Chapter 12 Poker

A/N: First of all, I am SO sorry for disappearing on you guys! I've been focusing on school and haven't found time to write (and I've had a case of writer's block…). My original intention was to write this fic in real time (so the seasons and time match up with the fic), but obviously that did not happen. I've had some time to write this past week because we've had 4 snow days due to the snow storm (I live in the south and we just can't handle icy roads). So I hope you guys enjoy this update! (It's one of my favorites). Again, sorry for not updating in 4-5 months… I will try to write more often. Thank you to everyone who is sticking with this fic and commenting. I promise I'll make it worth your time.

WARNING: This fic's rating has been updated to M. If you do not like smut, skip the last portion of this chapter. (By the way, this is my first attempt at writing smut. Please comment, as it will affect future chapters. Basically, if you like it, there will be more smut ;D.)

Stepping out of the glass-enclosed shower stall, Kate felt refreshed. Rejuvenated, even. The past few days with Rick had been absolutely phenomenal. Sure, he annoyed the hell out of her day in and day out, but it was all in good nature, the teasing and banter that they exchanged.

The only time they really fought was when he dug into her mother's case, against her firmly stated wishes, which left them nearly ending their partnership for good. But when Rick gave her the sincerest of apologies, she had no other choice than to let him back in. And now, she wondered just how far in she had let him.

It scared her, thinking about how dependent she had become on him. Kate was by no means a needy person but she couldn't imagine her life without him. Rick made her life fun. He knew how to push her buttons, but not to push the envelope too far. He cared about her. She may not know just how much he cared about her, but she knew he did. It was nice having someone to take care of her, to look out for her, and just to know her. So what was stopping her from being with him?

Fear. She dealt with the lowliest, scummiest, most miserable examples of human life on a daily basis, and she was scared of this? Of falling in love? How pathetic.

But it was the truth. She was scared to fall in love, with Rick Castle nonetheless, playboy extraordinaire. It wasn't just him; it was the both of them. She was emotionally stunted, especially after what Will had done to her, toying with her fragile heart. After a succession of seemingly good relationships turned south, Kate had built up a wall to surround her heart, vowing to never let anyone in again. Then along comes Rick Castle, tearing down said wall, brick by brick, little by little, breaking her. But she refused to be broken.

She was the one in control of this "relationship," defining the terms and setting the boundaries. Kate knew that if she gave him the word, Rick would tell the whole world that they were together, proudly displaying her on his arm. Problem is, she wasn't his "arm candy" and she didn't know if she wanted to "be with him" yet. They were a separate he and she for now, but he so desperately wanted to be a "them."

So why was she afraid? Many reasons. What if he didn't feel the same way about her? What if she invested her whole heart into this and he broke it? What if, in the future, he got tired of her and moved on to the next newest model, say, a pretty blonde girl that caught his eye? What if their relationship didn't work out and she lost him as a partner? But what if it did work out? What then?

That was the scenario that scared her the most: what if he was her one and done?

Shaking her head, in effect to shake out the thoughts conflicting in her mind, she sighed. Kate, you're over-thinking everything. It's just sex. A small voice in her head just had to add in its two cents: for now.

Just sex. That should be an oxymoron. There's nothing as simple as "just sex." There's strings attached, feelings involved, the chance to discover and create something new.

God, she was stressing herself out thinking about all of this. Why not just relax and have some fun? She learned that letting go and just being herself around him made everything easier. He was a good stress reliever. And so was the sex which, interestingly enough, releases endorphins, a neurochemical that is responsible for relaxing the body. That fact was courtesy of Rick and his endless encyclopedia of random tidbits of information.

Brushing away these troubling matters, Kate smiled. She found herself doing that a lot around him. That was one of the things she lov—liked about him. He made her smile.

She pulled one of Rick's t-shirts over her head and slipped on a pair of his sweatpants. Tying the string on the grey sweats as tightly as possible, she still had to fold the waistband over a few times to make the pants stay on her waist without falling off. She loved wearing his clothes because they were comfy and they smelled like him. They were loose and baggy, but she decided she liked the fit. There's nothing worse than wearing uncomfortable, tight-fitting clothes at home or to sleep, so she opted to use his clothes as pajamas.

Discarding her work attire into the laundry basket, she padded down the stairs and found Rick on the couch, reading a book.

Walking over to the sofa, she stood behind it and leaned over to see what he was reading. Rick took notice of Kate's presence and lowered his book to look at her. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and smiled.

"Mmm, you smell... flowery," he remarked as he sniffed her hair. "And you're wearing my clothes."

