Stripped (22 page)

“You have me all to yourself,” he said, kissing her
tenderly between her breasts.

“Not just now … all the time. I wish you were mine,”
she said, the words coming out before she’d considered them.

“I am, Abby,” he said softly. When she blinked,
tears dripped from the corners of her eyes, and she was overcome. Chris brought
such raw emotions from her; feelings of passion and need and love that she’d
never felt for anyone.

As he slid the strap of her bra down her shoulder
and kissed the spot where it had been, she reached down, needing to bring out
something raw from him. He was already hard, and he groaned as she stroked him
through his jeans.

“God, Abby,” he said, closing his eyes. She reached
for the button, struggling to unfasten it with one hand.

Things moved in slow motion and fast forward
simultaneously. She wanted to remember every touch, every kiss, but they
blended together like the music of a symphony.

When he slowly peeled away her clothes and she felt
his warm, bare skin against her entire body, she thought it might be all the
sensation she could handle. She kissed his neck, ran her hands down his back,
and drew in a deep breath. He was so close to being inside her, and she felt a
sudden, deep need for him.

As though he could read her mind, he reached for the
bedside table and ripped into the foil package of a condom.

“Still sure?” he whispered against her ear.

“Yes,” she whispered back, her body pulsing with
anticipation.

The discomfort was secondary to the rush she felt
when he was finally inside her. She moaned and whimpered and groaned all at
once, desperate to feel more as he pulled back.

“Is this okay?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yes, it’s good. I want more.”

He responded with his full length, and Abby moaned
with the pleasure of the pain. As he picked up his pace, she flushed from the
intensity of the desire building in her.

“Chris,” she moaned, clutching his back tightly.

“I’m yours, Abby, and I want you to be mine, too,”
he said, his voice strained as he pushed against her deeper, faster and harder.

“I am,” she said, crying out loudly as the orgasm
seized her. The raw, guttural sound he made as he came turned her on so much
that she continued to come, still moaning and breathless when he collapsed on
top of her.

She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his hot
breath on her sweaty skin as she pulled him in close and wrapped her legs
around him.

“I’m all yours,” she said.

“Morning,” Chris said with a sleepy grin.

“Good morning.” Abby turned on her side to face him,
smiling back.

“So,” he said.

“So.”

“I had an amazing time last night, Abby. And it
wasn’t just the sex.”

“It wasn’t just the sex for me, either. Listen…I
know you could meet someone more ideal for you at any time, and I just want you
to know, this meant a lot. No matter what happens, last night showed me what
can be.”

“I don’t want anyone else, I want you,” he said. “I
wish this could be the start of something for us. If you would only leave that
job, we could be like this all the time.”

“Chris,” she said. “You’re breaking our only rule
for this weekend. No talking about the real world. You know I can’t leave my
job, so let me keep enjoying the floaty, cloud-nine way I’m feeling right now.”

“Okay. I actually have something that I hope will
make you even happier.”

“Impossible. I couldn’t be happier. Unless that
something is under the covers…” she said, reaching her hand beneath the sheet
and sliding it down his stomach.

“Oh,” he said, gasping at the feel of her hand.
“God, now I wish that was it. Hold that thought.”

He rolled over and reached under the bedside table,
pulling out a small black box.

“Happy birthday,” he said, handing it to her.

“Chris. You didn’t have to get me anything, really.”

“Don’t do that. You know I wanted to. Open it.”

A grin spread across her face as she pulled the lid
off the box. Something sparkled inside, and she couldn’t help gaping at it. It
was a ring, with rows of glimmering black and white diamonds.

“This is beautiful!” she said. “A right-hand ring?
Chris! This is so amazing, but it’s way too much.”

“Do you like it?” He looked at her expectantly, and
she couldn’t stand the thought of refusing his gift.

“I love it.”

“Try it on. I’ve never bought jewelry, so Charlotte
helped me pick it out.”

“When?”

“When we went to the grocery store yesterday, we
were really going to a jewelry store.”

“I don’t even know what to say, Chris. Thank you.
It’s more beautiful than anything I’ve ever had.”

“I wanted to get you something that you could have
with you all the time. Something that would remind you of us, and this weekend.”

“It fits!”

“Charlotte made a good guess on your size, then.”

Abby reached for his face, pulling him close for a
long kiss. As he ran a hand up her back, her shiver wasn’t one of nervousness,
but anticipation. She wanted him, and she no longer wondered if he wanted her
back or worried that she would disappoint him. They would fit together, as they
had the night before.

“I could spend this whole day in bed with you,” he
whispered into her neck.

“I’d love that. Your friends might think it’s a
little weird, though.”

“Who cares?” He kissed her neck softly, slowly, and
she sighed with contentment. He was right. If staying in bed all day made them
both this happy, who cared what anyone else thought?

As the wheels of the plane touched the runway, Abby
squeezed Chris’ hand. Their time alone had been more than she’d ever hoped for,
and she was sad about it ending. He stroked his thumb across her wrist, and she
wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

They said goodbye to Reed and Charlotte, and
retrieved Chris’ duffel bag from the baggage claim.

“I’ll put this in your car, I can get my stuff out
later,” he said.

They were both quiet as they rode a shuttle to the
parking lot where Abby had left her car. When she stepped out, the bitter
Chicago wind slapped her cheeks harshly. She made her way to her car quickly,
and Chris threw her bag in the trunk and jumped into the passenger seat.

