A/N: Okay this chapter might make the guys a little green around the gills, but if you are in a long term, committed relationship, then you have had a similar conversation at least once. Doesn't matter if you are guy/girl or girl/girl. (You happy little boy/boy couples are exempt... For obvious reasons! Coffee break for you! Smoke 'em if you got 'em!)

A/N 2: Time Ripple! (I will say this every time the timeline jumps... also because it's just fun to say and it annoys Beckett.)

TWO WEEKS LATER

The Old Haunt was filled to near capacity; the bouncer at the door having a hard time counting heads as the line outside surged with its own Friday night energy.

Luckily, the superstars from the 12th Precinct didn't have to wait in line. They had a permanent line pass and a large, round booth reserved in the back, complete with a velvet rope keeping the regular patrons out.

They entered loudly, cheering and riling up the crowd as they shouted drink orders to the smiling bartender and headed for their corner. Jenny and Ryan slid in first, then Espo and Lanie. Finally Kate slid into the booth on the other side with Castle hugging up tight beside her. Montgomery had sent them off with his blessing but claimed marriage as his excuse for skipping the celebration.

And a celebration it was.

The group had just closed a career maker (and provided Castle with a plot for his next Nikki Heat novel). An obscenely rich Wall Street tycoon and avid hunter who apparently decided that there was only one species he hadn't hunted yet. They had tied at least a half a dozen Central Park deaths to him, only to finally locate him when he ended up a victim himself; his own rifle shoved up a certain orifice and fired.

It was a mixed victory, since the perp only had one, justifiable death tied to her. But the D.A. had been receptive to their suggestions and it looked like she would only go down for manslaughter. Five years, instead of fifty.

They could live with that.

"Can I have your attention?"

Castle blinked, looking up at Ryan who was suddenly standing and holding up his glass.

"I want to make a toast."

The rest of the group followed suit.

Ryan swallowed heavily. "To the ones we understand... Because those are the hardest to let go of."

Everyone drank silently for a moment, understanding exactly what Ryan meant. Who knows how many more 'hunting' victims there might have been if one woman hadn't taken matters into her own hands? They would never condone it... but they did understand it.

"Okay." Lanie downed her shot of Patron. "Enough of this melancholy crap. I want to dance!"

Esposito's grin was huge. "That's my queue!"

They slid out of the booth, Lanie's hips already wiggling before they hit the minuscule dance floor. Castle had hired a DJ for Friday and Saturday nights and the ME's hips caught the beat perfectly, pulling the writer's attention away from the woman at his side.

"Hey." Kate put her finger under his chin and pulled his head around. "Eyes over here, bud."

Rick smiled. "I can look... I just can't touch."

"So if I start ogling Espo you'd have no problem with it?"

"I...uh...no..." He looked to Ryan for help but the younger man just held up his hands and smiled. "That's different."

"Why?" She crossed her arms and looked at him sarcastically.

"Because..." He spread his arms wide. "You have all this!" He waved his hands in front of his body.

Kate's eyebrow rose, making him nervous.

"Annnd I have all that..." He nodded. "Point taken."

Beckett laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's okay, Castle. I happen to think you're enough to look at."

His grin was broad and happy as he claimed her lips. "Mmmm... ditto."

"OKAY!" Ryan shot up out of his seat, turning to Jenny. "Wanna dance?"

The blonde blinked at him. "You? Kevin Ryan... You want to dance?"

"No." He said matter-of-factly. "But if the choice is embarrassment on the dance floor or vomiting at the table? We're dancing!" He pulled Jenny to her feet and led her away.

Kate didn't release Rick, choosing instead to shift half into his lap as her lips slid down his throat. "I think we're traumatizing the boys."

Castle shrugged, his eyes closed, finding it hard to make sense of her words with the feel of her tongue licking across the pulse in his throat. "At this point? I really don't care..."

He dipped his head and caught her lips; his tongue pushing into her mouth as his hands roamed freely over the curves barely covered by the short, black dress she had surprised him with earlier. It was off the shoulders, letting her perfect skin glow from beneath her long mane of chestnut hair. He brought his hand back up, running his fingers along her clavicle, making goosebumps break out on her arms. Slowly, he walked his fingers downward.

When he finally reached the bare length of her thigh, Castle pulled back, shaking his head to clear it. "Okay, we need to stop, or I'm going to end up compromising your reputation in public."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Like you haven't already done that?"

