Aaron was fed up of the whole situation. One minute Robert was whisking him away to fancy hotels, the next he was calling the affair off and telling Aaron that they would have to avoid each other.
Robert had just called it off for what felt like the hundredth time, and Aaron had decided that enough was enough. He wanted to be more than Robert's bit on the side, more than the person that Robert could just sweet talk into bed whenever he was feeling bored.
However, there was something that just seemed to draw the two men back together time after time. Despite the promises that Aaron made to himself every time to finish for good, Robert somehow managed to win Aaron back round with the countless hotel trips and "business meetings".
Aaron decided that he was going to have a bit of fun and show Robert what he was missing. Scrolling through his contacts for the number Vic had forced him to take in the hope of setting them up, he found and dialled the number.
"Hello?" Finn answered, sounding a bit confused.
"Finn? It's Aaron. Listen, are you doing anything tonight?" Aaron felt slightly guilty at using young, innocent Finn to make Robert jealous, but pushed that to the back of his mind.
"Urm, nothing. Why?" Finn sounded even more confused now and Aaron fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"You fancy going for a drink or something?" He asked, hoping that Finn would agree.
"Yeah, sure, what time?" Aaron could almost hear the smile in Finn's voice. Poor kid really needed to find a boyfriend.
"7pm in the Woolpack?" Now all Aaron had to do was make sure that Robert was in the pub at the same time.
Finn agreed and sounded happy enough to make Aaron regret dragging him into it.
Later that evening, having already spoken to Chrissie and finding out that she was planning on taking Robert out for a meal at the Woolpack, Aaron was ready to meet Finn.
He had decided to go all out and wear the tight fitting white t-shirt and smart jeans that Robert had told Aaron he looked "like a fucking God" in, and had styled his hair into the style that he knew Robert particularly liked.
Taking a seat at the bar, he could see some raised eyebrows from some of his family members and friends because it was unusual for him to put much effort into his appearance. Victoria bounded over with his drink, squealing about how excited she was for the two of them to be going on a proper date and how Aaron had better be nice to Finn.
Just then, Finn entered and whilst he wasn't really Aaron's type, Aaron admitted to himself that Finn looked cute in his shirt and jeans. He felt the guilt at using Finn as a pawn in his and Robert's game rise back up but pushed it aside.
The evening got off to a slow start as the two men struggled to find any common ground. However, after a few beers the conversation started flowing much better and whilst Aaron wouldn't exactly say he was enjoying himself, he had had worse evenings.
Aaron tensed as he heard a familiar voice enter the pub. Robert had arrived, now it was time to have some real fun. Aaron was watching Robert and knew the exact moment that Robert saw Aaron and his 'date' sat together.
Robert's jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed, and everything about him screamed that he wanted to stride over and pull the two men apart. However, as he was unable to do so, he had to settle for a pint but was then forced to suffer even more when Chrissie chose to sit at the table right next to the one Aaron and Finn were sat at.
Knowing that it was time to step it up a gear, Aaron really turned on the charm. Complementing Finn, agreeing with everything he said and smiling much more than what felt natural seemed to have the desired effect on both Finn and Robert.
Finn shifted closer so that his knees were bumping Aaron's under the table and began returning the compliments and smiles enthusiastically. One of his hands drifted across the table and repeatedly nudged Aaron's spare hand that wasn't wrapped around his rapidly emptying pint glass.
Sneaking a peek at the table next to theirs, Aaron enjoyed seeing Robert get so worked up. His hand was clenched so tight around his own pint glass that Aaron was concerned it would smash, and Aaron could see how tense Robert's jaw was.
Robert glanced up at Aaron and Aaron saw those beautiful blue eyes blazing with desire and jealousy. Chrissie was trying to talk to Robert, but he was taking no notice of her and was purely focused on the adjacent table.
Standing up, Aaron told Finn he was going to get another pint and was not surprised when Robert appeared next to him at the bar.
"What the hell are you playing at Aaron?" Robert hissed in Aaron's ear, and Aaron enjoyed the feeling of having the upper hand for once.
"What do you mean, Robert? I'm on a date in case you hadn't noticed." He whispered back with the biggest smirk he could muster up.
"So I'd gathered." Robert's voice was hard, controlled. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what? What's it to you anyway, I mean we are only business partners aren't we?" Aaron knew what to say to really get Robert worked up.
Robert was clutching the edge of the bar so hard that his knuckles had turned a deathly white colour.
"Please don't do this, Aaron. You have no idea what it's doing to me seeing you sat there flirting with some kid who I know you don't really want." Robert was practically begging Aaron now.