“Where’s your car?” she asked, rubbing her hands
together.

“I’m in that lot over there.”

“I’ll be so glad to see the girls. We’ve never been
apart this long.”

“Are you glad you came?”

“I’m so glad I did. I had such an amazing time,
Chris. I’ll miss seeing so much of you.”

“Me, too. I’ve been thinking about something.” He
sighed, looking nervous as he stared out the window. “You know how I feel about
the stripping. I want you all to myself, and I worry about you. But I respect
that it’s your decision, not mine. When you’re in a relationship with someone,
you have to take all of them. I don’t want to lose what we found in Malibu. I
want us to be together.”

Abby let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was
holding.

“You’re saying you’re okay with the job?” she asked
hopefully.

“Yes. It’s your decision. I love you, Abby, and I’d
never forgive myself if I lost you over that. I’ll always worry about you, but
I trust that your heart is with me.”

“It is,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “I love
you, too, Chris.”

 “I promise I’ll make you happy,” he said.

“You already do.”

The familiar glare of the Benedict ER sign made
Abby’s attention snap back to her driving. It was late – so late it was early,
and she was tired. But the chance to see Chris was too good to pass up. They’d
had conflicting schedules for several days, and had settled for phone
conversations.

The desk attendant just waved Abby in, and as soon
as she walked into the ER, she saw Chris working behind a desk.

“Hey,” he said, smiling as he looked up and saw her.
He got up and led her right to a sleeping room, where he embraced her as soon
as he pushed the door closed.

“It’s been way too long,” she said as he slid her
coat off and her dress up over her head.

“I know. What the hell is up with this outfit?”

He eyed her with a mixture of confusion and lust,
and Abby laughed. She wore a skimpy bra and panties made from a red bandana.

“It’s Cowgirls and Indians night. I’m a cowgirl. I
can go get the hat if you’d like.”

“I want to kick the shit out of every man who saw
you in this tonight,” Chris said, looking serious.

“Chris…”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking stressed.

“It’s hard, Abby. I love you and we’ll get through
it, but it’s hard. I hate the thought of other men ogling your perfect body and
smelling your minty hair. I’ll never stop wanting it all for myself.”

“The part of me that feels is only for you,” she
said, pressing herself against him.

“And what are you feeling now?” he asked playfully.
Abby nipped at his neck, pushing her hands under his shirt to feel his bare
skin. She slowly kissed her way down his body, enjoying his shallow breathing.
As she got to his waist, the flash of something caught her eye. As she looked
over, she saw that the flash was from his pager, which was buzzing.

“Shit,” he muttered, pulling it from his waist to
check it. “I have to go. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not. We have to make some time for each other
this weekend.”

“We will,” Abby said, slipping her dress back on. “I
can come over tomorrow night because Justin’s taking the girls to a pajama
party at one of the museums in the city.”

“Good. Maybe I’ll find some chaps and a hat to match
your getup,” he said with a grin.

“And a rope?”

“I think you’re a little kinky after all,” he
teased.

“Maybe I am. You can find out tomorrow night.”

The closer she got to Charlotte’s office, the more
Abby’s apprehension grew. Chris had been evasive when she had asked him why he
wanted to talk to her there. She had run through all the possibilities in her
mind, but none of them made sense.

When she knocked softly on the dark door, Charlotte
answered it swiftly. Chris was already inside, looking pensive from the end of
the couch where he sat.

“What’s going on?” Abby asked Charlotte.

“I don’t know.”

“Just sit down, guys,” Chris said. “I know this
seems weird, but…there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell Abby, and I wimp
out every time. I thought if I did it like this, I’d have to go through with
it.”

Abby tensed as she sat down on the other side of the
couch. It didn’t sound like good news. She realized she’d been right to keep
her job at the club, because this could be the end of things with Chris.

“Go ahead, Chris,” Charlotte encouraged. He sighed,
rubbing his palms on his thighs.

“Okay. This is tough. I haven’t talked about this in
a long time.” He wouldn’t look at either of them, and he seemed to be
struggling to find the words he wanted.

“It’s okay,” Abby said, reaching over to squeeze his
hand. “Whatever it is, it’s okay. If things aren’t going to work with us,
you’re doing the right thing by telling me.”

Chris gave her a small smile.

“It’s not that,” he said. “It’s kind of the opposite
of that. Things are going so well that I think you need to know something about
me. I’m just gonna say it…I went to private school when we lived in England,
and when I was 15, one of my teachers…he molested me. I’m not a wreck about it
or anything, but I think it affects the way I see things. Maybe I shouldn’t
have had Tim beaten like I did, but I was just so angry about what he did to
you and what he could do to the girls.”

“Maybe you were also angry about what happened to
you,” Abby said, rubbing his hand. Chris nodded.

“Yeah. And the other thing is, when I went home and
told my Mom about it, she said it would be embarrassing to her and my Dad if
anyone found out. She told me to never mention it to anyone again, and I
haven’t. And now that I’m older and I see how wrong she was, I resent her for
it.”

“Of course. That makes complete sense,” Abby said.

“And it pisses me off that you don’t resent your Mom
the same way.”

Abby was at a loss for words. She was grateful when
Charlotte jumped in.

“Chris, Abby’s feelings about what happened to her,
and about her family, are her own.”