A kiss without a hug is like a flower without the fragrance.

-Proverb-

"I think that went well, " Dave said as they stepped onto the second floor landing.

"Paul came out of his room to interrogate you, that's saying something." She stopped walking and looked at Dave something akin to respect in her eyes, "you treated him like a man."

"He is a man," Dave replied simply.

"He's my son and you could have dismissed him as just my son-"

"If I did that, I wouldn't have a shot in Hell of earning his respect."

"Most men wouldn't give a damn," Erin said so quietly that her lips barely moved. "You've been dating?" He asked, more surprised than curious.

"After the divorce my dad introduced me to his friend's son. I let him take me out once."
"And?"
"He didn't make it up my front steps."
"Why not?"

She turned around sharply, "does it really matter?"
"Just curious, " he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"He ordered wine-"
"Dear ole dad didn't mention...?
"Oh he did, but Jake insisted that I 'hadn't lived until I tried that special bottle." The mocking in her tone wasn't lost on Dave.

"Jake Anders? The lawyer? "
She nodded, in surprise; "how do you know him? "

"I've heard his name around town, but we're getting off track. what did you do about the wine?"

"I let him pour a glass, I picked it up and made a show of savoring it."

Dave stared at her, this story was going somewhere Erin didn't break her sobriety for an insensitive bone-head like Jake Anders. "And?"

A self-satisfied smirk spread across her face, "and then I dumped it on him and called a cab."

Dave doubled over and laughed a big gut-busting laugh the image of Jake's mousy face dripping champagne. "That poor asshole."

Erin stopped at the end of the hall outside her bedroom, "this is me."
"Was that your last date?" Dave asked, before she could disappear behind the door.

"Before you came along. Do you want to..." she gestured awkwardly, and opened the door slightly; "do you want to come in?"

"This isn't an invitation to stay. I still have to make dinner."
"No, but it is an invitation to help me out of this bra."
"Even better," she took his hand and pulled him inside.

"It's freezing in here," she eyed the cat curled on the foot of her bed, little gray hairs covered the white comforter.

"I'll get the window, " Dave said, and made his way across the room while Erin chased the cat from her bed. "Shoo Beau!" The tabby twitched at the sound of her voice and he took off towards the window. He pounced and caught air landing on the loveseat across from the bed. "Is that a cat or a flying squirrel? " Dave asked, bewildered.

"He might be a hybrid, " Erin said as the animal in question, hopped on the nightstand to look out the window. His tail arched against the plant on the nightstand; he sniffed Dave as he slid the window closed. "Is this the plant that I gave you?" Dave asked.

"No."Erin came up behind him to look out the window, her chin resting on his shoulder, her uninjured arm wrapped around his waist. "McKenzie helped me plant it outside," she pointed towards the backyard.

Purple and white perennials flourished from their beds as tulips began to go dormant in the mid-August heat. "I think I waited too long to replant it, it probably won't bloom," just a trace of guilt laced her tone.

"That's okay, " He said and turned to face her, his hands came to rest on her hips, "there are plenty of plants where that one came from; and even if it doesn't grow, " he reached up to cradle her neck. His other hand tucked a stray strand of ash blonde hair behind her ear. "I'd like to think that something else bloomed the night I gave it to you."

"I think you're right," Erin said, she stood on her toes and brushed her lips against his in a whisper soft kiss. "Thank you for everything."

Dave grinned, "if that's what I get, I should drive you home more often. " He reached behind her and gripped the strap of her sling, "want this off?"

"More than you will ever know." She bent forward and he lifted the strap over her head until it fell to the floor. "Much better." She sighed and reached up to rub her shoulder.

"You should sit before you fall," he said as she wrapped him in a hug with her cheek on his chest.
"I'm fine, " she went to the dresser, unbuttoning her blouse with one hand as she rifled through the drawers.

Dave's hand on her shoulder stalled her movements, his fingers massaged the tense muscle. "I'll get it, just tell me what you want. "

"Anything that doesn't require a bra," Erin grumbled, attempting to remove the annoying article, but the movement caused her ribs to pull.

"Lucky for you, bras and panties don't scare me."
Suddenly self-aware that she was closer to the big 5-0 and four months pregnant with sag and stretch marks in more places than she'd ever admit; "what about sagging breasts? " She pulled back the bed covers and laid down.

