'Meredeth, wake up.'

'Nhh.' Meredeth felt a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder, blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes. It was dark outside and her head was foggy yet she could still make out the outline of Esposito standing by her side of the bed. 'Time-zit?'

'Just past midnight.'

'Ugh, you didn't have to wake me up to let me know you were back.' Meredeth yawned; while all the men had decided on a spot of night-fishing, she and the girls had killed a pitcher or two of Tom Collins and they'd all decided to hit the sack early on account of them being too daffy to safely have a fire on the sandy shore.

'No, get up, I have a little surprise for you.'

The word surprise had her sitting up like a mummy. 'I like surprises.'

'I know. Come on.'

He watched as she fumbled for shorts and a shirt, find her flip-flops to carry down out of the boathouse. With her hand in his, they made their way to the Bow-Rider which was ready to go and just waiting for its passengers. Despite still only being half awake, Meredeth managed to give him the fish-eye.

'We're going out on the boat?'

'To start, yes.' Esposito hopped in, then took her hand to guide her step down. 'Have a seat.'

'Do you know how to drive this thing?'

'Actually I do. My first two years in the NYPD, I worked water patrol.'

He turned on the engine, eased the boat away from the dock and glided it out to the sea-lane so as not to wake Castle's snooty Hampton neighbours. When they were sufficiently away, he gunned the motor and used the bow flood lights like head-lamps. Every time Meredeth, who was now fully awake, asked where they were going, he responded with a teasing, 'you'll find out.' Finally, they reached the little cove he'd spotted on his way back with the guys, and an idea had struck. He'd convinced Castle to let him take the boat out on his own just with Meredeth, and knew she would definitely appreciate what he had up his sleeve.

He dropped the anchor in the cove, just as private and secluded and safe as the one they'd gone to that afternoon. Without a word, he went up to the bow and moved the portable flood lamps to the stern by the wet-dock so it gave them sufficient light. Once he'd finished setting his stage, he turned back to Meredeth and pulled her to her feet.

'Now will you tell me what you're up to?' she demanded, curiosity outweighing patience in her tone.

'What we're up to,' he corrected her, then pulled his t-shirt over his head. 'We're going swimming.'

'But I didn't bring my suit.'

'Neither did I.'

'You mean...' Meredeth trailed off as he kicked off his sandals, reached for the draw-strings on his board-shorts. Arousal was quick and brutal when she watched him shove them down, then them to the side with his shoes. 'Like naked swimming?'

'What, you've never gone before?'

'Not in the ocean at night.'

'First time for everything.' With a grin, Esposito swung his legs over the stern so he stood on the wet-dock, then jumped in. He surfaced, shook his head to clear the water from his eyes. 'Come on in, water's great.'

'Are you crazy? I'm not jumping in the water naked!'

'Okay, fully-clothed then, but that's not nearly as much fun.'

Meredeth gave him a look as a thought occurred. 'You got this idea when all us girls dropped trou on the boat while the three of you watched like you were at a topless bar, didn't you?'

'Somewhat. But it's just you and me now.' Esposito kicked his way over to the wet-dock, propped his elbows on it. His cross winked with water droplets in the light of the flood-lamp. 'So what's it going to be?'

Meredeth said nothing, just went over to the boat's in-dash stereo and found a Bruce Springsteen greatest-hits disc on the stereo. She selected a rather on-the-nose song - Dancing in the Dark - and as the opening chords drifted into the air, she began to move in time with the beat. Closing her eyes, she ran her hands over her body, began to flip open the buttons of her shirt one at a time, keeping her movements deliberately slow against the bright beat of the music.

Esposito watched her with greedy interest; this was definitely something new. He'd seen her undress countless times before at home, but taking off work clothes was no where near the same category as this performance. She turned so her back was to him as she slid the cotton from her shoulders down her back so her curves were in silhouette, tossed it aside before her hands went to her hips to slide both shorts and panties down to the floor. Before he could say something clever, she was over the stern and jumping into the water just behind him. Her skin, a blooming peachy colour from the afternoon in the sun, glowed in the artificial light that bathed them.

