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A soft knock on the open bedroom door and Cormoran turns away from the small window to look at who came in.
It was Robin.
She gave him a wry smile. “Hiding out?”
“No!” he insisted, playing at incredulity. “I’d have closed the door if I was.”
Robin chuckled, then checked her wristwatch for the time.
“Need to leave?” Cormoran asked, hoping she didn’t.
She smiled. “No, just checking.”
“Checking what?”
“Midnight. Happy birthday.”
“Oh. Right.” he said. “Thanks.”
She walked further into the small room, walking up to where he was standing by the small window. It was a nice room. Clean, with floral wallpaper straight out of the seventies.
They looked at each other. “I couldn’t think what to get you.” she said.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” he replied.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like. Or need, or want…”
Cormoran raised his eyebrows, thinking of a list of things he wanted. They weren’t a mile long or anything. But there was a list, and she right on top of it.
“So then I thought, I’d like you to have something hopefully no one has given you yet today, you know, to set me apart being your partner and all…”
He grinned at that. It always tickles him somewhere he can’t describe, whenever she alludes to their partnership. “I’m intrigued now.”
“Good answer,” she whispered, and she was kissing him. And he was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion, better than the best whiskey; she was the only real thing at that moment, Robin, the feel of her against him, one hand at her back and one in her long sweet-smelling hair.
They parted for breath, panting like they had both ran a mile, Cormoran holding her to him, her forehead to his jaw and he chuckles from giddy relief. From pure, addicting exhilaration and when he bent his head to look at her face again, her soft lips met his in another quick kiss that felt even sweeter than the first.
Against his mouth still so close to hers, she whispers, “They’re looking for you.” and she pulls away from his hold and turns her back to him and walks out of the small bedroom.
Cormoran, laughing, cheeks burning from shock and delight, shook his head, sighed, and followed her out to join his own party.