Chapter 5 And Then We Kiss

It was over. The hunt, the taunting, the case—all over. After Agent Shaw was abducted, Agent Avery called Beckett in to help find his partner and the Captain had no other choice than to let her back on the task force. She and Castle had taken a risky gamble and ended up not only catching Dunn, but saving the lives of Agent Shaw, Agent Avery, and all of their men.

Kate would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid. With only Castle as her backup and a mere theory to go on, they pulled off the seemingly impossible and defeated Dunn. It's a good thing she played poker with Castle or else her bluff might not have worked.

Adrenaline was still pumping through her veins as she and Rick went back to his apartment after the intense showdown. It was late at night, but the duo was still reeling from the conclusion to the thrilling case.

"Wow, that was epic. The final battle between Nikki Heat and the killer. That would have made an amazing climax for one of my novels," Rick gushed animatedly.

Why did that word always sound so dirty to her, especially coming from his mouth? Kate thought to herself. She shook it off and settled onto his couch.

"Yeah, you were good in there. It was pretty heroic. You actually saved my life," Kate noted.

Rick grinned proudly. This called for some celebration. "What say we celebrate with some drinks?"

"Mmm…that sounds good but I'm not quite in the mood for something strong."

"Wine then?"

"Yes please."

Rick took out a bottle of red Châteauneuf-du-Pape and two crystal wine glasses to accompany it. He popped the cork and poured a generous amount into each glass. Moving over to the dimly lit spot in the living room where Kate sat on his couch, he offered her the drink as he settled down next to her.

"Thanks," Kate said, accepting the glass and taking a sip.

"So are you going to put that scene in your next Nikki Heat novel?" she asked as she propped head against the couch with her elbow.

Rick nodded affirmatively. "Definitely something along the lines. The adrenaline rush you get from engaging in a real faceoff, it's indescribable."

"Rick Castle, speechless? That's a first," she chuckled at him. The red wine filled her with a warmth that spread from her tummy to her cheeks.

"You're probably used to the energy surge from your work on the force, but for me it was definitely a first."

Castle really held his own when it came down to the wire and she was really glad she had him as a partner for backup. His intuition saved the lives of many people and helped catch the killer just in time.

"I'll be honest, it was scary. And extremely risky. How did you know Dunn would be in the building across the street?" she asked, while drinking more wine.

"Writer's intuition?" he shrugged. "Since he was an aspiring novelist, I figured that he would have a similar mindset as me. Besides, I'm used to getting into killers' heads. Maybe my theories aren't so silly anymore. I am pretty useful."

Kate had to knock him down a notch before his ego got too big. "Yeah, well don't flatter yourself. Your marksmanship? Not so sharp."

"I did save your life." Rick raised his glass to toast his accomplishment and drank to his own heroism.

She rolled her eyes in response. "But you were aiming for his head."

"It was a spur of the moment shot," Rick defended. "I didn't get a good chance to aim. He had you at gunpoint."

"My second brush with death in a week. This is becoming a frequent thing," Kate observed, washing down the rest of her wine.

"I hope not. As exciting as this case was, I'm glad it is over."

"Me too. Now I can sleep safe and sound. Until another one of your crazy fans starts staging murders like your books again," she shuddered.

"You know, it's a good thing Dunn needed to get that last word in before shooting," Kate continued. "Bad guys always have to insert their own signature little quips before committing their crime."

"I told you he hit all the clichés. More wine?" he offered, observing her drained glass.

"Please," she replied as he got up and brought the bottle over to their cozy little spot to refill her glass. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, each sipping their wine as they reflected on the day's events.

"I dreamt about the explosion a few nights ago…" Kate said, breaking the silence.

Rick grimaced, remembering her tormented slumber. "I know. You were tossing and turning in your sleep."

"Yeah…"

"You okay?" Rick asked with genuine concern.

"It was like I was there all over again. The bomb, the fire, the smoke… I called out for you but you weren't there. There was a flash and I just… disappeared." Kate looked at Rick with a vulnerability he had never seen before.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you… but I'm here now." He set his wine glass on the table to pull her close to him. Rick wrapped his arms around her shoulder and Kate leaned into him to rest her head in the crook of his neck.

