Chapter 39
"Now the trick to the perfect chocolate chip pancake is the flip." Rylee sat at the kitchen table absorbing every word Patrick said. She watched as he effortlessly picked up the pan and flipped the pancake over without a spatula.
"Can I do it?"
"Not yet baby girl but I will teach you the perfect technique when you are older." Patrick winked at her. "Could you please get the syrup out for me?"
The little girl jumped out of her chair and ran over to the cabinet as Robin entered the kitchen. "Something smells great."
"We made pancakes!" Ry pulled the syrup bottle off the shelf and put it on the table.
"Pancakes?" She walked over to the stove and kissed Patrick on the cheek. "Do all your dates get pancakes the next morning?"
Patrick shook his head. Robin had fallen asleep in his arms so he had put her to bed and then slept on the couch. "You'd have to stay the night to make breakfast in the morning."
"Of course." She rolled her eyes before joining Rylee at the table. "Did you have fun with Grandpa Robert last night?"
"Yes, he taught me how to kick a man where it hurts." The little girl smiled proudly, not noticing the mortified looks her grandma and uncle got on their faces. "In the knee."
Robin relaxed as Patrick set the plates down on the table. "Yes baby, if you take them out at the knee then they can't chase you."
"Good to know." He sat down next to Robin. "Let's eat."
The three ate their breakfast, happily joking with each other while they enjoyed their pancakes. Twenty minutes later they were all full and cleaning up the dishes when Michelle and Michael walked in. She smirked at Patrick. "Looks like I'm not the only one who had a good night."
Robin walked to the sink with the dishes while Patrick stood up and gave the young girl a hug. "I slept on the couch."
"Sure you did." Michelle laughed and picked up her little girl. "I missed you so much baby girl."
"I missed you too Mommy." She hugged her mom close. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes I did. Did you?" Rylee nodded her head. "Good - let's keep the fun going. How would you like to get dressed and go over to the Quartermaine's house to go swimming?"
"Yeah!" Rylee squirmed out of her mom's arms and grabbed Michael's hand. "Will you help me find a bathing suit?"
He smiled at Michelle, touched that Rylee was asking him. He had loved the little girl the moment he met her and was still shocked that anyone, especially her birth father, could walk away from her. "Mommy and I will be more than happy to help you find a suit."
Within minutes the threesome were headed out the door, Rylee talking a mile a minute about everything she had done the night before. Robin continued washing dishes as Patrick came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Sounds like we are going to have the whole house to ourselves today."
"Did it?" Robin giggled as he whispered in her ear.
"And your father did interrupt us last night."
"Yes he did but…"
Patrick turned her around in his arms. "Hey, I am not pressuring you. We will go at your pace." He gently lifted her chin up until she was looking at him. "Just tell me what you want."
"I want you." She surprised herself with her honesty. "But, I haven't been with anyone in over six years. I don't want to disappoint you."
"Robin, you could never disappoint me." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "You are the most amazing woman I have ever met and I will do everything I can to prove it to you."
"Why? Surely you could be with someone with a lot less baggage, someone who…"
"Who would never challenge me or excite me the way you do." Patrick leaned down so his forehead was touching hers. "You, Robin, are worth a million of those women."
"A million, huh?" She raised her eyebrows at him.
"Don't change the subject." He pulled her away from the counter. He sat down in one of the chairs and set her down on his lap. "Robin, you are everything I ever could want or need. I have waited years for the chance to be with you."
"Why?" Ever since Michelle and hers talk last night the question had been running through her head. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because you were in love with Roger and you would have never left him for me." He kissed her cheek. "And I never would have taken you from him."
"I would like to tell you that you are wrong but you're not." She took a deep breath as she made her confession. "I will always love Roger but I would be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for you too, even back then."
He nodded his head knowingly. "The dance."
Robin agreed with him. "The dance – I was caught off guard by the emotions it stirred up in me and then you started talking about using your new dance moves to pick up women."
"What did you expect – Roger was standing right there." He put his hand up to her cheek and gently began to stroke it. "Robin, you and I both know that you and Roger and Michelle were always meant to be a family. I hate that he is gone but I can't help but believe that you and I are exactly where we should be right now – together."
Patrick took advantage of her stunned silence to wrap his hand up in her hair and pull her down into a passionate kiss. Robin's hands went around his neck and she turned herself around so that she was straddling him. His hands went to her back and brought her even closer to him. A moan escaped his lips as her still clothed breasts brushed against his shirt. He had never wanted anyone more than he wanted her in that moment.
He stopped and pulled away from her. "Robin…"
She noticed that he had stopped kissing her and was now just staring at her. "Patrick, why are you staring at me?"
He stared at her for moment longer before answering. "Don't expect me to apologize – you're beautiful."
She blushed but then smiled at him. "Patrick, do you have any…?"
He kissed her again as he stood up with her in his arms. "What do you think?"
Robin laughed, wrapping her legs tight around his waist and locking her arms around his neck. "I think that I want to take advantage of this empty house."
He didn't need to be told twice. Patrick began kissing her again as he carried her into her bedroom so they could take full advantage of their time alone together.