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. I like seeing you in my clothes…"

"I like them better than my pajamas."

"Feel free to borrow them if you want, anytime."

"Hmm, thank you," she said, moving around to the front of the couch.

Rick outstretched his arm to welcome her and Kate accepted the invitation by burrowing into him. "Aren't you supposed to host your weekly poker game tonight with your fellow writers?" she asked, leaning her head on his shoulder and placing her hand on his chest.

"Nah, Stephen's in California and Cannel's on tour. The rest of my Gotham city crew's too busy with work or other stuff to play poker tonight. Too bad," he shrugged.

A thought suddenly popped into her mind. "I'll play with you," she proposed.

Thinking about the sentence she had just said, Kate's eyebrows furrowed. "Wow. That sounded a lot dirtier than I meant it."

Rick laughed at her unintentional double entendre and set aside the novel he was reading. "You're on. What are we playing for? Money? Gummy bears? Pride?"

She shrugged. "You choose."

"Clothes it is," Rick decided with no hesitation.

"Strip poker?" Kate asked incredulously.

"Yep. You said I could choose."

"You just said you liked seeing me in your clothes!"

"Well I like you out of them even better," he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Kate shook her head. "That wasn't an option."

"Well I'm making it one."

"No way," Kate declared.

"Chicken, are we?" Rick taunted.

"What are you, five?" she said sarcastically, doing one of her signature eye rolls.

"You're just scared of losing."

Feeling her pride in question, Kate's competitive edge took over, forcing her to accept the challenge.

"Fine. I'll play. But be warned, I'm extremely competitive."

"All the best players are."

They moved to the poker table and Rick brought out a large, silver suitcase from the nearby cabinet. He and Kate sat in adjacent seats and she took the crisp deck of bicycle cards, shuffling them thoroughly in an expertly perfected bridge. Rick handled the chips, taking out a few stacks and closing the suitcase again.

Setting the deck back on the table Kate asked, "What's the game?"

"Texas Hold 'Em," Rick answered, counting out poker chips.

"Rules?"

He slid a set of multi-colored chips over to her. "We'll play like normal Hold 'Em with poker chips, but you can raise to a truth, dare, clothes, or super dare if you want. Truths and dares are self-explanatory. If you raise to clothes, it's one article of clothing for that bet, but you can double it if you want. Super dares are of the highest betting value. They cannot be denied. The loser has to complete the super dare."

Thinking over the rules, she said "deal," both accepting his terms and instructing him to deal the cards.

Rick dealt out two cards for her and two cards for himself. Tossing two chips into the center, he lifted his cards to see his hand. Kate bent her cards up so only she could view them. Pair of tens on the first hand.

"Call," she said, tossing a chip into the pot to call the blind.

The first three community cards were dealt. Four, two, nine. Kate had the highest pair on the table, so she decided to raise.

"Raise to $20," she decided, throwing two more chips into the pile.

Glancing at his cards one more time, Rick saw that he almost had a straight, with a six and a three in his hand. All he needed was a five. He decided to call.

The top card in the deck was burned, and Rick dealt the next card. Ten of clubs. Kate hit trips on the turn, so she continued to raise.

"Raise to $60 and a truth."

Seeing as there would be one more community card, Rick still had the chance to hit a straight.

"Call," he said, with a resolute glint in his eye.

The last card for this round was dealt, a jack of spades. This didn't help either of them, so they both checked. Rick sighed internally, for he didn't get his straight.

"Pocket tens, baby!" Kate said triumphantly, flipping over her cards. "That makes trips!"

"Almost had a straight," Rick admitted in defeat. "It seems that I owe you a truth, Detective."

"You do. Hmmm," she thought. "How many women have you slept with?"

He thought about the question for a moment and grimaced. "How much less of me would you think if I said I didn't know?" he asked ashamedly.

She sighed dejectedly. "Hmm, figures."

"When Meredith cheated, it really broke me," he admitted, clearly wounded. "I started sleeping around, just to ease the pain. I was fresh off my first few best-sellers, and I didn't really know how to handle the fame. Women were flocking themselves at me, so I just went along with it. It was fun for a while, but I realized that what I really wanted was a committed relationship. And after ending things Gina, I haven't really slept around much. Just the occasional one to satisfy my needs," he said, referring to Ellie Monroe.

"I'm only human," he finished as he dealt the next hand.

"Oh," Kate said. "I didn't know… thanks for being so honest with me."

"That's why they call it a truth," Rick gave her a small smile.