"It's over now though," Kate breathed a sigh of relief. "We caught him," she mumbled.

"You don't have to be afraid of anything," he reassured, rubbing her back gently. They were comfortable enough with each other now for this kind of affection since they had been lying close together in bed nearly every night that week.

The night was well into the late hour as Kate sensed a familiar buzz in her head from the wine. She felt relaxed and at ease with him. She felt at home.

"Mmm… wine is really the best way to decompress after a long day." Kate finished off her glass and set it back on the table.

"Absolutely."

"Hmm… this living in your apartment thing isn't so bad," Kate noted. "At first, I thought it would be the worst thing in the world, but it's not. It's kind of nice… almost like cohabitation," she giggled as she turned to face him. The wine was definitely getting to her.

"Yes, but we're not sleeping together."

"Technically we are…" Kate pointed out as she leaned in closer, their lips dangerously close. Her judgment was slightly clouded from the alcohol, but not so much that she didn't know what she was doing. She rested her hand on Rick's chest, feeling his heart beat rhythmically.

Kate held him in a spellbinding gaze as he was entranced by her twinkling eyes. There was always so much unsaid between them as they held each other's undivided attention.

"Your eyes are sparkling," Rick breathed. He could feel her breath on his skin from their close proximity.

"Oh yeah?" she smiled playfully. His eyes sparkled just the same.

"Mhmm…" he hummed. "Did you know that sparkling eyes result from dilated pupils, which indicate either immense happiness or physical attraction?" he rattled off the random fact.

"I did not know that."

"Well now you do."

"Maybe I'm immensely happy about closing our case..." Kate posited, her eyes flicking dangerously down to his lips. Her eyelids felt droopy with the heaviness of lust and intoxication weighing down on her.

"I'm sure that's it," he chuckled, his eyes fixing on her lips as he drew toward her unconsciously. Aphrodisia was infused in the air around them as the two paramours drew closer, intoxicated by their own lascivious want.

Rick was the one to close the gap between them as he brushed his lips to hers gently. It was the lightest, gentlest of kisses, yet a jolt surged through his body from the mere feeling of her soft lips against his for the first time. The kiss was brief, chaste even, but significant in so many ways. He pulled back from her with wide eyes, unsure of how she would react.

"Kate, I..."

She tilted her head and silently pressed her lips to his again with more force this time, conveying her suppressed feelings to him.

Maybe it was the adrenaline or maybe it was a bit of the wine, but something made Kate let go and free herself of all self-imposed hindrances. She finally allowed herself to be swept up by the attraction she had so long denied. She just wanted to taste him, to feel his mouth on hers.

With that kiss, she wordlessly confirmed all the suspicions of mutual attraction that existed between them that had sparked the day they met. She opened her mouth to let him in, let his tongue explore the foreign cavern of her mouth.

Kate let emotion take over and instead of her mind, her heart guided her actions. She kissed him decisively, greedily, gripping at the back of his neck and climbing into his lap, needing to be close to him. He was taken by surprise at the kiss, but welcomed it and eagerly reciprocated the action by drawing her close with his hands and kissing her back with equal force.

Their gentle kisses escalated into ones full of need, urgency, fervor, the passion between them igniting into a brilliant flame. In the dead of night they came to life, tongues dueling for superiority, testing the limits of temptation. Their mouths clashed in a hungry frenzy, aching to taste and explore the depths of the other's as they delved into the unknown, together.

She pulled away, leaving them both breathless from the all-consuming kiss. They locked eyes momentarily, exchanging identical knowing looks, both knowing that this changed everything. There was no hesitation in either of their eyes, only an intense, dark desire that unequivocally said they both wanted more.

Extending her hand, Kate entwined hers with his and stood to lead him to his bedroom as they crossed the line between friends and lovers, consummating their relationship in a night of passion-filled ecstasy.

Soft kiss and wine, what a pretty friend of mine
We're finally intertwined
Nervous and shy
For the moment we will come alive tonight