Chapter 9

Castle was left speechless, and would have been immobile too had it not been for the vortex that pulled him to her, stronger than gravity, defying physics. She didn't even turn around to know that he was following. He knew that he always would. But that she knew too? It did things to him.

The waitress was headed towards her once she sat at one of their regular tables, and she looked at him with her eyebrows raised, knowing exactly why he was glued to the ground, a couple of feet from her, staring. She was used to his staring, and he ought to be used to her teasing, but she was taking it to a new level, and they both knew it. Well, then, he had to step up his game too.

He smiled, and hers faltered. She knew he was up to something, and she watched intently trying to figure out his next move. Move he did. Instead of taking the seat opposite her, he nudged his way in next to her.

"You guys ready to order?" the petite waitress asked them.

"We'll have our regular order, please."

"Two burgers, fries, a chocolate shake, and a strawberry shake; coming right up."

"Thanks, Cindy," he smiled at her, all charm and confidence.

She shifted next to him, feeling slightly – what exactly? Feeling slightly too comfortable in his warmth, and softness. She shivered suddenly, in realization of the fact that they were sitting close enough to share body warmth. And yet, it wasn't close enough. When did it get to be like that?

While their order was being prepared, they spoke about the case. It was an easy topic; neutral and safe. Cindy walked over to them; their food expertly balanced in her experienced arms as she set the plates and glasses down. She looked at Beckett with concern when she suddenly gasped and jumped in her seat. "You okay there, honey?"

"Yeah," Kate said, casting a glare towards a grinning Castle, and repeated, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered something, about work."

"Oh. I hope everything's okay?" she said sounding genuinely concerned.

"Don't worry, Cindy," he said with a smug grin that she was dying to wipe off her face. "She gets a little… distracted from time to time." Of course, it was his socked foot rubbing over the arch of hers that was distracting her. He conveniently forgot to mention that.

"Oh. Okay, then. Enjoy your dinner," she said, sounding convinced.

"Castle!"

"Hmm?"

"What did you do that for?"

"Do what, Kate?" he asked with a beaming smile.

"You know exactly what," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh, that," he said, punctuation it with another stroke of his toes over her foot and it took everything she had, not to moan. And he knew it. "It's been a long day. You're tired. I thought I'd offer New York's finest a glimpse of what it would be like to be pampered at the end of the day by yours truly."

Hers truly. She took a deep breath. Damn, it felt good. Heck it felt so good that she'd be prepared to be convinced – oh.

She opened her eyes suddenly (when had she closed them?) and leveled him with a look. "Ah."

"Ah?" he echoed.

"This is you trying to convince me."

"I'm beginning with the little things, working my way up," he said with a roguish grin as his foot slip up her calf.

"Coffees, and foot massages," she said unevenly, and hated herself for it. Damn him.

Suddenly his mouth was at her ear and she involuntarily turned into him, her eyes slipping shut yet again. She shivered as his warm, moist breath washed over her sensitive skin, "You want to know what else I'm willing to offer?"

Nothing. She had nothing in response. Yes she wanted to know. No she didn't. What, what, what was he doing to her?

He moved his face so his nose hovered over her cheek, and she turned even more, opening her eyes that were now dark with arousal – just like his. His moving lips glanced over her parted ones, but he wasn't kissing her. It was by the sheer force of will that she kept herself from licking her lips. Because that would mean – but…Nope, they were just talking. Really, really close, not quite innocent talking. "A jacket."

A…what now? "Huh?" she said, trying to recall if he said anything between offering her things and the jacket.

"I'll offer you my jacket. Or I can buy you new jackets – whatever you want. You're shivering so much, Kate; wouldn't want you to catch a cold," he said, pulling back to pop a fry into his mouth.

Ugh! Jackass.

She narrowed her eyes, and pursed her lips and went to swat his chest in retaliation, but he caught hold of her hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a sweet, gentle kiss at the back of her palm. Her breath got stuck somewhere in her throat. "Enticed yet, Beckett?"

Biting down on her lip, she tugged her hand from his grasp and stole a fry from his plate. "Mmm...I don't know. I think you should keep working on it."

He followed the path of the fry to her mouth as she pushed it in, deliberately slowly and sucked the salt off her thumb. Gulping visibly, he looked back at her eyes. "Hmm. I will. Come to the Hamptons with me, Kate."

She laughed, and smiled widely at him. "That's you convincing me?"

"Sometimes the direct approach works best."

"You've asked me before. What makes you think my answer will change at all?"

"Perseverance. You wanted me gone from the precinct. I think you want me around now," he said, pausing for a beat to watch her nod. Smiling brightly, he repeated, "Perseverance."

"Insanity," she said, taking a sip of her shake.

"Hmm?"

"Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

He growled, pleased. This time when she looked at him, there was no smile – just hunger. "You're quoting Einstein."

"So what if I am?"

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

She looked at his lips as he said it, and back up, her eyes dilating a fraction more – the black of her pupils washing ashore the green and brown. "You calling me a problem, Rick?" she said, rolling the R for good measure. "I've got a woman's ability to stick to a job and get on with it when everyone else walks off and leaves it."

"Margaret Thatcher," he said, impressed. "So stick with me, Kate. Get it on with me," he said, winking at her as she rolled her eyes, and then he said seriously, "while everyone walks off and leaves - stick with me."

"When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes," she said.

"Edison," he said, and she nodded. He smiled devilishly, and she just knew he was about to say something that would lighten the mood, because yeah, things were getting serious. "Suits me just fine, Kate. You can make trial after trial until I come."

She rolled her eyes. "And you were doing such a good job of convincing me up till then," she said flatly.

"Ah. I still have tricks up my sleeve."

"Uh huh. Like?"

"How's your strawberry shake?"

Her brow furrowed in that cute way that made him want to kiss it. "Delicious? As usual. Why?"

"Can I have a taste?"

An unusual request, and he was changing the topic, but she shrugged and told him to go ahead.

"Great. Thanks," he said, and then he kissed her.

He kissed her.

Oh God, he was kissing her.

He was sipping from her mouth. And she was letting him. She tasted the mix of sweetness from the shake, and saltiness from the fries and – him. He pecked her lips a couple more times and then pulled back.

Her eyes opened slowly, like they wanted to remain close. Like she wanted to seal it in. Her tongue flicked over her upper lip, and he wanted to chase after it. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "You're right. It was delicious."

She blushed and looked back at her plate, at a loss of what to say, or do, or anything. It was. Delicious. It was.

"Maybe I should change my regular order, too."

"Don't."

He looked at her, frowning. "They go well together."

"My order?"

She shook her head. "Ours. Chocolate and strawberries."

"Yeah," he said in a low voice, with a smile.

"Yeah," she repeated, ducking so her hair so that it covered her blush.

"Eat, Kate."

"It's working."

"What is?"

"Perseverance. Thank you, for persevering, Castle."

"For you? Always."

They finished their dinner, and parted ways. He'd have dropped her home, she would have let him. But silently they agreed to leave it for another day. Working his way up, right? He could be patient; he would be patient for her, because it mattered more than he ever dared to imagine.

A/N: I know it's short, but cut me some slack, eh? I'm just a poor, unwell doctor ninja nerd, blatantly quoting famous people.