Part 2 - Less angst... probably quite a bit more sappy.
It took him awhile to catch up to the fact that he hadn't been the only one who'd been satisfied by their semi-conscious joining. So when he finally does, she can't stop the giggle that bursts from her lips at the look of surprise on his face.
He's already pulled off her t-shirt, pushed her boxer shorts down to around her knees and her bra was somewhere on the now partially lit hotel room floor. Her body is once again humming and throbbing with excitement and she's reaching for every bit of his skin that she can reach when his hand slips between her thighs to brush upward from her knee towards the last remaining layer of clothing between them when he suddenly stops. His lips hover at her neck and she can almost feel the wheels turning in his head as his fingers drag along the sticky wetness that has spread along her thighs.
With one hand, he props up his upper body well enough to meet her eyes, his eyebrows furrowing in a silent question. Once more his fingers between her thighs spread and rove her skin, dragging against the evidence of her arousal. His lips are pursed but he says nothing, the ankle he has hooked over hers ceases to maintain the tension that he'd been using to help spread her legs as he lay beside her, exploring her naked body with a bright-eyed and eager excitement.
"What is it, Castle?" she finally asks, a little surprised to find that her voice has gone hoarse and that she's trembling at just how still everything except for those fingers between her legs have gone.
He gives a little shake of his head and his eyes focus on hers as he curls his fingertip against her, lightly scratching with his trim, manicured nails. The look he gives her is almost one of concern as he contemplates his answer, but the effect is ruined when his eyes slide dramatically side to side, as if checking the perimeter for prying eyes. "Did you get off on that?"
Instantly, she giggles because he asks her this as if it were the last possible scenario that he could have imagined. He whispers it, as if he were telling her dirty jokes behind the teacher's back and somewhat ashamed of his naughty, naughty thoughts. Her laughter only increases his bewilderment and she has to lift up her arm and hook it behind his neck to kiss away the uncertainty which has suddenly rendered him useless. Dragging his lower lip into her mouth, she nips softly, raking her fingernails lightly up his scalp until he softens, retrieving his lip before shifting to hover over her, the weight of his chest against her own as she brings her other hand up his cheek.
Gently, she caresses his jaw before giving him a little nudge to break the kiss. She guides his face with her hands until she can look him in the eye, unable to suppress the smug, teasing grin that accompanies her words. "I don't know, Castle, what do you think?"
He's catching up, slowly, and his fingers move once more, tracing the soaked elastic edge of her panties, dangerously close to her clit. She knows she's losing her upper hand in the situation when it elicits a harsh moan that she doesn't expect from her throat. "I think," he begins, his thick fingers dragging over the damp cotton lightly. Her lips pop open and she's making sounds she doesn't recognize as he teases, pressing only hard enough to allow the cotton to shift against the over sensitized nub. He waits, teasing until her thigh spread further, her back arching up from the mattress, to continue. "I think, that you enjoyed having me grope you in my sleep, Detective. Think you were so desperate to have me that you took advantage of me in my unconscious state rather than waking me up."
The words hurt, no matter how light his teasing tone sounded. She feels herself tense, knowing that her actions certainly could be interpreted as such and she feels a panic rising in her throat until his fingers the ankle he'd hooked over hers earlier begins to move again, spreading her legs as he shifts fully onto his side so that he can entwine the hand not currently occupied between her legs into her hair. Quickly, her gasps begin to escape to the beat of his fingers drumming against her, leaving her unable to reply, drowning the shame in heated, aching waves of excitement.
"Well, Detective?" he dares, his fingers growing more and more urgent against her.
"I might be more willing to concede your point—"
This time it's the feeling of his fingertip sliding under the edge of her underwear, tracing a path back and forth along the bend of her thigh at her hip that interrupts her. It's nowhere near her center, but his weight against her and the hand in her hair and the feeling of him is too much and she needs more. Each movement is quaking through her, triggering reactions in muscles groups that have no contact with his skin.
"You might be more willing if…?" he prompts her, using the hand in her hair to lift her head up from the pillow so that he can guide her gaze down to where his finger is starting find its way into her underwear, stretching the elastic up, then pressing inside to touch everything except for the sensitive skin and nerves that are crying out for attention.
