But like all spells it eventually breaks and we finally pull apart. “Well, that’s the stool christened,” Taylor says with a grin and I swat him playfully with my hand.
“If you had your way we would be christening every inch of this place,” I retort.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon,” Taylor responds seriously though his eyes sparkle with ill-concealed mischief.
“Later,” I say with promise in my voice. “But now we need to get cleaned up and go downstairs and thank the people who made this happen. Because we wouldn’t have such a gorgeous home without their help.”
“Oh, alright then,” Taylor says looking slightly disgruntled. “If we have to,” he says before swooping in and planting a soft kiss on my nose.
“We have to,” I say firmly, mostly to reaffirm my own resolve.
“Well then, after you, M'lady,” Taylor says joking around as he holds out a hand to help me down from the stool. I stride through to the master bedroom looking forward to a hot shower. A glance over my shoulder tells me that Taylor is following me and I let out a giggle as I wonder if we maybe have time for a quickie in the shower. The look of determination on Taylor’s face tells me we probably do.
The Sixth – The Ninth
Taylor once asked me what you do when all your dreams come true and my response had been that you make new ones. Throughout the long Easter weekend, I wandered around the flat in a state of semi-permanent shock. It felt almost surreal that, after all these months, the place was finally ours. Part of me, the niggly, annoying girl who was so determined to succeed on her own, was still whispering in my ear that I shouldn’t have let Taylor pay for it. But the saner part of me realises that for better or for worse we are in this together and why shouldn’t he contribute to the place we will be calling ‘home’?
I love the fact that I can just pop my head downstairs to see how things are going in the café and bakery and then be able to retreat back up here for a nap if needs be. I loved sitting in my mini garden on the first morning as the sun rose in the sky, sipping on my coffee while curled up under a blanket on the wicker chair that I have claimed as my own. And I loved falling asleep in my new bedroom; it was a fresh slate and for the first time in ages I slept through the night without even a hint of a nightmare.
The weekend had been crazy busy in both the shop and the café. Nicola did an excellent job and I am so glad to see how well she has slotted in with Alison and Emma, both of whom have been keeping an almost big-sisterly eye on her since the incident with Richard. Between them all they had the café running like a well-oiled machine.
While we were technically closed on Easter Sunday, we had decided to hold a big lunch for our regulars when we realised that quite a few of them didn’t have family to spend the day with. We had all chipped in and even our guests had brought dishes for the buffet we set up on the bar. It had been a pleasant day where everyone came together and enjoyed each other’s company and for me the best part was watching people who might have never met before talking to each other and becoming friends. By the time I had finally put my feet up after helping clear everything away, I was fit to drop. But I knew the day had been a success and something we would have to do regularly; it had just been so much fun.
Taylor and I decided to take the Monday off and have spent the day in a bubble of domesticity. My nesting instincts seem to have kicked in and I have spent the majority of the day rearranging Bean’s wardrobe, sorting through her toys and basically driving Taylor crazy by getting him to rearrange her furniture, only to change my mind and then insist he put it all back in its original position. I did at one point think he might be ready to kill me, but I guess the maple and pecan meringues I made changed his mind; he was definitely less grumpy after I gave them to him as a peace-offering.
As I lie in bed, listening to my husband snore gently beside to me, I can’t help but count my blessings. For many, Easter is all about new life and resurrection, celebrating the coming of Spring with baby chicks and bunnies and stuffing themselves with chocolate. For me, it has been a brief window of time where I could forget about the craziness that has been surrounding me. I am not stupid, though; with Hannah’s trial starting tomorrow I am sure my demons will rear their ugly heads and haunt me until there is a final resolution. Until then, I don’t feel ready to start making new dreams.
The Tenth
Taylor seems nervous as he dresses. Pulling the light blue shirt over his broad frame I notice his hands shaking slightly as he does the buttons up. He pulls on his trousers and I realise that he is wearing his ‘good luck’ suit, the one he pulls out when he has to make a significant pitch. I am curious because he hasn’t mentioned any new projects for a while.
“Have you got a big meeting today?” I ask, sitting up in bed and trying to adjust my body into a position that feels vaguely comfortable.
“Something like that,” Taylor mumbles while studiously avoiding my eyes.
“Taylor…” I say with warning in my voice.
“Okay, look, I am going to go hear the opening statements for Hannah’s trial.” Taylor looks past me as if, by not making eye contact, he can get away with whatever he has planned.
“But Taylor we both agreed…” My voice is low but firm as I remind him of the resolution we made only a couple days ago.
Taylor quickly interrupts me, “I know what we both agreed, but I can’t just sit here waiting to be called to testify. I need to have some idea of what her defence is going to be.”
“That’s what the lawyers are for,” I respond. “Let them report back to us and we can go from there.”
“This waiting is killing me, Abs. I just need to get in there and look into her eyes. I need to see if there is any remorse in here. If there is any shred of the Hannah I once knew still left inside. Or did my brother destroy her so completely that he should be up there for attempted murder as well?”
I let out a sigh of frustration, “Taylor, you have repeatedly told me that I can’t let this trial get to me. But it looks like you need to take a little of your own advice.” His body language is telling me that this something he won’t be swayed on so I let out a sigh of disappointment.
