Chapter 2 - Fake Date.

Rick curled his lips into a knowing smirk, "This is about more than the multiple times I may or may not have considered prosing to you? Isn't it?"

Lancing her fingers through his, Kate gently tugged him to her side. Turning to nuzzle his ear she murmured, "I don't want to keep this, our engagement...wow did I just say 'engagement'?

Rick loves when she wears a high waisted tight fitted leather jacket. Especially when it rides up, pulling her shirt with it so he can trace a finger along the soft exposed skin between her shirt and jeans, "Yes, and I like the way 'engagement' just rolled off your tongues. Maybe you should try fiancé."

Covering his traveling hand with hers, "Hmm, don't distract me with your touch."

Pulling her further into his hold, his words dancing across her cheek? "Distracting you is by far one of my favorite things." Castle works his hand free of hers; his fingers begin skimming just barely inside the waistband of her jeans.

Kate's body betrays her, letting out a sigh and arching into his touch.

"Watching the way your body reacts to the simplest of MY caresses will never get old."

Kate once again captured his wandering hand to slow down the arousal starting to thrum through her body. "Later. All night. But now we walk."

Cocking his head to the side, "All night?"

"Promise, but now…"

Castle momentarily searches her eyes, "Walking really is important to you."

Cringing inwardly, Kate asked, "Silly huh? We only have this tiny window when this is just about us. There is also that little issue of how many times you wanted to do this hanging over our heads."

Teasing her, "Do what Kate? Walk in the park? Run my hands across your body? The first snow fall will be here before that walk is over if I share all the times I fantasied about touching you and wasn't allowed."

Shooting a Beckett glare didn't detour Rick. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her in until their hips where locked.

With a devilish grin he teased, "So, there was this time at the NYC public library were a very very sexy, yet slightly perturbed young Detective arrested me and all I wanted to say is 'if you must insist on cuffing me could we be naked? And I have no objections if it is to your bedpost?'"

"Incorrigible." Kate made a futile attempt for a dramatic push from his hold. It came off half-hearted as her pursed lips turned in flirty smile. "Focus Castle, we are talking about proposals."

"Look at you, Detective - you know what they say about assuming, it makes an ass..."

Knock her forehead gently against his, "Think twice about finishing that sentence."

Sizing her up, he saw how important the stories of near proposals were to her, to them. Castle released his hold on Kate and casually walked away. A few steps into his walk he turned and looked over his shoulder "You coming Beckett?"

Kate broke into a light jog. Catching up to Rick she circled an arm around his waist. "You said you had game. It led me to believe you had more than one creative proposals brewing in that brain of yours."

Rick's eyes danced with challenge, "How about this game, we go back to my place and for every story I tell you about almost proposals you give me an article of clothing?"

"You're telling me you wanted to propose enough times that it will end up with me naked?"

Castle's face transformed from jovial to serious "Damn close."

"How about IOUs – you start talking and I'll owe you."

Castle wrapped his arm around her waist, directing them down the path that lead to the rose garden. "I think you owe me your kickass Beckett leather jacket – for wanting to marry you after one night together."

Releasing her hold on him she tugged at him until he joined her in retracing their steps to the swings.

"I was that good huh?"

Castle gave her a wolfish, "We, it is 'we' ARE that good."

"Yes, 'we'." Kate slipped off her jacket and handed it to Castle, "This is a show of good faith. The rest stays on until we get home."

Rick settled on a swing. Carefully folding Kate's jacket, he placed it on his lap, Rick began to slowly rock to and fro. "For your shirt – remember the night of our stupid idea of me going on a fake date?"

Kate toed her boot into the ground before lifting her eyes to meet his, "For two seemingly intelligent people, an extremely stupid idea."

Nodding his head in agreement, "When I arrived at your place and you looked so adorable with your hair pulled up in that messy pony tail and the leg for days teasing short little sleep shirt…."

Eyes crossing in a failed eye roll Kate asked, "The asking part?"

"You reached up on your tippy toes and teasingly leaned into my body and whispered 'Good because I have a gun.' My mind I said, "'Not scared, I have a ring.'"

"Good thing your mouth didn't, I would have freaked."

"Freaked? You would have kicked me to the curb."

"Never."

'Never?"

"So soon you forget – one and done."

"I am counting on it." Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, "Looking back at my life, I don't think anyone has ever believed I was the one."

Before Kate could get the words out, Castle pulled his swing next to hers and sealed her mouth with a kiss and uttered, "Alexis and my mother don't count."