I tried a little bit of a different format with this one...let me know what you fthink!

Always Buy Retail & Home Is Where the Heart Stops

Kate,

You looked good tonight. I can only imagine you were less than pleased when I had that dress delivered to you, but I didn't want you to have to stress about finding a something to wear, and when saw that one, I knew it was perfect for you. And I was right. You looked really good.

I know we were undercover, but I had fun tonight. I hope you did too or that, at the very least, it gave you a bit of an escape from the case. I know this one was especially difficult for you, because you made a promise to Joanne, and you don't seem like the type who would settle for anything less than upholding it. Especially in light of your own past. But you solved the case, and we got to dance together in the process. I'd say that's a pretty successful evening.

You know, next time you need a stress release, we could always go out again. Not undercover this time. You wouldn't even have to win 'an evening in my company' at an auction. For you, I'd gladly make an exception. No auctions. Just dinner, dancing, and you in a fancy dress.

It'd be much more fun - and less violent - than unloading on innocent paper targets. Although I had a fun time there, too. Showing off my skills. Cuddling with you. Don't deny it... you know that's what we were doing.

I'm not complaining, though. Far from it. I'm game for anything that involves you and me in close proximity. I've always been one for hands-on research, and I got to do plenty of that these last couple of days. Especially tonight at the fundraiser.

There's just one thing I was never able to figure out, though. Where in the hell did you hide your badge?

-Castle

Kate was so engrossed in his words, in trying not to laugh at the last two sentences, that she didn't hear him approach, not until he slipped into bed, molded his body to hers from behind. Castle rested his chin on her shoulder, quickly skimmed the page she was on. Ah, yes. He remembered that one. As if he could ever forget her in that figure-hugging dress, the feel of her bare skin beneath his fingers and the skimpy laces that were the only thing holding the dress together. Yeah, that evening was pretty well imprinted in his memory.

Kate sighed softly, relaxed into him as his arm came to rest over her torso.

"Did I miss any?" he asked softly, lips against her skin.

She flipped back a page. "One."

Castle caught her hand before she could turn back to the present letter, halting her movement. Even though he'd written every one, five years had passed and he wanted to reread them all again, with her this time. It just seemed right, somehow, that they do it together. "Wait. This was a long time ago. I don't remember all of these."

She dropped her hold on the page and he twined their fingers together, pulled their arms to rest against her stomach, holding her against him. Kate tucked her head into the cradle of his neck and shoulders, allowed her body to melt into his. He held her tighter, breathed her in as he began to read his own words from so many years ago.

Kate,

I learned a lot about you today.

1. You're feisty. But don't worry; I like it. Besides, you don't seem like the type to pick on someone you don't actually like at least a little bit. You may be a horrible tease, but I don't think you're quite that cruel.

2. You're pretty badass, the way you stopped those guys from slamming the door in your face. The way you took out Baylor. It never gets old watching you in action.

3. You're not a fan of Meredith. I could feel you judging me for having anything to do with her. It's okay - I sometimes judge myself for that too. I'll never regret Alexis, but let's just say my marriage to her wasn't one of my better accomplishments.

4. You were kind of impressed with me for the way I behaved during the gun battle. You didn't say it, and I know you probably never will, but I could see it in your face. Sometimes your eyes reveal a lot more than you realize.

5. And finally… you really, really were expecting me to kiss you in that hallway. I'd even go so far as to say you wanted me to and were disappointed when I didn't.

You know, all you have to do is ask. My services are always available.

-RC

She could tell when he finished reading because he dipped his head, pressed another kiss to her skin.

"So tell me, Detective. Was I correct in my assumption?"

Kate scoffed. "No."

Castle narrowed his eyes at the back of her head and though she couldn't see him, she could picture his expression very clearly. "Liar."

She grinned. It was so much fun, teasing him, watching him squirm. She loved having the upper hand. But this time, Kate supposed she could put him out of his misery.

She tilted her head back to meet his eyes with her own. "If you tell anyone, I'll deny it, but yes. I was expecting you to kiss me."

He pressed his lips to hers softly. "Like that?"

She un-twined their hands, reached up to cup his cheek and pull him back in, more passionately this time. He melded his lips to hers right away, tongue insistent and probing as her mouth caressed his in all the best ways. She pulled away all too soon in his opinion, leaving him in a haze, but from the darkness of her eyes he could see that the kiss clearly affected her just as much as it had him. "No. Like that."

Castle smirked but wisely said nothing.

Kate considered saying more, knew just the words to wipe the smug grin off of his face; the one that always showed up when she couldn't hide the effect he had on her. Oh, maybe she was that cruel.

Instead, she just tossed a smirk over her shoulder before returning her attention to the journal. She felt him settle back down behind her and flipped forward to the letter she was reading when he joined her in bed a few minutes ago.

Castle had obviously read most of it before, because it wasn't long before he fixated on the last line, chuckled softly.

There's just one thing I was never able to figure out, though. Where in the hell did you hide your badge?

"Are you ever going to tell me the answer?" he asked as soon as she lifted her eyes from the page, and Kate didn't have to ask to know exactly to what he was referring.

Oh, he was just making it way too easy for her to tease him tonight.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

Kate could hear the petulance in his voice, grinned mischievously. She wriggled out of his grasp, set the notebook aside before fixing him with a coy smile.

"Tell you what. Next time I wear a dress like that, I'll let you investigate very thoroughly."

Thoughts?