Title: Adjustments
Author: Listabets
Rating: PG-13 and a bit of R for the most part
Category: Robert and Elizabeth romance
Disclaimer: I do not own Robert or Elizabeth. I'm just borrowing them for a little bit for my own amusement, and hopefully for the amusement of those reading this.
This is the final chapter of this story. Enjoy and review.
............................................................................ .....................................
"Make myself at home?" Robert thought to himself as he watched Elizabeth head upstairs and he began to feel distinctly awkward standing alone in her kitchen. To distract himself he rinsed Ella's dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Still feeling a bit antsy Robert flicked off the light and made his way into the living room. Browsing Elizabeth's extensive CD collection enabled Robert to take a few deep breaths and control the overwhelming urge to flee before he made an ass of himself. She had very diverse tastes in music, similar to her eclectic books. Elizabeth never failed to surprise him with the diversity of her interests. Selecting Seal IV Robert leaned over to figure out her complicated stereo system. Rather then an integrated unit Elizabeth's sound system was made up of high-end components including a turntable. Robert wondered if this had been Mark's. Slipping the CD into the player Robert hit play and was rewarded with the rich soulful voice of Seal.
"Nice choice." Elizabeth was suddenly directly behind him and Robert's stomach clenched in a combination of pleasure and anxiety. He turned toward her with a small smile
"Nice stereo." He replied "It isn't often you see a system made of separate components anymore."
Elizabeth stepped forward to adjust the bass and balance of the speakers, running her fingers expertly over the digital controls. "I love music and have a lot of both tapes and vinyl. No one makes a compact stereo with a turn table that's worth anything."
"I'm surprised. I thought it might be...." Robert realized too late that he was going in a direction conversationally that was not terribly clever and stopped short.
"Mark's?" Elizabeth finished for him.
Robert nodded mutely, feeling completely stupid and insensitive. Feelings that did not normally occur in him.
Elizabeth scanned the room slowly as if gathering her thoughts, music washing over them both, ensuring that they were not left in silence. "There isn't much left of his here." Elizabeth explained. Robert waited as Elizabeth vaguely gestured to the comfortable room. "I sorted through the house and put aside the things the girls might want later, so now what you see is me. I needed to move on."
"Have you?" Robert asked quietly, feeling rooted to the spot in front of the stereo.
"I think so." Elizabeth replied and with a grin added, "I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Taking Robert's hand she lead him to the sofa. "Please sit down, you are making me bloody nervous!" Elizabeth teased as she took the other end of the soft couch. She kicked off her shoes and stretched her legs out propping them up on the coffee table.
"Are you hungry?" Elizabeth questioned as she bounced up again and headed for the kitchen. Robert could hear the clink of glassware and some rustling around in the fridge. After a few more unidentified noises coming from that direction Elizabeth reappeared with a tray loaded with several cheeses, some grapes, a loaf of French bread, a bottle of chilled white wine and two crystal glasses. Setting the impromptu picnic on the coffee table Elizabeth moved to the fireplace and flipped a switch that turned on the gas jets.
"I would have preferred a real wood fire but the people who remodeled the house put this thing in instead. It is convenient though." Elizabeth commented easily as she settled back into her corner of the sofa. "Can I pour you a glass of wine?" She asked lifting the bottle off the tray and reaching for the glasses.
Robert was at a loss for words and wondered if she could hear his heart thundering inside his chest. "I'm driving, Lizzie." He reminded her as Elizabeth filled both glasses. Robert found himself staring at her hands. Strong surgeon hands holding delicate stemware. He was enjoying the contrast. She held the glass out to him and suddenly her eyes were locked onto his.
"That is your choice, Robert" Elizabeth continued to hold the glass steadily, challenging him to take it.
He reached for the glass, brushing his fingers against hers as he took it from her. "What is it that I am choosing here, Elizabeth?" Robert found himself asking, "Is it simply a glass of wine and staying here, or am I committing to something deeper?" He took a sip of the crisp wine waiting for the answer, unsure what he wanted her to say. Anxiety and the urge to flee once again washed over him. Robert sipped his wine again to calm himself. Afraid that he would drop his glass he tried to casually place it on the table hoping that Elizabeth would not notice the slight nervous shake he had developed.
Elizabeth watched him over the rim of her glass, her brilliant blue eyes serious and steady. "You aren't committing to anything, except possibly taking a risk." She placed her glass next to his on the table and leaned closer to him. "Can you take a chance with me?"
Robert realized that he and Elizabeth are now facing each other on the couch and he isn't quite sure when they got this way. His right arm is stretched along the sofa back mirroring Elizabeth's position, their fingers almost touching. Robert breathed in her scent, something fresh and light today, and entwined his fingers with hers. She is waiting for some sort of reply and his brain has completely stopped functioning. Robert moves forward, his eyes never leaving hers and brushes his lips across hers softly. Her mouth is so soft and responsive and Robert wants to continue to explore but instead he whispers in Elizabeth's ear " The cost of this particular choice could be more than I can handle."
