Sheffield, England

Christmas Eve, 2049

Tyler checked his watched for the third time in the last hour.

“Where the hell is that daughter of mine?” he griped, again, for the third time. “Mark, are you sure about the time her flight left L.A.?”

Mark shrugged. “That’s the time she gave me.”

“And who’s this friend that she’s bringing? Its some chap, isn’t it?”

Mark flustered a bit. “Uh, I’m thinking it is.”

“Yeah, well I’m thinking you know more than you’re letting on,” Grace grilled her son.

Mark held his hands up. “I’m pleading the fifth!”

“Well, I can’t understand why all of you didn’t fly in together,” Grace said. “What audition could’ve been so important that she had to put off getting home or Christmas Eve on time, not to mention, its her birthday? Its bad enough that Stephanie and Frank are stranded in New York in a blizzard and J.T.’s overwhelmed at the hotel in Dublin, now Abby’s missing.”

“She’s not missing, mum. They’ll be here. And….stop worrying. She’s a big girl now.”

“Yeah, I know, but…..in reality she is still a teenager.”

“Yeah, and she’s still a wench,” Mark mused, sneaking some Christmas cookies from under the tightly wrapped tray. It earned him a smack on the hand from his mother.

“Crikey, mum, I’m starving!”

“Me too,” Joe called out from where he was plastered on the couch in front of the telly. “I’m frail enough as it is, and now my daughter’s trying to starve me.”

“Sorry dad, but we’re going to eat as a family,” Grace called back to him.

Sav reached forward, from where he was firmly planted on the couch next to Joe and snuck some snacks out from under another tightly wrapped tray.

“Cheese?” he said, holding it up to Joe.

Joe looked around for his wife and, when he didn’t see her, took the cheese. “Fuck, yes! Who cares about bloody cholesterol at this age? Its like putting a state of the art stereo system in a car with 300,000 kilometers on it. Hey….grab some pepperoni too!”

“How about washing it down with a martini?” Sav sarcastically asked.

“No, but I’d give my bloody false teeth for a shot of tequilia!”

“Sorry uncle Joe,” Scott said, joining them. “But I don’t think its gonna be that merry of a Christmas for you.”

Joe gave Scott a dirty look. “Who asked for your opinion, doctor?”

“Don’t talk to my son like that,” Sav said, elbowing Joe.

“Stuff it!”

Mark headed back to the downstairs family room where Trevor, Emily and Tara were. He plopped next to Tara on the couch, laid his head on her lap and plopped two cookies in his mouth at once.

Tara looked down at him with a snitty look. “Comfy?”

“Oh yeah!”

“So Mark, how long before you go back out to L.A.?” Trevor asked.

“We’re all taking about two weeks – until after the new year,” Mark replied. “Or at least, until Paul’s girlfriend pops that kid out.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Tara exclaimed. “When’s Bekka due?”

“I’d say a week ago. She’s fucking huge. That wee lad’s gonna rip her in two on the way out.”

“Lucky for you men, you’ll never have to experience that,” Emily chimed in.

“Well, you’ll just have to hope that Trev knocks you up with tiny ones.”

“Mark!” Trevor and Tara both said in unison. Emily, on the other hand, just remained quiet and blushed.

“Oh, quit being so clueless. You know its gonna happen someday.”

“So, what are the other lads doing for Christmas?” Tara asked.

“Troy’s still with that girl – the redhead from Hawaii he ran into 6 months ago. Her name’s Kimberly. She’ll make the perfect rock star girlfriend. Good set of knockers!”

Tara rolled her eyes. “So……what about Rob?”

Mark got sheepish. “Uh….what about him?”

“Is he still stag or did the love of his life fall into his lap too?”

Again, Mark stammered. “Uh….well….”

Just then, the upper door opened and Tyler called down. “Abby’s finally here. C’mon, lets eat before we all pass out!”

Mark hopped off the couch, glad to avoid the question, and disappeared upstairs with Trevor right behind him. Tara looked at Emily. “You look like you know something. What’s up?”

Emily leaned in and whispered. “Well, don’t say anything, but…I think Trevor’s gonna propose for Christmas.”

Tara’s eye widened. “For sure?”

“Almost. And you know what this means. You’ll have to design my wedding dress.”

Tara gave her a hug. “What are cousins for?”

Upstairs, Abby came in the front door. “I made it! Lets eat!” she called out.

Tyler and Grace came around the corner to see their daughter come in with………

“Rob?” Tyler asked. “You’re the friend Abby was bringing home?”

Mark came up behind his father and looked at Rob, waiting for all of this to unfold. However, Grace’s eyes honed right in on her daughter’s left hand.

“Uh, why do I have a feeling we’re more than friends here?” Grace asked with a very worried look.

Abby saw where her mother was looking and decided that it was just best to end the torture and let it all out. She proudly held out her left hand, displaying a dazzling solitaire diamond and……wedding band.

“You’re right. Rob isn’t my friend. As of yesterday, he’s my husband.”

Chapter 2

Tyler and Grace were stunned into speechlessness. However, Mark was not.

“Married? You……you got married? Mate, you didn’t say you were gonna marry my sister. You’re crazier than I thought!”

“Stuff it, Mark!” Abby bit out

Mark’s parents turned on him.

“You mean you knew about this?” they both asked in unison.

Mark back away, pretending innocence. “Not about them getting married, I didn’t.”

“Mum?” Abby called out.

“But you knew about them seeing each other?” Grace asked.

“Mum!” again, Abby called out, a bit louder.

“Um…well….yeah,” Mark stammered. “What could I do? They’re both adults now. Abby’s gonna do what she wants… when she wants.”

“Hello!” Abby yelled. “Will all of you quit talking about us like we’re not even here?

“Aye, what’s all the yelling in there?” Joe called out from the living room.

Tyler looked at his daughter and motioned with his head to answer her grandfather. Abby took Rob by the hand and led him inside. Joe and Sav, with their wives beside them, looked up and grinned.

“Uh…..grandpas, grandmas,” Abby said. “Rob and I were married yesterday.”

Sav’s mouth dropped while Joe let out a hollar. “Holy shit! Leave it to you, Abby, to pull something like this. Well…..congratulations.”

“Thank you grandpa,” Abby replied.

“Well, I guess I call you grandpa too, huh?” Rob finally spoke.

“Don’t you dare,” Joe stressed.

Abby’s grandmothers got up and hugged her, all the while, Tyler and Grace stood in the back with smoke practically coming out of their ears. Mark flopped on the other couch and pulled Trevor down next to him.

“Get a good seat, mate. There’s gonna be flipping fireworks!”

Tyler and Grace finally stepped forward towards their daughter and new son-in-law. “May we speak to you both in private?” Tyler said in a manner that was not a question.

“Uh, can you do that later?” Joe replied. “We’re ready to drop from hunger here.”

“Eat the cheese, dad!” Grace bit out while keeping a stern eye on her daughter the whole time.

“Gladly,” Joe said with a grin as he leaned forward, only to get a slap on the hand from his wife.

“Tyler, if I may,” Sav spoke up. “Its very rare that I admit this, but I think Joe is right.”

Joe smiled, before he realized it was a backhanded compliment.

“Listen, its Christmas Eve,” Sav continued. “Its also your daughter’s birthday. Lets put this aside for the moment and have dinner. Then…..after dessert, the four of you can take your tea privately and talk. Agreed?”

Tyler looked from his father to his wife, who nodded. They then both looked at the newlyweds, who looked like they were granted a reprive.

“Agreed,” Tyler said, before leaning into Rob and whispered in a dangerous tone. “I want to talk to you alone, first.”

“Yes sir,” Rob gulped.

As they began to file into the dining room, Mark hopped up off the couch and grabbed Rob’s arm. “Better eat up, mate. May be your last meal.”

Rob grinned and opened himself up a bottle of Guinness. “I’m not worried, dude. Abby and I knew we’d have to face this today. We’re more than prepared.”

“But Rob…….married? I didn’t know you were planning this.”

“That’s the point of a ‘secret’. You don’t tell anyone.”

“Yeah, but……you married my sister. She’s the biggest wench alive.”

“Yeah, well I love the little wench,” Rob admitted with an adoring smile.

“But….the two of you have been sneaking around since you ran into each other at the hospital. Its only been six months. She’s only nineteen. What’s the rush, mate?”

Mark’s mouth suddenly dropped upon realization. “Did you knock her up?”

Rob almost spit his beer across the room. “No way! How could I when we……..?”

“What?”

Abby then cut in to take Rob’s hand and lead him into the dining room. He turned back to Mark and whispered.

“Tell ya later.”

Chapter 3

Christmas Eve dinner was a little awkward and somewhat quiet. Small talk seemed forced as no one was brave enough to pose questions to Abby and Rob about their spur-of-the-moment nuptuials. However, the newlyweds didn’t let it spoil the fact that they were, indeed, newlyweds.

Tyler speared a piece of ham and pineapple and put it in his mouth, all the while watching his baby daughter get nuzzled by an over-sexed rock star. Every fatherly instinct inside of him wanted to take Rob by the back of his neck and tell him ‘hands off!” Even though Abby was legally an adult, she was still his little girl. Always will be.

He thought of the day when he would walk her down the aisle to meet her future husband. But he had hoped that ‘husband’ would’ve been some grounded young man with a secure desk job who’d be home by five every night and do little chores around the house on the weekends.

Instead, his new son-in-law was a rock guitarist, 8 years her senior, who spent the good part of the last 4 years of his life away from home writing, recording, touring, drinking and screwing.

Tyler could easily call himself a hypocrit - he once was one of those rock stars who lived for writing, recording, touring drinking and screwing. But he didn’t marry Grace until 2 years after Crossfire disbanded when Mark and Randy died. Sure, he had to travel a lot, but being a record label mogul and producer doesn’t get you easily laid by groupies.

After dinner, Grace brought out Abby’s nineteenth birthday cake as everyone cheesily sang, her grandpa Joe trying his damndest to be the loudest. After she blew out the candles, her new husband gave her a slow, lingering kiss that had everyone grinning.

“Get a room!” Mark couldn’t stop himself from saying before Tara elbowed him.

Rob pulled away from his beautiful, young wife and bent down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to have you later. Last night didn’t do anything to satisfy what I’ve been waiting months to have.”

All the women in the room sighed at the adoration in Rob’s eyes for Abby, while the men leered over the prospect of someone’s bed doing a whole lot of rocking tonight.

All the men....except Tyler, who loudly cleared his throat.

“Uh....you have your whole lives to snog. Cut your cake, lass.”

Abby tore her eyes away from her gorgeous husband and cut her birthday cake before Grace took over to slice out sections for everyone. Joe shoved a plate in his daughter’s face.

“No pathetic little sliver, will ya? I could easily get hit by a car than die of sugar shock.”

Grace looked at her elderly father, who was still so spunky, forward and obnoxious after all these years, and cut him a healthy slice of cake. Dropping it on his plate, she winked at him.

“Merry Christmas, dad,” she sassed. “Enjoy it, because tomorrow it’ll be back to farina and prune juice.”

“Glad I don’t have to be around him when that happens,” Sav said, taking a plate with a small slice of cake.

After everyone settled in the the main living room, Tyler turned to Rob.

“Well, since everyone is enjoying their cake and tea, why don’t the two of us adjourn to my office?”

Rob polished off his cake then took his full teacup. “Lead the way.”

“Daddy?” Abby begged. “What are you doing?”

“Aren’t I allowed to have a talk with my new son-in-law?”

Abby looked nervously from her father to Rob, before Rob bent down to her. “Don’t worry sweetheart. Your dad and I need to do this.”

He kissed her forehead before taking off with her father.

Chapter 4

As Tyler closed the door of his office, he went to lean up against his desk then turned to Rob.

“Sit down,” he said, motioning to a small futon along one wall.

Rob nervously sat as he prepared himself for a barrage of questions about these past six months.

“Go ahead.....shoot,” Rob offered.

Tyler pinched his bridge of his nose. “You know...I have absolutely no idea where to begin. How about you explaining to me how all this transpired?”

Rob leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Okay...well, obviously I ran into Abby at the hospital when I first came to see Mark. I gotta be honest - I didn’t even recognize her. I mean, the first time I met her she was only a 13 year old girl. And now...........”

Rob’s face couldn’t hide remembering his reaction to when he first saw Abby six months ago. Her stunning beauty, those hypnotic green eyes, that delicious pink mouth....... and her body.....

“I get it....go on,” Tyler bit out, knowing where Rob’s thoughts were going.

Rob snapped out of it. “Well, anyway, when she told me who she was, I was floored. I couldn’t believe how incredibly beautiful she grew up to be. I don’t know what it was, but I had this urge to get to know her. After we left the hospital, we met each other at a pub for dinner and we talked for hours. I knew she was barely nineteen at the time, but she seemed so much more mature...more independent....more sure of herself and where she wanted to go in life than anyone older than her. When we realized how late it was, we...we didn’t want to leave each other, but we did. I went back to my hotel room - alone!”

Tyler took in every word Rob said. “And.....ever since then, you’ve been secretly seeing each other?”

“Well, at first we didn’t know if it was just a one-time infatuation or something more. Then when I found out that she was accompanying Mark to L.A. to go on auditions while he worked on the album with us, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to continue to see each other. We met whenever we could and talked more.”

“Just talked?” Tyler questioned suspiciously.

Rob bit his lip, knowing he may have to divulge the most private aspect of his and Abby’s relationship. “Believe it or not, yes. Tyler....uh.....or do you want me to call you dad?”

“I’ll let you know after you’re done explaining how much more you did with my daughter other than talk.”

Tyler knew he was going a bit overboard with the protective father routine and probably had no right to ask the questions he was. But damn, his still-teenage daughter just committed the rest of her life to a rock star that she’d only known for six months! Legally adult or not, he needed to know this young man’s intentions.

Rob flustered a bit, not knowing how to explain this. “Tyler, if you’re trying to ask if Abby and I had sex during our six month courtship, the answer is no.”

Tyler knitted his brows with disbelief. “You? A rock star who’s done God-knows-what with God-knows-who these last several years, had a celibate relationship with my daughter?”

Rob’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Hard to imagine, huh?”

“Extremely,” Tyler replied flatly.

“Look, I see that I’m going to have to explain something very.......personal - more personal in your daughter’s case more than mine. Tyler, I knew I was falling in love with your daughter after only a few dates with her. But, it was when she told me something about herself - a decision that she made - well, it just sealed the deal. I knew that she’d be the one I’d marry.”

“And what was this decision?”

“That.......that she wanted to ......wait.....until her wedding night. She told me that she didn’t want to give herself to anyone but her husband. For her to have the confidence to feel that she’s worth the wait gave me no choice but to agree. I mean, for the last three tours I’ve had women offering anything and everything. Do you know what its like to meet a woman who has so much respect for herself after experiencing nothing but that?”

Tylers features softened a bit. “Yeah, I guess I do. But that still doesn’t answer why you had to sneak and get married - and....after only six months? Couldn’t you have waited until she was a little older?”

Rob leered. “Well, lets face it, it was getting hard to wait - for both of us.”

“So......you married my daughter just so you can have sex with her?”

“Yes. I mean...no! Tyler, c’mon! Do you really think that I would commit the rest of my life to someone just for sex? Hell, I’m in a rock band! I could get it without even asking.”

Tyler gave him a dangerous look and raised one eyebrow in warning.

“Uh....that....that didn’t come out right,” Rob stammered.

“Then I think you better re-phrase it.”

Rob finally stood to face his father-in-law. “Tyler, I really don’t know what else to say. So, I’m just going to speak my heart. I’m in love with Abby. For six months, she was the only woman I saw - the only one I thought about. I can’t explain it, but....when I saw her in the hospital that day, it wasn’t lust. It wasn’t infatuation. It wasn’t a conquest. She did something that no other woman had been capable to do. She enchanted me. I went back to my room that night and stayed up until almost 3 in the morning and wrote two songs about her - thats how much she affected me! There’s nothing more I can explain other than I love her, cherish her and will always take care of her.”

Tyler folded his arm and softly smiled. “Rob, I know your feelings for my daughter are genuine. But you know, all’s wonderful now because you’ve been home all these months and its been convenient to see each other. Have you talked about how you’re going to handle the time apart? She’ll be in L.A. going home to an empty house every night, while you’re holed up in a recording studio for months. Then it’ll only be back home for a short time before album promo’s begin. Radio, telly and magazine interviews, autograph sessions, photo sessions and then the tour. That’s going to be a lot of stress on a young marriage.”

“I understand that and, beleive me, we’ve talked about it in great detail. But my situation is no different than any other rock star in a relationship. We all have steady girls now - and Paul’s gonna be a father in a few weeks - so we’re a bit more grounded than we were when Mark first joined the band. We know that its not always going to be as easy as the last six months, but as long as we’re committed to each other, we’ll do what we have to to make it work.”

Tyler was silent for a few moments, which unnerved Rob a bit.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

Tyler sighed heavily then smiled warmly. “Well......welcome to the family. And....call me dad!”

Chapter 5

Later that night after everyone left, Abby helped her mother clean up while Tyler, Mark and Rob talked about the progress Fusion was making with the album.

Abby put some serving dishes away and used this time to gage her mother’s opinion.

“So mum......you haven’t really told me what you think?”

Grace turned to face her daughter and braced her hands on the back edge of the counter. “Abby, I can’t lie to you and say that I’m not shocked - nor disappointed.”

Abby’s lovely face fell. “I’m sorry, mum.”

Grace walked towards her and cupped her face. “I mean, I’m disappointed that my only daughter got married and your father and I, plus the rest of the family, weren’t present. Especially your grandparents. Your grandfathers are pushing 90, lass. I think they want to get as many milestones in as possible. To see their children marry is one thing, but to live long enough to see their grandchildren marry is quite another.”

“Mum, I want you to know that Rob and I plan to do it all over again - with a lovely, traditional ceremony, reception - the works! We’re sorry we did it this way first. We just........ couldn’t wait.”

Grace narrowed her eyes. “Abby......you’re not pregnant?”

“No! That’s something I’m definitely not ready for.”

Abby then turned a bit bashful. “And, as a matter of fact, up until last night, I wasn’t even ready for sex, let alone motherhood.”

Abby bit her lip and waited to see her mother’s reaction.

“Huh?” Grace asked, perplexed. “You...you mean you’ve never? Even while you were dating Rob?”

Abby shook her head. “Surprised?”

“A little,” Grace replied. “If you don’t mind me getting personal, may I ask what made you decide to wait?”

Abby paced a bit and wrung her hands. “In high school, I wasn’t just Abby Savage. I was also the granddaughter of two rock stars, the daughter of one and, for the last 3 years, the sister of one. And because of that, ever since I was old enough to date, lads thought that I’d be an easy shag because they thought that I had some kind of wild upbringing.”

Grace frowned, knowing that her daughter was thought of that way.

“Anyway,” Abby continued, “that made me decide to fight back at that image by, you know.....remaining a virgin. I felt I could wait. Thats when I decided to really throw myself into the drama club at school and doing all the community theatre productions. It helped keep my mind off relationships. It was then that Mark had his accident and I ran into Rob at the hospital. I’ve had a crush on him since I was 13 and I couldn’t believe he was interested in me. But, when we began to steadily see each other when I got to L.A, well......I knew I had to tell him my decision before he began to......expect something that I wasn’t going to give.”

Grace’s interest was really piqued. “And......just how did he react?”

Abby smiled in remembrance. “Believe it or not, he was okay with it. Better than okay. He told me that it made him respect me even more. Not only did he understand my decision, but it was like he went out of his want to make sure that I didn’t give in, which, believe me, was getting really hard to do. I mean....look at him, mum? He’s bloody gorgeous! I think if lads in school looked like him, maybe I would’ve given it up! We decided not to wait any longer. Not that we just got married for that, but.......we just knew it was right.”

Grace smiled at her daughter. “He obviously felt you were special. A woman who gives it up, as you say, so easily doesn’t ensure her that she’ll hang onto a lad. Men don’t respect women like that, nor do they marry them. Rob probably looked at you as a precious, untouched gem, which probably made all those encounters with groupies seem pitiful.”

Abby blushed under her mum’s praise and grateful that the two of them can talk about such things. After all - her dad used to be a rock star so her mum knew exactly what she was talking about.

Grace then sat next to her daughter and put a hand on her arm. “I’m proud of you, lass. I love you and only want you to be happy.”

“I am mum,” Abby beamed. “Trust me!”

Just then the men came in, deciding to finally call it a night. Abby got up and went to put her arms around Rob. “Um Rob and I will be staying in the guest room.”

“What for?” Tyler asked. “You’ve got a double bed in your room.”

Abby was flustered, obvious that she didn’t want to get into her reasons why she wanted the guest room. “I....I don’t know, I guess I just don’t want to stay in my room, you know.....being a married woman. Anyway, goodnight.”

“Good night everyone,” Rob said, putting his arm around his wife. “Thanks for everything tonight.”

He then looked down at Abby with a wicked gleam in his midnight blue eyes before they both headed upstairs.

Meanwhile, Mark folded his arms and regarded his clueless parents. “Am I the only one who caught onto that?”

“Why don’t you enlighten us?” Grace asked her son.

“Abby’s bedroom is near yours,” Mark explained . “The guest room is on the other side of the house. They just got married yesterday. And according to what Rob just filled me in on, up until last night, Abby held out on him - for six bloody months! I don’t think their wedding night was enough for Rob to........get all his frustrations out!”

Mark wiggled his brows and twinkled his green eyes. “Do I have to explain further?”

“No, thank you!” Tyler bit out.

Chapter 6

Abby was in the guest bath changing into a pair of satin pajama shorts and a matching tank top. She immediately grinned, knowing that they wouldn’t stay on her for long.

She began to think about last night - her official wedding night - and her entire body began to tingle. If she knew that sex was that good, she probably wouldn’t have been able to wait as long as she did! And tonight, she wouldn’t keep her gorgeous, sexy husband waiting one more minute.

She came out to find Rob sprawled on his back in bed wearing nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms. Abby’s eyes devoured his 5’10, lean hard body - from his photogenic face, well-defined arms, muscled abs and a faint trail of light brown hair that stretched from his navel to where it disappeared beneath his pajama bottoms.

And Abby found out last night just what lay at the end of that trail could do to her!

Rob saw his young bride lustily look him over and it caused him to get hard in an instant.

“Don’t just stand there, beautiful,” he said, holding out his hand. “Get over here.”

Abby was quickly learning seduction. She knew her husband wanted her badly and, as much as she wanted him, she knew playing a bit hard to get would make him even more wild. She walked to the foot of the bed and put her hands on the edge, leaning over to give him a look at her cleavage and sticking her bum in the air.

“Is this close enough?” she teased.

“Oooooh, your brother’s right. You are a little wench!”

“You have no idea,” Abby warned, as she crawled on her hands and knees up alongside Rob’s body. It didn’t take long for him give in and roll her to her back with a growl.

“Looks like I’m gonna have to tame the wench,” Rob said before taking her mouth in a kiss that they’ve both been dying for all night. Their mouth’s opened and their tongues welcomed each other., causing the kiss to become feverish.

The one thing about Rob that blew Abby away from the very beginning was his skill at the simple art of kissing. All she ever knew were the hasty, sloppy kisses of high school lads. But Rob wasn’t just a lad – he was a man – an experienced man who knew what to do and how to do it. Never in her life did she think a mere kiss could cause to skin to melt off her bones. And now was no different.

Their hands furiously sought out each other’s exposed skin and it wasn’t long before Rob pulled away to yank Abby’s satin tank off. He remained hovered above her only long enough to drink in the perfection of her young, tight body, silky smooth skin and champagne glass shaped breasts. He couldn’t wait one second longer.

