Biting her lower lip, Elizabeth looked over where her grandmother stood putting the finishing touches on their dinner. Normally the aroma of pot roast made her smile, but tonight she wanted to throw up. And not from morning sickness. This was going to be harder than she had originally thought.
"There!" Audrey exclaimed as she picked up the large stock pot from the stove and made her way to the table. "Now it's time to eat."
"It smells delicious Grams."
"Thank you." Putting the meal in the center of the small table, Audrey sat down across from Elizabeth. "Go on. Help yourself."
Elizabeth laughed when she saw the sheer volume the stock pot contained. While they had often had a few leftovers after every meal, it was clear they would be able to eat this every day for the next month if they needed to. "Grams, you made enough to feed an army."
Audrey tilted her head to one side and smiled knowingly at her granddaughter. "You are eating for two now my dear." Pausing to straighten out the napkin she had placed on her lap, she began to prepare her own plate. "How did the ultrasound go?"
"Fine." Elizabeth answered quickly, deciding to concentrate on her plate instead of her grandmother's face. She and Lucky had decided to keep the results of the ultrasound to themselves, surprising the rest of the family. Elizabeth realized it was a bit of a stretch to think Lucky would be able to keep a secret for the remaining four months, but it was going to be fun to watch him try. But if he could do it, it would be worth it to see the look on the faces of their friends and family when they found out. "No problems. Everything looks good."
"Did you find out if the baby was a boy or a girl?"
"We decided it would be much better if it was a surprise."
Audrey nodded. "There are a few good surprises in life. This is one of them."
"That it is." Elizabeth smiled brightly as she continued to pick at her food. How was she supposed to do this? She knew her grandmother wasn't going to flip out or condemn her to hell. And she was reasonably certain she wasn't going to hear that dreaded phrase "living in sin", even though Elizabeth could admit she was currently a walking advertisement for sin. Her own sister had lived with a guy throughout college and her grandmother hadn't so much as lifted a slightly disapproving eyebrow, and Elizabeth was convinced that was more about the guy Sarah was dating than anything else. But then again, Sarah wasn't technically living with her grandmother when she moved in with Marco the wannabe model/skeevy pervert. She had just done it and let their parents break the news.
"Elizabeth? Darling? Are you ok? You've hardly touched your food." Audrey's concerned voice broke through Elizabeth's musings.
"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about something." Obsessing really, but that was the same thing as thinking, wasn't it?
"About what dear?"
Elizabeth could only shake her head. She planned out how to make the perfect announcements, and everything would go horrendously, hideously wrong. She'd worried and dithered about how to say something and the perfect opportunity would come up. Next time she wasn't planning a darn thing, that was it. "Lucky and I have been talking. A lot really. About the baby and how he involved he wants to be with the pregnancy and all."
"That's good dear." Audrey answered noncommittally, trying hard not to smile at the younger woman's obvious nerves.
"Yeah I think so too. And the thing is, we've both been thinking about something. Something big. A big step."
"Really? And what is that?"
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth said it all in one rapid breath. "Lucky asked me to move in with him and I said yes."
She had braced herself for at least a mild protest, an "oh my", some sort of reaction. Opening one eye slowly, she half expected to see her grandmother sitting in shock. The joke was on her as her grandmother sat calmly, picking up a piece of potato with her fork. "Grams? Did you hear what I just said? I'm moving in with Lucky."
"I heard you dear. I'm just waiting for the big step you were talking about."
"Grams!"
Audrey laughed as she put down her utensils and grabbed Elizabeth's hands. "Darling, I'm sorry but it's not that shocking of an announcement for you two to make. You spend more time at his place than here already."
"So you're ok with this then?"
"I'm not going to pretend this is exactly what I think the two of you should be doing right now, but this your decision. Not mine. Does this make you happy?"
Nodding quickly, Elizabeth couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Yeah. Yeah it does." The more she thought about it, the more sense it made to her.
"Then that's all I need to know." Audrey winked in her granddaughter's direction. "Now eat up my dear. If you thought Laura Spencer was an incurable matchmaker before, just wait until you move in with her only son."
