Susan sped home to change her clothes, then she drove over to Romano’s house so that she could pick-up her belongings, leave and never come back again. She also wanted to feed Gretyl and spend some time with her, she had grown quite fond of Gretyl, and she was a sweet dog.

Even before she left, even as she was lying in Abby’s bathtub, she decided then and there, she had to finish it with Romano; she just had too many feelings for him, as strange as it seemed. She hardly knew him much, just the way that he had treated her on their date together, the morning and evening after. What he had told her regarding the death of his wife and son. She just fell for him, she saw the real Romano, the sweet, gentle man who had real feelings, beneath his biting hatred towards everyone. She had been in love before, but it was with Mark, and that had only grown due to the length of their friendship, they had been friends forever.

The love she had for Romano though, it was different, to her, this was what real love felt like. She thought about him continually, the recollections of their time together had saturated her brain. She couldn’t function at work anymore. Kerry was constantly accusing her of being remote, detached from her patients, callous and she had nearly fired her for insubordination one evening.

Susan had only visited Romano in his hospital room once, since she heard the news regarding Romano "loving" Elizabeth. She was terrified to visit him again, she didn’t want to yell at him, which she would have, and she didn’t want to cry in front of him. It was a sign of weakness, she knew he saw her as strong, hardheaded, the last thing she needed was for him to see her as weak.

Just as she pulled into Romano’s driveway, as always, she heard Gretyl barking from outside. She smiled; she had come to adore Gretyl.

She put the key into the door and went in. Sure enough, there was Gretyl, happy to see her.

“Hey girl, how are you?” “I’m sorry I didn’t stay with you last night” Susan said, rubbing Gretyl’s head. “Let’s go get you some food and water, I bet you’re starving!” She said happily.

Susan walked to the kitchen: Gretyl’s food and water bowl were full. Susan recalled distinctly placing two food and water bowls down for Gretyl. Now, there were only two bowls, one for food, and one for water. “Maybe Gretyl was so hungry and thirsty that she had licked each other clean, all across the floor, pushing them out of sight.

Susan looked thoroughly; there were no extra bowls in sight.

Now Susan was afraid - Someone else had been in the house! She ran out to the living room, there was nothing missing. Gretyl had followed her to the living room, and then she ran up the stairs. “That wasn’t like Gret,” She sensed.

She had been so used to sitting with Gretyl in the living room when she came to visit, then she would perform her ritual of circling around in circles around her favorite rug and then plopping down, contentedly.

Susan thought that someone could be hiding in the house. She looked for something to defend herself with, she chose the fireplace poker. She cautiously started up the stairs, slowly, holding the poker like a baseball bat, with both hands.

She reached the top of the stairs; Gretyl came out of Robert’s bedroom, tail wagging happily.

She slowly entered his room, still clutching the fire poker with both hands as she went in. As she went in, she saw him, in bed, watching the TV. without sound.

“Hello gorgeous!” he yelled, jumping out of bed to greet her. “Hey, wait a minute, what the hell’s that for?” he asked, looking at the fire poker.

“I didn‘t expect you home so soon.” Susan said, trying to not show the excitement she felt at seeing Romano, finally home, in his own bed.

He had a black t-shirt on, and a black pair of boxer-briefs. She found him to look quite sexy. Swiftly, she tried to forget that he looked so good to her. “fuck that!” she thought, recollecting, painfully, what he had told Elizabeth after his surgery.

He reached for her; he wanted so desperately to feel her. “I’ve missed you, you never came back to my room to visit me again.” He said sadly.

His eyes were still so alluring, his dimples still so enchanting. She desperately wanted to just gather her belongings and leave; yet, she desperately wanted to feel his lips on hers. She wanted to take him into her arms, to feel every part of his body, his chest, his ass, and his stomach….

She slipped out of her shoes, and sighed deeply as he walked towards her, grinning. She could see him growing hard with excitement at the sight of her.

He came to her and started stroking her face with the back of his hand, tracing her cheeks, her lips with his fingertips.

“My God, you are such a beautiful woman,” he whispered into her ear as he started kissing her ear, then her neck.

She sighed hard; she had seemingly fantasized about being with him again, nearly every minute of every day that she had been away from him.

He started unbuttoning her blouse, gently kissing her, down past her cleavage. He managed to unbutton her blouse, now on his knees, kissing and licking his way down to her belly.

