Robbie was hungry. He and Laura had spent a lazy day sunning themselves and walking on the beach. They'd only brought some snacks in their cooler, and now he found himself with a rumbling stomach. They were at a small coastal Italian resort, a spontaneous trip he had let Laura talk him into. Standing in front of the bathroom sink and making sure he was ready for their evening out, his mind wandered back to how this trip had started. He couldn't help but say yes when an obviously very excited Laura had called to tell him that Rawbone had asked her to switch her on-call weekend with him.

"Robbie, you know what this means, don't you? "

"I think it means that we are both completely off-duty for the entire weekend together, doesn't it?"

"And with no plans because we weren't expecting it."

"You mean you haven't already come up with a plan then?" Robbie smiled to himself. Laura always had a plan.

"Well, seeing as how you've mentioned it…what would you say to a couple of days in a much warmer, much sunnier location?"

"Such as?"

"A place where we can get away, just the two of us, and you can get your fill of garlic bread?"

Robbie had to laugh at that one. Ever since he'd revealed this particular weakness to her, she'd never failed to use it to her advantage. They'd talked about having a weekend away together, but there had always been a loose end at work or a call from a friend for a visit or Robbie just not feeling quite sure about a quick weekend away with her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done anything like that. Had he ever? He and Val had spent a weekend in Wales once, but they were already married. After a brief hesitation, he answered Laura.

"Now, how could I say no to that?"

"You can't. Alright, I'm going home to pack my bag and book us something. I'll give you a call in a couple of hours with the details." Robbie heard the familiar noise his phone made when a call ended. He knew Laura wasn't about to give him a chance to change his mind, which was probably a good thing. He finished up his paperwork and headed to his flat to pack his own overnight bag.

Now here he was, standing in front of a bathroom mirror in Italy, smiling to himself after running that conversation though his mind. They'd been a couple now for about six months, but in some ways, Robbie felt as if he was still adjusting to it all. Having someone to share his weekends and his life with had given him a sense of newness and excitement that he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt young again. But no matter how young he felt, he knew that he was much older than Laura, maybe almost too old for her. Their age difference had always been an issue for him, and in some ways it still was. When people looked at them together, he couldn't help but wonder if they were silently judging him. He certainly felt like they were. How many times had he done the same thing to other people while on the job himself? He knew it shouldn't bother him what people thought, but it was an insecurity he had, no matter how many times Laura told him their age difference was a plus and one of the things that attracted her to him.

Robbie heard his stomach trying to get his attention again, so he put his comb through his hair one last time and then opened the door in search of Laura to let her know he was ready to go get his fill of the promised garlic bread.

"Laura?" Robbie called to her in their bedroom but didn't get an answer. Their suite at the resort was not that large, so he wondered where she could be. She had showered first and got dressed while he showered, so he knew she would be ready. As he walked toward the bedroom door, he scanned the dresser and felt his pants pocket to make sure he had his wallet and key card. Stepping out of their bedroom, he looked to his left and out on to the balcony. What he saw took his breath away.

He saw Laura. Standing on the balcony, looking out on the water, her back was to him, and she had no idea he'd seen her. The setting sun caught her hair at just the right angle, and it looked as if it contained strands of spun gold glinting in the sun. The slight color on her skin from today's day at the beach made her look healthy and glowing. And her dress. Robbie forgot all about his stomach as he took in Laura's shapely back. He'd never seen her in something so sexy as this. Her dress was white and practically backless, with only a small strip of material from the neckline of the dress down much more than half of her back, revealing more of her skin than he'd ever seen her show in public before. The bottom half of the dress was a flowing white skirt that just barely covered her knees. Small movements from the gently blowing breeze added to her beauty. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Quietly he stepped back into their bedroom and found their camera. He needed to take a picture of her. It was perfect. He never wanted to forget how she looked in this moment. How could someone as beautiful and smart as her want to be with me, he questioned himself? He felt slightly awed that she did. And how could I have even hesitated when she asked me to go away with her for the weekend, he wondered?

Successfully completing his surreptitious picture taking, he made his way to the balcony door.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Laura turned around and leaned against the balcony railing grinning at him and mildly shaking her head.

"You have a one-track mind, Robbie Lewis."

Robbie took two slow, deliberate steps toward Laura, taking in all of her through his insistent gaze. The front of her dress was plain white, just like the back, but offered no glimpses of skin with its high neckline. Remembering how the sight of her from behind had made him feel just a short moment ago, he reached behind her, feeling flesh and just a few inches of fabric, pulled her toward him and leaned down to kiss her and said, "With you in this dress, Laura, I may have a two-track mind tonight. You look gorgeous." Laura's mouth opened into a satisfied grin as she put her arms around Robbie's waist waiting for him to kiss her. Instead, they both could hear Robbie's growling stomach come to life with its audible protest. They both burst out laughing, changing their moment on the balcony altogether.

"I guess we'd better go get you that garlic bread I promised. Come on then."