by Katie Dowe
Abby could not eat anything else. Her flesh was heated up and she was still shivering from his mouth on hers. What on earth was happening to her and why was she starting to believe what he had just told her? Taking a deep breath she did her best to finish the meal.
*****
“I cannot stay,” Abby said stubbornly as she tried to ease out from under him.
“Give me a very good reason.” He had made love to her slowly but it had turned into a rough and tumble moment that had him pounding into her.
“I did not tell Jenny that I am staying out.”
“And she is going to ban you from the apartment?” he teased as he kissed her cheek and went down to her neck. It was after nine and if she did not leave now she was going to get home at some minutes to eleven and she had work tomorrow.
“Edward, please!” She arched her body up to his as his fingers found her pubic area.
“Stay,” he whispered as moved over her.
“No,” she moaned as he put his erection inside her. “Edward.” Her arms went around his neck.
“I will make sure you leave early in the morning.”
And she stayed.
*****
She did not see him at first. She had left Edward’s place very early in the morning in spite of him delaying her in the shower and had almost exceed the speed limits to get to her place in order for her to get ready to go to work. She had gotten there at a quarter past seven and was just turning away from her car when she saw him in front of her. “I don’t have time for this now, Trevor. I am running late for work.” She made to pass him but he held her.
“So, who is he, Abby?” His voice was soft and sinister as he looked down at her.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. Let go of me before I start screaming,” she threatened. The hour was early enough and the tenants had not started coming out yet. She had not gotten her usual parking spot and had had to go around the corner out of view of the security guard on duty.
“You whoring bitch,” he snarled as he pulled her up to him. “You give it up for someone else but not me.”
“You are not worth it. Now let go of me.”
She did not see the knife before it was too late and had no time to scream as he plunged it into her left shoulder perilously close to her heart. He stared at her as she slumped to the ground and dropping the weapon he ran to his car and drove away.
It was a tenant on her way to her car who found her ten minutes later and called an ambulance. She also informed the guard and asked him to let her roommate know what had happened!
*****
“Monique, sorry to bother you, but I have been calling Abby and she is not picking up. May I speak with her please?”
There was a brief pause and then she responded, “We are at the hospital right now, Edward. Abby was stabbed and they are operating on her.”
“When did this happen?” he demanded.
“At about seven thirty this morning right in her parking lot.”
When she had left his place! He felt the guilt tear at him! “I will be right there!” he said tersely and hung up.
“That was Edward,” she told her husband unnecessarily. “He is on his way here. I wonder why?”
“I guess we will find out soon.”
He got there half an hour later and strode into the waiting area, his expression haggard. “What’s the word?”
“She is still in surgery.” Lorenzo looked at him closely. “Her roommate said she did not sleep there last night.”
“She was with me,” he said tersely, his eyes meeting Lorenzo’s without flinching.
“Oh.” Monique stared at the usually reserved man and saw the pain there.
“Who is the doctor in charge?”
“Edward, calm down, they are doing their very best and I made sure they have the best,” Lorenzo assured him.
“They know who did this?” he asked coldly.
“Her roommate was saying something about an old boyfriend.” Before Lorenzo could finish the sentence, Edward left and went to the girl who was sitting her hands clasped before her. “Are you Jenny?” he asked as she looked up at him and her eyes widened.
“Yes, sir!” She jumped to her feet. Even though she had been suffering from shock and fear for her friend’s life she had been bowled over by meeting Lorenzo and his wife Monique and now Edward Moore!
“Lorenzo said you have an idea who did it?”
“His name is Tyrone Lakes and he has been stalking Abby ever since she stopped going out with him,” she said nervously as she stared at the Edward.
“Have you told that to the police?”
She nodded swiftly.
“Good.” He looked at her for a moment and then turned to leave. “I will let you know when she comes out of surgery.”
Jenny stared after him and her eyes widened at the implication. He was in love with Abby!
Chapter 8
Abby felt as if she was coming out of a very painful nightmare where her left shoulder felt as stiff and as painful as if someone had taken a plank to it. A moan escaped her lips as she tried to move and she felt rather than saw someone came over her. “Abby?” his unmistakable deep voice whispered and her eyes fluttered open.
