10. The Double Down & Inventing The Girl

I know I haven't replied to reviews in a while but know that I appreciate every single one. Thank you all for reading, for your feedback and suggestions, etc. You are wonderful! And thanks to Beetlebug and demuredemeanor for helping me out with this one!

The Double Down & Inventing The Girl

Silence fell as Kate contemplated how far she'd come since the days when Castle's books were the only thing preventing her from being swallowed by darkness.

Castle, meanwhile, was basking in her admission, in the knowledge that he'd helped her before he even knew of her existence. That was why he wrote. It was a creative outlet as well, something he loved doing. But the ability to make a difference in someone's life was what made pressing through bouts of writer's block and late night frantic efforts to meet rapidly-approaching deadlines worth it.

Kate turned her head, pressed a kiss to his cheek, hoping for now that would be sufficient to explain how grateful she was for his words. For him. Words had never been her strong point, but someday soon she'd find the right ones to tell him exactly what his books meant to her.

"You okay?" she murmured eventually, coaxing him back from the faraway place he'd seemingly drifted off to.

"Hmmm? Yeah." He turned his head, captured her lips with his own. "Just...yeah."

He settled back in, hands around her middle, chin on her shoulder, and eventually, by unspoken agreement, they began reading the next letter.

Kate,

For someone who claimed that the bet was a disturbing idea, you sure were pretty enthusiastic about it. A hundred dollars on us? Really? I only put down fifty.

I'm glad you were on board, though. If we'd lost, it wouldn't have been pretty. Me in a dress and with a shaved head - it would completely destroy my ruggedly handsome image.

As for your side of things, I wouldn't mind seeing you in a dress every day for a week. Not at all. But I would be a bit sad to see you with a shaved head; I rather like you with hair (though I'm sure you'd still manage to look good without it).

Either way, I'm glad we won. Or the bet was called off. Or whatever it was. We all know Ryan and Esposito technically lost, even if they refuse to admit it.

It did make things interesting this week, though. Yes, I know you thought it was terrible and morbid. My mother said the same thing. But you have to admit, it was kind of fun. The thrill of keeping it a secret, of money being on the line.

Like I told the guys; secrets, murder, and gambling. My three favorite pastimes. We should make a habit of it.

Next time, though, the stakes should be higher. And losing should involve some type of nudity (not with the guys involved, just you and me). Yeah, I could go for that.

And I bet if you ever read this letter, you'd be rolling your eyes right now.

-Castle

"Really?" Kate asked, disapproval and feigned annoyance and a slight smile tinting her tone of voice.

He shrugged innocently. "Ummm... you like when I'm naked?"

She rolled her eyes, just as he expected. "Pretty sure of yourself, are you?"

He squeezed her hips, fingers tracing inwards. "I think last night proves that you're quite fond of me in the nude."

Castle nipped at her ear, slipped his fingers beneath her boxers once again. "Mmhmm," she managed, fighting to maintain a clear head.

His other hand trailed up her bare stomach, over her ribs, higher and higher, forcing all coherent thoughts to the back of her mind. "And I think even way back then, you wouldn't have minded all that much."

"Probably not," she admitted before her brain caught up with her mouth.

"Ha! I knew it!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

"What? I... no. I meant... Castle!" she gasped as his lips closed around her earlobe, teeth nipping at her skin, tongue following behind, warm and soothing.

"Problem?" he asked smugly, hands exploring with abandon, lower, higher, everywhere at once. God, even after two years he still had the ability to make her lose control in under a minute.

"Don't stop," she panted, tilting her head back to meld their lips together, all tongues and teeth and so hot.

He trailed a line of kisses across her jaw, down her neck, licking and sucking at her skin and driving her absolutely crazy.

"Inside," she managed as they stumbled to their feet, tripped their way into the house.

Later that morning as she lay warm and sated and wrapped up in his arms, she couldn't help but wonder how they'd even managed to make it to the bed.

The journal spent most of the day on the deck while Castle and Kate spent the morning in the bedroom, sound asleep and tangled up together.

Not until the need for food finally won out did they make their way down to the kitchen, still minimally clad. But Kate couldn't find it in herself to complain, not when she had an unobstructed view of his naked torso, the muscles of his back, his biceps, as he moved around the kitchen, scrambling eggs and frying bacon and brewing coffee.

After a deliciously filling brunch and a shower that turned into more than just a shower, they made their way out to the beach to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine.

Kate was wearing a dark blue bikini that covered enough to be decent but revealed enough for her to know that Castle's eyes probably wouldn't leave her body all day. He was clad just in swim trunks. Low-slung swim trunks.

