Chapter 54
Every time I look at you, the world just melts away
All my troubles, all my fears dissolve in your affection
Flopping on the floral couch of the suite, Robin stared appreciatively at her boyfriend as he pulled his dark brown cashmere turtleneck over his head. She unconsciously licked her lips as the soft sweater skimmed his lean frame coming to a halt at his hips.
Seeing the wanton look in her eyes, he cocked his eyebrow and smirked.
"Hungry?"
Only slightly embarrassed at being caught, she shrugged her shoulders. "For you? Always."
Opening his arms wide, he gave her a heated look. "I'm right here."
"Not yet cowboy – we'll miss the party."
He stepped towards her and slipped his hands around her waist. Sliding them slowly up her body he let his thumbs graze teasingly across her breasts.
"We can have our own party right here," he suggested huskily.
Shuddering slightly under his touch, she shook her head. "Nuh-uh. We did not fly all the way to Edinburgh for Hogmanay only to have sex in the hotel room."
His bottom lip jutted out in a mock pout. "Are you saying no sex in the hotel room at all?"
Grinning, she playfully slapped his chest. "Noooo. I'm just saying we aren't going to miss the biggest New Year's Eve street party for sex – we can have sex AFTER the party."
"So you're saying we're going to ring the new year in with a bang?"
Rolling her eyes, Robin let out an exaggerated groan. "You're awful."
"That's not what you said last night" he teased, sliding his hands down her back and cupping her behind.
Stepping away from him, she rolled down the sleeves of her pink turtleneck and reached for her black down vest. "Any chance I'm going to get you in a kilt?"
Slinging his hands on his hips, he shook his head. "Um, no. I don't wear skirts and besides, kilts are meant to be worn without underwear – it's too damn cold out there to go commando."
Zipping up her vest, Robin gave a small shrug. "Oh. Then maybe I should go put some underwear on?" She batted her eyes innocently, enjoying the quiet groan that escaped from the back of his throat."
"You have got to stop saying things like that" he rasped, "when we can't stay in."
"Ah well" she giggled shamelessly, "just more fun for us to have when we get back." Reaching for his hand, she tugged him in the direction of the door. "Let's go!"
Grabbing his brown leather jacket as they moved past the couch, he shrugged it on and followed his girlfriend out the door. As he watched the way her jeans curved against her bottom, he smirked. The holiday may have been his idea but he was beginning to think staying in far outweighed going out.
xoxoxoxo
Princess Street was awash in coloured lights and packed with revellers all the way to Edinburgh Castle. The castle walls were lit from below and from the hill top it looked as though the entire city had been painted in festivity. There were street performers every few feet, spontaneous dancing broke out and merchants were offering a 'wee tipple' of single malt to those in need of some warmth.
Robin slid her hand through Patrick's and as his fingers curled around hers she was suddenly overcome by a feeling of completeness. She had always dreaded New Year's Eve - a holiday that centered on clock watching and built-in expectations. Truthfully it could be a single person's living hell as drunken couples shoved their tongues down each other's throats in an over the top display of coupledom. But now amidst it all and unbelievable in love, she was willing to be one of those annoying couples come midnight. That realization caused her to giggle.
Surprised, Patrick looked down at her. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she replied with a small shake of her head. "So where to next?"
Nudging her shoulder, he pointed towards to the east of the castle. The sounds of Scottish music floated through the air, inviting them closer. Weaving in and out of the crowd, they made their way to the gardens where a ceilidh was in full swing.
Kilts swirled in time with the music and laughter echoed throughout the brightly lit gardens. They had barely crossed the threshold when a woman dressed all in white with a tartan sash cutting across her body came and took them by the hands.
"We are just about to start a reel" she told them in her thick Scottish brogue.
Patrick hesitated and looked wide eyed from the woman to Robin and back again. "I …uh…I don't dance" he stammered.
Furrowing her brow, the woman gave him a sceptical look. "Nonsense" she said authoritatively. "It's Hogmanay. Everyone dances." Brooking no further argument, she led them to the dance area and introduced them into a group of six men and women.
"I don't know the steps" Patrick protested to her retreating back.
An older man in a kilt smirked and shook his head. "You don't need steps, you just need to let go."
Before he could protest further, he was swept up by the woman to his left and the whole group of eight began to move in and about their circle.
Robin watched as Patrick first struggled to keep his tough, too cool for school exterior before finally giving it up in the tidal wave of Scottish reverie. Her attention was pulled from him as her dancing partner placed his hand on her waist and moved her deftly into the circle.
Watching her throw her head back in liberating laughter, Patrick realized that there was no end point to his falling for Robin. He was discovering that it wasn't that you fell in love and then it stopped, it was a perpetual free fall. And he was loving every minute of it.