“Edward?”
“Hey, baby.” He felt the joy whipping through him as she opened her eyes. The doctors had told him that she had lost a lot of blood and if the knife had gone just an inch closer she would not have made it. He had felt the helpless rage going through him at that and was determined to find the bastard who did this to her!
“What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I have been here since yesterday.” He pulled up a chair and removed the tangle of hair from her face. “You had me scared.”
“Yesterday?” Her brow knitted as she tried to remember. “I was stabbed.”
“Yes, and the police want to know who did it and so do I.”
“It was Tyrone.” She eased up and winced.
“Don’t move.” He held her still. “Your roommate already told them that and they have picked him up for questioning.”
“I was just going inside when he grabbed me,” she whispered.
“And that will be the last time he gets to put his hands on you.” Edward’s voice was steely and caused Abby to tremble a little. “Lorenzo and Monique will be back here this afternoon. They were here when I got here yesterday.”
“How did you know?”
“I called Monique when I could not get you.” He saw the look on her beautiful face and interpreted it correctly. “I told them.”
“You should not have,” she muttered.
“I think they would have picked up on it, Abby,” he told her dryly. “I was almost out of my mind when I got here and I don’t give a damn who knows. You are my woman and very soon you are going to be my wife. I am done skipping around the issue now.”
She stared at him for a moment before looking away. “Stop trying to force my hand.”
“If that’s what it takes.” He got to his feet. “I will tell the doctors you are awake and tell your roommate. I will be back shortly.” He stopped when he got to the door. “I almost lost you, Abby, and I am not running the risk of that happening again.”
*****
“You and Edward? You could have told me,” Jenny said a little accusingly as she sat on the chair next to the bed. It was late afternoon and the doctors had told her that she might be able to go home tomorrow.
“There was nothing to tell.” Abby sighed. “It happened so fast and he kept telling me that he is in love with me and we are getting married in December-“
“Wait, back the hell up!” Jenny stared at her friend. “He loves you and wants to get married?”
“Unbelievable, isn’t it?” Abby said with a rueful laugh. “I have been trying to tell him that we are not suited but he is not listening.”
“Oh my word, honey!” Jenny stared at her friend in amazement. “I saw it when he came over and as
ked me who did it and I saw the determination on his face that said he was going to find the person. That man is crazy about you!”
“Crazy is more like it,” she muttered. “This is not real, Jenny! I am a poor girl from the other side of town and I work for a living. I am big and black and the total opposite of what he needs. I am never going to fit in.”
“You will fit in. I am certain of that.”
“He is Edward Moore.”
“And you are Abby Johnson, the girl who clawed her way through college and survived her mother’s death and still manage to get a job at Romano’s. Stop putting yourself down.”
“I am being realistic.”
*****
“Aren’t you going to ask me about it?”
Monique was sitting on the chair Jenny had recently deserted. It was getting towards seven in the night and Edward had gone home to change and come back to be with her. The police had been in to take her statement and Edward had hurried them away when he saw that she was wilting. She was starting to be very happy that he was there.
“About the fact that you had spent the night with Edward or that you had a boyfriend who has a violent streak?” The coolly beautiful woman looked at her with arched brows.
“The part about Edward,” she admitted pulling at her hospital gown. Edward had made it clear that they were more than involved by the way he hovered over her protectively.
“It’s none of my business,” Monique said airily.
“He is a client and I should not have-“
“I am never one to stand in the way of true love. darling,” Monique said airily as she stared at the woman on the bed.
“He does not know what he is talking about.” she muttered.
“The smartest financial brain in the free world does not know what he is talking about. I am not convinced,” Monique said tongue in cheek.
Abby looked at her and then laughed. “He wants us to get married by the first week of December which is a week away. He is not thinking straight.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Abby shrugged and looked at the stuffed toys on the table that the staff at Romano’s and the oversized one that Edward had brought her. “When I am with him I cannot think of anything else and I feel as if I am being swept away by a very powerful hurricane,” she admitted.