Elizabeth draws away from him so that she can see into his eyes again. Smiling gently she raises their joined hands to her lips and answers simply "True for both of us, but the benefits could be immense." To make her point Elizabeth closes the space between them and begins to kiss Robert in a way that leaves him breathless. When he had thought of Elizabeth doing this to him, and those thoughts were not uncommon, he never dreamed it would feel so damn amazing. There was no way he could have imagined her sensual energy and how that sparked some kind of reciprocal force within him he had not realized existed. Taking back some level of control Robert gently removed his hand from hers and began to explore her silk covered back. Moving up her spine he tangled his fingers in her hair and took control of the kiss, wanting to leave her as helpless as she had left him. Robert could feel her hands exploring his sides and back, moving under his sweater and beginning to untuck his shirt. Robert broke the kiss and sat back to pull the sweater roughly over his head, not wanting to be separated from Elizabeth's fabulous mouth for longer than absolutely necessary. Dropping the garment over the back of the sofa he recaptured Elizabeth's lips as his fingers traced the edge of her collarbone finding the fluttering pulse at the base of her throat. Just as it was that day on his patio her pulse was pounding.
Robert wanted to explore every inch of this amazing woman and he moved to gather her into his arms, suddenly realizing that he no longer had arms in the plural. Just an Arm. The one arm. The one hand. He had not made love to a woman since the accident, much less since the re amputation. He was suddenly aware of the motorized contraption hanging on his left side. He didn't want to touch Elizabeth with it but he wasn't sure how to discreetly take it off. Robert knew that Elizabeth was now aware that he was uncomfortable about something. Her hands were still moving softly over his bare skin under his shirt but they were less insistent now.
"It's OK, you know." Elizabeth whispered as Robert could feel her nimble fingers unfastening the buttons of his oxford shirt. One by one they released and Robert watched as she slipped her hands across his chest exploring the texture of his skin. He could feel himself begin to tremble as Elizabeth slowly slid the cloth from his shoulders revealing the harness that secured the prosthetic to his stump. She trailed tiny kisses down his neck stopping to make sure that as she pushed the harness off his right shoulder each bit of exposed skin was tasted and explored. Robert rolled his shoulder and slipped the harness off, allowing Elizabeth to ease the prosthetic gently to the floor. He closed his eyes to fight back the tears that suddenly welled up; trying to stop the shaking that was overtaking him. Robert could feel Lizzie move into his body and wrap herself around him. Tears slipped silently down his face to be kissed away as she waited patiently for him to relax. Taking a deep breath Robert opened his eyes to find that he was looking directly into a pair of glorious blue eyes also brimming with tears.
"Hey, it's OK, you know" Robert said in a voice that sounded a lot stronger then he expected. Two fat tears escaped down her checks and Robert caught them on his finger and wiped them away. He had stopped shaking now and was twisting one of Elizabeth's curls around his finger.
"Do you remember that day in my office when you were kissing me and Kerry was banging on the door?" Robert asked
"Of course." Elizabeth snuggled into him and stared kissing the side of his neck again traveling up toward his left ear and making it almost impossible to think.
"Well, I suggested that we stop so we could resume what we were doing someplace else. When we had more time and a more comfortable venue." Robert was beginning to lose the ability to string words together coherently as Elizabeth swirled her tongue around the shell of his ear and gently sucked on the soft lobe. "Please can we do that now? Find that more comfortable place. Like a bed possibly." Robert groaned as Elizabeth got up from the sofa and headed for the stairs. As fast as she started to depart the room she was back and grabbing the bottle of wine.
"We might as well take this upstairs. It's not as if you are driving!" Laughing aloud Elizabeth took off up the stairs.
Shaking his head, and completely unable to stop grinning, Robert carefully gathered the two glasses and followed the woman of his dreams, sure that she is worth every risk he could possibly take.
Seals voice continued to flow from the stereo into the room as Robert made his way to Elizabeth.
Everyday a shade of blue You won't believe what I'm going through It just feels like I can't afford to let myself go.
No oh, oh no.
Everyone is just the same They touch me but I can say There has been no one brighter then you I can't deny these things that I do It feels like the World's at stake 'cause I have been waiting; I have been waiting for you.
Heavenly, that's what you are You're burning me like a shining star How am I supposed to be the King without you?
Oh oh oh, it's true
Everyone is just the same They touch me but I can say There has been no one brighter then you I can't deny these things that I do
I have seen no light brighter than you.
As the song fades in the empty room Robert has long since stopped listening.
