Leaning against her bedroom door, Kate is frustrated. She's waited a few seconds too long and, now that Castle has returned to her room, it's too late. She lies back on the bed, her face buried in her hands, then sighs. Maybe it's for the best after all. It's obvious that Kate couldn't have resisted her. When she's with Castle, she feels safe. Anything can happen to her, she knows he's with her. He's got her back. She likes the way he looks at her, the way he talks about her, his relationship with Alexis... She's over his immaturity and self-centeredness because he's so much more than that.

But it's not the right time. The wall around Kate is still too high. She's not ready. Neither to admit how she feels about him, nor to let go. However, she hopes to get there one day. Can he wait for her a little longer? She hopes so, too. Kate gets out of bed, grabs a pair of pajamas and heads for the bathroom. Looking around, she can't help thinking of all the women who've been here. The kind of bimbo who often hangs out with Castle...

Why on earth would she think that? What an idiot. Could it be jealousy? Could be. To reassure herself, she thinks about what Castle said to her a few minutes earlier. The way he'd called her extraordinary... His way of getting into her soul every time he looked at her. She can easily drown in his ocean-blue eyes. It's getting harder and harder for Kate to fight. Sometimes she imagines herself melting under his body, the feel of his skin against hers, repeating their kiss...

Suddenly, she gasps and smacks herself back to reality. She's not allowed to imagine these things. Not right now. Especially since she's with Josh... Even if they're more like friends who sleep together and share a passion for motorcycles than a couple. Kate knows it won't last. It's a facade. She's trying to deflect her feelings for Castle by being with another man.

She's terrified. Terrified for the future, of the evolution of her relationship with Castle. Because with him it's not just a one-night stand, it could be for life. With these last thoughts, she takes a quick shower, puts on her pyjamas and lies down on the bed.

At the other end of the suite, Castle has locked himself in his room. He, too, is frustrated. The more the days go by, the more he realizes how much his desire for Kate is growing inside him. Three years at her side, bringing her coffee every morning just to see her smile... that says a lot about how he feels, doesn't it? He's incapable of turning back, of stopping. It's become much more than a collaboration, much more than research for his books. He feels useful, he becomes a better man, he creates links with simple people who don't come from the same world as him, and that pleases him. Not forgetting - and above all - Detective Kate Beckett... This fiery, independent, thoughtful woman who wants only one thing: justice. The justice she still hasn't got for her mother, but deserves more than anyone. He wants to be there when it happens. He won't let her down. He can't, anyway.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Castle sits on the edge of the bed and turns on the TV. He needs to focus his mind on something else, to put his brain on pause until sleep overcomes him. Watching the various programs without much conviction, he eventually comes across temptation lane and remembers the anecdote Kate told him a few days earlier. He smiles and wonders what to do. Should he tell Kate? Offer to watch it together? Leave her alone? In the end, he opts for option number two. He plucks up courage and heads for Kate's room. His heart beating unnaturally fast in his chest, he stands frozen in front of that damned door, hesitating. He takes a deep breath and knocks gently.

"Beckett... I've got something to show you."

Thirty seconds later, Kate opens the door dressed in shorts and a loose T-shirt, her hair a mess and her face lit by the setting sun. Castle looks at her intensely, finding her so natural, so beautiful... She clears her throat, slightly amused at the effect she can have on him, and begins to smile when he snaps back to reality.

"Can I come in?"

She shifts slightly to let him pass. She closes the door behind her and crosses her arms as she sees Castle fidgeting, searching for who knows what.

"Ah! There you are!"

"What do you want to show me, Castle?"

"The television!"

Kate raises her eyes to the sky, tenderized by Castle's excitement in front of her. Nothing makes him happy, like a child at Christmas. She found it annoying at first, but now she can't live without it.

"Seriously, Castle? You know I saw her on the way in?"

"Patience Beckett, what I'm about to show you will enchant you."

He zaps through the catalog offered by the TV and stops after finding the series. He turns back to Kate, who looks at him tenderly with a smile glued to her lips.

"Would you like to watch it together? Take your mind off things?"

"With pleasure, Castle."

Kate lies down on the bed while Castle starts an episode. He takes an armchair and settles himself on it, under his partner's astonished gaze. So as not to appear too vulnerable and explicitly ask him to come to her side, she prefers to verbalize otherwise.

"Castle, if your intentions are as pure as you claim, why don't you come next to me?"

He looks at Kate out of the corner of his eye, a little surprised by her request. He rises from the armchair, slightly embarrassed, and lies down beside his partner. The scent of her shampoo wafts up his nostrils, and he closes his eyes, suddenly overcome by a feeling of well-being.

"You smell like cherries."

"And you smell like fresh mint."

Kate turns her head in Castle's direction, searching for his gaze, which she soon meets. They gaze at each other, a gentle smile at the edges of their lips.

"Thanks, Castle."

"Always."

2 hours later.

Yet another episode of temptation lane has just ended. As the credits roll, Castle notices that Kate has fallen asleep. Her head resting on his shoulder, she looks so peaceful. He watches her chest gently rise and fall, and even hears her heartbeat. This image will remain engraved in his mind. The image of the one he loves pressed up against him, a few strands of hair falling over her face, her mouth slightly ajar. Castle knows he can't stay there, no matter how much he wants to. Kate might resent him... he doesn't want to make her angry, or worse: disappoint her.

As delicately as possible, he grabs her face with one hand and rests it on the pillow. He rises from the bed and notices that she's not covered. Despite the high temperatures in Los Angeles, she's likely to be a little chilly in the night. Castle looks for another sheet in a closet, takes one, unfolds it and covers Kate's body. He then fills a glass with water and leaves it on the bedside table before slowly leaving the room.

Castle returns to his and sighs heavily. Yes, however long it takes, he can wait for her. It's worth the wait. Katherine Houghton Beckett is worth it.

END