EJ was sitting in the study the next morning when Chad came downstairs. He had been up early this morning working out all his anger and frustration. He had called Abigail repeatedly last night, but her phone kept going to voice mail. When Chad hadn't come back to the party, he was almost tempted to drive by Abigail's house to see if Chad was still there, but kept a tight control on himself. It would look suspicious if he suddenly upped and left in the middle of his step-son's party. The other reason for him getting up so early was he wanted to catch Chad before he was up and out the house. He needed to find out what he'd done after he left the party with Abigail. As Chad came through the door, EJ reminded himself to keep calm.
"What the bloody hell were you up to last night?" he asked Chad angrily. So much for remaining calm.
"What did I do?" Chad asked him with a wary look.
"I thought you were going to give Abigail space. I'm telling you Chad, leave her alone. She's not ready," he ranted to his brother.
"Why are you so mad? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous," Chad told him. "But you couldn't be."
"Everyone knows that you wouldn't look at another woman now you've finally got Sami and everything you wanted."
"I'm just concerned for Abigail," EJ replied defensively. "I don't want to see her hurt by you or anyone else. She's a good girl."
"Relax, big brother, I know you're not jealous. Besides, Abby is the last person you would be with. She's my ex and I know you're looking out for her like a little sister," Chad said with a smirk on his face.
"That is how you see her, isn't it?" he asked with the same smirk on his face.
Looking at his brother, EJ had the strongest urge to punch him and keep on punching him. He knew that nothing he said was going to make Chad to stay away from Abby and, if it wasn't so serious, he would find the whole situation hilarious. It was the oldest cliché: two brothers fighting over the same woman, except Chad had no idea he was in a fight for Abby and he, with a fiancee and kids, had no right to fight for her. But he would be damned if he would let anyone have Abigail Devereaux, especially his little brother.
"Stay away from her and give her time," he told Chad one last time before leaving the room in a rage.
Chad watched him go, very pleased at how neatly everyone was falling into place. He may not be at the level of his father and brother, but he knew how to move his pieces around on the chess board. This was going to be fun.
It was stupid and irrational, but EJ found he couldn't stop himself from confronting Chad. He had sat waiting for his brother to come down to the study, had prepared himself on what he wanted to say to him, but he couldn't stop the thoughts from rushing into his head about Chad and Abigail. The same thoughts that were going through his head right now as he sat in his office at DiMera Enterprises. That maybe, just maybe, Chad did have a chance of winning Abigail's love again. Chad was everything he was not. He was a DiMera, yes, but he wasn't despised by almost all of Salem. He was young and good and had not lost his soul under the weight of being a DiMera. Most importantly, Chad was free. He was free to be with Abigail. There were no fiancee and children waiting for him at home. At the thought of his family, he looked at the framed photo of them on his desk and wondered again what he was doing. He was risking everything to be with Abigail and he felt horrible about cheating on Sami and betraying his little brother, but he couldn't let go of Abigail. He was still shocked by it, his need for Abigail, by its strength and persistence. Every time he thought about ending things with her, he felt that would open a hole in his heart that would only grow bigger every day he was without her. But he knew. He knew, of course, what his heart was saying, but his mind refused to acknowledge it. Letting out a deep sigh, he reached for the phone on his desk and told his secretary that he would be out of the office for an hour and would be unavailable during that time. It felt like deja vu, him sitting at his desk and not being able to concentrate on anything else, but Abigail. The walls felt like they were closing in on him and he had to get out of there and these thoughts he was having were doing nothing to improve his mood.
"EJ, honey! You wouldn't believe all the stuff I managed to get done today, between choosing the floral decorations for our wedding and finalizing this deal for Countess- Oh, are you on your way out?" Sami, having barged in the door, finally looked up from rummaging around in her briefcase.
"Actually, I am, sweetheart. Can we talk about your wedding plans later? When I get home, I mean."
"Your wedding plans? Don't you mean our wedding plans?" Sami asked with a frown on her face.
"Don't you care what our wedding is going to be like, honey?" she whined while toying with his shirt.
"Of course, I care. I just know that I can leave everything in your capable hands and it will be everything we both want," EJ said as he leaned down to give her a swift kiss on the cheek before making his escape.
"Hmm, I would almost think that you didn't want to marry me anymore, but, huh, that's impossible," she laughingly said as he turned at the door and looked at her.
"Sweetheart, don't be silly. Of course, I still want to marry you," EJ said and hoped she hadn't noticed the uncertainty in his voice as he went out the door.
EJ strolled through Horton Town Square, heading towards TBD until he was brought up short by the sight of Chad, Abigail and Gabby, sitting at one of the outdoor tables scattered around the square. Standing in the shadows of one of the numerous storefronts that lined the square, he watched the three of them at the table. Chad was talking and whatever he was saying had both girls bursting with laughter. He watched Abigail, trembling with laughter, lay a hand on Chad's arm while his brother casually put his hand around her shoulders as if he were holding her up. At the same time, he put his other arm around Gabby's shoulders, too, so it all seemed like a hug between friends. He had to admit that was very nicely done by Chad, very nicely done. It would look perfectly innocent to any passing onlooker, but EJ knew better. EJ stood there for awhile, his hands fisted at his sides, while he watched the trio and, eventually, first Gabby and then Chad, with a kiss on Abigail's cheek, walked off leaving her sitting there alone.
