Continuing Diamond's / Kate's POV
...
The words were meant to sting, hopefully to discourage his advances, but she's surprised by his reaction, - the forlorn, hurt look in his eyes, the air of a wounded man.
She's undeniably nicked a chink in his Casanova-armor, and she's grasping at straws, wondering how she feels about being the one to cause him pain, but not willing to analyze her feelings too closely.
He flounders for a moment before good manners kick in and he replies, "And may I say, the rumors about your beauty were greatly UNDER exaggerated."
"Thank you," she sighs, honestly intrigued by the hidden depths to this man as he's purely more than just an egotistical womanizer like the tabloids portray.
Castle says with genuine remorse, "It seems I'm going to be doing quite a bit of apologizing to you today." His blue gaze bores effortlessly into hers, reflecting sorrow. "I in no way, shape or form meant to offend you, Diamond. . . Please forgive my forwardness and chalk it up to being a stereotypical, stupid, virile man."
Yep, it's now confirmed. He's 100% sexier when he's remorseful.
She nods her head in agreement, can't help smirking at his self-derision. "I couldn't have said it better myself. . . You're definitely a stupid, umm - " and her lips purse together suggestively as she contemplates just how virile a man he really is, - "virile man."
She studies him openly, - his regal blue, playful orbs, - soft lines surrounding his mouth and eyes revealing hours of laughter, - the furrowed line between his eyebrows signifying intense concentration, - the wide, full lips which were destined to make a woman scream.
"Please tell me the truth," and she hates the breathy begging of her voice. She leans forward in anticipation of his response and silently basks in the power she has over him when his eyes immediately zero in on her breasts.
She can practically feel her nipples tingling from his, 'I-am-the-master-at-making-a-woman-come', body language.
As the seconds tick by, she finds herself swirling in a vortex of yearning with him, the weight of his desire pressing into her, taking her breath away.
"Try me. It's in my nature to tell the truth."
She rolls her eyes in disbelief, wondering if he really is as suave and downright debonair as he portrays to be, and asks, "How many times have you used that line on a woman before?"
His face splits into a large grin, crinkly eyes and dashing dimple, displaying his joy at her question.
"Only once and certainly not in the exact same way. . . When I was a junior in college, barely legal to drink, and with barely little experience might I add, my buddies hauled me to an exclusive establishment where escorts were readily available. I asked one particular busty blond in her early thirties if she'd like to experience real pleasure from a masterful author's hands and she'd laughed, saying for a thousand dollars that she would teach me all about the intricacies of a woman's body."
"I gather you took her up on her offer?" and she hopes he can't decipher the curiosity in her voice as she wills her eyes to stay aligned with his, refusing to cave to the desire to drop them dangerously to his crotch.
"No, as I said before I've never paid for sex."
Mmm, that's a serious, fuckin turn-on.
Thank God there's a resounding knock on the door to interrupt Castle's, 'I-can't-wait-to-slowly-peel-off-all-of-your-clothes,' demeanor and the next moment Esposito's voice filters through, "Boss, you've got ten minutes."
"Thanks," she calls, deciding it's time to defuse this chemistry time bomb, end this flirtatious fun that's making her feel unhinged and slightly out of control, not her usual bad-ass self.
She definitely needs to get back to work.
"I'm afraid we've gotten off-topic and I'm a very busy woman."
Her eyes are drawn to his legs as he crosses one over the other. Long, strong, massive muscles with the ability, she bets, to go all night long.
Focus Kate, Focus.
She asks a touch abruptly, "Were there any other questions you have for me?"
"Ye - sz," but from the intentional husk in his voice she gets the impression several of them are naughty, and he doesn't have the balls to ask.
"How many years do most girls stay in the business?"
"It varies greatly," and her voice softens at the implications, "but most don't last longer than five years."
She can tell by the slight narrowing of his eyes that he's gleaned the truth from her that it's not necessarily up to the girls whether or not they stay in the business.
"Do you actively search for new girls to join the business?"
"No, it's an exclusive position and I wouldn't wish, - " she can't fathom how this man seems to be a 'truth magnet' for her, with an uncanny ability to start her talking and accidentally spilling things, - secrets which need to remain hidden.
Her eyebrows scrunch together as she debates about whether or not to end this meeting early, not willing to divulge anything more private about her life, and yet, unwilling for it to come back and bite Montgomery in the ass if she isn't cooperative.
"Care to elaborate?" he coaxes.
"To an author, no."
"You sure know how to wound a man."
She can't help herself as he's just so damn adorable when she teases him mercilessly so she purrs smokily, "It's one of my specialties," knowing that he'll naturally infer, 'fucking' is her primary one.
He doesn't disappoint as his batting eyelashes and clogged throat and obvious growing arousal indicate where his dirty mind has gone.
He clears his throat before asking, "I gather there's a certain amount of danger to the job, hence the disgruntled bodyguard outside your door."
