Chapter 17:

Payback Begins A Different War

Beckett awoke sometime later to find Castle's intense blue eyes boring into her own. She found this a little disconcerting because she didn't know how long she had been asleep. She put her hands over her face and let out a breath, trying to collect herself. The enormity of what had happened between them earlier had hit her like a ton of bricks. After a moment, she took a peek at him, only to find that he was still looking at her. He gently pried both of her hands away from her face.

"What's wrong, Kate?" he asked, beginning to worry about her. She hadn't said a word to him and almost refused to look at him either.

"Nothing. I just can't believe we're finally starting to be….intimate. Doesn't the whole thing kind of blow your mind in a way? It feels….naughty. We're work partners, you know? We aren't supposed to be attracted to each other."

"Are you suggesting we have a relationship like Ryan and Esposito's? Because if you are, we need to do a serious rewind. Kate, I know this was a huge step for us. I really like where this is going. Not just because of the sex, but because I get to see you in a new light that hardly anyone gets to see. Watching you as you had an orgasm because of me? Incredibly hot. That definitely increased your hotness factor by a million points."

"How can you be so calm about this?" she worried, biting her lip.

"We haven't really slept together yet, and already you're worrying. Look, I told you. I want this. I've wanted it for a long time. I don't care about the excuses that you have made up in your head about why this is a horrible idea. The only thing that matters to me right this second is you."

Cupping his face in her hands, she brushed her lips against hers. She had only meant to do so for a second, but she soon found that she was kidding herself. Gentle kisses soon gave way to more carnal ones, the passion burning between them threatening to consume them both.

Castle soon found himself on his back while Beckett blazed a trail from his mouth southward, her destination clear. She had his shorts unbuttoned and pulled off before he could protest, and was now proceeding to look directly at his erect cock like it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. She swallowed harshly and licked her lips, eyes transfixed on the sight before her. Castle's cock twitched, hardening further. He didn't think he had ever been this hard for anyone before in his entire life.

Then again, he mused to himself, I have never been this enamored with anyone before, either.

Reaching out a hand, she tentatively took hold of him, marveling at the way he reacted further to her touch. She was surprised he was being so passive right now, letting her control the pace and their experience. She had thought that he would be an aggressive lover, so this was a pleasant surprise. He felt like a pleasant mixture of hard steel wrapped in velvet, and she gave him a firm stroke while keeping one eye on his face. Both of his hands were clenched at his sides, as if to prevent himself from taking charge of the situation again and forcing her to stop teasing him. His eyes were tightly shut, and his teeth clenched. Every muscle in his body was rock hard with tension.

"Castle?" she asked, suddenly unsure of what she was doing.

When he didn't respond, she let go of him and slid up to meet his eyes with her own. She caught his lips in a passionate kiss, leaving them both breathless and panting.

"Was I doing something to hurt you? When I touched you, you looked like you were in pain. I know this is kind of awkward to admit, but I really have never had the opportunity to explore a man's body. Pretty much there was sex with little foreplay. Boring stuff."

He shook his head then, smiling at her. "No, I was actually really enjoying myself. Granted, I had to stop myself from grabbing you, flipping you on your back and pounding into you so hard until none of us can think straight, but yeah, I'm good. Don't worry so much. If I don't like something, I'll be sure to tell you. We promised there would be complete honesty between us, remember?"

Beckett blushed furiously at his statement. She knew that she had an effect on him for sure, but there was always something in the back of her mind that held her back. Finally gathering up the courage, she looked at him in the eye.

"Close your eyes," she demanded. If she was going to do what she had planned, she wanted him to be pleasantly surprised.

"Okay. Should I be worried? Are you going to chop something off as soon as I do?"

"Just shut up and dp what I say before I change my mind and leave us both dissatisfied. You promised that it was my turn. Therefore, we're going to do this my way, or not at all."

He finally relented, closing his eyes in anticipation of her next move. It seemed to take forever, but he finally felt her lips caress his own, tongue snaking lazily into the gateway of his mouth when his lips parted. She didn't stay there for long before retreating, drifting lazily to nip at his collarbone.

She took the opportunity to straddle him then, rubbing herself wantonly against him. Castle groaned, shifting beneath her and trying to maintain contact. She allowed the tip of him to enter her, intending to give him a little preview of what being inside of her would be like.

Castle almost came when he felt himself partially enter her. She was so damn tight and wet for him that he had to grit his teeth to keep from bucking her off and satisfying them both. He was starting to wonder what he had gotten himself into. She reached behind her, cupping his balls and testing the weight of them in her hand. Castle drew in a harsh breath, his eyes slamming shut.

Finally, he decided that he had let her torture him enough. She had barely even touched him, and he was so damn close that he was surprised he hadn't already cum in droves by now. His eyes snapped open, and he quickly grabbed one of her legs underneath the knee. Before she really had any time to react, he had her flipped on her back underneath him.

"Hey!" Beckett groaned in protest, lower lip protruding in a pout. She had rather enjoyed testing Castle's boundaries, and was surprised that he had stopped her.

"Sorry, Kate. You weren't playing fair. In no way did I agree to you torturing me. I wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. So, you know what? Prepare for the consequences. You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into ."

As if to illustrate his point further, he guided himself to her, rubbing himself insistently along her slit and watching her squirm from the sensations. Finally, he just couldn't take it any longer. He plunged into her depths as quickly as he could, gasping at the feel of her. She screamed in pleasure at the sensation of him filling her. She was completely stretched to the brim. There was no way that she could tell where she ended and he began now. She was completely his.

With every thrust, Kate found herself streaming towards something she couldn't name. Brilliant pin dots of light flashed before her eyes as the pleasure within her intensified.

Grabbing her ass, he dragged her upwards to meet his thrusts, changing his angle of entry and hitting more sweet spots inside of her. She was screaming almost constantly now, and the knowledge that it was him doing this to her brought a smirk to his face. However, she hadn't looked at him once. He felt that he needed to see her as he took her over the edge. The whole experience wouldn't seem real somehow without it.

"Kate," he panted harshly, "Look at me."

When she finally did, he saw the fire burning within the emerald depths. She was close, that much was certain. This renewed his efforts and he pistoned his hips harder and faster, reaching between them to play with her clit.

He watched, fascinated, as her expression changed. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, lips parting to scream his name. She fell bonelessly over the edge, toes curling with the intensity of her orgasm. Castle felt her flood around him, lubricating his thrusts. He followed over the edge not long after, spilling his seed inside her.

He fell to his side, careful not to crush her. The silence between them was immense as the two of them lay lost in their separate thoughts.

All of a sudden, Kate bolted out of bed, heading for the bathroom and leaving Castle to wonder what happened. She slammed the door behind her, panting and leaning heavily against it. She knew that the sex between them would be explosive, but nothing had prepared her for this. For some reason, she felt the need to run from him. She knew that he was a good man, and her best friend. She was just now starting to come to the realization that she now had to add lover to that list.

She needed someone else's perspective on things, someone who was outside of their budding relationship who could give her advice.

She exhaled a breath. She needed Lanie.

A/N: Wow! So sorry it took me so long! I'm still loving all the reviews (and the fact that new readers have been finding my story and are loving it). You guys rock! Hope this chapter met everyone's expectations. It kind of took on a life of its own. It had originally been my intention for Kate to return the favor that Castle did, but I found myself writing the whole teasing thing because I felt it was hotter. What do you think? REVIEW!