They played three more rounds in which Rick won back the $60 he lost from the first hand. He dealt another hand and put chips into the pot as the big blind. "I'm determined to make you lose some clothes," he smirked.

Rick took a peek at his cards, seeing an ace and a ten, both hearts.

Kate looked at her own hand and saw an eight and a nine, off suit. She called the blind.

The community cards came out: three of hearts, eight of clubs, nine of hearts. Kate hit a two pair, right off the flop.

Rick checked, as he had nothing on the flop.

"Raise to a truth," Kate stated, feeling ambitious.

To see the next community cards, Rick called.

The following card came out as a three of clubs. Even if Rick had an eight or a nine, Kate would still have the higher two pair with her eight's and nine's. But if he had a three, his trips would beat her two pair. Mentally calculating this, she decided to check. Rick still had nothing in his hand, so he checked.

A queen of hearts came out on the river. Rick had a flush, ace high, while Kate only had a two pair. The queen didn't help her hand, because if Rick had a queen, his queen's and three's would beat her eight's and nine's. Rick knew his hand was the best one on the table and raised to clothes.

Contemplating his betting style, Kate thought he was bluffing so that he could win a dare. She decided to call, moderately confident in her two pair.

"Eight's and nine's," she said, revealing her hand.

Nonchalantly, Rick flipped over his own cards. "Ace high heart flush."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I thought you were bluffing."

"Too bad. Now you have to strip. One article of clothing."

Kate criss-crossed her hands over her belly to reach the bottom hem of Rick's maroon-colored shirt that she was currently wearing. Pulling off the t-shirt she had just put on barely two hours ago, she revealed a navy blue bra.

"I'll get you out of your clothes first," she determined, tossing aside his shirt.

Rick appreciatively appraised her bare skin, longing to kiss every inch of it. Kate could feel his eyes raking over her half-clothed body, but she was too focused on winning the next hand to pay much attention to his wandering eyes.

Distractedly, Rick dealt the next hand, his eyes fixed on her flawless physique.

With a cursory glance at her hand, Kate quickly raised to a truth.

In return, Rick called and dealt out the flop. Queen of spades, ace of spades, five of clubs.

These were great cards for Kate, as she had a nine and five of spades. She had a pair and the opportunity to get a flush on the turn or river. "Raise to a dare."

Rick called, just to stay in this betting round.

The next card dealt was a six of diamonds. Kate checked, as the six didn't help her hand. Looking at his cards again, Rick saw that he had an open-ended straight. All he needed was a nine or four to make a straight with his seven and eight. He raised to a dare. Kate called.

Burning the top card on the deck, Rick dealt out the final community card. Five of hearts. Not wanting to lose the hand, Rick decided to bluff. "Raise to clothes."

Since she hit trips on the turn, Kate chose to re-raise. "I'll double that bet. Two articles of clothing."

Damn. She called his bluff. Reluctantly, Rick called and showed his cards. "Nothing," he revealed.

"Three fives," Kate grinned. "Time to strip down, writer boy," she gloated.

"Hey, I don't mind. The fun of strip poker is that even when you lose, you win," he winked.

Rick stood up and took off his shirt and pants, leaving him wearing only a pair of navy blue boxer briefs. "Like what you see?" he tempted, striking a pose.

Kate smiled and revelled in her victory. She skimmed over his barely clothed body, enjoying the view.

As the night progressed, they played a few more rounds, betting small amounts. Kate only lost her sweatpants, while Rick lost a truth and Kate made him tell his wildest, kinkiest dream.

Rummaging through the plethora of imaginative scenarios stored in his brain, his imagination drew up the most fantastic of fantasies.

"I actually have quite a few that involve you scantily clad in various outfits seducing me in public places. Your Russian accent is especially sexy," he said, imagining her in his fantasy.

"There's one in particular where we're at a billiards hall and you're wearing the sexiest red dress that makes your legs go on forever. God, and you lean over to take a shot and I swear, it's the hottest thing I've ever seen…" his eyes glazed over in lust.

"Huh. I half expected you to say something along the lines of BDSM or even a threesome," she snorted, waking him up from his fantasy.

"No way, I'd never want to share you. Although, I wouldn't mind leather. And I wouldn't be opposed to you using your handcuffs either," he said suggestively.

Kate rolled her eyes, slightly embarrassed yet flattered that he fantasized about her like that.

In the very next hand, Kate lost a dare, and Rick dared her to fulfill one of his dreams. She seized the opportunity to tempt him.

"You know, I would… I even have a red dress just like the one you described to me. Red pumps to match it too," she leaned dangerously close to him, feeling his warm breath on her skin. His eyes were the size of the moon, entranced by her gaze.

