Book Two: Thirty Days, Book 2

by Bibi Paterson

  I…uh…I love you too, Taylor. So very much.” Finally I have managed to get the words out, and the sheer delight that lights up Taylor’s face makes me realise just how long he has been holding out to hear those words too. Before I can say anything else, Taylor’s lips are on mine in the sweetest of kisses. It starts off slowly, but before long the hunger builds in both of us, and we begin passionately making out like a couple of horny teenagers.

  A brief cough brings us back to the present, and we look up to find a nurse standing in the doorway. She gives us a smile before stepping in holding some paperwork. “Abigail, the doctor has signed your discharge papers. Everything has been stable overnight, so we advise you to go home and rest up.”

  I give the nurse a big smile and offer up my thanks, grateful that I am not going to be spending my birthday in hospital. I look down and realise I am in a standard-issue hospital gown, and I have no idea where my clothes are. Reading my mind, Taylor holds up a bag before saying, “Let’s rock this joint.”

  “Taylor,” I say hesitantly. “I am not sure I am ready to go home…” I trail off, not sure how to explain my feelings. Taylor watches me silently, waiting for me to continue. “I mean, back to the flat. Waking up to find Hannah in our room was terrifying, and I am really not sure I can handle going back there right now. We had all that security in place, and she still managed to get in.” Taylor’s dark expression tells me just how angry he is that Hannah even managed to get into the flat. “Plus all I want is a bath, and I know I am never going to be able to use ours again.” I hiccup, trying to hold back the tears that are threatening to escape.

  “Of course, Abby,” Taylor rushes to say. “Get dressed, and I’ll make some calls.” Taylor is out of the room before I can even think to tell him that we can’t go too far from Brighton as I need to get back to Bread & Cake, and we have the launch party tomorrow night. With a sigh, I swing my legs out of the bed and start rummaging in the bag for some clothes to wear. I am relieved to find some clean underwear, which I pull on followed by some soft leggings, a long-sleeve T-shirt and a long chunky cardigan.

  Taylor walks in with a smile on his face. “All sorted. I have booked us a suite at The Grand, so we will still be near to the shop. Is that okay?” Taylor asks tentatively.

  “Perfect, Taylor. Thanks. I am sorry for being a wuss,” I say.

  “Don’t say that, Abs. You are by far the strongest person I know…You have been through so much, more in the last few months than most people deal with in a lifetime, and you are still standing tall. Not wanting to go back to the flat is perfectly understandable,” Taylor says fiercely.

  I change the subject, not wanting to dwell on it. “Thanks for the clothes,” I say.

  “Your mum brought them in last night while you were asleep. I didn’t want to leave you, and when I called your folks to let them know what happened, your mum said she would pop over and grab you some stuff. Your mum said she would also speak to Andreas and Bea…” Taylor trails off.

  In a way, I am glad that they all already know. It means I don’t have to go through it all again, though I am sure somebody is going to want to take my statement at some point. I glance at my phone and see that it is only eight, so I still have the whole day ahead of me. “Can we pop in and see the shop before we do anything this morning?” I ask. “I just want to check that everyone is okay.”

  “Sure thing,” Taylor responds. “I’ll grab you some more clothes and stuff whilst we are there. Have a think about what you need…” I pull on my boots and we make our way out of the hospital. When we reach the front doors, we are greeted by a blast of icy air and we both shiver, neither of us having coats to hand. A sleek black Mercedes pulls up, and Taylor opens the back door. “I had to order a car as I came with you in the ambulance last night,” Taylor responds to my unspoken question. I slide across the leather seat, grateful for the warmth blasting from the vents.

  Taylor asks the driver to take us to Bread & Cake, and I lean back into the headrest, letting out a deep sigh. Taylor takes my hand and holds it on his lap, his thumb running across my knuckles in a gesture I find soothing. We let the silence settle over us, neither of us wanting to think about anything more than being in this moment. When the car pulls outside the shop, I take a deep breath before pulling my cardigan around me and stepping out. Taylor wraps his arm around my shoulders before guiding me into the warmth of the shop.

