Snowed In

Chapter 10

After a quick shower and shave, Castle was half-jogging down the stairs. Despite the situation, he was looking forward to spending some quality time with the off-duty NYPD detective. Just the brief time he'd already spent with her had ignited a fire of creativity, stoking his dormant imagination into overdrive and finally busting down that wall that had long tormented him. He now had a complete profile of a main character for his next book—series of books, if he was lucky. All he needed now was a story to go along with Detective Nikki Heat.

The inspiration for his imaginations was waiting for him in the lobby, just as she'd said. Kate Beckett was leaning against the front check-in counter, her hair tied up into a messy bun, exposing the elegant column of her throat to his eager eyes. He couldn't help but admire the gentle curve that connected her neck to her shoulders. He licked his lips, finding it difficult not to imagine nibbling his way down her neck until he made her giggle or swoon… or both.

Castle gave his head a shake and hurried down the final steps.

"Hi," he grinned, and was pleased when she returned his smile.

"Hi," she greeted, holding up a red parka in one hand and a pair of ankle high rubber bootsin the other. "You might need these. They're my uncle's, so I'm not sure they'll fit, but… I think you're both about the same size."

"I'll try them on and see." Castle accepted the offered parka and boots, and immediately set about removing his own shoes. He tried one of the boots on, and wiggled his toes. "It'll work."

With boots on and properly laced tightly, Castle stood and shrugged on the parka over his gray and green plaid-patterned flannel shirt, and zipped it up. Kate stepped up to him and his heart seemed to skip a beat as she reached up and smoothed the shoulder pads, straightening the parka jacket on his broad frame until it fit just right.

"There," she said, nodding it approval, before stepping back and attempting to conceal a slight blush. She blinked a few times, and then that mask of hers was back in place, hiding whatever it was she was feeling, though, despite her best efforts, Castle could still see the hints of that blush on her cheeks. "This way, Castle."

He followed her behind the counter, and she opened a door that led into a hallway.

"You know, you could call me Rick," he reminded.

"Huh?"

"You keep calling me by my last name," he elaborated. Not that he minded. It was kind of sexy how she barked out his last name.

"Oh?" Kate's brow furrowed adorably. "Sorry, it's just habit. At work we always refer to each other by our last names."

He thought about it for a moment as she continued down the hallway towards a door at the opposite end. "Actually, I don't mind," he decided. "You can call me whatever you want."

Kate flicked an amused look at him over her shoulder and pursed her lips in a tight smirk. "Okay, Writer Boy."

Writer Boy?

"Um… no… no, I think you mean Writer Man," he asserted, very vehemently. He didn't want there to be any confusion on the matter. "I'm very much a man. And am more than willing to provide evidence, should you so wish."

She rolled her eyes. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

"No. No I do not."

Her eyes alighted with mirth, and he grinned as their gazes locked. Something about making her happy made him happy. He didn't know why, but it did. The spark of electricity seemed to buzz about them as they stared at each other, before she pulled her eyes away and turned back towards the door.

"Well, try and control yourself, if that's even possible."
"I'll try my best," he mumbled.

Kate pushed the door open and they entered the kitchen, where Mrs. Hollister was busy stirring a large pot of oatmeal.

"Oh, Mr. Castle, thank you so much for helping our Katie," Theresa Hollister said, greeting him with a warm smile. "It comforts the mind knowing she won't be out in that terrible weather alone."

"Happy to help," Castle said with a smile.

"That's grand of you," Kate's aunt said. "I'll keep some oatmeal warm for you both."

"Thanks, Aunt Theresa, we shouldn't be too long," Kate interjected, clearly wanting to get going.

She jerked her head for him to follow, and Castle offered Mrs. Hollister a brief nod, before hurrying after Kate. They walked past a breakfast nook that look very cozy, and he couldn't help but imagine snuggling in the corner with the gorgeous brunette.

Kate opened a door with a frosted window pane that took them out onto a covered porch. There was a noticeable drop in temperature, and Castle was unable to suppress the shiver that ran up his spine. He watched as Kate tugged a North Face beanie over her messy bun and adjusted it until it was fitted tightly, covering most of her crown. With all her hair concealed underneath the beanie, the classic beauty of her facial structure was highlighted even more without the tumble of brunette tresses framing her lovely face. It was further heightened by the fact she wore minimal makeup, giving her an au naturel look.

"What's wrong, Castle? Having second thoughts?" she quipped.