"Sit down before you fall down please." Patrick ignored Robin's blatant hostility at being ordered to do anything and felt rather pleased with himself when she did as he wanted and climbed onto the couch. They had gone over and over furniture since moving in but only because she thought it was important. He couldn't have cared less about side tables and stools if he suddenly worked for a furniture store. Still, she had clung to it as a way to cope with all of the changes the move required so Patrick had humored her and given her his honest opinion about everything they looked at together.
"I'm perfectly capable—" Robin began, an argument in sight. She didn't understand what the problem was with her being at the hospital a few more hours. Alexis would be in surgery for that long and there'd be no word on her at this point, but how dare Patrick demand she come home when it was her place to take care of everyone else? She wanted to smack that knowing look off of his face, but that would require movement, and her body was already starting to mold into the couch.
Patrick pressed his thumb to her lips, silencing her. "I never said you were anything less than capable, but you need to rest, baby. Just a little bit. I'll go with you if you want to go back to the hospital before your uncle calls us, but you're not going back alone and you're not going back tonight." He assured her stubbornly. He didn't know where this need came from, the one that said it was her job to take better care of everyone else than herself, but it was beginning to give him a headache. A little rest on her part would not be a drastic action for her to take and he was going to do all he could to make sure she didn't overexert herself.
"Oh yeah? Since when do you control what I do?" Robin asked pointedly. This was all Dillon's fault. If he hadn't made that call to Patrick and over exaggerated quite as much as he had, Patrick wouldn't feel obligated to baby-sit her. She hated feeling weak. Maybe she was a little tired, but how did Patrick think Uncle Mac was feeling at the moment? It wasn't like he had gotten any sleep. He was currently watching the surgery from a room above the OR. And Maxie? She had gone straight from the hospital to her night shift. That simply wasn't fair. None of them had had any sleep and Robin didn't feel that she should get to slow down when the night was just beginning for her family.
Patrick didn't respond immediately, taking advice from Alexis and counting to ten before doing so. Robin was obviously upset, but her mood was not going to improve if she didn't stop to take a breather. He wished she would let her guard down just a smidge and let him take care of her. It wasn't that he thought himself superior to her; this wasn't even a man/woman thing. "I'm not trying to control what you do. I'm worried about you." He answered sincerely.
"That makes no sense at all, Patrick." Robin assured him.
"Because me worrying about you is a new thing?" Patrick lightly teased, dropping onto the couch next to her, not missing the way she slid further away from him. He would take her kicking and screaming if that's what he had to do. She was mad, so he would keep his tone light. She was irritated so he would stay calm. She was feeling put off so he'd make certain not to be patronizing. She was exhausted so he would have to relax her.
"Why are you being so difficult?" Robin whined, pushing his hand away when his fingers crept toward hers. She didn't want him touching her. She didn't even want to share a space with him at that moment. God, why did he have to push and push and push? Was it so unfathomable that she could take care of herself? Sure, he wanted to help, and most days, she wouldn't mind, but today was different. Today Robin was frightened and the emotion was no stranger to her.
Grinning, Patrick leaned in closer and whispered directly into her ear, "Because I love you."
No matter how many times he said the words, she was still in awe to realize that he meant them with all of his heart. She had had her doubts for so long that he would never feel this way about her, that she would be in love alone, but he had surprised her; he had charmed her. But, damn him, why did he have to use the words now when she was feeling so angry and so, well, useless? What could she get done here when her family was stuck at the hospital waiting on Alexis to come out of surgery? "That's not always going to work." She pointed out, still beyond his reach even though he was closing in on her.
"Yes it is," Patrick countered, smiling when he watched Robin stiffen in defiance. "You live to hear those words from me. And I'll say them as often as I want to, because sometimes I think you forget."
"If you say them as part of an agenda, then they lose their meaning." Robin insisted, using his words as a buffer between them. It was a last-ditch effort, one she had every intention of clinging to.
