Hello everyone. All my apologies for not uploading before, I was pretty busy. But tonight, here's the next chapter. Hope you'll enjoy that Caskett part ;) Thanks again for your support and stay tuned for the next chapters! xoxo
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"So that's it, I don't know what else to say, except that I'm grateful to all of you for coming here tonight…thanks to the people who gave me gifts that I won't return on Ebay…" Rick said as he looked at the crowd before adding "Oh yes believe me, there are some," he nodded, making some guests laugh.
"And don't forget that if some of you want to try my Ferrari…you can drop ten bucks in the little box over there on the parking lot…Come on guys, be nice, think about my daughter who's going to university soon."
The guests burst into laugh. Alexis rolled her eyes, waiting in a corner, while Kate stared at Castle, appalled by his speech. He couldn't help but brag about his car.
"I'm joking, of course. Thank you folks", he ended with a grin before he stepped down from the stage, applauded by some guests. He headed to Kate, who felt flattered to be the first person he wanted to see, while the crowd was still gazing at him.
"So, Beckett, how was my speech? Perfect like everything I write?"
"It would have been bearable if you hadn't talked about your Ferrari every 2 seconds."
"Actually it was a tribute to Esposito…I noticed that he's been pouting since I let Ryan drive earlier", Rick replied, amused.
"Tell me about it."
"Seriously, he's mad at me. He won't speak to me. He's distant…he won't look at me the way he used to…" he said in a sad tone.
"Come on, you're going to make me cry", the beautiful detective said ironically, as she placed a hand on her chest.
"Seriously, do you think he'll be fine?" the writer asked.
"Absolutely. But not tonight. He's in a really bad mood since he saw Lanie with the chief caterer you hired. And by the way, let me give you some advice. Next time, please, you definitely should hire more serious employees…"
"Well, my mother was in charge of it. She met that Jake and that was it."
"Now I get it." Kate chuckled as she pictured Martha completely under the charm of the good-looking young man.
"So, he had a crush on Lanie? Poor Esposito."
Kate swallowed hard.
"Poor Esposito? Are you kidding? Let me remind you that at the very same moment he was flirting with one of the waitresses, who by the way, was barely legal. Rick frowned, surprised.
"Why are they doing this? Ignoring what they feel for each other and trying to find someone else, it's just…"
"Ridiculous", Kate ended, as she agreed completely. Rick smiled at her, and offered her a mischievous look.
"Did you notice my plan to give them one room next to the other?" he said proudly.
"Oh, so you did plan to make them end in the same bed then?" Kate asked amused. Rick shrugged and gave her a knowing smile.
"Of course I did! If not, what's the point of giving them adjoining rooms?" he chuckled.
"So, does it mean you gave me one room next to yours for the same reason?" she asked with a grin, waiting for his answer. Rick swallowed hard as his eyes widened.
"Well…I…" he stammered. "I guess that whatever I reply, I'm screwed," he joked, a little bit uncomfortable. "By the way, did I tell you that you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress?" he added, trying to change the subject.
"Castle, you're digging yourself deeper," the gorgeous brunette replied softly, crossing her arms. She felt somewhat incredibly flattered though. But of course, she wouldn't say anything about it. Rick cleared his throat.
"All right. Where are the others?" he said quickly, trying to escape the conversation.
Martha was now on the dancefloor with Alexis who was laughing out loud, as they were dancing together some kind of Madison, while Kevin and Jenny were kissing languorously, a few meters away. They didn't even pay attention to the music at all, completely lost in their moment, forgetting about the people around them.
Lanie was sitting on a chair in the garden, spending her time petting Royal who kept giving paw in return, hoping for a cookie, while Esposito was standing a few meters further, staring at her coldly as he had turned to champagne to drown his frustration.
"It looks like Lanie definitely replaced her two suitors", Rick noticed, amused. Kate smiled and shared his look.
"Good choice. At least, this one won't break her heart!"
"Well, I wouldn't bet on it…Wait and soon you'll see him climb the stairs to Alexis's room", Rick joked. Kate smiled as well, and suddenly grabbed the writer's arm.
"Come with me," she asked in a whisper.
They took some steps holding each other's arms, as Rick raised an eyebrow, surprised. He let her lead the way though.
"Where are we going?"
"Well, I couldn't find the opportunity to give you my present yet", she replied softly, trying to hide her smile. Rick startled a little, touched by her words.
"And you're leading me to a very private place for it? Oh I've got the feeling I'm going to love it…" he whispered with a mischievous smile.