"Fuck, Castle," as she looks down at his hand, the F dragging and stuttering before the rest of the syllables finally break free. If he hadn't reached over to turn on the bedside lamp after exposing her breasts, it might not have killed her to see it in shadows. But instead, it's just enough light to make it perfectly clear that his naked body is pressed up against her side and he has his hand down her underwear. She can't stop staring as she watches his fingers move beneath the cotton, moving way too slowly to get her off, but just enough that she's trembling and near ready to beg him. "I came so hard," she admits, in what can only be a moan, her eyes darting up to meet his.
Whether it's her words or her tone, it brings him to a complete halt. He's holding his breath and his fingers still against her. She can feel the heated flush unfurling across her cheekbones, making it impossible for her to meet his eyes. She's not sure how she expected him to react to that particular piece of information, but his sudden stillness is unnerving, leaving her heart racing so hard that even when she feels his fingers cradling her chin, she can't look up, the fear of his rejection rising in her throat.
He nudges at her chin and makes a soft, breathy sound, but she's still drawing her thighs together, trapping his fingers and feels her lashes fluttering against her cheeks. Tension and heat radiate off his skin as he leans over, his lips coming to her forehead, then down across her brow and cheeks to ply her with tender kisses. The fear melts, but only slightly, and he continues along her jaw line.
"God, Kate, that's so hot…" he nearly growls and her body reacts before her brain can fully comprehend, arching her lower back to grind herself down against his fingers once more. His skin feels like it's burning into hers as his mouth opens, sucking against her chin. In answer, his fingers squirm until they can resume their torturous, trigger-action against her clit until her heart is hammering in her ears so loudly she can scarcely hear him.
"You're not… upset?" she asks, her voice too tentative and shaky for her own liking. She doesn't want to feel like this, but apparently she's not so good at giving in.
Now he's the one chuckling, his teeth nipping at his chin before he groans against her throat, his nose nuzzling against her pulse. "You, Kate Beckett, can use me for sexual gratification anytime you want," he explains, the teasing lilt in his voice so familiar, but the rasp in his throat feels like it's plucking along her nerves like guitar strings, reverberating all the way to her core. "I thought I made that clear…"
His finger is thrumming along more quickly, still rasping over her through the cotton and she can feel the heat and wetness pooling as he draws gasping breaths from her chest. Her momentary panic seems to be lifting and she reaches for him, cupping his face in her hands.
She pulls him up until she can kiss him, rising roughly against him because she can't seem to find the words to accept his offer. So she moves quickly, surprising him as she rolls, aligning their torsos, slips her hands down to his shoulders, and before he can catch up, she has him flopped onto his back and swings one leg up and over to straddle him.
The move makes him grin and she thinks that it's the same look he had after their first kiss when she's taken out that guard before he even realized she'd pulled back. Confidence is surging back and his fingers are still entangled in her underwear, though pressed awkwardly into her thigh and unable to touch what he needs to touching.
"Anytime, huh?" she teases, lifting an eyebrow as she feels him squirm in what she thinks might be equal parts arousal and cautious submission beneath her.
"Already planning to keep me cuffed to your headboard, Beckett?" he prompts, his hips jerking up roughly as she slides back, away from his fingers, bringing her ass into contact with his now bare erection. Free of the pajama pants, the sensation is even better and she can't stop the urge to lick her lips with a flourish of wanton teasing as he groans his approval.
"I have to cuff you? I thought you said you were willing…" she replies, smiling down at him as she stands up on the bed for a moment, slipping the soaked underwear down her thighs and stepping out of them. He's watching so closely as she squats back down, settling back against his hips, just slightly too high to make contact with his cock.
"Oh, I am," he replies quickly, his hands finding her hips, guiding her back until the warmest part of her is aligned with the warmest part of him, promising them both exactly what they need very very soon. "But I always thought you had a thing for handcuffs…"
With a smirk, she lifts up, her hand guiding him inside of her as she keeps the other hand firmly on the center of his chest, holding him down as she lowers herself slowly onto his cock. He makes a strangled, muffled groan, his head thrashing back against the pillow. She leans forward, rocking her hips to help him slide in deeper as she uses more weight to keep him in place. "Actually, Castle," she whispers, her body shuddering at the feel of him inside of her, finally sinking deeper as she begins to rise and fall against his hips. "I was thinking of the creative ways I could shut you up…"
Then, she's taking the hand guiding his cock and giving it a few slides against her slit before pressing it to his lips, clamping her fingers there tightly before wiggling the tips into his mouth. His eyes go wide and she gives him an encouraging smile, amazed by the surprise and delight that fills his eyes. He sucks at her fingers as she lets his hands on her hips guide her against him, the rhythm rising quickly, in spite of their earlier orgasmic release.
