"Ouch!" he flinched in mock pain. "I knew you were cold-hearted, detective, but that's just plain cruel."
Kate cocked an eyebrow at him. "Did I hurt the Great Rick Castle?"

She didn't wait for an answer but simply rushed past him towards his living room in order to hide the smile that was spreading on her face. He grabbed her sleeve and playfully yanked her back.

"Oh no! You do not get to walk out on me after saying such a thing!"

She could have had him pinned to the dark wooden floor by now, but instead she let him draw her back to where he was standing. The expression on his face, mere inches from hers, oddly intrigued her. He looked seriously hurt. Maybe he really did inherit some of those infamous acting genes.

"Aww that's cute, Castle. Somebody kick your puppy?" she teased. Castle pouted.

"I can survive 'childish', 'annoying', even 'egotistical', but…really?"

She laughed at that, remembering the day she'd told Lanie that he was, in fact, all of those things.
On a whim she put her hands on his shirtfront to slightly urge him backwards.

"You, Mr. Castle" she said, punctuating each word by pushing his chest, slowly backing him up until he was pressed against his desk, "are putting up all this fuss…" She paused dramatically. "because I called you boring?"

She was doing her best to contain her grin, but apparently he didn't think it was all that funny.

"I am an AUTHOR!" he exclaimed and clutched her upper arms for good measure. "An entertainer!" he said and lightly shook her. "If I'm not exciting, I should at least be interesting or amusing, but boring, that's just so…sad" he concluded and looked at her with those big puppy eyes.

It was then that she became aware of their proximity, of her hands still plastered to his chest and his grip on her arms.
Something changed as her gaze flickered for a short moment to his lips and back up to his blue eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't miss it. He saw her green eyes darken for only a split second and warmth spread through him at the uncommon sight of a flustered Beckett.

"You don't really think I'm boring, do you?" he asked in a low murmur that sent shivers down her spine.

"I…" she stuttered, her face the magnetizing color of rose petals. He used his hands that were still grasping her to slowly draw her closer.

"You…" she started again and unwillingly leaned into him.

There they were, backed against Castle's office desk. She wanted to speak, but she felt his heart pounding under her hands and the sensation made hers beat double-time. She trembled when the light autumn breeze carried his masculine scent to her through his office window. She was at a loss. Of words. Of clear thoughts. As innocuous as this had started, it surely seemed to turn into…a nightmare? A dream come true?

Kate didn't know. Didn't want to know, simply wanted to feel and revel in the exquisite pleasure of being held by him.

When his lips connected with hers, she didn't reach for her gun. Instead she closed her eyes to better savor the feeling. His kiss was soft at first, so tender that she felt herself melting away. She opened her mouth as an invitation he loved to accept and clung to him in anticipation of what was to come. He moaned softly as her sweet taste overwhelmed him. Under his hands she had turned to liquid.

Castle gently ran his hands up and down her upper arms, longing to feel her skin beneath him, pressing her into him until everything else faded into the background. Never had he experienced anything like her lips roaming over his and their tongues languidly mingling.

Kate's hands had just started drawing intricate patterns on his chest when the ring of a cell phone effectively burst their bubble. They jumped apart at the sudden reminder of the real world – Kate looking shocked and horrified to death while Rick just wove his fingers through his hair and cleared his throat.

Nobody made a move for the phone.

Kate felt uneasy as Rick stared at her, knowing that her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. The cell phone kept on ringing but neither cared. Rick reached out and tenderly caressed her cheek. It felt sweeter and even more intimate than their kiss. It was too much.

Kate drew away, finally dropping her gaze to the floor. The phone stopped ringing and the sudden silence felt more than just a bit awkward. Rick shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"Kate, I'm sorry, I…" he started, but stopped immediately when she flashed her eyes up to stare him down. Her green eyes were determined and clear, without a trace of the clouds that had been there just seconds ago.

"It's okay" she said, her voice steady as if nothing had happened, as if she could still hear herself over the jungle drums of her heart.
"We both know it was a mistake" she added coldly and turned around to swiftly walk out of his study and straight to his front door.

To him, it felt as if she was running out his life as well. When he heard the door close behind her, he settled himself against his desk and sighed.