Spoilers for the season 5 promo, BE WARNED!

She's just finished rummaging around in his closet when he wakes up, body jerking into consciousness as his left arm skirts across the bed, instinctively searching for what even his unconscious mind knows should be there. Searching for her.

She turns swiftly, and it's then he finally notices her, truly notices her, with a full body sweep performed by wide, sleepy eyes. She's wearing his shirt, a crisp white button down she yanked off a hanger because all of her clothes are still more than a little damp, and tight, and she just wants something to throw on while she goes in search of some water. Her fingers quickly slide the buttons through their holes as she watches him track her movements until he's looking her full in the face.

"So it wasn't a dream," he says, voice full and playful as she makes her way back to the bed.

She stands there for a moment smiling, letting her thighs bump the mattress, fingers playing with one of the three buttons she's actually affixed.

"I don't know, Castle. Maybe you're still sleeping." Warmth blooms in her chest at his words though, no matter her playful barb. She's standing in his bedroom half naked and he wants to know if he's dreaming her up.

"Come here," he gruffs, tugging on the tails of her shirt until she's sitting down on the bed in front of him, knees bumping against his over the covers. His palms cup her cheeks immediately and all she can see are his blue, blue eyes until his nose is brushing hers and that mouth, the one that made her fly apart not hours ago, is pressed firmly against hers. The noise she makes at the contact is completely involuntary, somewhere between a moan and a sigh, and she can't help but grab at the back of his neck, opening her mouth against his. It's quick though, too quick, and he's pulling back, leaving her licking her own lips and leaning into his space before she can even try to deepen it.

"Why did you stop?" she whispers, finally opening her eyes when he sweeps his thumb along her cheekbone and then releases her face.

"Did we really do that last night?"

"Yeah." They did and it was – it was good. Better than good, for her anyway. She knows he has a bit of a reputation, millionaire playboy Richard Castle, but he had been completely there with her the entire night, present, affected, in it. Something creeps in from the bottom of her stomach though, sitting in his bedroom, surrounded by his million thread count linens and original hardwood floors, everything spacious and luxurious. She wants to ask him, so she does, eyes cast to the side because she can't quite believe she even needs to clarify. "Did you like it?"

His answer is immediate and sure. "Yeah."

Green eyes flick to him then and she can't hide the grin that wants to burst from her lips, can't hide any of it. The months and months of wanting, trying to be whole for him, better for him, for herself, for them for her mom for life. This is all she's wanted for so long and it's here and it's hers and she's taking it.

"Me too."

She finally looks up from her own lap, needing to see his face, the way he's looking at her, and it floors her when she finally does, the familiarity there but also this striking newness, this complete transparency. He looks like he wants to hug her and devour her all at once.

"Tell me what you liked," he asks lowly, crowding her on the bed. They're still sitting up but he's got a hot palm spread wide on her thigh and his mouth ghosting the corner of her lips.

"What?" she swallows thickly, already well past distracted.

The warm stroke of his tongue is against her ear then, and his lips and his teeth and oh oh, her head's going fuzzy again.

"Did you like it when I kissed you here?" he asks, dropping his mouth to her neck, a spot that makes her shiver.

She sighs out a yes before she can even think otherwise and feels his smile bloom across her clavicle.

His head moves lower, popping her top button to press a kiss in the middle of her chest. "Here?"

"Yes, Castle," she moans as the hand against her thigh starts moving upward, his thumb painting strokes along her inner thigh that make her want to crawl on top of him. He kisses her again as his hand moves closer and closer, somehow commanding that electric current between them. Every hair on her body is on end, every nerve crackling, her blood hot with what she thinks he's about to do to her, what she wants him to do to her.

"What about when I touched you here?" His thumb is on her then, she's not wearing any underwear underneath his oversized shirt, and he takes full advantage, stroking just right against her sensitized skin.

She lets him touch, just for a minute, entranced with the way his fingers move over her. The wet flat of his tongue presses against her neck as she rises onto her knees a little bit, hips rolling, searching for more friction from him, but he's teasing her, playing with her here in bed just as he does at the precinct. She'd be lying if she said she didn't wonder if those magical fingers of his, the ones that write his best sellers, the ones that write about her, are as talented in other areas, and now she doesn't have to daydream about them because they are on her, and about to be inside of her because his hand is sliding downward then, cupping her and curving up and she gasps sharply, but then she's done playing his game, or ready to participate in any case because she does climb into his lap then, making him grunt as his slippery fingers move to help her get steady over him.

