Poison Pen
Chapter 24
Wearing loose black pants and a high collared tunic, Jian-Wa, the server approaching Rick and Kate's table, evokes a mix of Arabian Nights and a martial arts movie. "Our chef has created several specials for this evening, as well as gluten-free and vegan variations if you desire them."
Rick and Kate exchange glances of mutual agreement. "Just tell us about the regular specials," Castle requests.
"First we have the fresh catch of the day, bought directly from fishermen in Long Island Sound. Today we feature black bass, grilled to perfection.
"Our meat-eater's entrée is a rib-eye with chef's special rub, cooked to the precise level of doneness you prefer.
"We also have a chicken piccata with your choice of white wine or lemon juice in the chef's signature sauce.
"As accompaniments, you can choose from a mixed salad of organically grown greens or a wilted spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. Your choice of root vegetables is rainbow carrots, beets, or parsnips. You can also request baby purple potatoes, spiced potato wedges, herbed brown rice, or quinoa." Jian-Wa pulls two leather-bound lists from deep pockets in his tunic and hands them to Rick and Kate. "As you can see, our wine list is extensive. The insert lists suggested pairings for this evening's offerings. Will you need a moment to make your selections?"
Rick looks at Kate, who shakes her head. He quickly scans the parchment paper in a pocket of the front cover of the wine list. "I believe we're ready now. The suggested pairings appear excellent. We'll go with those. Kate?"
"The chicken with white wine sauce, the mixed salad, and the purple potatoes."
"And the gentleman?" Jian-Wa prompts.
Rick chuckles inwardly at the match of Kate's side order with the furnishings of her apartment. "Ribeye, spinach salad, and potato wedges."
"Very good, Sir. Would you like some warm, freshly baked bread and olive oil as a starter?"
Castle raises an eyebrow at Kate, who nods.
"Please," Castle replies. "And can you send a message to the valet to park the red Ferrari," he consults his claim check, "number 47, in a secure corner? If we're going to avail ourselves of your outstanding vintages, I won't be driving it anymore tonight."
"Yes, Sir," Jian-Wa agrees, "and we'll have a cab standing by when you have finished dining." He points to a bell hanging from the edge of the table. "You can ring anytime you wish anything else, anything at all."
"As a cop and a passenger, I appreciate what you just told Jian-Wa, Castle," Kate confides as the server hurries away to get their bread. "But, I was looking forward to another ride in your flaming chariot — or driving it myself."
"I'll be coming back to get it tomorrow, Kate, and you can drive it anytime you like. And as a cop, you know how to put the pedal to the metal, but do you like fast cars?"
"For a pure rush, I prefer motorcycles, but I do love speed."
"Not in everything, I hope," Castle responds.
"No," Kate concedes. "Some things are much more enjoyable when you take your time to explore all the possibilities."
Rick reaches across the table for her hand. "I couldn't agree more."
Kate licks the last of her raspberry mousse from the tip of her spoon and takes a final sip from a glass of wine, candlelight dancing in the crystal. "That was fantastic!"
"Would you like another one?" Castle asks. "We can use our little bell to call Jian-Wa."
"No, unless you want something."
"Not from Jian-Wa. Kate, so far tonight we've talked about food, books, theater, motor vehicles and the romantic leanings of your comrades in the bullpen, but the one thing we haven't talked about is us, and where we go from here. So, what do you see as our next step?"
Kate leans across the table to press her lips to his, wine and spice mingling on their tongues. "Let's take that cab the valet is supposed to have for us, back to my place."
Castle shifts his weight from foot to foot as Kate unlocks her door. She lets her coat slip to the floor on the other side and presses against him, thrusting her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. "Rick!"
"Tell me what you want, Kate."
"Everything. I want everything." Her mouth finds his as he pulls her against him, desperate for more intimate contact. Their gourmet meal forgotten, Rick wants nothing more than the bountiful feast in he's holding, to touch, to taste, every inch of the wondrous creation that is Kate Beckett.
Rick lifts Kate in his arms. "Which way?"
Kate says a silent prayer thanking God that she took all the outfits she tried on for Lanie off her bed and jammed them back in her closet. "Through the door next to the couch."
Rick lays Kate on a vintage quilt, done in squares of lavender and deep blue. She pushes her sheath off her shoulder to reveal creamy flesh that calls to Rick like a siren song. His mouth is everywhere as they strip the clothes from each other's bodies. Bare skin to bare skin, they grapple, their desire for each other intensifying second to second.
Rick can feel Kate hot and longing as she arches beneath the pressure of his palm, beyond any conscious control. A jolt of lightning burns through his veins as her hand encircles him, wordlessly bidding him fill her need. "Kate, are you safe? Do we have to…?"
The answer grinds from deep in her throat. "It's fine, Castle. It won't… We won't… I just need you — now."
Even as he fills her, Kate's desperation increases. Legs rising of their own accord, her heels press hard against the muscle of his back. Short fingernails dig into firm biceps, leaving tiny crescents. "More. I need more."
Castle flips Kate above him, granting free rein to the driving of her hips. His fingertips find the epicenter of her urgency, pushing her to the edge of madness. Their mouths collide, tongues darting and twisting around each other. His hands cradle her breasts, sensation surging as the sweat of their bodies vaporizes in the mantle of heat that surrounds them. Lava rises in the human volcano they have become until the eruption releases the pent up force that has been battling its way to the surface. Empty and filled, they rest, arms and legs still entwined.
Castle can feel rather than see the dawn creeping into Kate's bedroom. Alexis won't be up yet. She sleeps in on Sundays, and Mother is reasonable enough not to wake her up with early morning vocalizations. He has time to get home, but there is no way he'll just leave Kate. He curls around her, the most charmingly rounded part of her fitting perfectly into the hollow of his body. He would happily remain like this all day, maybe all year. He sighs. Staying is a pipe dream.
Rick has to get home before too much of the morning passes. Not only does he want to be there for Alexis, he has writing to do. But he has to make sure that Kate knows how much what happened between them the night before means to him. Even as the writer that he is, he can't put that in a note. Whether his family witnesses his morning return to the loft or not, he won't be doing a walk of shame. He's not ashamed. Not the least bit. Just profoundly moved.