Reborn in Castle (TV show)

Travis crouched beside the stripped sedan and adjusted his grip beneath the frame while Kate stood several feet away. The car had already lost most of its interior, engine components, glass, and anything else they could safely remove, yet it still weighed enough that moving it normally required proper equipment. That was exactly why Kate had chosen it.

"Lift the car, pretty boy," Kate said.

Travis moved his hands, and the grin spreading across his face made Kate immediately regret giving him that much ammunition. "Calling me pretty right before a strength test feels scientifically irresponsible. What if the compliment compromises my concentration?"

Kate shifted her weight onto one leg and looked him over without even pretending she wasn't enjoying the view. "If one compliment destroys your concentration, then your powers clearly aren't as impressive as advertised. Stop fishing for more and lift the damn thing."

"That definitely sounded like a challenge."

"It was supposed to."

Travis tightened his grip, planted both feet properly beneath him, and slowly straightened. Metal groaned beneath his hands as the sedan began rising from the concrete. The front end came up first, then climbed higher until both tires hung well clear of the ground. His arms tightened beneath while his shoulders and chest flexed under the strain, yet his breathing barely changed. He kept lifting until the car sat at an angle that would've required several ordinary men and a great deal of swearing to achieve.

Kate lowered the tablet without realizing she had done it.

She had already watched him move engine blocks, drag wrecked vehicles, and bend pieces of metal that should've laughed at human hands, but watching him hold up an entire section of a car still did something deeply unfair to her concentration. His shirt stretched tightly across his chest and shoulders, and every small adjustment made the muscles in his arms shift beneath the fabric.

'Jesus Christ. I'm gonna climb him like a koala tonight,' Kate thought.

Travis immediately caught the direction of her eyes. "You're staring again."

Kate recovered fast enough to keep most of her dignity. "I'm monitoring muscle engagement."

"Very professional monitoring."

"Hold it there."

"How long are we talking?"

"Until I'm satisfied."

Travis stared at her for a second before a slow grin appeared. "You really need to stop handing me lines like that."

Kate ignored him and walked closer, circling the raised section of the sedan while pretending she was interested purely in posture and balance. Travis kept the car steady as she approached his side. She reached out and pressed her fingers lightly against his upper arm, testing the tension beneath the sleeve before sliding her hand toward his shoulder.

His eyebrows lifted. "I'm fairly sure physical contact isn't required for this test."

"I'm checking whether the muscle tension matches the weight distribution," Kate said.

"You could also admit you wanted an excuse to touch me," He said with a sly smirk.

Kate's palm moved across the center of his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath the damp shirt. The heat coming off him made her thoughts immediately wander somewhere that had absolutely nothing to do with scientific observation. 'Mhmm~ I want him to pick me up and fuck me. Dang! Why am I so horny today?'

She bit the inside of her cheek before the smile gave her away, then stepped back and calmly placed the tablet on the hood of another abandoned car. Travis watched the movement with suspicion.

Kate walked back toward him. The expression on his face became considerably more interested when she stopped directly in front of him and slid both hands underneath his shirt. Her palms moved slowly over his stomach before traveling upward, tracing the lines of his abdomen and chest while his muscles tightened beneath her fingers.

Travis remained perfectly still beneath the lifted car, though the change in his breathing was subtle enough that most people wouldn't have noticed. Kate noticed because she had spent far too much time learning every little reaction he tried to hide.

"You realize this is extremely distracting," he said as he looked down at her.

Kate moved closer until only inches remained between them. "I thought you had superhuman concentration too."

"My concentration is working perfectly. It's just focused on something considerably more interesting now."

'Good.'

Kate let her hands stay beneath his shirt for another few seconds, enjoying the fact that someone capable of lifting a car could apparently still be thrown off balance by her touching him. She raised her face slowly, bringing her mouth close enough that Travis immediately started leaning toward her.

The corner of Kate's mouth curled.

Then she stepped away.

Travis stared at her in open disbelief while she picked up the tablet like absolutely nothing unusual had happened.

"You can put the car down now," She said.

He slowly lowered the sedan back onto the concrete. The suspension bounced heavily before settling, and Travis straightened with both hands resting briefly on his hips. "That was cruel."

Kate typed into the tablet while keeping her expression completely serious. "Your strength remained stable despite significant distraction."

"You're calling that an experiment?"

"I'm documenting results."

"What exactly did you write?"

"Subject becomes remarkably easy to manipulate whenever girlfriend puts her hands underneath his shirt," Kate replied.

Travis started toward her. "Give me that tablet."

Kate laughed and backed away, keeping it beyond his reach. "Interfering with official scientific records is a serious offense, Detective Wilson."

"You're abusing your authority, Detective Beckett."

"File a complaint."

Travis caught her around the waist before she could retreat farther and pulled her against him. Kate's laugh died into a smile as one hand landed against his chest. He leaned down and kissed her, and she returned it immediately, letting it linger just long enough to make him think she had finally stopped playing with him.

Then she pressed lightly against his chest and slipped out of his arms.

"Training first."

Travis watched her walk toward the reinforced striking rig and let out an exaggerated sigh. "You've become disturbingly powerful since finding out I'm superhuman."

"You encouraged me."

"I've made several mistakes recently."

