The Billionaire’s Crush

by Tineka Brown

It didn’t. He was revved up and he did not know what to do about it. How had this happened to him? All of a sudden he was thinking about marriage and settling down. His friends back home would laugh if they saw him like this. It took a little Christian from a small town to bring him to his knees. How the mighty have fallen he thought wryly.

  He climbed in the bed; his work forgotten. The best he could hope for was that he got some sleep. He was just drifting off when his phone rang. It was Mellie. The girl had been calling him and he had himself to blame for that. He had hinted at a revived relationship between them when he had been coming over on the plane and he had not discouraged her.

  “Mellie, I was just about to get some sleep,” he told her trying not to sound impatient.

  “I hope you’re thinking about me,” her sultry voice had the power to turn him on in the past but now it just grated on his nerves.

  “Actually, I am thinking about sleeping right now, I have had a really long day.”

  “I hope you’re not seeing some island girl out there Davie,” he could just see the pout on her full lips and he had told her time and again not to call him Davie.

  “Have you ever thought about giving your heart to the Lord?” he asked her suddenly. The girl was silent for so long that he thought she had hung up the phone.

  “If you don’t want me to call you Davie all you have to do is just say so,” she said coldly and disconnected the call.

  I guess that works too, he thought with a grimace and gave a chuckle. No doubt by tomorrow she would be striking him off her list of potential husbands.

  Chapter 5

  They fell into a type of routine. Abby would spend her time between church and the children’s home and David would make trips to the hardware and spend the rest of his time working with the men over at the church. She had noticed a number of the single sisters at church eyeing him with admiration and she had wanted to tell them that he was taken. She had chided herself into thinking that and had tried to avoid looking at him. He had gotten very tanned and more muscular because of all the outdoor work he was doing.

  He had taken her twice to the children’s home and had seen to the installation of a computer room, complete with a library stocked with books. Mrs. Hill could not finish expressing her thanks; he had waved it off and told her that it was the least he could do.

  It was approaching their fifth week and they still had not finished. The construction on the church although going steady was not going as fast as David would like and he had told her that he wanted to go home by the following week. He had promised his father one month and that had passed.

  Abby was not so eager to go home; she had grown attached to the people and had grown very close to the little girl Moira.

  “Let’s prepare popcorn and cans of soda and let’s watch a movie,” David suggested on Sunday afternoon. They had come from church earlier and had already eaten the delicious fare Mrs. Larkins had laid out for them and it had been raining steadily for the whole afternoon.

  “Pretend we are at the movies?” Abby asked him amused. He had not tried to kiss her ever since that afternoon at the stream and she had felt a little pang of disappointment. He had not told her that he was falling in love with her again.

  “Why not?” he shrugged. He had changed into sweat pants and an old T-shirt and he looked so handsome that she wanted to touch him. “The weather calls for it.” He went into the kitchen and put the popcorn into the microwave.

  “You choose the movie,” he told her coming back out with cans of soda and taking his seat beside her on the sofa. Abby was a little unnerved by his nearness but did not move over.

  “How about this one?” she asked him; clicking on a romantic comedy.

  He looked at it for a while and then said. “It has potential, so I guess yes.”

  They settled back to watch the movie and the smell of the buttery popcorn permeated the room. He went to get it and brought it back in a bowl along with napkins. He placed it on the table in front of the sofa and sat back down. Her eyes widened in surprise as he pulled her back against him so that she was resting against him.

  “Relax,” he murmured against her ear. “I am not going to bite.”

  Abby found herself relaxing against him and even opened her mouth obediently while he fed her the popcorn. She felt like it was the most natural thing in the world to be snuggled up against him and there was no sexual tension between them; they were two people enjoying a movie together.

  He tucked her head against his shoulder and Abby put her arm around his waist; a gentle smile on her lips. She was very contented and wanted to stay like this for a long time.

  The movie ended and they watched another one. He had stretched out full length on the sofa and she was half lying on top of him. When the second movie ended, he switched off the T.V. and Abby struggled to get up with the intention of going to her room. The rain was still falling but it had turned into a soft drizzle that was very relaxing.

  “Where are you going?” he murmured clamping his hand around her waist.

  “The movie has ended,” she told him foolishly; staying still.

  “I like you like this,” he told her softly. “I don’t want this to end, at least not yet.”

  “David we can’t do this remember?” she asked him; her head still on his shoulder and her hand on his chest.

  “We are not doing anything. We are just lying together. It’s perfectly innocent.” He said throatily.

  “We both know that’s not true,” Abby tried to be firm.

  He shifted so that she was lying beneath him. “Marry me,” he said huskily.

  “What?” Abby stared up at him in shock.

  “Marry me Abby,” he repeated urgently; his blue eyes intense.

  “You don’t know what you’re saying David,” Abby moved under him restlessly. “We barely know each other and I already told you my views on the topic.”

