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Story: Arresting Devices
Rating: T
Word count: 2473
The music pulsed in waves around him.
An electric beat surrounding the dance floor. Her eyes were dark and smoky, flashing with a
mixture of desire and caution. This mystifyingly sexy woman. He needed a plan.
Earlier that night
“Yes. Uh huh…yes sir,
I understand. I’ll be there in twenty,”
Beckett said, sighing as she ended the call and tossed her cell phone onto the
bed.
She quickly peeled off the costume she’d only just finished
putting on. A cop outfit that consisted
of a tiny grey dress, belt with cuffs, and insanely tall spiked high
heels. Not original at all but with her
schedule in Vice it was the easiest thing to throw together. And she knew Madison would appreciate the
humor. Of course now she was getting
called in on Halloween. Go figure.
She pulled on her real uniform, grabbed her purse, and made
a last minute decision to stuff the dress, plastic cuffs, and heels down into
it. Maybe she’d get lucky and be done
early enough for the party. Pocketing
her phone, she took one last look back before closing her door. She couldn’t help feeling a little
disappointed. It’d be nice to let go for
a night, have some fun…
Work came first though.
She’d accepted that a while ago.
She locked her door and headed to the precinct.
XXXX
Castle was practically bouncing with energy. Halloween was his favorite. And he’d been looking forward to this for
months. He’d learned during research for
his current Storm novel that one of the most notorious poker legends in NYC had
been frequenting Club Tox lately. He’d
pitched the idea to his writer buddies immediately. Halloween, high stakes poker,
undercover. It would be awesome.
So here he was putting the finishes touches on his
costume. It was Connelly’s idea that
they all dress as literary characters.
He’d finally settled on Ichobad Crane. Alexis talked him out of dressing
as the headless horseman after they’d spent an entire day perusing Halloween
shops for severed heads and horse costumes.
And then she’d nixed both the raven and the tell-tale heart from Poe’s
works.
“The heart isn’t a character,
Dad! And do you really want to dress up as a bird?”
Even at ten years old she was already far too sensible for
him.
He peered at himself in the mirror, pleased. Long black coat that gave him the appearance
of being taller, white turtleneck, and pale makeup that made his eyes gleam
even bluer than usual.
Let the fun begin.
XXXX
A Vice shift on Halloween was never dull. If it wasn’t crazy enough working the streets
of New York City, combine costumes with excessive alcohol consumption and
Beckett felt as though she was starring in the Thriller music video. On cue, the eighteenth zombie she’d seen that
night staggered by groaning and gesturing at her.
Even worse, every girl in the city felt she had a free pass
to dress like a hooker. Tacking the word
“sexy” onto any animal or profession equaled instant Halloween costume.
Okay, so maybe she was being hypocritical based on her own
costume. But it certainly didn’t make
her job any easier trying to separate slutty college girls from actual
prostitutes.
She glanced at her watch.
Just fifteen more minutes.
But as she was getting ready to return to the precinct, her
radio buzzed with a message that they could use her for an undercover op. They’d received a tip that there was activity
in a gambling ring they’d been trying to take down for the last several months,
at Club Tox.
They needed someone who could easily blend into the crowd at
the club, a trendy place that was also known for its high stakes poker games in
a secret room adjacent to the dance floor.
Her only task was to watch for suspicious activity and contact her team
if she identified the suspects. After an
hour, she’d be free for the night.
She ducked inside a coffee shop to change back into her
costume. Couldn’t exactly go undercover
in uniform, so sexy cop was turning out to be pretty convenient. It even gave her an excuse to keep her badge.
She felt her adrenaline increase as she approached the doors
to the club, as it always did when she had the rare opportunity to go
undercover. She couldn’t deny that even
though she’d been looking forward to a night off, she felt a rush at the chance
to assist in something more than street work.
Who knows, maybe she could have still a little Halloween fun tonight.
XXXX
It was supposed to be fun.
And it was at first. Poker in a
secret room, club full of costumed people, higher than usual stakes.
