As they came to the door of her apartment, she put the key in the lock and turned it. Castle stood beside her, leaning against the wall, giving her one of his signature smiles.

"Are you sure about this, Kate?"

"Oh, I'm sure, Castle. Don't you worry about me." She replied with a smile in her voice.

As she unlocked the door, he followed her inside. She took the garment bag from him and pointed to the kitchen. "Feel free to make us drinks while I hang this up." She said as she walked to the bedroom. The door closed, and he was left alone in the living room.

Letting out a big sigh, he took off his jacket and laid it on the back of the couch. He rolled up his sleeves and set out to survey what she had to drink for them. He found some vodka under the sink, and orange juice in the fridge. Perfect… we won't be mixing alcohol. I don't want her to get sick on me tonight. He found glasses and added ice. As he was pouring in the vodka, he heard footsteps and looked up.

Kate stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hair was down and she had changed her clothes. Instead of the dark pantsuit, she was wearing a pink shirt that fell off one of her shoulders and black leggings. Her shoes were simple ballet flats and she looked at ease. When their eyes met, she smiled and moved toward him. She took the orange juice from him and added it to the glasses.

"I thought maybe you'd go for hand margaritas Castle." She said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Very funny, but not possible since you don't have any tequila."

He picked up both glasses and handed one to her. They each took a sip and walked into the living room. She sat her drink on the end table, took his, and placed it next to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes.

"Tell me what you are thinking, right now" She said softly.

"That I'm dreaming."

"Not a dream, I'm real, Castle. This is real."

Before he could say anything, her lips were on his. His hands were on her waist, then on her back. She drew him closer and deepened the kiss. Their tongues tangled, and his fingers were in her hair. He broke the kiss, and kissed her cheek, then her neck, and her shoulder. She tipped her head to the side and he kissed her collarbone. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

Her eyes were filled with desire. She put her fingers in his hair and pulled him down to her level. They kissed passionately, without reserve. They tasted and felt each other. It was magical, and they both knew what they wanted.

As she pulled away, she took his hand and led him down the short hallway to her bedroom. As they entered the room, he noticed there were candles lit all over. Castle smiled.

"Did you bring me up here to have your way with me, Detective Beckett?" He said softly as he kissed her lips.

"Whatever gave you that idea, Castle?" she replied as she reached out to him. She kissed him again, and reached for the buttons on his shirt. As she began to unbutton them, he looked down at her. He caressed her cheek and started kissing whatever skin he could get to… cheek, ear, neck, shoulder, collarbone...she let out a soft moan and deepened the kiss. He reached down and put his hands around her waist. He was feeling the touch of her skin against his, and it was much better than he had ever imagined. She had unbuttoned his shirt, and her hands were on his chest. She slipped them around his waist, under the shirt, and pulled it loose from his pants. Then she reached to his shoulders, and pulled the shirt off. Her hands stroked his muscular arms, and then she put them back on his chest. She finally broke the kiss and took a step back, out of breath.

Her hair was a mess, her lipstick was smudged and she never looked more beautiful to him. She reached down to take off her shirt and he stopped her.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked, breathless. "It's not just the alcohol talking, is it?"

"Yes, I'm sure it's not just the alcohol talking, Castle. No regrets, ok?" With those words, she removed her shirt and stood before him. She wasn't wearing a bra and her small breasts were perky and beautiful. He stepped toward her and took them in his hands.

They kissed again, and made their way toward the bed. She fiddled with his belt buckle and he slipped out of his shoes. Then, with one smooth movement, he picked her up, and laid her on the bed. He stood before her, and removed his pants and socks. He never took his eyes off of her, as he removed his wallet from his pants and placed it on the nightstand. Then, he slowly removed her shoes and her leggings. He touched and kissed every inch of her skin as he did it as she made soft noises of pleasure. His touch was filled with desire and love. This wasn't just about lust, but about love as well. They may not have been ready to say the words, but they were finally ready to show it.

She watched him as he removed their clothes and lay beside her on the bed. She, in a lacy pair of panties, and he in his boxers. She could feel his hardness as he kissed her even more passionately than before. They reveled in the feel of their bodies together and their hearts beat even faster. She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. She pulled herself on top of him and their kisses were fierce. Her hands were all over his chest, arms, waist, and back. If she could reach it, she was touching it. He was muscular and strong. His biceps were very impressive and his waist was trim. She traced the muscles in his stomach and he let out a laugh. When she finally pulled back, he was smiling.

"Whatever did I do to deserve this, Kate?"

"You waited."

He sat up so he could look deep into her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and laid her down on the bed on her back. It was his turn to touch and kiss every inch of her. He slowly removed her panties and ran his hands up and down her legs. He kissed her breast and took the nipple in his mouth while toying with the other one with his hands. He could feel her heart racing in her chest as he continued with the teasing. He was in no hurry. He would take all night, now that Kate wanted to be with him. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly and deliberately. No one had ever made her feel this way before. They were good friends, best friends even and now he was in her bed. His arms were wrapped around her and her breasts touched his chest. The skin-on-skin contact warmed them even more. She felt a tingle all through her body as she pulled him closer still.

She finally pulled away. Her face was flushed and she was almost crying from happiness.

"Make love to me, Rick."

Her eyes were dark with desire as she looked into his eyes and into his soul. There, she saw something she never noticed before.

Love.

He got up and removed his boxers. His manhood was impressive as he stood before her. He picked up his wallet, opened it, and pulled out a condom. "Put it on me, Kate." He said with desire in his voice. She stood up beside him, and pulled the covers back on the bed. She took the package from his hand and opened it with her teeth. His eyes twinkled and he kissed her.

She reached down and took him in her hands. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her hand on him. She stroked with just the right amount of pressure and he could barely stand up. She tickled him a little and watched as he smiled. She sat down on the bed and rolled the condom onto him. She slid back onto the bed and he crawled in after her.

He got on top of her and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair. He kissed her neck, shoulders, and breasts as he entered her. Slowly, with love and passion, he filled her completely.

Her eyes grew wide and she let out a small gasp. After all this time, he was inside her and they fit perfectly. She ran her hands down his back and lightly scratched with her nails. He let out a soft moan and smiled. He may have been married twice before, and had his share of "conquests" but this was different. Kate loved him with her body and heart. There would never be another woman like her.

"You are so beautiful, Kate Beckett."

"You're not so bad yourself, Rick Castle." She said with a smile.

She lifted her hips to meet him and his eyes grew wide. She flexed her pelvic muscles and squeezed him at the right moment. That heightened their passion and their kisses grew more intense. She could barely control herself as he hit her spot over and over again. The sounds that were coming from both of them were ones of pure pleasure. They were no longer holding back.

He watched her face as she climaxed in his arms. Then, just a few moments later, again as he climaxed inside her. He moved so he could lay beside her, breathless. They were sweaty and disheveled.

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She responded in kind and looked into his clear blue eyes. Their working relationship would never be the same again, and she had never been happier.

She was where she wanted to be.

In Castle's arms.