Suddenly, Abigail's head swiveled in his direction and she stared at him leaning against the wall. It was obvious he had been staring at her for awhile and she guessed that must have been why she'd had felt this strange sensation coursing through her. Every sense inside her sharpened as she watched him slowly walk over to where she was sitting. And...just for an instant...it was as if the world ceased to turn. Would there ever be a moment where she didn't feel this rush of sensation on seeing him? It felt as though every part of her had been invaded by EJ. Her senses, her emotions, her heart. When he was near her, she honestly did not know where she began and he ended. As he sat down, she foolishly- stupidly – felt the urge to touch him, to reach out and caress his face. The urge was so overwhelming that she lifted her hand for a second before recalling where they were. Understanding lit his eyes, as he noted the slight movement of her hand to his face before she forcefully rested her it on her leg, clutching her skirt tightly to check any more of her impulses.
"Come with me," he said demandingly before getting up and walking out of the square.
Come with me. He didn't want to talk to her, of that she was certain. The way he had said it was something else entirely. Abigail shivered as she thought about what would likely happen if she followed him. If she followed him? But that question had already answered itself. Of course, she would follow him. Pushing back her chair and standing on her feet, Abigail was beginning to think that she would follow EJ DiMera anywhere he asked her to. Shaking slightly at this realization, she walked off in the direction he had taken and found him waiting for her at the entrance of the park that led to a small parking lot.
"Did you drive here?" he asked.
EJ eased closer to her, shifting so that his arm brushed the side of her breast. She knew it wasn't an accidental touch. The slight brush of his arm and his nearness were designed to send her spinning, not that she needed any help in that quarter. She would have taken issue with his subtle manipulation, if she hadn't seen the same need in his eyes as well.
"Then, meet me at the apartment. I need to be with you, Abigail," he said reaching down to gently stroke her face as she nodded yes in answer to his question.
Abby tried to follow the speed limit on her way to meet EJ, but it was almost impossible with how impatient she was to be with him again. Parking in the underground garage attached to the building, she raced towards the private entrance and let herself in with the key card that EJ had had specially delivered to her. With a shy wave to the doorman seated at the desk in the lobby, she took the elevator up and, using her key again, entered the apartment quietly. EJ had beaten her to the apartment, but why wouldn't he? He was a race car driver once upon a time and she didn't think he had ever given up his love for fast cars. She saw him go still for a moment, watching her as she stood there, with nerves and desire rolling off her in waves.
"Hi," she said quietly, nervously.
Then everything happened all at once. Abby was by the door, she was in his arms and then she was on the desk that served as a temporary workspace for those rare occasions when his lawyer was in town. His gaze was fixed on her mouth and, lowering his head, he brought his mouth so close to hers that their breaths mingled. His and hers...together, as if they were one. Abby's breath became ragged as she waited for him to kiss her. At the first touch of his lips to hers, Abby wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back fiercely, her fingers reaching up to clench in his hair.
Leaning Abigail back on the desk until her back met the wall, EJ pressed against her with the full weight of his body, letting her feel how much he wanted her. He felt her wrap her legs around his waist, both of them working on blind need now. She pulled him close with a hand around his arm, her other working over his back, fingers slipping down to unbuckle his belt.
"This is crazy. What you do to me, what you make me feel. " She breathed between kisses, arching into him when he ran a teasing finger over the curve of her breast.
"Probably," he said breaking away from her mouth, he held her face between his hands and stared at her intently. "But I feel it, too, Abigail."
EJ stripped her of her shirt and bra while she pulled his tie off and hurriedly unfastened the buttons as he fought to draw her underwear down her legs, leaving the black material hanging from one ankle. Her hands busied themselves at his belt again when he lowered his head to her breasts, sucking each peak into his mouth and loving the way her moans vibrated through her body. She smiled up at him, smoothing her hands over his arms as he ran a finger between her thighs, teasingly. Abby whimpered with need when his index finger entered her briefly while he watched her with an increasingly dark gaze. She could tell, that just like her, he was coming closer and closer to his breaking point.
The desk creaked beneath them when he entered her, the force behind his action tempered only by concern for Abigail, whose hands were now gripping his shoulders tightly. She let out another whimper when he filled her completely, holding him still when he tried to move. EJ waited for her to adjust, bracing a hand beside her head while the other clenched around her waist possessively, then noting the small wiggle she made, clenched her harder as he slowly withdrew. His next thrust was just as forceful but Abigail was ready, lifting herself up to kiss his lips and release a moan of pleasure into his mouth. She was so tight around him, desperate for his touch in the same way he needed hers. Her sighs and moans were driving him insane and he found new ways to touch her, new places to press his lips, his tongue, his fingers while she moved frantically beneath him.
Abigail pulled back from EJ's lips with a ragged gasp, taking a breath before pressing her lips to the side of his neck, her blond hair spilling around his shoulders, as he rolled his hips into her.
"Please," he heard her say repeatedly.
He made out the sound of her whispering his name, too, EJ and he drew his hand from her thigh, up her side and over her breast, stroking her nipples as he passed. EJ groaned when Abigail tightened around him. His hand curled around the back of her neck and held her head steady, watching her reactions as she started to shake and pulse around him. Her eyes locked onto his, their unexplainable pull burning between them as she came apart in his arms with him joining her a second later in release.
Abigail ran her fingers through his short dark hair, waiting quietly for him to come back to himself. After awhile, he lifted her tenderly in his arms and walking over to the couch sat down with her still cradled in his arms and tucked the throw around them both. She nestled against him, limp and relaxed, and with a little sigh, she curled her hand against his chest.
EJ kissed her knuckles, then rested his chin against her temple, inhaling the smell of her. He wasn't ready to let her go as yet so they stayed that way, with her head on his shoulder with his heart beating directly beneath her cheek. He peppered more kisses on the top of her head before leaning back against the couch with a contented sigh. He didn't know how to put into words what he was feeling just laying here with her like this until it struck him, Abigail brought a surprising peace to his soul.