by Claire Pike
When Merek finished tending to the wound, he took her hand in his, giving it an affectionate squeeze. “There now. You’re okay.”
“No.”
“No?” Merek frowned at her.
Abby shook her head. “No, I’m not okay. I’ve been practically kidnapped by a man I hardly know, and I just almost got killed by a psychopath. A psychopath who is your fiancée, in case you forgot about that part.” She left out the part about what she thought she’d seen in Caroline’s face. She didn’t want Merek to think she was going crazy. She didn’t want to let herself think she was going crazy.
Merek hung his head. He stroked the back of her hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. “You don’t need to worry about Caroline anymore. I’ve broken off the engagement.”
“Really?” Abby asked, her tone filled with incredulity. “Because she sure seemed to think it was still on.”
“Well,” Merek said, hesitating, “I spoke to her father. I suppose I still need to talk to her about it…”
“You think?” Abby frowned at him, shaking her head.
Merek was silent for a long moment. In the silence, Abby slowly gathered her thoughts. Finally, she asked, “Merek, what’s going on? I feel like a prisoner here, and I know there’s something you’re not telling me. Nothing about this situation is normal. What was wrong with Caroline? She didn’t seem…normal.” Maybe if she kept the questions vague, she figured, Merek wouldn’t look at her like she was insane.
Merek took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Well,” he said, “I suppose under the circumstances, you should know—”
He was cut off when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, frowning at the screen. He sighed. “One moment.”
“No, sure, go ahead,” Abby said in a sarcastic tone. “I’ll just sit here with my skin torn open. Don’t worry about me.”
Merek ignored her sarcasm. He stepped out of the room, speaking softly into the phone. Abby waited a minute and then followed him out into the living room.
The room was a complete mess. The leather sofa was cut up, and the cuts looked just like the scratch on Abby’s side. Like claw marks. The glass-topped coffee table had been shattered. Some of the furniture had been knocked over. Hank lay on the tattered sofa, his clothes torn up, holding an ice pack to his head. And several of Abby’s boxes had been smashed open, her clothes and possessions scattered around the room.
She grumbled and went around the room, picking up her things while being careful not to step on any broken glass. She was still cleaning up when Merek hung up the phone, walking past her and heading for the door.
“You’re leaving?” Abby asked.
He paused at the door. “I need to deal with this Caroline situation. I’ll be back.”
“And just what am I supposed to do?” Abby threw her armful of clothes down on the floor, planting her fists on her hips.
“Your only job is to care for my heir,” Merek said, nodding toward her baby bump.
Abby crossed her arms and glared at him.
Merek sighed. “Fine. Call your friend. What’s her name…Roxie.”
“Rosie,” Abby said.
“Whatever. Call her up. Have a girl’s night if that will make you happy.”
“What about this mess?” Abby gestured to the trashed living room.
Merek shrugged. “The help will clean it up. You and your friend can sit out on the patio. It’s a lovely day outside.”
He headed outside without another word. Abby stared at the door after he’d left. Merek didn’t make any sense to her. He went from tender and caring to cold and heartless on a moment’s notice. Sometimes she thought he actually cared about her, but other times it seemed all he cared about was making sure the baby was safe. And while she was glad he wanted to take care of the baby, it hurt to know that her own needs were apparently not important to him.
She headed out to the balcony patio. It was larger than her entire old apartment had been, with room for a hot tub, some lounge chairs, and a table topped with an umbrella for shade. She lounged in one of the chairs, calling the chef over to make her something to eat and to bring her a homemade fruit smoothie. She just wished she could have had him put some alcohol in it. She really needed a drink after the days she’d had.
She called up Rosie, and then while waiting for her friend to arrive, she stared out over the city. Looking out over the city from so high up reminded her just how much her world had changed. She just wasn’t sure if it had changed for the better.
Chapter Eleven
About an hour after Merek left, Abby was still lounging out on the patio. The doorbell rang, and the housekeeper let Rosie into the apartment. The worst of the mess had been cleaned up by then, but the shredded leather sofa was still an ugly mess in the center of the room, and the damage to the walls was quite noticeable. As Rosie walked across the living room toward the patio, she looked around at the mess, frowning. When she stepped out onto the patio, she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the living room and asked, “What the hell happened in there? It looks like a wild animal got loose.”
“Close,” Abby said. “Merek’s fiancée.”
“Oooooh.” Rosie took a seat on one of the lounge chairs, and one of Merek’s staff brought her a freshly made fruit smoothie. She settled into the chair, took a sip of the smoothie, and then sat there waiting for Abby to say something.
“So,” Abby said.
“So.” Rosie propped her chin in her hand, an expectant look on her face.
“So I’m living with Merek.”
“I noticed,” Rosie said. “You should hear all the rumors flying around. Word is Merek bought out the hotel you’re working at. That’s crazy, huh?”
“Crazy is an understatement. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I feel like my whole world’s been turned upside down.”
“Tell me about it,” Rosie said. “Seriously, I’m all ears.”
