Page 61 of Robbin’ the Rich

"You have a coffee table book about NASA."

"It's educational."

"You own Star Trek coasters."

I pointed at her. "Those were a gift."

Robin's grin widened. The woman was completely incapable of letting me have dignity. The worst part was that I liked it.

I leaned back against the couch cushions and watched her wander around my living room, picking up random objects and demanding explanations for them. Most people would've made me feel self-conscious about the house. Robin made me feel seen. She wasn't laughing because she thought my interests were stupid. She was laughing because she knew exactly how much I loved them.

Robin finally wandered back toward the couch.

"You know," she said, dropping down beside me, "for someone who spends their weekends pretending to be cool, this house is really ruining your brand."

"I was never cool."

"You play bass in a band."

"Yes… and I teach middle school science."

"You sir, are an enigma."

I smiled despite myself. The conversation slowed naturally after that. Robin's head found my shoulder. My arm found its way around her. Outside, the neighborhood had gone quiet. Inside, the only sound was the low hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of the old house settling.

After a few minutes, Robin tilted her head back to look at me. Her expression had softened sometime during the evening. The teasing was still there. But there was something else underneath it now. I smiled and brushed the hair away from her forehead. I couldn’t seem to take my gaze away from her forest green eyes. There was a large part of me still questioning what an incredible woman like Robin was doing here with me.

"You keep looking at me."

"So do you."

Robin opened her mouth to argue, but then apparently thought better of it. The smile that followed nearly finished me off entirely.

Robin shifted closer until her knee brushed mine. "You're thinking again."

I sighed dramatically. "One of my greatest flaws."

"Top three, probably."

I laughed before gently running the back of my finger along her jaw. For a second neither of us moved. Robin's gaze dropped briefly to my mouth, then lifted again.

"Oh," I said softly.

"Yeah." The single word came out breathless enough to make me smile. Robin rolled her eyes immediately. "Don't be smug."

"I'm not smug."

"You are absolutely smug."

"Maybe a little."

That earned me a shove. Which turned into me catching her hand. Which somehow turned into Robin laughing as I pulled her closer. The kiss arrived naturally, like it had been heading there all evening. When we finally pulled apart, Robin rested her forehead against mine.

"Your bedroom better not have more spaceships."

I softly nipped her bottom lip. "It absolutely has more spaceships."

She groaned dramatically.