Raking her fingers through his hair, she placed a light kiss on the top of his head, before slipping out of bed. Pulling on the robe that had been so quickly discarded earlier that morning, she sat down on the flowered overstuffed chair she kept near the window. Bobbie pulled her legs up towards her chin as she watched him reach out in his sleep for her.

The midday sun filtered through the blinds, bathing them in the soft glow. Stretching her arms over her head, Bobbie Spencer rolled over to her side and traced the sleeping face of her lover. She smiled softly, pushing herself up onto one elbow and using the pointer finger of her left hand to trace a line from the center of his forehead, down his nose, and stopped at his chin. Cruz muttered unintelligibly and rolled closer to her, his face stopping just before her breast.

This was quite simply the craziest thing she had ever done. She had two grown children and three grandchildren. She had buried two children, a sister, and a husband. She spent her days planning celebrations for other people and babysitting her two youngest grandchildren. And she was quite happily seeing a man who was only months younger than her nephews. A man that she only knew because he was one of her nephews' best friends.

When Cruz had arranged that follow up interview, she had been impressed by his professionalism. The quiet boy she remembered coming home with Patrick and Lucky from PCU had grown into a confident, quite powerful man. She knew from conversations with both Patrick and Lucky that Cruz was happily single, just like them, and she had found herself wondering at the time why no girl had enough sense to see his boyish games and just hold onto him. He was charming, funny, charismatic, and devastatingly handsome. Why on earth he was still single had baffled her. She had half a mind to start fixing him up right then and there on the spot.

His dinner invitation had startled her. To this very minute, she didn't know what possessed her to say yes. She had opened her mouth to turn him down and found herself asking for directions to his townhouse. The conversation had been wonderful, the food heavenly and the wine sinful. Right up until he insisted she stay in his guest bedroom, she had been planning on fixing him up with the daughter of the florist she used frequently. His chivalry charmed her and she found herself curiously wanting him for herself.

Before her brain could regain control of the situation, she had set out on a plan to seduce him. She left him a note before leaving. When he emailed her, she responded immediately. And when he agreed to come to her place for dinner, she had chosen her outfit with infinite care. She had felt slightly foolish, convinced he only came to see her out of some loyalty to his friends until that first kiss in the parking lot. It had taken every ounce of strength she had that night not to drag him into the car and have him right then and there. That kiss let her know in no uncertain terms that whatever it was between them, it was not one-sided.

Bobbie closed her eyes and savored the memories of their lovemaking. She had feared that part of her life may be over when Tony died a few years ago. Although she prided herself on her slim figure, she was no fool. A woman with two grown children and three grandchildren was not what most men dreamed of finding. There had been a few men here and there since Tony, but none had really excited her, made her feel alive. She had resigned herself to a life without passion.

Until that first night with Cruz. Maybe it was his age. Maybe it was the indefinable aura that seemed to surround them whenever they were in the room together. Maybe it was the thrill of doing something she knew no one would really understand or appreciate. But with Cruz she felt as alive as she had when she was eighteen and just discovering her own sexuality.

Bobbie was hesitant to try to define whatever it was they had. Even now, five months in. She had experienced too much heartache to fall in love again. Each loss she had suffered recently had torn a piece of heart out and buried in the ground with them. Mattie. B.J. Tony. Carly. Saying she loved Cruz was an open invitation for him to leave her someday. And she wasn't quite sure she could survive that. She didn't want to name it, but Bobbie knew deep in her bones she needed it. And she didn't want to be without it.

He turned again and Bobbie began to recognize his waking up routine. Turn away from the offending light source. Grumble something under his breath no one could ever decipher. Rising his head slightly off the pillow, he squinted his eyes and held up one hand to block the light. Sit up in bed, letting the sheet dip to his hip bone, giving her full view of his muscular chest. Bobbie bit back a smile. She may not want to name this, but she sure did enjoy the benefits of it.

She shifted her legs to the floor as Cruz turned his attention towards her. "What time is it?" He asked his voice rough with sleep.

Bobbie glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "Around lunch time."

He whistled low, running his fingers through his matted hair. "Damn, I need to call the office." He leaned over to reach for his cell phone, which at some point had ended up on the floor earlier that morning.

"You already did that this morning."

"I did?" He tilted his head to the left and gave her a quizzical look, looking all the while like a confused little puppy.

Bobbie stood up and moved back towards the bed, pausing to remove the cell phone from his grip. "Remember...you called them right before you threw me back down on this bed and ripped this robe off me?"

Cruz smiled wickedly as he began to play with the ties to the silk garment. Untying it slowly, he watched as her skin began to bathe in the sun. "Now why don't I remember that?" He slipped his hand in between the folds of the robe and gently rubbed her hip bone.

Bobbie affected a pout as she rubbed his bare shoulders. "Am I that forgettable?"

His hands slowly began moving up and down her sides, causing her breath to catch in her throat. "No you I remember." He whispered huskily, drawing himself closer to place his lips millimeters from her ear. "It's everything that doesn't involve you I am having trouble with." He gently began to kiss and nip her neck and ear. "You make me forget everything. You are trouble."

"Tell me about 'Miss Elizabeth.'" Patrick teased, pointing a French fry at his cousin.

Lucky threw a French fry at Patrick and gave him a warning look. "Miss Elizabeth is a wonderful teacher." He gestured with his head to Cameron who was sitting right next to them, staring at the large play place nearby.

"Touchy."

Ignoring Patrick entirely, Lucky leaned down to Cameron. "Hey buddy, you want to go play?" Seeing his son nod, Lucky patted him on the back. "Go on. I'll be right here watching you."

