Alphabet Love
He never knew that there were twenty six ways to love someone.
I A is for Attraction
This was her idea…Katrina. She was trying to rekindle our love. We had just dissolved our marriage and she wanted to be friends again as we were before so she said. As I recalled, she hated me in the beginning. I found the whole thing ridiculous especially when she invited Abigail along to meet one of her friends from her coven. He was a warlock. He seemed familiar to me as if I had met him somewhere. Women seemed quite taken with him and his wavy blonde hair, dark green eyes and a face made of stone. He was well built and tall. I saw nothing spectacular about him but Abigail seemed pleased with his attention to her. He stared at her as if he would have her for breakfast instead of the eggs that he ordered. She turned away from Paul and chuckled softly at some asinine story he was telling her. The sound of her chuckle was sweet and intoxicating. I completely forgot about Katrina sitting beside me on this double date that she arranged. All of my attention centered on the beguiling creature smiling so beautifully at Paul. She for once wore a dress and I was mesmerized the moment that she walked into the diner. Her soft sensuous curves and ample bosom made me realize that I wanted her. All this time of standing beside her only intensified my desire to lay within her. She smiled at me as if I was just an acquaintance, and that was just what I was. I was an idiot for not moving our relationship forward. I loved whenever she wore her hair up in a braided bun. Her long neck and smooth brown skin always made me long run my lips over the flesh there and breathe in her scent. When she came closer to the table, I stood immediately and tried to take her hand but Paul beat me to her. I had to contain my anger at his possession of her for the moment. He was her date today and I was not.
"Isn't this a beautiful setting Ichabod." Katrina's voice was only an irritant as I watched Paul lean close to Abigail as she laughed again at his story.
"Some parts of it are completely beautiful. What are you two discussing?"
Abbie looked up at me and smiled at my curiosity. Paul However had a very different expression. He looked annoyed with me. He looked at me as if I was interrupting him and his attempt to woo Miss Mills into his arms. He was right of course. He was not leaving this diner with her.
"We are having a private conversation as you and your wife are."
"Katrina and I are not married we are merely friends and are not having a private conversation. I think such behavior is rude and shows that you lack manners."
Katrina smiled and gently patted my hand that had balled into a fist on the table. "Beloved your voice,"
Was I being loud? Abigail's eyes told me that I was. She looked around the diner and then smirked at me for not being British. She always told me this was one of my flaws. I personally think that she loved my flaws. She loved me even more when I broke them by doing things like this.
"Your raising of your voice shows your lack of breeding as well."
"Let us not get into a subject that you clearly have no clarity on considering that your father could be any member of the navy."
Paul glared at the pompous asshole and mentally turned over Ichabod's cup of coffee purposely intending to injure him in a sensitive area.
I avoided the scalding hot liquid by quickly pushing my chair back. The cup fell to the floor without claiming its intended victim. Katrina grabbed my jacket as I reached across the table for my rival. Abigail tried to tear my hand from Paul's shirt collar but I was not having it. This man deserved retribution for almost causing me pain. Katrina and Abigail struggled in vain, as I pulled Paul onto the table. The man struggled in my grasp as I tried to grab hold of his neck. Abigail leaned over the table trying to get better leverage against me. When her breasts began, rubbing against my arm it proved to be a superior deterrent to my anger. Paul slipped from my grasp and stared back at me with a wild look. He then turned his attention to Katrina.
"I have never been so embarrassed in all my life."
I walked around the table towards him as others in the diner got up to block my advance. Abigail standing before me with her hands on my chest was the strongest blockade that I could not penetrate.
Katrina look of distress filled her face and body as she looked at Paul."Paul I am so sorry, please sit down Ichabod will apologize."
This woman was daft. I had no intention of apologizing to this weak minded hack of a magician.
Abbie looked up at me and saw that I was not going to comply with Katrina's wishes. She knew that I was stubborn. "You know Katrina I'll take Crane outside and let him cool off."
She did not want the two of them alone that was why she had asked Paul to come with them. She was hoping that the two of them would like each other. Most women found Paul attractive and Abigail was like most women. Her husband…former husband was the one that did not like Paul. She knew that it had everything to do with Abigail. His attraction to this woman had ruined their marriage. Time and distance had played a part in their marriage's failure too. However, Katrina knew that the bond that Ichabod and Abigail shared doomed her marriage. She could not break it. She could not even dent it unless one of them voluntarily broke it. She knew that it would not be Ichabod even though their bond broke; he was stubborn when it came to Miss Mills. Katrina had to separate them if had any chance of getting back with Ichabod. Paul had the skills and the spells to make this happen. He liked what he saw and Katrina knew that he was stubborn as well and would not give up so easily.
