64. Cuffed

This one is bordering on M. Obviously. Because how could it not be, when there were handcuffs involved?

Cuffed

"One last letter before we head back to the city?"

Kate flicked off the light in the bathroom, followed Castle across the master bedroom. "Sure."

He made his way around the bed, turning back the covers and rearranging the pillows, while Kate retrieved the journal and climbed onto the bed. Castle joined her momentarily, slipping beneath the covers and crowding into her as much as possible. She rolled her eyes, nudged him with her elbow a bit so that she could have at least a little more room to breathe, but he responded by wrapping an arm around her and rolling them both onto their sides so he was spooned up behind her, chin perched on her shoulder.

"Really?"

"I just want to snuggle," he whined with just the right amount of petulance to be annoyingly endearing. Not that Kate would ever admit it, though her lack of an answer said more than she realized.

While she busied herself with finding the correct page in the notebook, Castle resituated against her back, tightening his grip on her and managing to ruck up the hemline of her shirt just enough to trail his fingertips teasingly across the bare skin of her stomach. Her muscles fluttered under his touch, but she bit her lip, forcing away any other reactions. She was not going to let him get to her that easily.

"Everything okay?" he asked teasingly, breath fanning across the exposed skin of her upper arm.

"Read, Castle."

You are cruel, Kate Beckett. A horrible tease.

Next time without the tiger? God, if only you knew how badly I want next time to be right now, maybe you'd take pity on me. Instead, you gave me a whole new list of fantasies. Handcuffs. Waking up next to you with the handcuffs. All kinds of naked adventures with the handcuffs.

Kate felt a slow smile spreading her mouth, coy and sexy, because she could already tell that this letter was going to be the precursor to some sexy fun times. Very sexy and very fun times, if past experience was any indication. She should've known, really, should've remembered that this case was next. Because, well, she'd woken up locked in a basement and handcuffed to Castle, and after the initial panic wore off, she remembered thinking with a self-deprecating chuckle that it must be the universe playing a horrible trick on her; forcing her to be cuffed to her partner just days after so desperately needing space from him.

"Problem?" Castle murmured, lips at her ear, his own smile playing across his features.

Kate subtly adjusted the angle of her hips, pressing them back into the cradle of his pelvis. "No."

She both felt and heard his response but paid it no heed, merely continued to make her way through the letter.

Or even just waking up with you again with no cuffs involved, because that in itself was pretty wonderful. In this hypothetical scenario, we'd both be naked and we'd remember what happened the previous night; I have a feeling those would be some pretty wonderful memories. Hot and seductive and sexy. Kind of like you, especially when you're wearing skin tight jeans and really high heels that just accentuate... well, everything about your body.

Then we would re-enact the previous night's adventures, and I would get to know exactly what you're like in the morning. Without the lone mattress and the dank, dark basement and the aftereffects of the drugs and your far-too-practical turtle neck sweater. Instead, we'd be in my giant bed, no clothing to be found, and plenty of early morning adventures would ensue.

I have to admit, I was pretty proud of how well we managed to work together once we found our groove. I love it, how in sync we are.

But back to this hypothetical 'next time.' I'd get to hold your hand and wrap my arms around you from behind and you wouldn't mind in the slightest. We could re-create all the awkward positions we found ourselves in while we were cuffed together. But again, without the clothing (and I would gladly assist with the undressing process). Handcuffs are far more kinky when both parties are naked.

But I know you're not ready for any of this yet. I know you have some things to work out. And I'll wait; because I love you and because you're worth it. You're so worth it, Kate. I know patience isn't my strong point, and if you ever read this letter you'll probably be rolling your eyes right now, but for you, I can do it. I can wait.

Seriously, though, you said 'next time' and I'm going to hold you to that. I don't know when, but I know for certain that there will be a next time. A first time for us, and many more after that. If I'm sure of anything, it's that. I'm looking forward to it immensely. Handcuffs or not, I know it will be amazing, Kate.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take a very cold shower.

Love,

Rick

A jolt of arousal flooded Kate's body at the memories of their first time together – and the two rounds that'd followed in the next few hours.

Oh, but it had been worth it. And so good. Hot. Amazing. Passionate. It was everything and more and it was a night that neither would ever forget.

Handcuffs hadn't happened that first week, not even during the first month, mainly because they were having so much fun without handcuffs that neither initially thought to bring it up. But Castle had finally broached the topic one night, just as she'd known he eventually would.

She was lying boneless in her bed, Castle's hand tracing patterns on her skin, soothing her into sleep, when he broke the silence.

"Kate?"

"Hmmm?" She lifted her head, still dizzy with the aftereffects of their recent activities.

"When we were handcuffed in that basement..."

There was really only one direction this could be going. "Yeah?"

"After we got out, you said 'next time we should do it without the tiger.' Were you serious?"

Kate hesitated and Castle took her silence as a 'no.'

"If not, that's fine," he continued quickly. "I just... I had this dream the other night..."

Heat flooded her body, arousal curling through her veins. It shouldn't fluster her this much still. Not after two months of not having a job and spending her days mostly immersed in Richard Castle. He'd admitted to having dreams about her since they first met, and she'd had her fair share about him, too. They'd shared some of them with each other, acted them out, even, bringing to life their most erotic fantasies. But it still caught her off-guard when he started talking about them.

"I..." she began, unsure of how to voice her thoughts.

"You have done it before, right?" he asked timidly. "Used restraints, I mean?" Kate had always made it seem as though she had prior experience, but maybe she was just being a tease.

"A long time ago," she answered after a moment, curling on her side to face him, propping herself up on one elbow. "Once."

More than one man had very much enjoyed being tied to the bed by her, allowing her to take complete control. But after that first occurrence long ago, no one had ever convinced her to be the one who was restrained.

"Did something happen?" he asked immediately, ready to spring into action, track the guy down and punch him, and she wanted to be annoyed at his defensiveness but she'd come to find it rather endearing, how protective he was of her, how dedicated he was to preserving her safety and well-being.

"No," Kate assured him, resting a hand on his chest to calm him. "I just didn't ever trust anyone enough to try it again."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

She shook her head, wanting him to understand. "It's okay. It was a long time ago and I was a different person then. But I trust you, Castle. And... yes."

"Really?"

Trust had been their biggest issue since becoming a couple, unsurprising given their histories, the explosive secrets they'd kept from each other. But they'd fought long and hard to win it back over these last couple months, and if this wouldn't prove how far they'd come, Kate didn't know what would. It hadn't been an easy process for her, but she was at a place now where she trusted him implicitly, not just with her life, but with her heart. With everything.

Besides, the way Castle touched her, the patience with which he explored her body... she had no doubt the sensations would be even more overwhelming if she was tied up.

"I trust you," she repeated.

Castle brushed a gentle kiss to her lips, grinning against her mouth.

And later that night as she lay panting in her bed while Castle un-tied her hands from the headboard, she could say without a doubt that trusting Castle with that had been one of the best decisions she'd made in a long time.

"Just what are you thinking about, Detective?" he asked, jerking Kate out of her reminiscence, back into the present.

She raised an eyebrow saucily. "Probably the same thing you are."

"Oh yeah?" he set the journal aside, rolled her onto her back, caught her arms, and pinned her to the bed, hands over her head. "And what would that be?"

She raised her hips to meet his, a wicked smile on her lips as his breath caught. "Grab the cuffs and I'll show you."

Thoughts?