Rating: PG-13 and a bit of R for the most part
Category: Robert and Elizabeth romance
Disclaimer: I do not own Robert or Elizabeth. I'm just borrowing them for a little bit for my own amusement, and hopefully for the amusement of those reading this.
This is the final chapter of this story. Enjoy and review.
............................................................................ .....................................
"Make myself at home?" Robert thought to himself as he watched Elizabeth head upstairs and he began to feel distinctly awkward standing alone in her kitchen. To distract himself he rinsed Ella's dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Still feeling a bit antsy Robert flicked off the light and made his way into the living room. Browsing Elizabeth's extensive CD collection enabled Robert to take a few deep breaths and control the overwhelming urge to flee before he made an ass of himself. She had very diverse tastes in music, similar to her eclectic books. Elizabeth never failed to surprise him with the diversity of her interests. Selecting Seal IV Robert leaned over to figure out her complicated stereo system. Rather then an integrated unit Elizabeth's sound system was made up of high-end components including a turntable. Robert wondered if this had been Mark's. Slipping the CD into the player Robert hit play and was rewarded with the rich soulful voice of Seal.
"Nice choice." Elizabeth was suddenly directly behind him and Robert's stomach clenched in a combination of pleasure and anxiety. He turned toward her with a small smile
"Nice stereo." He replied "It isn't often you see a system made of separate components anymore."
Elizabeth stepped forward to adjust the bass and balance of the speakers, running her fingers expertly over the digital controls. "I love music and have a lot of both tapes and vinyl. No one makes a compact stereo with a turn table that's worth anything."
"I'm surprised. I thought it might be...." Robert realized too late that he was going in a direction conversationally that was not terribly clever and stopped short.
"Mark's?" Elizabeth finished for him.
Robert nodded mutely, feeling completely stupid and insensitive. Feelings that did not normally occur in him.
Elizabeth scanned the room slowly as if gathering her thoughts, music washing over them both, ensuring that they were not left in silence. "There isn't much left of his here." Elizabeth explained. Robert waited as Elizabeth vaguely gestured to the comfortable room. "I sorted through the house and put aside the things the girls might want later, so now what you see is me. I needed to move on."
"Have you?" Robert asked quietly, feeling rooted to the spot in front of the stereo.
"I think so." Elizabeth replied and with a grin added, "I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Taking Robert's hand she lead him to the sofa. "Please sit down, you are making me bloody nervous!" Elizabeth teased as she took the other end of the soft couch. She kicked off her shoes and stretched her legs out propping them up on the coffee table.
"Are you hungry?" Elizabeth questioned as she bounced up again and headed for the kitchen. Robert could hear the clink of glassware and some rustling around in the fridge. After a few more unidentified noises coming from that direction Elizabeth reappeared with a tray loaded with several cheeses, some grapes, a loaf of French bread, a bottle of chilled white wine and two crystal glasses. Setting the impromptu picnic on the coffee table Elizabeth moved to the fireplace and flipped a switch that turned on the gas jets.
"I would have preferred a real wood fire but the people who remodeled the house put this thing in instead. It is convenient though." Elizabeth commented easily as she settled back into her corner of the sofa. "Can I pour you a glass of wine?" She asked lifting the bottle off the tray and reaching for the glasses.
Robert was at a loss for words and wondered if she could hear his heart thundering inside his chest. "I'm driving, Lizzie." He reminded her as Elizabeth filled both glasses. Robert found himself staring at her hands. Strong surgeon hands holding delicate stemware. He was enjoying the contrast. She held the glass out to him and suddenly her eyes were locked onto his.
"That is your choice, Robert" Elizabeth continued to hold the glass steadily, challenging him to take it.
He reached for the glass, brushing his fingers against hers as he took it from her. "What is it that I am choosing here, Elizabeth?" Robert found himself asking, "Is it simply a glass of wine and staying here, or am I committing to something deeper?" He took a sip of the crisp wine waiting for the answer, unsure what he wanted her to say. Anxiety and the urge to flee once again washed over him. Robert sipped his wine again to calm himself. Afraid that he would drop his glass he tried to casually place it on the table hoping that Elizabeth would not notice the slight nervous shake he had developed.
Elizabeth watched him over the rim of her glass, her brilliant blue eyes serious and steady. "You aren't committing to anything, except possibly taking a risk." She placed her glass next to his on the table and leaned closer to him. "Can you take a chance with me?"
Robert realized that he and Elizabeth are now facing each other on the couch and he isn't quite sure when they got this way. His right arm is stretched along the sofa back mirroring Elizabeth's position, their fingers almost touching. Robert breathed in her scent, something fresh and light today, and entwined his fingers with hers. She is waiting for some sort of reply and his brain has completely stopped functioning. Robert moves forward, his eyes never leaving hers and brushes his lips across hers softly. Her mouth is so soft and responsive and Robert wants to continue to explore but instead he whispers in Elizabeth's ear " The cost of this particular choice could be more than I can handle."