Kate stopped beside the steel plate mounted against the hydraulic frame and checked the sensors. The first version hadn't survived Travis's testing very long, so they had reinforced nearly everything afterward, including the mounting points and the concrete beneath it. "Punch test. Start controlled because I'm not rebuilding this thing again."

"That happened one time," Travis said.

"You punched through industrial steel."

"And you gave me a blow job, right after that, calling me hot hunk."

Kate looked over her shoulder. "Twenty percent, smartass."

Travis planted his feet, adjusted his stance, and drove one straight punch into the plate. The impact exploded across the junkyard with a violent metallic crash that sent vibrations through the frame and rattled several loose pieces of scrap nearby.

Kate checked the reading before looking back at him. "Again. Harder."

The second impact was worse. The entire structure jolted backward against its reinforcement points, and Kate felt the vibration through the soles of her shoes even from several feet away. She stared down at the number for a moment before letting out a whistle.

Travis flexed his fingers. "How bad?"

"That was much higher than last week. I'm reconsidering every time I've threatened to punch you."

"You can still punch me. I'll pretend it hurts."

Kate walked over, caught his wrist, and turned his hand beneath the overhead light. There wasn't any broken skin, swelling, or even visible redness across his knuckles. Her thumb moved slowly over them as she checked for damage.

There was nothing.

Her mind supplied several entirely inappropriate thoughts about what that kind of endurance meant in other situations, and judging from the way Travis's eyes narrowed, something about her expression had betrayed her.

"Interesting thoughts?" He asked.

"You wish," She smiled.

Travis leaned closer. "I can smell when you get embarrassed."

She kissed him once, quickly enough that he barely had time to respond before she turned toward the stack of steel rods nearby. "Come on. Next test."

Travis followed her over and selected one of the thicker rods, roughly an inch across. He held it horizontally between both hands while Kate folded her arms.

"Bend it."

He tightened his grip.

The steel resisted for only a moment before slowly beginning to curve beneath his hands. Kate watched his forearms tighten while the rod folded farther until it formed a rough U-shape. Travis dropped it onto the concrete and picked up another before she could even ask.

This time he twisted.

The metal groaned as both ends rotated in opposite directions, the center deforming until it looked as though someone had fed it halfway through industrial machinery and changed their mind.

Kate stared at the ruined rod. "Okay, that's ridiculous."

Travis dropped it beside the first one. "You say ridiculous. I say useful."

"For what possible normal situation?"

"Stubborn pickle jars."

Kate laughed and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. "You're such an idiot."

Travis kissed her before she could continue insulting him, and this time Kate didn't pull away immediately. Her hand slid behind his neck as she kissed him back, letting herself enjoy the warmth and familiarity before finally breaking away.

She stayed close enough that her lips nearly brushed his when she spoke. "Mat."

His grin returned instantly. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Inside the converted maintenance building, Kate stepped onto the padded training area and rolled her shoulders while Travis stretched his neck. She had continued training during his recovery, and the difference in her movements had become obvious. She was quicker, more patient, and far less likely to chase whatever opening he deliberately offered.

"You're holding back," she said as she raised her hands.

"Obviously."

"How much?"

"Enough that you don't become part of the wall."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Very reassuring."

Travis lifted his hands and motioned her forward. "Come on, Beckett. Show me what you've got."

Kate attacked immediately, though her first jab was only bait. Travis shifted his head away as expected, and she changed levels at once, driving toward his center before pivoting when he tried stepping around her.

Travis laughed as her follow-up kick nearly caught his ribs. "Nice."

"Stop grading me."

"You're still my student."

Kate came after him again. "Keep talking."

They moved faster across the mat, Kate switching angles whenever Travis tried reading her rhythm. She caught him once across the shoulder and followed with another quick strike near his ribs before slipping away from his counter.

His eyebrows lifted in genuine approval.

Kate smiled. "Getting slow?"

"Getting distracted."

"By what?"

Travis's gaze dropped toward her chest.

Kate automatically looked down.

The moment she realized what he had done, his hand had already closed around her wrist.

"Oh, you asshole."

Travis turned sharply and swept her legs from beneath her. Kate hit the mat, rolled immediately, and caught his arm before he could fully disengage. She pulled hard, forcing him down with her instead of letting him retreat.

They landed together, and Kate used the momentum to twist sideways, nearly reversing their position before Travis shifted his hips and caught her arm. A second later, he rolled them again and ended up above her with both of her wrists pinned lightly against the mat beside her head.

Kate breathed hard as she stared up at him. "You cheated."

"You looked down," He countered.

"You looked at my boobs."

"I love your boobs."

Kate narrowed her eyes, then slowly wrapped both legs around his waist and pulled him closer until the smug expression on his face changed.

She smiled beneath him. "Who's distracted now?"

Travis lowered his face until their noses almost touched. "You like playing with fire, Detective?"

Kate tightened her legs around his waist, her eyes locking onto his. "Only when I want to get burned."

His eyes dropped toward her mouth.

Kate closed the remaining distance before he could say anything else, and Travis kissed her while she kept her legs wrapped around his waist, bringing the training session to a very definite end.

--

Find me in the link below for advance chapters: https://unknownmaster.carrd.co/

[20 advance chs]