Snowed In

Chapter 13

With hurried steps, Kate made her way to the kitchen. The room was already filled with a delightful aroma, and she allowed herself the briefest of moments to savor the smell, nostalgic memories from her childhood manifesting in her mind of happy times with family around the table on snowy days.

"So sorry I'm late," she exclaimed, rushing over to grab an apron off the hook. She pulled the white and red checkered material on and secured the tie around her waist. "Time sort of slipped by."

Aunt Theresa cast her a sidelong look. "Don't fret, dear, I knew you were talking with Herb. It does him good having you about."

Kate smiled softly, thinking of her conversation with her uncle. "It does me good, too," she said quietly, yet loud enough that her aunt could overhear.

Theresa offered a warm smile, before wagging a finger at her favorite niece. "You should visit more often, Kate," she insisted. "We always like having you around."

"I know, I know, I… I've just been busy," Kate defended, though it sounded like a lame excuse when spoken out loud. She moved to help cut up some vegetables for the chicken and sausage stew that was already simmering on the stove. She frowned, spotting an extra pot.

Theresa noticed and explained, "Oh… the Gilberts are vegetarians."

Nodding, Kate washed her hands and then grabbed a knife, setting to work dicing up the carrots that had been awaiting her.

"How's my Herbie doing?" Theresa asked as she stirred the pot.

"Better, I think," Kate said. "But still fatigued."

"Doctors said he'd be like that for a week or two."

"He said he was going to do a little bit of reading before dinner," Kate informed.

Her eyebrows knitted together at a sudden realization. No. She shook her head. Her mind was just playing tricks on her. Yet… Damn. She pursed her lips together to suppress a smirk. She had seen her Uncle Herb reach for the book on his nightstand, only from her periphery, but—oh yes—she recognized the cover.

A Calm Before The Storm.

One of Castle's Derrick Storm novels.

Kate shook her head again. She didn't believe in coincidences. Shifting her gaze up, she glanced at her aunt, and wondered if Theresa just happened to also be reading a Richard Castle book at the moment.

"Read any good books lately?" she asked, in a teasing, knowing tone.

While her expression remained impassive, the rest of her body language gave her away. "You could say that, Kate, Yes."

Kate grinned. "You two are incorrigible."

Theresa turned and offered her a crooked smirk. "Seemed fitting, I thought, considering our celebrity guest."

"I didn't even know you still had copies of his books," Kate noted. She was still struggling over the previous day's revelation that her aunt and mother had both been fans of Castle's work. While she'd known about her mother's interest in Castle's books, finding out her aunt had always shared that interest was still something new.

"Oh, I didn't," Theresa asserted. "I've always liked his books, but they're not mine. I didn't buy them."

Kate frowned. "Then how… Oh."

Theresa's smile widened in triumph as she witnessed Kate come to the realization.

"Yes," she confirmed. And with too much delight in the telling.

"I… I didn't realize I'd left copies here," she said.

"Only three," Theresa informed her with a wink.

Kate narrowed her eyes, trying to remember leaving them, but it had been so long since her last visit. She could only imagine what Castle's reaction to this would be. His head would probably grow ten times it's normal size. The guy definitely didn't need any help boosting his ego.

"You know," Theresa was saying, "I can see why you enjoy them. They're not literary masterpieces—"

"Don't let Castle hear you say that," Kate found herself saying out loud. Oops. She'd only meant to think that.

Theresa flashed her a knowing smirk. "But they are entertaining," she paused, leaning closer and offering a mischievous wink. "I particularly like those love scenes between Derrick and Clara. Steamy."

"Not listening," Kate hummed, returning to her task of chopping up the carrots.

Theresa let out a raucous laughter. "Oh, Kate… dear, for someone who had such a wild phase, you've become surprisingly bashful as you've grown up."

"Just around family," Kate muttered. "Somethings are just too personal to share."

