959. Chapter 959

After The Third Man

Episode 2.14

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, Harry Lime, or a zither. Rating: M Time: See Above.

The next week was even worse than the first week. Kate Beckett seemed to have an endlessly erotic imagination and used it to do everything she could to get Castle to at least make out with her.

Once they had gone to see Lanie, only to discover that the ME was at another crime scene. When Castle turned to leave, he saw Beckett was bent over one of the steel tables, with the world's most perfect ass in the air. Worse, her skinny jeans were riding down on her and he was positive she didn't have any panties on. "We'll have to see later, Lanie." He'd said, running for the door.

Once, when Captain Montgomery had gathered the whole floor together to read to them some administrative nonsense that One PP had insisted had to be read to everyone, Castle had tried to hide in the back. Suddenly, he found that Beckett was behind him, holding onto his belt to keep him from moving and leaning into his back, moving her boobs very slowly back and forth, up and down. He had never wanted a man to read faster in his life.

Then there was the time in the elevator at a crime scene. An elevator in a very tall building. He had gotten in first and moved to the back. Beckett stood right in front of him and then moved back, pushing her ass against his groin. He'd thought she'd stop when other passengers got on, but she kept pushing back while making sure that any incoming passenger could clearly see her badge, cuffs and sidearm. No one said a thing.

When he finally struggled home on Friday night, he went straight to the bar, poured three fingers of Scotch in a glass and headed for his office. He took one look at his laptop, which was telling him he should be writing and turned it off.

He had just about managed to clear his mind of everything that had happened in the prior week when there was a knock at his door. He walked to his door and opened it.

"Beckett? What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd drop by." She said as she walked in.

The first thing he noticed was that he could see her legs. But just her legs from the knees down. She had on a red coat that came down to her knees. Before he could say anything, she turned away from him.

"Help me off with my coat, Castle?" He could hear her unfastening the snaps.

"Beckett, what are you wearing under that?" He managed to choke out.

"Why, what do you think I'm wearing, Rick?" She teased.

She shrugged a bit and he could see part of one bare shoulder. "You know my mother and Alexis should be back anytime now."

"Really? When you talked to them on the phone at the precinct this afternoon Martha was in Chicago seeing a play, and Alexis was visiting a friend in Connecticut."

"You spied on me?" Castle was outraged.

"Not at all. I just happened to overhear you when you were talking to them. The bullpen isn't that private a place you know." Kate shrugged out of her coat. Rick caught it but was happy he didn't have to try to cover a naked Kate Beckett with it. She was wearing the same red dress that she'd had on the night he almost gotten shot by a snake smuggler. When he looked again, Beckett was seated on the couch.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked, hoping alcohol would dull her reactions.

"Red wine, if you have any."

He went to the bar and poured a glass for her.

"Pour one for yourself, too." She called to him. "Because of my dad's drinking problem I can't bear to drink by myself."

Cursing to himself, he poured a glass for himself. A small glass. He handed her the wine and sat on the other end of the couch, swinging his legs over so as to have his knees facing her.

He began to plan what to do. It'll take her a few seconds to undo the zipper on her dress. When she does….I'll run into my office. No, not the office. There are no walls there, just bookcases. She'll push the books onto the floor and wriggle in. The image of a naked Kate Beckett wriggling into his office through the bookcase stopped him cold. No, not the office. The bedroom. The bedroom? That's insane. That's exactly where she wants me. But if I can get to the bathroom, I can lock myself in. She's a cop. She can pick locks. The image of Beckett having her way with him on the cold Travertine tile floor of his bathroom was enough to make him start sweating. I'll go upstairs. What if she catches me on the stairs? I've never made love on a staircase. I've never heard of anyone doing it there. I wonder….No! I can't think that way. I'll go upstairs and go to….My mother's room? Her room is like an explosion in a psychedelic clothing store, I'd be scarred for life. Alexis' room? How could I ever face my daughter again if I made love to Beckett in her room, with her stuffed animals all lined up on her bed by height. The guest bedroom? That's the farthest. I'd never make it.

"Castle? Are you listening to anything I'm saying?" Beckett said, sounding annoyed.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was just a bit distracted by….being distracted."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll begin again." She stopped for a second to marshal her thoughts. "I was very different before my mom was murdered. I was outgoing, fun loving, happy, and a bit of a rebel. You wouldn't have recognized me in high school or at Stanford." She frowned. "That all changed. She died and it left a hole in my life that's never been filled. To compensate, I built a wall around myself. I thought if I kept everyone out of my life, never let them in. Never let them see the real me, I'd never be hurt. That didn't really work. When I had to give up solving her murder because I'd hit nothing but dead ends, it was like I had let her die all over again."

