Michael thought about that for a few minutes, then said, “I understand that, people probably treat you differently when they know you’ve been a victim. I can’t promise you that I won’t as well, but understand that I like you for who you are and like it or not what happened is a part of you now.”
“I just don’t want you to see me as being weak.” She finally said after another long silence.
“Being a victim doesn’t make you weak, it’s how you react that makes you weak. From what I can see you’re anything but weak. Give yourself a break Annabelle, there’s a difference between being weak and leaning on those who care about you for support.” Michael said, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm.
Besides the pang of desire that shot through her at his words, she felt a sense of peace, sure that when the time was right she’d be able to talk about that night with him. But until then she’d take advantage of the quiet support he was offering. More than anything else, she realized she wanted to feel safe and secure which was a feeling she knew would take time to develop, but knowing that she had Michael and the Terrells was helping.
“Thank you.” She said, looking into his eyes, then leaning in when he reached for her.
The kiss he gave her this time was full of tenderness and acceptance, Michael knew patience was what Annabelle needed now, not the fiery passion that had sparked between them earlier. The passion was wonderful, but with no foundation that’s all it would be and he wanted so much more from Annabelle. For the first time in his life he wanted a woman on a level much deeper than just the physical. He’d wait as long as it took for her to trust him, and really that’s what this was all about, trust.
Annabelle woke the next morning to doors slamming and raised voices, normally nothing reached her in the east wing. Suddenly realizing what the commotion probably was, she threw on some clothes and ran down the stairs just in time to see Leslie and Sebastian putting on their coats, her hospital bag on the floor next to them.
When Leslie saw Annabelle she said, “We’re off to the hospital, it's time.” Then bent over when a contraction hit.
“Should I come with you?” She asked, wanting to be helpful in any way she could.
“No, you stay here. There’s going to be enough people there as it is. But come see the baby once it’s born.” She said, after her contraction had passed.
“Let’s go.” Sebastian said, his face a little white.
Just then Garrett came into the entryway. “I’m driving. Annabelle take care of the house while we’re gone.”
She watched as all the Terrells, including Sabrina and Allison who were both heavy with their own pregnancies, walked out the door. For all intents and purposes she was alone in the house with little to keep her occupied for the day. She finally ended up in the kitchen with Marcie, needing something to distract her, the waiting was driving her crazy.
Marcie was happy to have some company and gossiped about the town and its people as they worked. Since the whole family was down at the hospital, they’d decided to bake that day and Annabelle found that she was really enjoying herself, it had been a long time since she’d been in the kitchen. Although she’d never been a fantastic cook, she did enjoy the process and Marcie had a lot to teach her.
By dinner, she’d mastered dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls, much to Michael’s delight. Marcie had gone home early since it would only be she and Michael for dinner, but not before she’d helped Annabelle set a romantic table for two in the sunroom. She also stopped by to see Michael and suggest that he go home and take a shower before dinner that night, winking at him before she left.
When Michael stepped into the kitchen, flowers in hand that evening, the first thing that greeted him was the wonderful smell of marinara sauce. Then he spotted Annabelle standing by the stove, her hair cascading down her back, dressed in a pair of leggings and a long sweater. Crossing the room he pulled her into her arms and kissed her, wishing he could just scoop her up and take her upstairs.
“Hmm, somethings making my mouth water, but I’m not sure if it’s you or dinner.” He said, nuzzling her neck.
Annabelle giggled, then blushed. “It’s probably dinner.” She said, turning back to the stove.
Michael wrapped his arms around her from behind and watched over her shoulder as she stirred the sauce. “The food does smell good, but so do you.” He whispered in her ear, thinking that tonight she smelled like cinnamon and sugar. “Like cinnamon and sugar, good enough to eat.” He playfully bit her neck.
That little love bite sent a bolt of desire shooting straight to her core, overwhelming her with a wave of pleasure that took her breath away. Michael could feel her reaction and before she knew it he’d pulled her away from the stove and up against one of the counters. When his mouth came down on hers she was ready for him, one hand sliding up his back to tangle in his hair then pulling him down to her.
Michael growled deep in his throat and plunged his tongue into Annabelle’s mouth, pulling her against him, then grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the counter. She wrapped her arms around him and opened her legs so he could slide between them. As their bodies came together, Annabelle could feel his erection pressing against her causing the fire that was smoldering deep inside her to flare as flames of pleasure radiated from where his erection pressed against her.
Her sweater had ridden up her hips but she didn’t care, especially when his hands slid up the bare flesh of her back, making goose bumps erupt on her skin. Just as his fingers found the clasp on her bra, the sauce on the stove began to boil over, creating a puff of black smoke as it hit the burner. Michael reluctantly broke the kiss and slid the pan off the burner, then turned back to Annabelle expecting her to be blushing in that adorable way she had.
But instead, she surprised him by pulling him back to her and kissing him. “I think we shouldn’t be left alone.” She said, when she broke off the kiss.