“Dammit, Abby!” he murmured as he dipped his head and took her breast in his mouth and suckled her while his hands roamed her everywhere else.

When Rob first did this last night, Abby thought she would die from the sensation. Her fingers threaded themselves in his chestnut colored hair and pulled. The combination of pain and pleasure was raw for both of them.

Abby shifted her body below until each leg was on either side of Rob’s body. Then, her young, uncontrolled body caused her to lift her legs and hook them around Rob’s hips – a move that caused him lose his mind.

He instinctively began to grind down against her, as his lips trailed up from her breast to her neck and face, before huskily whispering in her ear.

“What’s the matter, little girl?” he murmured. “Can’t wait?”

Rob emphasized his words by poking her satin covered center with his erection. “You want this, don’t you?” he teased. “You want this inside, right here, nice and deep!”

Abby tried to play the cool seductress, but as soon as her husband sexily rasped what he planned to do to her, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She’d beg if she had to!

“Yes,” she replied in a drawn out whisper. “Please, Rob. I want you so much.”

Rob’s hand expertly slid her satin shorts off, as well as his pajama bottoms and positioned himself. Since it was only their second time together, they were so hot for each other that they didn’t need foreplay. Rob was mindful of the fact that she may still be sore from last night and tried to go slow, but Abby wouldn’t have it. She thrust her young body up, causing him to sink into her.

“God damn, Abby!” Rob hissed upon being enveloped by her sweet tightness.

Abby wrapped her arms and legs around her husband as he thrust himself in and out of her. “Yes, Rob! Oh...my..God....yes!

Their mouths found each other again and their tongues dueled in the same rhythem as their bodies. Abby arched herself up, getting ready to give herself over in complete surrender.

For Rob, it wasn’t a moment too soon because Abby’s tightness sent him over the edge. He buried his face in her neck and groaned as he spilled himself inside of her.

As he lay there catching his breath from an orgasm that wracked his entire body, he felt his wife begin to giggle beneath him. Lifting his head, he bore his liquid blue eyes into hers.

“What’s so funny?”

Abby put her hand on his heart and felt the rapid beating, a sign of the effect she had on him.

“Who wound up taming who?”

Rob kissed her sweet little nose. “Who thought it would take a young innocent to make me forget my own name?”

Abby’s fingers traced the planes of his handsome face. “Have I done that? Am I really all you want?”

Rob brought his face close to hers. “Forever,” he whispered against her mouth. “I love you so much, Abby.”

Abby wrapped herself tightly about him, afraid to let go. “I love you too, Rob. So bloody much.”

Abby let tears of joy and fear fill her eyes. Joy, over knowing the fact that this man was hers for life.

And fear, over things unknown that may find their way into their perfect little world.

Chapter 7

The following morning, Mark went downstairs to find out that he wasn’t the first one up on Christmas morning. Rob sat at the kitchen table in his pajama bottoms and t-shirt, drinking a much coveted cup of coffee while Abby fought a one-woman battle with a Belgium waffle iron and mix.

“What’s this?” Mark asked, looking from Abby to Rob.

“Oh, I just thought I’d make Christmas breakfast for everyone.”

Mark looked at the semi-burnt waffles that Abby made so far and wrinkled his nose. “Uh...I’ll pass. I think the band needs me alive to record the album.”

Mark then turned to Rob. “Did you find out that she can’t cook before or after you got hitched?”

“Stuff it, Mark!” Abby bit out before peeking under the iron.

“Lets just say that it really wasn’t necessary criteria at the time,” Rob smirked. “And besides....once we get back to L.A., I’ll hire someone to come to the house and give her cooking lessons if she needs it.”

Just then, Abby yelped in pain as she stuck her fingers in her mouth to cool them off after pulling yet another burned waffle out of the iron. Mark leaned into Rob.

“Trust me mate......she’ll need them!”

Tyler and Grace walked in on the little domestic scene causing Abby to look up from her disastrous cooking attempt.

“Merry Christmas!” she said with a smile, hoping that they’d appreciate the effort, if not the meal itself.

“Merry Christmas,” Grace replied. “Abby.....I don’t think Belgium waffles are supposed to be black.”

“They’re....they’re not all black,” Abby tried to reason. “See....some of them are just dark brown.”

“Dad, you may need coffee to wash this breakfast down,” Mark mused.

“Coffee, huh?” Tyler said, going over to the pot. “I can always tell when there’s a Yank in my home. Its probably the only time the coffee pot is used.”

Tyler poured himself a cup then looked at Rob suspiciously. “I’m surprised you’re up so early.”

Mark agreed. “Yeah, aren’t newlyweds supposed to spend their first month in bed or something?”

“Would if I could,” Rob leered.

“Mmmm, me too,” Abby agreed softly.

Tyler didn’t need to hear that. It was bad enough that he fell asleep last night wondering how badly his new son-in-law was ravaging his daughter’s body.

“Tell you what,” Tyler said. “I think the bakery in town is only open for a few hours this morning. Why don’t I call in and order up some scones and muffins and go pick them up?”

Abby looked hurt. “Is that you’re way of saying that you’re not going to eat my waffles?”

Tyler made a sheepish face.

“Well, its the thought that counts,” Abby said, good-naturedly. “Hey, perhaps I’ll try making dinner......”

“NO!” came just about everyone’s voice in the room, including her husband.

Abby’s eyes scanned everyone before tossing her blonde hair and heading upstairs.

“Nice going, mate,” Mark said to Rob. “Nothing like getting cut off from action two days into your marriage!”

As Grace cleaned up Abby’s mess and Tyler called the bakery, Rob and Mark went to sit in front of the tree in the living room. As they did, Mark’s cell phone on the coffee table went off.

“This is Mark.........aye, Paul! Merry Christmas, mate. Hey wait, its 9am here, meaning that its gotta be 1am in L.A. What? She did! Aye, congrats, mate! Wow, no shit! Get out! You didn’t! Man, I can’t believe you did that! Aye, give Bekka our regards and uh....try to stay upright! Yeah, screw you too!”

Mark clicked off the cell phone and looked at Rob. “Bekka had the baby a little after midnight. L.A. time. Almost 10 bloody pounds! And....Paul actually passed out in the delivery room!”

Rob let out a raucous laught. “Oh, no way! Man, I can’t believe he even confessed that. He must’ve started drinking as soon as Bekka went into labor or something. Oh, I’m gonna rib him good when I get back.”

“Better go easy on him, mate,” Mark said. “He just may rib you right back when he finds out that you married my little sister. He and Troy don’t know, right?”

“Nope! We didn’t tell anyone. Not even my parents. Not even management!”

Mark cringed a bit. “Oh shit! Wonder how thats gonna go over. Nothing like marrying your drummer’s 19 year old sister to tarnish your sex symbol status. You’re gonna have a lot of broken hearts on your hand.”

“Yeah, well...what about the rest of you?” Rob asked. “You and Tara are serious. Troy’s in love with Kimberly and now Paul’s a father.”

“Yes, but you still have something that none of us have,” Mark reminded him.

“Whats that?”

“A wife.” Mark replied.

“What’s the difference?”

“The difference is....you’re legally off the market. That’ll either piss off your female fans......or.....”

“Or what?”

“Or, it’ll make you seem even more of a challenge. Its quite a notch for a groupie to get a married rock star to cheat on his wife.”

“Yeah, well they can try all they want,” Rob said with assurance. “Anyway, I’ll have the eternal threat of you kicking my ass if I fuck around on your sister.”

“And my father,” Mark reminded him.

“Well, neither of you have to worry about a thing. I love your sister and I’m committed to her - no questions asked.”

Just then, Abby came bounding down the stairs and went to the bookshelf in the kitchen. She pulled a recipe book out and turned to everyone.

“Whether anyone likes it or no, I will cook dinner for everyone before I leave England!”

Mark looked at Rob with pity. “Hope that love extends deep, mate!”

Chapter 8

Abby, Rob and Mark remained in Sheffield until after the new year. Stephanie, Frank and little Isabella finally made it in, as well as J.T., his wife and two children. The only one who wasn’t shocked over Abby’s surprise marriage was Stephanie.

“Took the same route I did, I see,” Stephanie said to Abby. “Now your dad knows how mine felt when I dropped that bomb in his lap.”

“Yeah, but it was a bit different with you, Steph,” Abby said as she played with Isabella on the floor. “You were what….26 when you eloped with Frank? I’m still a teenager. I knew that daddy would absolutely freak.”

“Yet, that didn’t stop you,” Stephanie questioned.

Abby smiled a typical newlywed bride’s smile. “No, it didn’t. Steph, I still can’t believe it,” Abby said, looking at her wedding ring. “I mean, I remember being 13 and coming down the stairs and first seeing Rob in my house back when Mark first joined the band. I knew I was seriously underage for him. But 19 and 26 is a lot different than 13 and 21. When I first saw him in the hospital……the way he looked at me….it was like some kind of fantasy. With his status, he could have any woman he wanted. I still can’t believe he chose me.”

Stephanie smirked over Abby’s lovestruck look. “Well, don’t question it sweetie. You’ve got him. Anyway, onto more important issues. How’s the sex?”

Abby quickly put her hands over Isabella’s ears. “Steph, watch it. She’ll start repeating you.”

“Oh, Frank and I just keep the curse words down to a dull roar. Other than that, she repeats just about everything already. So…….answer my question? I thought Frank was hot, but damn…..Rob is one mega piece of male flesh. What’s it been like shagging him these past 6 months?”

Abby knew that her answer would definitely shock her wild cousin Stephanie. She decided to play with her and be blasé.

“Oh, well, Rob and I didn’t have sex until our wedding night,” Abby replied, matter-of-factly. “I was a virgin right up till then.”

Stephanie was momentarily stunned, then began to laugh.

“Yeah! Right! Had me there for a moment.”

Abby looked at her seriously. “I’m not kidding.”

Stephanie realized she wasn’t kidding and was momentarily speechless. “Wow! I mean….how? Crikey, Abbs, how’d you do it? Hell, how did he do it? Man, he was used to getting left, right and sideways!”

Abby flustered a bit, not liking being reminded of her new husband’s past raunchiness on the road.

“Well, it wasn’t easy. I made a decision to stay that way in highschool and I stuck to it. Rob was really fine with it. It was almost as if he was impressed. I knew what he did for a living and part of that living meant he could get it anytime, anywhere. I just didn’t to be another one of ‘those girls’. I wanted to be just the opposite”

Stephanie, too, was impressed. “I have to hand it to you, Abbs. That took major ballocks. Just goes to show that you don’t have to put out to get a ring on your finger. You proved that you didn’t need sex to get the guy.”

“Yeah,” Abby said, with a bit of unsureness.

“What?” Stephanie asked.

Abby looked up at her with tears welling in her beautiful green eyes. “Steph?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m scared.”

“Why?”

Abby wiped an escaping tear. “Oh, I don’t know. I mean, I know Rob loves me and respects me and, hell, he pledged himself to me for life. Fortunately, they’re going to be recording in L.A., so I’ll have him around until that’s done. And….I just got a call from my agent yesterday. Neutrogena wants to see me about being their spokesperson for their skin care. And…..I also got a call back for a part on a new American series on their WB channel. If this part goes through, it’ll probably begin filming late spring, the same time Fusion should be done recording their album. I’m just…….I know that Rob supports my career as an actress, just as I support his as a musician. Its just…..talking about handling the time apart is different than actually handling it. Part of me is…….worried a bit.”

“About what?”

“The same thing every wife or girlfriend of a rock star worries about,” Abby said quietly. “Temptation. Or, that he’ll wake up one day and realize that he made a mistake marrying me or……..getting married at all!”

Stephanie put a hand on Abby’s shoulder. “Abby, give Rob some credit, will ya? Remember, you won his heart by staying true to yourself and not giving in. It was enough to catch him!”

Abby smiled over Stephanie’s comforting words, even as her own doubtful thoughts raced though her head.

“Yeah, but will it be enough to keep him?” she thought.

Chapter 9

The day after the new year, everyone got prepared to go their separate ways. Trevor had already returned to Manchester a few days prior because of his game schedule, while Emily remained behind a few more days with her mum to start planning her wedding. As she surmised, Trevor proposed on Christmas night with a lovely, marquis shaped diamond. And…as promised, Tara had already began preliminary designs on her wedding dress.

Tara was able to get time off from the store until after the new year so she could spend as much time with Mark in Sheffield until he left for L.A. to begin recording the new album.

In addition to her job, for the last several months she had been meeting with business planners, marketers and website designers to start her own business up. She had two portfoilios full of designs that she had been working on for the past year wanted to go about shopping them around. She reluctantly accepted startup money from Mark, stipulating that it was a loan and that she would pay him back, but Mark knew he’d never take a cent from her.

When Tara received news that her line received some interest from a small, but very chic and hip, boutique in New York City, she called to make an appointment to meet with them. After she did, she propositioned Mark to see if he’d like to accompany her to New York for a few days before heading off to L.A. And…..since Rob and Abby hadn’t time for a proper honeymoon, they thought to ask them to come along with them.

On the day everyone was about to leave, the rounds were made to the grandparents to say goodbye. Since they were together, as they always seem to be lately, they all had a wonderful, combined visit.

Abby sat between her two grandfathers as she hugged them tight.

“We’re gonna miss you, little Abby,” Sav said, trying to fight back tears.

“Grandpa, I’m not little Abby anymore,” she corrected him. “I’m a grown woman. A married, grown woman. However, Rob and I will be back in a few months for the wedding, when he gets a break in recording. We promised mum and dad we’d do it proper for everyone.”

“Well, I’m glad,” Joe said. “We’ll try not to croak before then.”

Abby hugged them tighter. “You two aren’t going anywhere. I wish you both live to 100!”

Joe and Sav looked at each other over Abby’s head, and winced at the possiblity of spending 13+ more years in each other’s company.

“I don’t know, I think the peaceful sweetness of death would be less stressful,” Sav said.

“You can’t live without me,” Joe said. “Why do you think we’re the last ones left?”

Sav sombered. “I….I don’t want to talk about being left. It only reminds me of who’s not here anymore.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Joe replied, equally somber, before looking at Abby. “Let me just hug you some more.”

Rob sat in the other chair, grinning over the the amazing friendship between these two elderly men and their love for each other – and their granddaughter.

“Don’t worry, guys,” Rob spoke up. “We’ll try to make it here as often as we can.”

Sav smiled then looked at Abby. “Now, don’t go turning into a Yank. Don’t hang out in Starbucks and, for the love of the queen, don’t get hooked on American football!”

“Oh but grandpa, I really became quite the Raider fan……”

“Shhhhhh!” Joe said. “I don’t want to hear it.

Abby looked at Rob and shrugged. “Well, we really have to head onto the airport. Mark and Tara are over saying goodbye to her aunt and uncle and then we’re off to the Big Apple for a few days. I’ll call – I promise.”

“Good,” Joe said, before eyeing Rob. “Now…go say goodbye to your grandmothers.”

Abby hopped off the couch to head out to the kitchen. Rob got up to follow before Joe halted him.

“No….you stay here.”

Rob slowly sat back down. “Uh, okay. You’ve um…got that same look that Tyler got on Christmas Eve when he wanted to talk with me.”

“I just want to say my peace and that’ll be the end of it. Rob, I love my granddaughter very much. And…..I know she loves you very much. Don’t ever lose sight of that. Especially on the road.”

“Look, I know what you’re thinking,” Rob said.

“Good, because it’ll save me a lot of talking,” Joe replied.

“Thank God,” Sav murmured, before continuing. “Listen, Rob, we started out in this business six decades ago. And we know what comes along with it. And, when you bring girlfriends and wives into the picture, it can be quite a challenge. Just…..don’t lose sight of the commitment you made, or the love and respect you have for Abby.”

“I won’t, Sav,” Rob replied.

“Good,” Joe said cheerfully. “Because if you don’t, I’ll hunt you down, slice off your ballocks and have them buried with me someday.”

Rob grinned and gulped simultaneously.

“You’re so bloody colorful, Joe,” Sav sighed.

Just then Abby came back in. “Ready luv?”

“Oh….I think so,” Rob said, standing up.

They all said goodbye one more time before they left. Afterwards, Joe and Sav pondered the recent conversation.

“So….what do you think?” Joe asked Sav.

Sav took a long, slow breath. “I’d rather not say. But….I hope I’m wrong.”

Joe nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

Chapter 10

New York City

Both couples arrived in New York and immediately settled in for a few days stay. Mark had called a cleaning service a few days prior to make sure that his flat was cleaned and had fresh linens and towels. Rob and Abby, however, declined to stay at Mark’s flat with him and Tara, opting fora sumptuous suite at the Plaza. It was officially their ‘honeymoon’ and Rob would spare no expense for his young bride.

The following day, Tara’s line impressed the boutique owner, who, surprisingly, also had chains in L.A., Miami and Dallas. The owner agreed to try her out in the New York store before carrying it elsewhere. It was enough for Tara to get her foot in the door and start the ball rolling with getting her fashions created.

They all celebrated Tara’s good fortune with lunch at The Gotham Bar & Grill before the guys and girls decided to split up and go their separate way for a while. Abby accompanied Tara with errands she had to run while Rob and Mark, being typical guys, hit FAO Schwarz on 5^th Avenue.

Both walked inside and perused the barrage of high tech and high priced merchandise, each eyeing several items they wanted instantly.

The manager, a stuffy, pompous gentlemen in his late 50’s, wrinkled his nose at the two, severely underdressed young men in faded jeans, untucked buttoned down shirts and leather jackets who entered the store. As he watched them tinker with just about everything they touched, he rolled his eyes and went over to them.

“Please! Be careful......gentlemen,” he said with a haughty attitude. “This merchandise is very expensive and if you break it, you buy it, which may be quite difficult for you.”

Rob gave Mark a raised eyebrow and Mark answered him with a grin. Rob then turned back to the manager.

“Uh, thank you for the warning.....sir,” Rob snitted right back.

The manager stuck his nose in the air and turned around to see a nineteen year old, newly hired salesman waiting on a prominent neurosurgeon who was a staple in this store. His eyes saw dollar signs as he made his way over and politely interrupted them.

“Excuse me, Walter,” the manager said to the young salesman. “Why don’t you see if those two young men need help over there and I’ll assist Dr. Kingston.”

“Uh..oh...okay,” Walter awkwardly stammered as he headed over towards Mark and Rob. “Um......excuse me, but....can I uh.....help you find something in particular.”

When Rob and Mark looked at him, Walter’s face lit up. “Hey! Aren’t you guys in Fusion?”

Rob smiled and nodded. “Sure are,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Rob Silver.”

“Yeah, I know,” Walter said, then turned to Mark. “You’re Mark Savage...the drummer, right? Oh man, this is too cool! I saw your concert at the Beacon a year and a half ago. You guys rocked!”

“Thanks mate,” Mark said.

“Yeah, and thanks for rescuing us from Mr. Stick-Up-The-Ass,” Rob mused. “He your boss?”

“Yeah, and a major prick,” Walter said. “He only sent me over here so he could get that brain surgeon’s sale. But I’m glad he did. Man, I never would’ve met you two. Hey...can I get your autographs?”

“Will do ya one better, dude? How about getting out your sales pad. I’ve got quite an order to give.”

“Better make that two,” Mark added. “Oh, and do you ship? I have a flat in L.A. that has a perfect spot for that pinball machine over there.”

Walter thought he died and went to heave. “Uh....uh....yeah, sure! Absolutely! Be right back.”

Walter got his pad then interrupted his boss for a moment. “Uh, excuse me but, but do we ship orders out of state?”

“Yes,” he replied with a sour face. “Why, are one of those dudes too lazy to carry around a yo-yo? That’s about all they could probably afford in here.”

Walter smiled maliciously. “Yeah. Right. Sure. I’ll uh.....tell them,” he said before walking back over to Mark and Rob.

Rob put an arm around Walter’s shoulder. “Get ready, Wally boy! I’m gonna give you a commission that’ll make you come in your pants!”

By the time Rob and Mark were done giving their order, Walter went over to the counter to total it up.

“What’s the damage, Wally?” Rob asked.

Walter was momentarily speechless as he looked up. “Uh..well...Mark’s pinball machine was $3,100 and uh....your total, Rob, came to.......$9,465.”

Rob thought about it, looked over to one of the shelves, then back to Walter. “What the hell...throw in that 19” wall mounted color television and make it an even ten grand. I’ll put it in my bathroom. This way here I won’t have to miss the Raiders when I take a piss!”

As this was happening, the manager walked over to Walter and took him aside. “What’s going on here?” he asked, looking at Rob’s extensive order. “Is this some joke?”

“No sir, it isn’t,” Walter happily said, “Oh, and thank you so much for sending me to help those two guys. Not that you’d know this, but they’re two very rich rock stars who just bought over $13,000 worth of stuff.”

The manager took a few moments to calm his stunned expression before calmly taking the order out of Walter’s hand.

“Oh, well...good,” he said. “Why don’t you go help that couple over there and I’ll finalize this sale for you.”

“I don’t think so,” Rob said, stepping in. “I’d much rather have Wally here cash me out. I mean, I want to make sure that he gets full credit for the sale, right?”

Rob emphasized his point by flashing his $100,000 limit American Express card.

“Oh...oh, yes, of course, sir,” the manager said, quickly changing his tune.

Walter completed Rob and Mark’s sale and got their autographs to boot. He then shook both their hands.

“Thanks a lot, man,” Walter gushed. “I really appreciate it.”

“Well. our album should be out by the summer,” Mark said. “Just make sure you and all your friends buy a copy.”

“Absolutely! You got it!”

Rob and Mark exited the store and gave the manager a haughty wave. But it was nothing compared to Walter flipping him the bird behind his back.

Chapter 11

After a lovely few days in New York, Abby finally made it back to L.A. to her new husband’s home. Even though she’d been to his house when she first came to here on auditions, she still marveled over the fact that this was now her home as well.

The limousine pulled up in front of Rob’s sprawling traditional-style home that was surrounded by a high-tech security system. Inside the gates, a long driveway, framed by a meticulously landscaped lawn, led to the pillared front entrance. It was the home of a wealthy rock star, complete with a three car garage, swimming pool, basketball court, man-made waterfall and pond. There were also plans in the works to build a detatched recording studio on the 10 acres he owned, but since Paul’s home already had a studio, there wasn’t a rush.

Once the driver brought their luggage from the trunk of the limo to their front steps, Rob tipped him generously before he took off. Abby stood there waiting to go through the front doors as Mrs. Rob Silver. Rob came up the steps with his keys and read her mind.

“Your castle awaits, my lady,” he said with a charming smile as he opened the door. He entered first and brought the luggage in, then turned to get Abby. In true, chivalrous, newlywed fashion, he swept Abby up in his arms and carried her into his home – their home.

Once inside, he carefully kicked the oak and etched, paneled glass door closed and stood there in the center of his marble-floored foyer as he held his bride, who’s beauty was rivaled by the crystal chandelier overhead.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Silver,” Rob cooed against her mouth.

Abby was beside herself with love and sheer, utter bliss! She twined her arms around her husband’s neck and kissed him passionately. When their lips parted, she looked at him with misty green eyes.

“Rob, I……I still can’t believe it. It seems like yesterday that I just ran into you at the hospital. Now……now I’m your wife. Its like a dream.”

“If it is, I hope we’re asleep for the rest of our lives,” Rob replied as he placed soft kisses along her jawline.

Abby shuddered at the feel of his lips. “Mmm,” she sighed. “You know, for a big, tough rock star, you really are quite a romantic softie.”

“Well….I am a songwriter,” he replied as he nibbled her ear. “Gotta know about love to write about it.”

They were once again lost in a kiss – the evidence of their delerious, newlywed status.

“You hungry?” he whispered in her mouth.

“Famished!” she whispered back before her tongue found his.

