Chapter 16

"Got your camera?" He asked as she passed him an overnight bag then she followed gliding herself into the Ferrari quite eloquently for a long legged girl.

"Yes. Caught me in time to grab it, thank you."

"Good." He pushed her overnight bag into the back between the seats then looked up to a beautiful smile that greeted him. She had walked five or so blocks from her apartment to ensure no one saw her get in his bright red sports car.

"That was a good idea, suggesting I bring it with us, Castle. I love taking photos." The smile became a grin as she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, then she cheekily whispered, "Hi Lover."

He impulsively smiled, "Hi gorgeous." He gave her cheek a kiss, then checked out what she was wearing. An old denim jacket over a dress and her hair was wavy. She wore bangles of varying sorts and bits of jewelry, presenting quite differently to the way she dressed for work. The make up was different too. "You look pretty." Her cheeks immediately blushed which amused him no end.

"Thank you." She glanced at his blue sweat shirt and denim jeans. "No bad yourself, Ricky."

"Thanks. I brought my camera too since you seem to like being in front of one."

"What do you mean?"

"You love your photo being taken."

"Maybe." She put the sunglasses back down, then clipped up the seatbelt, smiling. "My mother had a thing for cameras. She was always taking pictures. My Dad has thousands of photos. I should get them. The cabin my father has is like an art gallery of me."

"Growing up, I guess."

"Mmm. Me and the dog we had."

Rick put the indicator on to pull out.

Kate stated, "I have whisker rash, Rick."

"Again?" He put his foot back on the brake to inspect her face before he entered traffic. "I don't see it, Hon. You must have fucking sensitive skin."

"No." She gave a little laugh. "It's here. Look, Babe." She slid the fabric of her dress up her thighs and pointed at her inner thigh.

Rick nearly choked at the sight of the fabric going up her thighs. "Oh God," He muttered then peered over the console to see. He lightly touched the red rash on the tender flesh over her gracilis muscle, felt her body react to his touch. "Oh, and both sides." He commented with a proud smile. "That's an SRI." He gleamed with pride.

"An SRI?"

"Sex related injury." He advised.

"Okay." She laughed, "But. Before you take off, look, it's here too."

"There's more?"

"Mmmphh." Kate laughed, as she lifted her dress to her belly button and pointed. Rick leaned over more, grinned looking to her eyes. "No panties?" He squawked. "Are you trying to kill me?"

She shoved the dress down and glared at him. "What? I can't go commando? It's a long dress."

"You can do anything you want, Honey. Bra?"

"No bra. There is one in my bag. In case."

"Fuck. And I thought last night was great." He grinned then said, "Show me where else." He took a breath then pleaded, "Please show me."

"The rash, Castle. Not my bits."

"I promise, Kate." He made a cross over his chest.

She lifted her dress and touched over the red flesh between her pubic bone and belly button. She tried not to laugh, recalling the minutes he'd had her pinned to the bed play fighting with her. He had used his stubble to tickle her into submission.

"It was fun, we had, wasn't it?" He asked, gently stroking his fingers over her abdomen at the inflamed skin, then bravely slid down between her thighs following it with a groan of lust.

"We had awesome fun." She laughed, deliberately closing her knees.

"It's a wonder there's not a severe rash there." He remarked looking at her eyes. She moistened her lips.

"I'll show you when you've driven us wherever it is we're going."

"Oh that's a surprise our destination. So, you're okay if we come back tomorrow? Alexis wants to stay with her friends tonight so I'm a free parent for an evening."

"Let's do it, Rick. I never get out of the city."

He gave her inner thigh a tender squeeze then brought his hand back to the steering wheel. Once he had the vehicle out on the road he returned his hand to her thigh.

"I think we're gonna have fun." He said, as Kate shuffled through her handbag for something.

Once she put the bag to the floor of the car, she wriggled in her seat until she was angled to face him. When he pulled to a stop at a red light he looked over at her face and instantly smirked.

"You have trouble written all over your face, Beckett."

She coyly smiled, her fingers near her mouth, "No."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"It ain't nothing. Your eyes are sparkling. You're thinking about naughty things."

"Castle, we have two days of freedom. No murders, no secrets, no hiding. I can be me around you." She joyously said, totally pumped about the day ahead.

"That's true, we can both be ourselves."

"So where are we going?"

"We'll take Route 80 Northwest to Route 81 North. I found a little place to stay the night."

"Mm. Tell me."

"Camera place. The Fox and the Grapes Bed and Breakfast. Has a vineyard. It was about the tease last night, you little tease. Today, it about the trip. We wanna stop somewhere for whatever reason, we stop. We can check in after 4.00 pm and check out after 11.00 but we'll be on our way by then."

"How many hours of sleep did we have last night?"

