Chapter 41

Let my loving ease your pain
Bring your burning skin to my river once again

Hearing the jangle of Robin's keys Patrick bounded to the door and pulled it open, greeting her with a wide smile. "Hi baby!"

Doing a double take, Robin smiled back. "Hi."

Reaching out, he relieved her of the brown paper bag filled with takeout and with his free hand, gently pulled her over the threshold. Having set the food down on the counter, he turned and cupping her face, kissed her softly. His tongue darted from his mouth to hers and Robin moaned as she slid her hands around his back, sweeping across his broad shoulders.

Slowly breaking the kiss, he stared smilingly at her. "How was your day?" he asked quietly.

Robin curled her fingers through his belt loops to keep herself upright as her legs had turned to rubber from his kiss. They always turned to rubber when he kissed her and it was a feeling she could not get enough of.

"As if I could give you a coherent answer after that," she replied with a grin. "Have I mentioned how much I like living with you?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "I think this is turning out to be a most mutually beneficial arrangement." Taking her by the hand he led her to the couch, pulling her onto his lap. His hand snaked around her waist, bringing it to rest against her hip as he nuzzled her neck.

"I could get used to greetings like this" she murmured as the stubble of his growth rubbed against her soft skin.

"Well as I have nothing but time on my hands these days, I can spend my days thinking of ways to sweep you off your feet...or get you out of your clothes," he added playfully, his brown eyes dancing as he looked at her.

She threaded her fingers through his hair as she held his gaze. He had treated the first few days of his medical leave as though they were simply days off but now, more than a week into it, she could sense his restlessness and could only imagine how disorienting it was for him to be without a place to go. And tomorrow was the first day of his radiation treatment.

"Do you want to talk about tomorrow?" she asked carefully.

His gaze dropped briefly to his shoes before he raised his eyes to hers. "It's Wednesday" he stated breezily, "some even call it hump day. I actually think it should be humping day." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Then again, I think every day should be humping day."

Robin shook her head at his obvious attempt to avoid the subject. "Patrick, that's not what I meant-"

"I know what you meant," he interrupted softly. "I just don't feel much like talking about it."

"Are you scared?"

He replied with a shrug. "What's to be scared of?" I must have sent 50 or 100 patients to radiation in the last five years. I've explained the pros and cons of the treatment over and over again."

"It's not the same as living it" she pointed out.

"Can we not make my brain tumour bigger than it is?" he asked, a pleading tone coloured the fringes of his voice. "I don't want it to be the only thing we ever talk about."

"That's the thing Patrick, we never talk about it."

Sliding her from his lap, he stood up and started to pace. "Just as you don't want to be defined by HIV, I don't want to be defined by this."

Jamming his hands in his pockets, he blew out his cheeks. He was struggling to stay in control. He had noticed over the last few days that his temper was decidedly shorter and that the smallest of things could set him off. The last thing he wanted to do was go off on Robin.

Pursing her lips together, she gave a small nod. "True. But in fairness, I've been living with HIV for more than a decade - you've only had this for about five minutes. There's a big difference between not wanting to be defined by something and trying to run from it."

"Who's running?" In frustration he ran his hand over his face. "Robin, I'm taking steriods that make me so hyper I have to go running twice a day just to tire myself out. I've had to leave my job because I can't be trusted not to endanger patients and tomorrow morning I get to go lie down on a bed and let them shoot radiation at my brain. I'm not running."

She chewed on her bottom lip. "Okay" she replied defeatedly.

Retaking the seat beside her, he took her hand in his and flashed a half smile. "I want us to be a normal couple."

"Define normal" she queried with a chuckle.

"I dunno. I want us to go on dates - to go play pool, to go to the movies, to hang out with friends, to do a whole bunch of things unrelated to my tumour."

Recognizing his need for some kind of consistency in his life, for something recognizable to hold on to while everything else around him was spinning out of control, she grinned wryly.

"So what do you have planned for us tonight in this bid for normalcy - which for the record, no one would ever accuse you or I of being."

