EJ looked at her, unsure of what to say in answer to her question. He loved Samantha, had loved her from the minute he saw her and nothing and no one could ever change the depth of his love for her, but, somehow, Abby had embedded herself in his mind. He would not give any thought to the idea that she might have started to infiltrate his heart, as well. He just knew the last couple of weeks without seeing her, talking to her or holding her had only left him with a raging need to have her. If he thought being with her today would have scratched his itch and taken care of the problem, he had realized that their escapade today only made him want her even more than he already did.

"Abigail, I realize you want to forget what happened between us," he began before she cut him off.

"That's just it, though, EJ," she whispered, deciding to be her usual honest, open self with him. "I don't want to forget and I know it's wrong, but I want this to happen again."

EJ looked at her, wondering if she knew what her words were suggesting. An affair, because that was the only thing that it could be. Given who he was and who she was, anything else would be impossible. He knew that Abigail had strong moral values. She was a Horton and everyone knew how sanctimonious that lot could be, but she also had Jack Deveraux's blood flowing in her veins and well, he wasn't known for his strict moral behavior. Was this the side of her that was suggesting the idea of an affair and did she know what that would mean? Could he do this to Samantha? Could he do this Abigail? Because she would end up being hurt in the end when they had to part ways and he was very much afraid that it would not only be emotionally, but spiritually as well. The selfish bastard in him was urging him to say yes to her and give in to this mindless need he had for her and she for him. He was on the verge of answering the suggestion implied in her words when her phone rang.

Abigail jumped out of bed and grabbed her phone from her purse, which had been carelessly flung to the floor when EJ had carried her into the bedroom. She wasn't even aware that she had still had it on her shoulder, refusing to take it off when she had first come in the door and nervously faced EJ. Looking at the caller id, she remembered, belatedly, she was supposed to be meeting with Gabby and T at Club TBD to plan Will and Sonny's bachelor party.

"Gabby, hi," she answered with a quick warning look at EJ. "I'll be there, but I'm running a little late so it's going to take me another hour."

"Alright, thanks," she replied as she hurriedly wrapped herself in a sheet that she had grabbed from the bed, while EJ lay looking at her with that intense look in his eyes again. She knew where his mind was going to, but she didn't have time to be distracted by yet another round of lovemaking. It was tempting and the more he stared at her, the harder it became to resist the look in his eyes, but she had to. It would be all she could do to make it home, shower, change and make it to TBD in the time she told Gabby she would meet her. Sighing at her decision to say no to the invitation in EJ's eyes, she hung up the phone, gathering her clothes together and headed into the bathroom to get dressed.

When Abigail came back out, she found EJ had already dressed, made the bed and was on the phone himself. She tried to quietly leave the room so she could give him privacy on his call, but he reached out and grabbed her hand as she passed by, holding her next to him and distractingly rubbing her shoulders as he spoke to who ever was on the other line. Judging from his conversation, she was pretty sure it wasn't Sami, which was what she had been afraid of and her reason for trying to leave the room.

"Thank you for doing this on such short notice," she heard him say. "The doorman will have the keys for you and you can return them when you are finished."

"I called a cleaning service," he said, as she quizzically looked at him. "I realize you have to go, but we have to talk about what's going on here so I'll call you." Leaning down, he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before following her to the apartment door and watching as she walked out into the corridor, glancing shyly behind her before she went.

EJ waited a few minutes after Abby left, going around the apartment to make sure that there was no evidence of them having been there. It's not that his lawyer would mind, having used the place so infrequently over the past few years, but he would rather not take the risk of anyone discovering what had happened here between him and Abigail. Not only would it ruin his life with Samantha, but he was reluctant for anyone to tarnish what was between him and Abigail. When he was with her, he felt like they were in a world of their own, where nothing and no one else existed. He knew it was a false reality, but being with her, he found he could only focus on her and no one else. They were starting to enter dangerous territory here, the both of them, and it could end up blowing up their lives if anyone ever found out about them. Even knowing all of this and the consequences of his actions, he had already decided that he could not, and would not, willingly give up Abigail right now. He would have to, later on down the road, before he married Samantha, but right now, he wasn't ready to make that choice. Deciding to work from home for the rest of the day, EJ left the apartment and drove back to the mansion. Entering the mansion, he stopped abruptly as he found his father waiting for him in the study.

"Hello, Father," he greeted him warily.

"Ah, my boy, your secretary was just telling me that you left the office a while ago," Stefano said to him, with his brow raised in query.

"Yes, I had some meetings outside the office and now that they are all done, I've decided to work from home for the rest of the day," he replied as he went over to the desk and placed his briefcase down.

He had taken off his jacket, his father watching him strangely the whole time, and was just loosening his tie when Stefano rose from his chair and approached him.

"Meetings, hmm," Stefano said as he looked at him archly. "Did one of these meetings include the lovely Abigail Deveraux?"

And just like that the bottom dropped out of EJ's world as he stared in mute shock at his father who stared back at him with a wicked glint in his eye.

Abigail made it home in record time and managed to shower, change and make it to TBD in the nick of time, where she found Gabby at the bar, laughing at whatever T was saying to her. She loved Gabby, but, honestly, that girl could be so self-absorbed sometimes. It was no secret that T was into her, but Gabby never seemed to notice.

"Gabby, T, hey. Ready to get started?" she asked as she pulled out a stool and seated herself on it. They both looked at her a little oddly before Gabby opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, Abby saw them both look over her shoulder with the same odd expression.

"Hello, Abby," she heard, as she turned around to see what both of her friends had been looking at.