This chappie dedicated to my new found friend, joelle h good.
...
He's surprised by how much fun he's having.
Lanie Parrish is open, self-assured , sassy and brilliantly blunt. Quite a rare combination to find in such a career-oriented woman.
And quite a thrilling surprise to find out she's close friends with Kate.
They're sitting at the bar and Lanie's sipping a margarita slowly, stirring her straw lazily, cocoa eyes embedded on his face.
"I can see why Kate's attracted to you," she purrs. "With that witty mouth of yours combined with dashing good looks and bad boy persona, you could make any woman weak in the knees."
"Kate's attracted to me?" and he grins like he's just learned the biggest secret of his career.
"Don't play Mister-lnnocent with me, because I know better. Women flock to you like seagulls to the beach and you revel in all those feminine wiles."
"I do enjoy attention from the opposite sex, but if you truly know Kate, you'll have to agree she's a rare breed of woman. She's hard to read at times, an expert at giving mixed signals."
"She's an expert at somethin'," Lanie laughs. "An expert at tying men up in knots and leaving them high and dry. You certainly fall into the first category, Mister Castle."
"Hmm, I can't disagree with you there."
He sneaks a peek over at Kate talking animatedly to Doctor Josh Davidson, the smarmy heart specialist / cardiac surgeon, lover of all things outdoors, (who happens to be lying through his teeth when he put on his bio that his favorite activity is talking romantic strolls through the park at twilight) owner of a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, who spends a minimum of two months out of the year being a 'Medical Missionary', going to underprivileged countries helping to save the world one patient at a time.
God, the only consolation he has over tall, brooding and handsome is knowing he sold for just $17,000.00.
His mind tries to focus on the fact that KATE asked him earlier, practically plead with him, to please trust her tonight. Also, she registered at the auction as Houghton Beckett, instead of Katherine, which meant something was definitely up, but honestly, he can't decipher any of the clues. His heart's a jumbled mess and his body's on full alert with Kate, looking like an untouchable, virginal Goddess, just twelve feet away from him. Her tinkling laughter reaches his ears and every time he glances at her, he notices the feminine, graceful line of her back, making mini-Castle glaringly aware of her.
He's struggling to stay in his seat, longing to just walk over to her and grasp her shoulders from behind, plant sensual kisses down her spine, make her writhe beneath his mouth as he learns one vertebrae at a time, showing Doctor Pretentious-Motorcycle-Boy that she's officially off the market.
He's pulled back to the raven-haired woman in front of him as she laughs.
"You've fallen hard and fast, but it's your lucky night because I just happen to be the only person who can help you."
"Get help from a commanding, sassy, ebony beauty whom I'm afraid could whoop my ass?"
"And don't you forget it, Writer-Monkey. You had better not hurt my girl or I'm going to have to hunt you down and drag your fine ass to the morgue and put you on ice."
"You should be more worried about me as Kate could easily stick a pin in my over inflated ego and promptly flatten it." He takes a gulp of his martini, before continuing, "I'm certainly not opposed to help from a highly intelligent woman and especially if she's helping me ensare another remarkable, incredibly frustrating one, but won't we both be in the doghouse if Kate gets wind of us collaborating together?"
"Doghouse, no?" Lanie laughs, "More like she'll have us digging our own graves, but I'm pretty confident in those Lothario abilities of yours."
"Why?"
"Because of the way her eyes light up when she mentions your name. Because you're the first man she's talked about since her last relationship broke her heart. Because I hear and see my best friend again when she spouts off about an evening spent with you." Lanie's smile reveals naughty-sweet-nothings as she slides her index finger down his chest. "Because she praises your skills."
"She discusses my skills, huh?" and his cheeky, maniacal grin outshines Bradley Cooper's at his latest movie premiere.
"Among other things, and don't let it go to your head. She needs a down-to-earth guy who can accept what she does for a living. I haven't misjudged you, have I?"
"No," and his eyes spark in truthfulness. "I'm the one man who won't leave her due to her profession."
Left unsaid between them is, I'm the one man who won't leave her period.
"She cares for you, Castle," Lanie says softly, sincerely, "but getting her to admit it will be like pulling teeth. She's reserved, closed-off, afraid of her own feelings, keeps them under lock and key. Kate's most confidant when she lets Diamond lead, but I get the impression you're the one man who can help her to unlock her emotions, reawaken the real Katherine Beckett. I firmly believe she needs you in her life right now."
"Thank you. I sincerely hope you're right." His lips lift into a cocky, chauvinistic grin as he says, "Is it my chiseled, honest features, - my trustworthy baby blues, - or my stalwart demeanor which makes you trust in me?"
"None of the above. I could say it's because you aren't afraid of commitment."
"No," he chuckles, "my two past marriages are solid proof of that."