Patrick actually laughed and Robin looked like she might pounce on him. "Sweetheart, 'I love you' has always been part of an agenda and that's true of any man. It doesn't make it any less true." To further prove his point, he kissed the tip of her nose and smirked when her face got hot.
"So when you first told me you loved me, you were trying to get me into bed?" Robin challenged, crossing her arms.
Patrick was having the damndest time trying to keep his expression passive. "Honey, when I told you hello I was trying to get you into bed."
"This is very interesting," Robin was fully aware that she had started to ramble and it was the exact reaction Patrick was looking for because that was the time he placed his hands on either side of her waist and pulled her into his lap. She made a loud yelping sound as she flew through the air even though the entire journey couldn't have lasted more than two seconds and she had only moved a matter of inches.
"You know what I find very interesting?" Patrick asked, kissing the side of her neck. He let his kisses move just beneath her ear and stroked her hips when he heard her sharp intake of breath. She could put on the cold hard bitch façade for someone else, he wasn't buying it.
Robin's head lolled to one side unintentionally giving him better access to her neck. His teeth closed over the tip of her ear and he sucked it strongly, using his tongue to soothe the sting. His hands slid up her sides and then back down causing friction between his fingers and the bottom of her mint green sweater and her arms reached up, encircling his neck. "Hmm?" Robin breathed.
Patrick smiled and eased a bit of the shaggy material up so that only her stomach was exposed. "I think we talk far too much in this relationship. In fact, I think that if we must talk, let's limit it to only a few words an hour. There are so many other things we can be occupying ourselves with."
"Is that so?" He had learned the way she liked to be touched, to be held, and her body was responding just the way he wanted it to. He could manipulate every breath she took in or expelled; he had a way of talking to her that made her feel as if he had never been with anyone but her. She was good for his ego and he was good for her body. She could feel him lower her onto her back and sighed at how perfectly they fit together from their shoulders to their toes. He was a foot taller than she so what sense did it make for her body to meet his in just the right places? How could a simple touch from him be more powerful than any of her previous sexual experiences?
Robin yawned, breaking the sensual spell and Patrick laughed again. "You're tired, huh?" He didn't sound upset, slightly amused, but definitely not annoyed. He had spent the better part of an hour trying to get her to relax and she was taking him up on his offer.
Robin shook her head. "No, I'm alright." It was a lie. God help her, falling asleep was not on her agenda.
Patrick touched his lips to hers tentatively and she met his careful question with outright intent. He would stop if she wanted him to, if she was too tired. As the moments ticked by, she was finding herself less and less tired. Her arms, still wrapped around his neck, moved to his shoulders, and she pressed her fingers into his muscled back. A wave of passion rippled through his entire body and he moaned against her mouth.
She let her eyes close as his fingers moved to her shirt again, pushing down the sleeve to expose her left breast for his eyes and mouth to feast on. Her body jerked and he softened his hold on the sensitive nipple, replacing his teeth with a slow swipe of his tongue. She reached behind her—lifting her body against his a little more intimately—and unbuttoned her blouse since it refused to cooperate with Patrick's impatience. Together, they wrestled the sweater off of her and she moved him into a sitting position, burying her face in his shoulder as he continued to familiarize himself with her body.
Her breathing slowed and she noticed her eyes start to droop. Patrick didn't notice right away but, once he realized, she felt herself being lifted off of the couch and carried upstairs. She was expecting to be put in their bed and found herself disoriented when her exposed back was placed against the chilled frame of the bathtub. When he grappled for the button on her jeans, she fought him, feeling uncomfortable. Patrick lifted her out of the tub and stood her on her feet, stripping her clothes down to her ankles and helping her out of them. Her eyes blinked open, her confusion clear, but Patrick reached beyond her and flipped on the hot water. The water filled the claw footed tub at an alarmingly quick rate and the bathroom soon filled with warm steam. Not wanting to scald them, he twisted off the hot water and added a layer of cold.