She shook her blouse off, now standing before him in just her bra and pants, caressing the back of his neck, not wanting him to stop now.

He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, as he was kissing and licking her belly and around her belly button. She stepped out of her pants, letting them fall to the floor, now standing together with him.

“Oh Rocket, I’ve missed this, I’ve missed you.” as she finally succumbed to his kiss. Their tongues met slowly at first, then each exploring the others, anxiously. He had been rubbing her breasts through her bra, her nipples growing hard with anticipation.

She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor.

“My God, look at these…” he said with a smile, licking his lips. “The most perfect tits I’ve ever seen…” as he eagerly bent down to lick and suck each one.

She closed her eyes, it felt so good, so good to be loved and admired, so good to be loved and admired by him. She sighed with pleasure as he moved his hand to her panties, edging them down with a finger.

Again, she let them fall to the floor and stepped out of them. He gently took her hand and led her to the bed, laid her back with her legs dangling over the side, as he knelt down onto his knees.

He took her foot gently and began kissing it, then moving slowly up her legs, now licking her inner thighs….

She slowly, yet willingly spread her legs, lifting one up onto the bed, desperately awaiting what was to come for her.

“I’ve missed this,…” he said softly as his tongue began to explore her. His hand stroking her ass as he pushed her into him, now moaning as she was.

“So sweet…” he sighed, and within minutes, Susan could feel the waves of pleasure taking over her body, raising her hips with each contraction. He didn’t stop, still licking her softly, lovingly, appreciatively.

“Oh God, Robert, stop please!” She screamed. “It’s starting to tickle!” she said giggling.

He licked his way up to her belly, then to her breasts, her neck, finally reaching her lips as she eagerly, urgently kissed him deeply, contentedly, caressing the back of his head with one hand, the other hand rubbing his ass, as she excitedly tried to remove his boxers.

He rolled to his side and allowed her to free him, and then she went to remove his shirt. “No Susan, please, it’s so fucking ugly, and I’m not ready for you to see it.” He begged.

“I love each and every inch of you,” She pleaded. Finally, he allowed her to remove his T-Shirt.

“I’m throbbing for you, Sus, I’ve been thinking of this moment the whole time that I was in that God forsaken hospital bed.” I waited for you so badly, but you never came, why Susan, why?” He asked sadly.

“Shhh…” she said, putting her finger to his lips as he took it into his mouth and sucked it with desire

“Just make love to me, Robert…. Make it last forever” she sighed. He kissed her deeply, slowly, eagerly as he ever so tenderly, entered her.

He began a slow rhythm, moaning softly with each slow thrust. Stopping every once in a while. “You feel so fucking good to me baby, it’s like I fit inside of you perfectly.” He said as he licked her nipples again, continuing his slow rhythm.

“Oh Robert, you make me feel so desirable, so wanted, so needed, so goooooood,” she moaned.

She gently rolled him onto his back, keeping him deep inside of her, then reaching her arms over his head to grab a hold of the headboard to keep her balance. He eagerly kissing her breasts as her hips slowly moved, wanting to feel him deep inside of her. Slowly up and down, both of them moaning with pleasure, breathing heavier now. Susan wanted to go faster and she sped up the pace.

“Whoa, baby girl, you’ve gotta slow down if you want this to last as long as I do…” he whispered.

“I can’t” she sighed, “I don’t want it to stop, I never want it to stop,” she nearly begged him now.

He took control with his one strong arm, rolling her onto her back, he on top of her again. “Just a minute, baby” as he sighed and stopped his rhythm, kissing her deeply, cupping her breasts, licking her nipples slowly, circling them with his tongue, as she sighed with pleasure.

“This had to be their BEST, most fulfilling time together yet,” Susan thought. No sex games, neither one had been drinking. This was real, honest emotion, and she loved every second of it.

Before he began again, he silently said, “Suzy, I want you to keep the key that I gave you. I want you to come home to ME, every day, I want to make love to you in the morning, I want to make love to you before we go to sleep and every time in between. I want to wake up with you in my arms, I want to take care of you, and I need you here with me, like this. I’ve been alone for so long baby, I’ve never been happier than I am with you, right now, like this, loving you, you loving me…. “Nobody has made me feel so wanted, so worthy of this, the way you make love to me, the way you kiss me, the way you touch me, the desire in your eyes for me, please say yes, babe, please.” He begged, looking at her with those eyes…

“Was this his way of expressing a kind of love for her?” She wondered to herself as she realized the look of desperation she had never seen in his eyes before, the look of sincerity in his eyes, on his face, as she traced his lips with her fingertips, the dimples and his beautiful eyes. She didn’t care if he didn’t say the “exact” words, she could see it in his eyes, and she could feel it in the way he made love to her.