  “I want to show you that it can be different; we can be different,” he murmured. He had shocked himself with the proposal. He had never been serious enough with a woman to want to tie himself to one and he had often waved away his father’s comment about him settling down and getting married.

  “I can’t and I am sure that in the cold light of day you will realize what you are saying does not make any sense.” Abby told him.

  “I love you,” he whispered against her mouth. “I love you and I want you to marry me.”

  Her heart shuddered within her chest and she was speechless as she stared up at him. He bent his head and captured her lips with his. Abby welcomed his kiss, her mouth opening to take his in. Her arms went around his neck and she whispered his name; a tiny whisper more like a sigh and it tore through David’s heart. He kissed her gently; his mouth moving over hers with heartbreaking gentleness; showing her what he was trying to tell her. She had never felt this way before and the newness of the feeling left her feeling weak and vulnerable but she did not care. She gave in and buried her fingers into his thick dark hair, pulling his head closer to her. This time she did not stop him; this time she let her fears go and gave in to the experience of feeling his hungry mouth on hers.

  He stopped suddenly and rested his forehead against hers; his breathing ragged. “If I don’t stop now I won’t be able to,” he told her laughing ruefully.

  “I don’t want you to stop,” she heard herself say and he lifted his head and looked at her.

  “What are you saying?” he whispered.

  “I love kissing you,” she told him shyly.

  He burst out laughing. “Baby are you aware that kissing leads to something else?”

  Her heart tripped inside her at the endearment but then she realized that a sophisticated man like him probably called all the women he had been with ‘baby’.

  “I am not naïve,” she told him with a sniff.

  “I know you’re not but you have never made love before so I have to be the responsible one,” he told her with a sigh. “Marry me Abby and we can do
this all the time.”

  “You want us to get married so that we can have sex?” she looked at him incredulously.

  “I want us to get married because I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he told her patiently.

  She did not know what to say to him. All her firm resolves appear to be evaporating into thin air and she was having a hard time holding on to them.

  “I can’t marry you,” even to her own ears she did not sound convincing.

  “Why not?” he asked her.

  “Because I don’t want to get married.” She told him impatiently.

  “And why is that again?” his eyes boring into hers was making her feel uncomfortable.

  “Because marriages don’t work and you are a billionaire and I work at a church office.” She told him.

  “I see,” he said slowly. “So my money is an issue? What if I gave it all away?”

  Abby stared at him and then she shook her head. “Stop joking around David, I would never ask you to give all your money away.”

  “How can I prove to you that I am serious?” he persisted.

  “You can’t and I don’t care, I don’t want to get married.” She said stubbornly. “Marriage kills you and you end up hating each other and then you end up going through a messy divorce.”

  “Stop,” David said softly; brushing away some curls that had escaped on her forehead. “You know better than that. You are a child of God and you know that marriage can work. I love you Abby and I am going to show you how much. I am not giving up.”

  Abby stared at him wordlessly; her thoughts racing. He had brought her spirituality into play and she started wondering if she had told herself that so many times that it was embedded into her mind. “I can’t marry you,” she whispered.

  “So you say,” he told her mildly, as he bent his head to kiss her softly. “Go to bed Abby, I will see you in the morning.” He eased off her and stood up; heading towards the door to make sure it was locked.

  Abby went inside her room slowly and closed the door behind her; her legs shaking and her mind in a chaos.

  *****

  “You’re really getting the hang of this Sister Abby,” Sister Grant said with smile. They were having a big cookout at the church. It was a Friday evening and Abby had suggested it when they had met on Wednesday. David had confounded her by taking her out to dinner and having date nights at home where he cooked for her two evenings. He had not told her loved her again and wanted to marry her but he was bent on showing her that he was different.

  They were out in the yard where various vegetables and different meats were being cut up and Abby had volunteered to help with the vegetable. She was also helping cut up the goat meat into small pieces as was instructed and after almost slicing her fingers to bits she had finally learned to do it properly. She had dressed for the occasion in old jeans and an old pink T-shirt. “Thanks Sister Grant,” she said with a smile. They were standing around a long wooden table filled with uncooked food of all descriptions. Sister Larkins was stirring a huge pot on a wood fire and the smell coming from it was mouthwatering. She had told Abby it was soup made from the entrails of the goat they were about to cook. “It’s very delicious Sister Abby,” she had laughed as she saw the look of disgust on Abby’s face.

  Work had been suspended for the day and David had gone into town to pick up a package he was expecting.

  By the time it reached seven o’clock, the place was already filling up with people. Abby hurried home to shower and change and within half an hour she was back wearing a floral dress with spaghetti straps and strappy sandals. She had put up her heavy hair with a few tendrils on her cheek and had just put on rose colored lip gloss to highlight her full lips. David was still not home yet and she found herself searching for him as soon as she got back. He was not there and she felt a shaft of disappointment go through her.

