A/N: I couldn't help adding that movie reference in the last chapter and I had forgotten to point it out then. Silence of the Lambs; good- creepy- movie! The first few times I saw the movie, I had no idea what the killer was after, but after reading the book, it all became clear. If you like creepy books/movies like that, which I do. :-D

Oh, I also wanted to say thank you to BeckettNYPD for the idea you gave me. For some reason I didn't realize Rick would obviously want to do something to make Kate love him, so thank you for pointing that out to me! I was having one of many blonde moments. :-D So, Thank You BeckettNYPD!

Having spent all day in or near the water, the last thing Kate wanted was a long shower. She soaped her hair and rinsed as quickly as she could and then began soaping the rest of her body. But her mind kept wandering and when it did, her movements would slow.

Kate couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun with a man… or any person for that matter. Her mother had had a wonderful sense of humor and Kate had loved just spending hours upon hours laughing with her mom, but this day with Rick was… amazing. She found herself chasing and swimming and playing silly games she hadn't played since she was a young girl.

At one point, Castle had laughed out loud to see her splashing in the waves and called out, "Well, what do you know! Kate Beckett does know how to frolic!" which prompted Kate to run and tackle him back into the next oncoming wave.

And as they played, they kissed and they touched each other, but Rick never let it go too far. Rick couldn't seem to bear letting her out of his grasp but every time Kate moved to deepen a kiss, Rick would back away, splashing or continuing whatever game they were playing. Kate could almost believe that Rick wasn't attracted to her, or that he even felt nothing more for her than platonic, brotherly affection. But the way he was constantly touching her or kissing her- chaste kisses though they mostly were- had Kate wondering what the hell was going on.

Kate stood back under the shower and let the water fall over her face, attempting to clear her mind by washing her thoughts away. She wasn't going to get any answers alone in a shower stall. So she quickly finished and shut the water off. Besides, she thought, smiling. Castle is probably out there waiting for me.

Before they'd headed inside to eat, and as they reclined on their separate chairs, soaking in the last of the sun's rays, Castle had informed her, "We have one of two choices for dinner. We could dress up, go out and have dinner in a gorgeous little place overlooking the ocean. Or we can dress up, stay in and I'll cook for you."

Kate had made a look of distaste and teased, "Do we have to dress up?"

"Well, we could always go naked, but I don't think the other patrons at the restaurant would survive the shock."

"So my only choices are naked, or all dressed up?" she asked, humor in her voice.

"Yep."

"Hmm…" Kate murmured as she paused as if to seriously consider her choices. "If we stayed at home naked, we'd have no one to shock but ourselves." She had smiled then, fully aware that she was contradicting a threat she'd made just hours ago.

Rick had laughed then, but was that sound a bit strained to Kate's ears? Then he'd stood and held his hands out to her. As he pulled her to her feet, he teased, "Stop trying to distract me. I've been dying to see you in that little red dress you thought you sneaked into your suitcase when I wasn't looking."

After that, they'd headed inside to get ready for supper. And now, though Kate had rushed her shower, she took her time getting ready for dinner alone- at home- with Castle. At Rick's home, Kate corrected herself, unsettled by how easy the past day with Rick had been, and how comfortable she was with him. Rick was an easy person to lo… to be around, Kate again corrected herself.

Kate finally stepped back from the bathroom mirror and studied her reflection; what she saw made her smile. Earlier that day, Rick had complained about her smoky eyes and her 'perfect little mouth.' Expert makeup application had made her eyes even smokier and her mouth a deep red. Her hair fell in loose waves to her shoulders and the hem of her dress barely covered her thighs; she tugged on the hem then, straightening any creases and brushing it flat against her body. She stepped into her red heels, and her smile grew broader; she didn't think Rick would be able to keep his eyes off her long legs. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her all day and it made Kate warm to imagine finally letting him touch her.

Kate adjusted the hem of her dress again, pulled up the strapless top a little and pushed a lock of hair into place. Then, before she could continue fidgeting, she turned away and headed out to dinner.

As soon as Kate stepped into the main family room, she stopped dead and looked around in awe. Normally it was a nice room, warm and comfortable, but now the lights were dimmed and candles were set up every where, reflecting shimmering light over everything; soft music emanated from somewhere. But there was no Rick so Kate continued into the kitchen.

Rick was at the stove, his back to her, moving things around in pots and pans. Kate watched him for a long moment, taking in his dark blue shirt and slacks; a jacket hung on the back of a barstool and a white apron covered the front of him. Kate studied his profile, his hair and his movements as he worked; he was definitely comfortable in a kitchen and he'd obviously gone to a lot of trouble. She smiled when she acknowledged that it was all for her.

Finally, she said, "Some thing smells good."

Rick turned to toss a smile her way, but his eyes never actually left the food. "It's almost done."

Kate moved farther into the room and leaned her hip against a counter. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Making a derisive noise, Rick said, "No. Thank you. You can just sit over there and keep me company."

She narrowed her eyes on the back of Rick's head and said in a rather droll voice, "I absolutely love when you tell me what to do."

Chuckling, he firmly said, "Lie. You probably like it as much as I-" Rick hesitated, then trailed off in a dazed voice, "like being called kitten." He'd finally turned to look at Kate and when he saw her, words left him. His gaze swept down her body, stuck on her legs for a long moment, then swept slowly back up, over her form fitting dress, her bare shoulders, and finally her gorgeous face. When he was finally able to speak, all he could say was, "Wow."

