Frey by Faith Gibson Page B

before I even knew it was gone. Luckily, I
got a scholarship to college and was still able to get my teaching
degree. Long story short, I married Troy, my aunt died, and Matt
came to live with us. If it hadn’t been for one investment my
father made that my aunt didn’t know about, we’d have been
penniless.”
    She paused to study this man standing before
her. His dark brown hair was shorn in a military style. Even though
it was late November, he was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt that
hugged his chest and stretched over his massive biceps. Black
fatigues were tucked into black military looking boots. “Were you
in the military?” she asked.
    “ I was. I did a couple of
tours as a helicopter pilot. I retired several years ago and opened
the dojo. I’ve been thinking about opening another one on the west
coast.”
    Her heart sank. Was he moving? Leaving New
Atlanta? How could he talk about being with her if he was moving?
“So, you’re moving?” She sounded like a whiny teen.
    “ No, of course not. I
would travel out there and oversee the building of the structure
and the opening, but I would hire one of my cousins to run it. I
like New Atlanta and plan on being here for a while. I’d like to
think I now have another reason to stay put.”
    Abbi liked that. She shouldn’t, but she did.
She needed to guard her heart instead of putting it in the hands of
this stranger. His wanting to be with her this quickly didn’t make
sense. She had heard of love at first sight, but there’s no way he
could love her. This was all way too sudden.
    “ How would you like to
visit California?” he asked, stepping closer.
    “ I don’t know. I’ve never
been anywhere except Florida when I was younger. Our parents took
us to the beach the summer before my senior year. We were supposed
to go back when I graduated but…” Ten years later and Abbi still
had a hard time talking about it. “I would like to see another part
of the country, but I have school. Besides, I can’t leave
Matt.”
    “ We could wait until
school is out for the summer. Then both you and Matt could go with
me,” Frey said as he closed the distance between them. He reached
for her hands, holding them gently in his big ones. “You don’t have
to decide now, but at least think about it. Abbi, I was serious
when I said I want you in my life. I want to show you the world.
Hell, I want to give you the world.” He raised her hands to his
mouth and placed soft kisses on her knuckles. The stubble around
his mouth scraped at her skin. The two different textures, soft
lips and rough whiskers, together ignited a fire somewhere south of
her stomach.
    “ Can you really help me
get away from Troy?” Abbi whispered, afraid if she said it too
loudly, someone would hear.
    “ I can. I have a lot of
contacts in this city. You say the word, and I’ll help you start
the process. I’ll set up round the clock protection for both you
and Matthew. I’m not saying it won’t get messy, because I have a
feeling Quinn won’t go away quietly. But I will make it as easy on
you as possible. You’ll have to leave your house for the time
being. We’ll go get your clothes and anything else you want while
he’s at work. I’ll get you and Matt set up in a secure location
where you’ll be safe.”
    There was that feeling again: hope. Then
another feeling overrode it: fear. Abbi placed her hand on her
stomach, the nausea rolling through. “Oh, god. Oh, crap.” What if
he’d already knocked her up? What if this was the one time her body
decided it wanted to cooperate and she carried a baby to term?
    “ Abbi, what is it? Look at
me, tell me what just went through your head.”
    “ What if I’m pregnant?
He’s trying to get me pregnant. He’ll never let me go. He said so.”
Abbi tried to pull her hands away, but Frey gripped them
tighter.
    “ Then you will be a
wonderful mother, and he’ll never see the child if that’s what you
wish. Abbi, no judge is going to grant