"Did you like it Castle," she starts, licking her lips with an evil smirk, getting her voice back as she shoves the blanket out from between them so it's just his naked skin and hers. She groans when she sees how ready he is for her. Her lips are brushing his ear then as she takes him in hand, strokes up and down once before pressing him into her. "Did you like it, being inside of me?"

He swears loudly, his hips bucking up as hers grind down and she sucks in a sharp breath because he feels so good and she can't believe this is a thing they're actually doing. Their mouths connect in a sloppy kiss, his tongue is slick and hot against hers, everywhere in her mouth as his hands slide to cup her ass, helping her get a rhythm over him. She's still wearing his shirt too, mostly unbuttoned but still draped over her shoulders, the tails tickling against her thighs and his stomach. He doesn't move to push it off of her.

"Castle," she says, trying to capture his focus, but it comes out as half a moan, only making him pull her down onto him harder until they're completely horizontal on his bed. "Castle."

"Hmm?" he moans behind her ear, making her hips circle tightly. This is too good, everything's too new and she's not going to last very much longer.

"Did you – " she can't finish her question because he flips them over suddenly, and then he's looming above her, wrapping her thighs around his middle.

"Did I like it?" he breathes directly against the shell of her ear, moving his hips back and then into her again. Her eyes slide shut as she threads a hand through his hair, holding him at her ear. She wants him to keep talking and keep moving and just not stop.

She thinks it shouldn't be this intense again already, it's not the first time, and they're surrounded by sunshine, the restorative properties of morning buoyant and calming around them but all she can think about is him, his body, his hands, his mouth, his voice, everything is just this moment, and the weight of how much she wants it almost threatens to take her over completely.

His name is a broken sigh over her lips as his hips press and twist into her, her own hips rising, legs tightening. The damp skin of his forehead catches hers as his head rolls to the side, and she opens her eyes to find him looking at her. It makes her arch sharply, that naked want in his eyes. She's seen him hold back that emotion so many times, has held it back herself, but no more. No more hiding.

"Please Castle," she begs, and then he's pressing his mouth to hers, shallow, pulling kisses, hips twisting just right and she keeps her eyes open, lets him watch her as he breaks her into pieces and puts her back together all in one blissful, blinding moment. He's right behind her, face burying in her neck as he presses forward and then stills, mouth opening and closing lightly on the skin of her throat.

She stares at the ceiling as he moves off of her, hops out of bed for a second and then comes back, sliding a palm up under the shirt she's still wearing to rest on her stomach.

"We're good at this," she blurts, covering her mouth to hold in the laugh that bubbles up and out of her chest as she lets her head loll to the side so she can see him. He's smiling so wide his eyes are crinkling at the edges.

"Did you honestly think we wouldn't be?"

"I mean, I knew I would be…"

He scoffs at her, mouth open and eyes wide because she's joking about this and they're in bed together, naked, skin on skin and she just can't help herself. But then his eyes narrow and a shiver goes up her spine at that look while she's in his bed.

"So you've thought about doing this before, then?"

Oh, busted.

"Oh come on Castle, like you haven't?" Her eyes roll and it feels so good to be able to be like this with him again. Teasing, happy.

His voice dips down as he answers, making her shiver despite the warm afterglow surrounding her. "You know I have."

"So how'd the reality stack up to your elaborate fantasies?"

He tugs her over onto her side then, tucking her against him as he kisses her soundly. Mmm.

"There are no fantasies that can stack up to you," he whispers into her mouth, teasing but she hears the truth threading through every syllable, can feel his heart beating against her chest. She kisses him back fiercely, fully, pushes herself so she's half draped over his chest, hair cascading down around their faces.

"Take this shirt off me," she commands, impatient for him already.

"But what if I have a fantasy about you in my clothes?"

She snorts at him. "Did we not just have sex while I was wearing your shirt?"

"Oh god, say that again," he begs, sliding his hands up her front to get at her buttons, mouth finding a home under her chin.

"Get this shirt off and I'll say anything you want."

"Anything?"

Her laugh echoes around his room as he finally pushes the garment over her shoulders, bunching it up and tossing it.

She means to say I love you, but he swallows her up before she even gets the chance.