Kate's eyes made the same sweep over his body and had to fight the smile that began to form. "I could say the same thing." Her eyes went back to the glittered phrase on his apron, the giant mouth puckered up right below it, and laughed; the apron commanded the reader to, "Kiss the Cook."

Looking down at himself, to see the source of Kate's laughter, Rick quickly began removing the apron, and gave one word as explanation; "Alexis."

Kate nodded understanding as she moved into the kitchen. Castle was turning off the stove, giving things one last stir, and Kate knew he's soon need plates and bowls. So she moved to get them, without being asked just knowing what needed to be done. As Rick started putting dinner together onto plates, Kate found the bread basket and salad bowls and took them out to the table Castle had set up in the main room. Even though he was supposedly working, Kate could feel Rick's eyes following her everywhere she moved. Had it been anyone else, Kate would have been creeped out by the staring, but she was used to Castle by now. And maybe she even liked it a little bit.

"You need… to go…sit down," Rick eventually stuttered out.

"What?" she asked, confused and just a little annoyed.

He cleared his throat and turned away, finally finishing putting dinner together. "I'm almost done in here. Why don't you grab a bottle of wine- that one on the counter there- and head out to the table. I'll be there in a second."

Smiling at the back of him, Kate finally realized the problem and instead of helping the situation, she sidled up to and asked, "What's the matter, Ricky? Are you okay?" She put her hand up to feel the side of his face with the back of her hand. "You feel pretty hot."

Rick finally turned to narrow his eyes on her and complained, "You're such a tease."

She smiled slowly and informed him, "It's not teasing if you intend to do something about it."

He turned to fully face her, and stepped forward, pushing her backward into the counter. When she couldn't go any further, Rick slipped his arms around her, leaning her over the counter, and kissed her. Kate's arms wrapped up around his shoulders, her hands moving to push through his hair and hold him close. Her lips parted easily under his, allowing him to invade her mouth with his tongue. She wrapped a leg around his thigh, unable to lift it higher due to the tight silk dress but it still encouraged Rick to run a hand down her side, over her hip and down around her bare thigh. Kate could feel his excitement in the way his fingertips dug into the skin of her thigh, grasping her and pulling her closer, and pressing his body into hers.

Rick broke away from her mouth, pressing his forehead against hers. Panting just a little, he said, "I could spend the rest of my life kissing you and I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

Was he planning on spending the rest of his life trying? Kate wondered and she felt a warm wave sweep through her when she realized she wouldn't mind letting him try. For the rest of their lives. Together. "Maybe you should keep trying," she prompted, pulling him in for another kiss.

"Yes, Kate," he replied impishly before kissing her again.

"I could get used to hearing you say that," she teased between kisses.

He smiled against her mouth and teased, "I'll be sure not to say it too often, then."

She laughed and pulled him closer. "Just kiss me, Castle."

Rick's hands slid to her back again- 'accidentally' pulling her skirt a little higher in the process- simultaneously pulling her close and pressing her back again over the counter as he kissed her.

Slowly, Rick's hand began creeping over her ribs, feeling the soft slip of the silk dress under his fingertips. When his thumb brushed over the bottom curve of her breast, Kate broke away from his mouth, gasping. Her breaths were coming hard and fast and the movements pushed her chest harder into his grasp. And as she took a second to get her breathing under control, Rick began kissing his way across her jaw, down the cords of her neck and across her shoulder. At the same time, his hand moved up her body, finally cupping her breast, which didn't help her breathing problem at all. But Kate wasn't about to complain.

His fingertips edged up over the top of her dress and for a long moment he felt her soft skin as well as the round curve of her breast. He kissed his way back up her neck, to her ear, where he used his tongue to draw her earlobe into his mouth.

Kate made a sexy noise then, clutching him closer. One hand skimmed down his body, roaming the curve of his back, and over his rear end. She squeezed him firmly and pulled his body into her own.

Rick had to slow this down before he ended up taking her on the kitchen counter. Trying to take deep, calming breaths, he wrapped his arms tightly around her body, hugging her close. After several deep breaths and a convulsive hug, Rick said in a low, husky voice, "Our dinner's getting cold. We should eat."

"I'd rather fill up on desert," she said in a low voice.

He smiled and then kissed her again but he quickly pulled away. Stepping away from her, he turned to pick up their full dinner plates and motioned for Kate to precede him to their romantic dining table. "Desert comes after the meal," he informed her, as he followed her out, watching the sway of her hips as they went. "Unfortunately, I have to work on my book after dinner."

"Oh," Kate said, trying not to sound too disappointed. Rick had to work; she could understand that. She even realized that she was intruding on what was supposed to be his working vacation, though he hadn't said anything about it. "I'll watch a movie out here while you work."

"Sounds great." He set their plates down on the table, then went to her chair to pull it out for her. When she was seated, he went to his own chair and sat down. But before eating, he took her hands and held her gaze. With his thumbs sweeping over the backs of her hands, he told her, "I'm so happy you're here with me this weekend. I haven't enjoyed spending time with a woman this much since… well, ever."

Kate smiled at him and said, "I was just thinking the same thing earlier. You're a lot of fun to be with, Rick."

"Thank you." Rick smiled warmly at her, then lifted her hand to kiss her palm. "Now let's eat."

A/N: Dude! This was the chapter that never ends! It just kept going and going and going… I just hope it was at least interesting. I had wanted to finish this night of the weekend, but this chapter just kept getting longer, so I'll post the next scene separately. It might be kind of short though?

I typed this one up really quickly and I didn't read over it like usual, so I apologize for any grammar/ spelling errors.