Obviously as you've guessed the inspiration for this FF was the second season promo :)) Except Beckett isn't wearing a red dress because that would have been too easy!

Oh one more thing before I let you read on, the rating for this is obviously for upcoming chapters...

Chapter 2

Beckett had almost cleaned up the table when she missed her last shot, letting Castle play for the first time since they started the game.

Castle took his place at the table and bent down to take his first shot.

"Eleven in left corner" he called.

He aimed, struck and scored.
He pocketed a few other stripped balls, proving to Beckett, and quite frankly to himself as well, that he, too, was a good pool player.
But, as Beckett realized when she deliberately placed herself close to him for one of his shot and made him miss, he was also a man.
She hid her proud smile as he stepped back, giving her a half-hearted disapproving look.

A couple of minutes later, the eight ball sunk into a side pocket and Beckett swirled around to Castle with pride.

"Drink up Castle" she ordered.

Castle knew he should have been somewhat offended that she had so blatantly tried to sabotage him and his ego should have felt wounded for losing this first round. But he felt none of those things.
He was in fact, too happy to see Kate smiling and enjoying herself to care if he lost or won this game. Tonight he was discovering a woman he had only suspected existed. He'd always known that, as she had put it, there were many layers to the Beckett onion and he'd looked forward to peeling them off. Tonight he was most definitely peeling away a layer, maybe even two or three. He felt proud and privileged, that she'd trust him enough to let go for one night and show him that side of her personality.
This evening wasn't about research. In fact recently, not much of what he'd been doing with Kate Beckett was about research. He had fallen under the charms of the detective from the very beginning, but over the course of their collaboration he had found himself drawn to her in a whole different way. She wasn't just a tough, gorgeous police detective that he wanted to have in his bed, she was a beautiful, complex, fascinating woman that he wanted to have in his life.
Of course, there was also this undeniable attraction for the woman... but for the first time in a long time, he found himself thinking that if he could just be with her, day in and day out and never sleep with her, he'd be a happy man nonetheless.

So, he happily took his shot and filled his glass back up.

"Return?" he asked gathering the balls on the table.

"Are you sure you're up for it Castle? I wouldn't want to get you drunk... too fast."

"Oh I'm up for it detective. This was just a warm-up. Get ready to drink. Lots."

They both smiled fetchingly before Castle bent down and broke for the second round.

A few hours later, Castle had drunk three shots of tequila and Beckett was taking her third as well.
Over the course of the game, the pair had discovered that, when Beckett wasn't using her charms, they were in fact almost evenly matched.

She grimaced at the bitter taste of the drink and set her glass back on the table, filling it back up with liquid.

"Well Kate... are you getting tired?" teased Castle.

"Tired? Please! I just don't want to hurt your male ego... too much."

"Last round? All or nothing?"

"Bring it" she dared, taking her cue and racking up the balls.

He smiled and went on the other side to place the cue ball.

"So Castle..." she started as she broke the game "how did you learn to play pool like that? You know my secret... thirteen in right corner. What's yours?" she asked taking her shot.

"Well detective..." He took a seat on the high stool they had borrowed a couple of rounds before very much enjoying the view of Beckett dealing with the balls on the table one by one "Once upon a time..."

"And don't serve me one of your stories." she warned "Fifteen in middle right."

He gave her a disappointed pout as she scored.

"Take the fun out of it..." he mumbled.

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow urging him on.

"It's a simple story. Boring really." he added with another disappointed pout.

Damn, he really was cute when he did that.
She mentally slapped herself.
Focus on the game Kate.

"Ten in left corner"

"Poker night used to be pool night with the boys." he shrugged.

She stopped her movement and straightened herself up.

"There used to be a pool table in your living-room?" she asked, her voice louder than she had intended.

He simply nodded. She pocketed number ten.

"How?" she looked thoughtful for a long while, getting her attention back on the green carpet "Fourteen, right side. I don't..." She stared at the table and then at him and back at the table "How did you...?" she crooked an eyebrow.

"Oh the loft certainly looked differ-."

