"Who are you calling? Hang up the damn phone!" Lainey shrieked as she lunged towards Kate and grabbed her phone. Kate laughed wildly as she tried to grab her phone back, instead knocking a cluster of empty beer bottles off the counter.
Lainey had seen Kate buzzed a time or two but never drunk. It was quite the contrast to Kate's serious nature at work. So when an impromptu trip to their favorite cop bar lead to a few too many drinks, Lainey was the first one to put beer after beer in Kate's hand.
"Castle?" Lainey asked into the phone. "Yeah… yeah… oh she's hammered…. Okay."
"What was that about?" Beckett pushed.
"Castle is on his way."
"Castle? Castle castle? Why is he coming here?"
"It's a bar. He's here for a drink," Lainey laughed.
Castle raced to the bar, hoping he wouldn't miss her. He'd always wanted some kind of leverage to hold over her and he knew he might never get the chance unless she was drunk. He'd caught glimpses of her with her guard down and couldn't resist the chance to be around that Kate. He couldn't resist the chance to be around her period. And secretly, he'd give anything to see her in that knee-high leather skirt she'd worn to work that day. He had never found knees particularly sexy but he'd spent the day watching her knees. He'd spent the day watching her. He spent everyday watching her.
Esposito and Ryan whooped and hollered when Castle walked in. The disturbance made Kate jump and turn towards the door.
"Castle!" She bit her lower lip to contain the smile that spread across her face. "Why are you here?"
"A drink. Same reason as anyone comes to a bar," he lied.
Lainey cleared her throat, grabbing his attention. "Can you drive her home? I've got to get going…" she gave a stern look to Ryan and Esposito until they both mumbled excuses about having to leave. "Castle?" She motioned for him to come over. "It's now or never, Champ."
"You can really clear out a place," she teased. "You want another?"
Castle raised his beer bottle, "All good." He watched the way her body swayed as she approached the bar. "But finish yours and I'll take you home."
Kate studied him as she took a long swig of beer, completely aware that Castle was watching her intently.
"Wow," Castle said as he glanced around Kate's apartment. It was simplistic and cozy all at once. There was a faint hint of lilac and vanilla. "I expected cats."
"Hey!" Kate cried. "I'm not some old, unattractive cat lady!" She ran a hand through her messy tresses as she laughed drunkenly.
Castle instantly grabbed her and pulled her so close that he felt the warmth of her breath as she gasped. "I've never said nor implied that you're unattractive." His tone was so stern that it gave Kate goosebumps. She was taken aback but rolled her eyes in a feeble attempt to play it off. "This isn't how I imagined your apartment."
"You've imagined my apartment?"
"Another beer?" Castle tried to change the subject. Before waiting for an answer, he had grabbed a beer and returned to her side.
"I want to stay level headed," she breathed, trying to steady her breathing. She couldn't stop staring at him; she couldn't stop fantasizing about him. She wanted to be his; she wanted him to dominate her and make love to her. Mostly, she just wanted him.
"Why would you need to stay level headed? What are you afraid of doing?"
"I never said I was afraid," she said quickly.
"So why can't you do it?" He pressed.
"Do what?"
"Cut the crap, Kate. This is the perfect moment so why can't you just make a move?"