'Now why didn't you do something like that this afternoon?' he asked her, as she swam over to join him at the wet-dock.

'Because I don't think that Castle and Ryan would have the same appreciate for my nakedness like you do.'

'That's true. I like keeping this to myself.' He drifted closer to kiss her; her lips were soft and yielding under his, and indulged himself by reach out to graze her breast. He heard her sigh, but forced himself to pull his hand back. He wanted her wrapped around him, but he also didn't feel like drowning either. Instead he shoved off the wet dock, began to side-stroke to the edge of the light from the flood-lamps. 'Come on. Nothing like a midnight skinny-dip.'

Meredeth smiled, followed him out. When they'd reached the edge of their safe-zone, she floated on her back a little, then quickly righted herself. 'Oh, that's not pleasant for the twins,' she groaned, rubbing her hand over her breasts that had gotten a sudden draft of night air.

'Looks good from over here.' Esposito wiggled his eyebrows, and got a shove in the shoulder for his troubles. 'Hey! I'm still healing!'

'Want me to kiss you all better?'

'You read my mind.'

They swam back to the anchored boat, rested their arms on the wet-dock. For a brief moment, Meredeth wondered how the hell they were going to make love when they were free-floating, but the thought left her head when Esposito hoisted himself onto the wet-dock so all but his legs were out of the water. She joined him, sitting beside him with dripping wet hair.

Then his mouth was on hers, warm and salty from the water, as he put his hand on her cheek. 'I love you, Meredeth,' he murmured. 'I love you so much.'

'I love you too.'

She pulled him close, then felt herself tipping back to stretch out on the wet-dock as he pressed his body into hers. When he nudged her thighs apart, her eyes popped wide as she felt him - all of him - hot and hard against her damp skin.

'Hello, Detective.'

He grinned widely. 'I don't think we need to worry about that one-to-ten thing anymore.'

'Definitely not.'

He kissed her, circling her wrists with his hands and raising them over her head. She was soft and dewy, and delicious, the scent of her skin - sweat and sunblock - drawing him in. Hoping to keep her off balance, since it'd been working so well for him tonight, Esposito moved his mouth over her neck, down to one of her breasts; he kissed and nipped at her flesh before he suckled at her, flicking his tongue over the heated point in bullet-time. He felt his own blood pulse quicker when she arched against him, that sweet centre of heat pressing against him in anticipation.

Meredeth breathed deeply as he used his mouth on her, staring up at the stars as the warm breeze stirred the shore-lining maples and oaks. The feeling of the air on her skin after being in the warm water made her nerve-endings sizzle; everything seemed to be heightened. His hands left her wrists and were streaking down her torso, allowing her to clutch at his back, pulling him tight against her. She wanted to drown in him, his scent and his skin.

He'd moved his hands down her body, and bracing himself, he stroked one up the inside of her leg, watched her gulp as each pass he went higher and higher. But he liked keeping her on her toes, even when she was off her feet, and instead of satisfying the craving he knew he'd stirred, he moved his mouth from her breast down her stomach, past her scar and her tattoo to the sweet spot between her thighs.

'God!' The oath was a sharp slap on the soft night air, as Meredeth felt her eyes cross in sheer ecstasy. She let her head fall back against the wet dock as she made no attempt to hold back her whimpers of pleasure. She flung one hand out blindly looking for purchase, heard it splash into the water. 'Don't stop, Javi.'

'Never.' She was so sensitive here, he thought, every touch sending electric sparks rocketing through her system. Again, because he knew her so intimately, he ran his hand over the soft flesh of her thigh, slipped a finger inside as he left his mouth on her and heard her choke out his name. He felt her clench maddeningly around him, hardening him to the point of nothing other than being inside her would sate him.

