Nine
"Oh my god!" Robin pressed her hands over her mouth as she took in what Patrick had done for her. From the hospital he had taken her to the new Harbor View apartments up to the 20th floor to his new apartment. She had marveled that he had a key already, but he told her that when he wanted something he got it and said that there was just some paperwork to finish up, but the place was basically his. Though she didn't say it, that kind of confidence and ambition was a turn on for her. She suspected he always knew that about her anyway.
When he opened the door he had taken her hand and used his other one to cover her eyes and led her inside. He didn't let her look until they were standing in the breeze of the open balcony door. When she opened her eyes she found a picnic set up in front of the open door.
"This is so great." She reached a hand out and took his. "You did this for me? Thank you. It's perfect."
Patrick's grin couldn't be any wider or prouder. He put his hand on her back and led her to sit down on one side of the tablecloth on a pile of pillows. He pulled the bottle of champagne out of the chiller and held it out for her approval. The next minutes were spent tasting champagne and starting on the chilled shrimp starter.
"I'm very impressed, Patrick. This is very romantic. And this place is gorgeous. Will I get a tour later?"
"Of course. Here." He held out a shrimp for her to bite into.
The next hour was spent dining and chatting. As it always was when Patrick and Robin were in harmony there was much laughter and many smiles accompanying their verbal badinage. By the end of the meal, Patrick was on Robin's side of the picnic holding her in his lap, her back to his front, and nuzzling on her neck. "Are you ready for dessert?"
"I thought we did that at my office." Robin bit her lip and closed her eyes.
"Don't tell me Dr. Scorpio has finally had enough?"
"Not quite yet, Dr. Drake." Robin turned her head and looked at him. "You said you wanted to talk about something. Is everything all right? You're not buttering me up for something are you?"
"Well. I kind of am." Patrick brushed her hair off her forehead and took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about strings."
"Strings?" Robin echoed blankly and then her expression changed as she caught on. Her breath caught.
"I want you, with strings. I find I'm pretty stuck on you, Dr. Scorpio. What do you say?" He smiled impishly. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Wow." Robin searched his expression. Was he teasing? Was he serious? Was he scared? Was she?
"Don't overwhelm me with your acceptance," Patrick said dryly.
"Are you sure? What changed your mind?"
"I should have known you'd analyze this to death first." Patrick rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, only the smile on his face betraying his enjoyment of her quirks.
"Fine, then yes. You are strung, Dr. Drake." She grasped onto his shirt front and tilted her head back.
Patrick bit his lip before diving in for the invited kiss.
"You know." Robin pulled back from the kiss. "That makes you my boyfriend!" She threw her head back and laughed.
"What is so funny?" Patrick held on to her so she didn't fall over, he was on the verge of laughing himself, just from the infectiousness of her laugh.
"The first time I met you." Robin said in between laughs. "You were doing a nurse on the table in an OR!"
"I knew you liked what you saw." He smiled smugly.
"How in the world did this happen?" She shook her head in wonder.
"Just go with it, Scorpio. It could just be all the champagne."
"No." Robin put her hands on Patrick's face. "It's definitely you. I find I'm rather stuck on you, too."
"I knew you were lying this whole time about not wanting a commitment from me." He smirked evilly.
Robin's jaw dropped and she let go of his face. She pointed at him. "You are the one who asked me. If anyone was lying it was you." She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.
"Didn't anyone teach you it's not nice to point?" He grabbed her finger and dived in to nuzzle her neck. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Is anyone going to believe this?"
"You plan to tell people?" Patrick pulled back and looked at her in mock horror. "What will that do to your reputation?"
"It'll make me seem compassionate since you've been chasing me around the hospital like a puppy for nine months."
"I have not!"
"Yes, you have. You'd think you'd never had no strings sex the way you were acting." Robin shook her head in mock disappointment. "Kissing me in plain sight, forgetting to lock doors, asking me out on dates really loudly," she ticked off.
Patrick cleared his throat and blushed. "Come to think of it," he mumbled into her ear.
"Was that an admission, Dr. Drake?"
"Since you're my girlfriend I think you can call me Patrick." He nipped on her ear. Then he pulled back and brushed back her hair and put his hands on her face. "We're really doing this."
Robin smiled and moved backward off his lap and onto the floor. She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him forward as she lay back on the pillows that lined the floor beneath them. He uncurled his legs and braced himself on his hands on either side of her head. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss before pulling back and balancing on one hand. With his free hand he pulled at the strings that held Robin's wrap around dress around her lithe body. He then leaned back on his haunches and unwrapped the dress from her body. He licked his lips and looked into her eyes and then down at her body. "You're so beautiful." He leaned down and kissed her bare stomach. She sighed and moved restlessly underneath him. He gently traced his fingers over her waist and hips. She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair.
"Patrick." His name was a soft plea. She felt his answering smile against her skin. He didn't hurry, though, as he continued to press little kisses to every centimeter of her torso and run his fingers teasingly in his lips' wake.
When his lips finally reached hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and slid her legs around his thighs and arched into him, only able to communicate her need with her body. Every slide of her tongue was a request, every undulation of her hips a question. Patrick answered each one.