“You keep kissing me like that and that might be true.” He said, pleased that she’d finally taken the lead. “But I think we better see about dinner.”
“I hope it’s not ruined.” She said, letting Michael help her down off the counter.
Luckily it wasn’t ruined and they had a romantic candle lit dinner by the fire in the sunroom. Michael helped her do the dishes, which only took twice as long since he kept having to take a break to kiss her. After dinner they settled down on the couch in the sunroom to watch television and wait. Annabelle had been getting constant updates from Sabrina and it still looked like it might be a while before the baby was born.
Annabelle was getting sleepy but she was so content snuggled in Michael’s arms that she didn’t want him to leave, plus waiting on her own would be excruciating. But finally she said, “I’ll be okay on my own if you want to go home, I know you need to work tomorrow.”
“No way, I’m staying right here with you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I left you here all alone?” He said, getting up and adding more wood to the fire.
Annabelle just stared at him for a minute, he’d called himself her boyfriend, they’d never really talked about what they were to each other and she’d been fine with that. But she also found that she liked that idea of him being her boyfriend.
“My boyfriend?”
“Well, that’s what I am right? Because I think of you as my girlfriend. I want you and you alone, Annabelle.” He said, pulling her to her feet.
“Me too.” She said, smiling up at him.
“Good. Now that we’ve settled that, let’s see what’s on TV.” Michael said, not daring to kiss her right then, knowing where it would lead.
It was the middle of the night when the phone finally rang, Annabelle answered it sleepily, then was instantly awake. After a few short answers she was off the phone, beaming from ear to ear. “It’s a boy and he’s perfect, they named him Jonathan.” She said, suddenly wide awake.
“That’s great.” Michael said, sleepily.
“
I can’t wait to see him.” She said, pulling him to his feet. “But we both need some sleep. I’ll go to visit with Cinthia and Jonathan tomorrow and I bet they’ll be up early.”
“What time is it?” He asked, looking at the clock. It was early in the morning and the prospect of getting in his truck and driving home was less than pleasant.
Annabelle took his hand and pulled him down the hall to the stairs, “Come on let’s get some sleep.”
“I should really go home.” He said, looking up the stair warily.
“No, you can sleep with me tonight, but you have to behave yourself.” She said, pulling him up the stairs. “I trust you can do that.”
Michael didn’t know if he trusted himself, but against his better judgment, he let her lead him up the stairs. They climbed into bed with their clothes on and before long were both asleep, waking the next morning wrapped in each other’s arms. Annabelle woke first and stretched, although it had been a short night she’d slept soundly, the dreams that plagued her so often, quiet while she was in Michael’s arms.
She was trying to slip out of bed without waking him, but he pulled her back firmly into his arms. “Where are you off to without kissing me good morning?” He asked, giving her a kiss.
“Cinthia and Jonathan are picking me up at eight, I thought I’d make us breakfast before I leave.” She said, thinking how adorable he looked tousled from sleep, his hair messy and lines of sleep still on his handsome face.
“Well, I can’t say no to food.” He said, letting her up. “I’ll make coffee.”
Annabelle, like Michael, would have liked to stay in bed and see where it led, but today was not the day to face those fears, there was a new baby waiting and she couldn’t wait to see him.
Chapter 8
By Thanksgiving the household had adjusted to the new baby and little Jonathan was doing well. Annabelle was glad to have something to keep her occupied and having a baby in the house certainly did that. She and Michael spent as much time together as they could, usually after a long day for them both.
Michael was working long hours trying to get the cabins finished as soon as possible. The house had seemed to shrink overnight once the baby had come home, and soon enough Sabrina and Garret’s would be born. Allison was due only a few weeks later, but since she and Nate were still living in their cabin the impact wouldn’t be as great. But he knew that everyone wanted to regain some of the privacy that living together had forced on them.
They rarely had time alone, but at least once a day Michael would grab her and drag her off to the barn or even the front porch for a few minutes, which was usually spent in very little conversation. These brief trysts were often cut short by the weather that had turned cold as soon as Halloween was over, the snow building day by day until the world was white with only the green of the trees to break the monotony.
Thanksgiving with the Terrells was a wild affair with family coming from all over to celebrate the holiday. The house was bursting at the seams, but everyone had a great holiday and was looking forward to Christmas. Most of the time Annabelle was excited about Christmas, but at times she felt the absence of her parents so deeply that it took her breath away.
Rather than face those difficult emotions, she threw herself into Christmas preparations, taking her instruction from Sabrina who had to be sidelined because of the baby. She grumbled and complained but followed her doctor’s orders and let Annabelle do the work while she gave the orders. The closer it got to Christmas, the more Annabelle realized that a huge family celebration was more than she could handle this year.
One night while she and Michael were snuggled down under several blankets in the barn loft, she finally voiced her feelings. She’d been afraid to say anything before since Michael had been so excited about spending the holiday with her. “Michael?”
“Hmm,”
“I don’t know if I can cope with Christmas.” She said very quietly.
