Chapter 15:

A Predator's Dance With Her Prey

The rest of the day went like a blur for both Castle and Beckett. Who knew that admitting their feelings for one another would help things between them be so much better? It was almost like a weight had been lifted off of both of their shoulders. Neither of them felt the need to hold anything back. The time that they were sharing on this vacation together was theirs to grow as a couple, and Castle took the time to make sure that Beckett wasn't going to shy away from what was happening between them.

After a late lunch at a local sandwich shop and a trip to the grocery to pick up some supplies for the two of them, Castle and Beckett found themselves alone on the beach, the cool sand underneath their bare feet. They had left their shoes in the car at Castle's insistence. He wanted her to indulge the innocent side of her.

Taking the tie that he had brought with him, he slowly advanced on Beckett. Her eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her.

"Kate, just trust me. I promise that you're going to enjoy it."

With a sigh of frustration, she rolled her eyes and seemed to give in to his demands. He put the tie over her eyes and tied it to where she couldn't see anything. Her senses heightened due to her lack of vision, making her acutely aware of how close he really was to her.

Castle placed both of his hands on her waist, slowly walking her toward the spray. She squealed in surprise as she felt a splash of water against her legs.

He let go of her for a moment, wanting her to enjoy the experience without him distracting her. She looked like a siren standing there, her skin almost as white as the sand beneath her feet. Her hair billowed out as the breeze caught it, the strands tangling around themselves. The sight of her took his breath away.

Beckett became worried when she felt him let go of her. She was enjoying his closeness and wanted to see where this was going, but she understood that he had planned this whole adventure and that she needed to curb her impatience. After what seemed like forever, she felt his arms wrap around him again, cocooning her in his warmth and scent. She felt that as long as he was there to hold her, nothing else mattered as much. Her job held more of a meaning when he was beside her. She felt like she had her own personal cheerleader in him. No one else seemed to understand her as well as he did.

She tentatively turned around and placed a hand on his chest. She mentally cursed herself for the blindfold over her eyes. She desperately wanted some kind of confirmation from him that this whole day hadn't been a dream. She closed her eyes then, feeling his face draw nearer to hers as his breath fanned over her lips.

Castle leaned forward and began placing small kisses along her neck, slowly working his way to her jawbone and up to her ear. He was torturing her with his slow exploration, but instead of grabbing him and making him put an end to both of their misery, she stayed still and waited patiently to see where he was going with this.

"Have you ever been kissed, Kate?" he stopped to ask her. She thought the question was a little absurd. Of course she had. Even Castle had to know that she had. However, before she could answer, he continued.

"I don't mean by just anyone. I mean by someone who really, truly adores you. Someone who knows he wants to spend every waking moment of his day with you. Someone who makes you the last thing that he thinks of when he falls asleep and the first thing he thinks of when he wakes up? Someone who refuses to walk away from you when things get rough? I want to be the one to show that to you, Kate, but I will only do it if you'll let me. I'm not going to force things into going too fast."

"Castle, just shut up and kiss me already. I think I've waited long enough for you to finish your long winded speech."

"Just one request, though? Keep the blindfold on. It'll heighten sensations for you if you do."

Before she could reply, his mouth swooped down upon hers in the gentlest kiss she had ever known. The tenderness of it almost caused tears to fall. Castle swallowed the breathy sighs that were emanating from her, growing bolder with every second. Her lips parted, and his tongue darted out to meet hers in a dance that she hoped would never end. It was the hottest kiss that she had ever experienced. As much as she hated to admit it, Castle was also right. Being blind had its advantages. With every passing second, she found herself almost seeing fireworks from his kisses. She was frustrated at the fact that he seemed perfectly content with just kissing her, keeping his arms loosely around her waist. She wanted him to touch her, or at least pick up the pace.

Even when his hands finally did move, they stayed away from anything vital. They traced little patterns into the small of her back, causing her to shiver from the fire he was causing in the pit of her stomach. One of her own hands left its place in his hair and blazed a path down his stomach to his bulging erection. She cupped him firmly and gave him a gentle squeeze, causing him to groan and tear his mouth away from hers.

Beckett liked the effect she was having on him, so she gave him another squeeze. However, the next time she tried, she found both of her hands ripped completely off of his body and trapped in one hand.

"Kate, we have to stop. We can't do this," he said, using his other hand to take the blindfold off of her so he could look in her eyes.

Beckett sighed in frustration. She felt like a two year old who had just been told she couldn't have the pony she had always wanted. "Why not?"

Castle's eyes slammed shut, trying to formulate his next response carefully. "I don't want you to wake up the next morning and regret this. If I get the chance to touch you, and I mean really touch you, I want this to be a good memory between us. I also don't think that if this got started, that I could have the power to stop until we're both naked and going at it."

Beckett frowned. She knew he was being sweet for trying to be considerate of her, but couldn't he already tell that what was happening between them was completely out of their control? She wanted to experience that raw, animalistic passion that she was sure was hiding below the surface. They weren't drunk, and yet they were acting like a pair of teenagers feeling each other up in public. She knew perfectly well where this was going, and that was where she wanted so desperately to go.

Shaking her hands free, she advanced on him again, causing his eyes to widen and watch him take a step back. His brows furrowed, and he held up a hand to ward her off.

"What are you doing?" he asked, although he felt a little silly for having even voiced that question. From the look in her eyes, she was almost like a predator. He was obviously her prey.

She chuckled, wrapping one arm around his neck, while the other grabbed hold of the bulge that was still tenting his pants.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, tracing him through his pants and licking her lips. "I'm taking what I want. What's been mine all along."

Castle gulped, looking skyward in a prayer of thanks. They had a long night ahead of them.

A/N: Hey guys! Finally got around to putting up another chapter. I'm loving all the responses I've been getting. I've noticed a few new faces have discovered my story as well, and are also loving it as much as those who have been following it from day one. Can you believe that this is still my first fanfiction, and I'm already on chapter 15 (and writing chapter 16 as we speak)? We're getting to the good stuff now, I promise! No more teasing. Beckett has FINALLY had enough of Castle's teasing. *throws confetti* YAY! Now, you know the drill. REVIEW!