She could see the faint impression of teeth marks on his shoulder and was almost positive there was a love bite on the inside of her thigh. Thank goodness their families wouldn't be here for another day.

It was a bit early in the year to actually venture into the water, so they grabbed beach towels on the way out the door, intending to simply relax in the sand. Unbeknownst to Castle, Kate squatted down to retrieve the journal as they crossed the porch, securing it in her folded towel until they were settled on the beach.

He wasted no time in snuggling up to her, shoulder to shoulder, nose buried in her hair. She smiled, relaxed into him, and flipped open the notebook.

"You're really into this, aren't you?" he murmured in awe, loving the way she'd embraced his words, their story. It was one thing to know she loved his books, but it was another entirely to bear witness to her reading his words.

"I'm learning all these things about you I never knew," she confessed with a nod.

He kissed her cheek, leaned his temple against hers. Truth be told, he was learning just as much about her, and with everything she revealed he only fell more and more in love with her. It had almost become addicting, the knowledge. And he wanted to know everything.

His eyes fell to the page then, traced the outline of his own words from so long ago.

Kate,

Were you ever a model? You could have been, that's for sure. You're tall, you're hot, your legs are a mile long, and you can chase suspects in four-inch heels. You'd probably be really good at it.

Somehow I don't see you living that lifestyle, though. You don't seem like the diva type. And I'm actually starting to really respect that about you.

It's no secret that I like fun and wild. I have a feeling you were a bit like that once, too. You could easily have followed that path and been rich and living that life. But I respect that you didn't take the easy way out. I know there were other factors involved, but you could have tried to push things aside and distance yourself from what happened by pursuing something that had nothing to do with death and murder and justice.

Instead, you took your drive and passion and your love for your mother and put it into being a detective. A damn good detective. And that's very respectable.

I always thought models had all the fun, you know? A lot of money without a lot of talent. But after this case, seeing what happened and the way people are treated in the industry... it's much different than I realized. I wouldn't want anything to do with it and I can see why you wouldn't either.

A murder in the modeling industry would make for a good story line, however. I'd call it "Fashion to Die For," like the blurb I made up earlier this week. It's a bestseller waiting to happen. It almost doesn't seem right, though, to turn this case into a book. Two young people, completely in love but destroyed by a lack of communication and honesty. A best friend who drugs her instead of looking out for her, and a husband who's jealous of something that never happened and too angry to just confront her and listen to her side of the story. It's so tragic.

I know that being a cop is very different from the modeling world, but all the same, this last case has made me appreciate the camaraderie and support system at the precinct. It's comforting, knowing you can trust your coworkers and that, no matter what situation you get into, someone has your back.

I know I'm not a cop and you don't really even like me hanging around, but I want you to know that I have your back, Kate. I may not have any formal training, but I'll do whatever I can to help you out and keep you safe.

Everyone should have someone looking out for them.

-Castle

She smiled, turned to press a kiss to his shoulder, nose brushing his ear. "Thanks, Castle."

He shrugged. "That's what partners are for, right?"

"But this was a long time ago."

"You saved me too, Kate. Even back then."

"I know, but..." that was different, she was planning to say. Except not really. They'd saved each other. They had since day one, in so many ways.

"Hey," he interrupted firmly. "Partners. That's what we do."

Kate turned her head, kissed him hard.

"Partners."

"Hey, Castle," Kate murmured some time later. They were sprawled out together in the sunshine, limbs tangled, journal set off to the side. Her face was buried in his neck, his in her hair, as they teetered on the brink of sleep.

"Hmmm?"

"I actually was a model once."

His head shot up, nearly smacking her in the forehead with his chin. "Seriously?"

She lifted her head, smiled at his excitement. "In high school. It was a summer job."

He rolled onto one side, propped himself up on one elbow. "How have I never seen these pictures?"

Kate shrugged nonchalantly. "How do you know I have any?"

"Says the woman who has seven huge photo albums in our room."

She smacked his chest. "Castle."

He grinned, rested one hand on the bare skin of her side, stroking softly. "Seriously, can I see them sometime?"

"Maybe."

"Ka-ate," he whined.

"I'm sorry, whiny little boys definitely don't get to see them," she teased.

Before she could react he caught her around the waist, rolled them over so he was on top of her, pressing her into the ground.

"Little boy? I think I've proven to you, Detective, that I'm most certainly not a little boy."

Oh, she was quite aware of that. She could feel the evidence eagerly pressing into her thigh. But she couldn't help but take advantage of the opportunity to give him a hard time.

"Yeah?"

He caught her wrists, pinned them over her head with one hand, his other hand working the tie of her bikini top while he devoured her lips in a hot and passionate kiss.

"Yeah."

Thoughts?