  The crowd had grown significantly since she had left and Abby waved to the members and the ones from the community. The food was being shared on paper plates and there were sodas and fruit drinks available. The soup was a big hit and after being persuaded, she took a cup of the piping hot liquid. She was sitting on a wooden bench sipping the soup and enjoying it when he came over. “I heard you were very handy with the knife today,” he said in amusement as he took a seat beside her. He had two plates of food in his hands.

  Abby felt the quick rush of pleasure going through her and she had to force herself not to throw herself into his arms. “I did okay,” she smiled as she took the food from him.

  “Missed me?” he asked her softly.

  “David,” she warned him but it did not hold weight because she was laughing.

  “I missed you a whole lot and I almost left what I set out to do so that I could rush home to you.” He said seriously, his eyes holding hers in a mesmerizing stare.

  “David,” this time her voice was husky as she stared back at him, the food forgotten.

  “I want to kiss you,” he told her huskily. “But I have to control myself because I have to take it slow and it’s killing me. Marry me Abby,” he murmured.

  “David stop,” she whispered agonizingly, putting the food on the seat beside her.

  “I can’t” he told her.

  They stared at each other silently and it seemed like they were the only two people there. It was the sound of approaching footsteps that had them snapping out of it. It was Mrs. Hill from the children’s home and she had Moira with her.

  “Oh did I forget to mention,” he told her with a mischievous smile. “I picked them up on my way here.”

  The little girl ran into her arms and she held her tightly to her.

  The rest of the children were also there and there was music playing and before long the food had dwindled. There was the joyful sound of children running around and playing and there were groups of people talking and laughing. David was with the group of men who were working on the building and there were frequent bursts of laughter from them. He seemed to fit in with these simple people who worked for a living and with a sense of amusement she wondered what his corporate team would say if they saw him now. She had not gotten a chance to react to what he had said to her earlier and she still did not want to think about it. He was delusional and it was because he was so far away from all his luxuries that he was used to and she would be a fool to think otherwise.

  The party broke up at ten o’clock and Abby insisted on helping with the cleaning up. David had gone with Deacon Williams and several others to take back the children and staff of the children’s home.

  She walked home after she had finished and had just closed the door behind her when she heard the car pull up.

  She went to open the door and waited until he had locked the door and came in. “I thought you would have waited until I got back to take you home.” He closed and locked the door behind him before pulling her into his arms. “It’s too late for you to be walking home by yourself.” He chided softly.

  “I wanted to walk. Sister Grant’s husband offered to walk with me but I told him no,” she told him; her heart tripping at his concern.

  “Had a good time?” he asked her softly.

  She nodded yes; her voice backing up inside her throat as he looked at her. “Stop looking at me like that,” she whispered.

  “Like what?” he asked her huskily.

  “Like, I don’t know!” she cried, placing her hands on his chest. “You’re confusing me David. You’re making me have feelings for you. I was fine before you start telling me all those things. I had made up my mind about things and now I just don’t know.”

  “I am not here to confuse you Abby,” he told her. “I am in love with you and I can’t help it.”

  “We are here in this place and you probably feel something because you are out of your comfort zone.” Abby was almost pleading with him.

  “Don’t insult my intelligence Abby,” he told her forcefully. “I know what I feel and you’ll just have to deal with it.” He kissed
her hard on the mouth and then let her go; going towards his room. “It will work out, you’ll see.” He told her before continuing on his way.

  Abby went into her room and sank down on her bed. She felt everything she had ever thought she held firm crumbling around her.

  She had made up her mind since she had been a teenager. She had witnessed firsthand what a failed marriage did to a person.

  She remembered hiding in her room with the covers over her head as she heard yet another heated argument between her parents. Her mother’s voice rose as she shrieked insults at her gentle easygoing father and he had stood there and took it. He never fought back and she remembered one night when her mother had gone out and she had asked her father: “Dad, do you love Mom?” they had been in the living room eating pizza because mom had left without cooking yet again.

  “Your mother is kind of frustrated my love,” he had told her with a sad smile. “She had wanted to be so much and do so much with her life and it did not quite turn out that way.”

  “She had not wanted to get married and have kids?” she had asked him.

  “She really loves us my dear, it’s just that she wanted to do so much more with her life.”

  Abby had listened at the door later that night when her mother still had not returned home and heard him sobbing. Her big strong father crying his heart out. A few days after that he had left without even saying goodbye to her; leaving her there to deal with the bitterness and anger that erupted from her mother. It had taken her a long time to forgive him and she was still trying to deal with the way she felt about her mother. She had spoken to Pastor David and his wife who had rescued her and had shown her that she was loved. They had taken her under their wings and she had found somewhere to go to and when she was old enough they had offered her a job at the church office and a place to live where she could get away from her home situation.

  With a sigh she reached for her phone and even though it was late she dialed the number. He answered on the first ring. “My dear girl is everything okay?” there was concern in his voice.

  “Everything is fine Pastor David,” she told him hastily. “I am sorry to call you so late.”