Chapter 4 – Pants

Thanks for the reviews. Everyone needs a little (or a lot of) fluff in their life. I realize the chapters are short but based on the overall theme of the story the length seems appropriate. Enjoy.

Tugging at Kate's left pant leg, Castle announced "This one deserves your pants."

Teasingly Kate began seductively undoing her belt, "Hmm, don't you think you should take my belt before my pants?"

"Completely unnecessary – I am getting it all."

Quirking a brow a him, Kate challenged, "That confident." It was a statement. Not a question.

"I am now." Grinning like a fool, Rick finished his reply with a hitch in his voice, "You said 'yes.'"

Buckling her pants with a deliberate slowness of a reverse strip tease, Kate ever so slowly slipped the stiff tip of her belt through first loop. "Well then, Mr. Castle ante up the proposal which earns you my pants."

Scrubbing a hand across his face, Castle gathered his wits. Even with the passage of time and the appeal of Kate Beckett, Rick still felt a wave a nauseous rumble through his stomach at thought of Tyson. "Remember when I was set up by Tyson?"

Kate's knuckles turned white as she her fingers wound tightly around the chains of her swing. "Hard to forget, sent me back to Burke for a pick-me up."

Struggling to come to terms with the idea that Tyson had impacted Kate to the level that had provoked her to return to her doctor, Rick closed his eyes against the afternoon sun and drew a deep breath. "I had no idea, how did I miss the signs that you needed to do that?"

Releasing her vice like grip on the chains, Kate reached over and soothingly skimmed her hands across Castle's suit clad thighs. "Hey. Hey, wipe that look off your face. My time with Burke taught me to reach out to him before there are 'signs.' That is a good thing Rick."

Kate finished by flashing a toothy confident smile, "A great sign."

Castle covered her hands with his and brought their clasps hands to his lips. Mumbling softly as he peppered kisses across the backs of her fingers, "I wish I had known."

Dragging his hand with hers, Kate brushed a hand across his cheek, "I think I read somewhere that as w-i-f-e should share with her h-u-s-b-a-n-d…"

Reeling back with surprise and merriment in his eyes, Rick cackled a bit as he asked, "Did you just spell out husband and wife?"

Kate sheepishly replied, "Yeah."

Castle laughed loudly as he accused, "You can't say those words can you?"

Kate rushed to speak in an effort to ignore Castle's question, "What I was saying is that in the future I promise to tell you when I have an appointment with Burke. Better?"

"Better?! You need to call him right now."

Kate growled, "NOW? Why?"

His body racked with a hearty chuckle, Rick breathlessly spit out, "You had to spell out husband and wife."

"I do NOT need to call Burke about THAT."

Rick threw down the gauntlet. "Hmmpf. I bet you can't say, 'Hi, I would like to introduce you to my ruggedly handsome husband Richard Castle'. Without spelling out husband."

Kate shook her hands free of his grasp, rose to her feet and with lighting speed she pulled herself up on the chains of Rick's swing. Dropping herself on to his lap so they sat face to face…groin to groin.

Lowering her an octave to the seductive level that made Rick quiver with anticipation, Kate murmured softly, "Hi, I would like to introduce you my oh so very sexy yet, cocky, fiancé Rick Castle."

Dragging his hands down to circle her slim firm waist and leaning into utter seductively into her ear, "You are so hot when you say fiancé."

Laughing silently to herself at the way her body yearned for his touch, Kate leapt from his lap as quickly as she joined it. Settling on her own swing, Kate leaned in and purred "Hmm, better get cracking on the story for my pants if you want to handle this hotness."

Stealing himself again at the thought of Tyson, "When Tyson set me up…I was equally worried that you would go back further through my pocket account or stumble upon the receipt for the ring. That would have been a good one – 'I might go away for murder, but would you marry me?'"

"I would have said 'yes'."

Asking with his eyes, "Yeah?"

Answering with her eyes, "Yeah."

Verbalizing it, "Would you have said yes, if I asked 'Would you to break me out of jail?'"

"Always."