“Dammit, Abby,” Rob hissed out as he dropped her to her feet so he could pull the curvy, lithe length of her up against him. Her fingers raked his hair as his hands slid down the curve of her spine until they were filled with the youthful firmness of her sweet bottom.

Abby pulled away to kiss his face, his neck – wherever the scent of his warm, masculine skin filled her senses.

“Rob……lets go upstairs,” she whispered against his cheek.

Rob glanced down at his young, sexy wife, who wasted no time in making up for what she missed out on during her virtuous years. He then looked towards the stairs.

“Forget upstairs,” he said with wickedness. “Lets do it on the stairs!”

Abby readily agreed with a naughtiness of her own and pushed her new husband to sit down on the third step from the bottom. She then leaned down into him.

“Only if I’m on top!”

Rob let out a chuckle. “You’ve got no argument from me!”

She quickly shed her pale gold, velour sweatpants that she traveled in and straddled her husband only in her white thong. She unzipped the top and Rob’s eyes almost popped when he realized that she didn’t have a bra on.

She quickly unfastened his jeans as he helped her wrestle them and his Abercrombie boxers down. Once he was bare from the waist down, not to mention awfully ready for her, Abby pulled her thong aside and impaled herself on him.

Rob threw his head back in abandon. “Oh yeah! Oh…..fuck yeah! Christ, Abby, you feel great!”

Abby rode her rocker hubby like a pro, letting her natural instinct take over and just went by what felt good – which was pretty much everything!

With her knees carefully balanced on the second step, she anchored her hands on his shoulders and increased her tempo – sending Rob into oblivion.

“Abby…..Abby……..yeah, do it! Faster! That’s it….don’t stop…don’t……oh shit!”

Rob sucked his breath in as he climaxed, then slowly let it out as his convulsions began to subside. As he slowly came down to earth, he looked up at Abby.

“God, what did I turn you into?”

“Complaining?” she questioned.

“Hell no.”

Just then, Rob’s telephone rang, which caused him to roll his eyes.

“Damn, that’s one thing I don’t miss,” he said, as he heard the machine pick up. It was Paul.

“Hey you lazy fuck, where the hell are you? You’ve been MIA for two weeks man! Mark just called and said that he’s back and let it slip that you were with him in New York. What the hell’s going on? Well, now that you’re back, quit playing with yourself and get over here and see my son and tell me where you’ve been, else I’m gonna beat it out of Savage. Later!”

Rob looked at Abby with twinkling eyes. “Well…..should we go tell him?”

Abby grinned with mischievousness. “Nah! Let him beat it out of my brother!”

Chapter 12

Rob and Abby arrived at Paul’s house within the hour. Rob knew that Paul always left the side kitchen door unlocked and let himself in.

“Hey Paul....you here?”

“Downstairs,” Paul called out.

Rob took Abby’s hand and led him downstairs to Paul’s expansive, finished room which also served as a music room. A connecting door led to his newly built studio where the band would begin recording soon.

Paul was plucking away at his guitar with sheet music and a pencil in front of him when Rob finally showed his face. Paul put his guitar down, leaned back and held his hands out.

“Well, look who surfaced?” he joked. “Where the hell have you been?”

Rob rubbed the back of his neck and tried to disguise a sheepish look. “Well......”

Before Rob could even start to explain, Paul saw Abby emerge down the stairs behind him.

“Abby? Hey, good to see you again, gorgeous. Mark on his way down?”

Abby bit her lip. “Um, well....no. I uh....came with Rob.”

Paul cast puzzled looks from Abby to Rob. He knew that Rob had a little thing for her over the summer while she was here in L.A. but he didn’t know that it was still going on.

“You two still sneaking around, I see,” Paul said.

“Well, uh.....” Rob began before he heard Bekka come down the stairs.

“Hey Rob, you’re back. And...Abby? Hi, sweetie. Good to see you again. I guess Mark is here too.”

“No, Rob and I are here alone,” Abby said.

Bekka folded her arms. “So....you two going public or what?”

Abby began to twist her fingers, which Bekka noticed. But...it was what was on her finger that caught Bekka’s attention - fast.

“Oh......my......God,” Bekka gasped, reaching for Abby’s left hand. “Is this.....are you.....engaged?”

Rob then held up his left hand to display his wedding ring. “Nope. Married.”

Paul let out a gasp. “What? Are you fucking kidding me? You two got married? When? Where? Why?”

Bekka gave her boyfriend a dirty look. “Paul!”

Abby flustered, knowing that Paul didn’t mean it as an insult. It was just in his nature to be very vocal and honest about his feelings.

“When was the day before Christmas Eve,” Rob answered. “Where, was a chapel in Vegas. And as for why......I think its pretty obvious.”

Rob punctuated that by putting his arm around Abby and giving her a loving look.

Bekka caught that look and immediately became despondent. Only the sound of her newborn son’s cry in the baby monitor saved her from a possible meltdown.

“That’s Ryan. He’s finally awake from his nap. I’ll go get him so you can see him,” she said, before disappearing upstairs.

Paul waited until Bekka disappeared before looking at Rob. “Thanks to you, my life is now a living hell.”

“Why?”

“Rob, you and Abby married after only knowing each other..what....six months? That doesn’t make me look good with Bekka.”

“So.....what are you waiting for, dude?”

“I’m just getting used to being a father. Let me adjust to that before I consider being a husband. So......does anyone else know about this?”

“Just my family,” Abby said. “We dropped this in their laps on Christmas Eve when we arrived. No one knew. Not even Mark.”

Paul looked at Rob. “Not even management?”

“Don’t start,” Rob warned. “They run my professional life, not my personal one. Besides, one of us had to be first, right?”

“Yeah, but........wow,” was all Paul could say before Bekka came downstairs with the baby.

“There’s my big guy,” Paul proudly said. “And...I do mean big. Already 12 pounds. He’s wearing 3 month clothes.”

Paul took his tiny, but chubby son from Bekka’s arms and turned him to face Abby and Rob.

“This is Ryan Paul Visser,” he introduced.

Abby stepped forward and stuck her finger out to the baby’s chubby hand.

“Aye there lad,” she cooed at him. Little Ryan responded by grabbing her finger and giving her a large, toothless smile.

“He is one chunky little monkey,” Rob said. “Congrats, guys!”

“Yes, he is absolutely precious,” Abby said. “And Bekka....you look fantastic for someone who just gave birth two weeks ago.”

“Yeah, well for the $200 an hour I’m paying for a personal trainer, she better look good,” Paul huffed.

“Oh, shove it,” Bekka shot back.

“Hey kiddies, this is what you have to look forward to next,” Paul stressed by juggling Ryan up and down.

“Well, that won’t be for a while,” Rob said.

“A long while,” Abby seconded.

Bekka then took the baby from Paul. “C’mon, Abby. I’ll let you feed him if you want.”

“Oh...sure,” she happily obliged and followed Bekka upstairs. Once both women were out of sight, Paul smacked Rob on the arm.

“What the fuck, dude? I can’t believe this! I..I still don’t understand why? I mean, why the rush?”

“All I can say is....that the time was right. And so was Abby,” Rob replied.

Paul thought a bit before his handsome face lit up. “Oh man! Don’t tell me! Is she......is she the virgin you were on a quest for?”

Rob smacked Paul right back. “You know, for someone who lost consciousness in the delivery room, I wouldn’t be one to pose wisecracks!?”

“I didn’t pass out,” Paul stammered. “I……..fell.”

“Yeah, sure. Save it. And…..my reasons for marrying Abby is because I’m in love with her. Plain and simple. There just wasn’t any reason to wait.”

“Well, you’ve got balls, I give ya that,” Paul said. “Which means that now you’ll have to keep them in your pants!”

“Won’t be a problem, dude,” Rob said. “I mean, I’ve had three tours worth of groupies. Its old. Its tired. Its not what I want anymore. Abby’s all I want now.”

As Rob turned to get a cold beer from the bar area, Paul couldn’t help but wonder if Rob’s tune would change once the fourth tour started.

Chapter 13

After spending the next few days getting settled in, Abby went on her callback interview to read again for the part in a new WB television show. Rob headed over to Paul’s to meet the rest of the band for a conference call with management,as well as their new producer, who was due in a couple of days.

When he got there, Troy was the first one to greet him.

“You insane mother!” Troy exclaimed. “What’s this bullshit about you marrying Mark’s sister?”

Rob folded his arms and glanced at Paul and Mark in the backround before looking back at Troy.

“You know….not one of you has greeted me with a congratulations first on this – including Mark! All I’ve been hearing is how mental or insane I am for getting married. After all these years, I think I deserve a little support.”

“You’re right – we’re sorry,” Paul said with a smirk.

“I’m not!” Mark stated. “I still think you’re a loon for marrying my sister. Who knows – maybe you’ll tame her before she tames you!”

Troy looked Rob over. “Well…..you don’t look any different.”

“How the hell am I supposed to look?”

Troy smirked. “Whipped!”

Rob playfully shoved him as he walked past. “I’ll whip you! Besides, I wouldn’t be one to talk. I’m surprised you’re not super-glued to Kimberly’s side.”

“She’s on a movie set in Utah,” Troy said. “I didn’t think make-up artists traveled as much as we did.”

“Well, lets get this phone call with management over,” Paul said before they all headed downstairs. They placed the call and put it on speaker phone for everyone. As expected, their manager was taken aback by Rob’s sudden marriage and thought it would be best to keep it private for a while. That is…until the press got wind of it when he and Abby traveled back to England in three months for their ‘real’ ceremony.

After then going over a preliminary schedule with their producer, they called it an afternoon.

“What’s everyone doing?” Troy asked.

“Well, my night is already planned out,” Paul replied. “Bekka’s been bitching at me to take her out since Ryan was born. She’s already got the nanny set up for tonight.”

“Where you going?” Mark asked.

“Well, after playing it safe and sober for nine months, she wants to let loose. Figure we’ll do dinner then The Viper Room.”

Paul then looked at Rob. “Hey, why don’t you and Abby come with us? She can get in, they’ll just have to stamp her hand so she can’t drink.”

“Ah, the tribulations of having a wife under the legal drinking age,” Troy joked. “Well, since Mark and I are stag, guess I’ll just crash his place tonight and play with that new pinball machine he just got delivered. Maybe see if there’s a dirty movie on satellite or something.”

“Oh, just what I want,” Mark groaned. “You wankering to porn on my new pinball machine!”

“Fuck off,” Troy shot back.

“Why don’t you guys just meet us there?” Paul said to them. “Say about……ten? Unless you fall asleep like old ladies.”

“Sounds cool,” Mark agreed. “I’m gonna go home and give Tara a call. Its almost dinner time in England by now.”

“I guess I’m in too,” Troy said. “Later.”

After Mark and Troy left, Rob turned to Paul. “The Viper Room?”

“Yeah, why? That’s like your favorite stomping ground.”

“Was. Dude, I can’t go there with Abby. You know how many women regularly hang out there that I’ve…..”

“Rob, what are you gonna do? Run away from every woman you’ve ever fucked in your life? Its not Abby like doesn’t know the life you’ve led. C’mon, it’ll be fun. So, you’ll break some hearts when they find out you’re married. Maybe even start a catfight or two. Just kidding!”

Rob raked his fingers through his hair, hoping that Paul was, indeed, kidding.

Chapter 14

Following dinner that evening at Ago’s on Melrose Avenue, both couples headed over to The Viper Room. It was a typical Friday night, with a line almost to the end of the corner, most of who were made up of regular folks vying for the chance to get in and rub elbows with the young rich and hip set of L.A.

As they crossed the street, Rob saw the regular doorman, whom he was really tight with. When he caught Rob’s eye, he nodded his head over to a side door before disappearing.

“C’mon,” Rob said, taking Abby’s hand as Paul and Bekka followed.

Rob got to the side door as the doorman met them. “Hey Rob….long time no see, buddy! Where’ve ya been?”

Before he could answer that, the doorman noticed Abby, with her hand firmly clasped in Rob’s, and smiled.

“Nevermind – I think I know,” he leered, then frowned a bit. “Is she old enough?”

Rob shook his head and Abby happily held her hand up to be stamped for a non-drinker.

“Hey listen, Mark and Troy should be here around ten. Let them in, okay?”

“No problem,” the doorman said as he let the two couples in, giving Paul a high five as he passed.

Once inside, Abby immediately was enveloped by the sheer madness of the scene. While she was out here over the summer, Rob had snuck her out to very quiet, out of the way places. This place was far from that. Loud rock music blared from speakers, beautiful, scantily clad women and equally beautiful men slithered about - some dancing, some making out in various dark crevices, some doing body shots off each other. It was your typical, wild, L.A. party scene.

“Lets get a table,” Paul said as he found one in a corner overlooking the stage. “Hmm, wonder who’s playing tonight.”

A waiter came by to take their order. “A bottle of Cristal for the new parents here,” Rob grinned. “I’ll have a Heineken and the lady here will have……”

“Just a ginger ale, please,” Abby replied.

Once the drinks came, Rob popped the champagne bottle and poured two glasses for Paul and Bekka. Then, he and Abby took their glasses as the four of them toasted.

“To your new baby,” Abby offered first.

“To the two of you,” Bekka offered next.

“Cheers!”

After chatting with a few celebrity passers by, Rob got up to go to the men’s room. On his way out, he ran into a few regulars on his way back to the table before he ran into one that he dreaded.

“Rob!” an outrageously beautiful and built female squealed. She wrapped her micro-shorted, halter clad body around him. “Where have you been?”

Rob politely pulled her hands down from around his neck, as he fought a hard battle with his body not to respond to her full breasts plastered against his chest.

“Hey Val,” Rob replied. “Well…I’ve been just about everywhere but here since late summer.”

“So…..you back for good?” she cooed as her finger trailed the buttons of his shirt. Rob took her hand calmly and put it down.

“Yeah, for a while. We’re starting recording next week.”

“Nevermind that….when can I see you,” she said with a husky voice and inviting eyes, as she brushed her hand over his fly. “I’ve missed you soooo much.”

Rob jerked back, biting his lip over his body responding to her, and, again, took her hand away. “Actually, Val…….I’m here with someone.”

Val shrugged. “When has that stopped you before? After you bring her home, how about me stopping by your place?”

“That’s gonna be hard to do since she’ll be at my place.”

Val stood back, hands on hips. “What’d you do?” Val asked sourly. “Let some golddigger talk you into shacking up together?”

She was one to talk! “No…..I got married.”

Val’s face dropped a bit before she broke into a smile. “What? You? Married? Yeah, right. You’re such a fucking kidder. C’mon, go ditch her and…..”

Rob held up his left hand displaying his wedding ring. “I’m not kidding, babe. Got hitched before Christmas. However, it hasn’t been made public yet, understand?”

Rob gave her a warning look that he knew she’d disregard. “Yeah, sure….whatever,” Val replied flatly. “So….just where is the little woman?”

Rob rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. “Val…..please…..”

“I just want to see what kind of woman it took to get you to pledge the rest of your life to her.”

“Well, I tell ya what,” Rob replied, deciding this conversation should end now. “Take a good, long look at the type of women who frequent this place. My wife is the total opposite. Later.”

Rob stormed off with the sound of Val calling him a ‘fucking bastard’ resonating in the back. She stood there as her eyes following him through the throng of people until he reached a corner table. She got on top of a step near the side bar so she could get a better look at the beautiful, young blonde whom Rob just gave a lingering kiss to. She then saw the blonde get up and head towards the ladies room.

Val decided to take a trip there herself.

Chapter 15

Abby came out of the stall in the semi-crowded ladies room and went to a full lenth wall mirror. She smoothed her leopard print, chiffon sleeveless top and light beige, hip-hugger capri’s before bending over to adjust the ankle strap on a pair of sexy, black Manola Blahnik’s.

She then went over to the sink and placed her Coach shoulder purse on the vanity. She pulled a tube of spicy brown M.A.C. lipgloss out and applied some to her lips before running her fingers through her tawny hair.

Turning on the sink, Abby looked into the mirror to see a very beautiful and very voluptuous woman enter behind her. Abby greeted her with a faint smile before turning on the faucet.

Val boldly went over to the sink next to Abby and pretended to fuss with her hair before looking down at Abby’s left hand.

“Oh……” Val exclaimed with feigned awe, holding a hand to her chest. “What a gorgeous ring.”

Abby looked down at her ring then glanced up at Val. “Oh, thank you,” she graciously replied.

“Newlywed, I see,” Val said with sickening sweetness.

Abby tilted her head at her. “How can you tell?”

“Call it a hunch,” Val sarcastically said before her ears picked up on something. “Hmm, I see that you’re English too.”

“I am, yes,” Abby replied as she headed for the door. “Well, have a nice night.”

Val had put her own purse down on the counter and pulled out a red lipstick. As she applied it, she noticed the stamp on Abby’s hand as she passed.

“Not only that,” Val continued, “but I guess you’re not even old enough to be married that long.”

Abby stopped just short of the door and turned to her. “Excuse me?”

Val continued applying her lipstick in the mirror without even looking at Abby. “That stamp on your hand. You’re not even 21. He’s more of a dog than I thought he was.”

“He, who?”

Val blotted her lips, then looked at Abby through the mirror. “Why, your new hubby, of course. Rob Silver….Fusion’s guitarist. Yeah, I just ran into him before. You see….Rob and I are old…uh….acquaintences. But now that he’s married, I guess I won’t be finding myself in his bed anymore. At least….not for a while.”

Some of the other women in the ladies room began to overhear and were becoming awfully intrigued by this scenario. Abby on the other hand, was too fuming mad to be nervous.

“With all due respect – not that you deserve any – but my marriage isn’t any of your business,” Abby bit back with a hint of English politeness. “And…as far as you finding your way into my husband’s bed…….well, this is America and you are entitled to your opinion. Or should I say….your fantasies.”

Val turned and braced one hand on the sink as she faced Abby. “What are you…..19…20? You have the nerve to tell me that I have fantasies? I hope you don’t plan on your newlywed-fantasy life lasting long. Soon, reality will set in and that reality is finding out what its really like to have a husband who’s a rock star. Oh, he may love the novelty of having a jailbait wife, but trust me, it’ll wear off.”

Abby’s inside shook at the possible validity of Val’s words, but she wouldn’t let it show.

“Well, as I said earlier….you are entitled to your opinion,” Abby said, not wanting to stoop down to Val’s level and get nasty.

“Yes, I am. And…my opinion is that you’re way to young to know how to handle someone like Rob. I gave him what he needed – whenever he wanted it.”

The women in the room we’re now still as stone waiting for all hell to break loose. Abby ignored them and tossed her hair.

“Which is probably the reason why he married me,” Abby calmly bit back.

The women in the backround gasped at Abby’s remark and some even chuckled, which only fueled Val’s wrath.

“You little English bitch!” Val spat as she advanced on Abby.

Chapter 16

Just as Val advanced on Abby, the bathroom door opened and in walked Bekka. Her glassy eyes and wild look were evident of the many glasses of champagne she already downed. Her eyes immediately went to Val.

“Well, hey there, Val,” Bekka slurred a bit. “You’re not causing any trouble, are you?”

Bekka then turned to Abby. “I came to see what’s been keeping you. Thought maybe you fell in, but, judging from this claw-bearing, she-devil, I guess I’m wrong.”

Bekka kept her eyes on Val as she insulted her. It was obvious to Abby that Bekka knew who Val was and what she was like.

“This doesn’t involve you, Bekka,” Val said. “I’m just having a chat here with Rob’s new wife.”

“Yeah, well I doubt you’re exchanging recipes,” Bekka continued to slur as she checked for mascara smudges under her eye. “Just accept the fact that Rob is married and that it isn’t to you!”

Abby went over to Bekka. “Bekka, don’t bother and lets just go. Its not worth it.”

However, Val wouldn’t let them leave without having the last word. “You know something Bekka, you’re right. Rob’s married and there’s nothing I can do about it. However, I do believe that Paul is still single. Just because you got yourself knocked up with his kid isn’t going to stop him from sticking his dick wherever he damn well pleases.”

Bekka turned to Val with fire in her glazed eyes and grabbed her arm. She squeezed it so tight that Val was brought to her knees.

“You listen to me you fucking slut!” Bekka seethed. “I’ve got post-partum hormones raging through me – not to mention half a bottle of champagne. Don’t you even think of fucking with me unless you know you can back it up, got me!”

When Bekka released Val’s arm, she got up and went to the door. “You’re a fucking lunatic, Bekka! And as for you,” she directed at Abby, “good luck being married to Rob. But when he starts banging everything that moves once he goes on tour, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”

With that, Val left the ladies room. When the door closed, the women remaining applauded Bekka as she drunkenly took a bow. “Please…please, ladies…it was nothing,” Bekka slurred. “She was nothing.”

Abby was still a bit shaken from the scene. Even though she stood toe to toe with that witch, she couldn’t believe it all happened in the first place. All she did was get married. Okay, so she married a famous, rich rock star – who obviously had a long line of former female companions who weren’t going to be too happy about it. Val was only the first. She wondered how much more she had to endure?

Bekka splashed cold water on her face then turned to Abby. “Man, that felt good! Being pregnant kept me from doing a little old fashioned ass-kicking. She had it coming to her. When you came in here Rob said that he ran into you. When I saw her go into the bathroom after you, I figured she’d try to start something, even though she’s all talk.”

“Yeah……yeah, that’s what she seemed like to me,” Abby stammered. “Bekka, listen….don’t tell Rob what happened, please? And…don’t tell Paul, because you know he’ll tell Rob.”

“Yeah, men! They’re even bigger gossips than we are. Not a problem. C’mon, lets get out of here.”

As they made their way back to the table, Abby saw that Mark and Troy had showed up. Rob was standing with a beer in his hand when he saw Abby walk towards him.

“You okay, babe?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m fine. I…..I guess its just a bit crowded in here. I’m going out in the foyer area and get some air.”

“I’ll come with you….”

“No….no, its okay. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

As she walked past the table, Mark caught a look on his sister’s face that he didn’t like. He turned and followed her out to he inside foyer. When he saw her lean against a wall and hand her head, he went over to her.

“Abby? What’s wrong?”

Abby looked up at her brother as her escaping tears gave way to sobs. She put her arms around him and cried on his shoulder.

“Oh Mark! I’m so scared!”

Chapter 17

Mark held his sister’s shaking body for a moment or two before he pulled away a bit to look at her.

“Abby….what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Abby gently wiped the tears from under her lower lases. “Some woman in the loo almost attacked me,” she shakily said. “I guess she used to date Rob, or just shag him. She followed me into the bathroom after she saw me with him. She commented on my ring then…………God, she said such horrible things.”

Abby started to break down again, but a little quieter this time. Mark tried to calm her.

“Abby, you can’t let bitches like that get to you,” Mark coached her.

“Well, at first I didn’t,” she said. “I gave her back as good as she was giving to me. I mean….I do take after Grandpa Joe!”

Mark smirked. “Yeah….you do!”

Abby sniffed. “She made it clear that, not only will she get Rob back into bed someday, but that I better be prepared for him to cheat on me.”

Mark rolled his eyes as his heart fell for his young sister who didn’t deserve this bullshit. “Abby….I hope you didn’t believe her. Its nothing but jealousy – that’s all it is. She was just trying to get a rise out of you. And once word gets out that Rob’s married, there’s probably going to be a lot of jealous female fans posting all kinds of shit on the websites about you and stuff. But…again…its all out of jealousy. You can’t let it get to you. You’re tougher than that.”

Abby bit her lip and knew Mark was right. She was tough. She never caved to pressure – which is why she was able to remain a virgin until she married Rob. She was a strong, independent young woman who is determined to juggle an acting career, a musician husband and, someday, children. She wasn’t going to survive in the entertainment world, especially living in L.A., by crying like a scared kitten when something goes wrong.

