And Playing the Role of Herself...

by K E Lane

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  I trailed light fingers along naked, still damp skin, skimming Robyn's back from the sheet bunched at her waist, up between her shoulder blades and back down, watching the dappled, early morning light play along the smooth expanse. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so happy and content, and let out a long, deep sigh, sated and pleasantly lethargic from our recent activities.

  "I do love how you say good morning," I said lazily, shifting a little under her weight.

  Robyn, I'd discovered, was very much a morning person, and although I hadn't been one in the past, waking up to her touch could easily becoming addicting. She was sprawled half across me on her stomach, her leg thrown over my hip and her head resting on my shoulder; I kissed her dark hair absently and continued my caress, receiving a murmur of agreement and a tightening of her arm around my midsection in response.

  "I had a good time last night - thank you again for inviting me," I said after we'd been quiet for a few minutes. "I really liked your family."

  Despite the altercation with Trish, it had still turned out to be a nice evening, and my introduction to the Ward family a success. As Sophie had promised, most of Robyn's family was gathered in a small, cobblestone courtyard between the restaurant and the neighboring building. After a quiet "ready?" and a smile of encouragement, she had tugged me past potted flowers, small palms and a scattering of wrought iron café tables towards a group gathered around a cluster of tables. The group had greeted Robyn with noisy delight and eyed me curiously, and so had begun my introduction to the Ward clan.

  Her father Rich was tall, dark and quite charismatic, still possessing model good looks and I gathered from a few stray comments that he had been approached to run for city council in Santa Barbara and was seriously considering it. He had a big laugh and a warm smile, and showed an easy, casual affection for his daughters that caused a brief pang of longing for something I'd never have. Her Aunt Paige was Rich's sister; Paige and her husband Darrin lived in Thousand Oaks and raised Golden Retrievers for show - they were affable and hilariously goofy, occasionally breaking into song when the mood struck, and managing to sound quite good together. Her sister Lori was very pregnant and very sweet, as was Lori's husband Will; they were a quiet, gentle couple who obviously adored each other and talked about little else besides their two children and the one on the way. The final member of the family I met was Robyn's sister Diane - she had an amiable smile, a dry wit, and sharp, dark eyes that watched me knowingly from behind small, rimless glasses.

  They were all striking and dark haired, friendly and gracious, and each had some feature or mannerism that reminded me of Robyn - Rich's presence, Sophie's smile, Paige's goofy humor, Lori's voice and Diane's eyes…I liked them all immediately and was pleased that the sentiment seemed to be returned.

  "Mmm." She stirred against me and turned her head to kiss my chest. "They loved you, Caid." I could feel her smile against my skin. "Paige and Darrin want to adopt you. When you knew the third verse to 'You are my Sunshine', I thought Paige was going to wet herself."

  I smiled. "I'll thank grandma next time I see her. I also know 'Camptown Ladies' and 'Tiny Bubbles' on the ukulele."

  She raised her head to look at me. "Really?"

  "Really." I kissed her. "I have all sorts of useless talents. Kazoo, skipping stones, building card houses, hanging a spoon off my nose…"

  "You can do that?" she asked curiously, pushing her hair away from her face and tilting her head to the side.

  "Yep."

  "My, my. I'm even luckier than I'd realized," she said with a smile.

  "Uh-huh." I shivered as she leaned down to kiss my neck and her hair brushed along my shoulder. "I'm quite the catch."

  "No arguments here," she mumbled against my skin as she kissed along my collar bone and laid her head back on my chest with a sigh.

  I resumed stroking her back, and we lay in comfortable silence for several minutes.

  "I love this," Robyn said quietly, breaking the silence. "I love going to sleep with you, I love waking up with you, sharing my morning with you…"

  I pressed my lips to the top of her head and tightened my arms around her. "I love it, too, baby."

  She rearranged the sheets and rolled onto her back, resting the back of her head on my arm. "Morning has always been my time," she said quietly, staring at the ceiling. "That little sliver of the day that was all mine - sometimes the only sliver that was all mine - and I've always hated sharing it." She turned her head to look at me and reached out to trace the line of my jaw with a long finger. "Now I look forward to spending it with you. Watching you drink your coffee while you read the paper, how you chew on your lip when you concentrate," she ran her finger over my lower lip, staring at it intently. "Waiting for you to share something you think is interesting or funny…"

  I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I felt a little guilty for horning in on her me-time, but she also said she liked our time together…I kissed the finger against my lips and stayed quiet, sensing she wasn't done talking.

  She withdrew her finger and turned her head back to stare at the ceiling. She opened her mouth, shut it, looked at me, then back at the ceiling.

  I smiled slightly at the atypical display of uncertainty.

  "Live with me." she said softly. She turned her head to look at me, her eyes holding both nervousness and hope. "Here, your place, some other place, I don't care. Just…" she reached out again and cupped my cheek gently. "Live with me."

  My mouth fell open in shock. "Wha.."

  She quieted me with a finger on my lips. "You make me happy, Caid." she said simply. "I'm happier in the last few months than I've ever been in my life, and I've realized that I'm happiest when I'm with you this way, sharing this much. Like in Florida, or at Liz's place...going to bed with you, waking up with you, spending my mornings, my free-time with you…living with you."

  Holy crap.

  She'd caught me so off-guard that I was speechless, staring at her in astonishment.

  This was it. Everything I wanted, everything I'd hoped for, wished for…everything.

  At my continued silence, she smiled sadly and brushed the back of her hand against my cheek before pulling her hand back. "Well…"

  Maybe it was too fast, maybe we were crazy, maybe we weren't thinking this through, but I wasn't going to give up this chance.

  "Yes." I finally croaked out. I rolled over on top of her and peppered her face, neck and chest with kisses. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes..."

  She let out a throaty, delighted laugh and threaded her fingers through my hair, tugging my head up. "That's a yes?"

  I beamed down at her, my face nearly cracking in two. "That's definitely a yes."

  She smiled up at me and I caught my breath.

  Whatever happened, however this all played out, whatever the future brought…it would all be worth it, just to see that smile.

  End