He looked at her with worry, sadly expecting a “no” answer from her.

“Yes Robbie, I want that more than anything..” She said, smiling at him. He smiled back, showing her once again, the sexy dimples, and the gentle laugh lines around his eyes, that showed her how happy he was. There were no words needed, as he kissed her deeply, slowly, and lovingly.

“Please make love to me, baby” she begged him, pleading.

“It won’t be long now lover, you feel so fucking good, and you’ve told me everything I needed to hear, just tell me when you’re close, ok baby?” He asked attentively.

He started his slow rhythm again, Susan felt so happy at the prospect of living with the man that she felt sure now, more than ever, that she was deeply, madly, in love with.

“Oh God, right there, yes, don’t stop!” Susan said, nearly screaming with desire.

Her shoulders started to shake, her body trembling, one wave after another, in pleasure. He could feel her constricting, deep inside of her, and soon, he could feel the sweet release of passion, and desire, he felt for her, releasing it inside of her as he moaned, “I love you, Susan…”

Both of them breathing heavily, he collapsing to the left of her, pulling the sheet over both of them. He, lying on his arm, now gone, Susan nudging herself into the crook of his neck, smelling how good he always seemed to smell. Her arm stroking his chest, his arm around her waist, rubbing her soft, tight stomach.

“You’re incredible….” he sighed breathlessly, leaning over to kiss her enthusiastically, she happily obliging.

“What did you say?” she asked.

She had heard what he had said; she just yearned to know that he didn’t say it in the heat of passion.

“I said, you’re astounding, the most amazing, electrifying, most sexy, most beautiful, most scrumptious woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of making love to.” He said, grinning adoringly at her beside him.

“No, not that, say what you said before that…” she pleaded.

“Oh, that.” he said nonchalantly.

Then smiling and looking deeply into her eyes, “I said I love you, Susan. I love you, Dr. Susan Lewis; I honestly, truly, love you. I love everything about you, your brain, your body,” as he kissed her neck and her breasts, then coming back to look into her eyes, “but mostly, I love you right here” He said, as he placed his hand on his heart, and then onto hers.

Susan smiled, blushing.

“My God, do you know how sexy that is, that you actually still blush?” He asked her directly, touching her face, kissing her cheeks, her nose, then her lips.

Tears started to form in Susan’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks, into her hair.

“Hey, what’s that for, babe?” he asked earnestly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, or overwhelm you with my disclosure.” He said dejectedly, wiping her tears away.

“Oh no Robert, that’s not it at all,” she assured him. “I’ve just been hoping, hoping so badly, that you had felt the same way that I have been feeling,” as she reached around him to pull him closer to her, still sobbing quietly.

He turned her face to look at him. “Do you mean what you’re saying, sugar?” He asked urgently, grinning with his adorable dimples, his eyes lit up as a child’s eyes.

She took his face in her hands and finally said the words that her heart had been yearning to say to him for seemingly forever, “Yes Robbie, I love you, I love being with you, I love making love to you, I love your temper, I love your sarcasm, I love your body, I love your brilliant mind, your lips, your eyes, your dimples, your ass, your…” As she lifted up the sheet and looked under it, smiling at him. “I just love YOU.” She was finally able to admit it, now crying, blissfully.

“Don’t cry baby, we know how we really feel about each other now, no more games, no more secrets, no more pretending with each other, or with the rest of the asswipes at County.”

“Show me that beautiful smile baby girl, you’ve made me very happy today, you know that?” “I was so timid to tell you, I wanted to tell you, so desperately, but I was fearful that you’d reject me..” He said sadly.

“I’ll never reject you, Robbie, never, ever again.” She whispered as she kissed him as though she hadn’t tasted his kiss for days, hungrily exploring his tongue, his mouth. Her arm stroking his chest, his tight stomach, then further down, once again, feeling his hardness growing for her.

“Make love to me again baby, and tell me that you love me again and again…” She pleaded.

She didn’t have to ask twice, as he entered her again, unhurriedly, tenderly, this time even more significantly than before, seemingly lasting forever to Susan and Rocket.

They really did want it to last forever this time….