"Well I have to put up with seeing you with Chrissie every day don't I?" Throwing one more smirk at Robert, he thanked Diane for the drinks and headed back to the table, not looking back.
As he sat down and handed Finn his drink, he glanced up and saw Robert watching him, looking shocked that Aaron had just walked away from him.
"What's up with you and Robert Sugden? Whatever you said to him up there, it looks like you made him really mad." Finn questioned, looking between the two men.
Aaron saw Chrissie glance over and notice Robert's tense posture and facial expression, and knew that she was also waiting for Aaron's answer.
"Oh don't worry about him, we just had a little argument about the business earlier. He wants to take the business one way, me and Adam want to take it another way. It's no big deal, he's just overreacting." Aaron shrugged, trying to hide the fact that this had nothing to do with the business.
Chrissie stood up and went to where Robert was stood at the bar, and Aaron could see her saying something to Robert and gesturing with her hands. She suddenly turned on her heel and left, and Robert was left at the bar on her own.
"Trouble in paradise." Grinned Finn, also seeing the argument between the couple and Chrissie's exit.
Aaron forced a grin and laughed along with Finn. Suddenly, Robert did something that surprised Aaron. Heading back over to his table, he grabbed his chair and dragged it to Aaron and Finn's table.
"Mind if I join you? The missus has had to leave, Lachlan's causing problems for Lawrence at home so she's gone home to sort him out." Robert gave Finn his winning smile but Aaron saw right through it.
"Actually, yeah we do mind mate. We're on a date" he emphasised the word and saw Finn's cheeks colour slightly "here. So if you don't mind, could you leave us alone?" He asked and was satisfied to see the smirk fall slightly from Robert's face.
Finn looked down at the table awkwardly. "Tell you what Finn, why don't we get out of here and go into town for a while, see which clubs are open tonight?" Aaron suggested.
"Sure, let me just go and see Vic a minute." Finn smiled at Aaron and Aaron felt even guiltier at using Finn to get to Robert.
Going to the bar to talk to his best friend, Finn gave Robert the opportunity to try and talk Aaron out of his plan.
"Please don't do this Aaron, you'll regret it." He pleaded, but Aaron was set on his plan.
"I'm going. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to the gents before I take my date into town." Aaron stepped around Robert and headed into the toilets.
As soon as he had entered, he heard the door open behind him and a hand grabbed his wrist. Turning and not being at all surprised to see I was his jealous lover, he rolled his eyes.
"What do you want now Robert?" He asked, mocking exasperation.
Robert yanked Aaron towards him, spinning them so that he had the smaller man pinned up against the bathroom door.
"Just let me go Robert." Aaron tried to ignore how close Robert was and how turned on he was right now.
One hand on the door next to Aaron's head, Robert placed his other hand on Aaron's hip, holding him still.
Aaron pushed against Robert's chest, trying to force him away, but Robert wasn't budging.
"Robert, just let me go!" His voice was getting louder and louder.
"Not until you tell Finn you've changed your mind." Robert said, his eyes still blazing with jealousy.
Aaron couldn't help but laugh. "Who would have thought you'd get so jealous about the guy you're shagging going on a date with someone?"
Aaron felt Robert tense up, and pushed his body tight against Aaron's so Aaron could feel how turned on he was.
"Look Aaron, you're plan has worked. You know that I hate seeing you with other men, now you've proved your point can you just go and tell Finn nothing's going to happen? If you do that, I promise that I will make some excuse to Chrissie and we can go to a hotel right now." Robert, his eyes flicking between Aaron's eyes and his lips.
"Why should I? I mean, you have a wife so why shouldn't I have a boyfriend?" Aaron questioned, leaning even closer to Robert, their lips now just millimetres apart.
"Because I love you." Robert dropped the bombshell as he closed the space between them, pulling Aaron into a kiss. Every sound around them faded, and Aaron just focused on how natural it felt to be in Robert's arms.
One hand was wrapped in Robert's blond hair, the other on Robert's waist to prevent him moving away. Deepening their kiss, Robert held Aaron as if he was fragile. He then broke the kiss, placing his forehead on Aaron's as they both breathed deeply.
"You love me?" Aaron's voice was quiet now, all signs of game playing now long forgotten.
"Yeah, now do you understand why I can't bear the thought of you with anybody else? I love you, Aaron." His blue eyes stared into Aaron's deeply, conveying the emotions he was feeling at that moment.
In that moment, Aaron realised something. He may not be Robert's all the time, but he was madly in love with him. And he was going to make the most of all the time they did get to spend together.
"I love you too, Robert." He replied, pulling Robert into another kiss, and felt Robert's lips curl up into a grin.
"Now, why don't you get and book that hotel room whilst I go and tell Finn that he'd better find himself another date?"