  The bell on the door announces our arrival, and the moment Bea looks up and sees us standing there, she rushes forward and envelops me in a hug. I hear her sniffing as she tries to hold back the tears. Finally, she looks me in the face, holding it between her hands gently. “Thank god you are all right, Abby,” she exclaims. “Is the little one okay?”

  “We are both fine, thanks, Bea. The doctor cleared us to leave this morning, so there is no need to worry.” I smile and keep my voice light. Sensing my need to try and retain a degree of normality, Bea clears her throat before ushering me towards one of the sofas, calling out to Emma to bring the birthday girl her latte. Emma gives me a bright smile and thumbs-up, so I sink into the buttery-soft leather while Taylor heads upstairs to take a shower and pack a bag for us. No sooner is Emma placing my steaming coffee in front of me than Andreas comes through with a plate of freshly baked croissants.

  “Here you go, Abby,” Andreas says as he hands me a napkin. “Happy birthday!”

  “Yum,” I respond. “Best birthday breakfast ever. Thanks, Andreas.”

  “Enjoy. Come see me in the kitchen before you leave. Kirri and Billy have whipped up a surprise for you.”

  “Ooh,” I say. “I’ll be in in a bit.” With a wink, Andreas heads back through to the kitchen. I reach forward and help myself to one of the croissants, breaking it open and enjoying its delicious aroma. I break off a piece and pop it in my mouth, savouring the butteriness on my tongue. As I eat my breakfast and enjoy my latte, my gaze wanders round and I can see from the concerned glances being directed at me that everyone knows just what went down last night. But when I catch their eyes, the smiles are back and it is business as usual. Good, I am ready to move forward. Dwelling on what happened will not do any of us any good.

  Taylor comes back in and takes a seat next to me, pulling me into a hug. His hair is wet from the shower, and his citrusy scent tickles my nose. No matter where we live, for me this is now home. Wrapped in Taylor’s arms is where I belong, and I curse my stubbornness over my refusal to marry Taylor until he told me he loved me.

  Emma comes over to offer Taylor a drink and introduce them. I catch the appreciative glance that Emma gives Taylor, and I grin at her, secure in the knowledge that he is all mine. She winks back at me and goes to make up Taylor’s order.

  “I let your folks know that we are here and they are heading over now,” Taylor tells me as he steals the rest of my croissant out of my hand, demolishing it in a couple of bites. Minutes later the bell above the door tinkles, and my parents hurry in. I stand up and am immediately enveloped in a suffocating hug. My ribs screech at the pressure and a squeal erupts from my mouth, causing both my mum and dad to step back and examine me critically.

  “Oh, darling,” Mum says as she gently strokes the bruise on my chin where Hannah punched me. Fortunately, the rest of my bruises are hidden by my clothes, so I don’t alarm people. “I could fucking kill the bitch!” my mum continues.

  “Mum,” I say, “I have never heard you use language like that.”

  “Yes, well, no one messes with my daughter,” she says, letting out a small laugh, and I chuckle as I realise how serious my mum is.

  “Okay, guys,” I say loudly to make sure I grab everyone’s attention. “Today is my birthday and tomorrow we have the grand-opening party, so we are going to forget about what happened for the next few days and concentrate on what is really important…which is celebrating everyone’s hard work.” I look around at everyone and see them all nodding at me. “Awesome. Now, I know it is still technically breakfast time, but as it’s m
y birthday, I think I need cake…” At this, I see Andreas say something through the kitchen, and in a blink of an eye Kirri and Billy are walking towards me, holding up the biggest baked cheesecake I have ever seen. They set it down on the table, and I give them both a grin as I take in the details. The top is loaded with fresh berries, and I can see strawberries dipped in chocolate. The sides have been piped with dark chocolate in an intricate lacework design that is stunning to look at.

  “It’s a white chocolate and raspberry baked cheesecake,” Kirri tells me shyly.

  “Wow, guys, this looks amazing. It must have taken you ages. Thank you so much,” I tell them both earnestly. “It is so beautiful, I am not sure I want to cut it. But I think this masterpiece needs to be tasted,” I declare.