"Alright Abigail we will be here waiting."
Paul straightened his tie as he watched Abigail guide me towards the front door. I watched his eyes dip along her body as we walked by. He was not going to give up his pursuit of her. He would require a more physical reaction to his intentions. I was not going to just sit around and let this woman…my Abigail walk out of my life without knowing that I am the one that she needs. I for too long did nothing to show what I truly wanted. I was not going to let another day go by without making my intentions clear.
"I can't believe you did that."
"Why would she bring a warlock to breakfast? He is nothing but a hack that lacks restraint."
Abbie chuckled as she looked up at her angry partner. She had never seen him like this before in any situation that they had encountered. He really wanted to rip this guy's throat from his body.
"Restraint, Crane you pulled him across the table and you insulted him first."
I snorted at her assertion that I was to blame for this scuffle. He was trying to monopolize her time in the most unappealing way. "I was defending myself from his evil intentions. He tried to injure me and I responded in kind."
Abbie raised an eyebrow at his words. "That was pretty evil of him. I thought they did not practice that stuff in public."
"His actions alone should tell you that he cannot be trusted and should be avoided."
She gave me a look of suspicion and then chuckled as the light wind rushed over us. I watched a few strands of her hair escape their bondage and whip around her face before gently moving my hand towards the escapees. I felt her stiffen as I touched her cheek and placed the hair behind her right ear. Her skin was soft and warm. She began to tremble the longer I kept my hand against her skin. I slowly pulled my hand away from her and stared down into her searching eyes. She suddenly turned away from me.
"Well…hmm…if we go back inside are you going to behave? Katrina really wants us all to be friends."
I had my doubts about that. The woman always found ways to bring up some time that we spent in the countryside in England just to make Abigail uncomfortable. I would always put a stop to her reminiscing by telling that I am trying to live in the today not the past. If she thought that I did not know what she was trying to do with this Paul character, she was not as intelligent as I thought. This double date was just a ruse to introduce Abigail to this man. Should I be flattered that she wanted me back…maybe but she was trying to push Abigail away from me? We were a team. Separation was just a word as far as I was concerned.
"IF you tell me that you are not fooled by this fake tonic salesman then I will behave." Her laughter made my lower regions harden and lustful thoughts filled my brain and body. She would not feel so comfortable with me if she knew all the passionate dreams that I had about us. I wanted nothing more than for Katrina and Paul to go away and leave us alone. Why had I agreed to this date?
Abbie smiled up at me and I thought that I would kiss her right there but I restrained myself. "I am not fooled by the fake tonic salesman."
I nodded and extended my arm to her. She gently hooked her arm beneath mine. I wondered if she felt the same shock as I because I felt her body jump and a small breathless sound escaped her as we walked back into the diner. She felt something from my touch. I was not alone in my attraction as I thought. My decision to attend this date held back her desire. I would have to remedy this situation as soon as possible. As we walked into the diner, I noticed Katrina and Paul were in a deep discussion. Their quiet speech was not about the latest spells going around it was about Abigail and me. I could see the vein in her neck throbbing furiously. Only Abigail could cause that fury. She wanted Paul to succeed and she was going to help him.
Katrina looked up and saw us coming. She placed a smile on her face. "I hope all is well."
Abbie returned her smile. "I made him promise."
I touched her gently around her waist as she sat down. My gaze centered on Paul as I did this. He would know that this was my territory and interlopers would see my wrath.
"I'm glad to see that you can calm the savage beasts." Paul said as he laid his napkin in his lap. I walked back to my seat beside Katrina and glared at the man smirking at me.
Abbie frowned at the man's words as she turned towards him. "Crane has always been a civilized man when you are civil to him."
It was now my turn to smirk at Paul as my soon to be woman defended my actions. Those simple words from her only served to increase my attraction to her.
"Of course you would defend him you two work together. Forgive my rudeness."
Abbie nodded and returned to her meal satisfied with his apology. I was not happy with his eyes slipping down her body when she was unaware of it. I felt a slight tug on my arm and turned to face Katrina. She smiled up at me.