"You ain't seen nothing yet!" He waggled his eyebrows, making her laugh. "Dance with me."

"Okay..." Beckett didn't wait for him to exit the booth, choosing instead to slide over him, pressing down with her hips at exactly the wrong, or right, moment. As she slid past him, he caught her eyes.

The dark, smoky look in them was enough to make him swallow, hard.

And her whisper didn't help much either.

"And you think dancing is going to be safer?"

An hour later there was no doubt as to the validity of her words. In fact, he hadn't even made it to the dance floor before stopping in his tracks, his head tilting slightly to the side as he watched her backside sway rhythmically in front of him. When he looked up, Beckett was smiling at him, waving her fingers seductively.

Now... Now he was in big trouble.

Now she was pressed against him, her back against his front, her hips and ass doing things to him that should be illegal in public. Dazed, he thought back to one of their first conversations... something about letting her hair down and playing cops gone wild.

Even his imagination sat down and behaved when Kate bent and grabbed her ankles, whipping her hair back over her shoulder as she rose, her hands trailing up her own thighs... then her belly... over her breasts... and around his head; fingers tangling tightly in his hair.

Ricks hands clutched her hard, tightening even more when he heard her low chuckle. He wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her back gently. "You think you're funny?"

Beckett spun around in his arms, raising one leg to wrap around the back of his knee. "I think you're hard." Her hand ran up his inner thigh and he had a moment of weakness: the desire to take her right there...on the crowded dance floor (And he knew from experience that no one would notice) and the knowledge of how she would feel about it. Grabbing her hand, he led her over to their table where the other two couples were already seated.

Castle's hand glided down the small of Kate's back as she slid into the booth. He smiled at her sweetly before turning to his friends. He took one look at their faces and held out his hand. "Okay, give 'em up."

Neither of the detectives protested; instead reaching into their pockets and handing over their car keys.

"I'll give these to my driver." The writer held them up. "He'll drive you home and then come by in the morning to bring you back to your cars."

"What about you two?" Ryan blinked up at them, his eyes wide, almost owlish.

"He'll come back for us." Rick smiled. "I have some bar owner stuff to do downstairs anyway." He looked pointedly at Beckett, holding out his hand. "Join me?"

Kate actually snorted. "For paperwork?" Her one raised eyebrow finished the statement for him.

"Right." He pursed his lips, shrugging. "Then I will see you in about twenty minutes?"

The detective nodded, throwing him a dazzling smile.

For a moment, Castle thought about blowing off everything and dragging his lover into a cab.

But he had responsibilities.

With a sigh, he realized how much he had changed. And how much of a good thing that was.

He bent down and pecked Kate on the cheek. "Back soon."

Beckett watched him go, unable to keep her eyes off his ass as he rounded the corner.

"On that note..." Lanie downed the rest of her drink and stood unsteadily. "I think it's time to head out." She turned to Javi and put a hand on his shoulder, her eyes dark. "Take me home?"

Espo was on his feet instantly. "Of course, Chica." He held out his hand and helped her up. "I'll get you home safe."

"I have no doubt." Lanie smirked at Beckett as she slid from the booth.

"I think we're gonna bounce too." Ryan and Jenny slid from their seats. "Share a ride?"

Espo's eyes shot daggers but Lanie just smiled. "Sure."

"We'll drop you first." The Latino stated adamantly.

Nodding, Ryan and Jenny kissed Kate on the cheek, followed by her other two friends.

As they walked away, Espo called back over his shoulder, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"You'd have to draw me a diagram for that!" Beckett shot back with a grin.

Castle looked over the books from The Old Haunt, smiling at the profit margin. It would never make him rich but since he already was... He was happy the place was more than breaking even.

He signed the last of the checks he needed to sign, closed the ledger and was reaching out to turn off his desk lamp when he heard the door to his office slam shut. Craning his neck, he tried to look up the stairway, his jaw dropping at what he saw.

Detective Katherine Beckett slowly descended the stairs; her fingers sliding down the zipper at her side and dragging the tight, black fabric down to her waist. When she reached the last step, she pushed it all the way down; letting it pool at her ankles before kicking it away impatiently.

"Beckett?" He swallowed.

"Number thirty-two, Rick." She smiled wickedly. "Or did you think I wouldn't go down that far?"

"Uh..."

"The Old Haunt... While it's still open..."

"...On my desk." He finished for her, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Exactly."