"Where is it now?" she cut him, sounding strangely interested.

"I sold it."

"Oh"

Her fourteen ball missed the pocket by a few inches. She looked decidedly disappointed.

Castle shot up from his seat, immediately regretting the motion when his head started spinning. He waited a few seconds before stepping to the table as she took his place on the stool.

"By the way, who was it that told you about my pool table years?" she asked as he announced and took his first shot with ease.

"A good detective never reveals his sources" he replied teasingly.

She narrowed her eyes at him even if he wasn't looking.

"And what did this source tell you exactly?"

"Stuff."

He pocketed a couple more balls in silence.

"Interesting stories for sure." he finally added.

He circled the table until he was on her side, his back to her. He bent down, studying the table and she tilted her head slightly to the side, admiring the view.

"Interesting huh? Did this source you the trouble I used to get into around those pool tables? And on them" she added in a half-muted voice as he was about to push his cue against the white ball.

His eyes grew wider and the number four ball missed the pocket he had been aiming for. He turned around only to see the victorious grin on the detective's face as she slid down her seat.
He stared at her in disbelief and she strolled proudly to the other side of the pool table.

They stopped talking for a while and Beckett took her time to pocket a couple more balls. Caught up in the game, she walked to one side and stood there, cue in hand, studying angles intently. She was so focused she hadn't paid much attention to the fact that Castle was right behind her, leaning against the wall, admiring her.

He smiled and pushed himself off the wall, taking a few steps forward.
She froze when she felt him in her back, so close she could feel his steady breath tickle her ear.
Seconds seemed like an eternity as she waited to see what he would do next, gripping the cue between her hands for some kind of support. She felt heat travel up to her cheeks and back down her body and she closed her eyes, grateful to have her back turned to him.
She wasn't sure if the rise in temperature was from the alcohol or from the man standing behind her. But when he spoke into her ear and another wave of pleasure crashed through her, she knew what she was feeling had very little to do with tequila.

"I think you have a better shot from the other side" he whispered hotly before stepping back.

Immediately she missed his presence and the heat radiating from his body against hers. She opened her eyes and stared at his back as he walked to the stool.

Strangely enough, she missed her following shot and Castle was now grinning proudly.

Revenge was a word detective Beckett knew quite well. She witnessed it on a daily basis at work.
So, when Castle started pocketing a few balls, she stepped close to the table placing both hands on its the rim, spreading them along its length and slightly bent forward, seemingly studying the game intently.
Castle did not miss the movement and his eyes travelled up to hers but stopped halfway when they found the cleavage she was so blatantly displaying.

When his ball missed its pocket, and she smiled, he walked to her.

"I think you're trying to sabotage me Kate."

"Well," she started, straightening herself up "if you kept your focus on the game, maybe you'd have more chance of winning."

She turned around, ready to get in position but was surprised to find herself inches from Castle's face. His blue eyes looked right into hers, unblinking. She took a sharp breath and felt her heart-rate quicken on its own volition.
He slightly leaned forward and she backed down, feeling the table's rim against her back. He placed his hands on each side of her body, on the wooden contours.
She probably should have pushed him away... or something like that... but all she felt like doing at that moment was melt.
Although he wasn't touching her in any way, she felt as tough his hands were on her, his body pressed against hers, his mouth tasting her.
He looked at her intently, perfectly still and seemingly in control. His piercing blue eyes made her feel exposed, naked, vulnerable but she wasn't about to turn away. Her eyes travelled from his lips to his own eyes and back again, undecided, definitely tempted.
She saw a small crease form at the corner of his mouth and knew he was smiling a little.

"Maybe we should put an end to this game Kate", he breathed against her mouth.

The puddle that was now her brain tried to come up with words to form a sentence.

"Maybe we should," she managed to reply realizing her mouth was extremely dry.

He lingered there for a few more moments before his lips turned into a full on smile and then he was gone.

"Your shot then." he reminded, settling himself on the high stool.

When Kate finished cleaning up the table and Castle drank his fourth shot of tequila, the need and the frustration she felt made her wonder who had really won the game that night...