"You're so like your father in that regard," Theresa noted. "My brother doesn't like sharing."

"Oversharing," Kate interjected. "That's what you do, Aunt Theresa. It's called oversharing."

She laughed again. "I'm open and honest, what's wrong with that."

"A little privacy doesn't hurt anybody," Kate insisted, casting a side-eye at her aunt.

Theresa let out a joyous laugh, and wrapped an unprepared Kate into a warm hug. She softened immediately, welcoming the embrace, and returned it.

"Oh, I love you, Kate," Theresa declared, before withdrawing and fixing her disheveled apron. "Now… let's get these carrots into the stew. And then I think you should go check on your Mr. Castle and make sure he isn't passed out or something. The man has been holed up in his suite practically all day. Pity too. He missed the excellent BLT and cucumber sandwiches I made for lunch."

Before she could even object to her aunt's use of the possessive, with regards to Richard Castle and herself, Theresa was gathering up the cutting board and taking the chopped-up carrot slices towards the simmering pots of stew. Kate didn't bother hiding her eyeroll, and decided not to argue. She untied her apron and tossed it back on the hook as she made her way towards the door.

"Two hours."

"Huh?" Kate jerked back and frowned.

"The stew," Theresa explained with a knowing look. "It'll be ready in about two hours. So… take your time."

Kate narrowed her eyes at her aunt, which only made the older woman smile all the more. Shaking her head, Kate turned and made her escape before her aunt could notice the blush that started forming on her cheeks as she started pondering all the possible ways Richard Castle and her could fill those two hours.

XXX

He leaned back with a sigh of satisfaction.

He'd done it.

He'd actually done it.

Wow.

It surprised and pleased him all at once.

Richard Castle was writing again. Truly writing. The wall that blocked his path, obscured his creativity, had been bulldozed down. And it was all thanks to a homicide detective with gorgeous brown eyes and a tragic past hiding behind those lovely eyes. Kate Beckett was inspiring him like no muse before. And he hadn't even slept with her yet.

He let out a little chuckle at the thought.

Yet was the operative word.

Still… he didn't want to push his luck. Because unlike some of the women he'd been attracted to, there was something more to his attraction to Kate Beckett than the physical appeal, which was considerable. He'd never would have expected stumbling upon a homicide detective that looked more like a runway model than… well… than a homicide detective.

Yes. There was definitely something to that. Like his reading of her the other day. Kate Beckett definitely had more socially acceptable options available to her, but then something tragic had happened, altering her life's path, ultimately resulting in her chosen profession of law enforcement.

Someone close to her had died, and the killer had never been caught. He was almost certain of that. Boyfriend? Mother? Father?

Father…

He tapped his chin as he thought.

Castle was an observant man. And he had noticed the black OMEGA watch on her wrist. It was large on her slim delicate wrist. A man's wristwatch. Her father's perhaps?

He shook his head, not yet sure. And felt something unusual.

What was that in the pit of his stomach, working its way up?

Speaking of watches… Castle arched his neck towards the rotary clock radio—almost the same kind that was in the movie Groundhog Day—that sat on his bedside table. Wow! His eyes grew wide as he noticed the time.

Now that hadn't happened in a long, long time.

Richard Castle was a man who liked his meals. And it had been a long time since he'd been so in the zone with his writing that he hadn't registered the passage of time or skipped a meal. A smile grew on his face at the thought, and its implicit meaning.

Just as that happy notion struck, Castle was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden rapping, a rapping on his chamber door.

Yes, okay. He was a Poe fan, why else would he'd change his middle name to Edgar?

Castle stood up a little too fast, and nearly plopped back down into his chair. A grimaced touched his face as he stretched his stiff legs. He really had been in the zone. Turning, Castle walked a little disjointedly over to the suite's door, shook his legs a bit to help get the blood flowing again, and then reached for the door handle.