It was then that he realized he must have been frozen in place, with his mouth slightly ajar. He quickly offered up his trademark smirk, and glanced up into her eyes.

"Just admiring the view."

She raised her perfect eyebrows, taken aback by his not-so-subtle reply.

"Here," she snapped, shaking it off, and slapping a pair of gloves into his hands.

Castle chuckled as he pulled the gloves on and followed her towards the screen door that swung out into the backyard. Snow flurries were coming down fast and furious, and the wind carried an icy chill on its fingers. Kate pulled her hood up over her head and Castle did so as well.

"Careful, the steps could be slippery," Kate announced as she slowly made her way down.

Taking heed of her warning, Castle descended the wooden steps with caution and joined her on the thick snow-covered ground. Unable to help himself, he bent down and scooped up a handful of the white icy powder, easily forming it into a small ball. Kate narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not going to throw it at you," he assured. "I'm not a child."

He dropped the clump of snow back down and when he turned back to follow her, a compacted clump of snow smacked him in the right shoulder.

"What the—?"

A delightful sound came from Kate as she giggled. "You should see your face!" she declared, flushed with mirth and triumph.

Castle let out a laugh and scooped back up a small snowball. He moved fast and swung his arm, tossing the small projectile at his female companion. Kate let out a little adorable shriek as it struck her in the side as she tried dodging. They both soon descended into a shared fit laughter at their childish antics.

It struck him again. This woman was really unlike any other woman before her. Underneath that reserved and controlled façade she wore for the world, she was far more playful. It was probably a side of her she hid from most people, and he felt privileged that she felt comfortable enough with him to allow him to see it. He very much looked forward to helping her come more out of her shell, because seeing her this happy and carefree was very nice, and it made him feel certain things he never thought he'd ever feel again.

Kate held up her hands when he bent down to scoop up another snowball. "Okay, that's enough," she declared, the hints of her enjoyment over the fun still floating around in her voice.

"You're no fun," he grumbled good naturedly.

"Oh, Castle, you have no idea," she grinned at him, an almost mischievous look in her eyes that had him shivering, and not from the cold. She let out another amused laugh, and grabbed his arm, jerking her head to the left. "Come on. The shed's this way."

They both tucked their hands into the pockets on their parkas and curled into themselves to combat the chilly wind as they trudged towards the shed. The packed snow crunched under their footsteps, and Castle briefly glanced up to see nothing but heavy snow clouds above and beyond on the horizon. He stayed as close as possible to her as she led the way, head ducked down to avoid the onslaught of snow falling down from above.

When they reached the shed, Kate reached up to an electronic keypad and punched in a code. The device beeped and she grunted, entering the passcode for a second time. Again, an error beep sounded. Letting out a huff of dissatisfaction, Kate yanked one glove off and this time the keypad accepted the numbered sequenced she punched in. A happy little chime sounded, and there was an audible clunk as the bolts unlocked.

"Here, help me open the door," Kate ordered.

Castle stepped forward and wrapped his gloved fingers around the handle. He let out a soft grunt as he tugged. Kate huffed.

"Again," she said. "On three."

He nodded. Kate counted down, and together they pulled back and the snow packed at the bottom of the door gave way against their combined pressure, and an opening emerged.

Kate ducked in first, and Castle followed hastily. It was bitterly cold inside, as the shed wasn't built with insulation in mind. He noticed Kate's slender body shiver, and without asking for permission stepped close to her and brushed the snow from her shoulders before then wrapping his arms around her and hugging her close for warmth.

"I'm fine," she all but growled as she nudged him away, but he couldn't help but notice that her action only seemed halfhearted. And beyond the gentle shove, she didn't offer up any other form of reprimand.

Kate pushed her hood back and dug a flashlight out of her pocket. She flicked it on and shined the beam around the interior of the shed before landing on the emergency generator. Castle hugged his arms around his torso after pushing his hood back as he tried to adapt to the chill. He forced his legs forward and he narrowed his eyes to examine the generator.

Derrick Storm had to deal with a similar kind of emergency power generator in one of his books, but that also involved diffusing a bomb attached to the thing. That obviously wasn't the case here, so he was a bit at a lost.

He glanced to Kate for instruction, and a pleased look flashed across her pretty face. Castle guessed it had to do with the fact that he wasn't automatically taking charge because he was a man and this was man's work, but instead was more than willing to follow her lead.