"Mmm, you could even fuck me against one of the pool tables…" She inched her hand up his thigh, feeling a hard bulge at the apex of his thighs. Their lips came so close to touching, but at the last instant she pulled away.

"But too bad we're not at a billiards hall. And besides, it's getting late. We haven't even bet any super dares."

"God, why do you have to tease me like that?"

"It's not teasing if we're going to have sex later."

"Hot, dirty sex?"

"If you play your cards right," she winked at him. "One last hand. And let's make it interesting," Kate determined.

Rick dealt out the last hand with a groan. He was using all of his self restraint to not take her right there and then, but his strength was dwindling.

She looked incredibly sexy, wearing only a lacy bra and matching panties in his favorite color. Kate wanted him badly too, but she wanted to bet a super dare in the last hand.

Checking her cards furtively, Kate saw two kings in her hand. Pair of cowboys. This was going to be good.

"Raise to a truth."

Rick looked at his own cards. Two queens, also known as a pair of ladies. This was the best pocket hand he'd had the whole night, so he chose to re-raise, seeing as it was the last hand they were playing.

"Re-raise to a dare."

His raise surprised her, and she inferred that he must have a good pocket hand. Nothing, save for pocket aces, would top her pocket kings so she raised him again.

"Raise to clothes," she said, looking him directly in the eye.

A small betting war started up, each raising higher than the other, until they were at the highest of the betting values: a super dare. This technically constitutes as being "all in" so they revealed their hands before the community cards were dealt.

Rick flipped over his cards, pocket queens. Kate smirked and turned over hers: pocket kings. He was in a losing position, but still moved to deal the community cards, hoping for some miraculous save.

The first card came out, seven of spades. No help there. Ace of diamonds. It was a battle of the higher pair so far. Seven of clubs. Now two pair, but that didn't make much of a difference. Seven of hearts. That made for a full house, Kate's still beating his. Sighing in defeat, he dealt the last card.

Seven of diamonds.

Quads.

There's a 0.024% chance of quads being dealt.

And he just dealt four sevens.

The highest hand was in the community cards: quad sevens and an ace kicker.

Which meant... he didn't lose. It was a split pot.

"Quad sevens," he said, stunned. "We get to split the pot. A super dare for each of us…"

"I know exactly what I want you to do for me, Ricky…" Kate purred.

She stood up and straddled Rick in his chair, tossing her hair to the side. With her hands by either side of his head against the chair's backrest, she looked down at him with lusty eyes and commanded in her bedroom voice.

"I want you," she murmured. "To take me. Right here. And fuck me hard."

Their lips met with an insatiable need, fueled by craving and want, kissing each other with an unequaled force akin only to desire. All that lust and longing had cumulated to this point, the breaking point, and that metaphorical dam was about to burst to release a tidal wave of unrestrained passion.

They were breathless in seconds; only the physical need for oxygen could tear them apart.

He placed his hands firmly on her hips and stood up, picking her up with him. She yelped at the sudden movement, but gained her balance and hooked her ankles behind him for support.

She wrapped her hands around his neck to bring him closer, as their mouths fused together once again. He kissed her passionately like he's never kissed anyone else with the entirety of his being, giving himself all to her.

He cleared the poker table of cards and chips with a blind sweep of his arm, their lips never leaving the others' for a moment. Kate ran her hands through his brunette hair, feeling the fine locks slip through her fingers.

He set her down on the table, his expert hands sliding up her back, seamlessly undoing the clasps of her bra. Letting the lacy piece fall to the floor, he kneeled and took one nipple into his mouth, sucking, biting, and teasing it gently, all the while using his fingers to satisfy its twin peak.

Kate threw her head back in a wanton moan, encouraging Rick's pleasurable ministrations. He kissed her soft flesh, in between her breasts, up to her collarbone, and up her neck, lingering on a sensitive spot there.

"God Kate," he breathed. "You're so sexy."

His hardened member was already straining against the cotton of his boxers, but he wanted to please her first. Hooking his fingers above the fringe of her panties, he dragged them down and pulled them off her, leaving her completely naked. He could feel the heat of her core emanating from her body, already dripping wet in anticipation of what was to come.

"Already so wet for me, Katie?"

"Mmmm… what can I say? You turn me on."

He brought his mouth to her clit, expertly using his tongue to pulse over the ultra-sensitive mound of nerves. Waves of ecstasy emanated through her body as he pleasured her orally, tasting her unique flavor. He inserted a finger into her slick folds, rhythmically pumping into her, enjoying the way her body reacted to his touch. It felt good to be in control.