“I am only going to go for today,” Taylor says. “I just need to see for myself what we are up against.”
“Well, nothing I say is going to stop you, Taylor. So I am not going to even try. But I really hope for your sake you see what you need to see to get some closure where Hannah is concerned. People change and not always for the better, so you are just going to have to accept that and stop blaming yourself. Hannah had choices. She didn’t have to fake her own death. She didn’t have to try and kill me. She may be pleading temporary insanity, but she was sane enough to get a job with me and basically stalk me for weeks. She was rational enough stalk you for years for heaven’s sakes!” Exasperation fills my voice and I force myself to take a few deep breaths.
“I don’t want to argue with you, Taylor. If anything, all of this has taught me that life is too bloody short to let crackpots like Hannah come between us. If you need to go today, then go. I am not happy about it, but I will be here when you get home and we can talk it through. Together.”
Taylor gives me a weak smile and I can see right through his bravado. Taylor has this ability to always look so calm and in control when faced with difficulty, but I can see right through the composed surface to the ripples and bubbles underneath. “Come here,” I say motioning him towards me.
He strides across the room and sits down on the edge of the bed. I grab the tie out of his hand and pull it over his neck. Moments later I am smoothing the knot that I have tied and adjust his collar. “There,” I say quietly with a soft smile. “All done.” I grab the tails of his tie and pull Taylor forward, gazing into his eyes for the briefest of moments before placing my lips gently on his. We stay like that until Taylor begins moving his mouth against mine. My lips fall open as I invite his tongue into my mouth. The kiss quickly intensifie
s until it feels like we are devouring each other. Taylor’s hands weave into my hair tugging almost painfully at my scalp while mine claw at Taylor’s shirt.
A shrill noise interrupts us and Taylor breaks away with a rueful smile on his face, grabbing his phone and answering it with a scowl when he sees the number on the screen. He quickly strides from the room and I am left wondering who it could be to prompt such a reaction from him.
I scramble out of bed ready to follow Taylor into the living room, but Bean suddenly lands an almighty kick on my bladder and the urge to pee suddenly overtakes everything else. By the time I head through to the living area Taylor is off the phone and is busy frothing milk with my fancy cappuccino maker, his neutral mask back in place.
“Everything okay?” I ask cautiously, wondering who on earth was on the other end of the call.
“All fine, just a work thing,” Taylor says and I can tell immediately that he is lying, but I decide not to press him for the moment. Instead, I will bring it up tonight rather when he gets home, I tell myself. “I have to run, Abs,” Taylor says handing me my frothy latte and placing a soft kiss on my nose. “I will call you later, okay?”
“I love you, Taylor” I whisper, returning the kiss on his nose.
Taylor quickly kneels down and opens my fluffy robe, exposing my naked belly. “Bye, bye, Bean,” Taylor says. “Be good for your mum today.” I let out a giggle as Bean begins to kick me in response to Taylor’s voice.
“Yeah that wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for,” I say to Taylor, who laughs before placing a kiss on my protruding belly. I close my robe as Taylor stands once again.
“I’ll see you later,” Taylor says one last time and I watch as he disappears down the stairs with a wave. It is still really early so I take my coffee and curl up on the couch sipping it slowly as I begin to stew about the trial today.
I successfully managed to avoid thinking about it all weekend but once again reality was intruding. It’s funny, after all my therapy sessions with David I still find it easier to run away from my problems than face them head on. You would have thought by now I would have maybe changed a bit, but sometimes I still feel like a little girl, burying her problems with a cupcake!
When I have finished the last of my coffee, I drag myself up and head to the shower trying to work out everything I need to do today. The weekend was so busy I know that I am going to have to go down to check the inventory and reorder anything we are running low on.
The day flies by as I tick off each job on my to-do list one by one. Bea tells me to slow down, that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that there are things that can wait until tomorrow but she just smiles and nods when I tell her that things need to get done. She knows me well enough to see through my excuses.
I am sat in my office when I hear the front door open and close. A glance at the clock tells me that it is just gone six. I haven’t heard from Taylor since lunchtime when he texted me that things were going slowly but judging from his weary tread on the stairs it has been a long day for him.
I am about to walk through to the living room when inspiration strikes. I quickly pull my dress over my head and drop my panties on the floor, with my bra following just after. I peek around the wall and can’t see Taylor so I guess he must have gone through to the bedroom. I quickly cross to the couch and get myself comfortable trying to arrange my body into a semblance of a sexy pose, not the easiest of feats when you are almost eight months pregnant!
I have just adjusted myself one last time when Taylor comes back through. Catching sight of me, Taylor lets out a low whistle. “Now that’s a sight for sore eyes,” he murmurs as his eyes rake over my body. I can see the bulge in his trousers growing which makes me feel sexy and glad that, even with my rotund belly, he still finds me attractive.
“I thought we could christen the couch,” I say seductively. “I believe that we might have missed it out this weekend?”
“I do believe you are correct, Mrs Hudson,” Taylor says with mock-seriousness.
