20. How Calm The Water(2)

"No," Castle replied. "But still it wasn't bad."

"Nearly summer love," Beckett told him with a smile as she tucked her feet under the bed sheet.

"I stand by what I said," Castle said simply. He couldn't help feeling a slight thrill at her soft laughter and he leaned over to kiss her gently before she was wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Taking that as a kind of unspoken permission he gently pulled his wife onto his lap before he took her lips again. Though he told himself not to he gently slipped his hands underneath her pajama top, sliding them up her back carefully.

After they had parted Beckett said with a smile, "Not much longer for that either."

"I'm not thinking about that, it's a natural reaction," Castle told her.

"Sometimes you're not the best liar," Beckett teased him. She got off his lap and then sat on her knees next to him saying, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Castle said, wondering what was on her mind.

"Any regrets?" Beckett said with a smile.

"In terms of our lives now no, not in the slightest," Castle said quickly. "In the fact that we didn't check to see if her school had sixth grade camp… yes."

Beckett laughed outright and then moved to cup her husband's face with her hands tenderly. She gently kissed him before she pulled back to say, "Neither do I but the second you know we need to let her go slightly."

"Well…" Castle said after he'd pretended to think that over. "If it's slightly alright."

"Oh, speaking of our kids," Beckett said as she could tell the mood had changed somewhat after their kissing. "Anything about the townhouse?"

"Yes, I got a message that we could go tour the place whenever we'd like and I called Alexis while you were nursing Josie in the family room," Castle said. "She told me to make an appointment on the twenty-seventh of next month."

"To give herself a week back?" Beckett asked him with a smile.

"Exactly, and she wants us to go with her," Castle said. "In case they need any help."

"I'm glad to go," Beckett said with a nod. "You made the appointment."

"I did," Castle replied, reaching for her hand then. He pulled her gently onto his lap again and once their arms were around each other he told her, "I love you Kate."

"I love you too Rick," Beckett replied with a smile before she leaned into him at the same time he was doing that to her. They kissed each other deeply and she held onto him tightly before her husband moved them around to lay her on the bed.

Only parting long enough to lay down Castle and Beckett were soon kissing again and passionately. They would spend a while doing that repeatedly before they stopped so they could sleep, not forgetting their daughter who would need them. They were holding onto each other while they nodded off, taking as much advantage of the time they would have as the night continued.