She looked at her brother with new determination. “You’re right, Mark. I am tough. I’m not going to let women like that get to me. They’re not worth it. Rob belongs to me and they just better learn to deal with it!”

Mark lightly held Abby’s chin and stared her in the eyes. He still couldn’t believe that his pipsqueak of a little sister, whom he mercilessly teased, grew into such a stunning young woman. There was a time when he probably would’ve sold her to the highest bidder! Now…he felt like the stereotypical protective older brother. But…..she was a married woman now. Her husband was her protector. However…..he didn’t think that Abby needed anyone to protect her!

“Now…….that’s the granddaughter of Joe Elliott that I know!” Mark exclaimed. “Should’ve kicked the wench’s arse!”

“Well, I didn’t have a chance to. Bekka came in the ladies room and saw Val starting in on me. Bekka was thoroughly pissed on champagne and twisted Val’s arm until she was brought to her knees.”

Mark chuckled. “Oh, man I would’ve loved to see that! Bekka has quite a temper. What you experienced was nothing compared to what Bekka’s had to deal with over the last few years with all the women who throw themselves at Paul.”

“Yeah, so I’ve just found out,” Abby said a little shortly. “Is…is it true that Paul was openly unfaithful with Bekka?”

Mark bristled a bit, not wanting to answer. It was the last think that a young bride needed to hear, but he couldn’t lie.

“Yes, its true. Paul has a real hard time being faithful and Bekka knows about it. The women he came across on tour was just too much of a temptation to pass up. It caused constant fights between them, but the truth is……she could never stay away from him and he would absolutely fall apart if she left him. But Abby….what goes on in their relationship isn’t true in others.”

“What about you?” Abby questioned him. “Have you been tempted to cheat on Tara?”

“No, I haven’t,” Mark replied. “Remember…..Tara and I only got back together after the last tour ended.

“But…when you were dating that model……we’re you faithful to her?”

Again, Mark couldn’t lie. “No, I wasn’t Abby. I screwed around on the tour and when we went to Hawaii. But, I wasn’t in love with her. Not that that’s an excuse, but I had no commitment to her. I’m committed to Tara and I’m in love with her. However, in this business, we’ve got to balance a relationship and learn how to still handle our female fans as well. We’ve got to be able to give them just enough – you know, a wink and a smile onstage, a kiss on the cheek after an autograph - so we don’t alienate them but without crossing the line. And…that includes Rob. But that doesn’t mean that he’ll cheat on your or love you less.”

Abby was slowly beginning to understand. Even though she was mature and level headed young woman, she still had the emotions of a 19 year old girl. As the wife of a rock star, she had to learn balance too. And, she also surmised, that once her acting career took off, Rob would have to learn that balance with her.

“I….I think I understand now, Mark. I guess……I just didn’t expect something like that to happen. I’m not used to being accosted like that. I guess because Rob’s more visible here in L.A. I’ll just deal with it as it comes. But please…..promise me you won’t tell Rob about this. He doesn’t need to be burdened with petty things.”

Mark kissed her cheek. “I promise, sis. Now…lets get back inside before he suspects something’s wrong.”

When Rob saw Abby walk back in with Mark behind her, he met them halfway.

“You alright, babe?” he asked Abby. “Your eyes are red.”

Abby touched her face. “Oh…..it’s the smoke,” she lied.

“Yeah, its getting kinda wild in here. We’ll leave soon, okay?”

Abby looked up at her husband and smiled as she nodded. Rob leaned down to kiss her passionately as Mark’s eyes scanned a few women several feet away watching them with open-mouthed stares.

Abby was going to need that Elliott-toughness more than ever!

Chapter 18

Two Days Later

Rob slowly opened his bleary eyes and looked at the digital clock on the nightstand which read 9:30am. He groaned and shut his eyes – knowing that he had to be at Paul’s by noon. Yesterday was their first full day with their producer and he didn’t stumble in until almost 3 this morning, absolutely fatigued. All he looked forward to was getting into bed, knowing that his beautiful, young wife was there waiting for him.

Rob smiled into his pillow as he remembered coming into his bedroom in the wee hours of the morning and found Abby curled up on her side, peacefully asleep. With the moonlight shining through the partially opened vertical blinds that covered the sliding doors leading to a private deck, Abby looked like an angel. His angel. He never had such a feeling of complete contentment as he slid into bed next to her and have her snuggle back against him without batting an eyelash.

He hoped every moment would be as perfect as that.

He turned in bed and found it empty. He knew that Abby was an early riser and wondered what she was up to today. He got up and stretched before throwing a t-shirt over his naked torso. He went to the bathroom then went downstairs in search of his wife. His nostrils were met with a very pleasing scent that had him smiling as soon as he reached the bottom step of his curved staircase.

He entered the kitchen to see that Abby found his Belgium waffle maker. He also noticed that she was having better luck this time with it than she did in Sheffield. Since she had her back to him, he snuck up behind her, but then changed his mind. He didn’t want her to burn herself!

“What’s this?” he softly said behind her.

Abby turned and greeted her husband with a smile. Her tawny hair was fastened in a high ponytail, her face was fresh, glowing and makeup free and her body was attired in a white racerback tank, gray and white terry sweatpants and Nike trainers.

“Its my more successful attempt at breakfast,” she replied. “I knew you’d be up soon since you have to be at Paul’s by noon, so I got up early and went for my run before making these. I even put chocolate chips in some of them.”

Rob’s mouth was watering. “Wow, Abbs, these look great. I’m famished. Bekka ordered out for all of us about 7 last night. Cooking’s not one of her strong points!”

“Yeah, well I hope to be able to try more than waffles,” Abby said, putting a few on a plate for him. “I got my mum’s famous lasagna recipe. I hope I don’t destroy it.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, luv,” Rob said, sitting down at the table. “So….what are you up to today?”

“Well, I’m awaiting a couple of phone calls. One for when I have to fly out to New York to film those Neutrogena commercials and the other about that telly part. I’m really crossing my fingers on that one. The premise of the show is quite interesting and this WB channel caters to an 18-30 audience which is prime.”

“Well, you’ve already been called back,” Rob replied before shoving a forkful of waffles in his mouth and chewing while he spoke. “Don’t worry, babe. You’ll be a shoe in.”

Suddenly the phone rang and Abby ran to it, hoping it was one of the two calls she was awaiting.

“Hello? Yes, hi. Just a moment, please.”

She brought the portable over to Rob. “Its for you. Management.”

Rob rolled his eyes and huffed as he took the phone. “Yeah? What’s up? No, I rarely go there, why? What’s being said? What? By who? Must be her computer name. Yeah, we were there two nights ago. Not that I know of, but I have a good idea who it is. Well, you can’t do anything about it now, can you. I can’t go on denying it forever. Just let it die down on its own. Once we have the ceremony in England it’ll be officially official. Yeah, I’ll ask her. Bye.”

Rob clicked off the phone and looked at Abby. “Abbs, did you have a run in with someone at The Viper Room the other night?”

Chapter 19

Abby went still as her face paled a bit when Rob asked her that question. “Uh….why?”

Rob could already tell that something did happen that night. “Well, it seems that this ‘someone’ posted on our website’s message board about running into Rob Silver’s new wife in the ladies room of The Viper Room two nights ago and that a brawl broke out over it.”

Abby covered her mouth with her hands and leaned against the counter. “What? That’s absolutely absurd! That’s not what happened at all.”

Rob raised an eyebrow. “So…..something did happen?”

Abby sat at the table with him. “Rob, its not what you think, not to mention totally blown out of proportion.”

“Was this person who confronted you named Val?”

Abby decided to confess all. “Yes, it was. I was in the ladies room, minding my own business, when she came in. She noticed my ring and complimented me on it. She then used that opportunity to let me know that she knew who I was. She said she had just run into you and found out you were married. She must’ve saw me with you then followed me into the ladies room where she began to tear into me and……warn me that I better be prepared for you to cheat on me.”

Rob leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. “Abby, why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because there was no reason to bother you about it, Rob. Just because I’m 19 doesn’t mean that I have to act like a little girl and go crying to my husband when someone hurts my feelings. I can take care of myself.”

Rob admired her gumption, but she had to understand that her role as a rock star’s wife wasn’t always going to be easy. He put his hand on top of hers.

“Abbs, I appreciate you wanting to take care of things yourself, but things won’t always be that easy. I don’t want you putting yourself in a position to get hurt. There are fans who can be pretty delusional and can do some crazy things. Even threaten you. If you ever have a run in like that again, you have to make it a point to not get yourself too involved, if only for your safety.”

“Well, I admit that she got pretty hostile,” Abby continued. “But, as far as this ‘brawl’ is concerned, it had nothing to do with me. Actually, it had more to do with Bekka.”

Rob was now intrigued. “Oh? You mean, there’s more?”

Abby looked a bit embarrassed as she continued. “Yes. You see, Bekka saw Val go into the bathroom after me. I guess she knows her pretty well. She basically came to my defense and, well, she also twisted Val’s arm when she said something unsavory about Paul.”

Rob laughed. “Yeah, that Bekka’s got a temper.”

“I know, Mark told me.”

Rob’s ears perked. “You ……you told Mark about what happened? But…you wouldn’t tell me?”

“Rob, please. I didn’t mean to tell Mark. He must’ve saw that I was upset and followed me out to the foyer. I sort of broke down on him. But he’s my brother – I can show my weakness to him. I….I didn’t want to do that in front of you. I want you to think I can handle myself.”

Rob was beginning to think about what Mark said about taming Abby before Abby tamed him. She was a little spitfire, he gave her that much and he was proud of her independence. But, she had to know about not getting caught up in the pitfalls of his career.

“Abby, listen to me. I understand what you tried to do, but I don’t want you opening yourself up to bathroom brawls over me. Bekka’s been in this game a lot longer than you so she knows how to handle things a little better, even though it isn’t always the smartest way. You’re still new at this so please….let me know if anything happens.”

Abby got up and paced around the table. “So, that’s it? I have to go running to you like a childish tattle-tale whenever someone hurts my feelings?”

“That’s not what I meant…….”

“That’s exactly what you meant, Rob,” Abby retorted, giving into her Elliott stuborness. “I think I can pretty much judge what’s a serious situation and what isn’t.”

“Oh?” Rob questioned. “And two nights ago wasn’t serious? Abby, what if Bekka didn’t intervene?”

Abby was beginning to get defensive. “So, you don’t think I would’ve been able to handle it myself? Not only do I need Bekka to fight my battles, but I have to run to you like a little girl when something goes wrong.”

“Abby, like it or not, but you are only 19. In some ways, yeah….you are a girl.”

Abby felt her entire body shake as a combination of her temper and emotions bubbled up inside of her. She looked at her husband with all the maturity she could muster.

“Well then…..perhaps when the tour starts you’ll find yourself a woman, just like Val predicted,” she calmly said with a twinge of hurt before turning to go upstairs.

“Abby…….” Rob called out after her, but it was no use. He threw his fork down and leaned back in his chair. “Fuck!”

Chapter 20

Rob got up from the table and prepared himself to go smooth things over with his wife when his kitchen door opened.

“’Mornin’,” Mark said, entering with a bag in his hand. “I was on my way back from Cinnabon and thought you might appreciate a few until my sister learns how to cook. Since you didn’t change your gate code, I guess it was safe to still come over. Or…..do I have to start calling first, now that you’re a married man?”

Rob ran his hand through his hair. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea, dude. Never know what you might walk in on.”

“Yeah, the last thing I want to see is you shagging my sister on the kitchen floor. Or anywhere else, for that matter.”

“Yeah, well after what just happened a minute ago, I doubt she’ll allow me to shag her anywhere.”

Mark saw the Belgium waffle maker on the counter. “Oh no, mate! Tell me she didn’t attempt waffles again? And…let me guess….you wouldn’t eat them and now she’s mad at you?”

“Actually, the waffles were awesome. Its…..something else. Mark, she told you about what happened at The Viper Room the other night?”

“So…… she told you about it?”

“No, she didn’t. I got a call from management, who received a call from our webmaster about a slew of posts on our site’s message board. Seems this girl Val I used to……….see, who Abby almost had a tussle with in the ladies room, blabbed the entire thing out of spite on the message board. I told Abby she should’ve come to me about it, but that independent temper of hers came shining through.”

“Yeah, she can be a wench when she wants to be,” Mark said. “Takes right after our grandpa Joe. And you know how bad he is!”

“Man, Mark, I don’t want to squash her spirit, you know? Its one of the things that I love about her. But, she still doesn’t fully realize that being a rock star’s wife can have reprucussions. I just want her to let me know if anything happens until she can handle things better. Even though she’s grown up in so many ways, she’s still……….”

“………a teenager,” Mark finished for him.

“Yeah, and a made a point of letting her know that. She didn’t take too kindly to it and stormed upstairs. Whatever bullshit Val told her has her thinking that I’m gonna start slamming groupies as soon as the tour starts.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Well, it may not be what Val said about you to her, but more what she said about Paul to Bekka that Abby overheard. Abby now knows about Paul’s infidelity problem and, well……….she may think that you’ll wind up doing to her what Paul does to Bekka.”

Rob leaned against the table and shook his head. “You know, none of this was an issue for those six months that we dated. It never seemed to bother her then.”

“Probably because she didn’t know about it, mate,” Mark said. “She was innocent in all ways, you know? Doubts may be starting to surface.”

“I don’t know…..maybe you’re right,” Rob said. “Let me go talk to her.”

Mark put the Cinnabon bag on the table. “I’ll just leave these here. You may need consolation later if you don’t patch things up. See ya at Paul’s and….good luck.”

Rob made a face at Mark before he left before heading up the stairs to have a talk with his wife.

Chapter 21

Abby angrily kicked off her trainers then stormed into the masterbath. She pulled off her tank and sweatpants and tossed them in the laundry basket before turning the faucets on in the floor-to-ceiling, glass enclosed shower stall. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and brushed her teeth. She then braced her hands on the double marble vanity and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She was so mad at her husband right now she could scream. She had no idea that she could love someone whom she wanted to toss out a window! For their entire six month courtship he treated her like a woman he desired. Now that she was his wife, he was treating her like a little girl he wanted to protect. She understood what he was trying to tell her. What bothered her was the condescending way in which he conveyed it. She would not let him treat her like that.

She was Joe Elliott’s granddaughter. Not to mention that her maiden name is Savage!

Abby got into the shower and began to wash off the remnants of her morning run with her honey-almond shower gel before shampooing and conditioning her hair.

She got out of the shower and dried off before applying matching honey-almond scented lotion to every inch of her body and a light moisturizer to her face. She towel dried her hair upside down then flipped it back until it fell in a damp disarray around her shoulders.

She wrapped the towel around her body and headed out to the bedroom. She padded across the large tapestry rug under the king sized, wrought-ironed framed bed and opened the lingerie drawer of her black and gold laquered dresser. She began to loosen her towel when she saw Rob come in. She immediately tightened the towel around her then looked away.

“No need to be so modest,” he said calmly.

Abby spoke without even looking at him. “Lets just say that I’m not feeling very appealing right now.”

Rob folded his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Abby pulled a pair of cream colored Victoria’s Secrets panties and matching bra out of her drawer, tossed them on the dresser near her mirrored perfume tray then slammed the drawer shut before facing her husband.

“It means just what it means,” she sassed back. “Its amazing that you can go from making me feel like a desirable woman to making me feel like a pathetic, helpless child.”

“Abby....you’re overreacting now,” Rob said a bit sternly. “I never made you feel like a child.”

“You just did, by referring to me as a girl. We knew that we’d catch some flak because of our age difference, but I didn’t think that you’d be the one slinging it.”

“Abby, I’m sorry, but what can I say? As much as your age means nothing to me, the fact does remain that you are, indeed, only 19. Even though your demeanor and personality is mature than your age, you’re still going to have the emotions and reactions of a 19 year old girl.”

Abby stood and listened without even looking at him. The last thing she would do was give into something without giving back just as good. She stood in the center of the bedroom and faced her husband.

“So....I have the demeanor and personality of a woman, but the emotions and reactions of a girl?” she asked him.

“Yes…exactly,” he replied.

She thought a bit then, while keeping a serious gaze on him, pulled the towel from her body and let it fall to the floor.

“Tell me…..is my body that of a girl’s or a woman’s?”

Chapter 22

Rob forgot all about why he came upstairs in the first place the moment Abby dropped her towel. His midnight blue eyes raked over every smooth, tight, honey-almond scented inch of her body.He took a step forward, trying to concentrate on her eyes as he answered her question.

“I think you can pretty much tell the answer to that,” he huskily said, “seeing that all I want to do right now is back you onto that bed.”

Abby tried to keep her cool under her husband’s hot gaze and folded her arms across her bare breasts. “Ah, I see.”

Rob took one more step forward. “What do you see?”

“That the only time I’m woman enough for you is when you want to fuck me.”

Rob was taken aback by Abby’s choice of words. He hadn’t heard her use vulgarity since he met her. But he took great offense at those words and planned to show her, regardless of the snit she was in or the dangerous game she was playing. He closed the gap between them and lightly grabbed her arms. He pulled her naked body up against his and leaned his face close to hers.

“First of all, Abby,” he said in a dangerous voice, “I don’t fuck you. Groupies get fucked. I make love to my wife.”

Abby felt a combined rush of fear and arousal from the sound of his voice and the feel of her naked body brushing up against the soft cotton of his t-shirt and boxers. And, from the hardness poking into her thigh, he was just as aroused as she was.

Abby met his stare without a flinch. “Well, then maybe you should fuck me, Rob,” she hissed. “Just because I’m you’re wife doesn’t mean that I’m some china doll that’ll break.”

She then pulled out of his grasp and backed towards the bed. “C’mon, Rob,” she taunted. “If I’m only woman enough for you in bed, then really prove it.”

Abby had no clue what her words would get her into when Rob grabbed her again, slightly rougher this time.

“Is that what you want, Abby? To fuck you like a bitch in heat to prove how much of a woman I think you are?”

For some reason, Abby was absolutely turned on by the rough, eroticism of the moment which made her forget about why she was mad at her husband in the first place. Her speechlessness caused her to nod her head.

Rob turned her around and bent her over the bed. He pulled his boxers down with one tug and stepped out of them. “Your wish is my command, wife!” You want a hard, nasty, dirty fuck…......you’ve got it!”

He then thrust his hand betwen her legs and found her incredibly wet. The lesson he planned on teaching her was about to backfire because she was unbelievably hot for him.

“Holy fucking shit, Abby,” he bit out as he thrust himself into her.

Abby tried to muffle a scream, but failed. It wasn’t one of pain, but a primal response to the animalistic coupling.

“Ahhhhh, fuck,” he hissed again as his engorged hardness was buried to the hilt of her sweet, wet warmth.

Abby threw her head back, allowing her damp, tawny hair to graze the sexy line of her back. As Rob pounded into her with uncontrolled lust, Abby met every one by simultaneously pushing her bottom back - causing him to go deeper each time.

“Damn you,” he growled as he pulled her up so that her back was almost pressed up against his front. He wildly ran his hands over her firm, jutting breasts and pinched her nipples until she squealed from the pain of the pleasure.

“Rob,” she dragged out in a gutteral scream as she felt her body shatter into a million pieces.

Rob grabbed a fistful of her damp hair and pulled her head back to as his own body shocked him by convulsing to a point where he felt he would black out. Hot fluid pumped out of his body so fast and hard that he thought he’d die from the intensity.

Abby finally fell forward on the bed as Rob came down with her, his legs unable to hold him up in the aftermath of the most mindblowing sensation he ever felt.

In the last four years he had been with women who did anything and everything to him - and some did things that hadn’t even been invented yet! However, not one of those shallow, empty one night stands or short lived affairs ever left him trembling with a desire so strong that it brought tears to his eyes.

It took a true woman to do that to him – this woman right here – who was no girl.

Abby turned her head to look up at her husband, who looked as if he ran about 5 miles at a hard pace. She ran her tongue over her teeth and twinkled her eyes at him.

“You little witch,” he panted as he flipped her on her back.

“So…..how does it feel to fuck your wife?”

Rob grinned. “I take it you’re not mad at me anymore?”

“Oh no, I’m still mad. I mean, if being mad at you is going to end up like this, maybe I should stay mad at you till death do us part!”

“If that’s the case, we’ll both be dead sooner than we’d like! Abby…..listen to me…I’m….I’m sorry if my words came across in a manner that upset you. I know you’re strong and independent, not to mention a damn fireball, but part of my responsibility as your husband is to look out for you – whether you’re 19, 29 or even 89.”

“By the time I’m 89, you’ll be dead,” she mused.

Rob lowered his head and kissed her softly. “Miss me?”

“Desperately,” she whispered as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Now…..make love to me!”

Chapter 23

Over at Paul’s, Mark sat behind his drum kit, looking over some preliminary drum fills. Troy fiddled with his bass and Paul tuned his guitar. Behind the boards, their producer was acquainting himself with the nobs and levers of the new system. He then went through his own set of sheetmusic and selected two songs to work on today and decided to start with the guitar parts first.

Once Rob finally showed up.

Paul looked at the clock on the wall. “Anytime today Rob,” he huffed to himself.

Mark overheard and looked up from his kis. “He’ll be here. I stopped by there this morning after I went to Cinnabon to drop some off.”

Troy looked up at Mark. “And……where’s ours?”

Mark shrugged. “Uh, sorry. Then again, you don’t have a wife who has yet to master a pot and pan.”

“No, I don’t have any wife,” Troy exclaimed. “Which is why I’ll take anything edible right now.”

“”Well, if he got the call I did this morning, I’m sure he and your sister are tiffing over that Viper Room incident,” Paul said. “Man, Bekka’s gotta stop going around trying to kick everyone’s ass!”

“I’m sure it was your honor she was defending,” Mark said. “And…you’re right. When I got there he had just gotten the call and uh….got into a fight with my sister over it. I’m sure he’s just making up with her right now.”

“Or having makeup sex,” Troy leered. “Speaking of which….Kimberly comes back tonight……thank God!”

“Yeah, I’m sure your hand could use a rest,” Paul mused.

“Suck it!” Troy bit back.

“Tell that to Kimberly,” Mark chimed in.

Just then, Rob bounded down the stairs, all smiles and whistles and announced his presence.

“I have arrived people, please try to hold your applause,” he said with exuberance.

Troy and Paul looked at each other. “Makeup sex!” they both said.

“Crikey,” Mark muttered, feeling uncomfortable hearing about his sister’s sex life. He then glanced at Rob.

“So…..everything alright, mate?”

Rob picked up his guitar and slung it over his head. “Wonderful! Fabulous! In-fucking-credible!”

“Sorry I asked,” Mark mumbled.

“Yeah, and no bragging until after I get some tonight,” Troy shot back. “Just hearing the word ‘sex’ makes me horny.”

Paul looked at Rob. “So, I gather the Viper Room incident has been taken care of?”

“Ohhhhhh, I took care of things, alright,” Rob snickered.

Mark got up. “I’m going upstairs to make some tea. I can’t listen to you talk about my baby sister like this.”

“Trust me Mark,” Rob called up the stairs after him. “Your sister is no baby!”

“I didn’t hear that,” Mark shouted back downstairs.

Troy laughed. “So I see you’ve found the perfect recipe for marital bliss?”

“Life couldn’t be more perfect, boys,” Rob said. “My wife got mad at me, stormed upstairs, I went up after her and, next thing I know, she’s standing there naked in the middle of the bedroom practically begging me to fuck her.”

“Oh bloody hell,” Mark groaned from upstairs, obviously overhearing.

“You’re joking, right?” Paul said. “You’re fucking lying. When women are mad at you, they withhold sex.”

