Back alley bar.
She'd had her doubts when Alex Conrad called to personally invite her to the launch of his latest novel. Almost two years ago she promised Castle that she was a one-writer girl, and that promise meant more to her than it did before now that her writer was also her lover. So, she politely declined the invitation, claiming that she - unfortunately - had too much paperwork that needed to be prioritised. What she hadn't expected was for Castle to come to the precinct the next day excitedly gushing about how he had secured VIP invitations for the whole team.
"Conrad said that without the information you, Espo and Ryan gave him he never would have been able to write a five-book series. He just wanted to thank you guys," Castle had explained to ease her doubts. "And me, for being so willing to share my resources," he added, which made her laugh more than she should have.
Castle hadn't been thrilled to learn that Conrad had already invited her, but the knowledge that she had declined seemed to soften that blow a little bit.
Flash forward to the night of the launch party and she was glad she had rescinded that declined invitation.
Black Pawn had reserved the VIP lounge of a new bar in the heart of Manhattan; somewhere she usually would not have been drawn to, but she was enjoying herself nonetheless. Good music, expensive champagne, engaging conversation and plenty of laughter all made for a good night but as midnight approached she began to crave the one thing she hadn't been allowed tonight: a quiet moment with her man.
Castle had spent the majority of the night schmoozing and networking - an obligation that came along with being a best-selling novelist, apparently - and, although his attention had drifted back to her throughout the night, she was more than ready for that attention to be undivided.
"Would you excuse me for just one moment?" she uttered absent-mindedly to the small group of people conversing around her.
She made her way through the slowly dwindling crowd, her eyes locked to Castle as he chatted to Conrad. His eyes lifted to where she had been standing and his face dropped almost instantly when he saw she was no longer there. His eyes moved, searching the room for her. She stopped and waited for him to find her.
When his eyes settled on her, he smiled.
Ever so slightly, she tilted her head toward the back of the bar. His eyes flickered to a door marked 'staff only', then back to her and he nodded his understanding.
She checked her surroundings to make sure the coast was clear before she leant against the swinging door and let herself into the restricted area. She leaned back against the wall behind the door, out of sight, as she waited for Castle.
Just a few seconds passed before he pushed through and strode right past her, looking left and right for any sign of her.
She chuckled as she pushed off from the wall, walking past him. "Keep up, Castle."
He stepped quickly to catch up to her stride as they made their way through the kitchen. Thankfully, given the hour, there didn't seem to be anyone there.
Satisfied that they weren't likely to encounter anyone who actually knew them, he reached out for her hand and laced his fingers through hers.
She leant into the back door and nudged it open with her shoulder, leading him into the alleyway behind the bar. As soon as the door closed behind them, the sounds of music and laughter from the bar faded to near-silence.
She turned to face him, smile brightening as she slowly walked backward and led him further into the alley, away from distractions. In the absence of noise, of flashing lights and too many people, when it was just the two of them - exactly what she needed - she was finally able to focus on him, just him.
"What's going on?" he asked, his smile bright and eyes full of curiosity.
Her tongue pressed to her teeth as she smiled, playful and flirty. He knew exactly what was going on.
"I just wanted to tell you-" Her eyes drifted down his body and she took in each detail of him. "You look good tonight."
Her voice dropped - low and oozing with lust - and oh God, his heart was skipping several beats at a time.
He pulled at the hand that had remained connected with hers, bringing her body close to his.
His free hand fell to her waist; his palm fit the curve of her hip so perfectly.
"Well, there's someone here tonight that I really wanted to impress." The warmth of his coy whisper skirted along her cheek and left her breathless.
He knew what she wanted, why she brought him out here, but he would take his time. He slipped his fingers from hers and traced a long, slow line from the inside of her wrist, to the point of her elbow, to the curve of her shoulder. He smirked as he noticed the goosebumps that formed from the gentleness of his touch.
"Is it pathetic of me to say I missed you tonight?" he asked as he looked into the depths of her hazel eyes; bright and filled with adoration... and no small amount of lust.
She smiled and shook her head slightly. "No," she whispered. "I missed you, too."
Her mouth parted slightly and her eyes dropped to his lips; any plans he had to drag this out, to make her wait, had wholly dissipated.
His open mouth crashed against hers; self-control a thing of the past as he palmed the back of her head and kissed her deeply.
The material of his shirt crumpled in her fists as she held him close and arched her body into his, desperate for as much contact as physically possible.
She moaned as his tongue slicked along her bottom lip, burning heat sparked in her core and every inch of her became overwhelmed with desire.
"Please tell me you're ready to get out of here," Castle whispered, needy, against her mouth.
Her breath was heavy against his chin as she panted.
"Oh, I'm so ready."
She chuckled slightly before claiming his lips once more in a slow, languid kiss. She pulled back and looked into piercing blue eyes.
"We shouldn't leave together, though," she said reluctantly.
They'd already tempted fate tonight; if they wanted to keep their relationship private, they knew not to push too far.
"Right." He pulled his keys from his pocket and removed one from the chain, then passed it to her. "I'll meet you at the loft?"
She smiled and nodded, pressing one last, tender kiss to his lips before heading back toward the bar.
"Don't take too long," she called over her shoulder before disappearing behind the door.