Book Two: Thirty Days, Book 2

by Bibi Paterson

  “Sure thing, sweetie…” I can hear her chatting to the guy, and when she rattles off the number to me, I know instantly that it is the wrong model. That is the top-of-the-line model that I had been coveting, but couldn’t afford, so had settled for the one that had been more in my price range.

  “I’ll call you back. Let me give the supplier a call.” I ring off and dial the supplier, pretty sure that my suspicions will be confirmed, and sure enough, Taylor has paid the difference to upgrade the machine. Half of me is angry that he has gone behind my back, but the saner, caffeine-motivated half of me is jumping for joy. I quickly call Mum back and let her know it is fine to go ahead, and then practically skip down the stairs to go take a look at the great big hulking beast for myself.

  .........................

  My eyes are drooping, but I am desperate to stay awake as I want to thank Taylor in person for the coffee machine and the iPad. He is off to South America on Wednesday, and with everything being as it has been, we have been like passing ships. Our main form of communication has been text, and it is just not enough. Plus I am bloody horny, and that is an itch only Taylor can scratch.

  It is gone midnight when I hear his key in the door and slow footsteps up the stairs. He pauses when he sees the light on in our bedroom and comes to stand in the doorway.

  “Hey, stranger,” I say, taking note of the tired lines around Taylor’s eyes and his dishevelled appearance. Taylor somehow always looks well put together, so I am a little shocked to see him looking like this. He crosses the room, sits down next to me on the bed and pulls me into his embrace. He cradles me in his arms and plants soft kisses across my cheek before bringing his mouth down on mine in a hunger-filled kiss.

  I return his kiss with a fierce hunger of my own. My hands claw at his clothes as we devour each other. Taylor breaks off to pull my pyjama top off, leaving me panting and my panties drenched. Taylor pulls off his own clothes with haste before returning to divest me of my panties. He gives me a wicked look as he feels how damp they are.

  Wordlessly Taylor pushes me back down on the bed before climbing over me, nudging my legs apart and sliding straight into my drenched pussy. As he holds his weight on his elbows, he looks straight into my eyes. “I don’t think I am going to be able to hold back, Abs. You don’t know how much I fucking need this…”

  “Then don’t, Taylor,” I respond before pulling his mouth onto mine.

  There are no subtleties. No gentle caresses. No whispers of endearment. Just raw need. Raw desire. Taylor pulls out and then slams back into me, setting a punishing pace that sets me on fire. He isn’t even touching my clit, but I feel like every nerve is aflame. My muscles begin tightening around Taylor’s cock, and I know it is not going to be long before I come. Breaking away from his kiss so that I can gasp in a breath, I stare up into Taylor’s eyes. I am startled by the naked aggression in his expression as he slams deeper and deeper into me; it is almost as if he is trying to brand me or claim me as his own. But before I can put together any coherent thought, I feel my whole body stiffen as the most intense orgasm I have ever had shatters me.

  I slowly come back to myself as Taylor gently shifts and pulls out of me. His hands softly stroke across my body as his lips place a trail of kisses up my abdomen and neck and ending with the lightest of touches on my nose. I open my eyes to find Taylor’s eyes clear and gentle, his expression a mask of concern.

  “Are you okay, beautiful? I didn’t hurt you, did I, Abs?” Taylor asks, his voice hesitant.

  “Mmmm. I am all good, Taylor,” I say, my voice low. “I am so glad to see you. I have missed you, you know.”

  “I have missed you too, so much,” Taylor replies, pulling me into his arms and running his fingers through my short hair. It feels blissful and I find myself murmuring in appreciation, snuggling deeper into Taylor’s body. Something is tickling my subconscious, something about the way Taylor was looking at me as he claimed my body, but I push it away as my eyes finally close and I sink into a deep, contented sleep.

  The Twenty-First

  The first thing I notice as I stir is that I am not alone. The dawn hasn’t even begun to rise, so I know it is a little while before I have to get up. As Taylor snores gently beside me, I watch him, drinking in the sight of him so still. His dark brown hair flops over his closed eyes, and I have to stop myself from reaching over and moving the stray lock away. Despite the cold, the duvet has slipped down, revealing Taylor’s broad sculptured chest and his strong arms.