Before she hit flash-point, Esposito lifted his head, running a trail of kisses over her belly, pausing at her tattoo before continuing upwards until he reached her mouth and pressed his lips against hers, his body strung so tightly he all but vibrated with need.

'Javi.' She gripped his wrist, looked deep into his eyes. 'I love you.'

It was all he needed to hear. He slid into her, reveling in the way she gave off that little 'oh'; every time, he thought, every time they came together like this, it was like the first time, there was always that little element of surprise. Bracing his upper body like he was about to do push ups, he thrust himself deep inside and she matched him, stroke for deliriously tantalizing stroke; the ferocity of their love-making set the boat to rocking gently in the calm water.

Meredeth wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his shoulders. He was back, was all she could think, her Javi was back in full fighting trim. When she heard him give a little groan and pause, her dreamy floating sensation vanished. She looked at him, saw him wince uncomfortably.

'Javi, what is it?'

'My arm, it seized up.'

'Do you want to stop?'

Esposito looked at her like she'd sprouted a third eye. 'Hell no.'

'Okay, let's try a different position, then.'

He thought about it for a moment, then sat up, pulling her with him and turned so she was straddling him with his back against the stern of the boat and his hand on her waist. Taking her hand, he kissed her fingertips and held it against his chest as she began to rock her hips against his. He combed his fingers through her hair to brush it off her face, so he could see her lovely eyes, so dark with desire the blue had nearly disappeared.

'Come for me,' he murmured, pulling her towards him to kiss her, long and deep. No longer content with the speed they'd set for each other, he gripped her hips and changed it so his need took over, hard and fast as lightening. He heard her cry out, felt her nails dig into his shoulders then freeze as her body went ridge but her hips urged him on. As he heard her sigh his name, profess her love for him, he buried his face in her throat and let the orgasm flood through him.

'Top five,' she mumbled, chest heaving as she struggled to get her breath back.

'Umm, top ten.'

'Really?'

'Well, there was Christmas Eve, Valentine's, the night Ryan interrupted us, our six months and the first time on your kitchen floor.'

Meredeth kissed his shoulder, chuckled. 'Okay, ten, then. How's your arm?'

'Still cramped but much better. And now for part two.' When she looked at him with surprise, he laughed a rich hearty laugh. 'Being off the meds didn't turn me into Superman, Mere. And part two is less x-rated than baby-making practice on the back of Richard Castle's speed boat.'

With a gentle shove, Esposito moved her off his lap, then swung himself back into the boat, helped her in after him. He unearthed his thick green bathrobe and a zipped hoodie and sweats from the cubby under the wheel. 'Here, don't want you getting sick when I'm finally back to myself,' he told her as he passed her the robe.

She it pulled on, breathed deep his lingering scent on the fabric, then looked around when she heard the pop of a wine cork. Glancing over, she saw he'd stowed a bottle of wine and two glasses on board. He'd put on the hoodie and sweats and passed her a glass as they sat down; Esposito stretched his legs out in front of him while Meredeth had turned herself sideways on the stern bench, her head resting against his lap as he draped his healing arm over her body.

'This is unexpected,' she told him, sipping what she realized was merlot; it hadn't been possible to determine what it was in the darkness.

'I wanted to do something this weekend since we missed our seven months, on account of me being in the hospital. I figured midnight swim followed by a little lovin' and some nice wine would be fun.'

'Oh, baby.' Touched, Meredeth gave the hand resting on her tummy a squeeze.

'And I also got to cross number four off my top five sex-fantasies with you off the list.'

Meredeth craned her neck to look at him. 'Dare I ask what else is on there?'

'Well, let's see.' Esposito drank deeply, studied Meredeth's face, soft and relaxed from their water sports. 'You and me on my desk at work is top of the list, then chocolate-dipped skede, phone sex, and the two of us going at it like teenagers in the Nissan at the drive-in.'

'Good list.'

'I think so.'

As they drank their wine and watched the star-filled sky, they might as well have been the only two people in the world.

R&R&Enjoy!