Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't
OOOOOOOOO
He moaned and slanted his mouth sharper over hers, nibbling and then teasing them with a swipe of his hot tongue. She parted for him eagerly, but he disengaged.
She tightened her grip around his neck, pulling back only far enough to shoot him a serious look. This time she wasn't going to let him run away.
…
OOOOOOOOO
43.
"I believe there was one more thing we needed to settle?"
This time he didn't hesitate but came down hard, reducing all her higher thoughts with his teeth and tongue. She threw herself back in, giving as much as she could, eager to explore this new facet of them.
She didn't even care that he had her moaning before second base.
Then he was probing, seeking permission and she could barely contain her joy when he joined her. Hot and vital and addicting. She had never been more grateful for his big mouth. She swallowed the sounds she dragged out of him, reveling the feeling in her throat.
A clap on his shoulder propelled him back a little and she felt herself returning to her own mouth over swollen lips.
She was still too stunned to be angry when Castle turned and identified Tim as the one who had separated them.
"Thanks for the show," he didn't look thankful. "But if we could get back to the game? I want my turn with Kate here."
They both crash-landed at the reminder. She reached for his cue and passed it to him, noting the feel of smiling when her mouth was still so sensitive.
"I'll be waiting," was all she said.
His face lit up. She was waiting this time, not him. "I think I'll put them on my tab and we can settle later."
"I could do that."
He ran the table. It was almost too easy as he used the shots he had refined since college. He wasn't going to let Tim anywhere near Kate.
He could see Tim getting increasingly agitated the more balls he put away and, despite the distraction it presented, he was glad that Kate had taken to following him around the table.
When only the black 8 remained, Tim was so irate, Daniels was holding him back.
His round friend barely kissed the black and it fell neatly into the cushioned pocket.
He hadn't even straightened up when he felt her slip her arm around him. For a moment he worried it might be Stacy, whose eyes had been following him carefully, but there was no mistaking these eyes.
"Nice shot," she told him, the pride in her voice unmistakable.
He allowed himself a grin.
"So you owe me five kisses." She raised her eyebrows. "And you owe him…" she trailed off and looked coldly at the red-faced man who was glaring at them.
He would love to deck the slimeball but knew Kate would never let him do it. "I believe I owe him eight shots. Good thing you told me to take my rings off, honey."
Tim snarled and advanced on them when the barkeep's voice broke over them.
"Daniels! Sober him up. Had enough pigs in my place this week, don't go inviting more."
Stevens had come to watch after the game finished at the other table and between him and Daniels they managed to get Tim calmed down.
Looks like they were friends. Explains how Stevens knew when Daniels was going to be with his new woman and leave Stacy free. He wondered if Stacy was aware both men knew about their respective relationships with her – that she was being passed between the two friends like a jacket.
It also meant they were going to have no luck getting Stevens to rat out his buddy.
"Well that's just not fair," Stacy piped up.
"Shut up," Daniels told her, giving Tim a beer.
"No, it's fine," Castle assured her. He learnt his lesson with Lockwood: punching people in the face hurt and made writing very uncomfortable.
"No it isn't," Stacy insisted. "My brother got two from your girl, so I'll give you two of mine."
He couldn't think of a good enough reason to refuse her and keep face, unfortunately, from the way Kate's jaw had dropped, she couldn't either.
"Stacy." The bass growl came from Stevens.
"What?"
"Don't," his single syllable was heavy but she only looked rebellious.
"Why not?" her chin came up and she turned to regard her official boyfriend with challenge in her eyes. "You don't care do you?"
Despite her bravado it was clear she wanted him to deny her assumption and tell her that he did care.
"Do what you want," Daniels dismissed her, sounding bored.
She turned resolutely to face Castle and Kate's nails scraped across the skin of his lower back through his T-shirt, leaving scoring marks tender in his flesh. He was grateful she didn't grow her fingernails out.
If it weren't for the physical evidence, he wouldn't have permitted himself to believe that Kate Beckett was jealous, but they way her hands was clenched in the back of his shirt under his jacket, holding him close, was undeniable.
A quick glance at her face showed it to be carefully blank. Her poker face.
He looked back to see Stacy only a few steps away, still moving deliberately towards him. He had expected her to say something. To use words. He could use words, twist them and get him out of the situation, but she never slowed. She didn't even wait for Kate to step away before she threw herself at him.
His hand clenched convulsively around Kate's as Stacy's momentum sent them a full step back. Kate pulled and managed to right them before he lost his footing but it only propelled him closer against his assailant.
He broke away, but her hands snaked around his neck and pulled him back to her.
"Not finished yet," she purred at him.
"Really, I'm good…" he tried to dissuade her but her mouth closed on his before he could finish. She took shameless advantage of his open mouth, attacking aggressively before he shut it so abruptly he clipped her tongue between his teeth and making her hum.
She pulled out all the stops, trying to tease him into opening again with her teeth and tongue, but he remained motionless in her arms, his hand squeezing Kate's.
Don't move.
That was the advice you got when you came across an unfriendly animal. Too friendly in this case.
She must have run out of air at the same time she despaired of getting a response from him.
He expelled a breath as discretely as he could, but she frowned at him. He couldn't care less. After his kiss with Kate, this just left him feeling violated.
"I think that means our little game is over," Kate stepped in, her words clipped.
She didn't wait for a response before she dragged him gratefully towards the bar.
He motioned for two bottles, wanting to wash the taste of her away. She approached the liquid with the same enthusiasm as he did and he tried to quell the anger at the memory of her kissing that creep - even on the cheek.
Her voice startled him. "You okay?"
He looked to her, guilty at the genuine concern in her eyes. Some anger there too though he guessed that was directed more at the siblings still at the pool table.
He coughed. "Fine," he assured her. "Or will be when I can't smell her on me."
Kate's face contorted, becoming darker.
"I'm just glad she didn't find anything," he flickered his eyes to his chest. "Her free hand was wandering for a little while."
"Small favors," she muttered darkly. "Tell me," she started on a falsely cheerful note, "How is it than you can shoot a gun like an expert, shoot pool and throw darts but can't throw a baseball without breaking something?"
"Hey, shhh!"
"What?"
"You'll give me away!" he whispered. "What if Alexis is listening in right now?"
"Come on, there's no way the boys would bring her along." She paused thoughtfully then added in a whisper, speaking directly to the other members of her team. "That's your clue to cover her ears if she is with you."
Castle snorted a laugh.
She casually looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone in earshot. "I think we might know who Daniels was with that night. Stacy thinks it might be Sam Carrik's girl."
He did a double take. "He was sleeping with his boss' girl?" he asked incredulously.
"Boys are checking the alibis and footage from the hotel."
"So what are we going to do now?"
"We can't ask those questions tonight. We should just get out. Maybe we can come back tomorrow when we know a little more."
He looked up and saw Stacy and Stevens making for them. "Looks like we're not going to get that chance."
…