Page 14 of Abigail
Abigail wants to snark something back at him about how she doesn’t need an escort, but he looks so sincere she doesn’t have the heart. Besides she’s been on the receiving end of such an asshole more times than she can count over the last year. Robert’s absolutely right that an asshole will think twice before being rude or running her over if she’s in the company of a man, especially one that radiates the badassness of Robert.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you,” Abigail says softly giving him a smile. He nods at her and, keeping his hand on her elbow leads her back to the desk. True to his word, Robert’s large body seems to part the crowd as the make their way through the lobby. When she moves behind the counter, he follows her. She looks back over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow in askance. Only employees are to be behind the counter.
“I am going to have that talk with Brent.” When she begins to protest, Straw places a finger over her lips effectively shushing her. “It will be fine, sweetheart. No need for you to worry.” Abigail sighs in defeat and continues into the back office to put her purse away. As soon as Brent sees her enter the office he rises to his feet with a grimace on his face. Before he can get a word out, Robert is there in his face. Brent pales, a slight sweat breaking out on his face.
“Go on out front, Abigail. Brent and I are going to have a littlechat,” Robert says in a low menacing voice. Abigail hesitates. She doesn’t need any more hassle, but the look on Robert’s face is enough for her to silence her protest. He looks positively livid and even she doesn’t want to tangle with him at the moment. Not even to save her job. So she leaves the men alone. About fifteen minutes later, Robert comes out from the back office. He is calm as he comes up behind her. She startles when she feels his warm hands on her waist and his hot body behind her. He doesn’t press himself into her, but he might as well have been the way her body responds to his nearness. She can feel the heat of his body close to hers, and it’s an overwhelming sensation. Images of naked flesh, sounds of warm bodies coming together in carnal activities flash though her mind, causing her pulse to quicken and breaths to come shallow and quick.
“Will I see you tonight, or did we scare you off at lunch?” Straw chuckles as her body is racked with tremors of desire. Abigail turns to face him. He doesn’t drop his hands, keeping them on her waist, which makes thinking all the more difficult. She instinctively places her hands on his biceps. “No, Robert, your friends didn’t scare me off. I actually had a good time. Everyone is so nice. Is it always like that with y’all?” Her southern upbringing coming out in her lust frazzled state.
Robert frowns at her. “Always like what? Loud, everyone talking at the same time?” he asks with a grin. “Because the answer is yes, actually the group was pretty tame today compared to most of our gatherings. I think they were on their best behavior since we had a guest.” Abi just shakes her head.
“Robert…” She complains, “I’m being serious. I mean everyone getting along so well. Your friends seem so nice. I haven’t ever seen a group of people get along so well together.”
“We are nice, sweetheart, and yes, we all mostly get along all the time. I don’t like it that you haven’t experienced a group of friends like that before,” Robert murmurs. Abigail looks up at him in wonder. His gaze so intense. Where did this man come from? Is he an alien? He can’t be for real. The moment feels so intimate as if they are the only two people in the world, not standing in a busy hotel lobby. Suddenly uncomfortable with the closeness of his body to hers, she takes a step back and bumps into the counter behind her. Now she is pinned between his hot body and the counter with nowhere to run, no escape.
Straw takes another step forward staying in her space without letting their bodies touch. Abigail sucks in a ragged breath as her mind wonders what it would feel like if he suddenly spun her around, shoved up her skirt, and took her hard and fast from behind while she steadied herself against the counter. Her panties are dripping wet at the thought. Her breathing has increased even more, and she notices his eyes have drifted to her chest and the fast movement. She tries to look at anything other than his penetrating gaze. He places his right hand under her chin and forces her to make eye contact with him. When their eyes meet, she feels the intense connection.
“I’ll see you at eight, then?” Robert’s voice rumbles across her making her aroused state even worse if that’s possible. She’s never in her life been so aroused. Certainly not by someone she hardly knows.
“Y-yes. We’ll…we’ll be here,” Abigail stutters. It’s a miracle she can talk at all under the circumstances. Her mouth is dry. Her skin feels like it is on fire and her panties are totally soaked. She is afraid he can smell her arousal as closely as they are standing together. He leans into her and places a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Until then sweetheart.” He steps back away from her and drops his hands to his sides. She feels bereft at the sudden loss of his hands on her body. She watches as he walks back toward the restaurant.
Abigail can’t decide how to feel about this man who has awakened her body and is causing her heart to want to give love another chance. It’s ridiculous she’s even thinking along those lines. He’s only asked her to dinner. It’s not like he’s proposing marriage and happily ever after. She needs to get that little fantasy right out of her head, but still she’s drawn to him. He makes her feel safe and protected. She should be terrified of him, but she isn’t. She feels like she’s supposed to trust him, to be with him.Now I’ve really lost it. I’m beginning to believe in soulmates.Abigail mentally rolls her eyes at her bizarre train of thought. She’s lived through enough shit in her life to know there’s no such thing, but still her heart wants to believe that maybe, just maybe, it might be possible.
