Here's the M Chapter folks. You've been warned.
In a hushed tone in case the aforementioned scum is listening, "Castle, we need to talk."
2.
With panic wavering in his voice, "I've already got the ticket and we are now in place. What do we do?"
"Castle, I can't force this on you, but if we go through with it we can try to get away with as little as possible. However, we will have to make it look real for the sake of our cover and helping those innocent girls."
"What are you saying, Beckett?"
"I'm saying it's up to you, but we better decide now." Looking at her father's watch, "bidding starts in 5 minutes."
Beckett isn't sure she's ever seen him so speechless, then finally, "Is this what you want? Because real won't be a problem for me and that's what I'm worried about here, Beckett. You know this will be crossing a line we can't uncross and I don't want to risk you not being able to look at me tomorrow."
Not sure if she is trying to calm him or herself, "Castle, I won't be upset with you, but I fully understand if you can't do this. I don't have the right to ask you too, but I do want to help those girls and right now it seems that task has fallen on our shoulders." In the back of her mind, Beckett is actually more concerned about losing control herself, making things even more real than Castle would expect. Just being near him on a daily basis is difficult for her as of late. The accidental, or possibly not so accidental, brushes of their fingers, shoulders, thighs, sends a jolt of yearning and desire through her system like she has never experienced with anyone before him. How is she going to hold this together? What have I done?
With a shaky breath he agrees, but she can see the apprehension on his face. She hopes he doesn't see it on hers as easily, but she fears she's not hiding it as well as she would like. Problem is, although unsaid, at least on her part, she loves him as much as he loves her and this…their potential couple status….is something that should be explored at their own pace, not something they are forced into. It's bad enough they had an impromptu kiss to save the other half of their team and even that, although deemed to be for show only, was completely real for both of them so what will this do to them? Getting so lost in that kiss made her barely capable of focusing on the task at hand. She had, for a few seconds, lost all reasoning and understanding of why they were in that alley, in front of a warehouse, in the dark. Thankfully, the guard's little laugh snapped her out of her desire-induced trance, allowing her to take him out and them to save their friends.
The ringleader doesn't show up until the bidding is nearing its end to collect his money. That's when they need to strike and the only way to do so is to have someone on the inside to identify him and give the go ahead to the awaiting team outside, at least this is all according to the boys at the 8th who have been working on this case for the past few months. Problem is, these events aren't advertised like an upcoming movie, nor do they occur at regularly scheduled intervals. It's not quite that simple. Announcements come by way of text message with a cryptic time, date and location. Through one of their informants they managed to get the phone number of someone on the well-guarded list and their tech experts were able to use it to intercept texts and decode them. There was no advanced notice of tonight's little party until about 6:00 this evening, leaving no time to get their regular team back into town and even less time to construct a back-up plan. In step Castle and Beckett. That's all well and good and she is proud of her fellow officers for their hard work on this case, but in a nutshell, what all this means is her and her very nervous partner have to wait until near the end of this austere event to make their move, leaving them to their own devices for the next hour or more. Here goes everything she thinks as she grabs his very sweaty hand and leads him towards the bed just as the curtains begin to part.
Opening on a scene that can only be described as disheartening, they realize their rooms are elevated for the best viewing pleasure possible. Below them, in the center of the circular room is a staging area with a beautiful young girl, possibly of northeastern Russian descent with her light complexion, eyes and hair, standing in the center on wobbly legs. Adorned in a scantily clad dress that only requires a small amount of imagination to become obscene, the only thing that breaks the scene is the look of utter terror in her eyes and the tracks of tears glistening down her cheeks. She feels Castle tense next to her as they sit side-by-side on the bed, shoulders lightly touching.
Off to the side a very menacing looking man gives the girl a stern command in Russian that Beckett immediately understands as, "Smile and slowly twirl." The girl reluctantly begins to usher her feet in a circular motion, but fails miserably at the commanded smile and anyone can see her entire body is shaking with her sobs. This instantly gets Castle's attention as Beckett recognizes the look of determination filling into his features. In that moment she knows they are on the same page. They will both do anything necessary to help these poor girls, children really.
The auctioneer begins saying numbers so fast Beckett can barely follow. After each set of numbers she sees him point to one of the other rooms around the upper section of the circular enclosure. Noticing a light flashes above each room as a bid is placed, Beckett now has the inner-workings of the bidding established. She also sees a light flicker in Castle's eyes and knows he's registered it as well.
Just then "проданный" rings through the air, followed by the English translation of "sold" and the frightened girl is led away only to be replaced by another, then another and so on.
Bidding for the first round is winding down. The last girl is led from center stage as an announcement comes across saying they will be taking a twenty-minute recess. Castle and Beckett both look at each other, their expressions vacillating between anxiety and determination. Within moments there's movement below as a grouping of chairs are situated center stage and rear-ends are being planted in them, belonging to whom she can only assume are the inner circle of the ring. After everyone is seated, the center section where the chairs have been placed begins to ascend, swiftly becoming eye level with the picture windows of the private rooms. Castle mumbles something to the affect of "what a bunch of sick, voyeuristic pigs." Beckett couldn't agree more, but now a decision has to be made. Go for it or get the hell out. If they bail at this point it could draw too much attention, risking not only their cover, but their lives as well. She contemplates the fact they wouldn't typically take kindly to people watching, learning the ropes then not taking part, or at least staying through to the end. This leaves no option in her mind and Castle must have come to the same conclusion as he is looking at her with a softness she knows is meant to calm her quickening pulse back to normal. He's sitting so close she's sure he can hear it.