  Emma holds up a pile of plates, so I give her a nod and she brings them over, along with some cake forks. As I cut into the cheesecake, I hear the satisfying snap of the chocolate piping and my mouth starts to water. Making sure everyone, including Bea, Andreas and Alison, who has just arrived for her shift, gets a piece first, I finally take a mouthful and pretty much have a foodgasm standing there.

  Everyone else is murmuring their appreciation to Kirri and Billy, and I add my own thanks into the mix. Several customers walk through the doors and everyone returns to their stations, and I am left staring at the remains of the cake, which are significant despite how many slices have already been eaten. “Alison,” I say, catching her before she walks away. “Could you make sure the regulars get a slice when they come in?” I ask.

  “Sure, Abby,” she replies. “And happy birthday,” she adds, giving me a quick hug.

  Bea finishes serving her customer and then quickly comes back over, telling me that everything is fine and as it’s my birthday she is enforcing the day-off rule. I smile and tell her to call me if she needs any help whatsoever, but she simply rolls her eyes at me and says, “Whatever.” I laugh in response, grateful for having such an amazing team around me.

  Mum and Dad still have a lot to organise for tomorrow night, so they tell Taylor and me to shoo and remind me that Mum is cooking dinner tonight. With final hugs, I promise that we will be at theirs at seven on the dot, and we make our way out to Taylor’s car, where he has already stowed our bag. Something catches my eye, and when I look over at my gorgeous little car, I see deep gouges along the side panel and it looks like all the tires have been slashed.

  “Don’t look, Abby,” Taylor mutters. “I have already arranged to get it sorted. Let’s just get out of here.” I nod and let out a sigh, determined that nothing is going to spoil my day.

  .........................

  So far my day has been blissful. We arrived at The Grand well before normal check-in is allowed, but I think the suite was empty and Taylor used his powers of persuasion, so we were shown straight up. I know that I should be used to the luxury that goes hand in hand with dating a multimillionaire, but it still surprises me every time. Granted, it was not like I had an impoverished childhood, but I certainly didn’t spend time in five-star hotels unless it was with my parents and a client was paying.

  I had barely put my bag down on the bed and had a look at the amazing view of the Brighton seafront when Taylor announced he had booked me into the hotel’s spa for a couple of hours of pampering. I sensed that he wanted me out of the way so that he could catch up on what was happening with Hannah and how she managed to get into the flat when Henry’s team was supposed to have everything covered. I didn’t want to watch the heads roll, so instead, I gratefully made my way downstairs.

  For the last two hours, I have been completely pampered. Having been told that Taylor instructed them to give me whatever I wanted, I settled for a facial and head, neck and shoulder massage along with a wonderful foot treatment. Now I am settled in the beauty bar, where my nails are being painted a delicate pearl colour. I sigh with happiness, and Sienna, the beauty therapist, looks up at me with a smile.

  The spa receptionist approaches just as Sienna is finishing the last coat of polish. “Mr Hudson requested that you join him in the Victoria Lounge when you are finished.” I smile, offering up my thanks.

  It is not long before I make my way up to the lounge, and as my stomach rumbles, I realise that it has been a while since breakfast. As I walk into the bar area, I look around, finally spotting Taylor across the room, tucked into a chair, looking out over the seafront. As I walk across to him, I see the pensive expression on his face, and I am sure that his morning has been nowhere near as relaxing as mine. The moment he sees me approaching, however, his expression clears and a warm smile stretches across his face.

  “Hello, gorgeous,” he says, standing to greet me. “You look like you have had a nice morning.”

  “A lovely one,” I reply, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank you so much for spoiling me.”

  “It’s the least I can do,” Taylor says, guiding me into the chair opposite him. As I sink in, I notice a pile of presents hiding beneath the table. I raise my eyebrow at Taylor, and he simply chuckles before reaching down and picking up the pile and placing it on the table in between us.

  Each parcel is beautifully wrapped, so I comment, “So who did you con into wrapping these?”

  “I’ll have you know I did them all myself! Took bloody ages…” Taylor mock-grumbles.