“It sounds like love to me,” Monique said with a pleased smile on her face. “Welcome to wonderful.”
*****
“Edward, I am not going home with you.” It was the morning of the day she was supposed to be leaving. The doctors had checked her out and said she was good to go but she needed to take it easy for the next two weeks.
“I am taking you to my place, Abby, whether you like it or not.” He had picked up her bag and took the handles of the wheelchair from the nurse with a nod of thanks. “I already told your roommate the deal and she said okay.” He came around and stooped in front of her. “Look, I know I am behaving kind of bossy and in control-“
“You think?” she asked him dryly.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you starting since the moment I saw you and I have no intention of letting you out of my sight until you say yes. I want to marry you next week-“
“It is too soon!”
“I know and both Leesa and Monique agree with you. So I have given them two weeks to plan the wedding. My parents are coming over the weekend to meet you and by the two weeks you would have healed sufficiently to walk up the aisle. How is that?” His grey eyes were gentle as he stared up at her.
“Edward, what are you doing?” she whispered.
“I am trying to take care of the woman I love,” he told her softly. “I want to marry you and have children with you.” He took her hands in his. “You won’t have to do anything but let me take care of you.”
“I suppose that anything I say to you to the contrary will only go through one ear and out the other right?” she asked him resignedly.
“You are starting to know me so well.” He got to his feet and leaned over to kiss her. “The housekeeper will be there until I get home in the evenings to make sure you rest and eat,” he said as he pushed her out of the hospital room.
“You have thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“I have.” He brushed her hair from her neck gently. “When it comes to you.”
*****
“Lisa, transfer all my calls to my cell phone. I won’t be coming in for the rest of the day,” Edward said as he sat in the sofa in front of his bed. Abby was propped up on pillows and was drifting off to sleep. There was a foolish smile on his face as he looked at the woman he adored. “Abby still has some pain in her chest so I don’t want her to get up. She is stubborn and she will try and leave the bed so I am staying put.”
“You could have told me that the woman you are in love with is Abby the one who made you over,” Lisa complained.
“She is a bit skittish so I did not want to scare her by revealing her name even to you.”
“So how is she?”
“She is recovering. That son of a bitch almost killed her. The police have him in custody but I just want to go and rip his heart out!”
“Let the justice system deal with it.,” Lisa said firmly. “You have your whole life ahead of you. Take care of her.”
“I will. I am going to dedicate my life taking care of her and loving her.”
“I am happy for you, Edward.”
“Thanks, Lisa.”
Abby had pretended to be asleep the entire time. She trembled slightly at his words, her heart blossoming. How could he love her like that, she wondered. She watched from beneath her lashes as he made some notes on the laptop he was using. He would look over at her every now and then to see whether or not she was okay and would go back to work. This was Edward Moore, the billionaire banker, who had left his important duties to attend to her. This amazing man had told her that he adored her and he was the one who had spent the time to take her to the moon by his touch!
She was so confused that she had no idea how to feel about everything!
*****
“I am afraid that I am not allowed to send work to you, Abby. I have been warned,” Monique told her wryly.
“Warned by-“ She began and then stopped. “Edward.”
“All of our accounts are held by his banks and he has threatened to double up on our interest rates if I send so much as an email to you while you are recovering.”
“He does not listen to a word I say when it comes to what he wants.” Abby sighed as she sat up on the pillows. It had been three days since she had been out of the hospital and ensconced in Edward’s house. He did not allow her to lift a finger and instructed his housekeeper to wait hand and foot on her. “I am not used to this, Monique, and I don’t know how to deal with it.”
“You are going to have to. That man is in love with you and he has the means necessary to do anything for you.” She paused. “How about I sneak you some pics on your phone and you tell me what you think?”
“I would like that.”
“I do agree with him though, darling. You were stabbed and you need to rest. I can relate. I was shot and Lorenzo almost went out of his mind. He forbade me to come back to the office and I had to persuade him.”
“I read about it. I have a call coming in and I am sure it is Edward.”
“I will shoot the pictures to you in a minute, but if Edward finds out I will deny every word,” she warned.
