd experienced. "True. Yes, it's my first time here."
"Here? Have you been to other parties?"
"Well, no. I mean," she continued, stumbling over her words, suddenly nervous. The man's dick had been inside her not twenty minutes ago, and now he was chatting with her, his tone the same as if talking about the weather! "I've been to parties. Just not, you know." She gestured towards the basement door. "Not this kind of party."
Rick chuckled and took a long swig of his drink. "Well, I'm glad you came." He laughed when she choked on her own drink at his words. "That's not what I meant, but it also applies."
Kate flushed even harder. Apparently, the basement was a magic portal, because as soon as she'd returned upstairs, she'd turned awkward. "Sorry," she said, her voice quiet. "I'm usually a better conversationalist. This whole thing is just.." Her voice trailed off, looking for the right word.
"Weird."
"Yes!"
Rick nodded in agreement. "It is, at first. You get used to it."
"I see." Kate finished her martini and grabbed her water. "So, you've been to a lot of these?"
"A few. My girlfriend likes it. She says the variety 'keeps things fresh.'" He punctuated the last few words with air quotes. "And between you and me," he continued, leaning closer, "after we attend one of these, our sex is amazing."
Kate didn't respond; Rick's words echoed why she and Chris were there, too. The parties appeared to help Rick and his girlfriend's relationship, so it would probably help hers, too.
"There you are!"
Kate turned her head at the familiar voice, saw Chris approaching her, his hair mussed and a large grin on his face. "Hey. I just needed some water," she explained, lifting the bottle. She opened her mouth to protest when he took it, but he drained it before she could say anything. Well, she'd just get another one. "Having fun?"
Chris practically collapsed next to her. "Yeah, this is amazing. I feel so…" He paused, waving his hands in the air, as if trying to will the right word into existence.
Rick piped up. "Rejuvenated?"
Chris's face lit up. "Yeah! Exactly! God, I haven't felt like this in ages." He dropped his hand to Kate's knee and squeezed. "You're having fun too, I hope? Not spending all of your time up here?"
Kate met Rick's gaze as he stood. She was having fun, all right. "I was downstairs for a bit," she told her boyfriend, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm having a good time."
"Good." Chris pulled her in for a kiss, and Kate leaned into him, carded her fingers through his hair. When he prodded her mouth open with his tongue, she realized he tasted different. Not bad, just...different.
It wasn't until he'd pulled away and retreated downstairs that she realized she was tasting the remnants of another woman on his tongue.
Although Rick had left, his words echoed in her mind.
You get used to it.
Suddenly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to.
A/N: This is my entry for the 2021 Castle Winter Ficathon (hopefully just the first). It is eight chapters long. Also of note, without divulging too much, I will assure you that it is a Caskett fic. Enjoy!