Chapter 12:

Beckett's Seduction

Richard Castle cracked an eye open much later in the morning. He tried to move, but then realized that he was completely entwined with the limbs of Kate Beckett. Somehow she had completely abandoned her side of the bed, placing her head on his chest, wrapping one arm around his torso and one leg around his waist. The intimacy of their position was a bit of a surprise to Castle that it took him a moment to wrack his brain as to the happenings of the night before. He then realized that he was in her bed, remembering that she had been so bothered by her nightmare that she had.

At this thought, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and pulled her closer, careful not to wake her. It was so rare that she allowed him to be this close to her that he was afraid not to wake her lest the spell be broken. Moments with her like this made him wish that things were different between them. He wanted to know everything about her. Simply shadowing her during the day never seemed to be enough. She was his obsession, his best friend, his partner.

In his mind's eye, he imagined what the future would be like with the two of them together. His mind flashed to their wedding day. She would be beautiful, radiant even. His mind traveled to what it would be like when their first child came. He had always wanted Alexis to have a brother or sister, but he never completely thought he had found the right woman to be able to give her that. Meredith? She had never exactly been his first choice when it came to being the mother of his child. She was surely beautiful, but she lacked the intelligence and responsibility that he viewed essential.

His mind flashed toward Kate again. She had gone through so much in her lifetime. Nothing really seemed to go her way. She was strong and independent, and never let anyone completely in to her life. Her family was broken. Her mom was gone, murdered in cold blood by some bastard that didn't care about anything but himself. Her dad was a shadow of what he used to be, he was sure. Death of a loved one changed that. He knew that Beckett had no other brothers or sisters. Esposito and Ryan at the precinct were the closest thing she had to brothers, and Lanie in the morgue was her best friend and sister. Even Captain Montgomery made the cut into her little family. He was almost like an uncle, and a protective one at that.

Even with all of that, Castle still felt that Beckett needed more of a family of her own. He wanted to be the one to give her that.

Her phone chirped, breaking the silence. Reaching across to her nightstand, being mindful of the fact Kate was still sleeping, he picked up the phone. The message was from Esposito, checking in on them.

Hey Beckett. You kill Castle yet?

At this, Castle chuckled. Beckett had been so pissed at him for this whole trip that he'd forgotten that others might have been let in on his plot. He shot him a quick message back.

Nope, I'm still alive. She's sleeping.

It didn't take long for the next reply. He was sure that Esposito had caught on to the fact that he had her phone.

Whoa, dude. What are you doing using Beckett's phone? You guys finally get freaky? If so, I just won the pool.

Before he could even get a chance to reply, Beckett stirred, opening her eyes. She blinked harshly at him for a few seconds before finally gazing at him shyly.

"Hi," she said. She then realized how intimately she was pressed against him- especially a specific part of his anatomy-and tried her best to move away.

Before she could even form an apology, he was quick to reassure her. "It's okay, Kate. I don't mind. In fact, I like holding you. It kind of makes me feel useful. You're beautiful, you know that?"

Beckett blushed, burying her face further into his chest. She really didn't want to analyze what was going on between them right now. She found herself being surprisingly okay with their predicament, but she was still a little afraid to make that leap. Castle was being perfectly gentle with her. Reluctantly, she found herself pulling away, but Castle tightened his hold on her.

"You're running," he told her. "I thought we agreed that you would stop that."

She held up her chin in what she hoped to be a defiant gesture. "I am not. Can't a girl use the bathroom and brush her teeth?"

He sighed. "Fine, but if you're not out within five minutes, I'm coming in after you."

Beckett snorted, rolling her eyes. "And do what exactly? Save me from the evil Toilet Monster? Geez, you're paranoid."

"Hey, don't diss him. He can be very scary and you might need my protection."

She kissed his cheek before getting out of bed. "My hero," she murmured softly.

Against his will, he finally let go of her and watched her as she walked away to the bathroom. He lay there in silence as he contemplated things between them. It was then he made up his mind to really step up his game.