"Correct. I've learned I have to take certain precautions in this line of work."
He looks at her, blue-eyes tender pools of concern. "I can only imagine some of the horrors you've faced."
"Hmm, you're very astute, Mister Castle. . . Guess it comes with the writer territory."
"Ah, a backhanded compliment from the lady," and his outrageous wink makes her toes curl. "Careful Diamond, or whoever's on the opposite end of the listening device taped just beneath the headboard, might believe you're smitten with me."
She opens her eyes wide in surprise at his revelation and she chuckles, a cute chortle which she's afraid betrays he just might be right.
"No chance of that," she teases, not willing to let him have the upper hand. "You're definitely not my type. Tell me, - have you ever had a woman refuse you before?"
"Refuse this ruggedly-handsome mug?" His fingers rub across his angular jaw line, drawing her eyes down his smooth face. "Why don't you have dinner with me and we can discuss it in depth?"
But there's no, 'just dinner,' with this man as his voice implies a sweaty, steamy night amongst luxurious Scandia linens for dessert.
"That's a resounding, NO," but her heart's running rampant in her chest, yelling to rescind her answer, just let loose for once, give into temptation and let him cater to her every need.
"Not even a, 'I don't think so,' or 'I'll have to check my calendar,' Or a, 'Maybe, - if you find some manners?'"
Her unabashed, care-free smile breaks free, all straight, white teeth and healthy gums. . . She fervently hopes she isn't giving away her thoughts of, 'This man shouldn't be allowed to roam free among the unsuspecting female population.'
Castle's hand covers his heart and he says with dramatic flair, "It's just a good thing I don't discourage easily because you have a talent for putting men in their place."
"Only men who believe they're God's gift to women."
"What if I happen to be able to back up that claim?"
Her lips slightly part as his words conjure up a room scattered with rose petals, a roaring fireplace, thick, lamb rug and his gloriously nude body splayed out next to her.
Those spell-binding eyes are honing in on her as if her flesh is a writer's notebook and he can't wait to write words of uncontrollable lust & beauty along every fine edge and soft surface, - using his tongue as his pen.
"You are full of yourself, aren't you?"
And then he does something she never would've expected, something that no man has ever done before, leaving an indelible imprint of him on her mind, the sneaky bastard.
He actually ends their session early.
"I've taken up enough of your time," he says sincerely. "Thank you for your willingness to assist me."
She tries to bring the ball back in her court by quipping, "As I said earlier, I wasn't given much of a choice."
"It's been the highlight of my day meeting you, Diamond," he drawls and as his hand grasps hers, a jolt of awareness skyrockets up her arm.
She's mesmerized as he raises her hand lovingly to his lips, eyes never wavering from hers as his mouth opens suggestively along the back of her palm.
Her insides quiver and turn to a molten mess, and she refuses to admit the only person who can assuage this burning is the one who caused it in the first place.
"I'll leave a business card with your bodyguard, just in case you think of something else that may," his tongue slyly snakes out and soaks his lower lip, "help with my research."
Oh Gawd, by his, 'I'm-never-going-to-forget-the-way-you-look-right-now,' expression and the sensual swipe across his lower lip, she knows those lips will be calling her name the next time he satisfies his baser, carnal need.
The man before her is pure and simple a walking, talking sexual temptation and she can't deal with that particular complexity in her life right now. . . Especially since Captain Montgomery and Esposito have finally made some progress in her mother's case.
The lady in her, the one who can't remember the last time she didn't fake an orgasm, the one who's buried beneath the rubble of her mother's murder, longs for the day when she can trust a man enough to give into him completely, surrender herself willingly and without reservation, and find the release she's been looking for, the intimacy her body craves.
Her heart whispers to give Castle a chance, his kind blue eyes portraying he could possibly be that man, but a tinge of fear weaves its way along her spine, scaring her shitless.
She needs to get back in control of the situation and end this before it's even begun.
"No need to leave your card. The only place you'll be seeing me again is in your dreams."
She throws him a devastating smile as a parting gift. "Goodbye, Mister Castle. It was very enlightening meeting you."
Before he can respond, she stands up and turns away from him, walking quickly to the suite door. She congratulates herself on successfully fighting the urge to turn back around and look once more at his incredibly handsome face. . .
As the door closes behind her, she comes face to face with her bodyguard, dark eyes flashing in righteous anger.
"Jesus, Diamond," Espo scolds, "You were supposed to curb his curiosity, throw him a few bread crumbs, not awaken the beast. . . You may have compromised the entire operation."
"I know, I know," she rakes her hand through her hair in frustration. "I take full responsibility. Make sure Mister Castle understands this was his first and LAST meeting with me. I've got to speak with Montgomery," and then she's rushing down the hallway, wanting to put as much space between her and the 6 foot 2, walking, talking, breathing temptation as possible.