Castle looked at her in awe. She was all long legs and toned muscles; shimmering skin and a perfect smile. The heels and garters, not to mention the barely there black lace wrapped around her breasts and waist... well, that didn't hurt either. "Kate?"

She crossed the space between them, laying her fingers roughly against his lips. "For once..." She whispered. "Don't be a gentleman." He looked at her closely, making her smile. "You're running out of time, Rick."

His smile faded. "What?" He put a hand on her cheek. "Did I do something? If I did I can fix it..." He frowned when she laughed.

"You didn't do anything wrong." She raised one eyebrow sarcastically. "Let's just say I am going to get very grumpy in the next few days."

"More than usual?" He blanched when her eyes narrowed. "I mean... I... I..." His face suddenly registered understanding. "OH!"

"Ahhh." She hooked her arms around his neck, kissing him hard before knocking him on the head. "Light dawns on marble rock."

Castle's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. "So... I guess I would be remiss if I let this opportunity pass by."

"I guess you would..." She smiled broadly as they kissed and the writer sighed. She was different when she was happy. It was like kissing the sun... or a reactor core... the energy almost more than he could stand.

He shook his head. When did he get so cheesy?

Ignoring the fact that he actually knew the exact date, Rick wrapped his fingers up in her hair; using the purchase to pull her closer.

Kate came willingly, a smile parting her lips and intensifying the beauty of her face. "What?"

"I love you."

It wasn't a proclamation or a promise. It simply... was.

Beckett's lips trembled. Grabbing his shirt she kissed him roughly, her tongue scouring the inside of his mouth before she pushed him away. Placing her palms flat on the desk, she pulled herself up to sit on the edge, crossing her legs before looking at him pointedly. "Strip."

"What?"

"Castle," She took a deep breath, trying to hang onto her patience. "There is a woman in her underwear sitting on your desk, telling you to strip. Really?"

He jumped up out of his chair, throwing off his jacket and working the buttons of his shirt quickly.

When he was naked from the waist up, Kate couldn't stop herself anymore. She reached out and grabbed him by his belt, yanking him forward and undoing the buckle. With a flip of her wrist, she pulled it free and sent it flying across the room. Her other hand made short work of the button on his pants; sliding the zipper down slowly before pushing them off his hips.

Or... trying to.

Kate laughed when she had to grab the fabric and pull it towards her to get it over his fully erect shaft. She looked at it for several long moments before raising her eyes to meet his. "Off." Her voice was hoarse, strained.

Castle kicked off his shoes and pants before toeing off his socks. He had just turned back to her when she took hold of him; her grip firm, sliding up and down the length of him through his boxer briefs, making him buck into her palm.

"Kate..." He reached down and grabbed her hand, holding it still. "Stop."

The detective smiled. "Why?"

Rick's eyes went dark, making her heart beat faster.

"Because I want more." He whispered, his thumb flicking open her bra. Drawing it from her shoulders, he raised his hands; catching the soft firmness of her breasts in his palms. He brought his lips crashing down on hers, swallowing her moans as his thumbs flicked over her already pebbled flesh.

"Rick..." She panted into his ear, her hips rising rhythmically against his; her need apparent. "Rick..."

Kissing his way down her throat, he let his tongue map a trail between her breasts as his fingers slid into the lace at her waist and pulled it away; pushing it down her legs. As he kissed his way down her belly, he let his fingers slide up slowly, groaning when he realized how far down her thighs the wetness had traveled.

"God, Kate."

She surged against him, pushing herself up; intoxicating him with her scent.

Unable to stop himself, Castle slid lower, dipping his tongue into the sweetness between her legs. He groaned as he suckled her, his fingers sliding down past his lips.

Without hesitating, he slid two of them deep inside of her.

Kate's back arched wildly; her toes clenching into fists as his tongue assaulted her from the outside and his fingers teased her from within. Her hands wound tightly into his hair, pulling him harder against her as the coil of pleasure in her stomach began to tighten. She felt her hips begin to move on their own; felt him bend the tips of his fingers to reach that spot...

The spot.

Beckett threw her head back; her eyes closed tightly as he pulled pure ecstasy from her. With a loud cry she came apart; her world unraveling around his fingers and his mouth.

Castle stayed between her legs, his head resting against one of her thighs as she tried to regulate her breathing. When she was finally sure she wasn't going to hyperventilate, Kate raked her fingers through his hair, loving the sweat-slick feel of it.