"I could also say it's because of the great lengths you've gone to try and impress her, but there's only one thing you've done that spoke to me, made me a believer in you."
Rick assumed Lanie would mention either having Kate's necklace clasp repaired, or the multiple flowers with romantic messages delivered to hotels throughout the city, or the aerial banner he had flown over central park, but what left her mouth honestly left him speechless.
"I know it was you who donated a hefty sum to the New York Police Widow fund in Johanna's name."
Rick's mouth drops open in surprise and he quickly glances away from the pretty woman, looking like a kid who has just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"How did you find out?" He pulls on the knot of his tie to loosen it, looking uncomfortable under the heavy weight of her stare. "I donated on the explicit understanding that it would be anonymous. No one was supposed to be able to link my name to the funds."
"Sorry, I can't reveal my sources, but don't worry," Lanie breathes, "your secret's safe with me. Kate doesn't know about the gift and she certainly won't find out from me."
"Thank you," Rick purrs, expelling a heavy sigh of relief. "I'm afraid she wouldn't look at the donation in the same light as you."
"Believe me. I understand."
"So I take it you have a plan?"
"Yes," she smiles widely, like a woman who loves getting her way. She leans into him as if they're two lovers discussing their next rendezvous, her hand splayed comfortably on his thigh. "Now this is what we're going to do."
... Kate's POV
She hates that she hurt him.
Rick's standing on stage looking like he's having the time of his life, showing off his spectacular physique, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning and all that dissipates as soon as the auctioneer counts down Lanie's bid.
"Going once for $33,000.00."
She can see the wheels in his mind turning as his eyes plead with hers, "Come on, Kate, keep bidding."
"Going Twice... Sold to number 41!"
His face falls briefly before his eyes dart away from hers... If she didn't know him so well, he may have been able to hide his disappointment, but she catches the soft droop of his eyes, the pouty lips, and it hits her like a ton of bricks that she's once more hurt this endearing, beautiful man, who has the rare trait of being even more beautiful on the inside.
Shit! What have I done?
A quirky half-smile adorns his lips as he watches Lanie walk towards the stage, and her heart screams at her utter betrayal as she watches Castle shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot.
And wow, Lanie's really playing up the show, flashing him a seductive smile, keening into him before reaching for the announcer's microphone and purring, "Sorry ladies, I'm going to steal this man for the rest of the night and see just how handsy this author can be."
Really? So that's how the night's going to go?
Kate harrumphs back in her chair, annoying crossing her arms while she glares at her friend.
And then Lanie's linking her arm through his, rubbing her ample bosom against his bicep and whispering something in his ear.
And by the churlish gleam in his eye, it's something she definitely wouldn't like.
She rolls her eyes as Rick leads Lanie off the stage with a sexy swagger that she knows is just for her benefit, and determines for the time being, to put them both out of her mind because she has a job to do, and that job doesn't include wondering what shenanigans her best friend might be up to with the man she's finding harder and harder to resist.
She's having a hard time believing the auctioneer as he touts the praises of Doctor Joshua Davidson… His favorite hobbies being riding his big-bad Harley and taking long strolls through the park as well as giving of his time generously to Doctors Without Borders.
She raises her number half-heartedly while he's up for bid, thinking the man sounds just too-good-to-be-true, and with her profession, she's definitely learned that if a man sounds that way, he most likely is.
The Doctor seems pleased when she wins him, beckons her eagerly up to the stage and reaches for her hand.
He says smoothly, "You were the only woman I was hoping would win me tonight, Miss Beckett. Please follow me," and then he's pulling her by the hand, leading her off the stage towards the bar area.
She doesn't like how he's taken the macho role and is directing her where to go, but she sighs and goes along with it as he's most likely the type of man who sees a woman as slightly inferior, instead of his equal.
They pass Lanie and Rick sitting on stools chatting animatedly, their knees barely an inch apart and her friend (the one who's going to hate her come morning as she's going to blab to Espo) looks like she can't get enough of Rick's mouth as her eyes keep straying down to his lips, absorbing every lush word from his baritone bass.
Uggh!
Doctor Davidson asks her if a white wine is okay and she politely nods, chalking another point against him for not asking her what she'd like to drink.
She purposefully chooses a spot with her back to Lanie and Castle as God, it's going to drive her nuts seeing her friend, voted the Class flirt of Senior Stuyvesant High, pull out all her vampish tricks to try and get her riled.
And who would've thought that Doctor tall, dark and cocky would be such a talker?
Davidson's overly self-absorbed, speaking nonstop about how he was top of the class in Med-school and how he was the first intern chosen to help with a complicated surgical procedure and how after only two short years at Bellevue Hospital, he's been given the grand opportunity of promotion.