“What can I say?” Rob gloated. “The Gods have smiled upon me, my friend. Yep, married life is good!”

However, Rob would find out that sex would not be the cure-all for what was in store for him and Abby down the road.

Chapter 24

Two Months Later

Sheffield, England

Abby and Rob faced each other in her parents grand backyard as they renewed their vows in front of the family and close friends.

Rob kept it simple with a charcoal gray suit and a crisp white collarless shirt while Abby was attired in a fitted lace gown with a matching off the shouder jacket. Tara designed it herself with Abby in mind and created a wedding dress that complimented her fresh youthfulness with a hint of edginess.

After all - she was the wife of a rock star.

After cutting into her cake, Abby spent as much quality time with her family before having to catch the next flight back to the States the following day. She sat for a while and mingled with her grandmothers, who were both so anxious to hear juicy tales of her wedded bliss. After that, she headed over to her grandfathers who wanted to know pretty much the same.

“So...is Rob a stud or what?”

Abby almost choked on the buttercream frosting. “Grandpa Joe! I think you find new and improved ways of topping your boldness.”

“You mean, his obnoxiousness,” Sav corrected, before turning to Joe. “Mate, there are some things you just don’t ask.”

“A little late in life for me to be learning that lesson,” Joe mused before turning to his granddaughter. “So.....big telly star, I hear. And doing skin commercials,”

“Well, since I’m a new face, my manager worked it out so that the commercials aired during my new show. I just hope its a hit. Its such an interesting premise.”

“What’s it about lass?” Sav asked.

“Well, I have two siblings - actually, we’re triplets - who share an unexplainable bond that happened in the womb. Sort of like we know what the other is feeling. Anyway, the series is centered around our everyday lives - and loves - but there’s also drama and danger, and that’s where the bond comes in handy. Kind of has a supernatural feel to it. Our characters’ last name is Diamond and the series is cleverly called Three of Diamonds.”

“Sounds kitchy,” Joe said.

“Different,” Sav replied.

“Well, its targeted to a specific audience, so hopefully we’ll connect with it.”

“So....how’s married life so far?”

Abby blushed profusely and grinned very wide. Joe’s still-green eyes lit up.

“That good, eh! Rob must really be a stud!”

“He’s wonderful grandpa, truly,” she said with a blush. “We had our first row a couple of months ago, but we settled it....uh...properly.”

“You mean with makeup sex?” Joe asked.

“Lord!” Sav huffed.

Joe then nudged Abby. “Aye...who is that hot redhead with the mega rack?”

Abby rolled her eyes. “That’s Troy’s girlfriend, Kimberly. She works as a makeup artist on movie sets.”

Joe whistled low. “Damn, there was a time when we got women like that, right Sav?”

“I’m not answering you,” Sav replied, pretending to ignore him.

Over on a bench, Mark and Tara huddled close to each other. “Luv, I can’t believe you’re coming out to L.A.! You’re gonna love it there.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not gonna go very far staying in London,” Tara replied. “Mark, you know I wouldn’t have been able to do all this - you know, the office and seamstresses, without your help....”

Mark put a finger to her lips. “Shhh, I don’t want to hear it. As I said, its an investment, so you better make me richer than I already am.”

“Uh oh,” Tara said. “Look at your mum. She’s holding little Ryan and has got that ‘I want grandchildren’ look in her eye.”

“Rob better hide!” Mark mused. “Unless....she wants to wait for us. You are gonna marry me someday, you know!”

“Mark Savage! Is that anyway to propose to me?”

“I wasn’t proposing,” Mark corrected. “I was preparing you for when I do, after you make it big, madame designer.”

Suddenly Paul came over. “Man, there’s a bunch of photographers outside your parent’s gate! I thought this was hush-hush?”

“Not anymore, I guess,” Mark said, getting up. “Paparazzi wants to find something out bad enough, they do.”

After informing Rob, he went over to get Abby. “Babe, it looks like our secret’s out. There’s fotogs out front. Perhaps we should allow one to take one picture for the rags, what do you say?”

Abby shrugged. “Oh, why not?”

After allowing a few shots, Rob and Abby turned to go back to their wedding reception, but not before they were rushed by interviewers.

“So, what chapel in Vegas did you originally get married in?”

Abby was a little overwhelmed, but smiled cordially. “Uh, its called The Chapel Of Love on the strip.”

“And can you confirm that incident in The Viper Room a few months ago with Rob’s ex-girlfriend?”

“And Rob, are reports of an, Ecstasy-laced orgy that took place in Hawaii after the last tour true?”

“That’s enough!,” Rob bit out to them, pulling Abby away. “Its our fucking wedding day! Don’t you have any consideration?”

He pulled Abby away. “Don’t pay any attention to them, Abbs. They’re nothing but gossip mongers.”

As the young couple fled to safety on the other side of the gate, the gossip journalists furiously wrote in their pads. Whatever dirt they were unable to dig up today would be revealed sometime down the road.

Chapter 25

That same evening, all the guests had long departed the backyard reception. Paul and Troy headed back to the hotel with their girlfriends, while Mark, Rob and Abby stayed with Tyler and Grace.

Abby had been very quiet for the remainder of the afternon as the assailing questions from the journalists still rung in her ears. After everything was cleaned up and put away, Abby thanked her parents for a wonderful afternoon before heading upstairs to the guest bedroom – alone.

Rob was sitting outside on the deck, looking up at the stars, nursing a bottle of Guiness. Not only couldn’t he believe that the press got wind of what happened in Hawaii, but he couldn’t believe that they had the audacity to bring it up in front of his wife – on their wedding day! Then again, he knew better. Juicy gossip, wild parties and marital strife is the stuff that makes tabloid rags fly off the shelf.

He purposefully stayed outside, if only to put off getting alone with Abby and having her confront him with what happened. Not that she needed to know what went on in his life before she came into it, but hearing what he did was too much for her to just sweep it under the rug.

Rob heard the sliding door open behind him and he turned to see Mark.

“I’m surprised you’re out here,” Mark said. “Not too many blokes get to have two wedding nights. Just uh….easy on the ale, mate. You want to be able to function properly!”

Rob snickered before chugging his beer. “Are you kidding? I’d rather get plastered than go face your sister.”

“Aw crikey, what now?”

Rob relayed the question that was put to him by one of the journalists that afternoon. Mark’s mouth dropped as he fell back into a chair.

“Fucking hell! How…..how….?”

“I have no clue,” Rob blew out. “It was only us and, well…those 8 girls. Maybe it was one of them, who knows.”

Mark ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how any of them remembered anything! All I remember after it was over was having paranoia and a hard-on that wouldn’t go away.”

“Abby’s gonna ask me about it, I just know it,” Rob fretted. “What the fuck am I gonna do?”

“Maybe you should just tell her,” Mark suggested. “You know….get it all out in the open.”

“Oh…yeah…right,” Rob said with absurdity. “I just renewed my vows with my wife and now you’re suggesting that I spend my second wedding night telling my wife about a two day, Ecstasy and alcohol-laced fuck-fest that happened before we hooked up?”

As those words came out of Rob’s mouth, he looked up at the opposing figure standing in the opening of the sliding door.

“Shit,” he muttered.

Mark turned around and paled a bit. “Uh….hi dad.”

Chapter 26

Tyler just stood there, drinking in what he just overheard. “I suppose I should forget what I just heard?”

“Might not be a bad idea,” Mark mused.

Tyler stepped out onto the deck. “Mark, give us a few minutes alone, please.”

Mark stood up, raised his eyebrows at Rob, then left. When the door closed, Tyler turned to find Rob looking at him.

“I’m sure you’re really regretting me marrying your daughter now,” Rob sighed out.

Tyler folded his arms. “Rob, its not my place to point my finger at you and shake it. That would make me a hypocrit. There were plenty of times I found myself in a hotel room with a lass….or three!”

Rob allowed himself a laugh, remembering that Tyler was a rock star himself once.

“However……I was never so stupid to do drugs,” he continued. “Man, you have no idea what kind of effect they’re gonna have on you.”

Rob shrugged. “Yeah, well I guess we just didn’t think of it along the same lines as coke, ya know. I felt really creepy afterwards.”

“Yeah, I bet. But Rob, don’t think you have to tell Abby what went on in your life before you got together, unless…….. you have another wife and secret children hidden in another state.”

Rob let out a long, slow breath. “She’s gonna ask – I just know it! Then she’s probably gonna want to know everything else.”

“You don’t give my daughter much credit, do you?”

“Tyler…I mean…..dad…..she’s a woman. Women have this natural curiosity about wanting to know the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘why’ of every encounter you had with every woman you ever met. Hell, there isn’t enough days in the year to recount all those!”

Tyler raised his brows.

“Uh….sorry,” Rob muttered.

“That’s okay. You’re still new at what to say and what not to say to your father-in-law!”

“Guess I’m a little too honest sometimes,” Rob replied.

“That’s good. But…in this situation, you don’t need to be. Rob, my daughter may be young, but she knows what you’ve been doing for a living for the past 5 years. She’s not that naïve to think that you’ve been a choir boy. However, knowing about it and hearing the actual, hedonistic details is a little different. What you did, and who you did it with, before you dated and married my daughter isn’t any of my concern.”

Rob nodded.

Tyler turned to head back inside. “But just remember, you choose to do any of that from this point on, it will become my concern. Goodnight.”

Rob gulped!

Chapter 27

Rob slid into bed next to Abby who was peacefully asleep. He was half relieved that she wasn’t awake, fearing her questioning, and half disappointed because…well….it was his second wedding night and he wanted to make love to her.

Deciding that sleeping in silence was a good sign, Rob laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. He then felt the mattress shift and knew that Abby had turned towards him.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she sleepily said.

Rob took a deep breath and opened his eyes, turning his head to look at her. “I know. That’s why it took me so long to come up to bed,” he replied with honesty.

She propped herself on her elbow. “Afraid of your teenage wife?”

“No. I’m afraid of losing my teenage wife? Abbs…what you heard….”

She put a finger to his lips. “No, please…don’t explain. I don’t need the horrid details. Especially if my brother was involved!”

“All four of us were, Abbs. It was right after the last tour ended. We were staying in a penthouse suite at the Ritz-Carleton in Kapaula. We went on this ‘tequilia’ day cruise where we met……..some people. We were so wasted after the cruise that we invited……..these people back to our suite and…well….”

“….Rob, stop,” Abby cut him off. “I told you, you don’t have to explain. I can’t do anything about what you did before we got married. However, I don’t want to ever hear about you taking drugs, okay?”

Rob nodded. “No problem, babe. Abby….I really am sorry for how those reporters acted today.”

“Rob, its not your fault.”

“I know, I know…..its just…..it was so tacky and I hope it didn’t ruin the rest of the day for you.”

“Their rudeness did appall me. But….like you told me in the past, I guess its something I’m going to have to get used to. With my series starting in the fall, we’re both going to be visible people. You’re got a famous rock star newly married to an up and coming actress – that’s perfect fodder for the press. We’re gonna have to learn to deal with it, I suppose.”

Rob leaned into her so that Abby fell on her back. “You really are wise for your years, you know?”

Abby brashly nodded. “And….if you’re wise…..you’ll make love to me right now!”

He slid his body atop hers and leaned into to kiss her. “When it comes to that…I’m a genius!”

She twined her arms around her neck. “Lets just forget about what happened today and hope that no other surprises pop up again.”

Chapter 28

6 Months Later

September

As the old saying goes……..’when the honeymoon is over, the marriage begins’.

No one was finding that out better than Rob and Abby.

Abby was in L.A. attending a party with all the stars of the new WB shows premiering this month, while Rob was in New York with the rest of the band to promote their newly released album.

Her exhaustive filming schedule, combined with cast photo sessions, press junkets and commercials to market the new show began shortly after Fusion finished recording. Rob found himself alone many a night while Abby jetted back and forth to fulfill her obligations.

Now that all the pre-premiere work had been done, Abby was now back in L.A. on a more routine filming basis while Rob was now the one off on band business. Fusion had a month’s worth of radio interviews, autograph sessions, in-store appearances, and small gigs up and down the east coast before he could head back home.

Abby’s ‘three days on, two days off’ film schedule didn’t allow her enough travel time to attend one of his performances, nor could Rob travel back to attend the premiere party with her.

The stress of being apart, especially when they needed each other the most, was hitting big time.

Rob clicked off his cell phone with a frustrated curse after failing to get through to Abby’s cell all the way in L.A. Their conflicting schedules, and three hour time difference, made even phone calls difficult.

He was getting ready to leave the hotel to head on over to the MTV studios for an interview. He had on the E! entertainment channel which was reporting the news from the previous night’s activities. One of the events covered was the WB cast party.

Rob hung back to watch, hoping to spot Abby. He then saw her with her two co-stars, a young woman and young man around her age, who were to play her brother and sister on the show. The young man was in the middle and Abby and the other girl were on either side of him, their arms wrapped around each other, as they posed for pictures. Rob watched the guy in the middle playfully nuzzle Abby and the other girl, who both smiled and blushed.

Rob clenced the remote in his hand so tight that he heard a cracking sound. Only the sound of Troy coming out of the bathroom pulled him away from the screen.

“Ready?” Troy asked.

“Yeah,” Rob sighed. “Lets get out of here.”

Before he clicked the tv off, Troy halted him. “Hey….is that Abby?”

“Yeah. Its from that premiere party last night in L.A. for the new shows.”

Troy studied the screen. “Hmmm, is that guy one of her co-stars? Quite the little hearthrob, there! Looks like you may have some competiton!”

Rob angrily shut the tv off and turned to Troy. “How’d you like to eat out of your asshole?” he spat out before heading out the door. Troy grinned over goading him and followed.

At the interview, the guys fielded a series of questions on the new album from the inspiration for the writing, how it was to record at Paul’s home and the feel of the songs. They talked about the upcoming tour as to when it would start and who was slated to possibly be their opening act.

Then….the personal questions began.

“So, onto a more personal note,” the interviewer continued, “Rob, you snuck off and got married to Mark’s sister last Christmas. How’s married life so far?”

Troy bit his lip to keep from smirking, having witnessed Rob’s little tirade earlier that morning. Rob fidgeted in his chair, not comfortable with talking about his personal life.

“Its good, thanks,” Rob politely replied. “She’s back in L.A. filming a new series that’s debuting on the WB this month.”

“Ah, a up-and-coming actress, I see,” the interviewer said. “So, how are you handling the time apart?”

“So far, so good,” Rob quickly stated.

“Well, the true test will be once the tour starts,” the interviewer said. “I’m sure all your past hijinks won’t be happening – especially with your drummer being her big brother. I hear she’s quite a young lady – only nineteen…..”

The interviewer cut off when Rob took the casette recorder out of his hand and clicked it off.

“One more tacky comment about my wife or my marriage and I’ll stick this recorder where only a surgeon will be able to remove it. Got me?”

The interviewer sheepishly took the recorder back from Rob. “I, uh……. guess we’re finished here then,” he said.

“Yes, you are,” Rob replied, as he got up and walked off.

Chapter 29

Two Days Later

Fusion just finished up a meet & greet autograph signing session in a Pennsylvania mall record store. They boarded their bus to take them to their next stop where they were meeting their manager and assistant.

They arrived in New Jersey and headed over to a private dining room of the Radisson in Paramus before heading over to the Paramus Park Mall for another autograph session. After a long bus ride, they were all looking forward to some lunch first. They walked in to find their manager, Tim Galloway and his assistant waiting for them.

“’bout time, guys!” Tim joked, hugging each of them. “Sorry it took so long for me to meet up with you, but…better late than never!”

“Yeah sure…leave us to the sharks,” Paul said, before looking over to Tim’s assistant. “Jessica, delightful to see you’re joining us again,” he said with a sly grin and a wink.

“Good to see you too, Paul,” Jessica replied with a hint of double innuendo.

“I bet you are,” Paul sassed back as he tickled the back of her neck when he passed.

Jessica then went up to Mark next.

“Hey babe, looks like you pulled through that car wreck with flying colors,” she said.

“Yeah, and I’ve got a nice scar from having my spleen removed to show for it,” Mark replied.

Jessica gave him liquid eyes and caressed his abdomen. “Hmm, you’ll have to show me later.”

Mark playfully winked at her before taking a seat. Troy was up next.

“Hey there gorgeous,” Jessica said, hugging him hello.

“Whoa, I should stay away a lot longer,” Troy joked. “You’re looking good, Jess.”

“I can say the same for you,” she replied. “Has anyone snagged you yet?”

“Actually, I have a girlfriend – Kimberly. She’s a makeup artist. She’ll probably join me on the tour at some point.”

“Well, we’ll just have to think of ways to keep you busy till then,” she said coyly, as her hand brushed across his chest.

Jessica was so looking forward to getting back on the road with Fusion. She enjoyed the sexual tension, banter and flirting from the last tour. She planned on a plateful of it this time, but had something even more prizeworthy in mind as she fixed her eyes on her next victim.

“Hi Rob,” she said with a purse of her lips and inviting eyes.

Rob’s eyes swept Jessica lingeringly, as they did so many times on the last tour. “Hey babe, how goes it?”

Jessica unabashedly hugged him and pressed her breasts inconspicuously against his chest. “Hey you,” she whispered in his ear, before pulling back. “I’m really looking forward to this tour. Its gonna be awesome.”

Rob pulled back and looked at her. “You seem more excited than we are.”

“I am. Especially since I’m uh……….maritally challenged.”

Rob narrowed his brows. “Huh?”

“Got divorced. Couldn’t deal anymore. Needed my space. But…I see you’ve been up to quite the opposite! Married Mark’s little sister.”

Rob shrugged. “What can I say? I’m in love!”

“Oh shut up!” Paul huffed with a bit of nausea.

“Ignore him,” Rob said. “You see…while he’s doing afternoon diaper changes, I’m having ‘afternoon delights’!”

“You’re making me sick, Rob,” Paul said.

“Uh…me too,” Mark called out. “I told you, I don’t want to hear sex talk that involves my sister!”

Jessica then turned to Rob. “Well, you’ll have to tell me all about this romantic liaison of yours. Heard you eloped in Vegas after some whirlwind courtship.”

“Pretty much how it happened,” Rob answered.

“I’ll look forward to hearing all about it. And…all about your wife……”

“Abby,” Rob filled in for her.

“Yes, of course…..Abby,” Jessica replied with a smile.

It was important that she know the name of the woman whose husband she was going to try to steal.

Chapter 30

Back in L.A.

Abby returned from her morning run and immediately took a quick shower and dressed. She left her hair to dry naturally and her fresh face void of makeup since both would be done on the set.

She got behind the wheel of her new Mustang convertible and headed out of the garage. Though she’d never admit it to her family, she had become quite the coffee drinker since coming to L.A. She made her usual stop at Starbucks for a lowfat mocha latte before heading over to the studio.

Before getting out of the car, she remembered that she forgot to check her voice mail on her cell phone. When she heard a message from Rob, she frowned that she missed his call. Their entire relationship these past several weeks has been based on phone calls and every one was important to her – especially since he couldn’t be here for her.

She knew that once she got on the set that she wouldn’t be able to keep her phone on, so she decided to give him a call back before she went on in.

Back in New Jersey……

“So……tell me about how the two of you hooked up?” Jessica asked.

Rob swallowed a mouthful of pasta primavera and took a sip of beer.

“Well, I first met her 6 years ago when she was only 13 – right after we asked Mark to join the band.”

Jessica put a hand on his arm. “Wait…you mean….she’s only 19?”

Rob gave her a look. “Hey, don’t look at me like I’m some dirty old man! Its perfectly legal! Besides, she’s very mature for her age. Anyway, we didn’t run into each other again until last year when Mark was in the hospital. I just couldn’t believe it was her. Then she came out L.A. with Mark to go on auditions while we wrote the album, we hooked up, it became serious and….voila! We just made a decision to go off to Vegas to get married.”

“Wow…she must be pretty special for a guy like you to settle down, especially at the height of your career,” Jessica countered. “Then again…it must be difficult with her being in L.A. and you being….here.”

“Yeah, it is, but we knew we’d have to deal with times like these,” Rob said. “I wish I could be there for her. Last night there was a premiere party hosted by the station that airs her new show. She really needed me to be there with her, but she knew I couldn’t – just like I want her to be with me right now.”

Jessica ran her eyes along his face while he took another sip of beer. “Well, I’ll just have to do my best to keep you company till she can join you.”

Just then, Rob’s cell phone rang.

“Excuse me,” he said, clicking it on. “Hello?”

“Aye luv,” Abby said on the other end.

“Hey babe, we were just talking about you.”

“We?”

“Oh, uh……I was telling Jessica, Tim’s assistant, about you. Was asking all about the woman lucky enough to snag me.”

“Oh…I see,” Abby replied. “I’m uh….sorry I missed your call earlier. I was out for my run. I’m at the studio and was just about to head in. I…..I missed having you here last night.”

“I wish I could’ve been there, Abbs,” he said. “I did see clips of it on the Entertainment Channel. You looked great.”

“Thanks. Hey….I really do miss you.”

“I miss you too babe. Are you sure you can’t sneak out here for a few days?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Rob sighed heavily. “Okay.”

All of a sudden, Jessica let out a laugh over some joke that Paul had told.

“Who’s that laughing?”

“Oh…that’s Jessica, Tim’s assistant. They just arrived to accompany us on the rest of the promos.”

“Um…I see,” she said a bit warily. “So….where are you right now?”

“Oh, we’re at the Radisson in Paramus, New Jersey. We’re all having lunch before heading over to the mall for the autograph signing.”

“Ah. So…. your manager needs an assistant with him to do promo work?” she asked.

“Well, things can get crazy and Jessica helps to pick up the slack. She’s a huge help to Tim. She traveled with us on the last tour with him and she’ll be accompanying him again this tour.”

“Oh….okay. Well, listen, I…I have to get inside. I just wanted to hear your voice first.”

“Okay.”

“I love you Rob.”

Suddenly, she heard Jessica’s voice in the backround interrupt their conversation. “Rob, we’re running late. We’ve got to go.”

“Oh, okay,” he replied, before turning back to his conversation with Abby. “Babe, listen I gotta run. We’re late. I’ll call ya tonight. Bye.”

Abby sat in her car holding her cell phone after he abrubtly hung up on her. She understood that he was late and had to cut her off.

She didn’t understand why he forgot to tell her he loved her.

Chapter 31

Abby arrived home at almost 6 that evening after an exhaustive day of filming. She threw her keys down on the counter and saw that there weren’t any messages. She knew that it was 9:00pm on the east coast, but she didn’t know if Rob said he’d call her ‘his’ night time or ‘hers’.

The silence of the empty house was getting to her. All she knew was that she didn’t want to spend the night on the couch watching television, waiting for him to call. Although she was initially upset over Rob not telling her that he loved her too before he abruptly hung up, she quickly shrugged it off. It just wasn’t worth getting herself all riled up over nothing.

She went upstairs and stripped off her clothes. She put her hair up in a messy ponytail and took a quick bath. She then changed in a pair of gray and white terrycloth sweatpants and matching hooded top. She looked at the phone and smiled, picked up the receiver and dialed the number.

Forty-five minutes later, Abby found herself on Bekka’s doorstep with a pizza box in her hand. Bekka answered the door with a very chubby and very cranky nine month old Ryan in her arms.

“Hey, come on in,” Bekka said as she juggled Ryan up and down to get him to stop crying.

Abby stuck her finger out and Ryan promptly grabbed it. “What’s the matter, little lad?”

“Teething!” Bekka said with exasperation. “He’s cutting his teeth so fast. He’s nothing but a crying drool machine!”

“Here, why don’t I hold him a bit for you and you can take this pizza?”

Bekka got out dishes and glasses while Abby walked around the house with Ryan in her arms, cooing and cuddling him to give him some comfort before Bekka handed her a frozen teething ring.