"Ah! Kate," he grinned, and was about to make a joke to cover up his excitement at seeing her but held back when he saw the tentative, almost bashful expression on her beautiful face. Instead of humor, he sobered and asked, "What is it?"

"Can we talk?" her voice lacked the normal confidence he'd come to expect from his new muse.

"Um… yeah, sure, come in," he stepped back to allow her entrance.

Kate brushed past him and walked into the room, wringing her hands together in what appeared to be nervous energy. Castle closed the door and slowly turned to watch her pace the small space, her eyes looking everywhere but at him.

He approached her, cautious, as one would with a spooked animal. With a tentative hand, he touched her shoulder, startled when she jerked slightly in reaction to it.

"What is it?"

"You," was all she said.

"Um?" his brow furrowed in confusion. "What about me?"

"I… I don't know," she stammered out, and sighed, combing her hair back from her face. "I just don't know. But ever since you came here everything has just… I… I don't… I can't seem to stop thinking about… about you."

He had to suppress the grin at that. Her eyes were watching him now, and Castle had a strong suspicion she wouldn't approve of any form of smugness from him at present. Besides, the blush that accompanied that admission was adorable. Castle noted that Kate also looked utterly embarrassed and startled by the fact she'd said any of that out loud.

So instead of crowing about it all, Castle opted to do something he rarely did with women as of late, and that was be completely open and honest. Because with those other women, it hadn't been real. For him. Or for them. It had all been about the association with a semi-famous author and their hope of getting their picture in the papers while with him.

"I could say the same about you," he responded.

Kate blinked. "What!?"

This time he allowed himself a smirk. "Oh, please, don't act so surprised. I've made it no secret that I'm attracted to you." He batted his eyes at her. "You even caught me staring at your ass."

She straightened a bit. "Yeah, I did notice."

"And I asked you out to lunch," he reminded.

"I wasn't entirely sure about that," she admitted. "Was it a date? Or were you just gathering information for a character or book?"

He offered her a shrug as he stepped closer to her. "Couldn't it be both?"

Kate narrowed her eyes and purposely moved back to create some distance between them. "Okay. Okay. So… character or book?"

He pursed his lips and swallowed. "Funny you should ask about that."

"Why?"

Castle moved around her and gestured towards his laptop on the writing desk. "My editor sent me here so that I would be secluded, away from any distractions."

Kate finally cracked a smile, which made him smile as well. Their eyes met as they silently shared the same thought.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I failed there." He winked. "But… I did gain inspiration."

She licked her lips and his eyes dropped to follow the motions. "Me."

"Yes." he asserted, amazed at how surprised she'd seemed. He'd thought it was obvious from their previous conversations. "You."

Her brow knitted together in what might be called a frown or perhaps a grimace or… he wasn't quite certain really. Perhaps even uncertainty. He swallowed, anxiously waiting her judgment.

"I… I don't know how to feel about that," was her eventual response.

"Most would be flattered," he submitted, and then tilted his head as he regarded her. "But you aren't most."

Her eyes jerked up to his, large and expressive, saying so much more than words could. He stifled the triumphant grin. Yes. She was flattered, just not sure how she was supposed to react or feel about that. Interesting.

"So… is that what you've been doing in here all day?" she asked, crossing her arms and turning away from him to stare down at his laptop. "Writing?"

"Yep," he nodded.

She spun back around, her eyes alight with a kind of excitement he hadn't expected. He worked hard to suppress the smirk. Yes. She really was a fan.

"Can I read it?"

Her question threw him off his game. He blinked. "Um… It's a very rough draft. And I don't think… that… well, I mean… It's just four chapters, and I really don't have that much of a story yet, just the beginnings of a case, perhaps, with some character introductions. And I don't really like sharing works in progress, though I have to make an exception with Gina, since she is my editor. And… did I mention it was a very rough draft?"

Okay? Why was he so nervous? He thought.

"I'm reading it," she stated as if it was fact, with no room for argument. She leveled him with a glare that he figured many sweated underneath in the interrogation room. "I'm your inspiration. Right?"