Her method effectively silences him for the duration, his mouth only emitting sounds and syllables that seem to float disconnected from his lips. The heat rises quickly inside her, the awareness of him and them and finally washing over her faster with each movement of his cock inside her. Later, she might worry that he was so quick to accept her, to forgive the pain and hurt she'd caused him, but for now, she's finally giving in.
As she grows closer to climax, she leans down, presses them together more closely so that she can taste him, his lips now glazed in her own wetness. His knees rise up, keeping their hips aligned, tightening the friction as he strains to keep moving inside of her. It's not until he drags his tongue against hers, his fingers now gripping her ass cheeks instead of her waist that she falls over the edge, ripples of heat and excitement and sensation overwhelm her, leaving her uncertain of anything other than the feel of him filling and surrounding her. She isn't even quite certain when he comes and is only aware of when his rhythm breaks, suddenly unable to keep steady, thrusting roughly and forcefully into her until he slowly begins to release the possessive hold he has on her.
His hands slide up, wrapping around her back, holding her against his chest tightly, refusing to allow her to move, his face buried into the side of her neck. She's too hot and too sticky and too close, but it feels good, the muscles in her body rippling as they begin to finally relax in a way she hasn't felt in years. Just how much time passes by like this, she's not sure. But when she suddenly feels him wiggling under her and then hears a low chuckle that vibrates against her ear, she has no idea what's wrong with him.
Pulling her head back, she looks down at him, feeling her hair fall around them. His eyes are crinkled in laughter as he looks up at her, his body still curled up lovingly from beneath her. "I'm so glad we didn't wire this room," he manages between laughs, kissing her with his wide smile. "Also," he adds after a moment, "I so cannot believe you just let this happen on a case."
"Shut up, Castle. Are you seriously going to complain?" she mutters, eyes rolling against her own will, knowing how he seems to enjoy it. He waggles his eyebrows, his hands sliding down to cup her ass with a teasing squeeze. Without a second thought, she swats his shoulder hard then pushes herself up off his chest. "Is it always going to be like this? You acting like a horny teenager feeling me up?"
"Maybe," he replies, wiggling out from under her and rubbing his supposedly wounded shoulder. "But you liked it."
"You know, I was serious. Next time, I might just have to gag you with my underwear…" she threatens, settling against her own pillow and turning to watch as he gapes over at her. He falls silent then, clamping his lips shut dramatically as he tries to his hide the shock that instantly fills his wide eyed face. "But for now, we need to get some sleep. We still have a case and in…" A quick sidelong glance at the clock interrupts her but then she continues, snuggling herself into his chest until she can feel his heartbeat against her skin. "Just about three hours, we need to be up."
Heavy warmth is settling in, her body sinking into the mattress and into him. The need for sleep and her sated body lull away all the conversations that she'd always imagined they'd have to have after they finally crossed this particular line. She wonders if it's the same for him or if he's waiting for her as he's always done. Briefly, she glances up into his eyes, surprised to find that his eyelids are already drooping and he seems just as content to curl up and sleep as she is.
She feels his arms tighten around her and settles into the warmth, drifting off quickly to the safe, warm feeling that surrounds her. Absently, she hitches a leg over him, entwining them completely from head to toe. She's nearly asleep when she feels his lips brush her forward and feels more than hears him whisper, "Love you, Kate."
In her mind, she replies, "I love you too, Castle," but she's never quite sure if the words actually came out.
When he kisses her awake in the morning, she kisses back and realizes that he knows – has probably known longer than she has – and there's no reason to force herself to declare her love until she's ready. It makes giving in easier and when she finally says it again, nearly two months later, it dawns on her that if for no other reason, his ability to just know these things about her should have told her that this was coming, that it was always going to go down this road.
Still, it takes nearly a week after they catch their concierge for her to carry out her threat. She stuffs her panties into his mouth in the back of a cab and drags him up to her apartment the night the case officially closes and she finds him just as willing as he promised, but uses the handcuffs anyway.
I had originally written this as just two parts, but the idea of writing that end scene just... it's been haunting my brain. But don't get overly excited, I'm slow going - this was already written just needing some cleaning up.