“Here, this should help.”

She stuck it in his mouth and he quickly began to gnaw on it, quieting a bit.

They sat around the coffee table in the downstairs family room and ate pizza while Bekka gave Ryan a bottle at the same time.

“Ah, peace and quiet!” she exclaimed.

Abby swallowed and took a sip of soda. “Please, I”ve had way too much of that. God, I miss Rob so much. We knew it would be tough with our careers, but it still doesn’t make me miss him any less.”

Bekka put Ryan over her shoulder to burp him. “You get used to it after a while, trust me,” she said almost emotionlessly.

“Don’t you miss Paul?”

“Of course I do, especially now that I have him,” Bekka motioned to Ryan. “I mean, yeah its nice to have a nanny at my disposal when I want to do something for myself, but its not the same. But, I”ve been at this longer than you so I know what to expect. At least….I know what to expect from Paul.”

Abby bit her lip, wondering if she should venture into uncharted territory. “Bekka, do…..do you mind if I ask you something, well…..personal?”

Bekka sighed heavily and looked at Abby. “Why do I stay with someone whom I know continually cheats on me?”’

Abby was a bit taken back by her boldness and her honesty. “Well…..yeah.”

Bekka was silent for a few seconds, pondering her answer. “Abby, I’m sure its hard for someone like you – I mean, someone so young, not to mention married – to understand. I don’t think Paul has been unfaithful since I found out I was pregnant. I know he dabbled on the last tour and…God only knows what he did when they went to Hawaii.”

Abby wisely kept her mouth shut about that tequilia cruise in Hawaii that Rob confessed to her.

“Paul and I have been with each other since after high school,” Bekka continued. “I’ve been in love with him since then – when he was a nobody. Now he’s rich and famous and have women climbing over each other to get to him. I know he’s given in and we fight about it each time and I always threaten to break up with him because of it, but I always wind up staying. All I want him to do is acknowledge my loyalty to him and how I”ve stood by him through all his bullshit and show me some respect for it.”

Abby bowed her head and took another bite of pizza. She swallowed and took a drink before looking back at Bekka. “Maybe….maybe the reason he doesn’t respect you is because you do put up with all his bullshit.”

Bekka put the bottle back in Ryan’s mouth and looked at Abby with astonishment. “What?”

“I’m….I’m sorry, Bekka, I…….I don’t have any right to….”

“No, please….say it,” Bekka begged her. “Be honest with me.”

“Well, maybe he sees you as a pushover – someone that’ll forgive him no matter what he does. He’s got his cake, which is you and Ryan, the icing, which is his rock career and the groupies and he’s just gobbling it up knowing he can have more and not have to worry about getting fat.”

Bekka smiled. “That’s an interesting way of putting it. You know…..you may be right. I”ve often thought that Paul thought of me as a doormat, even though I know he does love me. I just don’t think he knows how to love the right way. I keep thinking that….if I just hang in there and stand by him that one day he’ll finally wake up and realize what he’s got.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Abby asked.

“I try not to think of that,” Bekka said. “You know, you are wise for your years, girlie. Rob’s very fortunate to have someone like you. At least he won’t screw up like Paul.”

Abby wiped her hands on a napkin and sat back. “Bekka….who’s this ‘Jessica’, the manager’s assistant?”

Bekka’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Abby. “Why?”

“Well….Rob called from New Jersey earlier and she and their manager just arrived to accompany them on the rest of the promos. I guess she’s also going on the road with them.”

“She’s a flirting little bitch, is what she is!” Bekka spat. “If she wasn’t married, I’d lay odds that she would’ve fucked all four of them last tour, but I don’t think she’d risk her marriage. She especially had the secret hots for Rob, but, like I said, she’s married and now so’s Rob. Plus, with your brother in the band, I don’t think Rob would even attempt to look at another woman!”

Abby smiled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

After putting Ryan to bed and spending a few hours in ‘girl talk’, Abby headed home. It was close to 9:30pm when the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” Rob said on the other line. “Where’ve ya been?”

“Oh, I brought pizza over to Bekka’s. Was feeling a tad lonely, you know?”

“You know I’d rather be there with you than in close quarters with these three clowns,” Rob mused.

“Isn’t your manager and assistant with you too?”

“Yeah, they are, but…I was referring to the guys. They all miss their respective others too.”

“Bekka will be happy to know that,” Abby said. “Its tough for her being alone with the baby. And it must be hard for that assistant, Jessica, to be away from her husband.”

“Oh, Jess isn’t married,” Rob said. “I mean, she was, but she just got divorced.”

“Uh…….oh,” Abby said, remembering what Bekka had told her about Jessica having the hots for Rob. She remembered Bekka’s solemnness over Paul’s infidelities and wondered if Rob would have trouble staying true.

“Abbs….you there?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m here. Just uh…..getting a bit sleepy. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll let you go then. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you, Abbs. And… I love you.”

Abby smiled deeply to herself, feeling her husband’s warmth flow through her, even though he was almost 3,000 miles away. “I love you too, Rob.”

Abby hung up the phone feeling warm and fuzzy over her husband’s declaration of love.

Even if he was 3,000 miles away with a divorced woman who has the hots for him.

Chapter 32

Two weeks later, the band finally made it back home to L.A. to shoot the video for their first single off the new album.

Because of who their boyfriends were in the band, Kimberly got the job to do the makeup for the video and Tara, who was taking the fashion world by storm ever since Abby’s wedding dress appeared in print, would be outfitting the extra’s for the video with her line of clothing called Crush. Crushwear was being touted as the new ‘casual chic’ but with a ‘rock style edge’ which made it perfect for a music video.

Rob arrived home late morning due to the time change and knew that Abby would be on the set. After taking a relaxing shower from the long plane ride, he changed into a t-shirt and jeans and decided to go surprise his wife on the set.

He got behind the wheel of his gleaming silver Corvette, stopped at Starbucks for something to keep him awake then headed over to the studio. Even though the set was closed, the crew recognized him and let him in.

Rob headed over to the side where he noticed Eva Stratton, another newcomer actress who played Abby’s sister on the show. She was standing off to the side as she watched the scene being filmed. Rob quietly sidled up to her.

“Eva, right?” he whispered.

Eva turned and gasped quietly. “Yes! You’re…..Rob Silver of Fusion. Abby’s hubby.”

Rob wiggled his brows. “That’s me. Just got in from the east coast a few hours ago. Thought I’d surprise my wife since I haven’t seen her in almost a month.”

Eva leered at him. “Hmm, someone’s gonna be busy tonight!”

Rob chuckled, liking the easy, good-naturedness of this young star. “So….where is she?”

Eva pointed to the set where a scene was being filmed. Rob craned his head and saw Abby doing a scene with a gorgeous young guy.

“Uh, who’s the guy? Is that the actor that plays your brother?”

“Uh, no,” Eva replied. “That would be Craig Ralston…..he’s taking a break right now. He’s plays our brother, Court Diamond. I play Corrine Diamond, they call me Rinny for short on the show, and Abby’s Ceidre, or Cid for short. Get it? We’re all ‘C’s, but….from the look on your face, I don’t think you’re interested in any of that.”

Rob’s gaze focused on the scene that Abby was having with the goodlooking young actor. “So….who’s the guy?”

“Oh, he’s an extra hired to play Abby’s….uh, I mean Cid’s possible love interest,” Eva said warily. “But hey…nothing to be jealous about. The guy’s a dweeb. And, compared to you, he’s non-existant.”

Rob listened to Eva as he kept watching Abby act out her scene with this young guy. Right up until the kiss.

The script had called for their first kiss to be sweet, but intense since this guy had the hots for Abby’s character for a few episodes. And it was intense. And…..long.

As the seconds ticked by waiting for the director to yell ‘cut’, Rob watched his beautiful, young wife in a convincingly real kiss with a total stranger. She kissed this actor as sensually as she kissed him in bed. His hand gripped his coffee cut so hard that it began to shake.

“Hey Rob, you’re spilling your coffee,” Eva said.

Rob’s eyes snapped away for a moment to still his hand. Eva knew exactly what caused his little tremor.

“I know she’s only acting, but......maybe this isn’t a good thing for you to watch,” she said warily.

“Maybe not,” Rob agreed. “Christ, how long are they supposed to…..?”

“Cut!” the director yelled.

“Finally!” Rob huffed out. “Think she’s done?”

“They may have to do another take or two. Not sure how long she’ll be,” Eva said.

Rob checked his watch. “Listen, since I just got home I’ve got some errands to run. Tell her I stopped by and that I’ll see her home later.”

“Sure thing, Rob,” Eva said. “Hey…..when does the tour start?”

Rob looked up to see Abby redoing her kissing scene again and growled inside.

“Too soon!”

Chapter 33

Abby arrived home very close to dinner time to find the house quiet. She threw her keys and bag on the center island and called out to her husband.

“Rob? Luv, you here?”

“Down here!”

Abby headed to the basement family room to find Rob sprawled on the couch watching television. She basically ran over to him and, without thinking, flung herself on top of him.

“Oh, thank God you’re home!” she exuberantly said as she showered his face with kisses. “Crikey, I missed you so much. Eva told me you stopped by the set. You should’ve waited for me.”

Even though Rob’s mood was a bit cloudy since seeing his wife kissing an actor on the set, it couldn’t compete with his body’s reaction to hers pressed tightly against him. He had been away from her for a month and he was beginning to feel it.

“Mmm, you were busy,” he replied, leaning his head back so she could kiss his neck better. “I figured I’d just do some errands then see you tonight.”

“Oh, I’ve got plans for you tonight,” she purred as she kissed the warm skin of his neck then slowly worked up to his face. “Then again, you’ve been gone for four weeks. Lets start now.”

She ground her body against his and captured his lips with hers. Rob gave in immediately, for the feel of her after being apart for so long was too much to bear. He thrust his hips up to rub his hardness against her thigh as he moved his lips over hers.

Her lips – which were sensually kissing another guy earlier.

As if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him, Rob pulled his mouth away. “Hey…don’t you want to go upstairs and get comfy? Maybe take a nice, long soak in the tub first to relax?”

Abby’s eyes widened. “Uh……why?”

Rob fidgeted. “Nothing, I…I just thought you’d want to relax after a long day and I’ll order us some dinner.”

Abby straightened herself up and looked down at him. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me!”

“You’re lying, Rob,” she retorted. “You’ve been gone for a month. I’m practically shagging you on the couch and all you can think about is dinner? Screw dinner! I want my husband!”

Abby leaned down to kiss him and he pulled his face away. He pushed her off him and hopped up off the couch.

“Alright, Abby…I’m sorry, okay,” he confessed. “I just feel a little……weird kissing you after I saw you kissing that guy on the set, that’s all.”

Abby put her hands on her hips and took an arrogant stance. “What? Is that what this is about? Rob…I’m an actress, for bloody Pete’s sake. I was acting!”

“Yeah, well it looked pretty real to me,” he huffed out.

She folded her arms. “So…..the reason you wanted me to go upstairs and relax in the tub is so I can wash this other guy’s kiss off my mouth or something?”

Rob ran his fingers through his hair with frustration, not wanting to admit to his wife that that was the reason. He didn’t have to. His silence told Abby all she wanted to know.

“I don’t bloody believe you! You, of all people!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hello…… Mr. Rock Star? Did you forget your backstage activities these past few years? I was a virgin when I married you. I kissed an actor because it was in the script. That’s my job. And now you don’t want to kiss me because of it? If that’s the case, then you need to have your entire body disinfected after the sleazy groupies you’ve cavorted with!

“Abbs, c’mon,” he tried to calm her. “That was different……”

“Oh, how was it different, Rob? Wasn’t fucking as many groupies as you could part of your job as a rock star? No, it wasn’t. Its just a perk that comes with the territory.”

“Abby, stop, alright? Listen, forget it. It was just…..weird to see it, okay? Lets just have dinner and…”

Abby stormed towards the stairs and up them. “You’ve got to be kidding me? I don’t even want to be in the same room with you right now!”

He heard the upstairs door slam, and then the door to the garage open and close. When he heard Abby’s car leave the garage, he took one of the throw pillows off the couch and flung it across the room.

“Fuck!”

*****************************************

Abby was shaking with anger when she rang the doorbell. After a few moments, she rang it again….and again.

Suddenly, the door was flung open and her brother stood there, looking quite dissheveled and dressed only in a pair of boxers. Abby immediately looked contrite.

“Oh crap, Mark,” she said. “We’re you and Tara….uh…uh….”

“Uh……yeah, we were,” Mark said. “What’s the matter? Why are you here?”

“Because my husband is a bloody asshole, that’s why!”

Chapter 34

Mark shut the door to his L.A. flat after his sister stormed inside.

“I can’t believe him!” Abby spouted. “I just can’t believe him!”

“Mark, what’s going on?” Tara said as she emerged from the bedroom, tying a robe about her body. She halted upon seeing Abby. “Abby, what’s wrong?”

Abby reigned in her anger when she realized what she just walked in on. “Oh…..oh God, you guys. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb anything. Maybe I should’ve gone to see Bekka.”

“Not if you wanted to catch Paul all over her,” Mark mused. “Remember, he was gone with us for a month too. And poor Troy was so bad that he was on his cell talking dirty with Kimberly on the limo ride back from the airport!”

“I don’t think we need all the sordid details, Mark,” Tara replied, folding her arms across her chest.

Abby sighed heavily. “Guess Rob’s the only one who isn’t gonna get any tonight then.”

“Crikey,” Mark groaned over details of his sister’s sex life. “Uh…just what did happen?”

“He’s a bloody fucking hypocrit, that’s what?”

“Abigail!” Mark admonished. “I never heard you swear like that.”

“Yeah, well he brought it out in me. I can’t believe it! Him, of all people, getting his bleedin’ nose out of joint because he happened to see me do a kissing scene when he dropped by the set.”

“Yikes,” Mark drawled out. “I know its part of being an actress, Abbs, but……I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to watch.”

“Oh, but its okay for me to have to live with the lacivious activities of his past?” Abby questioned. “How the hell do you think I felt when we renewed our vows in Sheffield when those reporters asked him about that Ecstasy orgy in Hawaii?”

Tara turned astonished eyes to Mark. “Orgy? Ecstasy?”

Mark gulped deeply and sidestepped his girlfriend. “Uh…..luv, that was long before we hooked back up. I’ll uh….leave you two women to your manbashing. I’ll just go wait in the……….bye!”

Mark hightailed it out of the foyer so fast that Tara had no choice but to laugh. “Coward!”

“Doesn’t that bother you, Tara?”

Tara shrugged. “Abby, I can’t get myself all worked up about things that Mark did when we weren’t together. Even if I did, there’s nothing I can do to change his past. What he does from now on is a different story.”

Abby leaned against the wall. “Are…..are you afraid he’ll cheat on you?”

“Abby, I don’t even think about it. I love your brother and I trust him. Those years in the band before we got back together were more than enough for him to sow whatever oats he had to get out of his system.”

“Then why is it that Paul still has to screw around behind Bekka’s back?”

Tara shook her head back and forth. “Abby, I don’t know. As much as we think it isn’t right, that’s something that they have to deal with it. Mark and I have our relationship and you and Rob have your marriage. Please don’t look at what goes on over someone elses fence to influence what goes on in your own backyard.”

Abby pinched her temples. “Tara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask something so personal. That has nothing to do with the reason I’m here. Its just…..I can’t believe that Rob got so…….so jealous!”

“I can,” Tara responded.

Abby looked incredulous. “What? Why would a rich, famous rock star be jealous of a no-name actor kissing his wife in a scene?”

“Well, maybe not that particular actor, but perhaps Rob fears that someone may come along that may……tempt you. Remember, Abby, Rob’s the only man you’ve ever been with – and he knows that. Now that you’re an actress in L.A. with a cool telly show, you’re gonna be getting a lot of attention. There’s gonna be more young actors coming and going on that show. Maybe…maybe Rob thinks that you’re gonna start thinking about what you’ve been missing out on. Remember, he is eight years older than you and may think that, eventually, you’ll want someone younger.”

Abby listened to what Tara had to say. As logical as it was, Abby couldn’t believe it. “Why would he think I’d want someone else? I love him. I held out for him.”

“You know that and I know that, but Rob may not always feel that. Just because he’s a big, tough rocker, doesn’t mean that he can’t be insecure.”

Abby never thought of her husband as ‘insecure’. Here was a young man who has the music world at his feet and, prior to getting married, any woman he wanted. Who’d have thought that he’d worry about his nineteen year old bride possibly leaving him for someone else? Here, she was more worried about him around that Jessica chick and all the while he’s been worried about her.

“You….you think that’s why he freaked out like that?” Abby asked.

“Most definitely,” Tara replied. “Now, I’m not saying it was right for him to ‘freak out’, so my advice to you is to go home, let him apologize then show him that he has nothing to worry about!”

Tara emphasized that last line with a wiggle of her brows. Abby caught on and smiled.

“I guess you’re right. I just let my anger get to me. I’m not used to married life.”

“Neither is he,” Tara replied. “Like anything else, marriage takes work, which is why I told your brother that I want to hold off on getting married until my design career is established. I don’t want my career to compete with my marriage. But that’s just me and Mark understands and accepts it. Your acting career is just getting started, whereas Rob’s rock career is at its peak.”

“Are you saying that we got married too soon?” Abby asked.

“No, I’m not. You just have to learn your balance, that’s all. But you will. You’ll just have to learn as you go along. Just don’t lose sight of the reason you got married in the first place.”

How could Abby forget? She loved that man so much. And no matter what obstacles entered their life, nothing was going to change that.

“I…I think I better go home,” Abby said. “I’m sure my brother’s suffered enough waiting for you! Thanks Tara.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” she replied, kissing her on the cheek.

As soon as Tara closed the door, Mark came out of the bedroom, took her hand and pulled her back inside.

“Thank God! I love my sister, but I never thought she’d leave!”

Chapter 35

After driving around a bit more, thinking about what Tara had said to her, Abby finally made her way home.

She pulled her Mustang into the garage, then entered the house through the door that led directly to the kitchen. There, she found Rob watching a frozen pizza cook in the toaster oven. Although Abby felt bad about storming out the way she did, she remembered what caused it all and allowed a contrite looking Rob speak up first.

“Where’d you go?”

“Just drove around a bit,” she half-lied. She didn’t want to say she went to her brother’s and spilled her guts to him and Tara.

Rob ran his fingers through his hair and looked thoroughly confused. “Abbs, look…..I’m sorry. I just…….got all weirded out. I know you’re an actress and I know it means nothing to you to kiss an actor in a scene, but for me to watch it just……didn’t sit well with me. I think from now on I’ll just stay away from the set.”

Abby softened at his genuine apology. “Rob, you don’t have to do that, but if it’ll make you feel better, then I understand. You’re right – kissing scenes mean nothing to me. The final product may look romantic, but when you have to do it over and over with a roomful of people watching and cameras and lights on you, its anything but. Not to mention the fact that I’m kissing someone I hardly know who, by the way, had the audacity to to have a double-onion beef souvlaki right before the scene!”

Rob softly laughed. “That bad, huh?”

“Guess you’ve never kissed a guy after he’s had double onions,” she mused.

“I’ve never kissed a guy – period!” Rob adamantly stated. “Come here.”

Abby walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist as she felt his arms envelop her shoulders. She felt him kiss her head as she closed her eyes and breathed in his scent that she missed so much.

“I don’t want to fight with you, Abbs,” he confessed. “Especially after I’ve been gone from you for four weeks.”

“Its okay. I unstand.”

He looked down at her. “Understand what?”

She regarded him with coy green eyes. “You were jealous.”

“What? Jealous? Of who? Double-onion boy?”

Abby smirked and nodded.

“Please, babe! If I’m gonna be jealous of another guy around my wife, its gonna be someone worth being jealous of. I just didn’t like seeing you kiss someone else – especially when we’ve been apart.”

“You know, it swings both ways, Rob,” she said. “I don’t like the fact that this Jessica is gonna be around you on the tour. From what Bekka told me, she had quite the hots for you on the last tour, but she was married at the time. Now she’s divorced.”

Rob rolled his eyes. “Bekka talks too much,” he said. “And…it doesn’t matter if she’s divorced. I’m married now.”

“Doesn’t matter – just makes you seem more of a challenge,” she said.

He cupped her face. “Abby, no more talk about being jealous or possibly being tempted by other people. We’re married. I love you and you love me. No one…..no one is going to come between us. Now…..I’ve been gone from you for four weeks and a ‘welcome back shag’ is long overdue.”

Abby gave him a smile and twined her arms around her neck. “Mmm, you’re turning into a Brit!”

“Fuck that!”

“I’d rather fuck you,” she wickedly replied.

“God, I love it when you talk dirty like that!” he growled before giving her a long, overdue kiss. Their mouths and tongues fused while their hands roamed all over each other, desperate for the feel of each other’s skin. They were so lost in each other that they didn’t see the smoke coming from the toaster oven.

“Uh…Rob,” Abby said as he nibbled her earlobe and sucked her neck. “The um….pizza’s burning.”

Rob tore away from her for only a second to shut the oven off. He then scooped Abby in his arms. “Screw the pizza! I have what I want to eat right here,” he said, as he headed for the stairs.

Forty-five minutes later, they were a mass of sweaty, panting flesh as their entwined bodies laid upon the crumpled sheets of the bed. Rob stared his midnight blue eyes down at his wife.

“More?” he asked in between catching his breath.

Abby flipped him on his back and straddled him. “You’ll be sorry you said that,” she warned. “Good for you that you’ve been gone this long, else you wouldn’t be so ready for another round so soon, old man!”

Rob then flipped her off him then turned her around, placing her hands on the headboard. “Oh, you little wench! Now you’re the one who’s gonna be sorry you said that! I’ll show you just how old I am!”

Rob thrust into her hard and fast from behind, a sensation that had Abby screaming from the sheer eroticism of the moment. After they both reached satisfaction, again, Rob pulled her up against his chest.

“Who’s an old man?” he mused against her damp neck.

“Huh?” Abby replied, unable to form a coherant thought after her third orgasm.

“Thought so!” Rob arrogantly replied.

How could his wife ever be tempted by anyone else?

Chapter 36

One Month Later

October

Prior to Fusion beginning their tour, Mark, Tara, Abby & Rob headed to Sheffield to attend Trevor and Emily’s wedding. Mark served as his cousin’s best man while Tara stood by her cousin Emily’s side as her maid of honor.

Since the wedding guest list consisted of two rock stars, soccer star, television star and a fashion designer who designed the bride’s stunning lace and beaded ivory gown, the event was a feast for the media. Trevor and Emily agreed to allow one journalist from a reputable magazine to photograph the wedding and write up a story.

Following a brief stay with their parents and a heartwarming visit with their grandparents, the two couples headed back to L.A. Abby had to wrap up only two more episodes before the cast of the show went on hiaitus for the break through Christmas.

Meanwhile, Fusion met with their managers to go over the itinerary for the first leg of the tour, which would begin in Canada. They would then make their way back down the west coast then slowly head east before finishing up in Europe.

A month later, in November, Abby wrapped up filming on her show just as Fusion finished their starting dates in Canada. However, due to a cast wrap party, she missed Fusion’s first U.S. date in Seattle and, instead, made her way to Oregon the following day where they were performing at the Portland Memorial Coliseum.

Because of flight delays due to the weather, she missed the entire opening act, Jagged Edge, as well as the first third of Fusion’s performance. She knew that Tara, Bekka and Kimberly were in a special section in the front row and she was promptly directed there by the tour manager once she arrived.

Abby’s heart swelled with pride as she watched her husband perform live, while the roar of the crowd was a sole testament to Fusion’s massive popularity.