"First time for everything," he retorted jokingly. He traced his fingertips along the length of hers before bringing them to his lips, kissing them softly. "Well, I was thinking we could break out my race track and race each other."

Bemused, Robin arched her eyebrow. "Are you really intent on getting your ass kicked yet again Drake? The last time we played with your track, I won."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Delusion is so sad in one so young. No one beats me on my track - ever. Girlfriend or not, I don't care - you're going down."

Hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend still provoked an undeniable thrill in her. "I see. Well then, I think we should raise the stakes and make it interesting." Pushing him back against the couch, she straddled his lap and clasped her hands behind his neck.

His breath hitched as she lightly ground her hips against his. "Wh-what did you have in mind?"

"I think we should play strip race cars."

His tongue darted from his mouth, swiping at his lips. "Strip race cars?"

"You've never played?" she challenged playfully.

He shook his head. "I gotta say, it's not a game that's ever been suggested with the guys."

"The rules are quite simple. Whoever loses the race has to remove a piece of clothing until someone is naked. In the interest of fairness, I'm willing to spot you my socks until you catch up."

His eyes narrowed. "I am going to make you eat your words"

"So that's a yes?"

"You go get the food and I'll get the track."

"Nuh-uh. No way does that count," Patrick stated unequivocally.

"Says who?" Robin challenged, shaking out her silky brown hair and letting it tumble over her bare shoulders.

"There is no way that a hair elastic counts as clothing removal. And if it does, I'm going to our room and taking a handful of elastics and tying my hair up." Down to his boxer/briefs, he was not willing to let her get away with such a small gesture.

Robin looked over at her boyfriend and smirked. Clad only in her bra and jeans, she still had a few pieces of clothing between her and total nudity and was in no rush to let go of them. It had been nearly two hours since they started playing and Robin could not think of another time when Patrick had seemed as free spirited. He roared with laughter any time her car went flying off the track and grumbled good-naturedly as she forced him to strip, slowly and deliberately, with each loss. She envied the ease with which he lay about in a state of undress and blushed at the way he stared at her with unabashed desire.

"Fine" she groaned, rising to her feet. Her hands made quick work of her belt, stopping only when Patrick called to her. "What?" she asked in mock irritation.

"Why Doctor Scorpio, I do believe you owe me a little bit of a show. Quid pro quo and all that." He stretched out, propping himself up on his elbows and smiled. "I'm waiting."

Rolling her eyes, Robin swivelled her hips from side to side in a slow figure eight and delighted as Patrick licked his lips in appreciation. She fingered the button on her jeans before finally popping it open and then excruciatingly slowly lowered the zipper. Instinctively he leaned forward to watch as she hooked her fingers through her belt loops and teasingly pushed her jeans over her hips, just low enough to give him a sneak peek at her blue lace panties.

His eyes darkened with desire as he drank her in. The soft light in the living room gave her skin a golden glow and it was all he could do not to pounce on her then and there. In his life he had dated models and actresses and while they were beautiful, they paled in comparison to her. Robin was the whole package, head and heart, body and soul and he could think of little else when he looked at her.

Her hips continued to slide from side to side as her jeans skimmed down her lean legs. Finally stepping out of them, she picked them up from the floor and tossed them to the growing pile of clothes near the couch. Crossing her legs, she sank back to the floor and looked at him from underneath her eyelashes.

"Happy now?"

"You have no idea" he told her throatily.

Robin glanced at his boxers and back to him before giving him a feline smile. "I think I have some."

Patrick shrugged unapologetically and set the cars up on the start line. "This could be our last race" he said, "but I wouldn't count on it." He passed her controller to her. "I plan on winning two more."

"Oh? And then what?"

"And then I'm claiming my prize."

"You better hope you got some game to match your mouth."

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Straightening up, he cradled his controller in his hand and looked at her. "Ready, set, GO!"

As the cars hurtled around the track, he rose to his knees, loudly urging his car to go faster. He kept an eye just head of where his car was trying to anticipate the next move needed.