"I have great news about our child."
Paul lifted his head from his meal and looked at the both of us. "You have a child together."
"He is not a child. He is a full grown man filled with evil tendencies and hatred for us both. On several occasions, he has tried to kill Abigail and me."
Paul chuckled. "I can understand his daddy issues but to hate Katrina is preposterous."
"What are your intension here Paul?"
The young warlock set down his fork and wiped his mouth. "I am here to lend support to Katrina. She has suffered enough. She only wants to start anew with you. I am just here to make that happen."
"And just how do you propose that you will do that when our situation has nothing to do with you."
I saw the surprise in Abigail's face as the words flew from my lips. I was not behaving and I did not care. Katrina and Paul would know that I did not appreciate what they were trying to do.
Paul looked at Katrina for help. I felt her arm tighten around mine. "Oh Ichabod please stop trying to solve every mystery. This is nothing but a breakfast between four people."
"Is it," I pulled my arm from hers and heard her gasp. I wiped my mouth and stood. Abigail stared at me with disbelief. This was not something that I would normally do in public.
"Miss Mills I would feel much better if you would accompany me from this diner. I cannot in good conscience leave you here alone."
Abbie wiped her mouth and thanked Katrina for the invitation. She stood and took my offered hand and we walked from the diner.
"This certainly is not the way to get back with your wife." Abbie added the cream to her freshly brewed coffee and took a sip.
I frowned at her from the living room while looking through a book of demons that I left on the table in her house. Paul looked so familiar to me. I heard her soft socked feet heading towards me with a cup of coffee. I thanked her and took the cup.
"We are divorced and I am not the one trying to get back with her."
Abbie rolled her eyes. "I can see that Crane."
"Good." I set the cup on the table and returned my attention to the book on the table before me and she sat on the sofa next to me. Her soft scent filled my nostrils and I almost forgot why I was looking in the book in the first place.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't know but for some reason Paul reminds me of a demon that we encountered recently."
"Really is that the reason you picked a fight with him." I turned and stared at her. She was searching for answers for my behavior today.
"I will not lie to you Abigail the thought of that man making you laugh irritated me."
She turned away from my intense gaze and picked at her dress. "Oh…"
"He certainly is not the type of man that you deserve. A beautiful woman such as you deserves a man of honor and strength of which he has neither. I only attacked with violence when he attacked first. You need love …constantly I doubt that he has the stamina for such an undertaking. I on the other hand, have endless energy for such an undertaking."
Perhaps those words should have stayed in my thoughts but they were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I watched her look at me very quickly and then get off the sofa. Her body trembled terribly as she stumbled back to the kitchen area. My words affected her more than she would ever say to my face. I knew that she would never reveal her true feelings to me if she were not sure about my intentions. The date was a mistake one that I would remedy. I hid the smile that came to my face and returned my attention to the book. Paul was my main concern right now.
Katrina sat in her cabin in the woods staring out the window contemplating another meeting with Ichabod as Paul paced in front of her. "This will never work if you pick fights with him."
"I told you not to invite him. He would know that something is familiar if he is in the same room with me. You never listen. If you want my help you have to listen to me."
Katrina glared at the man before her. "He is attracted to her do you really think that he would allow her to go anywhere alone."
"Yes and if you could just stop pining away for him for one moment I could have Abigail and you would have father back as you wanted."
Katrina stood and walked towards the kitchen. "How did it come to this? I love him with all my heart and he feels nothing for me.'
"You have done many things to cause stress and trust issues for him. Having a child and not telling him creates problems."
What did he know? He had tried on many occasions to kill his father. She could not believe that they were working together to separate the witnesses for their own reasons. Although Katrina secretly thought, Jeremy had feelings for Abigail she would never tell him that. Whatever he needed to take her from Ichabod she would let fester and grow.
The magic surrounding the man called Paul began to fade and Henry walked towards the kitchen wearing a frown on his old and solemn face. "Now that he has touched me a feeling of familiarity will plague him. You know how he is when he has a mystery to solve. How are you going to fix this!"
Katrina returned his frown. "I will fix this do not worry. You just keep away from Ichabod but close to Abigail and we will both have what we want."
Author's Note
I had to get this out it was blocking EVERYTHING! I hope that you enjoy it. I can now work on KnightPhall and The Aphrodite Infection. Thank you ~Frostbytefire