And, as usual, all the guys looked great. Paul had on a simple white Nike t-shirt and faded ripped blue jeans, but his sweaty, grungy look didn’t deter the appeal of ice-blue gaze, gravelly voice and ripping guitar riffs. Troy had a backward’s baseball cap covering his shoulder length dark blonde hair and was starting to sport the beginnings of a gotee, which only added to his already increasingly appeal with his female fans. He was equally attired in blue jeans and a black tank that was already damp from exertion. Behind them, Mark had a black bandanna tied around his head to keep the sweat from stinging his eyes as he pounded his drums with expert time. He was clad only in a pair of tan cargo shorts and his bare, sinewy upper half was slick with sweat.

And then there was Rob. Abby’s eyes devoured her sexy, half naked husband who was wearing patched black jeans and a buttoned shirt that had long been removed and was tied around his waist. His body had contorted into positions while playing his guitar that had her making mental notes to have him replicate in bed!

Her eyes scanned the two front rows at center stage, which consisted of 95% young, hot looking females. And the guys, having to devote themselves to connect with audience, played right into their hands. Abby watched Rob pose and strut, flirt and wink at the women in the front row. As much as her insides burned a bit watching it, she knew that, as a rock band, they had to give the fans what they wanted – male and female.

After the final encore song, Abby and the girls were escorted back to the hospitality room to wait for their men. As they came offstage, Abby caught Rob on his way to the showers.

“Surprise, luv!”

Rob turned to her with a relieved look. “Hey babe!” he said with panting enthusiasm. “When’d you finally get here?”

“Not until after you started. Bloody weather delayed the plane.”

“I’m just glad you made it safe and sound. So, you finished filming yesterday?”

“Well, no…actually, the day before that,” she replied. “Yesterday was the wrap party.”

Rob’s face fell. “Party? Abbs, you said you couldn’t make it to Seattle because you were still filming. You skipped our opening U.S. date because of a party?”

“Rob, I had to attend. Its important……”

“Yeah, I know its important to you, but last night was important for me and I wanted to share that with you. I understood because I thought you were working – not partying with your teen idol co-stars.”

Abby pinched the bridge of her nose. “Rob….please…..”

“Let me hit the showers, I’ve got a fucking puddle of sweat at my feet,” he said as he left her standing there and headed to the shower area.

“Aye sis!” Mark said as he made his way up to her to hug her.

“Ew, Mark, you’re all sweaty,” she gasped, backing away from him.

“I’m your brother – you’re supposed to love me unconditionally,” he mused as he, too, headed towards the showers.

She then turned to make her way back to the hospitality room, hoping that the warm water would change her husband’s foul dispostion. As she walked down the hall, a door opened, almost hitting her in the face.

She backed away until she saw who walked out. She looked up at an incredibly goodlooking lad, who couldn’t be any older than she. His dark hair, made up of natural, floppy curls, brushed the tops of his shoulders and made his soulful hazel eyes stand out.

“Well, I’m so sorry, beautiful,” he drawled in an accent that had her smiling.

“Ah, you’re British?” she asked.

“Guilty. You too, I see. Let me guess, you must be related to Fusion’s drummer.”

Abby smiled, blushing under his natural, boyish charm. “Yes, I am. Mark’s my brother. I’m Abby.”

“Very nice to meet you, Abby,” he said with honed flirtatiousness. “I’m Jimmy. The lead guitarist of Jagged Edge.”

Chapter 37

Abby held her hand out to young Jimmy. “Nice to meet you. My plane was late getting in so I missed your act and the beginning of Fusion’s.”

Jimmy took Abby’s hand and shook it, before bringing it up to his lips.

“How can I not forgive someone as beautiful as you?” he crooned in British before kissing her knuckles. “Who’d have thought that someone like Mark would have such a stunning sister. Fortunately, you don’t look alike!”

Abby blushed at the gallantry this young man exuded. “Well, his female fans would argue with you on that, nevermind his own girlfriend!”

“Well, I do see some resemblance in the eyes, but yours are a much more startling shade of green. Are you joining the tour?”

“For a few weeks,” Abby replied. “I just wrapped up filming my television show and we’re on hiaitus for the holidays. I have to resume filming the end of the month.”

“Are you an actress?”

“Yes. I’m on the WB show ‘Three of Diamonds’. I’m sure you haven’t watched it.”

“No, but my 16 year old sister is addicted to it,” he replied. “She gets it on satellite over in England.”

“Oh? What part of England?”

“Middlesex. Born and raised there going back to my grandfather’s time. He’s the reason I’m in a rock band.”

“Really?” Abby questioned, wide-eyed. “You mean my brother isn’t the only one on this tour with famous rock star grandfathers?”

Jimmy shook his head. “Nope! My grandfather was in a rock band back in his time. My father was his youngest child so by the time I was born my grandfather was pretty old. I do remember sitting on the floor by his feet when I was about 5 or 6 watching him still try to play with his gnarled fingers. He must’ve saw the enthusiasm in my face when he played. He passed away when I was twelve and left me all his prized guitars. I had to make use of them, so I took lessons. When I was old enough, my dad showed me some real old performances of my grandfather with his band. He was quite an icon in his day.”

Abby smiled at Jimmy’s remembrance of his grandfather. “Well, I’m sure you’ll take right after him. I mean, here you are playing guitar in a rock band and opening a concert. You’re already there.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe it.,” Jimmy replied. “I’m not even 21 yet! My dad must’ve known I’d go this route because he named me after my grandfather.”

Across the hall, Rob had emerged showered and dressed from the room to find his wife in a close, deep conversation with the guitarist from their opening act. He saw the enchanted look on Abby’s face as she hung onto every word he was saying. And the arrogant male in him didn’t like it one bit.

Back on the other side, Jimmy continued to charm Abby. “So Abby, you look awfully young. Please tell me I won’t get thrown in jail for just talking to you.”

Abby let out a delicate laugh. “No, you won’t. I”ll be 20 next month. On Christmas Eve, matter of fact.”

“Guess you were the best present your parents had that year,” he replied as he leaned in farther.

Abby was just starting to catch on that his ‘friendliness’ was turning into something more and politely moved back a bit.

Jimmy backed off and went another route. “So, Abby…any chance we can get together while you’re on the tour?”

“Uh…oh, well, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” she replied uncomfortably. “You see….I”m married.”

Jimmy’s eyes almost popped. “You’re….you’re married? I….I didn’t know.”

“Well, there wasn’t an opportunity in the conversation to tell you.”

“Wow, its just…..you’re so young,” he said. “So….where’s your husband?”

“Right behind you,” Rob’s voice chillingly said from behind.

Jimmy turned around and flashed him a smile without a hint of nervousness. “Rob? You’re married to this lovely creature?”

Rob walked over to Abby and put a protective arm around her shoulder. “Most certainly am.”

Jimmy folded his arms. “Not fair, mate. Should’ve found someone your own age so us young blokes could have a shot.”

Rob raised his brows, giving Jimmy an ‘oh well’ look. “Sorry, dude. She’s all mine,” he said, before looking down at Abby. “C’mon, lets go.”

“Nice meeting you, Jimmy. I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Guess so,” Jimmy replied.

Rob led Abby away, keeping his thoughts to himself. How dare that upstart little guitar punk try to hit on his wife! Who does he think he is, anyway!”

**************************************************************

Meanwhile, Jimmy grinned wickedly at Rob and Abby as they walked away.

“Yeah, she is definitely a sweet young thing?” he thought to himself. “And she definitely looked interested. I may be just starting out, but my rock and roll blood is a lot more royal than Rob’s, that’s for sure!”

“Jimmy, c’mon! Lets go!”

Jimmy’s thoughts didn’t allow him to hear his tour manager call out, until he called out again.

“Yo, Page! I said, lets go!”

Chapter 38

Rob kept Abby close by his side the entire time while in the hospitality room. They all ate and relaxed a bit before heading back to the hotel where’s they’d get some sleep before boarding a plane in the morning for San Francisco.

Abby finally released herself from Rob’s protective grasp long enough to head to the ladies room. When she entered, Jessica was just coming out of the stall.

“You must be Abby,” Jessica said.

Abby whipped her head around and put a hand to her chest. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Jessica extended her hand. “I’m Jessica – Tim’s assistant,” she said with rehearsed politeness. “I see you finally made it. Rob’s told me a lot about you. I’m sure you’re finally happy to join him.”

Abby rolled her eyes and laughed a bit. “If you only knew what pains I went through to finally get here! Damn plane was delayed for 90 minutes due to the weather once we hit Washington. I missed the entire opening act and the beginning of Fusion’s set. But….better late than never, I guess.”

“Well, you’ll be around for a few shows, I imagine. You’ll make up for it and get to meet everyone.”

“Well, I already ran into Jagged Edge’s guitarist, Jimmy. Well, actually, I almost ran smack into a door he opened! He seems like a nice lad. Very friendly, too. And, I’m surprised that he’s English. Nice to have an ally in your corner, surrounded by Yanks!”

Jessica leaned into the mirror and retouched her lipstick. “You two have more in common than you think,” she said as her mind calculated. “Seems you both have famous grandfathers.”

Abby looked at Jessica with curiosity. “Really? His grandfather was in a band?”

Jessica looked at Abby through the mirror and raised one eyebrow. “Ever hear of Led Zeppelin?”

Abby’s mouth dropped. “Are you kidding? It may have been decades ago, but legends never fade out. Who was his grandfather?”

“Jimmy Page, their guitarist. He’s named after him too.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. Guess Mark isn’t the only one who can brag!”

“Trust me, Jimmy can out-charm Mark under the table!” Jessica said.

“Believe it or not, I already had to fend him off!” Abby mused. “Rob saved me, and looked none too pleased about it.”

Jessica tried to hide her glee over the useful information she was getting. “Hmm, I’d say Rob’s a tad jealous. Can’t say I blame him. Jimmy’s not even 21, the grandson of a guitar god and is knocking down fame’s door. Rob’s got some pretty stiff competiton.”

Abby passed it off. “Rob’s got nothing to worry about. Fusion’s at the peak of their popularity. Did you see that crowd tonight? And its just the beginning.”

Jessica looked at Abby with feigned concern. “Abby sweetie, I wasn’t talking about competition for fans….I was talking about competiton over you.”

Abby looked aghast. “What? That’s absurd! Rob’s my husband.”

“Yes, but Jimmy’s young, talented, goodlooking and closer in age to you. Rob may feel…..oh, I don’t know…..inferior. Hey, he may be a famous rock star in his own right, but he is a man and, well…you know men! They’re all big and tough on the outside, but they can be insecure little boys on the inside.”

“Well, there’s nothing for him to worry about,” Abby said confidently.

“Hey, we’ll just keep this little conversation between us, okay?” Jessica stated. “Don’t want to make them more paranoid by knowing we gossip about them in the ladies room.”

“No problem Jessica,” Abby said as she headed towards a stall. “But, like I said, Rob has nothing to worry about.”

“Not yet,” Jessica silently muttered.

Chapter 39

Two Weeks Later

The tour had quickly moved down south to Arizona and New Mexico before it slowly began to make its way up to the mid-west. Since this was her first time on a tour, Abby did stick close to Rob’s side, if only to alleviate any lingering insecurities he may have regarding Jimmy.

However, Abby also didn’t let it stop her from enjoying herself and being friendly, albiet with caution. She was absolutely floored by Jagged Edge’s performance, especially for such a young band. Jimmy always did his best to flirt with Abby whenever possible, especially when Rob wasn’t in sight, but Abby always politely discouraged him. It never stopped him from trying, however. In a way, Abby was some kind of conquest other than a groupie – she was a married woman – a very young married woman.

Meanwhile, Abby was slowly beginning to realize herself how Rob felt. Every night, there was and endless throng of fans backstage clamoring for autographs, pictures and, for the females, whatever else they could get. The guys were always besieged by propositions, room keys, notes with names and phone numbers and numerous flashings of various body parts!

The tour manager always stressed that Abby and the girlfriends remain sequestered while the band had time with their fans because of such happenings. What they didn’t see wouldn’t bother them. However there were times where Tara got a glimpse of a young woman throwing her arm around Mark’s neck and pulling him down for an open mouthed kiss or where Kimberly fumed when another lovely pulled Troy’s face into her almost bare breasts after he autographed the top of one of them.

Then there was Paul.

As usual, he enjoyed the attention from the groupies to the max! He kissed, hugged, nuzzled and touched wherever he wanted. Bekka always remained in the room, not wanting to even venture out to see Paul’s behavior because she already knew what she’d see. Sadly, he hadn’t changed a wit.

Rob always gave an obliging kiss on the cheek after giving a woman an autograph and picture. It was the most he would do, but the women would always try to turn their heads to get him to kiss them on the lips or wander their hand down to his ass when taking a picture. Goodnaturedly, Rob always passed it off, but when Abby witnessed this happening on occasion, it began to bother her.

After one such episode, she left the room she was peeking out of to head to the hospitality room to grab a bottle of water for the bus ride to the next city. She opened up the bottle and took a drink as she continued to hear the screaming and yelling from outside the hallway.

“Its all just part of his job,” she tried to convince herself. “Just like kissing an actor is part of yours. He can’t discourage his fans – especially the female ones”

“But I don’t have to like it!”

Abby remembered Mark warning her that night in The Viper Room about rock stars having to balance a relationship with their career and being able to not alienate female fans without crossing the line.

Still…..she didn’t have to like it.

She began to head out of the room when the door opened and Jimmy walked in. She stopped short and gave him a wide-eyed look.

“Oh, Jimmy…I…I thought your bus already left.”

“Nah, the driver’s a little unsure about which route to take off the interstate, so we’re just waiting to follow Fusion’s bus. However, judging from that mob outside, who knows when we’ll be leaving!”

Abby’s eyes followed the sound of the screaming fans. “Yeah,” she said with a sigh.

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow and moved closer. “Hmmm, something tells me that you don’t take too kindly to Fusion’s female fan base.”

Abby shrugged. “Can’t do anything about it, can I? Do you have a girlfriend back in England or somewhere?”

“I did, but we broke up before the tour started. I guess I wanted to be free to do….whatever! But, after a while, you do kind of start to crave having someone steady with you. Gets lonely on the road.”

“Its lonely at home, too,” Abby said. “I’ve got to go home next week to begin filming for the second half of the season. I probably won’t see Rob until right before Christmas. Which reminds me – our one year anniversary is coming up on December 23^rd.”

Jimmy raised his brows. “Hmmm, we’ve got our final show that night before we break for Christmas. Maybe you can find a way to be here.”

Abby looked dejected. “I don’t know. You know…you think you’ve got everything all planned out before you get married, but you never realize exactly how difficult it is until it actually happens.”

Jimmy reached up and touched her arm. “You’re a strong woman, Abby. That’s a noble trait. You’ve got to be, in this business. Then again, if I were Rob, and I had a wife as gorgeous as you, I’d have no need to ever look at another woman.”

Abby looked up at him with appreciative eyes and saw the wolfish flirt in him begin to appear. She immediately thought to back off and discourage him, but she decided to lighten up. He knew she was married and, therefore, would be a fool to try anything.

“Thanks Jimmy, I appreciate that.”

His hand went from her arm to her face and gently stroked it. “You’re welcome, Abigail.”

She smiled, ignorant of the fact that he was stroking her cheek. “I haven’t been called that in……ages! Not even Rob calls me that.”

“Good,” Jimmy said as he worked his charm, “then that’s what I’ll call you from now on.”

Abby continued to smile at him and Jimmy’s hand hadn’t left her face when Jessica appeared in the doorway, clearing her throat. Abby jumped back as if she was burned.

“Oh….Jessica, I……I didn’t see you.”

Jessica looked from Abby to Jimmy then back. “Obviously,” she smirked. “Uh, the band’s done. We’re getting ready to board.”

Jimmy was completely unaffected as he looked at Abby. “Catch ya later….Abigail.”

Abby watched him leave the room before following him out. She briefly stopped to turn to Jessica. “Jessica, that….that wasn’t what you thought. You know that, don’t you?”

Jessica smiled wickedly, not believing a word of it. “Of course I do, hon.”

Chapter 40

Two nights later was Abby’s last night on tour with her husband until she had to return to L.A. to resume filming the new episodes. After this, the band would be touring constantly until Christmas Eve without any break. Fortunately, Abby would be able to make it out for their last show before then – December 23^rd – her first wedding anniversary. Already she was wracking her brain on what to do for Rob to celebrate their special day.

Tonight was also the last night that Jagged Edge would be opening for Fusion. They were only scheduled to do ten shows only before headlining some small clubs on their own.

After the performance, Jimmy caught Abby backstage in a private room.

“Well, it was certainly wonderful meeting you Abigail,” he said in sultry British.

For some reason, Abby felt a tingle up her spine when he used her full name – why she didn’t know.

“The pleasure was all mine, Jimmy,” she politely responded.

“Ooooh, if you received pleasure just from meeting me, then I must be better than I thought,” he leered.

Abby blushed profusely at his comment that had a very sexual overtone to it. She should be used to talk like this, having been around the band, but Jimmy wasn’t her husband or her brother. He was a mysterious, young, handsome British lad with the greatest of rock royalty in his blood. Again, that tingle appeared and she changed the subject quickly.

“So…where are you lads playing on your own?”

“We’re gonna stay on the west coast and do some small, intimate clubs – around 500 capacity. We’ll be at The Troubador next week.”

Abby’s eyes widened. “Oh, Rob and I don’t live far from there!”

“Well, you should bring your two co-stars along and see the show. I’d love to see you there, Abigail.”

Again, Abby blushed upon hearing her Christian name. “Well….I’ll see. I mean, I need to support my fellow Brits!”

“That’s right,” he purred back.

From a distance, Jessica watched the conversation between Jimmy and Abby and timed it perfectly. She then went off to the hospitality room, just as the band entered. She saw Rob look around for Abby then breath a heavy sigh before getting something to eat. With a glimmer of mischief in her eye, Jessica sauntered over to Rob.

“Thank God that creep is leaving!” she quietly huffed to him.

“What creep?” Rob asked.

“Young Jimmy Page, that’s who.”

Rob chuckled. “Ah, he’s just a young buck, feeling his oats.”

Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Even with your wife?”

Rob’s chuckle quickly died as his midnight blue eyes darkened to almost black. “Excuse me?” he dangerously whispered.

Jessica was rejoicing inside as she feigned guilt on the outside. “Oh….I….uh oh,” she stammered with the flair of an actress. “Uh, Rob now listen…I’m sure it was innocent. I mean…. I know Abby loves you. So it probably meant nothing.”

“What meant nothing?” Rob half yelled.

“Rob, calm down. I’m sorry I said anything.”

“Too late, Jess. What did you see?”

“Two nights ago I was looking for Abby backstage because we were getting ready to leave. I saw her take off to this room because, well, I guess she couldn’t stand watching you be mauled by all those women during the meet and greet. Anyway, after a few moments, I saw Jimmy enter that room. When I saw neither of them exit after a while, I went in there and……..”

Rob had crushed a styrofoam cup in his hand waiting. “And….what?”

“Like I said, it was probably just innocent, but, well, to me, it looked like they were gazing into each others eyes and he was stroking her face.”

Rob took off out of the hospitality room so fast that everyone felt a breeze from it.

“Rob…..where ya……?” Troy called out.

“Not now!” Rob bit back as he left the room.

He stormed down the halls looking in the empty rooms until he spotted one with an open door down the hall.

******************************

Inside the room, Abby and Jimmy said their final goodbyes.

“Well, the bus awaits to take us directly to the airport. You take care of yourself, Abigail. And….here’s my cell number. If you decide to come to the Troubador show, call me and I’ll get you and your friends in with VIP seating.”

Abby accepted his card with his number on it and smiled. “Thanks Jimmy. I’ll let you know. Well, have a safe flight.”

“Thank you,” he said as he gave her a hug.

Abby closed her eyes as he embraced her but they quickly flew open when she heard her husbands booming voice.

“Take your fucking hands off my wife!”

Chapter 41

Abby and Jimmy quickly pulled apart from their platonic embrace, if only because they were startled by the sound of Rob’s voice.

“Rob……what’s the matter with you?” Abby question her enraged husband. “We’re only saying goodbye.”

“Yeah mate,” Jimmy added with a leer. “Nothing to get your knickers in a twist over.”

“Really?” Rob’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he put a protective arm around his wife. “Seems you’ve been getting a little too close to my wife behind my back.”

Abby was absolutely embarrassed being spoken about as if she wasn’t there. She pulled away from Rob’s arm. “Rob, stop it. Like I said, we were just saying goodbye.”

Rob noticed the card in Abby’s hand and yanked it from her. “Oh?” he questioned, turning to Jimmy. “Giving her your number so you can whisper sweet nothings behind my back as well?”

Jimmy shook his head and softly chuckled. “You know, it seems as if you won’t believe anything I say anyway. Guess it’s a good thing its my last night here.”

“Then I suggest you get on that bus now,” Rob said with a dangerous growl.

Jimmy may be young and arrogant, but he also knew that he was new in this business, despite his famous grandfather. The last thing he wanted to do was tussle with the lead guitarist of one of the hottest bands in rock over his wife. He played it cool and calm.

“Thanks for the experience, mate,” Jimmy said with sarcasm of his own to Rob before turning to Abby. “Take care, Abigail.”

Jimmy gave Abby a sly look before turning to walk down the hall and out of the arena.

Rob looked at Abby and raised his eyebrow. “Abigail?”

As soon as she heard Jimmy leave the building, she turned on her husband.

“How dare you!” she seethed. “I can’t believe you humiliated me like that by jumping to conclusions.”

Rob held up the card with Jimmy’s cell phone number on it. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Jagged Edge is playing at The Troubadour. He told me he could get me VIP seating if I wanted to go to the show. Thought I’d take Eva and Craig with me.”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Rob said, tearing up the card. The move just enraged Abby even more. Joe Elliott’s granddaughter was on the warpath now.

“You have no right!” she half screamed, reaching for the torn pieces.

“I have every right, Abby! I’m your husband. From the first time you met that kid, you’ve been a little too close to each other for my comfort. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that he was trying to nail you.”

“That’s absurd,” Abby countered. “Why would he try anything knowing that I’m a married woman?”

“You think that matters, dear young wife? Its no secret that I’m married, yet I couldn’t even begin to tell you what I’ve been propositioned with since this tour started. They don’t care. Its all a control game. Jimmy saw that you were very young and thought he might try to sway you from your ‘older’ husband. Jessica told me about her finding the two of you alone, gazing into each others eyes and him stroking your face. What the fuck was that all about?”

Abby burned inside, knowing that Jessica had blabbed. “Jessica, huh? Is that what she told you? If you ask me, Rob, Jimmy’s not the only one who’s supposedly after a married person. I think Jessica’s after you and she made that up. I heard she had the hots for you one time.”

“Don’t turn this around Abby. We’re not talking about me. Plus, I’ve never been caught in any compromising positons with Jessica.”

“And I”ve never been caught in anything with Jimmy!” Abby shot back.

Rob folded his arms. “So….Jessica didn’t find you two alone in a room two nights ago while we were signing autograph’s backstage?”

Abby fidgeted, knowing she couldn’t lie. “Well…yeah, but….”

“And…..was Jimmy stroking your face?”

Abby huffed. “Yes, but….”

“And,” Rob interrupted, “now I find the two of you hugging with his private cell phone number in your hand to go see him at a show, knowing that your husband is away on tour.”

“So what!” Abby shouted, tired of being interrogated. “You know Rob, you have a nerve playing jealous spouse with me. You’re the one who’s dicked anything in a skirt since you became a rock star. I’m the one who remained a virgin – for you! If anybody should be untrusting, it should be me.”

Rob spoke before he thought. “I don’t know Abby. Maybe you’re starting to want to know what you’ve been missing out. Maybe you’re wondering what its like to be with other guys.”