After nearly an hour of dancing and pleading exhaustion, Robin and Patrick excused themselves from their dance group and wandered among the gardens back to Princess Street.
They sampled scotch as they continued their way up towards the castle and spotting a secluded spot, Robin pulled to the side. Looping her fingers through his belt loops and rising up on her tip toes, she captured his lips with her own in a slow, lazy kiss. Her tongue slid easily inside his mouth and massaged it. Patrick framed her head with his hands and deepened their kiss, pushing his body into hers.
Lips swollen and pulses racing, they pulled apart. He pushed her bangs from her face as he gazed starrily into her eyes.
"What was that for?" he asked, nipping at her lips. "Not that you need a reason."
Tilting her neck to the side as he moved to the soft skin just below her ear, Robin smiled. "Because this is the best gift ever" she replied with a shiver.
"Just you wait" he told her huskily, "there are more gifts to come."
There was something in his tone, some sense of urgency that caught her attention. Straightening up, she opened her mouth to ask him what he meant but her words were swallowed by another kiss.
He could have gone on kissing her for hours – for ever – but they were interrupted by the start of the countdown.
"10!"
"9"
Letting go of her lips, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back on to the street. They squeezed in among the hoard that lined the Royal Mile. The noise reached a fever pitch as the countdown neared the end. Patrick wrapped his arms around Robin's waist and held her tightly to him as they turned their eyes skyward.
"2!"
"1!"
Fireworks burst overhead in a symphony of joyous celebration of a fresh start and Robin, spinning around in his arms to face him, cupped the back of his head and brought his lips to hers. His knees buckled slightly in response to her passionate kiss and he was hard pressed to think of a better beginning to a year than the one he was having at that very moment.
The crowd quieted to a hush as a piper appeared on the parapet and played the opening notes to Auld Lang Syne. In true Scottish tradition, everyone crossed their arms over their bodies, grabbing hold of the hand of the person on either side of them and they all began to sing with abandon.
A new year and a new beginning. Both Robin and Patrick felt anything was possible.
xoxoxoxox
Balancing the tray of coffee in one hand as he manoeuvred the key through the reader on the door, Patrick slipped inside the hotel room as quietly as possible.
"I'm up" Robin said with a grin, looking up from the paper she was reading.
Patrick let out a small groan as he set the tray down on the table in front of the couch. "I was trying to let you sleep" he told her as he flopped down beside her.
"You know me, I'm not so good with the sleeping in." Spying the coffee, she leapt on it immediately. "You are quite possibly the best boyfriend ever."
Looking at her in amusement, he shook his head. "I'm not sure that I appreciate you doubting I'm the best boyfriend ever. What's this 'quite possibly' stuff?"
Cupping his chin, she brushed her lips over his. "I'm trying to give you something to work for."
"Brat" Settling back against the couch, he trailed his fingers through her hair. "The hotel has a New Year's brunch starting at noon and I made reservations for us."
"Oooh! I bet there's haggis."
"You're welcome to it" he told her with a shudder. "I don't do organs or stomach lini-"
He felt the fuzziness encase his head and the tell tale tremors start to work their way through his body.
No. No. No he told himself, pleading with his body not to betray him.
Robin gave him a curious look. "Patrick? Is everything okay?"
He rose quickly to his feet. He needed to get away from her or have her get away from him – before the seizure came. There was much he was willing to deal with but having a seizure in front of her was not possible. She could not see him like this, falling to the ground and writhing. He could not let her see what the tumour was doing to him – not in this way.
"I…uh….I need you to go for a walk."
"What?"
"I need you to leave the hotel room and come back in half an hour" he ordered her urgently as he tried to decide if the bathroom or bedroom was closer. The marble floor of the bathroom made the bedroom the more preferable choice.
Seeing the sweat pooling on his brow and the way his eyes were darting about the room, an uneasy feeling swept over her. She got to her feet and reached for him, shocked when he pulled away.
"Patrick, what's wrong?"
He jammed his hands into his jeans pockets, his left hand closing around the Michael the Archangel medallion he had taken to carrying with him everywhere.
"Just get out Robin – LEAVE!" he pleaded. "I need you to leave."
He continued to back away as the spasms increased. It was only a matter of minutes now and he was desperate for her not to witness this.
Robin would not listen and moved towards him. "Patrick – what is it?"
"GET OUT!!" he yelled at her, tears forming in his eyes. "Please" he begged.
As the bitter alkaline taste filled his mouth he knew it was too late. She had not listened and now there was little he could do. He tried in vain to reach the bedroom but the seizure gripped him first. He crumpled to the floor, his body trashing in painful contractions.
Robin froze, horrified.
"PATRICK!"