He chuckled, pressing his foot on the accelerator once he had opportunity to head more actively towards the open road. "We should be talking in minutes of sleep. Well, you arrived around midnight. You teased me for a good forty minutes I guess, until you succumbed to my advances, then I played about down there for…"

"Succumbed? Rick you basically tickled me to death." She laughed thinking about how much she had giggled. She'd slipped off the bed writhing beneath his body, cackling like a teenager. He'd ravaged her on the floor, and she'd tried to crawl away she'd been squealing. He'd found her ticklish places to begin with, then her body had become so sensitive.

"That was one of the funniest things I've ever experienced. I didn't take you as being ticklish, but when I started to kiss you, your body just went crazy." Rick fell silent, images of her in his hold flashing in his mind. Her body had trembled with excitement. His finger tips stroking over the contours of her form had literally sent her into a meltdown of bliss. Her skin had become extremely sensitive causing her to react like she was being tickled. "You were very funny."

"Best fun." She replied. He reached out to touch her cheek, and she took hold of his hand, tilting her head towards his him. "Roughing me up like that really turned me on."

"Roughing up by whiskers." He joked, then remained still when she sat forward leaning to him. She stroked his jaw, then pressed her lips to the side of his face.

"You shaved this morning."

"Don't worry. I'll have a five o'clock shadow."

"I think it's really hot, when we're working, watching your whiskers grow. By the end of a long day, you're looking rugged."

"You're a tease, Beckett. That's what I'm quickly coming to realise about you." He smiled when she laughed again. It made him happy to hear her laughter.

"I'm not a tease." She eventually said. He patted her thigh.

The drive north was bonding time in a closed in space, the pair needed to seal their night. Kate settled into the hour and a half drive and became the music controller. She also decided upon the places they stopped along the way that allowed the drive to their destination to be an adventure. It not only extended the time of their drive but certainly made it more interesting. Often during the drive, she would take a few moments to sneak a look at Castle whenever she knew he was concentrating on driving. He was a sensitive man. Those who knew well seemed to be aware of it. She noted he seemed to have a lot of friends, didn't mention a best friend, and mostly it was Alexis he would talk about. It was during this time she became conscious that he was the first person she thought of in the mornings and the last person she imagined before she fell asleep.

From the driver's seat, he glanced to her with a smile. He'd caught her out.

"What you thinking about, Beckett?"

She gazed ahead, smiling about what she was thinking, "About how much I like your chest, 'specially in the bed this morning."

"Really?" He glanced to his shirt. "When you were sitting on me?"

"Yes." Kate sat up and pointed ahead to a cluster of small stores along the side of the road, "Pull in Castle."

"Up there?"

"Yes. There's a candy store. I think I've been here before. Best sweets."

"Trust you Kate to know of a candy store." He slowed to search for a car space.

"Yes! This is the place. Pull in, Babe." She pointed to several car spaces ahead, "There's a vacant one."

"I see it."

"They have the most delicious ice cream."

"What flavour are you thinking about?" He brought the car to a halt. With it in park the engine fell silent.

"Too easy. Two flavours." She grinned and showed him two fingers. Her eyes bright.

"Wait." He held up his hand, "Let me guess, boysenberry and strawberry?"

She clapped her hands then excitedly replied. "And you will go the chocolate!"

"Of course, I will." He opened his door as he grabbed his wallet from the console. "Let's go get your candy."

Kate stepped backwards in front of Castle who was strolling along the sidewalk half observing her and prepared to rescue any potential fall. Like her, he ate his ice cream. He was a little wary she might stumble but she was being careful and she knew he was guiding her to ensure she didn't walk into anything. She had her favourite brown leather handbag slung over her left shoulder, a pink and white striped paper bag almost full to brim with sweets nest in the top of the bag and an ice cream in her right. She wore some of the pinkish ice cream about her lips reminding him of last night. Her hair was threatening to stick in it each time the light bursts of breeze swept it up.

Castle had a strong urge to take a picture of her, particularly this moment, so he could remember it forever. She was adorable. With a decision made, his ice cream cone in his left hand he silently pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket, pretending he'd felt it buzz. He held it up, smiling, "Katie? Look at me, Honey."

She gave him a broad grin that spread rapidly over her entire face. Her hair was everywhere, ice cream was over her lips and her eyes glistened. He tapped the on screen button and captured the moment very satisfied.

"Cute," she remarked.

He smiled. "Very. You have no idea how cute you are."

"Let me see, Rick." She stopped stepping and waited for him to close the space between them. He showed her the photo which caused her to laugh and wipe her mouth with the back of her left hand.

"Turn around and I'll take both of us."

She instantly spun about so he wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

He held out his phone, leaned into her head and whispered, "I want you." He deliberately gave it a second then took the picture. Kate then turned to kiss him. He tasted the sweet strawberry ice cream on her lips and tongue. He took another photograph. Seconds later she held her cone to his lips knowing he would like some. He had a small bite then held his chocolate cone to Kate. She put her mouth over the ice cream and looked seductively as Rick as she did so.

