Castle let her pull away, but still brushed that long, beautiful hair behind her ears.

"Because I didn't want to think that none of this mattered to you," he replied. "Because it did make me angry to think that it may have all been just some... some ruse to you. Some meaningless fling. I can't do that- not with you. I'm playing for keeps." He then nodded. "I believe that you can do this. But I can't... sit back and quietly take you provoking me like that all the time. Sometimes I can control myself enough to not take the bait, but it's not gonna happen all the time. The less opportunities we have to fight, the better."