  I am about to start ripping paper when my stomach lets out a loud growl. “I think we need to order some food first,” Taylor laughs, holding out a menu to me before signalling to a waitress. I quickly run my eye over the menu whilst Taylor places his order, and then request the baguette club sandwich and a pot of tea when it’s my turn. The waitress disappears, and I pick up the package balancing on the top.

  Five minutes later I am flabbergasted at the staggering array of gifts on my lap. I run my fingers over a gorgeous Stella McCartney chemise, I take in the sight of my new Valentino cocktail dress and Valentino Garavani high-heeled boots, and I inhale the gorgeous scent of Miss Dior, my favourite perfume. The last, and my absolute favourite, is a framed picture of the outside of Bread & Cake, complete with the new signage. “Wow, Taylor, this is all…it’s too much,” I say, my voice trembling with emotion.

  “I thought the dress and boots would be perfect for the party tomorrow,” Taylor says softly, and I have to admit that the boy has taste. I smile at him, my eyes glistening with happy tears. “You have really spoiled me, Taylor. You really didn’t need to do all of this. Just having you back for my birthday was enough of a gift.”

  “Abby, when will you understand that I love making you smile? And it’s my prerogative to spoil you on your birthday. You deserve the world, Abs, and I am going to spend every day for the rest of my life trying to give it to you…” I lean across the table and kiss Taylor fiercely on the lips, interrupting his speech. I pour all the passion that I am feeling into the kiss, the rest of the world receding as I concentrate on the feel of Taylor’s lips on mine. I am suddenly brought back to the present when a discreet cough announces that our lunch is here. We break apart, and I can feel the flush of embarrassment rise up my neck. Seriously, when I am around Taylor, I seem to lose all semblance of self-control. I quickly clear the table of my gifts, placing them carefully into a large gift bag that Taylor holds out to me.

  Lunch is delicious, and we spend the time chatting as Taylor fills me in on his trip. The dark circles under his eyes are the only indication that he spent virtually twenty-four hours travelling to get back to London and then had to spend the night with me in hospital. Instead, he positively vibrates with energy as he tells me about his trek through the jungle. He paints such a vivid picture that I can almost imagine that I am there alongside him. He describes what it was like meeting the chief of the village and how they have managed to set up an arrangement where the tribesmen themselves will cultivate the chillies rather than Taylor’s team just taking the cuttings and growing them commercially elsewhere. This means that the villagers can protect their livelihood and the part of the forest that
they live in. From what I can see, it has been a win-win situation, and I am so proud of how Taylor has been able to make a positive difference in these people’s lives.

  With our lunch long gone, Taylor suggests heading back to our suite for nap before dinner, the twinkle in his eye suggesting that he doesn’t have any plans to actually do any sleeping. I let out a giggle in anticipation, grab my parcels and take Taylor’s hand as we walk to the lift.

  The door of the suite has barely shut before Taylor swings me into his arms and begins to kiss me with a dizzying intensity. I wind my arms round his neck, pushing my body against his as I run my fingers through his hair. His tongue probes my mouth with a crushing fierceness that steals my breath away.

  Suddenly Taylor breaks off the kiss and looks at me, panting. “Too many clothes,” he growls as his hands are suddenly everywhere, divesting me of my cardigan. The rest follows suit and then I am standing in front of Taylor in just my underwear. He steps back and runs his eyes down the length of my body appraisingly, though I can see his eyes darken and his expression hardens for the briefest moment as he takes in the bruises covering my torso. But then his eyes return to my face. “Fucking beautiful…” Taylor states, the arousal shining from his eyes.

  Slowly Taylor reaches forward and runs a finger down between my breasts before hooking his finger in my bra, pulling me forward. I stumble slightly, my feet tripping over themselves at the unexpected movement, but Taylor catches me easily in his arms. Reaching behind me, Taylor unclips the clasp of my bra and then, with agonising slowness, slides the straps down my arms until, at last, he removes it completely and drops it on the floor. Sinking to his knees, Taylor starts pulling down my panties, laying a trail of butterfly-soft kisses in their wake. When my panties are finally lying on the floor, Taylor looks up at me before pushing my legs apart.