But after a couple hours he only found himself out of a lot
of money to Lehane and no sign of the rumored greats.
Oh, and there was the bet he’d lost. Not one of his finer moments. He needed a drink…or three. Especially if they were going to call him on
it.
No more cards for him tonight.
He’d just made it to the bar when he saw her. The second she walked into the club, he
couldn’t help but stop and stare.
He found no explanation for the immediate and overwhelming
connection he felt to her. His eyes
drawn like magnets to the long length of her legs in a short grey dress and
heels, causing all of his blood to flow south.
A walking fantasy. But it was her
eyes that had him enraptured, so expressive as they met his across the room. They briefly flashed with recognition, as
though she’d been coming here to meet him all along. He lost the ability to breathe momentarily
while she held his gaze.
There was something about her. The way she exuded confidence and
allure. She was gorgeous, no doubt. But there was also something vulnerable about
her. A youth that glowed within her
eyes. A silent mystery to her movements
that sparked his brain, always needing to write the rest of the story.
Before he knew it, she was shrugging off her jacket at the
coat check. He suddenly realized what
her costume was when he spotted the cuffs hanging from the belt around her
waist. A sexy cop. He gulped as she tossed one last look at him,
smirking knowingly before walking in the opposite direction.
He tried to follow her with his eyes but the club was too
crowded, and within moments she’d disappeared between the waves of other
costumed club goers.
“Hey buddy, you gonna stand there all night or are you going
to tell me what you want to drink?” The annoyed tone of the bartender snapped
him from his reverie and he reluctantly turned back to the bar.
But he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
XXXX
She shook her head, trying to regain focus. But damn if her brain wasn’t swimming with
the knowledge that she’d just seen Richard freaking Castle. Her mother’s favorite author. Her favorite
author. Hell, she’d been contemplating
the idea of going to one of his book signings for a year now. That is, if she ever had a day off.
But it was more than that.
It wasn’t just that she’d seen him.
He’d noticed her. There’d been an almost tangible chemistry
between them, even from across the room.
The realization set a warmth swirling through her veins that she
couldn’t understand.
How was it possible to feel such a strong connection to
someone she’d never even met?
She didn’t have time to think about it though. She was on duty. She had a job to do.
She slipped into the room where the cards were being dealt
and pretended to busy herself with her cell phone at a table where she had a
clean view.
She suppressed a laugh as she noticed the table full of writers,
one chair empty. Presumably Castle’s spot?
She briefly wondered if he’d return.
They were all costumed as characters. She made the quick deduction that they
probably thought they were being clever going incognito. And in this crowd, she imagined they had been
largely successful based off of the multiple Snookis and 90’s neon and denim
outfits she’d seen. She highly doubted
these people were big fans of English lit.
Again, she forced herself to focus on scanning the rest of
the room. Three tables of college age
kids, trying way too hard to look casual, a table of women, and a table with of
people dressed as the Scooby Doo gang.
No sign of any suspects.
That was for sure. If there was
no activity after an hour then she’d radio back in and be done. Suddenly, she couldn’t seem shove away the
nagging thought that if she could just get through that hour, maybe she’d see
him again.
XXXX
He was both actively avoiding the poker room and scanning
the crowd in the hopes of catching another glimpse of her. He had no desire to get forced into making
good on his bet. Especially now that his
mind was running full speed at the thought of her.
At the curves of her body outlined in grey, skintight
material. The smooth legs that stretched
for miles. Those downright sinful
heels. She had been intoxicating.
But she’d disappeared.
Like some sort of beautiful apparition haunting his memory. It’d been over an hour now and all he’d
managed to do was down two drinks and bump into a lot of sweaty costumed
dancers. He was just about to give up
when felt someone stumble into him again, grasping at his arm to steady his or
herself.
“Sorry,” he and the person both said simultaneously. He turned, only to find himself face to face
with the women he’d been searching for.
Her eyes flickered from apology to surprise to something else he
couldn’t quite read. He barely
registered that she was still gripping his arm and neither had moved.
“Do you know you have gorgeous eyes?” he blurted, before he
could stop himself.
