Page 25 of If Only In Our Dreams

But I hadn’t.

“Of course I’m paying attention,” I countered, suddenly self-conscious of the slacks I’d chosen to wear to work today. I didn’t have any clients scheduled. Today was the day I reserved for admin, and aside from the occasional walk-in, it was usually quiet.

Not with Robin around though.

Why is he here?This was the last place I expected him to go after what he admitted to me.

“Anyway—” Robin began again. He had eyeliner on again today, just as smudgy as the makeup he’d been wearing on the plane. Smudgy? Was that the right word? I wasn’t sure. “Your mom told me that your kids were sick on Halloween.”

“Yes.” I had no idea what this had to do with the femur, but I couldn’t wait to find out.

“And that the B&B puts up a haunted house every year, and your kids love to go, but they couldn’t this year because they were sick.” Robin was thrumming with excited energy now, so I didn’t interrupt him because I could tell he had to get it all out. “So I asked her if we could set up the haunted house again! Matilda—not your mom. And she said that it was still up. But it’d just need, like…electricity and shit. I dunno. And I told her I’d handle it.”

Still hadn’t explained the femur, but I could be patient.

“So I went to check it out. Thing needs major repairs. Maybe some paint? Anyway, I accidentally knocked a skeleton over—”There we go. “But when I was fixing it, I couldn’t figure out which bones went where. So I figured I’d come over here and ask you.” He blinked. “Because you’re a doctor.”

I nodded.

“Therefore you probably know a lot about bones.” Robin blinked again, seemingly realizing too late what he’d just said. “Notthatkinda bones.” His pale green eyes raked over my shoulders, down my chest, and to my crotch. “Though I bet you know about those too.”

My cheeks grew hot, my cock twitching as Robin’s lovely pink tongue flickered out to wet his lips.

To be completely honest, I had no idea what was going on right now.

I mean…I knewwhyhe was here. He’d just explained his thought process. And his need for my expertise. But it felt, in a way, like I’d accidentally adopted him. Like he was a duckling that had imprinted, and was finding any excuse to come see me.

And I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

You find it adorable, Ben. Don’t play coy.

“So,” Robin waited, though I wasn’t sure what he was waiting for. “Are you coming?”

“Coming?”

“To the B&B! C’mon, keep up.” He waved the femur impatiently. “We gotta get the thing up and running so your kiddos can come.”

Andthatwas when it clicked.

All of it.

His disjointed rambling. His evil plan. The fact that he’d marched over here on foot—luckily it was only a few blocks away—wearing nothing more than cotton just to enlist me. There was a manic glint in Robin’s eyes, exhaustion apparent all over his face.

He’s lonely.

“Robin,” I said gently, and he deflated immediately, wilting like a popped balloon.

“You’re too busy?” He frowned, biting his lip. When he twisted his head to the side, no longer looking in my eyes, his lip ring glinted. “That’s cool. I mean… You’re probably elbows deep in doctor-y shit, right? Got better things to do.”

“That’s not what I was going to say,” I countered, reaching out to grab his chin. Gently, I tilted him back to look at me. His skin was surprisingly soft.

“It isn’t?” Robin’s tongue wet his lips again, and I internally groaned.

God, being friends with him was going to be a lesson in patience.

“I think it’s incredibly sweet that you want to do that for my kids,” I said, watching as Robin’s cheeks pinked up from something other than the cold. He was so expressive, even when he didn’t mean to be. It was addicting.

“You do?”

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