"Easy Castle, it's not what you think it is", Kate corrected, a little bit amused though.
They stopped a hundred meters further, near the terrace of the pool. There was nobody around, only the two of them. Kate finally let Rick's arm go and walked towards one of the windows. There was a box left on the edge of it, wrapped in a multicolor paper. Rick smiled as he noticed it, glad to receive another gift to open. No doubt he was still a kid for that. Kate turned to him, holding the gift that was the size of a shoebox in her hands. She finally lent it to him with a grin.
Castle grabbed it and let out a sigh.
"I have to admit, I wish your gift wasn't in a box…" he said with a wink. Kate tried hard not to smile, and just rolled her eyes.
"Sorry for disappointing you Ricky. But maybe you will like what's in it."
Her voice, so charming…the way she had said that made Rick smile again.
He didn't think twice before he unwrapped and opened the box. At first he remained silent when he saw what it was, and then, he burst into laugh.
"Oho", he said grinning, putting his hand inside. He let out a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs and offered Kate a cheeky look.
"Did my mother tell you about my dream? Spill it."
Kate let out a laugh and shook her head.
"Come on, stop fooling around. For your information, this gift goes with the other one left, in the box."
Rick gazed at her and took out the "other one" she was talking about, a little bit skeptical.
"Kate, it's a stuffed tiger. If you think I'm into animal fetishism, you really don't know me…" he frowned as he eyed the toy carefully. "It's cute and soft, though, but…"
Kate didn't let him finish.
"Rick you are hopeless," she sighed. "The handcuffs and the tiger are a tribute for one of our most dangerous cases. Don't you remember?"
It didn't take him too long to reply. Of course he remembered.
"Oh, the animal traffic, in last December", he nodded with a grin.
"Exactly. I wanted to offer you something original, that would remind you one of our memories together…besides, maybe it can be useful."
Rick looked at her, surprised.
"You're talking about the handcuffs, right?" he asked with a teasing voice. Kate shook her head and tore the tiger from his hands.
"I'm talking about this! When Alexis leaves home for university, and whenever you are in need of hugs, then you'll be able to hug something tight in your large empty bed…" she replied with a seducing voice. She tried hard not to smile, seeing his face.
He swallowed hard and took the stuffed tiger back.
"Well, when I hug it tight, I'll be thinking about you", he replied in a whisper. Kate saw the desire in his eyes and just nodded back, deciding to enter his game.
"I hope so."
Then he put the empty box, the handcuffs and the tiger on the table of the garden next to them and looked back at Kate, stroking her arm softly.
"Seriously Kate, thank you. It's adorable."
Kate just smiled. She didn't know what to say. His smile, the way he was looking at her…She couldn't find the words.
"However, let me tell you that I don't need anything to remember these moments…they are here, forever. I always think about them," Rick added as he touched his temple. Kate's smile widened and made him shiver.
They gazed at each other in silence for a moment, in this dark place of the garden that was just for them. They didn't need anything else. After a few seconds, Kate broke the silence.
"Rick…" she whispered, without knowing exactly what to say.
"Yes, Kate?"
His voice was soft, like a whisper. He was waiting for her to speak, still gazing at her.
"I…"
"Rick?"
Kate startled and turned her head to that voice. She didn't expect to be interrupted. Rick had turned his head too, surprised.
Gina was approaching the pool. Rick glanced at her, wondering what she wanted.
"Come here? We need to talk", she said simply.
"Oh, right", the writer remembered, as he looked back at Kate. "Kate, I…"
She cut him off.
"No, it's okay. Go", she replied, perfectly hiding her disappointment.
"You know, business stuff, I have to…"
"Go," Kate repeated, amused by the way he was trying to justify himself.
"All right. I'll go…but don't try and steal my stuffed tiger, or take my handcuffs. You already have yours," he added as he walked away like a kid. He finally stepped back a few seconds after, and took back the gifts he had put on the table while Kate watched him do so, frowning.
"Nah…I'd rather take them now," he said as he tossed the handcuffs in his pocket. Kate let out a laugh and watched him tenderly walk away, holding the tiger under his arms. He was worse than a kid, and she loved him for that. Nobody had ever made her laugh or smile the way Rick Castle did. Seeing him join Gina made her heart stop though…She knew it, they were going to talk business. But they had been married. Kate shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking about them. Thank God, Lanie wasn't far away. Kate walked back to the manor to join her best friend, forgetting about the vision of Rick walking towards his pretty publisher.
...to be continued