She gave him a smile. "You changed that. Yes, I know. I hated you for looking into her murder. But, if you hadn't, Dick Coonan would still be killing people, both with his stiletto and his heroin. You were right, I was wrong."

She laughed. "I've really put you through hell, these last two weeks, haven't I?"

"It's been a different experience, I can say that for sure." He said, unsure where this was going.

"Castle, you've convinced me that you're not looking for just another conquest, a one night stand, or a fling. You really might want something….more. I've decided I want more, too. I need more. So, I'd like you to take me out for a drink tonight and….she what happens. Okay?"

"A drink? You mean like a date?"

She shook her head. "Not like a date. We'd be on a date."

Castle could hardly believe his ears, but quickly grabbed a coat and rushed Beckett downstairs to hail a cab. She had chosen a little bar not too far from her apartment. She seemed to be more relaxed and open than previously, but Castle still wondered if suddenly the bartenders would lock the doors, the patrons would leave and Kate would have her way with him on top of the bar. He needn't have worried.

He walked her to her door and waited as she opened the door.

"I had a good time tonight, Castle."

"Me too. We should do this again sometime."

She raised an eyebrow." Oh?"

"Um, yeah. Would you like to go out again?" Castle hated that he suddenly sounded like he was fourteen.

"Where and when?"

"One of my mother's friends is in Jersey Boys, that was kind of her era, you know. Would you like to go? Say Saturday?"

"I'd love to." She reached up and quickly brushed her lips across hers. "Goodnight, Castle." She went inside and closed the door. Rick Castle felt like he didn't need the elevator. He could just float down to street level.

However, when he got to street level, he got a call from Beckett. "Sorry, Castle. We have a body. Do you want to come, or go home?"

"Detective Kate Beckett and a body? What more could I ask for?"

"I suppose I should be glad I got first billing there, Castle."

By the time they got back to Castle's loft on Saturday, a week later, they were exhausted.

"If you're going to see Jersey Boys you'd better hurry." Martha told them.

Rick shook his head. "We're beat. This was the worst murder case ever. The vic was a wealthy stockbroker. He was already dying and surrounded by greedy relatives. Everybody seemed to have a motive and opportunity."

"And he was a crook." Kate added. "He was running a huge Ponzi scheme. And the detective from Fraud we had to work with was four months from retirement and couldn't have cared less. Plus, he hated working with some "chick cop".

"And her third rate writer boyfriend." Rick added.

"Everyone one of the suspects was crooked. They stole from the vic, they stole from each other. One guy was blackmailing his son. A secretary had a son that she claimed was by the vic, but was actually by one of the vic's sons."

"We've never had a murder involving art forgeries before. I wonder if I could work that into a Nikki Heat book."

Martha sympathized. "Why don't I order Chinese for us all?"

After dinner, Rick sat on his couch with Beckett. Martha and Alexis had gone upstairs.

"Sorry. We didn't have much of a date tonight."

She smiled at him. "This was about all I could handle anyway. Can we try again next week?"

"Absolutely. There's a Hemingway week at the Angelika. They're showing For Whom the Bells Toll and To Have and To Have Not."

Kate frowned. "Hemingway's supposed to have not liked either one of those."

"We don't have to go." He said quickly. Then added. "It's so cool you know things like that."

Kate continued. "But I've never seen either one in a theater, just on TV where it's cut to fit a certain time slot, and with commercials. So, yes. I'd love to go."

"We can have dinner later, if you'd like."

"No place the paparazzi will see us." Kate said firmly.

"I know lots of place I can take my mother and Alexis. We'll be fine."

Kate snuggled up against him and he leaned in, very slowly, to kiss her. She closed her eyes and their lips met. They kissed softly at first, but then with more passion, their tongues exploring each other's mouths. Rick cupped her breast and began to gently stroke it. When she moved her hand, he thought he'd gone too far, but she just put her hand on top of his.

But, when he began to slide his hand under her shirt, she pulled away from him. "I should be going, Castle. I'm beat."

He quickly agreed and called a cab for her. As he opened the loft door for her, she pulled him to her and kissed him again. "See you on Monday?"

"I'll bring coffee." He teased.

The next Saturday, after the movies, they went back to Kate's apartment. She poured them some wine and they talked about the movies.

Using his best Humphrey Bogart lisp, Castle said, "You're good, Slim. You're really, really good."

Kate laughed, and tried to do Lauren Bacall. "You don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and….blow."

With that, Kate stood up and headed for her bedroom, looking back over her shoulder at Rick.

Rick stood up, gave a long, low whistle, and followed her.

Author's note: Still working on Follow the Orange Brick Road and After Captain Kate and the Sorceress.