Chapter 12 – Race the Wind

Disclaimer – Will never be mine.

Kate fumbled with her clutch, she could shoot a Glock but a tiny clasp was becoming her undoing. Keys finally in hand she shuffled through them until she located her apartment key, inserted it into the lock and pushed the door open. Kate shook off her coat, leaving it in a heap at the front door.

She bee lined for her bedroom, kicked off her CFMs, slid out of her dress, let down her hair and scrubbed her face. After a quick look at herself in the mirror she dismissed her bloodshot eyes, red from tears. Tears that felt good, confession was good for the soul.

Castle headed for the kitchen, unbuttoning his overcoat on the way. He tossed his heavy winter coat on a nearby barstool and began taking off his tie as he opened the fridge door. He was thrilled to find the ingredients for hot coco. After all wasn't hot coco laced with Bailey's chicken soup for the adult soul?

He carried the coco over to the couch, placed it on a nearby end table and shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket. Took a quick sip of coco and relaxed into the couch. It felt good to sit, his eyes began to flutter shut. Castle roused himself from near sleep as he heard the sound of bare feet slapping against the hard wood floor.

He opened his eyes in time to watch her walk towards him. As sexy as she was in that dress, with that hair and makeup, Castle preferred casual Kate. Only a select few were allowed to see stripped down Kate, like she was now. Wearing a form fitting grey tank top with pale blue striped pajama pants rolled down at the waist band.

Her pj's rode low, exposing the soft spot below her jutting hip bone. His eyes were instantly drawn to her tattoo. It looked like writing, but he wasn't certain. Kate caught him staring, stepped closer to him, rolled her waistband lower and gathered up her top so he could see.

Isaiah

49:15-16

Castle furrowed his brow, trying to decipher the meaning. He reached out and traced a fingertip over the tiny tattoo, each letter and each number…one by one. "It's moments like this I wish I had paid more attention in theology class." He glanced up to meet her eyes.

"It's for my mom." Kate took his hand in hers, tracing the lines of his palm as she spoke "See I will not forget you; I have carved you on the palm of my hand."

"Perfect." He tugged her to the couch, making sure she landed next to him. "Although, I'm a bit disappointed I didn't notice it in LA when you were wearing that smoking hot bathing suit." Kate gave him her signature eye roll and swatted his thigh. The difference was Kate left her hand resting on his thigh. "Not only is it strategically placed to accommodate almost any bathing suit, I think your eyes were on 'the girls.'"

Castle waggled his eyebrows at her "Guilty as charged."

He ran a soothing hand over her hair. "What a night."

She gave him a playful smile, "I'll say, nobody ran."

"Running is your thing." Castle teased.

Kate settled into the crook of his arm and softly burrowed her head into his shoulder. "You dragging me upstairs I didn't get a chance to finish what I was saying."

She could feel the chuckle rise up out of his chest, as he teased "Between your teeth chattering and my fear you would tell me to go home, I thought it best to get us inside as quickly as possible."

Kate smiled into his chest "I don't plan on sending you home." She felt a slight blush creep up her neck. "But that doesn't mean I am brave enough to hear it again or to say it in return, but I am so exhausted from standing still. Rick…" She sat up and turned to face him, a smile gradually spread across her face, as she look deep into his eyes, "…what I do know is that I want to race the wind and want you by my side to see where the wind takes us."

Castle snaked his hand up her back, closing off the remaining space between their bodies. He ducked his head to whisper in her ear, "See there you go doing that running thing again." He placed tiny kisses along her jawline, while gradually twisting his fingers in her long curling hair as he pulled her towards him and kissed her.

'Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.'- Princess Bride.

PS. I just couldn't do the kiss justice, so I deferred to one of my favorite books.