Even though she knew would have no trouble climbing into the tub, she didn't fight him when he hurried to do the task for her. The water closed over her body like a warm blanket and she let her head fall lightly back to rest against the tub. When Patrick didn't immediately join her, she glanced up at him with unveiled passion. He smiled, turned off the water, and made a quick grab for the soap. Robin's eyebrows lifted in fascination as he brought down the bar of soap and spent the next several minutes lathering her skin. Several times, she tried to pull him in with her, but he was very evasive and managed to dodge her each time.
It was as if he had flipped a switch and was suddenly not as desperate to be inside of her as he had been downstairs. His left hand that held the soap was focusing on her upper body, mostly her neck, her breasts, and her ribs; his right hand was resting against her stomach while his long fingers wrapped around her lower body and plunged between her thighs. She gasped, straining against each of his hands. His left hand slid up to cup her chin and he angled his mouth over hers. His lips bruised hers but she couldn't find any fault in it and when his tongue probed her lips she parted them for him and drew him into a much deeper, much wetter kiss.
Her left arm wrapped around his neck and she attempted to pull him even closer. He crouched down slightly and used the kiss to force her back a little so that she was once again at the mercy of his skillful fingers. He caught her whimper in his mouth and pressed his thumb between her thighs, holding, pressing, but no longer stroking. The sound she made was one of frustration, of desperation, and he seemed to revel in it.
"Why?" Robin managed to choke out before his mouth settled over hers again. Why must he make her work for it was what she meant. She felt her body strain upward and wished very much for him to be in here with her. Her jerky movements caused water to splash out of the tub, but she didn't give a damn about the mess.
"Why what?" Patrick asked, his confusion only acting as temporary deterrent from his current task. He turned his hand slightly, letting his thumbnail graze her most sensitive flesh and moaned when she bit his bottom lip in response.
Robin gave him a sideways look. "If you don't get your cute butt in this bathtub, I'm going to bed."
Patrick considered his options for about half a second. He pulled his navy cardigan off so fast it flew over his head. He shucked out of his jeans in the same fashion. Robin couldn't suppress her sigh when he stood gloriously naked in front of her. Sitting up and turning around to make room for him, she smiled victoriously. He stretched out and relaxed his head against the back of the opposite side of the tub. Crooking his finger toward her, he smiled when she closed the space between them and collected her in his arms.
Robin let her hands fall down his chest slowly and traced his nipples with her thumbs. His hand came to rest on the back of her neck and he merged their mouths together, their tongues flicking and dueling as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. If he turned a little to the left, he would already be inside of her. Pleasure coursed through her body and she unconsciously moved her hips against his.
His hands shot out to grab her waist and hold her back a little. He found surprise in her eyes, at her behavior mostly, and he knew he would have to keep his head about him or they would completely bend the rules and that would be a very stupid mistake. His knees shook a little when he climbed out of the tub and hurried across the hall to find the box of condoms. He was so thankful Morgan wasn't home, because he honestly didn't know how he would explain this to his cousin.
Lowering his body into the tub, Patrick was able to take in one full breath, nothing more, before Robin climbed into his lap and put her own agenda to good use. Forcing his breath out through clenched teeth, he tried to adjust her more comfortably against him and managed to slide into her a little deeper. This time a tremor ran through her body and she met his eyes. He tilted her head back with his thumb and kissed her, using his free hand to draw her closer.
Her legs wrapped securely around his waist, her eyes closing on another wave of sensation and his hands climbed higher up her back, his fingertips leaving marks on her perfect skin. Caught up in the sensual dance, she let her head fall back, breaking the kiss, and his lips moved to her neck while his fingers traced the undersides of her breasts. The momentum caused Patrick to lean forward thus trapping Robin underneath him, exactly where he wanted her.
Her ankles biting into his lower back, he pushed all the way inside of her and their voices caught on screams. He made certain to keep his hands under her head and she held onto him for dear life. For several seconds, neither could move. And then impatience got the better of him and he started thrusting into her with long, slow strokes. Reading the wild look in her eyes, he kissed her lips, marveling in her sweetness. She made a helpless sound and then began to climax taking him with her. Water splashed out of the old-fashioned tub and they held each other for a long time in the aftermath.