"I was just wondering about this change in your behavior."

"What change?"

"Nothing overly obvious. You haven't stopped smiling since we got here and it's starting to really creep me out."

"Cartoon monkeys creep you out. And even if I have been smiling, why do you think Elizabeth is the cause of it?"

"You called for lunch? What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Can't a guy just have lunch with his cousin?"

"Not you. Does this mean you're over being mad at me?"

"You still owe me big. But yes I am no longer ready to kill you."

"Did you or did you not know about the article on Robin's bakery?"

"I am curious as to why I didn't have to bail you out of jail."

"We don't need to discuss that."

"You brought it up."

"Robin and I had some...creative differences from the beginning, but we worked it out."

Lucky cocked his eyebrow at that comment. "How exactly did you work it out? Last time I saw you two you were shoving each other into the pool."

"She realized how irresistible I can be."

"Oh god, why do I have a feeling this ended badly?"

"It ended with a gun."

"You holding it, or her?"

"Her mother's guard actually."

Lucky snorted. "Explain. Now. And leave nothing out."

"Well, the night of your date with Elizabeth, Robin decided to storm into my studio and harass me."

"I doubt Elizabeth would call it a date but go on."

"Trouble this soon?"

"Lulu interrupted. But we aren't talking about my disaster right now. Nice try."

"After she quit screaming at me, she tried to kiss me."

"Quit lying. Robin did not try to kiss you."

"One minute we're furious with each other and the next she's falling into my arms as if she's always been there."

"Are you drunk?"

"Stone cold sober. Let's just say, I've already had three cold showers since I last saw her."

"You and Robin?" Lucky shook his head. It was unbelievable. Those two hated each other. "You and Robin?"

"Hey, there is no me and Robin, okay?"

"And almost kissing counts as what?"

"A mutual physical attraction."

"That can only lead to disaster."

"How do you figure?"

"Your last mutual physical attraction was your stalker, Romeo."

"Speaking of that, have you heard anything back from the commissioner?"

"Nope. Not a word."

"I wonder if that means she's been arrested."

"I have no idea man. Back to this whole bad idea that is you and Robin."

"We got interrupted."

"By..."

"A candy striper at General Hospital. Candice something."

Lucky rolled his eyes. "And you're alive to tell this tale?"

"She got mad, said she was glad she hadn't wasted any effort, and left."

"Where does her mother's guard come into all this?"

"Oh, that was this morning. I stopped off to convince her to forgive me. Robin, not her mother."

"You went by this morning?" Lucky smacked his cousin on the back of his head. "Were you dropped on your head as a baby or something?"

"What?" Patrick gave him a quizzical look.

"I love Robin to death. You know I do. But the girl carries a grudge. Not to mention a mean left hook."

"Other than the gun, we kept the violence down to a minimum. Lucas gave me all the excuse I needed to get her in the back so we could be alone."

"You're now using Lucas in your conquests? I thought you didn't want Bobbie mad at you."

"I didn't use him. He just happened to be there."

"I'm feeling ill. Just continue."

"I called her on wanting to kiss me, got her to agree that she had no reason to be mad at me, and then she dared me to kiss her." He couldn't hide his grin at that.

"Yeah this just has success written all over it."

"So she goes all nuts when I actually move in to kiss her and we start arguing again. I grab her, intent on shutting her up, and then here comes her mother's guard with his gun ruining everything." Patrick pouted.

"And you still don't see why this is a bad idea?"

"Robin didn't let her mother shoot me. I'm not seeing a problem. She clearly cares about my well-being."

"Her mother is running for election. Shooting you would not have helped the campaign."

"Robin did say something about that I think." Patrick recalled. "There was one other thing I wanted to ask you about."

"Yes I will claim your body from the morgue when Anna's guards shoot you."

"Funny. Robin rushed me out after her mother asked about Morgan. Was she talking about Jason Morgan of all people? I mean, they did date right?"

"Yeah like a lifetime ago."

"Do you think that's what she meant?"

Lucky shrugged. "Could be. If someone was digging for dirt on Anna, Robin's relationship with a convicted mobster would make for some compelling smear ads."

"He's been in prison for the last decade." Patrick couldn't put his finger on it, but something was definitely off. "Maybe I'm reading too much into it."

"All's fair in war and politics. Didn't my dad teach you that?" Lucky slapped Patrick on the back. "I'm sure Anna was just making sure Robin hasn't seen him lately." He grinned. "Besides if it's just a mutual physical attraction, why would you read anything into it at all?"

"I just want to know what I'm getting myself into." Patrick quickly assured him.

"Well sure. Not like you couldn't have figured that out from the five years she was married to Logan or anything."

"I had other things to worry--focus on."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"At least we're upfront with each other."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't get all bent out of shape. I guess I'm just wondering why you shut down every time the conversation turns to Elizabeth."

"Because you keep bringing it up in front of Cameron?"

"Okay, your kid is across the room now. What's stopping you?"

"You're story was much more interesting."

"My almost kiss with a woman I hate? Please. I saw the way you were looking at Elizabeth at the pool."

Lucky smirked. "Well to start with, I don't have to qualify with an almost kiss."

"No?"

"It's not almost when it actually happens my friend."

"And you're just telling me this now?"

"Would you want to hear your dad talk about kissing your teacher in front of you?"

Patrick made a face. "No. Definitely not."

"Well there you go then."

"Avoiding." Patrick accused. "You're really falling hard for this girl, aren't you?"

"I think I might be."

"Have I taught you nothing?" Patrick muttered.