CBs

Chapter 30

Kate nipped Castle's ear as he bent over his laptop. Grinning, he pulled her into his lap. "I'm in no way, shape, or form objecting, but what was that for?"

"You look cute in glasses."

"I'm glad you think so. When I went to the optometrist I never thought I'd end up with a pair for the computer and another one for my books and phone. I keep grabbing the wrong ones."

"Maybe you should color code them." Kate suggested.

"Yeah, that's what Alexis suggested too. I ordered another couple of pair, red for passion for when I'm writing and blue for the essence of my coolness when I'm reading. Of course since we did finally get through all the files Trimp Corporate tried to bury us with, we're both waiting for discovery to come through on the Gitano suit. So I'm faithfully pursuing the profession that resulted in our partnership."

Kate twisted to see the screen. "You're writing another Nikki Heat. What's the crime?"

"Something intricately plotted with surprise twists."

Kate's eyes flashed mischievously. "You haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

"Not completely. Right now I'm concentrating on the complications of her engagement to Rook. We certainly had more than enough of them to draw from. I'm just wondering how many I should give them and what kind. So far, since Nikki is stuck at the twenty-third as captain, I have Rook running around all over the place on an investigation. They're doing a lot of Facetiming."

Kate sighed. "That sounds a lot like us when I was in D.C., except in reverse."

"Yeah, but I can't get Rook fired, he's freelance. So I'll need to work out something else to throw them back together, something that will steam up these new glasses."

Kate wrapped her arms around his neck, her face a breath from his. "Well if you're looking for ideas, we can always walk the scene."

"We could do that," Castle acknowledged, reaching under her skirt.

"Babe, you can let more than your fingers do the walking."

Kicking his chair away, Castle carried Kate the few feet to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He started to remove his glasses. "Leave them on," Kate urged. "They'll be our steam test."

"Whatever opens the release valve," Castle agreed, finding an angle where his mouth could reach hers despite the new barrier.

An unexpected tilt of the head, an off center press of the lips, the difference didn't seem to be much, but Kate was on fire and Castle was more than happy to stoke the flames. She tore first at her own clothes, while his busy mouth found every inch of skin she uncovered. Then she tugged at his shirt, buttons flying across the room as she yanked it open. She thrust her hands beneath, needing the feel of his flesh against her fingers. "More," she whispered, tugging his belt from its loops. His zipper resisted her. "Rick," she pleaded in frustration.

He quickly aided her efforts. She rubbed against him, his excitation growing in size and heat. "Kate, this is happening too fast."

She groaned. "Not fast enough." She grasped him, guiding him to where her body screamed its need.

Breath caught in his throat and he struggled for control as her legs rose, drawing him deeper. "God, Kate!" His body convulsed and he started to pull back. She wrapped her legs around him, keeping him within. Intimate muscles, invisible to him, tightly sheathed and released, urging a second round. Kate's mouth found his, her tongue stabbing into the moist depths, seeking its partner. Her fingers plunged into his hair, brushing the bows of the glasses, still on his face. Flat against his chest, the pressure of every fine hair brushing her breasts sent sparks of sensation through her body. They began to move together, friction spreading from cell to cell until they were both ablaze from it. The fire flashed over, sucking the oxygen from their lungs and any remnant of thought from their minds. Entangled and entwined, they lay, capable only of gasping for air.

Castle drew a shaky breath. "I am going to buy a gross of those glasses, maybe even invest in the company. Want to be married to to a vision mogul?" When Kate didn't answer, he realized she had fallen deeply asleep. "Guess I can take these off now," he muttered, slipping off his spectacles and putting them safely on the nightstand. He stared at the now sightless lenses. "Don't go anywhere. I may need you when she wakes up."

Kate couldn't believe she'd slept for twelve hours. She couldn't remember doing that since Maddox's bullet had nicked her heart. Castle's side of the bed was empty and she could detect the aroma of coffee emanating from the kitchen. On her way to get a cup, she found Castle at his desk in a robe, with his glasses firmly on his face. His familiar mug was missing from the scene. "You made coffee but you're not drinking it?" Kate asked.

"I think I made it out of force of habit - and in case you wanted some. I'm fully rested and wide awake. I'd say I slept like a baby, but no baby ever did what we did last night, although I'm sure that sort of thing has caused more than a few."

"No doubt," Kate agreed, "but there won't be one from last night, although if I'd had to stop to do anything to prevent it, I'm not sure I could have. I'm really beginning to understand how oopses can happen. I'm glad I have an implant and I don't have to worry about it. I don't think I could have thought about anything last night."

Castle reached out to take her hand. "Me either. But Kate, if you did have to think about it... We haven't talked about kids for a long time, not since before you made captain." Castle touched his glasses. "Between these and Alexis, I'm feeling more aware of the passage of time, and if we're going to do it, we can't wait that much longer."

"Wow, Castle, that's a heavy question for first thing in the morning. And we've had so many other things going on. You may not need coffee, but I do, before we talk about that anymore. I'll be right back. I promise."

Kate returned, cradling a warm mug in both hands. "Castle, I know you love kids and they love you. And I don't know many fathers who've done as good a job raising a kid. I'm sure I don't know any others who'd team up with their spook assassin father to save their child from trained killers."

"But?" Castle prompted.

"But me. When we took care of a baby, except for the lack of sleep, I enjoyed it. I even started feeling maternal. But I'm just not sure how one would fit into our lives right now. I've just started building something at the Twelfth with the CB's and the Over the Hill Gang, but I have a long way to go before I figure out how everything is going to mesh, or whether I want to aim for something else. Your P.I. business is growing and you've still got your writing. I know Alexis is doing a great job of running the office and you've got Hayley to help out, but still, there aren't many spare minutes right now. Maybe it's selfish, but we've only been married for a year and the minutes we do have, I'd like to spend with you and not worry about anyone else."

"So is that a 'no,' or a 'let's wait a bit?'"

"Castle, it's a 'let's wait a bit.' How about if we have this discussion again after the Trimp matter is settled?"

Castle nodded slowly. "I guess that will have to be a deal."