Elizabeth draws away from him so that she can see into his eyes again. Smiling gently she raises their joined hands to her lips and answers simply "True for both of us, but the benefits could be immense." To make her point Elizabeth closes the space between them and begins to kiss Robert in a way that leaves him breathless. When he had thought of Elizabeth doing this to him, and those thoughts were not uncommon, he never dreamed it would feel so damn amazing. There was no way he could have imagined her sensual energy and how that sparked some kind of reciprocal force within him he had not realized existed. Taking back some level of control Robert gently removed his hand from hers and began to explore her silk covered back. Moving up her spine he tangled his fingers in her hair and took control of the kiss, wanting to leave her as helpless as she had left him. Robert could feel her hands exploring his sides and back, moving under his sweater and beginning to untuck his shirt. Robert broke the kiss and sat back to pull the sweater roughly over his head, not wanting to be separated from Elizabeth's fabulous mouth for longer than absolutely necessary. Dropping the garment over the back of the sofa he recaptured Elizabeth's lips as his fingers traced the edge of her collarbone finding the fluttering pulse at the base of her throat. Just as it was that day on his patio her pulse was pounding.
Robert wanted to explore every inch of this amazing woman and he moved to gather her into his arms, suddenly realizing that he no longer had arms in the plural. Just an Arm. The one arm. The one hand. He had not made love to a woman since the accident, much less since the re amputation. He was suddenly aware of the motorized contraption hanging on his left side. He didn't want to touch Elizabeth with it but he wasn't sure how to discreetly take it off. Robert knew that Elizabeth was now aware that he was uncomfortable about something. Her hands were still moving softly over his bare skin under his shirt but they were less insistent now.
"It's OK, you know." Elizabeth whispered as Robert could feel her nimble fingers unfastening the buttons of his oxford shirt. One by one they released and Robert watched as she slipped her hands across his chest exploring the texture of his skin. He could feel himself begin to tremble as Elizabeth slowly slid the cloth from his shoulders revealing the harness that secured the prosthetic to his stump. She trailed tiny kisses down his neck stopping to make sure that as she pushed the harness off his right shoulder each bit of exposed skin was tasted and explored. Robert rolled his shoulder and slipped the harness off, allowing Elizabeth to ease the prosthetic gently to the floor. He closed his eyes to fight back the tears that suddenly welled up; trying to stop the shaking that was overtaking him. Robert could feel Lizzie move into his body and wrap herself around him. Tears slipped silently down his face to be kissed away as she waited patiently for him to relax. Taking a deep breath Robert opened his eyes to find that he was looking directly into a pair of glorious blue eyes also brimming with tears.
"Hey, it's OK, you know" Robert said in a voice that sounded a lot stronger then he expected. Two fat tears escaped down her checks and Robert caught them on his finger and wiped them away. He had stopped shaking now and was twisting one of Elizabeth's curls around his finger.
"Do you remember that day in my office when you were kissing me and Kerry was banging on the door?" Robert asked
"Of course." Elizabeth snuggled into him and stared kissing the side of his neck again traveling up toward his left ear and making it almost impossible to think.
"Well, I suggested that we stop so we could resume what we were doing someplace else. When we had more time and a more comfortable venue." Robert was beginning to lose the ability to string words together coherently as Elizabeth swirled her tongue around the shell of his ear and gently sucked on the soft lobe. "Please can we do that now? Find that more comfortable place. Like a bed possibly." Robert groaned as Elizabeth got up from the sofa and headed for the stairs. As fast as she started to depart the room she was back and grabbing the bottle of wine.
"We might as well take this upstairs. It's not as if you are driving!" Laughing aloud Elizabeth took off up the stairs.
Shaking his head, and completely unable to stop grinning, Robert carefully gathered the two glasses and followed the woman of his dreams, sure that she is worth every risk he could possibly take.
Seals voice continued to flow from the stereo into the room as Robert made his way to Elizabeth.
Everyday a shade of blue You won't believe what I'm going through It just feels like I can't afford to let myself go.
No oh, oh no.
Everyone is just the same They touch me but I can say There has been no one brighter then you I can't deny these things that I do It feels like the World's at stake 'cause I have been waiting; I have been waiting for you.
Heavenly, that's what you are You're burning me like a shining star How am I supposed to be the King without you?
Oh oh oh, it's true
Everyone is just the same They touch me but I can say There has been no one brighter then you I can't deny these things that I do
I have seen no light brighter than you.
As the song fades in the empty room Robert has long since stopped listening.