4

Alex felt like she was going to self-combust. Damn Bobby Goren and his little games!

Having a baby soon. Not that making a baby with Bobby Goren wouldn't be very…damn it.

This was the trouble. Now that they were stuck in this make-believe situation it was too easy for things to get out of control.

Things that had been simmering under the surface for three years.

"Alex?"

She turned around, finding herself face to face with the object of her thoughts. He was looking at her with an apologetic face, his eyes trying to read hers.

"I'm sorry."

Alex folded her arms, determined not to give in so easily…even if he was staring at her like a little lost puppy. "Sorry for what?"

He took a deep breath. "Sorry for teasing you like that in front of the gossipy woman."

She let a small smile escape. "Apology accepted."

Bobby let out a small sigh of relief. "Good." He glanced at the casserole that Alex had left sitting on the counter. "Do you think it's safe to eat it?"

"I'm sure we won't be turned into anything too undesirable," Alex replied.

Bobby arched an eyebrow slightly at her choice of words. If she ever thought she was anything but stunning…His mind started running through ways he could make her realize how gorgeous she was.

"Bobby!"

He blinked and looked at her. "Huh?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

He started running through possible answers to that question that wouldn't get him in trouble. Opening his mouth and then shutting it again, he finally answered her. "I'm hungry."


Infuriating man! It was as though this was all a game to him. Pretending to be man and wife, sleeping in the same bed…

Alex cursed to herself. She started work the next day, as did Bobby. The nights they still spent together, and somehow she felt he was going to needle out every little ghost she had hiding within her.

It scared her to death.

At the same time, she wanted to know more about him. About what drove him, about what haunted him every day of his life. Why Nicole got under his skin the way she did.

And why it bugged Alex so much that Nicole seemed to know more about her partner than she did.

"Alex?"

She came out of the bathroom, turning off the light and her bottle of moisturizer in hand. "Mhm?"

Bobby looked up at her from his place on the bed. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in the dark blue boxers and the white t-shirt. She thought she caught a flash of metal glinting through his shirt, but decided she would question it later.

"I was just wondering if you were coming to bed."

Alex almost felt her heart jump into her throat the way he said those words. She was positive he meant nothing by it, but it affected her nonetheless.

"Just have to moisturize."

"Can I ask a personal question?"

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger. "Sure."

"Why do you and women in general, moisturize?"

She looked up at him, noting that he really was just curious. That man never ceased to fascinate her.

"Several reasons. It keeps the skin soft and young-looking. And smooth." Alex shrugged. "Also helps to get rid of the stretch marks."

Bobby arched an eyebrow. "What stretch marks?"

Alex chuckled. "What, you've never seen a stretch mark before? It's what happens when women give birth."

"I'm not a father."

He didn't need to add the "yet". Both of them heard it, loud and clear.

Alex sighed, ignoring the warning bells in her brain and sat next to him on the bed. "Here," she said.

Bobby watched as she lifted the hem of her t-shirt up, revealing some small marks around her belly.

"That's why women moisturize?" he asked, bemused.

Alex pushed the shirt back down. "Part of it."

"No need to," Bobby decided, laying back. "There's nothing wrong with them. They're part of you."

Alex's eyes jerked onto his for a moment, then turned away, grabbing the bottle of moisturizer. "A female thing, I guess." Lifting one leg up, she smoothed the lotion down the leg.

Making sure she wasn't watching him too closely, Bobby kept his eye on her, watching her hands slide the lotion down her legs. Part of him ached to reach out and do it for her…among other things.

Alex however, could see him out of the corner of her eye. It had never taken her this long to moisturize before, but she loved watching the look in his eye as she did so.

Bobby gulped and turned away, the sweet torture getting to be a little too much. He lay on his side, staring at the wall. When he heard Alex screwing the cap on the bottle and lying down, he almost sighed in relief.

Almost.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"He died in the line of duty."

Bobby didn't have to ask who she meant but he was curious as to why she was talking about it now…and he wanted to know more. He turned over but found that she was facing the other way.

Subject closed. For that night anyway.