  I find myself drifting back into the memory of last night, of being pinned by Taylor’s body to the bed, the fast and furious fucking and lastly the haunted look in Taylor’s eyes as he claimed me for his own. An unsettled feeling in my stomach that is nothing to do with the baby suddenly has me up and running for the toilet, where I spend the next five minutes dry-heaving, my body prickly with sweat as if I have been suddenly struck down by a fever.

  I am struck down with a premonition that something is wrong, very wrong. Even when Taylor looked down on me with those God-awful blank eyes that time, it was nothing compared to this. I am so consumed by my swirling thoughts that I don’t hear Taylor pad into the bathroom.

  “Abby, are you okay? Has your morning sickness come back?” Taylor crouches down in front of me, concern shining like a beacon in his eyes.

  “No” is all I can manage.

  “Is that a ‘no’ you are not okay? Or a ‘no’ the morning sickness is not back?”

  “B…both,” I stammer, my body suddenly starting to shake. I look up at Taylor, and summoning courage deep inside me, I ask, “Taylor, what was last night all about?”

  I think Taylor sees something in my expression because, instead of denying anything, he sighs and looks away from me, his muscles rigid in his stance. A battle plays across his face, and I can see him starting to shut down.

  “No more secrets. Remember?” I interject, and I see that I have won. Taylor turns his head, and I see pain in his eyes and I know that I am not going to like whatever it is he is going to tell me. He holds out his hand, and I grasp it tightly as he pulls me into a standing position. Gently he leads me back into the bedroom, where he guides me into the bed.

  “Let me get you a coffee, Abs,” he sighs. Minutes later he returns with a giant latte in my favourite Emma Bridgewater mug, which he hands me as he climbs in next to me. I turn to look at Taylor expectantly, but I know better than to push him, so I wait while he composes himself.

  “Right. After Richard threatened you a couple of weeks ago, I contacted Detective Stanton. I had had Henry following him, as you know, and there were a couple of things about his behaviour that raised some concerns, so I had been in contact with her beforehand. But when he actually threatened you, I knew something needed to be done. She has been conducting her own line of enquiry, which she hasn’t been able to talk to me about, but the little she has said seems to centre around what Richard has done to a couple of other women.”

  I baulk at this. “Is this why they haven’t yet prosecuted him for his attack on me?” Taylor nods before continuing.

  “Last week Richard disappeared. Somehow he gave Henry the slip, but through our other taps on him we discovered he had been in France for a few days. Given that no one knew he was supposed to be there, Henry did a little digging and discovered that he had been trying to hire a hitman…”

  “What the fuck?” I explode, my stomach turning somersaults at the thought. “Why the hell does he want to kill you?”

  A pained look crosses Taylor’s face, and I see him struggling with his emotions. “Abby, it’s not me he wants to kill…It’s you.”

  I feel as if I am suffocating. The air seems to have been sucked out of the room, and all I am left with is the unnerving sensation of being deprived of oxygen. I don’t even realise that I have started hyperventilating until Taylor grabs my face between his hands, forcing me to look into his eyes and copy his breathing. In…out…in…out. The seconds tick by, and I feel the darknes
s start to recede as I slowly calm down.

  “Why…why?” I stammer. “I know Richard is a fucking psychopath, but to try and get someone to kill me seems like a stretch too far, even for him.”

  “This afternoon Richard turned up at the office. He found out that I was going away and wanted to tell me that you would probably not be here when I returned. He made up this bullshit that you were seeing someone else and that I needed to watch my back as you were just looking for any excuse to leave me as the baby isn’t even mine. I think this was him trying to come up with some cover story so that he could do away with you and I would just think you had walked out.”

  I am speechless. I mean, what the hell do you say to something as crazy and half-baked as that?