An hour later Abigail steps into the back office to grab a cup of water. She is shocked, but a little pleased to see Brent looking a little worse for wear. When his gaze falls on her, he quickly looks away and back at his desk. She’d forgotten that Robert had been in the office with Brent. Well at least Robert being in her business has been of some benefit. She knows that nothing can come from spending time with the handsome man who, for some unknown reason, seems to be determined to get to know her. Not with her past and the certain charges that will eventually come, but hopefully she can hold it off until Ellie is old enough to care for herself. Robert getting to know her is something she can’t let him do, but it is a nice dream that perhaps she can flirt with just a little longer, before she has to end it.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Straw is feeling better than he’s felt in years. Spending the hour with Abigail on her lunch break solidifies his resolve to see where things can go with her. He knows this isn’t going to be easy. He can feel her reluctance to let him in, but at the same time he sees her desire when they are close. She seems to be having the same feelings he’s having, too. He can to some extent understand her fears. She’s obviously been through some terrible things. The way she flinched when he reached for her combined with little things she’s said and her brush off of Brent’s treatment confirms his belief that she’s been abused in the past. Just thinking that someone has laid hands on her pisses him off to no end. It makes him want to scorch the earth and make the asshole suffer tenfold. However he’s pretty sure she wouldn’t appreciate him going all caveman and destroying the world, but he would do anything for her. He knows that without a doubt.
Straw considers going up to his room after walking Abigail back to work, but he decides that he will join the gang at the pool. He figures the more adults to supervise the little ones the better. There will be other guests at the pool, too and it would be all too easy for someone to snatch one of the kids while everyone is enjoying the water. The twins are over the top wild on an average day. With them hyped up from being at a hotel and having little Ellie as their new favorite toy, they’ll be even wilder. He should definitely help keep an eye on them all. With that decision made, Straw heads up to his room to change into some swimming trunks.
A few minutes later as he’s exiting his room, he sees Tank coming out of his room next door. Tank is also donned in swimming trunks. The men take each other’s attire in and break out in matching grins.
“Looks like we both had the same idea.” Straw smiles at his friend as they meet in the hallway.
“Yeah, they’ll be a lot of people down there we don’t know,” Tank replies. “I’m not comfortable with them being down there without most of us to keep an eye them. I think most everyone will be joining us. Emma said her cousin is going to stop in and visit for a while, too.”
“Oh, yeah?” Straw asks. “I didn’t know Emma had family out here. I thought she was from Tennessee.”
“She is, but evidently her cousin, Allison lives out here,” Tank informs him. “She’s some sort of freelance journalist or something like that. Emma said that she and Allison are the last two of their large group of cousins to not be married. According to Emma, Allison is happy for her and Wallace, but she’s pissed at Emma because all the attention is going to be on her now. Apparently, their moms and aunts have made it their mission to get all the girls happily married off so they can have a houses full of grandchildren. Some sort of long-standing competition among the ‘older’ generation, according to Emma.”
“Well, that’s sorta whacked,” Straw comments as they are waiting on the elevator that will take them down to the lobby. It dings and when the doors open, they are almost knocked down by Lisa, Charlotte’s friend who has accompanied them on the trip. When she sees Tank and Straw standing there, her face contorts into fear for a brief moment followed by rage.
“God! You assholes are everywhere,” Lisa grouses. She pushes past them to head down the hall. The men exchange a worried glance. Tank extends his hand to hold the elevator doors open but turns back to call down the hall to the woman who is making a fast clip away from them.
“Lisa!” Tank bellows, bringing the woman to a halt. She cringes but turns back toward them. “Are you okay?” Tank asks in a kinder tone than he’d used when calling her name. She sighs heavily before answering.
She’d said she was coming to help Charlotte with the children, but Straw suspects there is more going on with the woman than just her wanting to help her best friend. She’s always acted a little nervous around the team. Straw can understand that coming from a woman’s perspective. He and his brothers are what most would call larger-than-life. Not only physically, but in personality too. Being members of the special forces, they all have alpha personalities. It can be a lot for some people to take. Charlotte said once that Lisa’s story wasn’t hers to tell, but Lisa has had a hard life. Charlotte has asked us to all be patient with her and not to take it personally when she freaks out on us. All of the guys have been concerned for the woman and her strange behavior, but she’s refused to open up to any of them. She mostly sticks with Charlotte and the other women.
“I’m fine not that it’s any of your business,” Lisa replies testily, straighten her spine. Her voice full of malice, but her body language speaks volumes. She is putting out huge vibes of fear and anxiety. Tank starts to leave the elevator when Hack bursts from the stairwell at a dead run. He comes to an abrupt halt when he takes in scene in the hallway.
“What’s going on here?” Hack asks a little breathless, looking from Lisa to Tank and Straw. Hack is looking a little worse for wear. It’s clear he’s run up the stairs. He’s chasing Lisa.That’s interesting. Straw thinks to himself. He observes the two closely. Lisa’s eyes lock onto Hack and he only has eyes for her. The intensity of their gaze is almost smothering. Straw gets the uncomfortable, feeling that he and Tank need to leave and let the couple work out whatever it is going on between them.
“Nothing is going on here, you, nosey asshole,” Lisa complains, her eyes shooting daggers at Hack. “You need to learn to stay out of other people’s business.” The couple stare each other down. Straw reaches out to grab Tank’s arm. Tank startles. He is apparently as enthralled as Straw is at the weird dynamic going on in front of them.
“All right, then on that note, we will see you guys later,” Straw says as he pulls Tank into the elevator, letting the doors close.
“What the fuck?” Tank asks as soon as the doors close and the elevator drops to take them down to the level with the pool.