"There should be a fuel gauge on the right side," she said, pointing. "Check that while I check the lines and the pipes on the other side."

"Yes ma'am."

She chuckled at that, and he flashed her a playful wink.

Castle moved over to the indicated side while Kate maneuvered over to the other. The fuel gauge was easy to spot, and he tapped the plastic covering as he studied the readout. Nodding to himself, he trudged around to the other side to see her kneeling on the cold floor.

"The tank is full," he announced.

"Good," she said, maintaining her focus on the cables and piping in the back, meticulous in her inspection. "There should be three or four back up fuel cans against the side wall."

"I'll check," he said, turning and easily spotting the four red fuel cans. He shuffled over to them and picked each up with a little bit of effort. He returned and gave her a thumbs up. "Your aunt and uncle are clearly prepared."

"That would be my uncle, yes," Kate confirmed with a small smile. "Hope for the best. Plan for the worse. That's one of his sayings."

She stood up and patted the dirt from her knees. "Cables look good, and the pipes all seem to be clear."

"Good," his teeth chattered. "Perhaps we can head back inside then."

"Just one more thing," she promised, hurrying over to the right side of the device. "I wanna run a starter test to make sure it works."

"And you know how to do that?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Kate laughed, and it was glorious. "It's not that hard. Just pressing a few buttons and waiting for a positive or negative score."

Castle followed and stopped to look over her shoulder as she flipped a panel open by the fuel gauge. There were a series of buttons and a small screen, like one from a calculator. Castle watched as she pressed a blue button and there was a soft electronic hum, followed by a loud banging clunk noise that made him jump in start. Kate glanced back at him and smirked.

"Not funny," he groused.

"Kind of funny."

He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.

Kate rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "You're such a child."

Turning back around, she pressed down and held the blue button, while tapping a green button twice, and then punching a red button. There was a whirling kind of noise, like spinning fans, and the electronic hum intensified for a few seconds before it became silent. Kate narrowed her eyes as she read the little screen.

"Starter test comes back positive," she announced.

"All good?"

"All good," she confirmed, releasing the blue button. The little screen went black, and she flipped the panel cover shut over the control console. "We can go back now."

"Good, because I'm freezing my magnificent ass off," Castle informed her with a self-deprecating grin.

Kate chuckled, and he noticed that she didn't correct him about his magnificent ass. Score one point for me, he thought with delight.

"Hey, Castle, you coming?"

He blinked, startled to realize that he'd been so absorbed in thought that he hadn't notice she'd already made her way back to the door and had pulled her hood back up.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, hastily moving to catch up, tugging his hood up.

They shoved the door open with their combined strength, pushing against the renewed pack of snow that had piled up outside while they'd been examining the generator. Once outside, Castle slammed the door shut, and Kate reengaged the lock.

Before they departed, Castle turned to her and offered her his arm, but unlike the previous day outside the pub, Kate didn't hesitate, immediately hooking her arm around his and leaning into his side as they headed back for the Bed & Breakfast. He grinned as they huddle close against the driving onslaught of wind and snow.

Back inside the covered porch, Kate unzipped her parka and yanked the beanie off her head. She reached up and loosened the messy bun, letting her hair tumble back down to her shoulders. Letting out a sigh, she stepped towards the kitchen door and paused, glancing back at Castle as he tugged on the zipper to his parka.

"Damn thing is stuck," he grunted.

She approached him with a skeptical look, as if she thought he was putting on some childish act. But he wasn't. It really was stuck. And it was her fault. He'd gotten distracted when she released her hair and he tried unzipping the jacket too fast. But he didn't want her to know that.

Kate pursed her lips when she realized it wasn't some ploy, and she reached up, swatting his hands away. "Let me."

She grabbed the zipper and pulled it all the way back up to his neck. He gulped at her close proximity. He noticed how her gaze dropped to watch the bob of his throat, and his pulse quickened with the slow beginnings of a longing he knew so very well. She chewed on her lower lip, and then flicked her eyes up to his, and then she gave the zipper a proper yank and tugged it down, freeing him from the confines of the parka.

He let out a mild gasp, finally feeling like he could breathe, as if he was just emerging from a cocoon.

"There you go," she said with a smile, lightly patting his chest.

"Thanks," he muttered, and watched as she sauntered away.

Castle heaved in a deep breath, allowing himself a soft smile. Oh yes, he thought, being snowed in with Kate Beckett was going to be fun.