  Taylor continues, “Anyway, I told him he was off his fucking rocker and that he had better stay the hell away from you, but he just carried on and on and eventually I ended up smacking him one just to shut him up. Not my finest hour, I have to admit.” Taylor’s voice is grim, and I can tell that this is not the end of the story. “I eventually had to get security to throw him out after he started raving about our baby being ‘the seed of the devil’. So I have spent the rest of the afternoon with Detective Stanton, making a statement and getting a protection detail set up for you.”

  I know my eyes must be as wide as saucers as I let Taylor finish. The idea that Richard is coming after me is not half as terrifying as the threats against Bean. My arms have unconsciously crossed my stomach in a defensive gesture, and my body is trembling in fear.

  “If you don’t want me to go, Abs, I won’t. Just say the word and everything is cancelled. I could not stand the thought of anything happening to either of you. It would just kill me.” Taylor is pale as he utters these words, his voice hoarse with unshed tears and unspoken emotions.

  “No, Taylor, you have to go. There is so much riding on this trip.”

  “Nothing is more important than you and Bean in my life.”

  “I know, but we’ll be fine. You’ll only be gone a week, and it seems like you have got stuff set in place to make sure we are protected. I am more worried about you heading into the deepest, darkest Amazon with no phone reception.” I give Taylor a weak smile, hoping that I seem braver than I actually feel. Truth be told, I would rather he stayed here with me, but that is a completely selfish thought. Instead, I spend the next few minutes arguing with Taylor and eventually getting him to agree to go on his trip.

  “Today I am yours, Abs. We have barely spent any time together, and I have missed you. So whatever you want to do is good with me.” Taylor’s voice has turned low and positively sexy, and now my body is no longer trembling with fear but anticipation instead.

  “Hmmm, what am I going to do without you?” I murmur.

  “Hmmm, indeed. Well, I have a couple of ideas,” Taylor responds.

  “Oh you do, do you?” I counter, enjoying this game.

  “I think I might have to show you, though,” Taylor suggests, his voice husky with his own arousal. Gently Taylor takes my hand and starts to manoeuvre it so that my fingertips brush across my body. Goosebumps stipple my flesh in response as he guides my hand lower and lower. When at last my fingers brush my downy bush, I resist for the first time. I have an inkling of what Taylor wants me to do, but I have actually never done this before, and fear of the unknown has me flush with embarrassment and avoiding Taylor’s eyes.

  “Don’t be nervous…” Taylor pleads gently.

  “Not nervous. Embarrassed. Though now that you have said it, I guess I am a bit nervous too,” I mutter, wondering how the hell I am going to get out of this.

  “Let’s try something different…Get on your knees,” Taylor commands softly, and as ever, I find myself complying without a second thought when he gets that tone in his voice.

  “Close your eyes.” I shut my lids and immediately feel exposed kneeling in the centre of the bed, naked. I wait for Taylor to touch me, but instead I feel him shuffle closer and then stop. He is close enough that I can feel his breath on my skin, yet in my isolation, he feels a million miles away.

  “Right, I want you to put your fingertips to your lips.” His instruction is barely a whisper. “And now run them slowly over your plump, juicy flesh. Feel the sensations, both on your lips and fingertips.” Taylor’s words fade into the background while I concentrate on the sensations.

  “Now run your fingers down your neck until you reach the soft mounds of your breasts. Feel their ripeness. Feel how when you run your fingers over your nipples they stand proud and erect, begging for attention…Now pinch them both.” I gasp as lightning bolts shoot through my pelvis deep into my core, and I hear Taylor chuckle before continuing, “Lightly caress your belly before bringing your fingers up your inner thigh.”

  I am mesmerised by Taylor’s words, following his instructions without a second thought. My skin is oversensitive, and each brush with my soft fingers seems to ignite a fire under the surface. My core is aching, and I can feel a quickening in my pelvis as my muscles crave more. Again, though, I hesitate when my fingers reach my folds.

  “Slip your fingers in. Feel how wet you have become,” Taylor commands, and as my finger finds my swollen clit, I gasp in pleasure. “More…” Taylor urges, and I slip another finger in between my damp folds. Taylor starts whispering dirty, sexy things in my ear, stoking the fire in my core so that, when the gentle fizz starts, it is almost a relief when I come.