“I would expect nothing less,” Abby said with a laugh as she switched to the person on the next line.
“Hey,” his deep voice sounded in her ear and caused her to shiver. He slept in the bed with her and held her close when they slept and she had become used to it.
“Hi.” He made her feel shy.
“I was thinking that we should go to the function on Friday at Ryan’s hotel uptown. Mother and Dad are coming over Saturday afternoon so we will be spending some time with them.”
“Edwa
rd, I am not sure-“
“When I come home later you can ask me whatever questions you need answers for. I am not spending Christmas without you, Abby.”
“How about an engagement and then the wedding sometime after like say a year to see if you still want to be with me?” she suggested.
There was silence at the other end and she opened her mouth to apologize but he spoke. “I love you and I know that from the bottom of my heart that I love you in a way that I will never love another human being.” His intense voice caused shivers to spread over her. “I have been looking for you all my life and every day with you the love grows stronger. I want you in my life in the worst way and if somehow you do not want me then I would try and back away and let you go but then it would be the end of me. I do not want to live without you and I want you to know that.”
This time it was she who was silent. Her breath caught in her throat and she had to blink back tears. “You don’t know anything about me,” she whispered huskily. “I come from very humble roots and your parents and the people in your society are not going to accept me.”
“My parents are smart enough and love me too much to think about frivolities of color and funds or lack thereof,” he told her in a slightly impatient tone. “And if you think that I give a damn what people think of me then you must get to really know me. Let them try and say you don’t belong to me and they answer to me. Yours is the only opinion that means anything to me and I am asking you to say yes. Save my sanity and my life by becoming my wife, Abby.”
“Edward.” She was trembling and did not stop the tears from running down her cheeks. “Oh Edward,” she whispered.
“Baby, tell me that you are crying tears of joy. I never want to see you unhappy,” he told her huskily. He had a management meeting that was very important or else he would just call it a day and go home to be with her.
“It is.”
“I love you,” he said before hanging up.
Abby eased off the bed carefully. It still hurt if she moved suddenly but the pain was not as blinding as before. Her feet touched the carpeted floor and dug into the richness of it. She walked over to the large bay window and looked out, her eyes foggy with tears. It was fall and the leaves were swirling to the glossy greenness of the grass making a mockery of what the gardeners had cleaned up not too long ago. She had taken a walk with him around the huge grounds and had admired the lushness of the flowers and the towering palm trees. The pool had been covered up because of the frigid weather. There was a tennis court around the back where he told her that they would play when she was better even if it was cold. She had told him that she did not play and he had taken her hand and said he was going to enjoy teaching her. He had said she could redecorate and what she thought about getting a couple of dogs? He wanted to give her everything and that was not something she was not used to! She was used to fighting for what she needed to achieve and she enjoyed doing so. Now this absolutely amazing man was telling her that he wanted to take away every single care from her and make her life easier. She gripped the heavy damask drapery that matched the comforter on the huge king sized bed. Jenny had told her that she could not believe that she was so lucky to get a man like Edward who adored her so much! She did not believe in perfect, nothing on this earth was perfect and she was not stupid enough to believe in it. She was a size sixteen black woman and he was Edward Moore, white and incredibly wealthy! She had looked him up on line and had been staggered by how rich he was. He was a billionaire with banks all over the world! He came from generations of money! He was what they would call blue blood, old money and he had been born with a gold spoon in his mouth. She did not own anything! Her parents’ home had been sold to bury her mother and the life insurance had all but finished. She lived from paycheck to paycheck and had been fine with it. One day she told herself that she would buy herself a little apartment and plant tomatoes and collard greens on the little balcony and maybe a rose bush or two. Edward’s place was huge, so much so that the housekeeper had a woman who came in three times a day to do the dusting and cleaning. She turned around at the discreet knock on the door. “Miss Abby, you are awake?” The woman whose name was Florence beamed at her. She was a white woman with creased face and gentle blue eyes and had been working for the Moore’s since she was in her twenties. She had told Abby that she had no intention of leaving. “How about some snacks?”