"Uh… yeah," Castle smiled. "My muse."

Kate narrowed her eyes at that appellation, apparently not entirely pleased with it. "Don't… don't call me that."

"But you are," he asserted. "You can't deny that."

"I don't like… the implications."

"Why? Are those implications so bad."

She frowned at that. "No… not exactly. Just…"

"Just what?" he prompted when she trailed off.

Kate let out a sigh and looked up at him with almost pleading eyes. "Is that all I am? Just your muse?"

Castle drew in a shaky breath. "No," he answered, honest, wanting her to believe it. Because for the first time in a long while, not only was he writing again, but his heart, which had been hurt so much was beginning to have hope again that something real was possible.

Kate nodded slowly, taking in his sincerity. She looked at him for a long interval, and he nearly squirmed under her scrutinizing gaze. Finally, it seemed she made a decision. She drew her bottom lip under her teeth as she glanced at him from underneath hooded eyelids. "CastleFan47."

Once again thrown off guard, Castle cocked his head and looked at her with a bewildered expression. "What?"

"My username," Kate said. "CastleFan47."

"Oh," his brow wrinkled as he pondered the significance of her admitting something he thought she'd never admit. "Why tell me?"

"I wanted you to know I'm a fan."

"I'd already guess that."

She inched closer to him. "If you're going to base a character off me, I want approval rights."

He raised a hand in objection. "Now, hold on. That's not fair. You can't stifle my creativity like that."

Kate planted her hands on her hips and offered him a stern look. "You want to mine my life for ideas, then you better damn agree, or else."

Castle almost parried with the traditional response of "Or else what?" But refrained. The look in her shining eyes told him that she could most definitely back up whatever threats she issued. And he didn't doubt that one bit. Besides, if he wanted more out of her than simple inspiration, then he would have to make some concessions. But… so would she.

"All right," he hedged. "But… you have to promise to allow me a rebuttal."

She thought of that for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

Castle let out a sigh of relief. A writer needed to protect his artistic integrity, after all, no matter how alluring his adversary was. And then his humorous nature took over once again, and he remembered how this all started with her confession that she couldn't stop thinking about him. But before he could really think about it, the joke came spilling out of his mouth.

"Shall we seal this deal with a kiss?" he asked, chuckling slightly, expecting a punch in the shoulder or even a slap in the face. He even braced for it.

But he forgot one thing about Kate Beckett. She wasn't like any other woman he'd known before. She just kept surprising him. And probably would, for however long she permitted him to infiltrate her life, which he hoped was a long while, as he very much enjoyed the time he'd spent with her so far, despite how brief it had been. He just wanted more.

More time with her. And more… so much more of Kate Beckett.

"Is that a promise?" Kate teased, inching closer to him.

His breath caught as she looked up at him with liquid eyes of fire, pure need and desire reflecting back. Her gaze briefly dropped to his lips before snapping back up to his eyes. He acted on instinct, trusting that she wouldn't punch him, and reached for her, wrapping his arms around her slim waist. She came willingly. Her mouth dropped slightly, issuing a breath of hot air. He tugged her closer, and dipped his head down, closing his eyes as their noses bumped.

Kate withdrew a bit, yet stayed within his arms. Her brow creased with uncertainty. "I won't be just another conquest," she declared, eyes afire with determination.

"You won't," he promised, a little astonished that he actually meant it.

She narrowed her eyes.

"The playboy image… it's really just a façade," he said, praying for her to believe him, because it was the truth. That wasn't who he really was.

A look passed over her eyes as she averted her gaze for a lingering second. "Then kiss me, Castle. Like you mean it."

Her hands moved up to cup his face as she pushed up on her toes. Castle dipped his head down and met her halfway. And their mouths met in a kiss quite unlike any kiss he'd ever experienced in his entire life.

It was raw.

It was passionate.

It was… real.