  My eyes are still closed, and the minute I start to crack them open, Taylor instantly commands them shut again. My body feels limp as Taylor guides me to lie down on my back, but I am nowhere near as spent as I am when Taylor makes me come. Gently Taylor pulls my legs apart, and the cool air feels tantalising against my heated flesh. He tells me to start playing with my clit again and I immediately comply, the ache in my pelvis still demanding further satisfaction.

  There are a couple of noises I can’t identify, but suddenly Taylor is whispering in my ear, “A little going-away present for you, baby. Just go with it.” Something cool and smooth slips between my fold and pauses for a moment at my entrance before slipping in. I am suddenly full but lacking stimulation until, suddenly, I hear a buzz and the vibrations bring my pussy alive. The sensations are overwhelming at first, and I find myself crying out as Taylor starts to move the vibrator in slow circles inside of me. Suddenly I feel vibrations not only inside but on my clit as well, sending me flying off the cliff and crash-landing in an orgasm that leaves me quaking.

  I open my eyes to find Taylor grinning at me, his hand wrapped around his engorged cock. “Fuck, Abs, that was just about the sexiest thing I have ever seen.” Embarrassment causes me to flush and look away, but Taylor captures my face between his hands and pulls me forward into a hunger-filled kiss. His tongue invades my mouth, leaving no doubt in my mind of his intent to claim me. Watching me come without him was not enough, he tells me, his voice hoarse with desire.

  Taylor pulls me onto his lap, wrapping my legs around his waist so that I am facing him. With one smooth move, he lifts me up before positioning himself at my entrance and then letting gravity pull me down onto his shaft. This time, instead of cool, all I can feel is heat. The throbbing inside of me starts to build once again as a combination of Taylor’s strong arms and gravity help him drill deeper and deeper. When he has filled me to the hilt, Taylor starts a rocking-and-rolling motion that makes me dizzy with desire until at last I explode, taking Taylor along, on a roller-coaster ride through the stars.

  It takes several minutes before either one of us is coherent enough to talk. I lay my head on Taylor’s shoulder, listening as the rapid tattoo of his heartbeat slows, while his fingers trace circles on my back and he places soft kisses on my hair. When at last I have collected up the shards of my consciousness and made myself whole again, I finally feel ready to talk.

  “Um, wow, Taylor that was…” But actually I don’t have any words to describe what just happened.

  “Fucking amazing, Abs. You never
fail to surprise me, beautiful girl!” And with that Taylor pulls me down under the duvet, rolling me in a cocoon so that I am snug and warm and ready to drift off to sleep.

  .........................

  Taylor and I are stood on the pebbles that make up Brighton’s ‘beach’, watching the waves crash on the shore as the weak, wintery sun does its best to warm our freezing limbs. When it is clear that the warmth radiating off Taylor is not enough to stop me from shaking with cold, we agree that it is time to head back into town.

  I love visiting the beach, and after this morning’s revelations, it has helped blow away some of the insane thoughts racing through my brain. We take a slow meander through the Lanes, stopping in front of quirky shops to gaze at their wares. Taylor lets me drag him into the Cath Kidston store and indulges me whilst I ooh and ah over their baking goodies. Eventually, he buys me an apron in the traditional Provence rose print just to shut me up and get me out of the store. I grin and tell him he is insane; after the coffee machine and the iPad, he doesn’t need to be buying me things. But he just grins at me and tells me he would give me the moon if he could. I laugh, but I can tell that he is serious.

  We finally make our way back to the shop, and I take Taylor into Cake to show him the progress that has been made so far. With the counter and fridges installed and the tables and couches in place, you can really get a sense of the space. Mum is busy fussing over where to mount the ‘specials’ board, along with the price list for the coffees. She bosses Taylor around, telling him to hold a mirror higher and then lower, finally making her mind up where it should go before pencilling some subtle marks on the wall so that James can hang it later for her.

  As I look around, I realise something is missing…books. “Mum, what do you think about getting James to install some low shelves that we can fill with books for people to read over on that far wall?” I ask as I point. “And we can even get a selection of books for kids...”