"Chair." She said hoarsely.

Castle looked at her through a haze of lust. "What?"

Beckett smiled at him tenderly. "Get your ass in the chair."

The writer stood slowly, turning towards his leather high back.

"Stop."

He froze, grinning when he felt her fingers slide into his boxer briefs, pulling them down his legs. He kicked them off gladly.

When he finally reached the chair, she turned him around and pressed him down into it with a hand against his chest. Then she climbed on top of him; tucking her knees into the space on either side of his thighs. With a low growl she lowered herself onto him, the wet heat of her center rubbing directly against him.

Without preamble, Kate began to move; grinding her hips forward and back, coating him with warm, wet, slickness.

Castle dropped his head to her chest as he tried to calm the fire that burned inside of him.

But Beckett wasn't having it.

She grabbed hold of him firmly, drawing him closer to the heat of her center... rubbing his over-sensitive tip through her wetness before letting it dip inside.

Groaning, Rick gripped her hips tightly. He pulled her forward and pushed inside of her, burying himself deeply as he stared into her eyes.

"Oh..." Kate groaned; her body on auto-pilot as she moved in small, powerful circles. When Castle's hands came up to palm her breasts, his fingers pinching her nipples, she threw her head backwards, her spine arching almost unbelievably. "Rick..."

Castle didn't stop; he didn't even slow. Instead, he brought his mouth to her breast and bit down roughly, making her shake with the sharp spike of pleasure that shot through her. Sliding his hands down, he gripped her hips hard, the muscles in his arms bunching tightly as he raised her up; thrusting his hips up to meet her as he dragged her back down.

The cognitive part of Kate's mind switched on as the intellectual side decided that now would be a good time for a nap. Grabbing onto his shoulders, she dug her fingernails in; shaking at the low hiss that escaped his lips as he brought them back to hers.

His kiss was deep; his lips... bruising. And he felt so incredible that Beckett didn't know if she would survive it.

Every time their bodies met, she pressed down, tightening her internal muscles, her heart rate increasing with every feral grunt that tore from the writer's lips.

"Kate..." His pace increased, his hips slamming up to meet hers, his fingers sliding between them to fondle the swollen bundle of nerves at the top of her cleft.

Kate's mouth dropped open, a low keening the only sound she could make as the coil snapped. She bucked twice and then went stiff, every muscle taut, every nerve singing.

She collapsed, panting, waiting for the warmth she was used to... the way he would fill her...

But he didn't.

Taking a deep breath, Kate forced her eyes open, blinking at what she saw.

Rick had his eyes squeezed tightly shut; his jaw set in a grim line as he breathed deeply in and out.

"Castle?" She cupped his face in her hands. "Are you okay?" He looked at her and Kate felt her breath catch.

The writer's eyes were completely black; the gleam in them beyond feral.

"No." He stood up, carrying her with him the two steps to his desk. With one arm, he swept everything on it's surface onto the floor before laying her down gently. He stared directly into her eyes. "I want more."

She could feel how hard he was inside her, the thought that she could do that to him...

Kate swallowed, nodding quickly.

Castle slowly pulled his hips back, sliding almost completely out of her before changing his angle slightly. He looked down at her with a mixture of love and lust that took her breath away.

And then he slid back in.

He filled her completely; holding himself up on his arms and gritting his teeth to keep control.

"You feel amazing..." He whispered against her throat, his teeth leaving small marks on her skin. "So amazing..."

Kate was trying to make sense of his words. She could tell the tone... loving... worshipping... But the actual words... that was more attention than she had to spare.

She was too busy drowning in endorphins; her body singing with pleasure, her hips grinding against him wildly as she clawed at his back leaving dark red scratches behind.

"Rick..." She wrapped her legs around his ass, trying to get him to go faster but he refused; continuing his own steady pace.

A few moments later, she stopped trying.

Every stroke suddenly seemed multiplied; every place he touched overwhelmed by the sensation of him filling her.

"Jesus, Rick!" She surged against him as the wave of sensation broke over her, tossing her around like a rag doll. "Rick!" She clawed at his back, tightening around him mercilessly but still... "Rick?"

The look of hunger on his face made her swallow. ""I want more."

Castle... I don't think I can..."

"You can." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly before staring deeply into her eyes. "We can..."

She could feel his body vibrating; feel how badly he needed her. With a smile, she nodded.