“Ooh, I love it when you call me that, Mr Hudson,” I reply as I trail my hands up to my breasts in an attempt at being seductive. I trace the delicate skin with my fingers before squeezing the plump flesh and pulling on my nipples. The sight of Taylor leaning against the wall just watching me with hooded eyes adds fuel to my arousal. I move my one hand down past my belly and slip it between my folds; I am already drenched and I bring my fingers up to show Taylor before slipping them into my mouth.
“Fuck, you are so sexy, Abby,” Taylor rasps out as he watches me slide my fingers back into my pussy. I find my clit and start tracing lazy circles, teasing myself as I feel the pressure building. I let out a groan as the muscles in my pussy begin to clench, my fingers moving faster and faster as my orgasm builds.
Finally, Taylor lets out a growl and strides across the room, just as I come hard, my breaths coming out fast and shallow. Suddenly his face is between my legs lapping up my juices and running his tongue over my swollen clit. I am still so sensitive that I can feel another orgasm building straight away as Taylor nibbles greedily on the delicate bud. Suddenly, he thrusts his fingers inside of me and I come undone as I pulsate around his fingers.
It is not enough though and when I gasp out, “More!” Taylor immediately begins shedding his own clothes. A moment later he is paused at my entrance, the thick crown of his cock pushing against my slit. With one deep thrust, he is inside of me gasping out my name as my muscles clench down on him. We begin moving together, a familiar rhythm that soon as has every nerve-ending in my body taut as I get closer and closer to exploding. Taylor never lets up on my clit and with one final flick I find myself torn apart from my orgasm, the relentless waves of pleasure bordering on the most sublime pain. I feel Taylor stiffening above me and then his hot seed is spurting into me sending little ripples of pleasure through my belly.
Moments later Taylor withdraws and quickly cleans me up with the first available item, his shirt. As he flings it down onto the floor a piece of paper flutters out. I am not sure why but something compels me to pick it up and when I do let out a gasp of shock as Taylor quickly snatches it out of my hand. On it is a picture of me standing on the beach in Bournemouth, my head tipped back as I soak up the sun, my hand resting on my belly as my dress flutters in the breeze. I look completely at peace and for a moment I wonder which of the surveillance team took it. Shock grips me, however, when I read the handwritten scrawl underneath:
If you testify, they die!
My heart begins to pound and my hands start to shake. “Where did you get this Taylor,” I ask softly, knowing deep down that there is no way that the picture was taken by a member of Henry’s team.
“Someone slipped it to me in the courtroom. I am not sure who, but one moment it wasn’t there and then the next it was,” Taylor explains with a sigh as he rubs the bridge of his nose in agitation, an unconscious gesture he seems to be doing more and more these days.
“You had better not be reconsidering testifying,” I exclaim loudly as I try to consider the implications of such a decision.
“Well, I kind of was,” Taylor retorts as a deep scowl furrows his brow marring his usually placid features.
“Taylor…” I say exasperated as my anger begins to burn inside of me.
“I am not prepared to risk your life or Bean’s,” Taylor spits out angrily.
“Taylor,” I repeat. “This is not just about me and Bean. This is about a much bigger picture. Your evidence is going to pull Richard into the middle of the case and he doesn’t want that. This is all scare tactics.” I am doing my best to keep my voice level and calm despite my apprehension that Taylor is going to make the biggest mistake of his life.
“But they, whoever they are, were watching you on the beach. My guys never saw anyone that day taking pictures of you. I checked.” Taylor rubs the bridge of his nose once again in agitation and I can’t help but try and reason with him.
“So what. They could have been using one o
f those really long lenses like the paparazzi do. Which means they were probably really far away.” I can see Taylor getting more and more agitated as he starts to run his hands through his hair. “Look, if you don’t testify, then my evidence won’t have the same kind of impact. The lawyers have explained this. We are in this together, you, me and Bean, and while these threats scare the shit out of me, I am done being bullied and intimidated. We are both testifying, end of.”
My chest is heaving and my hands are still shaking, but I feel resolute. I am not about to let Hannah, or Richard for that matter, get away with what they have done to us. “Have you shown that note to Detective Stanton?” I ask.
“No,” Taylor replies. “I was just going to chuck it.”
“Don’t you dare!” I exclaim, quickly moving past Taylor while gingerly holding onto the paper. Taylor watches my quizzically while I root around in one of the kitchen drawers. I pull out a ziplock bag and carefully place the paper inside before sealing it shut. “Call Henry,” I demand, the tone of my voice warning Taylor not to argue with me.
Taylor picks up his phone with a sigh. “When did you get so bossy?” Taylor asks warily while looking through his contacts.
“Since you decided to be a complete idiot,” I retort, but my words and tone are soft, packing no real punch while Taylor looks at me ruefully.
Henry answers his phone and Taylor quickly explains about the note. I hear brusque tones on the other end when Taylor makes a comment about not testifying and I am glad that Henry and I seem to be on the same page. Henry lets Taylor know that he will be there in half an hour to personally take the note up to London. A wave of relief washes over me as I realise that someone is taking this as seriously as I am.
Book Three: Thirty Days, Book 3 Page 6