Though Robin had her controller pressed flat out and wanted to win, she could not tear her eyes from her boyfriend. His face had a familiar look to it and suddenly she placed it; it was the same look he had in the photograph with his mother on Christmas Day. For a brief moment in time he was still a young boy with not a worry in the world. Smiling to herself she flicked the joystick, watching as the car crashed off the side of the track.

It took almost a full minute for Patrick to let up on his controller and realize he had won. As his car stalled on the track, he slowly looked over at his girlfriend. "I do believe you owe me a piece of clothing."

Saying little Robin kneeled up, her eyes locked on his as she reached around and unhooked the clasp of her bra. With a small shimmy of her shoulders she let the lacy material slide down her arms and fall before her. Smiling seductively, she shrugged one shoulder.

"Now what? It would appear we're tied."

Patrick stared heatedly at her. "I, uh...I, uh..." he stammered, eliciting a small giggle from Robin. He shook his head. "I actually don't want to play any longer."

"No?" she asked with mock innocence. "Then what do you want to do?" His intent, as evidenced by the small tent in his boxer shorts, was glaringly obvious.

"This" he told her before pouncing on her.

Robin let out a squeal of delight as she landed against the cushions with the full weight of Patrick on top of her. She loved the feel of his body, loved feeling him press against her. She raised her arms over her head and Patrick clasped his hands to hers as he sealed her mouth with his. Their tongues duelled passionately and he groaned as he felt her heat rise up to meet him.

Moving his hands down her arms, they greedily swept over her torso as his lips attached to first one nipple and then the other.

"Don't stop" she murmured breathlessly, burying her head against his neck, sucking softly on his skin.

Raking her fingers along his back she slung a leg around his hip and pulled him tighter to her. As he continued with his trail of wet, hot kisses he smiled as she shivered underneath him and arched from the cushions. He could not get enough of her reactions. So many of the women he had been with had spent so much time worrying about their performance that they forgot to actually enjoy the moment. Robin, as in so many things, was the opposite. When they were together, she existed only in the moment and each and every reaction was organic.

His arousal strained against the soft cotton of his black Calvin Kleins as he continued to move down her body. His tongued circled and teased at every opportunity and Robin's moans were like music to him. Nuzzling her thighs, he looked up and locked eyes with her. Her brown eyes were were heavy with lust as she ran her hands through his hair.

"You make me feel so good," she whispered.

He let his hands trail over her sex feeling her buck at his first touch. Her sensitive folds glistened with evidence of her desire as he nibbled and sucked on them Robin writhed under his touch, her head thrashing from side to side as he circled his thumb over the bundle of nerves nestled at the apex of her sex . Robin cried out with pleasure as he slipped a finger inside her slick channel and slowly pumped it in and out. Pushing her hips up towards begging for more, her body twitched and trembled.

Her brought her as close to the edge as he dared before pulling away. Her eyes slammed shut in frustration and she banged her fists against the cushions. "Paaatrick" she whined.

"Easy baby, you know I"ll get you there."

Rising to his feet, he scrambled to find his jeans and his wallet to retrieve their protection. Tearing open the condom, he stood rooted in place as he looked back at her.

Her eyes were still shut as she cupped her breast with one hand while the other trailed urgently across her sex.

"Holy fuck" he panted, unsure if he had seen a more erotic sight.

"Hurry baby," she begged, not opening her eyes. "I can't wait much longer."

Stepping out of his shorts, he quickly sheathed himself before plunging deeply inside her, crying out her name as he did so. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him tightly as their bodies fused together and moved in harmony. They tasted and touched each other's skin as they climbed towards their peak. Falling over the edge together, they lay breathless and spent against the cushions, their legs still tangled together.

Finally regaining his breath, he turned to look at her and brushed away the hair matted against her face. "I have to tell you something."

"What's that?" she asked, as she swept her hand over his chest.

"Strip race cars might just be the best game ever."