Abby spent the next hour telling Rosie everything that had happened, from finding out that Merek had bought the hotel she was working at to Merek pressuring her into moving in with him and the encounter with Caroline earlier that day. She left out the parts that would make her sound really crazy—the way Caroline had seemed almost like an animal and the mysterious claw marks that Abby still couldn’t explain. But even without those parts, the story was still completely insane. By the end, Rosie was sitting there, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Girl,” Rosie said, “you need to ditch this crazy guy. I know he’s rich and all, but this is a really messed up situation.”
Abby stared into her drink, toying with the straw. “I know. But he’s taking care of all my expenses. He took me to this really good doctor, and he said he’s going to provide the baby with everything it needs. I can’t afford to do all that on my own. Even if I got my old job back, I was still struggling.”
“So get him to pay you child support,” Rosie said. “You can live a totally comfortable life on his dime. You don’t need to live here with him and deal with his crazy ex. God, what if that woman comes back here again? She could have seriously hurt you.”
“I don’t know,” Abby said. “I just…I feel like there’s something more going on here. This isn’t just a jealous ex who’s mad that her fiancé got another woman pregnant.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure.” Abby leaned back in the chair, looking out over the city below. “It’s a bunch of little things that I can’t explain. The way Merek acts. The things he says. Like, he doesn’t call the baby his child. He says it’s his ‘heir.’ And he keeps calling me his ‘mate.’”
“‘Mate’?” Rosie frowned, shaking her head. “Is he Australian or something?”
Abby laughed. “No, not as far as I know. Maybe it’s a cultural thing or something. But I feel like he doesn’t look at marriage the way most people do. With Caroline, the way he talks about it, I feel like it was just a business arrangement. But with me…” She trailed off, not really sure
how to describe it. But she knew that the way Merek looked at her wasn’t the normal way a man looked at a woman. She just wasn’t sure what to think about Merek’s strange behavior.
Abby needed to get her mind off of her problems, so she asked about Rosie’s life and how she was doing. It was refreshing to hear some normal stories from a normal life again.
They spent the next couple of hours chatting about more normal topics, from the latest political news to the latest gossip among Rosie’s coworkers at the hotel and the horrible blind date Rosie had gone on a week ago. Once the conversation had moved away from the complicated topics of Abby’s new and strange life, she felt almost normal again. Though there were still little reminders that her situation right now was anything but normal, such as when one of Merek’s staff members came out to refill their drinks and offer to cook dinner.
Merek didn’t return home until after dinner. By then, the night had cooled off, and Abby and Rosie had moved inside. There was already a brand new sofa in the living room. It seemed that for someone as rich as Merek, throwing money around really did get things done. Rosie and Abby were settling in on the new sofa when Merek walked through the door, wearing an irritated look and with a stern set to his shoulders.
He looked over at Abby and Rosie as if surprised to find them there. Abby looked up at him, not sure what to say. Eventually she decided to treat it like he was her boyfriend coming home from a bad day at work. “Hey there,” she said. “Long day?”
Merek grunted in reply. He headed for the kitchen, returning a moment later with a glass of scotch.
“Maybe I should get going,” Rosie said, getting up from the sofa. She flashed Merek a forced smile. “It was nice, uhh, ‘meeting’ you, I guess.” She flashed Abby a sympathetic smile and said, “Call me.”
“Take care,” Abby said.
Once Rosie had left, and she once again found herself alone with Merek, Abby tried to think of what she should do or say. He didn’t seem to want to talk about the situation with Caroline or everything that had happened that day. And she wasn’t sure how to have a normal conversation with him.
Finally, Merek broke the silence. “I’m glad to see you and your friend had a nice time.”
“We did,” Abby said. “Maybe the three of us should have dinner together sometime. You know, you could get to know my friends. Maybe one day I’ll even introduce you to my mother.”
Merek’s face went blank at that, and Abby couldn’t help but laugh. She waved a hand at him. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll spare you the ‘meet the parents’ part of this. My dad passed away, and I’m not really speaking to my mother these days.”
“Ahh.” Merek nodded and then looked away, sipping his scotch.
Abby watched him for a moment and then she sighed. It really was impossible to get him to open up. She thought back to the first day she’d met him. He’d opened up a bit that night. What had been different?
Merek seemed to pick up on her unease. He studied her for a long moment. Then he set his drink down and held his hand out to her.
She took his hand and let him help her up. “Are we going somewhere?” she asked.
“Yes.” He led her to the door.
“Where?”
“You’ll see.” He took her to the elevator and then up to the top floor of the building. From there he led her down a short hallway and through a door to a stairwell that opened out onto the roof.
Abby stepped out onto the roof, expecting to see concrete, air conditioning units, and maybe a pigeon coop. Instead she saw a thriving garden, filled with flowers and trees. Once she took a few steps forward, she felt like she was completely enveloped in a flourishing forest. Birds sang in the trees, and a few butterflies flitted by. It seemed impossible, finding a stunning piece of nature at the top of a high-rise building in the city, but there it was, proving once again that when you had enough money, anything really was possible.