He shifted his weight so he could lean on one elbow and look down at her. “I don’t know if I can handle Christmas with all those people around. I know they mean well, but sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming. I was thinking about a quiet Christmas at Millie’s, I haven’t seen her in months.”
Michael was quiet for a long time, he was disappointed, but understood, Thanksgiving had been a crazy day. He suddenly had a great idea, he’d just needed a couple of days to see if he could pull it together. “Can you wait a few days? I might have a perfect solution to the problem.”
Annabelle was a little bit suspicious, but promised to give Michael a few days before making any plans. Only a few days later, they were in the sunroom cuddled up on the couch, alone for once since everyone had gone to bed early, something she felt sure Michael had orchestrated.
“If I said that I had the perfect plans for Christmas would you trust me enough to just pack a bag and go?” He asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
Without even giving it a thought she said, “Of course. What should I pack?”
“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.” He said, realizing that he’d been afraid that she was going to say no.
“Michael I want to spend Christmas with you, but not all those other people. You know how much I’ve been missing my parents lately, I just want a quiet Christmas to work through these feelings. I’d like nothing more than to do that with you by my side.” She said, framing his face with her hands.
“I’d like to be there for you.” Michael said, hoping the time had finally come for her to tell him about that night.
“Thank you. When do we leave? I hope no one will be upset that we’re not going to be here. I suppose I should make sure they don’t need me.” She said, suddenly hoping they’d let her go.
“Don’t worry I already talked to Leslie, there’s going to be so much family here that they’ll be fine without you. In fact she thought it was a good idea, you need a break.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you either.”
“So pack enough warm clothes for a couple of nights and I’ll pick you up early Christmas Eve morning.” A mischievous grin on his face.
As Christmas approached Annabelle’s emotions were on a rollercoaster, she was excited about the mysterious trip Michael had planned for them, but also nervous because she’d decided that she’d waited long enough, it was time to finally sleep with Michael. She was pretty sure that she was ready, but she had no idea how to make him understand that she was a virgin. It was embarrassing to her to admit it, but he had a right to know, especially since, from everything she understood, the first time could be quite painful.
She missed her mother more than anything else right then, even as hard as she’d been on Annabelle when it came to her studies and goals in life, she would have listened to Annabelle and helped her make the right decision. Somehow her virginity had become a big deal, but then again how many women reached the age of twenty two without having sex with someone.
One afternoon a few days before Christmas, Leslie found her in her room packing for the third time. She’d just dumped the bag out again in frustration when Leslie knocked on the open door and came in. “Having a hard time figuring out what to pack?”
“Yes, it’s impossible. I have no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing.” Annabelle said, plopping down on the bed. “And I know you know where we’re going so help me.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Leslie said, walking to the closet and sorting through Annabelle’s clothes.
She pulled out some jeans and sweaters and her ski suit, then turned to Annabelle and said, “You’ll have to pick something to sleep in but these clothes should be all you need.”
Annabelle looked at Leslie’s choices realizing that they didn’t tell her any more about where they were going than she’d already known. “Okay that didn’t help that much.”
“Stop worrying, it’s going to be great. Michael is quite the romantic.” Leslie said, sitting down next to An
nabelle on the bed. “Something else is bothering you.”
Annabelle had no idea how to even begin. “Well, it’s just that I know what’s going to happen while we’re gone and I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do. How did you know with Sebastian?” Annabelle stared at the floor, too embarrassed to meet Leslie’s eyes.
Leslie took her hand and waited until Annabelle looked at her, “I don’t know if you can look at my relationship with Sebastian as a guide, but one thing I knew above all else was that I could trust Sebastian. Do you trust Michael?”
“Of course, he’s wonderful and he’d never do anything to intentionally hurt me. But Leslie, I’ve never had sex before, I’m a virgin.”
Leslie pulled her into her arms, “Oh, honey I can see how that would make the decision that much harder, but Michael will never force you to do anything you didn’t want to. If he’s half the man I think he is, he’ll wait as long as it takes.”
“I know, but I really think I’m ready. I just don’t know how to tell him.” Annabelle laughed, “he’s not going to expect it.”
“No he’d won’t, but if I know men, he’ll think it’s the best thing in the world.” Leslie said, giving her a hug.
“Thanks, I feel much better.” Annabelle said, “I think I know what else to pack.”
*****
Christmas Eve morning dawned clear and bright but the sunlight pouring through her window was deceiving, the temperature was well below freezing, but there was snow predicted for later in the day which would actually raise the temperature. Annabelle was dressed and ready by eight just as Michael asked.
She was listening for the sound of his truck but instead she heard the sleigh stop in front of the house. Running to the window she saw Michael at the reins behind the two horses that pulled the sleigh. He looked good sitting behind the horses, his breath making white clouds in the air, and his blue eyes sparkling in the sunshine. When he jumped down and walked up to the porch, Annabelle threw open the door and let him in.
I'll Be There: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 5) Page 8