He got up and walked to the bathroom door, listening for signs that she was out. After a moment, he gathered up enough courage and opened the door. She was standing at his vanity, brushing her teeth before a mirror. She seemed to be almost in a cathartic, almost trance like state. Walking up behind her, he placed his arms around her waist, drawing her towards him. He kept his eyes on her face, which now seemed to be fully aware of her presence. He pushed her hair to the side and placed gentle kisses on her neck, traveling slowly upward to her ear. He tentatively took her earlobe in his mouth, biting down softly with utmost care. He was rewarded with a moan from her, which seemed to vibrate from her entire being into his.

He chanced a glance at her. Her eyes had fluttered shut at some point, toothbrush still in hand, but the task long since forgotten. She had also tilted her head to the side, granting him further access. Castle was exalted. He was actually touching Katherine Beckett, New York's finest homicide detective, and she wasn't doing anything to stop him. He wanted to touch her more intimately, but he feared that if he had, the spell between them would be over, and she would shut herself off from him once more.

Beckett lost herself in the sensations that Castle was evoking in her. His attentions were very unexpected, but she found herself enjoying it. Her body was blazing with fire every place that Castle's lips and hands touched. It all felt so new, so different, so damn good! She really wished that she had the courage to turn around and meet his passion head on. Shaking herself and swallowing, she spun around to face him, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and sealed his mouth to hers.

Stunned, Castle stiffened. He hadn't expected this. He felt that he would always be the one calling the shots between them. He never thought in a million years that she would have the tenacity to do the one thing he hadn't tried. He lost himself in the feel of her lips, how soft and pliant they were as they fit so perfectly against his. Her tongue slowly came out to duel with his, gently at first, but then growing bolder as soon as he reacted. She tasted of mint and pure liquid heat, which he decided was her unique flavor. It was one he didn't mind savoring for a very long time, if she would let him. She had managed to also mold their bodies so close together that her breasts underneath her simple cotton shirt were crushed against his chest, and somehow one of his legs forced its way between hers. She was grinding herself wantonly down onto his leg and making little noises in the back of her throat that it almost drove him crazy. Right then, he felt like picking her up and slamming her onto the countertop, ripping off their clothes and giving in to the passion that roared in his veins.

Beckett felt like she was drowning in him. She couldn't breathe, much less form a coherent thought. She had to get her hands on him, on his bare skin. She had ignored the fact that she had slept on top of him while he was half naked, his muscles rippling with every breath he took. However, now was different. She was very aware of him, all senses on alert. As she began to trail her hands from their locked place in his hair to his chest and shoulders, traveling southward, she found his bulging erection at the ready. Cupping him gently while still kissing him, she grabbed a firm hold and gave one simple stroke.

It was then she found herself yanked away, hands grasped at the wrist and thrust away from him. She struggled to catch her breath, not really wanting their moment to be over. When she met his eyes, she found that they had changed. They were almost black with animalistic passion, and she moved to dive in again. However, Castle stopped her.

"Not here, Kate. Not yet," he said, trying to make her see his side of things.

Beckett blinked, and yanked herself from his grasp as if she'd been burned.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, then turned and fled for the safety of her own bedroom. Tears burned hot tracks down her cheeks as she slammed the door and leaned heavily against it. His rejection of her was so humiliating.

It took a few moments for Castle to realize what had just transpired. One minute, he was busy seducing Beckett. The next, she had turned the tables on him and met him with her own passion. As much as he was enjoying the sensations between them, he wanted her to be sure that she wouldn't regret anything they were doing. He pulled away from her, intending to tell her that he wanted things to slow down between them, when she muttered an apology and ran as fast as she could to get away from him. Castle sighed in frustration and turned for the bathroom to take care of his highly blue-balled state.

Things were definitely not going as planned. Not at all.

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! My vacation was wonderful, although I am a bit sunburned. I hope that everyone is still with me on this, and made this chapter a little more steamy (and long) for your benefit. As always, reviews are like candy!