During the day at work, Kate Beckett was always in charge: of her team, of the case, of him. But at night, their roles switched. He was on top, more literally than metaphorically, and she let him have control over her. And he always took good care of her.

He had learned all the intimate details of her body and used this knowledge to satisfy her thoroughly every night. He always put her needs before his, giving her the release that she so desperately needed.

Rick slipped another finger into her, increasing the tempo he was going at. Simultaneously rubbing her clit, he skillfully pumped his fingers into her, striving for the maximum amount of pleasure he could provide. She was already losing a grip on reality, her mind fogging and slipping into ecstasy. Moaning and writhing, Kate could only form one coherent word in her mind: Rick.

She cried out for more and he gladly acquiesced. Thrusting his fingers deeper into her, Rick sped up his motions even more, furiously pleasuring her with his digits and curling them at just the right spot. It wasn't long until Kate came, hard, screaming his name loudly.

"Oh god, Rick," she moaned. Her juices flowed freely as she climaxed into his hand. After she finished riding out the waves of her orgasm, Rick pulled his fingers out of her.

"It is the sexiest thing in the world when you come," he said, kissing her once more.

He was met with a muffled protest. Breathlessly, she broke the kiss and looked at him, her eyes fully dilated and dark with desire.

"I need you Rick," she panted. "Inside me. Please."

"Anything for you, Katie."

Promptly discarding his boxers, Rick took out a condom from his wallet and rolled it on quickly. He took his length in hand, pumping it a few times, already hard and thoroughly aroused from getting her off, and positioned it at her entrance. Slowly pushing into her, they both moaned at the carnal sensation of completion.

As he entered her further Kate grabbed his ass, bracing herself as she accommodated his size.

When he filled her to the hilt, he paused to look at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Rick, god. I need you to move."

At her request, he pulled out of her almost all the way and then plunged back into her. Repeating this process, he thrust into her over and over again, speeding up his pace and slamming into her harder and harder. He grunted as he rammed into her, using her hips to steady his movements. Kate had to grip the edge of the table in order to absorb the force of his thrusts.

With every thrust, he hit just the right spot, and she moaned loudly. A mixture of pain and pleasure bombarded her senses as he continued to pound into her.

A fine sheen of sweat was already beginning to form on both of their bodies as they fucked each other senseless on the poker table. Rick couldn't think about anything other than her, how good it felt to be with her, to make love to her. How damn right it felt.

"Harder, Rick," she barely managed to croak out.

Hearing her scream his name was motivation enough to make him want to fuck her harder, and as she asked for it, so he gave it to her. Rick kissed her as he sped up his movements. Now pumping into her with vigorous speed, both Rick and Kate were on the brink of climaxing. He could already feel her body starting to tremble, as she was pushed further and closer to the edge.

"Fuck, Rick. I'm so close."

"Come for me, Katie," he said in between grunts and moans. He brought his thumb to her clit, circling it to bring her more stimulation.

A few more thrusts sent her over the proverbial edge, coming for the second time that night. The feeling of her walls clenching down on him was enough to send him over the edge too, as he came with her, spilling himself into her.

They came down from their respective highs, panting and gasping for breaths. He stilled in her and kept them in the same position, as he wasn't ready to move. His mind was still reeling from the unbelievable sex. Leaning to tower over her, he opened his eyes and gave a faint laugh.

"That was…" he began.

"Too good for words," she finished.

Chuckling, she raised herself to press her lips to his, bringing her hands up to his cheeks to kiss him deeper. They broke apart, each sighing softly. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck again to bring him close.

"C'mon, let's head upstairs," she grinned.

Rick pouted childishly. "But I didn't get my super dare."

"What could possibly top that?" she asked incredulously.

"Hmm… I could think of a few things. Are you opposed to role playing?"

Kate smirked at his puerile remarks. "Can't your super dare wait?"

"Fine then. How about a rain check?"

"Sure."

"I want it written on paper and signed. Like a coupon."

She reached over to the side table for a post-it pad and a pen, quickly scribbling on it and signing her name.

"A signed, single-use-only coupon for a super dare. Use it wisely." She presented it to him and he quickly snatched it out of her fingers.

"Oh, I will."

"Nothing illegal."

"We'll see."

"Now let's go upstairs. The night's festivities are not over yet."

"Not in the slightest," he smirked, picking her up and carrying her upstairs to his bedroom where they proceeded to make love with each other till the wee hours of the morning.

I feel like a hero, and you are my heroine
Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin