prompt: Beckett/Castle, sex or foreplay in a public place but nobody notices (under blankets/in the backseat/etc)
Castle tugs surreptitiously at his bowtie until Beckett slaps his arm. "Stop fidgeting."
"It's tight."
"No, it's not. You just can't sit still."
He pouts but she just arches an eyebrow. He gives in with a sigh.
He's bored.
The third person is at the podium now, giving a speech that could simply be summed up with Thank you for donating to our cause. But this one dims the lights and starts a slideshow. Most of the other patrons are watching with rapt attention, the faces across the grand ballroom beaming. Castle's bored out of his mind.
He steals a glance at his companion. Kate puts on a good show - for all his experience in public settings, she absolutely outdoes him at composure - but he knows the signs. Her eyes are just a little glazed, her breathing slowed, her face impassive. She's bored too. She's just better at hiding it.
A grin curls over his face. They're both bored, right? Have to fix that.
Shifting slightly in his seat, he slips his hand under the tablecloth and slides it gently over her kneecap.
She flinches at the contact. "Castle," she hisses, low so no one else can hear it. No one turns; the others are their table are turned to face the projector. No one's watching them.
"What is it, Detective?" His voice is perfectly innocent as he rubs light circles into her skin, just under the hem of her skirt.
Her throat bobs as she swallows hard, and he can feel the subtle tensing of muscles under his fingertips. She knows exactly what he's going to do. But telling him to stop would be admitting it. And she seems to take it as a challenge to wait him out. Like she thinks she's ever going to win the game of playing chicken.
He inches his fingers higher, biting back a smug grin as her breath catches. Her face is flushed, even in the dim light of the darkened ballroom, and she tries to glare at him but fails miserably. "Castle, we are in public," she whispers, but there's just enough air in her voice that he knows she's not really pissed.
"So be quiet."
Under the cover of the table, Castle chances it, sliding his hand further up her skirt. Her eyelashes flutter, her lips parting, and for a second he thinks he's going to push him away. But she bites her lip, taking a long breath, and doesn't stop him.
When his fingers hit lace instead of smooth skin, she actually squirms, her hands faltering, and he thinks okay now she's going to stop him, she has to, there's no way she's going to let him -
And then Kate reaches under the table, grabs his wrist, and pushes his hand up.
He almost chokes because she's wet, her thighs pressing around his hand. He slips a finger under her underwear, stroking her lewdly. Kate presses her fingers to her lips, her eyes flickering shut, a deep flush spreading over her collarbone.
He slips one finger inside her slowly and watches as her face goes slack, that blissed-out look she gets in his bedroom, and fuck, this started out as a game, but now he's actually fingering her in the middle of a crowded ballroom, and if anyone catches them -
Before he can figure out what to do, she's pushing him away, scooting her chair back. The movement draws a few curious looks. "What - what are you - ?" he mumbles, confused.
She brushes her fingers over his neck, leaning in to ghost a kiss on his cheek. "I just have to go - take care of something."
He groans, wiping his fingers on a napkin at that as she strides out with a smirk, because he knows exactly what she's going to go do to herself. Damn it. He's uncomfortable, he's tight in his tux pants, because right now he's picturing it way too clearly. She's getting herself off and he's not -
"Excuse me, Mr. Castle?"
Castle turns to find a waiter leaning over to address him quietly. "Uh. Yes?"
"Your companion is asking if you'll come join her. She says she'd like to go home now."
An idiot grin spreads over his face. "Yeah, actually. Thanks."
"Of course, sir. We've called your car for you."
Forget the presentation. Castle all but bolts for the front door, where Kate's pulling on her coat, twitching her eyebrow. "In a bit of a hurry, Castle?"
"Come on." He tucks her arm through his, ushering her out the front door. "Let's go home. So I can give you a hand. With that...situation."
She grins, nuzzling his ear. "Who says we have to get all the way home first?"
They stumble out of the limo in front of his building. Her cheeks are even pinker. His pants are even tighter. And her underwear is in his pocket.