She's actually grateful that he hasn't asked her questions about herself because obviously, she can't tell him she's a high end escort and dallies as a C.I. on the side for the New York Police department; but her ruse of being a tennis instructor falls short in her eyes, and having to pretend that both her parents are still alive and well is ... well, going to be very difficult, to say the least.
Lanie's loud laughter, filled with frisky seduction, floats to her ears, and damn, she hates to admit it, but whatever she's planning for, I-need-to-make-my-best-friend-see-reason, is undoubtedly working.
She's officially ready to ditch Doctor-too-good-to-be-true-Merciful-Death and flounce her way over to Lanie and say, "You did it, Lanes. You know me too well. I'm officially claiming Writer-Man and taking him away from your tempting clutches and "the girls" who could make any man succumb in two seconds flat."
Just as she's about ready to excuse herself from Davidson, she feels his eyes on her.
She can't explain it, - this jolt of awareness that skips along her spine, this inexplicable, undeniable connection she feels towards Richard Castle, binding her to him, - but she knows his orbs are cascading down her back, admiring her ass in the dress she consciously chose because it matches perfectly the color of his eyes.
A shiver is torn from her, and when Davidson asks if she'd like to borrow his coat, she shakes her head negatively, never planning on wearing another man's jacket except Rick's, the one she wraps herself up in every night before she falls asleep.
She's pitiful really, pining after a man she doesn't deserve and yet hopeful at the same time that destiny is conspiring against them to throw them together at every turn.
She hears his entrancing voice and it stirs her further.
All she has to do is believe in the possibility of them and he's right there, waiting for her, right within her grasp.
Her heart whispers, Castle's the one who can fill the gaping hole in her life; he's the elusive happiness she's been searching for... He's the chance to have the kind of love her parents shared, not to mention divine, out-of-this-world, mind-blowing sex, that also happens to be the truest form of intimacy she's ever experienced in her life.
Davidson's smiling and touching her elbow, invading her personal space and the smell of his rich, spicy aftershave makes her stomach turn, wishing she was surrounded by Castle's more natural scent.
He's asking what she would like to do for their date and she tugs on her lower lip saying, "Hmm, give me some time to think about it as I'm going to be busy until the end of next week."
And that starts him talking about his plans to leave on his 'Operation Smile' tour at the end of the week, but her thoughts are definitely elsewhere... On the author behind her wearing Prada like he owns stock in the company. She'd bet a good deal of money that he's also wearing a delicious, bad-boy grin which would tempt her to feast on his satin lips, tasting to her heart's content.
She dares sneak a peek at the two and her eyes narrow in consternation as Lanie leans in all siren-like and splays her hand on Rick's thigh, her eyes dancing in delight as she talks in hushed tones.
She hears Davidson vying for her attention and she turns towards him, embarrassed by her lack of interest in him, in this job, in pleasing Montgomery period.
"I'm sorry," she says, catching the dark eyes of the Doctor. "I've been fighting an illness all week (It's only half a lie as she's been suffering from the Castle blues ever since she left his tousled body sound asleep in bed) and it's suddenly hitting me. Do you mind if I call you tomorrow?"
"No, no, not at all. Give me your phone and I'll input my number." She pulls her disposable phone out of her clutch and hands it to Davidson before scanning back to Lanie and Rick.
Lanie is laughing and tugging on his hand to get him off the bar stool. He smiles at her like he happens to be the most enthralled man in the room and lets her drag him playfully off. She's practically skipping in her three-inch-come-and-get-me heels. She suddenly stops, which he isn't expecting, and his broad front runs into her curvy backside. Rick's hands grasp her waist to hold her steady and she snuggles into him, giggling seductively.
"Here Houghton," and Davidson hands her phone back to her. "It was wonderful meeting you."
"You too," and then she's walking away from the Doctor, her heart on her sleeve as Lanie turns in Rick's arms and faces him, grabbing his lavender silk tie, pulling on it teasingly as she slinks backwards.
Castle follows her feisty friend like an obedient, love-sick puppy and allows her to lead him to a closed door which Lanie opens zealously. Rick pauses and glances her way, looking like a smug, I'm-about-to-get-lucky-tonight Casanova. His torrid blue gaze never leaves hers as he removes the tie and places it in his front pocket, winking naughtily before following Lanie inside.
Oh My fuckin God! she fumes as the door closes soundly behind him and before she can think about it, she's pulled her 4 inch stiletto's off her feet and is jogging towards the closet door.
She's going to kill one outrageous, brazen black woman and then maul an annoying, scrumptious author who's testing her limits.
Maul that gorgeous body and eat him alive.
...
She doesn't get the chance... As soon as she opens the door, darkness assails her and large hands grab her suggestively, propelling her into the wall. Rick's hands are pinned on her pelvis, his massive thigh shoved between her legs, his breath hot and smoky against her flesh.
"You're going to pay for not buying me, Kath - er - ine," and his lips descend, devour and conquer.