She walked through the garden, kicking off her shoes and savoring the feel of the grass and soil beneath her feet. She ran her fingers along the leaves that hung overhead, watching the way the wind rustled the tree branches. The illusion of being in the wilderness was only slightly shattered when she caught a glimpse of the city’s skyline through the trees, but near the center of the garden, she felt like she was completely isolated. It was one of the most peaceful feelings she could ever remember.
In the center of the garden she found a pond, built so seamlessly that it almost looked like a natural body of water, instead of a pool on an apartment rooftop. She sat down on the grass that ran right up to the edge of the pond and dipped her feet into the water. A dozen large fish swam about just beneath her feet. It was about as idyllic a scene as Abby could ever have imagined, and it was the most at peace she’d felt since the whole strange situation with Merek had started.
Merek lingered a few paces back, leaning against a tree. He seemed to be giving her some privacy. Either that, she figured, or he was just shy. She glanced back at him and nodded for him to join her. He walked over and crouched by the pond, pulling a few stray blades of grass from the ground and tossing them into the water.
“I had no idea something like this was up here,” Abby said.
Merek looked around. He seemed more relaxed than she had seen him all week. “This is my sanctuary. It’s where I get back in touch with my more…primal nature.”
Abby frowned a bit at the word “primal,” but she supposed it was fitting. “I suppose living in the city all the time, you don’t get many opportunities to get in touch with nature.”
“Not as often as I’d like,” Merek said. He sat down, crossing his legs. The more time they spent in the garden, the more the tension seemed to be fading from him. She was starting to see a glimpse of the vulnerable man she’d met that first night on the balcony.
Abby watched the water ripple with the passing breeze. She ran her fingers through the grass, keeping her head down. She almost didn’t want to ask the question that came to mind next, but she felt like she had no choice.
“So, when are you going to talk to me about Caroline?”
Merek didn’t answer at first. He stared out at the trees, breathing slowly and communing with the little pocket of nature around them. “There are some details I can’t share,” he said. “It’s complicated, and you’ll simply have to trust me on that. But suffice to say, I’ve ended it with her completely, and she won’t be returning.”
“How can you be sure?”
He shrugged. “Because we have no business together anymore. I have a final meeting with her clan next week, but she won’t be there. That will be the end of it.”
Abby frowned, wondering once again at the strange way Merek spoke. Caroline had a “clan”? It sounded so archaic, and yet somehow, it seemed to fit in with the other unexplained mysteries of Merek Armstrong.
“As long as she doesn’t come back,” Abby said, placing a hand protectively over her belly. “I was so scared.”
“Don’t worry. I’m having the locks changed, and security in the lobby have been instructed not to let her into the building. She won’t get anywhere near you.”
Abby nodded and then looked away. This still didn’t explain the mystery of who Caroline really was, or what her strange relationship with Merek was all about. But he seemed determined not to discuss it, so she decided to let it drop. For now, at least.
She felt a sharp twinge in her belly. “Ooh. Damn, I think she’s kicking.”
Merek’s head shot up, his eyes suddenly alight with interest. “Really?”
Abby nodded, a warm smile on her face. “Here, see?”
She took his hand and placed it on her belly, under her shirt. She held it there for a long moment until she felt another kick. “Feel that?”
“No.” Merek frowned in disappointment.
Abby moved his hand, centering it over where she’d felt the kicks. “Hold on. Give her a minute.”
A minute later, Abby felt another kick. In the same moment, Mere
k’s head shot up. “You felt that?” she asked.
He nodded.
“That’s your baby,” Abby said.
A small smile touched Merek’s lips. He took her hand, his fingers intertwined with hers.
Looking at him in that moment, Abby felt, for the first time, a surge of the same warmth and attraction that she had felt for him on their first night together. She was starting to understand him, now. He had so many barriers up, so many walls to protect his emotions. It was hard to break through those and find the real man inside. But once he started to let go, there was a warmth and affection there that she had been missing for a long time.
She leaned over, her lips seeking his. He hesitated at first, looking at her like she was a fragile flower that he was afraid of breaking. But she pressed forward, touching her lips to his. His entire body seemed to tense at her touch, and he let out a soft moan against her lips.
She shifted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. He held her gently, his hands touching her waist, his fingers tracing gentle caresses along her sides. The touch of his warm fingers against her skin sent shivers through her, and she felt goosebumps forming on her flesh. It felt good to be touched again, after so long without contact. She needed this. She wanted it.
Merek laid her down on the soft grass, lying next to her, their bodies pressed tightly together. She felt his hands start to roam, and she whimpered in response. His hand started to slide up her shirt, and she lifted her shirt to give him easier access. Encouraged by her response, Merek touched her eagerly, his large hands squeezing her small breasts and teasing her tender nipples.
He pulled off her shirt and bra, tossing them aside, and then he knelt next to her, undoing his pants. The gentleness in his eyes had been replaced with eagerness and lust, and when he pulled his pants down, Abby saw that he was hard and ready. She looked up at him with lust-filled eyes, eager to please him. He slid a hand into her hair and pulled her forward, and she didn’t resist. She opened her mouth and took him in, her tongue caressing his hard, hot flesh.