They can faintly make out other couples through the immense windows across the vast expanse of the auction area from them getting hot and heavy as the lights in their rooms brighten, no doubt for the view-ability of their audience. Just then they are caught in the calculating glare of one of the onlookers. It's not hard to read the meaning behind it, get on with it, those cold, dark eyes clearly demand.
Beckett places her hand on Castle's chest as Castle looks deeply into her eyes while raising a hand to her cheek, both of them trying to tell the other they can do this and it will be ok. She can feel his heartbeat racing beneath her fingertips, their feelings manifesting themselves with such a simple gesture. They've always been able to convey heartfelt thoughts without words, each deciphering meaning through the other's eyes. Oh the sensations he can evoke in her without even trying. She leans towards him just as someone bursts into the room, causing them to fly apart, startled and confused, momentarily feeling like two teenagers caught in the act. Beckett almost makes the mistake of going for her weapon on pure instinct, no doubt giving away her cover as a civilian and outting her as a cop, but at the last second she reigns her hand in with tempered control, diverting it to Castle's side instead, as if gripping his hip in comfort or concern.
A guard busts in right behind their intruder, grabbing him by the throat and hauling him out while offering apologies to Castle and Beckett for the interruption. Just before the door closes they hear an anguished cry of despair as the man mumbles over the tightening hand around his throat, pleading for his baby, his daughter. Castle's heart goes out to the man, putting himself in the man's shoes if Alexis was trapped in a situation like this, but now is not the time to break their cover. Beckett's hand moves to his thigh in a calming touch, no doubt reading his thoughts as if said aloud. What they are attempting to do here will hopefully reunite the man with his daughter, safe and sound by evening's end.
Turning back towards the window they see the same cold eyes still boring into them and know they better cede to his wishes soon. Sitting back down on the bed, Castle grabs Beckett by the back of her neck, looks deep into her eyes and pulls her to him in one fluid motion. Their lips meet, frozen for only a millisecond before they are moving in a soft, loving caress. "Silk." Without thought or permission Beckett finds her lips opening to Castle, granting him access to explore at will. It's the first kiss all over again as Beckett feels herself relinquishing all thought, all control, allowing a little moan of pleasure to escape her lips, which only pushes Castle to deepen the kiss. All too quickly Castle pulls back, looking into her eyes as if in question, are you ok with everything or are you secretly plotting my demise? She can see his control slipping, right along with hers as he contemplates what to do next, trying to find a balance between keeping their cover intact as well as their friendship. She gives him a reassuring nod then glances back towards their audience to see several sets of eyes trained on them. Smiles that were plastered on their faces beginning to fade as their little mini porn show has come to a halt. Turning back to one another, knowing they must continue, but with their breathing shallow, their pulses racing and their body's reaction to one another becoming blatant they are both wondering how far this will have to go and how effectively either of them will be at stopping it once it reaches a certain point. Without another moment of hesitation, their lips latch onto one another again as two sets of hands begin to roam. His caressing her back and thighs, hers his neck and chest, and yes, his hair really is as soft as it looks. Her blood is singing in her veins, a siren song for him. Electricity dances in the air between them. The hair on her arms and neck stands at attention, seemingly due to the current in the air, but in actuality due to the goose bumps encompassing every inch of her skin. Their tongues become a perfect entanglement of sensuality. Not too much, not too little. To finally taste him again, to feel his touch, it's everything. Her body and mind, no longer communicating as her entire being tingles with anticipation. Beckett pulls herself onto Castle's lap, in order to help sell it, or so she tells herself, without breaking the kiss. Now it's Castle who allows a little moan to escape. As her middle, covered only by a narrow strip of black lace, settles onto Castle's lap, she immediately knows the move was a huge mistake. With their centers pressed tightly to one another under the weight of her body, Castle's desire for her is far from vague through his thin dress pants. She tries to shift to lessen the contact, realizing too late she has only succeeded in adding a slight rocking motion to the already ambivalent situation. Her last thread of sanity snaps as she throws her head back in pleasure, inadvertently allowing Castle access to her now fully exposed neck, and oh, does he take advantage. The last coherent thought leaves her mind and she finds herself rocking relentlessly against his thick, unyielding shaft, feeling heat pool low in her core. One hand holding her against him, the other has found the swell of her right breast. The now accelerated pace of their motion, along with a quick pinch and flick of her nipple and his tongue and lips working just below her ear has her falling over the edge into ecstasy as she cries out his name. She's shaking, her body wracked with tremors as she rides out her high. His tightened grip on her sides brings her back to reality, causing her to hide her face in the curve of his neck and shoulder. Her warm breath sends a shiver coursing through his frame. She wants to be angry with herself for losing control, but she's finding it rather difficult when her pulse is still racing and she just experienced the best orgasm she can remember having in years, fully clothed no less. What the hell just happened? Apparently this is the after-effect of four years of foreplay without giving in. Pulling back to look at him as her embarrassment subsides, if only a fraction, she sees a look of pure love in his eyes, well that, coupled with unadulterated desire.
The squeal of the lift descending back towards the ground, indicating their intermission has come to an end, breaks the silence. She's thankful she doesn't have to stand too soon as she's not sure her shaky legs would hold her just yet. Sliding from Castle's lap she sees him adjust himself uncomfortably. Great! Now she feels awful as the realization strikes her, she has sort of left him in a precarious position and the evidence is staring back at her from his tightened slacks. The cocky grin threatening to show on his face makes her feel a little better, but not much.
Well, there it is. Hope chapter two lived up to the expectations of my fabulous reviewers. Last chapter coming soon.