CBs

Chapter 36

When Kate gave Castle the rundown on Yuri Tomov, Castle suggested showing the pictures to the premier plastic surgeon to Martha's group of theatrical friends. "'Doctor Pull It Tight' should be able to tell you if the differences in appearance really are due to surgery and maybe when and where the surgery might have been done," Castle speculated. "I can have Mother set up an interview. He's always after her, trying to get her under his knife."

"You, know I'm kind of surprised she hasn't done it," Kate mused. "She used to complain all the time that she missed being the beautiful ingenue."

"'Used to,' being the operative words," Castle pointed out. "Mother is in her second act and glorying in the diva she is. We should all feel that good about getting older."

"Castle, I know you've been obsessing about getting older, about both of us getting older, really. That's what I wanted to talk about, or part of it, anyway. Look, even if I had the safest job in the world, I'm already past the age where the risk is lowest for having something wrong with the baby."

"Kate," Castle argued. "Lots of women have healthy babies in their late thirties and even way beyond that."

Kate took his hand. "Castle I know, but that, my job, it's not all of it. Before we broke up, Josh talked to me about the nick the bullet put in my heart. It's patched, but it's not perfect. He warned me that a pregnancy would be high risk. He was okay with that if we stayed together, because he was always too busy running around the world to be a father anyway, but he wanted to make sure I knew."

Castle stared at her. "Kate, why didn't you just tell me this a long time ago? It's not even a question, if getting pregnant puts you at that kind of a risk, you shouldn't get pregnant. I can live without having more children. I can't live without you."

Kate chewed on her lip. "You've always gotten off on what a badass I am. I guess I didn't want to look weak in your eyes. And I know how much you love kids. But Castle, getting pregnant isn't the only way to have them."

"Are you talking about a surrogate?" Castle asked.

Kate shook her head. "No, I was thinking about adopting - not a baby - an older child."

Realization flowed over Castle's face. "You mean Emily Brodsky."

"I do. Her brothers will be gone from the foster home any day. Espo will be looking out for them but there's no one to look out for her and it's pretty obvious that her foster mom is just in it for the money. She'd be in school six hours a day and between you and me and the family, she wouldn't need that many hours with a sitter."

"And you really want to do it?" Castle questioned. "Kate if you're just offering this as something to make me feel better, forget it. Emily's been through a lot and if she becomes part of our family you'd have to commit to her heart and soul. You can't hold back from a child. They'll always know. It's got to be a hundred percent or nothing."

Kate reached up to cup his cheek. "It will be, Castle, I promise."

Castle shoved his pasta aside and plunged his fingers into Kate's hair, pulling her lips against his. She pulled back for a moment. "Castle, garlic."

"Then it's a good thing we've both been eating it," he murmured. "But exceptional as it is, there are things I'd rather have in my mouth than your linguine."

They rose as one, hands linked, and Castle led the way to the bedroom. He gazed at his wife. "You know, if it's possible, you're even more beautiful with meat sauce on your face."

Kate touched her chin. "Where?"

"Don't worry, I'll get it," Castle whispered, bringing her mouth to his.

As he drew her close, the heat of his body penetrated their clothes, washing over her skin. Need welled from within her, demanding more, much more. She could feel him, hard against her belly. Her hips moved of their own accord, her desire mounting. "Kate," Castle rasped, pulling them both down to the bed.

Kate was in wild motion beneath him, arching as their tongues sparred within mouths locked together. Desperate, she plunged a hand beneath her own waistband. He pulled it free to replace it with his own, as the center of her need grew beneath his questing fingers. She was wet, ready, past ready. He pulled her pants away even as she jerked at his. Their dance was almost violent; bedding mangled beneath them; springs and floor both moaning in protest. They grappled, hands and mouths seeking everything beneath what remained of their clothing. The release hit in a jarring quake. They clung as aftershocks shook them, again and again, until the world was still beneath bodies limp but still joined.

Kate woke to find Castle's side of the bed empty. She thought she could faintly hear the sound of running water and she could definitely detect the enticing aroma of fresh coffee. Pulling on Castle's shirt, which still lay on the floor, she made her way barefoot to the kitchen. Castle was scrubbing the pot she'd used to make the sauce the night before.

Castle turned from the sink, his grin lighting the room. "It's a good thing Alexis wasn't here to see the dishes left out overnight, she would be on me about it for days. And I figured you cooked so I'd clean up, even if my efforts were belated. Yeah, and I called my lawyer too. Insane workaholic that he is, he likes to get into the office ridiculously early and I wanted to put him on Emily's adoption before he got started on anything else. It's not his usual thing, but he has an associate with a lot of experience in that area who can help speed the paperwork through as much as possible. He did say that even with that, it would take a while, but if we clear it with her social worker, there's nothing to keep Emily from spending some time with us and getting to know us while the process is underway. We can do the zoos, museums, all the tourist traps, maybe even miniature golf."

"Wow, Castle, you're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Of course," Castle replied. "When I said a hundred percent I wasn't just talking about you Kate, even if that's where Emily has her attachment right now. I was talking about both of us. I organized my life around Alexis and that was probably harder because I didn't have a partner. But Emily will have both of us. I can't think of much that would be better - except perhaps last night. But listen, Mother will be sleeping in. She had a performance last night. But I can call her later in the morning and set something up with the wielder of the wondrous scalpel. Then we'll know for sure whether we're after Yuri Tomov or not."

"Mm," Kate agreed, "then we'll see where we'll take it from there. God, I'm starved! I need breakfast. In the mood to join me?"

Castle tucked a bed-tousled lock behind her ear. "Always."