At that she released his arm and took a step back, rolling
her eyes.
He groaned inwardly.
What the hell was he thinking?
This was clearly a woman worth more than what sounded like a bad line.
She turned to walk away just as he noticed Patterson and
Cannell making their way toward him. His
mind worked furiously to form a plan.
“Wait!” he called, reaching out to touch her arm,
immediately entranced by the flow of electricity that sparked at his fingers as
they grazed her bare skin.
She startled and he wondered if she could feel it too, this
inexplicable heat between them. “Excuse
me?” she raised her eyebrows in a silent question.
He took the opportunity to step in closer again, shielding
himself from the view of his buddies in the process.
“It’s just…I need your help.
You see, I sort of lost a poker bet to my friends earlier. The stakes can get pretty high here.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, hoping to be
impressive with his statement. He
studied her reaction, noticing the way her eyes gleamed golden in the light and
her lips quirked up in amusement. She
didn’t back away so he continued.
“They’ve been looking for me and although I always…rise to a
challenge, this one is rather illegal.”
“And just how am I supposed to help you?” she asked, still
smirking at his innuendo.
He shrugged and leaned in to whisper in her ear,
“Simple…arrest me.”
XXXX
She shivered, feeling a surge of arousal shoot through
her. Her body’s natural reaction to his
breath along her ear. Arrest him…she could definitely do that.
“And what exactly am I putting you under arrest for?” she
asked, not even bothering to hide her curiosity.
“Stealing a police horse,” he replied, eyes dancing
sheepishly as he ducked his head.
She couldn’t restrain the bubble of laughter that
escaped. “Stealing a police horse?
Really? Who makes a bet like that?”
He shrugged, “They thought it would fit with the character.”
Ahh. Ichobad Crane.
That explained the coat and pale skin.
Wow, these men really did get
into their Halloween costumes.
He leaned in again.
“So, are you going to help me, Officer?”
Oh, the costume. Right.
“I’m not sure if you could handle it, Mr. Crane.”
XXXX
He finds himself up against the cold brick wall outside the
club, as Patterson, Cannell, Connelly, and Lehane stand watching from a
distance.
He grunts as she locks the cuffs into place, crowding him
from behind.
“Bondage, I like it…my safe word is apples,” he says low and
rough.
“I never promised to be gentle,” she whispers along the
shell of his ear, pressing him into the wall.
In the back of his mind he wonders if his friends have
bought it but, all he can really focus on is the feel of her warm breath
against his skin and the way she has taken complete control, as if she knows exactly what she’s doing.
“They left, in case you were wondering,” she says, backing
away to leave, and he blinks out of his thoughts.
“Wait, where are you going?” he cries out. “This doesn’t have to be it. We could grab some dinner or a drink…get to
know each other,” he says, not above begging at this point. He has
to see this woman again.
“Why, Mr. Castle? So
I can be one of your conquests?” she says, biting her lip in a way that has him
thoroughly aroused. He never told her
his name.
“More like I would be one of yours,” he replies, admiring
the way her eyes tease him, flecks of gold and green in the darkness.
“Happy Halloween, Castle.
It was nice to meet you,” she says, sauntering away.
“Don’t you need these back?” he asks, holding his cuffed
hands up toward her.
“Nah, I’ve got a real pair,” she says, winking at him
mischievously.
“It would have been great, you know,” he says as she walks
away, hips swinging in her short grey dress.
“You have no idea,” she practically purrs, with one last
look back.
Oh, but he has lots of
ideas. His mind is swirling with
them, in fact.
The last thing he registers before she’s out of sight is her
voice answering her phone. “Officer
Beckett.”
Officer? She was actually an officer?! And now he had her
name too. He would find her again. Happy Halloween, indeed.
XXXX
When he actually does get arrested that next spring he
recognizes her voice immediately.
“Finally made good on that bet, Castle?”
Even through the haze of alcohol and the embarrassing lack
of clothing he can’t help but grin.
He’s more than happy to allow her to cuff him again.
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