They ate the cones with a stroll along the row of stores. At the end nearest the car there was a gift store where they window shopped for a few minutes.

"What would we do if we got caught by someone we knew here?" Kate suddenly asked.

"I don't know. I'm waiting for some reader to recognize me, with you."

Kate scoffed, "Fat chance of that." She smiled as he pulled a face at her.

"It will be more fun in LA next week, especially when we're at the fancy dress party."

"Yeah, about that."

Rick stopped eating and stared at her. "Please don't pull out on me.."

"Castle. I'm coming with you. What I meant was, I think I have an idea of who we should go as."

"Tell me."

"Vivian and Edward."

"Who?"

She raised an eyebrow with the expectation he would know who she was referring to. "You don't know?"

"No. Will you look sexy dressed as Vivian?"

She smirked. "Yes, if I wear a certain outfit. And a little slutty. Actually, I would say slutty more than sexy." She nodded in confirmation of her decision, amused by Rick not know who they were. He was fishing in his pocket.

"No." She declared, "You can't Google it."

"Oh c'mon. Are they from some chic flick?"

"Of course."

He had it. He pointed a sharp finger at her. "Got it, Baby. Pretty Woman. You will dress up in the hooker outfit?"

"Of course. So long as you go with the grey hair."

"The long boots?"

"Already own a pair."

"No!" He said in disbelief.

She laughed, "I do."

"The ones you wore last night?"

"Higher. To my thighs."

He leaned against the post with his arm for support. "You're gonna kill me."

"Let's go, Castle." She walked off towards the Ferrari, laughing at his behavior.

"You really own a pair of slutty boots." He said once he was settled in the car. Kate was now fishing around in her bag of sweets and put a sweet in front of his mouth.

"Of course. I wear them in the winter with jeans, if I go out."

"The girl who plays Detective Beckett."

"Me." She replied.

"Where does she go when she's off duty?"

She glared at him. "What do you mean? I'm a cop, Castle. I have to be serious. I came out of the academy top of the class with records that to this day remain mine and I was the youngest woman to become a homicide detective. You're not Richard Castle the writer around me."

"No. I'm just a regular guy."

"Who drives a Ferrari."

"You allow me to be feminine when I've spent the past eight or so years being more masculine." She said, and he instantly lifted her skirt up her leg and placed his hand on her thigh.

"Thank you." He sincerely replied.

"Huh?" She queried.

"For telling me I make you feel like a woman should."

Kate put the bag of sweets into her purse then sat still looking out the front window at the straight road ahead between an avenue of forest, her mind totally focused on what he'd just said and the feel of his palm sliding up and down her thigh. Since they had started dating, he had woken her body and mind up like no other man had. A generous lover, devoted boyfriend who invested in them.

She put her hand over his, and said, "You are sunshine on a cloudy day, Rick."

He gave her thigh a squeeze. "I bed there's many layers to this onion."

She smiled, "You have no idea."

Fifteen or so miles further along the road, unable to drive any further without risking their lives, Castle slowed the car and turned into a rest area. He braked the vehicle between two trees near a picnic table and threw the car into park, a groan escaping him as he peered down upon the mass of dark hair at his groin.

"Oh God, Kate," he mumbled, "Jesus fucking Christ, please don't stop."

Kate laughed but didn't stop what she was doing. Rick's head tilted back and his eyes closed. He relaxed focusing on the way in which his girlfriend delivered pleasure to him. A hand to her back, the other in her hair.

"You are such a good girl, Katie." He uttered, then held his breath. Seconds after, he gasped in response to what she did. He opened his eyes to look down at his girlfriend. Then what she did caused his body to stiffen. He clenched his eyes shut trying to hold off. It was impossible.

"Fucking Geezus, Beckett," he blurted, unable to hold back his body's response to Kate's actions. Minutes later then he re-opened his eyes, Kate push herself up to a sit smiling at him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes watery.

"You like it." She sat back in her seat, and guzzled what was left of a bottle of water, rather pleased at what she could do for this man.

"Detective Beckett," he laughed, then took a deeper breath trying to regain his heart rate, "You are such a naughty girl. Don't change. Please don't change." He tidied his clothing, panting heavily and repeatedly glanced at her face.

"To a good vacation, Castle."

"To a good holiday, Beckett. C'mere." He requested and she immediately leaned over giving him a kiss. "Thirsty work?"

"Surprisingly so."

He started the car, backed it up and drove away with a satisfied smile, giving his girlfriend's leg a healthy pat, unable to hold back the laugh of genuine satisfaction. "I so love having you around."

"Me too."

"You broke in the car, Honey." He teased.