"Hey, what did Cam mean? When he said to remember what y'all talked about?" I ask, recalling the curious exchange. It's not like Cam to keep something from me, especially a conversation that obviously concerned me. Robin smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
He leans into me like he's going to tell me a secret. "He meant for me to remember that if I hurt you, he'll kill me."
My jaw drops.Cam said what?
Robin sees my shock and chuckles. "He cares about you, sweetheart. You're not just the prettiest girl in this town, but you're innocent - like an angel. He's worried I'll take advantage. If I was him, I'd 'a been worried too. But I told him that you're special, and that I'm not stupid enough not to know it."
It's a sweet thing to say, and with his words, my nerves melt away. Robin smiles and takes my hand as the hostess leads us to a table overlooking the golf course.
Dinner is way more comfortable than I anticipated. Conversation flows naturally, and Robin tells me all about the team this year, about our opponents for next week's game and strategy. He talks about college scouts that'll be at the games and the recruiters that have been hounding him since last year. Robin explains that while it's polite to entertain them all, his dad would never even consider him going anywhere other than UFL. I already knew that. It's where both our dads went for their undergraduate pre-law degrees.
"Where would you wanna go? I mean if you weren't already committed to Gainesville since birth," I ask.
He looks back at me, bemused. "Ya know, sweetheart, I think you may just be the first person to ever ask me that."
"Really?" I ask, and he smiles.
"Really. But I suppose it doesn't matter, does it? What about you? Your daddy sendin' you to Gainesville too or do you get a choice?"
I shrug. "I don't really know. When I was little he always talked about me going to Gainesville. At least for undergrad. But lately he doesn't really seem to care what I do. I've thought about goin' to New York. NYU. Like my mom. I don't think it'd matter to my dad either way now, but I suppose I'll end up at UFL."Just in case it might please him,I add silently.
Robin nods sympathetically. "I bet you're wrong, ya know. He cares. How could he not?"
I shrug again. I've often wondered the same thing myself lately. "Tonight's the first night in a long while he even seemed to give a damn what I was doin', and that's only 'cause I was goin' out with his favorite high school football star," I grumble, and then flush bright red when I realize I've just said that out loud.
Robin signals for the check. He reaches across the table for my hand, and his touch surprises me again. It's comforting. Sweet. "If that's true then he's a damn fool."
****
Ifind I'm disappointed when Robin pulls up to my house. I've been having such a good time, and I'm not ready for it to end quite yet. He opens my door, offering his hand to help me out.
He glances at my house and then back at me. "Ya know, this is the part where I kiss you goodnight, but I'm not sure I'm ready to let you go just yet," he echoes my own thoughts as he lightly strokes his fingers up and down my arm.
I swallow nervously.
"You think you, uh, wanna go for a walk around the block?"
I laugh. "Seriously?"
Robin shrugs, and if I'm not mistaken, he seems a little unsure of himself. I couldn't possibly make him nervous,could I?
"I like talkin' to you."
I smile. I like talking to him, too. He takes my smile as agreement and, holding my hand, leads me down the road, away from my house. There's only four houses on the block, including mine and Cam's. We pass them and come up to the entrance to the park I spent so many hours in as a child. I look down at our hands, fused together, and I'm struck by how tiny my hand looks in his. I'm not petite, for a girl anyway, but at six foot one, Robin dwarfs me. He's no taller than Cam, but for some reason, next to him, I feel every inch of his stature. Robin notices me looking at our hands and smiles, bringing them up to press his lips to my knuckles. It sends a shiver up my arm.
"Your hand looks real good tucked in mine, Rory," he murmurs. We stop walking and he turns and takes a small step so that he's right in front of me, my back up against the massive old oak Cam and I carved our names in as children. "I'm gonna kiss you now, sweetheart," he whispers, but waits. For what, I don't know. I think he's reading my reaction, but I meet his gaze, practically daring him to make good on his promise.
And he does.
Robin brushes his lips lightly against mine, and it's barely a kiss, but I feel the sweetness of it everywhere. He presses his mouth to mine and holds it there for a second before he moves his lips up and down, gently sucking my bottom lip between his. I reciprocate. I'm not even thinking about it, but I'm matching the movement of his lips as he continues moving his mouth over mine. It feels really nice. Different than I expected... sweeter. Then his tongue is there, softly licking between my lips, and I heed his silent request to open. He swipes his tongue into my mouth, slowly, but it's still his lips doing most of the work. They're wet and soft and I'm liking the way they make me feel. His hands are firmly planted on my waist, and, open, they span almost my entire stomach and back. His fingers move in rhythm with our mouths, but they stay in safe places, never moving too high, or too low.
I tentatively meet his tongue with my own, and we stay there like that for long minutes, exploring each other's mouths. I'm completely lost in the kiss, and practically of their own volition, my hands slide from where they're gripping his biceps up his broad shoulders and neck, until they’re grasping at his hair, holding his mouth to mine.
Robin groans and pulls away, breathing hard, leaving me leaning back against the oak for support, gasping for air. His hands fall to his sides as he takes two purposeful steps back like he can't get away from me fast enough. I'm suddenly unsure of myself, surprised by the abrupt interruption to something I thought he was enjoying. Things were going so well. Better than I ever even imagined. Familiar insecurity sweeps through me, but I've never been one to shy away from getting answers.
"Did I... do something wrong?" I ask hesitantly.
Robin is still catching his breath, and his expression morphs from intense to confused and then back again.
