Chapter 40
"Oh my God." Patrick was panting heavily as he held Robin in his arms. "That was…"
"Disappointing?" Robin couldn't help but feel like she let him down. "I mean, I know it's been a while for me."
"I was going to say amazing." He turned to her. "Wait - did I disappoint you?"
"No, absolutely not."
"Then why would you think for even one second that you disappointed me?" Patrick rolled Robin over until she was facing him. "What we just did was more amazing than I could have ever dreamed."
"Really?" Robin was doubtful about his claim.
"Yes." He propped his head up on his hand as he spoke to her. "What we just did was different than anything I have ever done before. All I have ever done is the past is have sex. I can honestly say that I feel like this was the first time I made love. We connect on more than a physical level, we connect emotionally too and it made it the most amazing experience of my adult life."
A tear came to Robin's eye. She had felt the same connection and had prayed that he had felt it too. "I know."
"I look at you and all I can think is how much I want to spend the whole day in this bed with you, even if it is just watching TV and eating junk food. Any other woman and I would be counting the seconds until I could make a graceful exit." He reached over and pulled her closer. "I want to be here with you and I don't want it to end."
Robin bit her lip. "We could watch TV." A sexy smile played on her lips. "Or we could do the crossword puzzle."
Patrick smiled right back at her. "We could."
"Or," her hand slipped under the sheets, "we could find another way to occupy our time."
Patrick kissed her neck. "I'll take option number three."
_
"Stop." Robin was trying to make herself presentable before Michelle and Ry got home but Patrick wasn't helping. Every time she tried to put on an article of clothing, he tried to take it off of her. So far she had managed to get her underwear, bra and jeans on but he was being relentless about keeping her shirt off her. "They are going to be here any minute."
"We could tell them that you are not feeling well and I am in here doing a house call."
"Is that what you are – a house call?" Robin finally managed to get her shirt buttoned up.
"Been called far worse." He reluctantly put on his jeans. "Actually, I prefer boyfriend."
Robin actually stopped mid-step. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I said I prefer to be called your boyfriend." Patrick was proud of himself putting it out there. He had never committed to any woman in his life but Robin was different. "Unless you have a problem with that?"
Robin turned around and threw herself at him. He was caught off guard and fell but, luckily, he was standing in front of the bed when she did it so they ended up back on it. She kissed him for the hundredth time that day. "What do you think?"
"I think that it is too bad that Ry and Michelle are almost home." Patrick wanted nothing more than to rip Robin's clothes off of her and spend the remainder of the night making love to her. He gently pushed her off of him. "But I fully expect to be rewarded for my step forward in maturity later."
Robin giggled. "Don't worry, you will be."
She got off the bed and headed for the door, Patrick right behind her. "Did you get that movie Ry wanted? I would like a break from Inside Out."
"Yes although I have no doubts that you will sit through it with her at least a dozen more times." She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "You really are great with her."
Patrick joined her. "Well Ry is pretty easy to love and I'm not the only one who is great with her." Patrick leaned back so that Robin could curl up under his arm. "Why didn't you and Roger have more kids?"
She laid her head on his chest. "We talked about, several times, but I was hesitant because of my HIV status. I could never forgive myself if I passed this disease on to anyone, especially my own child. I had resigned myself to just having Michelle and then, one night, a woman came into the hospital who had fallen and sprained her wrist. Her name was Stacy, she was HIV positive and seven months pregnant. I treated her and spoke with her regarding her pregnancy. She really opened up my eyes to the possibilities. I went home that night and told Roger that we should go for it."
"Did it not work?"
"We never got the chance to find out – a month later Roger died and I took it as a sign that having a biological child just wasn't in the cards for me. I can't even imagine having been pregnant or dealing with an infant while handling the loss of my husband. It would have been a nightmare." She tightened her hold on Patrick. "I have been blessed with an amazing daughter and I will never take that for granted."
He kissed the top of her head. "I know you won't."
"What about you? I would have thought that having a mini-Patrick running around would be a dream come true for you. Proof of your virililty."
"I am plenty virile as I proved to you today." He stroked her back. "Kids have never been and will never be in the cards for me."
She regarded him curiously. "Why not?"
"Look, I know who I am and accept it. I am not built to be a father." Patrick squeezed her a little tighter. "My father made it clear that I was not his priority growing up – his career was and I would be the same way. Why subject a kid to that?"
"But you are so good with Rylee – don't you want a little piece of immortality running around?" Robin had no intentions of having another child but she didn't want Patrick to pay the price for her decision.
"If I ever have a kid my work would suffer and nothing, besides you of course, means more to me than my career. I will play Uncle Patrick all day long and twice on Sunday but I will never be called dad." Patrick worried that this might be a deal breaker for her but he couldn't change who he was. "Are you okay with that?"
"Of course." Robin sighed. "I am a grandma, having more children is the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with it."
"I am." He kissed the top of her head. "But, if you ever change your mind, I will be more than happy to play Uncle Patrick to your kid too. I have no doubts that you would be as amazing with that child as you are to Michelle and Rylee."
"Thank you but I think you are selling yourself short. I mean, who would have thought that you would suggest becoming my boyfriend?"
"But that is all about me being selfish and not wanting to share you with other men." He reached down and quickly tickled her belly, loving the laugh that came from her lips. "I don't like to share."
Robin rolled her eyes as she fell to the floor laughing. "I hadn't noticed."
The front door flew open and Rylee came running through it, her hair still wet from swimming. "Grandma!" She took advantage of Robin's being on the floor to jump on her. "I had so much fun today."
Robin gathered the little girl up in her arms and hugged her close. She took a moment to wink at Patrick before turning her attention back to her granddaughter. "I'll bet you did. Tell me all about it."
