A/N The first part of this chapter is rated M.

Four days later…

The entire last four days were all about Kate and Rick getting their thoughts out and being totally honest with each other. At times it was hurtful and both knew that when they were finished, they would have a clean slate to build upon. Kate explained her weakness when it came to Tom and how she wishes she could take back what she had done. She slept with Tom because she felt that she could never have Rick in a stable relationship. She told him this and he countered with the fact that they never became a couple and they only had a handful of dates. He told her that he understood what she did and why she did it but he would make sure that Tom never was an issue going forward.

Rick who had the smarts to have plenty of condoms on hand after they ironed out their problems and if sex was the next step in their relationship he would be ready. He was relieved to find out that Kate was disease free and on birth control and therefore condoms were not needed. They had the greatest pleasure of exploring each other's bodies. Rick found out that Kate is extremely ticklish on each side of her ribcage right before she reaches her orgasm and as she is coming down from said orgasm. Kate found out that Rick can please her like no other lover she had ever been with. His attention to detail is the quality she loves about him the most.

Knowing that they need to eat to keep up their strength for the next couple days of lovemaking to come they both decided to go to the supermarket and Rick promised that he'd make a dinner that she would love from start to finish. To say that it took them a while to get out of his house was an understatement. They both decided to shower but separately due to the fact that either could not keep their hands to themselves. Rick went into his large spacious bathroom (something that Kate wishes she had for the room alone) and start the water for the shower. Stepping in he started to clean himself up. Kate sat on the bed listening to the running water and a devilish idea came to her mind. She stood up getting out of the bed letting the sheet fall away from her body revealing her beautiful nude lithe form and traversed the short distance to the bathroom. Once inside she had moved towards the steam covered glass just able to make out Rick's muscular body. Her mind went to three hours ago and what exactly those muscles could do to her.

She pulls open the shower door and slips in quietly without him knowing since his back is to her. She moves towards him and sees his using a loofa on his biceps and stops her forward motion to simply admire him. God, he is the finest specimen of a man.

Rick knew that she was inside the shower with him and he waited for her to do whatever it was she was going to do. He made a show of washing his arms more intently knowing that she was most likely watching him. It was then when he felt her slide up against his back in a tight hug. The soap had coated his back and arms and her body just slips against his. He can tell that she is aroused again just by the points of her nipples pressing against his back. Being bold she slides her hands around his six-pack abdomen and travels south to take him into her hands. But before she can start to get him hard, he spins around so he is facing her. Without warning, she is thrust up against the opposite shower wall her legs automatically come around his waist and her ankles locked together securing herself to him.

He slips his hand between them and gently starts to caress her clitoris. The second he touches her inner folds she starts to gyrate against his groin seeking more friction. He is all ready to dive deep into her and does just that. Soon they have a rhythm together that pleases them both. She got the friction she needed and his manhood is encased by her core. His thrusts have her sliding up and down the wall but she wouldn't stop him for anything short of the house burning down because she is that close. Soon after she comes she is hanging limply around his body knowing that if she was standing, she'd be lying on the shower floor because her knees would have given out. After a couple of minutes regaining her strength, she lets her legs slide down his body to reach the floor. He knows that she's fragile and decides to wash her body for her.

"You are so beautiful Kate."

Kate can see the amount of love he has for her in his actions and she hopes that with what they were able to accomplish in the last four days they can go the distance. He attends to her body as if it was a temple he could worship in. She brushes her hands along his cheek cupping it and moving it down so she can kiss him. She hopes that she is showing him how much he means to her with her kiss.

Xx

Kate has the shopping cart and needs to finish getting what they need so they can get back to his place. She moves over to the deli counter and the man she usually deals with is nowhere to be seen.

"I'll be right with you." Kate hears from the back of the deli knowing exactly who it is.

"How can I…. Uh-oh. I got it. Single chicken breast no dating advice coming right up." The deli guy says the second he sees Kate standing there.

"Actually I'd like to have three whole fryers, please. And six pork chops, and um a lamb shank." Kate requests and the deli guy just stands there with his mouth hanging open.

Rick walks up with a forty-pound bag of dog food for Mother Theresa and adds,

"Do you have any dog bones? If you do could you throw them in with our order? By the way, what are your specials today?" Rick asks as he wraps his arm around Kate who is beaming.

The deli guy murmurs "Yes." Kate and Rick start to kiss each other soundly in front of him. When they get their wits about them, they turn and look at the deli guy and see that he has tears running down his cheeks.

Xx

Rick and Kate had been getting closer as time went by. Her father had asked them both to come to his fourth of July barbeque he was hosting. Rick generously agreed to cook for about forty to fifty people. He was with Kate at the grill and the first round of burgers were almost done. Kate seeing this held out a plate for him to pile all the burgers onto. The second she did their dog Molly watched her movements like a hawk. The second Kate put the plate down on the table Molly was scarfing down all of Rick's hard work. No amount of shooing would work to get her away from the food and Kate started to chase Molly from the burger plate. She succeeded to stop her from eating everything and they enjoyed the rest of the get-together. She's not sure but she thinks that Rick will soon ask her to marry him. She waits and hopes knowing that what they have is what fairy tales are made of….

⁓Fin⁓

A/N #2: Not sure what is up for me next if anything at all. I have a couple of ideas bouncing around in my mind but it seems that the longer I write these two the harder the origional ideas become. I've been writing Castle since 2012 and with the readership falling away the way it is, maybe it's time to ride off into the sunset on a good note as my friend Skygirl55 did.

Thanks to all the readers who have reviewed, commented, and even threw ideas my way it has been a blast writing for you and I am so glad that I could give at least a couple of people an escape from reality.

Tom
Pen to Paper Writer :)