Castle buried his face in her neck, sucking on her pulse point as he began to move, slowly at first, and then more forcefully.

Beckett gasped; the feel of him pounding into her rekindling the fire in her belly. She grabbed the back of his head with one hand, her fingers tangling in his hair. Tugging hard, she pulled his lips down to her chest, bucking when they closed over a painfully hard nipple.

The writer's hips began to move faster, his thrusts stuttering, becoming wild.

The feel of him straining flipped on every switch she had. Raising up, she sank her teeth into his shoulder, but it was too late.

Kate screamed and, with the pleasure finally overloading her senses, she watched the world slowly go black.

The last thing she registered was the feeling of warmth she had been craving all night. The feeling of fullness... of being complete.

And then there was nothing.

Kate woke slowly. She was lying on her stomach on top of something warm. She turned her face from side to side, purring at the mixture of soft skin and coarse hair. She breathed in deeply, her nostrils flaring at the scent she knew and loved so well.

Raising her head, Beckett looked down at Castle. His eyes were closed, his face flushed. He looked like a rosy cheeked little boy; all long lashes and smooth cheeks. Only the stubble she loved so much dispelled the illusion.

She blinked when she realized they were laid out on his couch; the blanket usually draped across the back covering their more sensitive bits. She glanced towards the desk, blushing when she saw all of his books and nicknacks strewn about the floor.

Beckett tried to remember how they had gotten from the desk to the couch but she had no clue. The last thing she remembered...

Kate swallowed.

The last thing she remembered were the colors... the tightening of her belly... and a pleasure so acute that it almost bordered on pain.

Almost.

Thinking about it immediately set her body on edge and she shuddered, waking the man sleeping beneath her.

"Hey." Castle smiled, his voice low and so deep she could feel it between her legs.

"Hey."

"What are you doing?"

Kate couldn't help the smile that broke free; the joy in it a palpable thing.

"Remembering."

"It was good wasn't it?"

"Good?"

Rick wrapped her up in his arms and crushed her to him. "Amazing... fantastic... incredible..." He smiled and kissed her lips sweetly. "It was Us." He shrugged. "It gets better every time."

She nodded, completely sated and more than willing to lay her head back down and sleep right here.

"Remind me to get some of 'those' to keep at the loft."

Beckett cracked one eye open, yawning as she shifted in his arms and blinked up at him. "Some of what, Castle?"

"Uh... You know... The things you use... when Time Runs Out."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "How do you manage to make everything sound like a B movie?"

"Talent?"

She laughed and shook her head. "So what are you going to get me?"

"What uhm... What... uhm... What do you prefer?"

"I don't know Castle, what kind are there?"

"Uh..." He flushed bright red.

Kate bit down on her inner cheek to keep from laughing. "You mean to tell me that you've had 2 wives, you live with two women, had (cough) many girlfriends, and trust me, 'many' is too light a word. And this still embarrasses you?"

"I'm not embarrassed!" Rick huffed, puffing out his chest. "I'm just a guy. And like all other guys who didn't go to med school your... inner workings are a mystery. One I think it's best to leave intact." He cleared his throat. "They have the little things with the self-guided launcher. Like a harpoon?"

He made a pinching motion with his first two fingers and his thumb, causing Kate to bury her head in his side to hide her amusement.

"Oh!" He brightened for a moment. "They also have the little ones with no launcher," He paused. "But you know, Gina tried those once and I ended up alone at the Four Seasons for a week. Let's skip those. Oh and they have the panty boats. That's pretty much it... tampoons, midgets and panty boats." His eyebrows furrowed. "Kate? Are you okay? You're shaking."

Kate finally couldn't hold it in any longer, falling back against the couch and rolling away from him as she doubled over with laughter.

She laughed until her cheeks were red, her stomach ached and there were tears streaming down her face.

When she finally sat up, she glanced down to the other end of the couch, finding Castle tucked into a corner pouting. He gave her one narrow-eyed glare and that was all it took.

The laughter bubbled up all over again. But this time it came with a shower of kisses all over his face and a contented growl as she curled up on his chest.

Castle wrapped his arms around Kate, his eyes sparkling brightly. A little smile curled the corners of his mouth as he pulled her down with him onto the couch.

Within moments they were both asleep.

A/N #3: Yes he was messing with her! Castle is far too suave to be embarrassed by something so mundane ;)

Please review if you have time! It lets me know you are still interested!