Part 8

"Did you even give Marion a hint about what you wanted?" Robin asked as they got into the car after the fifth rejected property of the day.

The last four hours were a complete bust in terms of finding Patrick somewhere to live. Even though Robin could tell in the first two minutes whether a place suited Patrick he still insisted on looking through each and every room and, as promised, kissing her at every opportunity. Realtor Marion, instead of being annoyed at her time being wasted, crowed like a proud mother at the "romantic couple" and even asked them if they had set a date for their wedding. Before Robin could respond, Patrick had claimed they were still negotiating, what with their busy career schedules. When asked about the ring he unapologetically said that his mother's ring was still being fitted. Robin turned away from Marion's beaming smile to roll her eyes and kicked Patrick in the shin once they were out of sight. Patrick had just laughed and pressed her against the wall and kissed her senseless, though it didn't change their opinion that the house they were viewing was too matronly for him.

"I tried." Patrick sighed and rested his hands on the steering wheel. "She has her own ideas."

"How in the world did you find her?" Robin asked about the woman who seemed to have taken a motherly interest in Patrick. Robin had begun to suspect a motive more than wanting to make a lucrative commission on the woman's part. Apparently, she had a thirty-something unmarried daughter and had previously shown Patrick the woman's photo. Patrick whispered to Robin that Marion was in denial about her daughter's sexuality. Robin suspected that with one look at Patrick that might not matter, though she didn't say so out loud.

"Liz recommended her."

"Liz Webber Spencer? The girl that I've known for more than a third of my life? She recommended Marion to you?" Robin gasped. When Patrick grumbled confirmation she broke into full-fledged laughter. "Oh, she is so getting you back for all that flirting."

"Probably," Patrick admitted wryly, setting Robin off into another gale of laughter.

She was wiping tears from under her eyes when she noticed he was grinning at her. "What?" she asked.

"I've never heard you laugh like that. Granted it was at my expense, but still nice to hear." He shot her a sweet look.

"Oh," Robin mumbled to herself and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Where to next?"

"The new harbor apartments."

"Oh, I heard those are fabulous." This was more Patrick's speed, she was sure of it. She pulled out her lip balm in anticipation of their next stop.

>>>>>>

Robin knew within ten seconds it was perfect. The space, the light, the view, the feel just felt like Patrick. It had two floors, three bedrooms, four bathrooms and an amazing view from all of the windows and two balconies. If they weren't looking for Patrick she would have taken it for herself.

Robin wandered into the kitchen and looked around. In here, she thought to herself, she could cook some amazing meals. It made her realize how small the kitchen in her rental apartment really was, though it had seemed so large compared to the kitchenette in her Paris apartment.

"Do you even cook?" Robin asked as Patrick walked into the kitchen while she was inspecting a pantry that she was fairly certain was larger than the bathroom at her apartment. "This is a serious cook's kitchen."

"I know my way around." He flipped the light on and off on the range hood that came down from the ceiling above the cook top on the kitchen island. "My mother taught me."

Robin smiled at the image of a young Patrick learning to cook at his mother's knee. "You'll have to show me," she said without thinking.

"That way I might actually get fed," Patrick commented as he stuck his head in one of the ovens on the wall around the corner from where Robin was standing.

Robin grimaced and then grinned. "You got fed last night," she pointed out with a husky tone.

"And you even ordered for me." Patrick closed the oven door with a snap and turned his head and gave her a heated look.

Robin licked her lips and turned around, her hands on her hips. "I seriously like this place already."

"Uh uh, Scorpio. It hasn't been properly tested." He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned down over her. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, anticipating the slide of his lips over hers. She moaned and let him manhandle her around until she was flush against him. When he deepened the kiss she grabbed at his shirt near his shoulders and opened herself up to him. She was seriously on fire. Hours and hours of foreplay having taken its toll on her and, she could feel him pulsing against her, on him.

"God, I want you," Patrick moaned into her ear and rocked his hips.

"You must." She panted. "Really like this." She moaned as he cupped her swollen and aching breast. "Apartment."

"Let's go check out the upstairs." Patrick stepped back, licked his lips and looked down at her with hooded eyes.

>>>>>>>

He took her to the first bedroom, which he declared would be his office/work out room. There, he pressed her against the wall, her feet dangling as he rocked against her center through her pants until she came.

He took her to the second bedroom, which he declared would be an actual guest room and kissed her against every wall to help him decide where the bed should go.

In the master suite he took her first into the bathroom where he made her get into the spa tub with him to prove that it was indeed large enough for two and playacted some of the things they could get up to in there. When he tried to get her into the glass block shower with two showerheads, however, she refused under suspicion that he would turn the water on and try to get a peep show through her white shirt.

Then they inspected the large walk in closet.

And finally the master bedroom.

He stood in the middle of the room with his arms out facing the glass windows that made up one wall and in the middle of which were doors out onto a nice-sized balcony. The view of the city and the river was phenomenal.

"Lie down."

"What?" Robin turned around from the built in shelves she was inspecting to see him pointing to the North wall.

"Lie down. I want to see where the bed should go."

"I don't need to lie down for that." She put her hands on her hips, her resistance purely token.

"Please?" he cajoled and bat his eyelashes at her.

She sighed and walked to where he pointed. "Lie down," he instructed again. She complied. He walked around her as if making a serious study of the light and positioning relative to the room set up. "How do you sleep? Lie like that."

Robin was jarred by the question. For as physically intimate as they were he had no idea in what position she slept. Nor did she know how he slept. Wordlessly, she turned over until she was sprawled out on her stomach. Seconds ticked by. "Can I get up now?"

"No."

She jumped when his voice came from so close. She turned her head to find him lying on his side only inches from her body. Robin's mouth went dry from the way he was looking at her and her heart beat sped up. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking, what he was doing, but she couldn't speak.

He placed his hand on the back of her neck and leaned forward and began a tender exploration of her mouth with his tongue. She sighed into his mouth and let him deepen the kiss. He only touched her with his mouth and with the hand on the back of her neck, but she could feel the sensations of the slow, sultry kiss that went on and on throughout her entire body. Her gentle sighs were lost in him.

"Yooohooo!"

Robin jerked back at the sound of Marion's warning that she was coming up the stairs. Her lips were tingling as she looked at Patrick who hadn't moved and was just looking back at her, his dark eyes unreadable. Swallowing, Robin stood up and walked over and opened the balcony doors, needing the fresh spring air to cool her heated skin.

She stayed outside, her stomach in knots and her nerves on edge, until Patrick came to tell her he was done. She deliberately avoided the hand that he reached out to guide her out of the bedroom and down the stairs. As the three of them stood waiting for the elevator, Marion went on and on about how much he would love the building, the neighbors, the neighborhood and a run down on the amenities. If she noticed that Robin was unusually silent she didn't comment.

By the time they got outside the building to the car, Robin had managed to force herself into some semblance of calm. The kiss was just foreplay, seduction, she told herself firmly, ignoring the sensation in her gut that told her that it was so much more. She reached into her purse and put on her sunglasses as Patrick walked to the driver's side. When he got in he looked over at her, swallowed and opened his mouth to say something.

Robin froze.