"There's absolutely no such thing as a bad breast. " He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Let me show you a gentleman's trick."

Reaching under the blanket, his hands found the opening of her blouse; her soft and creamy skin felt so natural against his fingertips as his body began to respond. He felt her breathing hitch and knew if he could see her, his private ache would be over.

But this was a gentleman's trick and what he wanted to do wasn't very gentle. He found the clasp of her bra and unfastened it, taking it and the blouse down her shoulders. His palm slid over the firm, warm flesh of her belly where his children grew until he found the band of her yoga pants; on instinct her hips rose to meet his hands. As he slid the pants past her knees he pulled them out from under the blanket.

"Look Mom," He answered, with a devilish grin. "No eyes. "

Erin snorted in response, "impressive, Agent Rossi, how many others have you used that on?"

"There's a first time for everything, " Dave said and passed her a blue satin nightgown. She slid it over her head. " I lied when I said there was no such thing as a bad breast."

She shrugged, "young and perky beat smooth and drooping, every day of the week."

"Wrong." His gaze began to smolder with undefined heat, "the only bad breasts are the ones that I'm not allowed to see because the woman I love won't allow it."

"Dave, you don't have to say that."

He cut her off and got to his feet, "any man who doesn't want to see you naked, must have skipped the line when God was handing out brains."

She laughed and said, "If any man saw me naked, I'd have to call the crime scene unit to cover up a murder. "

"You got that right. I'm a hot-blooded, Italian man with a beautiful, half-naked woman right in front of me and dammit if I don't have to go cook!" In a word, this sucked. He was pushing 60; twenty years ago he could get going for anything in a skirt, not now. Erin Strauss was a different being entirely and he couldn't have her either. At least not in the physical sense when there was more than bruised ribs and a broken wrist between them.

"I'm afraid so," Erin said in mock pity as she settled down under the blankets, "did you see all the pizza boxes in the trash?"
"Pitiful, " he shook his head, "they're starving. "
"Go feed my babies. " She demanded as her eyes drifted closed.

"Yes, Ma'am, " he leaned in and touched his lips to her forehead.

"Dave?" His hand stalled on the doorknob. "Yes? "
"Would you," the word stay, hovered on her lips. "Send Paul up here?"

"We thought you got lost, " Paige teased as Dave stepped off the stairs and joined them in the kitchen. "Sorry about that, Mom was, " he paused nervously and struggled for something witty to say. "Well, Mom was talking my ear off. But I'm under strict orders to make sure you three get a decent meal."

Paige blushed slightly, "she noticed, huh?"

"She's your mom, you should have recycled." Dave shrugged and sliced open the roll of beef.

Two pairs of accusing eyes glared at Paige,"That's what I said!" McKenzie said in disdain for her sister, "nobody listens to the ten year old," she grumbled shaking her head.

"Who cares," Paul said with all the bravado of a man in charge, "it was good pizza."

Burgers or meat loaf?" Dave asked, watching the kids interact, McKenzie fluttered through the kitchen, between cabinets and the refrigerator, retrieving whatever she thought he would need. Judging by the bowls and spices that sat on the counter, anything other than meatloaf would be wrong.

Paige stood on her toes and took a mixing bowl from the cabinet to the left of the sink. "Meat-loaf." She answered and passed Paul a potato peeler. "Paul,"Dave said, cracking eggs into the bowl, "mom wants to see you. "

"I shall return, " he said with an exaggerated bow of his head and disappeared up the stairs.

Dave grinned at Paul's antics, the kid was obviously showing off but that didn't mean he wasn't funny. "Now, the key to a good meatloaf, " Dave, rolled up his sleeves and added the meat to the eggs. "Is binding. Do you have crackers? " He asked, opening the pantry where McKenzie had gotten the potatoes.

"Don't crunch mom's goldfish, " McKenzie warned. He jerked his hand back as if the bag would spontaneously combust.

Dave chuckled and picked up the bag, "I'll take my chances with Mom,"
"I wouldn't, " Paige called as they emerged back into the kitchen. "The dog disappeared when Mom was pregnant with McKenzie, because it ate her Oreos."

He grabbed the bag and headed into the kitchen, "I can guarantee, I'll be the last dog standing. "