Abby felt as if Rob stuck a knife in her heart with those accusing words. She remembered something that Jessica had said to her and it caused her to bite back even harder.

“And maybe you’re just irked because Jimmy has a legendary grandfather. And….maybe you’re insecure about having a young wife who’s becoming a telly star and think you may lose her so you play Mr. Jealous-Macho Husband.”

Rob’s fire blue eyes scanned his wife. He had never seen this side of her. His sweet, lovely, innocent Abby was now spewing cruel accusations that pierced his gut.

He slowly walked towards her. “I don’t have to be jealous of any punk musician. I got where I am today by not having to ride the coattails of any famous family member. And…as far as being insecure……if I wanted…I could have five woman brought to a room for me to fuck one after another, so don’t threaten me!”

Abby was a mix of anger and emotion. “You’re not going to intimidate me. Nor are you going to tell me where I can and can’t go with my friends. I’m not the naïve child you think I am Rob. You better get that through your head.”

Again, Rob’s anger caused him to speak before he thought. “Maybe you’re not anything that I thought you were, Abby. You’re becoming a famous television star and, suddenly, being married to a rock star, eight years older than you who isn’t around that much, isn’t enough for you.”

“Is that so?” Abby replied, trying to fight back tears. “I could say the same for you. Maybe the novelty of marrying a young virgin is wearing off, Maybe you miss the orgies and the drugs and being able to fuck five women at once.”

“Maybe,” Rob said loudly, “us getting married was a huge mistake!”

That was all Abby needed to hear. Her tears continued to threaten, but she wouldn’t give Rob the satisfaction of calling her a weepy little girl.

“Well,” she said with all the dignity she could muster, “it’s a good thing that tonight’s my last night. I’ll be out of here by the morning so you don’t have to be reminded of your ‘mistake’. I’m taking a cab back to the hotel. I”ll be gone by the time you get back!”

“Fine by me……Abigail!” he mocked.

Chapter 42

Rob watched Abby leave the arena then turned to stalk back into the room when he saw Mark standing in the hallway. A concerned look washed across his face and Rob ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as he approached Mark.

“Mark, please…I know what you’re gonna say.”

“I’m not gonna say anything, mate,” Mark replied. “She may be my sister, but she is your wife and your married life is your business. However, both of you said some pretty nasty things to each other.”

Rob thought about what he and Abby verbally hurled at each other then closed his eyes shut.

“You know…..I heard that your true feelings come out in a fit of anger. Or…maybe its when you’re drunk. Oh, I don’t fucking know!”

“Rob, its your first major row………..”

“No it isn’t,” Rob quickly said. “I mean, this may have been the worst so far, but we’ve fought before and it always seemed to be the same thing. Either she accuses me of treating her like a child or that I’m jealous and insecure. The fact is, she’s just too trusting sometimes. She was being friendly with little Jimmy Page, and, of course, he misstook it for something else. She has to use better judgement, but she’s just so damn headstrong.”

“So…what are you gonna do now?” Mark asked.

“Getting drunk is a good idea!”

“Think that’ll make you forget that you told her that it was a mistake getting married?”

Rob pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead and pressed hard. “I don’t know, man! Maybe I just said that in the heat of the moment.”

“Maybe?”

Rob huffed. “Mark, stop psycho-analyzing everything. I just don’t know. We said some pretty bad things and I just don’t know if they were really meant or not. But…if this is the way its gonna be for now on….”

Mark put a hand on Rob’s shoulder. “Mate, listen. Like I said, Abby’s my sister. I love her to death and the last thing I want to see is her get hurt. Nor you either. Maybe getting married after courting for only 6 month’s was jumping the gun and now you’re feeling the bullets.”

Rob leaned against the wall and banged his head against the back of it. “This wasn’t the way I wanted it for us. I thought it was going to be how it was when we were together those six months.”

“If married life was like dating life, no one would get divorced!” Mark stated. “Mate, I’ve been with Tara since senior year. I know she’s gonna be my wife someday, but we want to wait when things are less hectic. I’m on tour and her clothing line is taking off. Once the tour is over and this fashion craze levels off, then we’ll probably get engaged. But still…we know it’ll be tough, but we know enough about each other to handle it. You and Abby only had six months. I know it was enough for you to love each other, but maybe not to get married.”

Rob shook his head. “I don’t know, Mark. I just don’t know.”

“Then I suggest you do some thinking,” Mark said. “Either talk to her and work it out or………let her go, now….while she’s still young enough.”

All Rob could do was nod. He knew that what Mark said had merit. He and Abby had a whirlwind courtship then spontaneously eloped. As much as he loved her, he was learning the difference between the euphoria of ‘married life’ and the reality of ‘marriage’. They were two totally different monsters.

Perhaps getting married was a mistake.

“Listen, Abby went back to the hotel to pack. I don’t want to go back there. Since we’re here overnight, I’m gonna head out. Go find some quiet bar.”

“Want us to come with you?”

“Nah, I just want to be alone.”

Inside the doorway, Jessica leaned against the wall as she listened to every word Rob and Mark said outside. Her mouth twitched as she listened to Rob doubt his marrying Abby. If things went any more perfect she’d split in two!

She decided that she would follow Rob to whatever bar he wound up at. Just to check on him, she justified to herself. And…to make sure that he made it back to hotel in one piece. And…..to his room!

Chapter 43

Abby forewent the band’s limo and took a taxi back to the hotel. Her entire body trembled from the aftermath of her terrible fight with Rob, especially the one sentence he flung at her which stung the most.

“Maybe, us getting married was a huge mistake!”

She bit the inside of her lip until it was almost raw in an effort to fight back any tears which threatened her beautiful green eyes. She would not give Rob the satisfaction of pining for him, whether he knew it or not. Even though the words they exchanged were in anger, she knew that’s sometimes when the truth comes out.

Maybe their marriage was a mistake. Maybe being in love wasn’t enough to make it work.

And did she ever love him. During their six month courtship, Rob made her head spin with emotions and feelings she never had – and all without succumbing to sleeping with him. He was just as adamant about making sure that she kept her promise to be true to herself until her wedding night as she was. It was what set her apart from any other woman that Rob met and made him respect her like he never respected a woman before.

But, again, perhaps it wasn’t enough to sustain a marriage.

Abby held her head high and dug down deep to find that fiery spirit that her Grandpa Joe infused in her. As much as she loved Rob, she would not stay where she wasn’t wanted.

“You want five women at once – fine!” she bit out in her thoughts. “Be my guest, Rob!”

Abby got out of the taxi and headed into the hotel. Once inside the room, she flung her suitcase on the bed and hurriedly packed her things before phoning the airline to get the next plane back to L.A.

Her eyes scanned the room one more time before she zipped up her suitcase. As she scooped it off the bed, her eyes fell on the chair by the window where one of Rob’s t-shirts was thrown over. She dropped the suitcase and, as if her legs had a mind of their own, walked over to the chair and picked up the shirt.

She held it in her hands, rubbing the soft cotton material, before bringing it up to her face. She breathed deeply, taking in the faint fragrance of soap and the unique scent that was only Rob’s.

Not being able to be strong anymore, she fell to her knees and cried.

*****************************************

When the band returned to the hotel, Rob knew that Abby wouldn’t be upstairs waiting for him. Instead of drowning his sorrows at some corner bar, he opted to go sit in the leather booth of the hotel lounge.

Before he headed in, Mark grabbed him by the arm. “Want me to join you?”

Rob turned tired eyes to his bandmate and brother-in-law. “Nah, I’d rather be alone. Better here than upstairs.”

“Rob, she still may be….”

“She isn’t, Mark,” Rob cut him off. “She said she wouldn’t be here when I got back. She’s probably at the airport right now.”

“Then go after her, mate,” Mark suggested. “We don’t leave till 7 am tomorrow. At least….”

“No, Mark,” Rob, again, interrupted. “I think we need this time apart, whether its to be temporary or permanent. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do and I do my best thinking when I’m shit-faced. I’ll be fine –I think.”

Mark knew that he had to give Rob and Abby the space they needed to do what they had to do. “Alright. Just ring the room if you need help making your way to the elevator later,” Mark mused.

Rob gave him a sly grin before heading to the bar. Almost an hour and four beers later, he slouched down in the leather booth and let his head drop back. His wife’s beautiful face invaded his mind while his hurtful words he slung at her earlier tormented it. He couldn’t believe that he told her that it was a mistake marrying her.

But, the question was, was it said in anger, or did he really mean it?

Although they only 6 precious months together before they spontaneously headed off to Vegas last December, he hadn’t a doubt in his mind that he loved Abby. There really wasn’t a need to look any further. It didn’t matter to him that she was 8 years younger than him, for she carried herself with more maturity than most women his age.

But, it was her purity and respect for herself that sucked him in. She was a rare jewel in a sea of flawed gems. The last person he would ever consider for a wife was someone who’d easily lay down for him and Abby was the exact opposite. But perhaps their hasty decision and gap in their age really was a detriment after all. Maybe being in love wasn’t enough.

“It has to be enough,” Rob softly said in frustration as he drained the remaining contents of his fourth beer.

“What has to be enough?”

Rob’s glassy, dark blue eyes looked up to see Jessica sliding into the booth beside him.

“What are you doing here?” was his response. “Isn’t it kinda late?”

“I could say the same for you,” she purred, as her eyes drank him in.

“I’m on a mission,” he replied, unaware of her hungry stares.

“To get yourself piss drunk?”

“At least I don’t have to drive,” Rob chuckled, as he got up to get another beer. As he did, Jessica grabbed his arm.

“No more, Rob. Why don’t you go upstairs and get some sleep. You performed tonight and we’ve got to be out of here early tomorrow. I know you’re upset about your fight with Abby, but, you need your rest.”

Rob pinched his temples. “I just don’t know.”

“Give it some time, Rob. Remember, you guys got married after only half a year together, plus she’s young. Maybe…..maybe the fight that you had is telling you something.”

Rob looked down at Jessica who’s hand was stroking his arm. His mind suddenly wandered to what Abby had said earlier about Jessica being after him. Could she have been right?

He yanked his arm away from her. “First of all, Jess, just because your our manager’s assistant, doesn’t give you the right to stick your nose in my marriage or give me advice I didn’t ask for!”

Jessica gasped and stood up very close to him. “Rob, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything out of line. Its just, well, we’ve known each other for so long that I thought I could be honest with you. Don’t get me wrong, Abby’s a wonderful girl, but that’s what she is – a girl. You’re a 27 year old famous rock star. Perhaps….perhaps you need someone in your life who knows how to handle your lifestyle.”

Rob narrowed his eyes at her. “You mean……someone like you?” Rob said with absurdity.

Again, Jessica’s hand tried to make it up his arm. “I know you, Rob,” she whispered as her eyes fell to his lips.

The corner of Rob’s mouth upturned as his head dipped to where his lips were just a hair’s breath away from hers.

“Well, if you know me Jess, then you should know that I’m still a married man who’s very much in love with his wife. Thank you for making me realize that.”

Rob spun around to head towards the elevator, leaving a humiliated Jessica behind to call out to him. “Me? What did I do?”

With a grin that only a rock star of his caliber could manager, Rob turned and faced Jessica. “Lets just say that women like you are the reason why I married a woman like her. Good night!”

Chapter 44

Abby arrived home after an exhaustive flight. She still had a few days reprieve before she had to be back on the set to resume filming and was glad for it. She had to decide what her next move was going to be.

She didn’t know whether she should go ahead with her plans to move out into a small place of her own, or wait for Rob to call. Part of her just wanted to get up and out of there without a second thought, but the long flight back to L.A. afforded her a lot of time to think about what transpired last night. She was heavily considering waiting for Rob to call and apologize, but she thought that would make her look as if she was hanging around – waiting for him to call. It was times like this where she wished the decision could be made for her.

She decided to go to the mailbox, which she knew would be stuffed from the two weeks she was gone. Grabbing the pile, she went back into the house and tossed it all on the center island before weeding through it.

Junk, junk, junk, electric bill, credit card bill, car lease bill, junk, junk, junk. Abby tossed anything that was junk immediately into the pail as she sifted. She was about to throw one brochure from a dating service in the pail, but looked at it and smirked. Maybe she should leave it behind for Rob! Then again, with his profession, he doesn’t need any help finding a date, nor a bed partner for that matter!

Just the mere thought of Rob with someone else caused her to tense up again. As angry as she was, he was the only man who she ever allowed to touch her and couldn’t conceive him touching someone else. It was thoughts such as these that made her want to stay by the phone and will it to ring.

Abby threw the brochure in the pail and came upon another envelope that addressed to both her and Rob separately. She looked at the return address and her brows knitted upon seeing where it was from.

She opened the envelope, unfolded the letter within and began to read. With every word she ingested, her mouth opened wider and wider as her hands shook and her heart pounded.

“Oh my God! Oh my God, this….this can’t be!” she softly cried to herself.

As if she didn’t believe it the first two times she read the letter, Abby read it yet a third time before putting it on the island and allowing herself to cry.

Considering the fight she had with Rob, this was poetic justice.

That decision that she was having a hard time making was just made for her. There was no reason for her to stay. Before he returned home from the break in the tour, she’d be gone.

Chapter 45

Rob slumped down in the backseat of the limo as the band headed to the airport. The tour was going on a 5 week hiaitus over the holidays and all four were looking to getting back their own home, own bed and their families.

For the the umpteenth time in two days, he called both the house and Abby’s cell phone. She answered neither one of them and this time was no different.

“Dammit!” Rob spat out as he clicked his cell phone off. “Where the hell could she be?”

“Dude, she’s probably just too pissed at you to take any of your calls,” Troy replied.

“For two frigging days?” Rob spat out. “You think she’d cave after a while. Now I’m just worried.”

“Why don’t I call Bekka to go by the house to make sure she’s okay?” Paul called out above the newspaper he was reading.

“Nah, forget it,” Rob replied. “I’ll be home in several hours. What I need to do has to be done in person anyway.”

Troy snickered. “Ah, the beauty of makeup sex!”

“For your information, no,” Rob said. “I have a lot that I need to say to her, beginning with ‘I’m sorry’.”

Mark couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Oh man. Since I’ve known you, I’ve seen all kinds of women try to turn you into something you weren’t. Leave it to a virginal, hot tempered, 18 year old wench to knock you on your ass!”

“Its called ‘pussy-whip-itis’,” Troy mused.

“Its called being in love, asshole,” Rob shot back. “And don’t give me your shit. You’d freak if you lost a good thing like Kimberly.”

“Hey, she’s too crazy about me to leave,” Troy shot right back.

“So I”ve heard – Studly-Do-Right,” Mark quietly mentioned.

Paul put his newspaper down. “What?”

“Can it, Mark,” Troy snapped.

“Studly-Do-Right?” Rob questioned Troy “Is that what you call yourself?”

“Naw, that’s Kimmi-babe’s love name for him,” Mark answered. “Kitchy, isn’t it?”

“Fucking had to say it, didn’t you Mark?” Troy huffed.

“Oh, you’ll live…….Studly!”

Rob’s short lived humor ended as he tried Abby again. Mark and Troy rolled his eyes at him as Paul shook his head and went back to reading the paper.

“I think its safe to say that she’s not ready to talk to you yet,” Mark said. “Just wait till you get home – so you can grovel in person.”

“You kidding – I’m gonna give new meaning to the word ‘grovel’. I mean – I told her that it was a mistake marrying her.”

“I told you that when you brought her home on Christmas Eve!” Mark said.

“No, you said I was crazy for marrying your sister. All of you said I was crazy. But I wasn’t. I knew what I was doing. I just hope I can convince her that I didn’t mean it. The last thing I want to do is hurt her – or get divorced.”

“Ho-ly shit!” Paul suddenly drawled out as his eyes never left the paper.

Troy groaned. “Please don’t say it’s the Raiders’ stats! They fucking suck this year.”

Paul sheepishly looked up. “Uh, Rob…….what was the name of that chapel in Vegas you and Abby married in?”

Rob shrugged. “Uh…..The Chapel of Love. Why?”

“Holy shit!” Paul said again.

“What is it?”

“Uh, well, it seems as if you don’t have to worry about you and Abby getting a divorce.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not even married!”

Chapter 46

As if the devil was nipping at his heels, Rob rushed from LAX to a private car waiting to take him home. Home – where his wife most likely wasn’t.

No, scratch that. Abby isn’t his wife. She never was – not according to the newspaper article that he still had clutched in his hand. As if it didn’t sink in the first several times he read it, Rob glanced down at the paper and read the article again.

Clark County, Nevada: After a six month investigation, federal agents raided the Chapel of Love wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip early yesterday.

Proprieter Harold Sullivan, who also performs all of the ceremonies, was arrested and charged with fraud and operating under an illegal license. Sullivan, who opened The Chapel of Love five years ago, had served 10 months in jail eight years ago for unrelated charges 8 years ago. Nevada statute clearly forbids felons with convictions of less than ten years from applying for a permit to own and operate a wedding chapel.

Sullivan allegedly used false information to obtain the chapel permit as well as his minister’s license. According to Clark County recorder, Frances Deane, all marriages that took place in the chapel which Sullivan performed cannot be recognized as a legal union.

“We are already in the process of going through the chapel’s records and have begun contacting those people who were married there in the past five years,” Deane commented. “Needless to say, this is going to be a shock.”

Sullivan is being held without bail and is awaiting arraignment.

As many times as he read it, Rob still couldn’t digest it. This was a nightmare. He only hoped that Abby hadn’t found out about it and has been avoiding his calls only because she’s still mad from their fight.

Since its only been three days since Abby left, he knew she couldn’t have gone anywhere. Plus, he knew she had to be back on the set by the beginning of next week, so he hoped she was home catching up from being on tour with him for the last two weeks.

As the car came to a halt in front of his house, Rob tipped the driver generously as he got his bags and headed in his house through the garage. He sighed with relief when he saw Abby’s Mustang still there. He opened the door that connected to the hall which led to the kitchen. The house was pindrop quiet.

“Abby?” Rob called out, but the dead quiet that answered him told him that she wasn’t there.

He dropped his bags and went over to the pile of mail resting on the center island. Next to a neatly stacked pile of envelopes was a letter who’s return address caused the color to drain from his face.

Dear Mr. Silver and Miss Savage:

Our records indicate that you applied for a marriage license here back on December 23^rd of last year for your wedding which was performed at The Chapel of Love.

We regretfully inform you that, due to an ongoing investagion into the chapel and its proprieter, the marriage license is no longer valid.

Please contact my office at your earliest convenience so we can discuss this matter further. I can be reached at (702) 455-4415.

Thank you,

Frances Deane

Recorder

Clark County Marriage Bureau

State of Nevada

Robs eyes then dropped to the handwritten note attached to the bottom of it. It was Abby’s writing.

Rob,

You said our getting married was a mistake. You don’t have to worry any longer. At least we’re saved from the pain of divorce. Since I have no claim to anything of yours, I have taken my belongings and moved them into a hotel until I can find a residence of my own. I’ve gone on holiday for a few days until I have to return to work next week, so I’m not in town. I’ll contact you when the time is right. I’m sorry for all the time you wasted with me, but not for loving you…………………Abby

Rob rested his elbows on the island and buried his face in his hands. He can’t recall the last time in his life that he actually cried – that his heart actually broke.

Both were happening right now.

His beloved Abby was gone. He had no legal claim to her to get her back. So there was only one thing to do.

Track her down and win her back!

Chapter 47

An hour or so later, Rob called Mark.

“Haven’t you seen enough of me?” Mark answered the phone.

“Man, I hate caller ID sometimes,” Rob huffed. “Listen, Abby knows. A letter was sent from the state of Nevada about our marriage license being invalid. She left me a note saying that she moved her stuff into a hotel and took off for a few days before she has to go back to work next week. I’ve got to find out where she is.”

“Relax, mate. She’s in Sheffield. I just called my parents when I got in and they practically interrogated me about what’s going on with you two. I just played dumb, figuring it was Abby’s place to tell them. Said that she showed up yesterday all upset, but won’t tell them why. However my um….dad figures it has something to do with you. He really hates seeing his little girl cry.”

“How long were you gonna wait before you told me this?” Rob questioned.

“Uh….after Tara’s plane landed tonight from New York and was able to spend some uninterrupted time with her,” Mark sheepishly answered her.

“How can you think of sex at a time like this?” Rob asked absurdidly.

“You’re right. I’m so ashamed.”

“Well, you better shag her all night because tomorrow you’re getting on a plane with me to England.”

“I am?”

“You are!”

“Rob, you don’t need me to go groveling to my sister.”

“No, I need you to keep your father from killing me once I go through the front door.”

“He’s not gonna kill ya, mate. But….I do suggest an iron jockstrap!”

“Just for that, I’m flying first class and sticking you in coach!”

“Fine,” Mark replied, unaffected. I forgot what it was like to slum around. Besides, I didn’t say I’m going with you for sure.”

Rob huffed in frustration. “Do you want your sister and I to get divorced?”

“But, you’re not married. Uh…oooops!”

“Fuck,” Rob muttered.

“Alright, alright,” Mark gave in. “I hate seeing a grown man beg. Save it for my sister. Just don’t make the flight too early. I need some sleep, mate.”

“I’m getting the earliest one because we lose eight frigging hours! Just call your parents to tell them you’re coming in alone and to make sure Abby stays put.”

“What do I get for this?”

“The satisfaction that you brought two people in love back together,” Rob answered.

“You’ve been watching the Lifetime Channel too much,” Mark mused.

“Just make your time with Tara tonight worth it,” Rob shot back. “I’ll call you later with the arrangements.”

“I want a limo, too,” Mark jokingly demanded. “Black….stretch and stocked with Guinness.”

“Rock stardom really spoiled your British ass,” Rob snided.

“I’ve learned from the master! And leave the arrangements on my machine. I”ll be busy later. Bye.”

Mark hung up as Rob immediately called the airlines. He got a 6am flight out of LAX which had two layovers in O’Hare and LaGuardia before landing in Heathrow. He then called and got a limo to pick him and Mark up.

Mark was right – he needed to have a few beers in the limo and on the plane to prepare for facing Tyler Savage.

Chapter 48

Late Morning

Next Day

Sheffield

Abby was in the middle of a dream. She was reliving the defining moment in her life. A day she’ll never forget. The day, a year and a half ago, when she came face to face with Rob Silver at the hospital where Mark was recovering from his car accident.

Since she was thirteen, when she saw Rob standing in her parents dining room soon after Mark was asked to join the band, she had a crush on him. It was a secret infatuation that she kept alive within the confines of her mind – a young, teenage girl’s fantasy to be desired by a gorgeous rock star who was nearly 22 years old.

But five years had passed and her thirteen year old body blossomed into stunning young woman of eighteen. What always made her giddy when she relived that day was the fact that Rob had no idea who she was. That’s how much she had matured and, well….developed! She couldn’t believe that the goodlooking guy that she had secretly sighed over for years was now staring at her with open-mouthed awe. It was if her dream had come true.

“Rob? Rob Silver? Oh my God, is…is it really you?” 

Rob rapidly scrambled for words that made sense as he drank her her youthful beauty. She had to be a fan – how else would she know him? 

“Y…yes….that’s me. Do…do I know you?” 

The young woman blushed, giving her that enchanting girlish look. 

“You don’t remember me, do you? I’m Abby Savage. Mark’s sister.

Abby’s insides jumbled as she watched Rob try to register what she just told him.

“Abby? You’re kidding? I……I don’t believe it. Its been, what…..five years.”

Abby nodded. “Yes, it has. I still remember the first time I saw you after Mark brought you and the rest of the band home after he joined. You haven’t changed one bit.

Rob’s steel blue eyes casually brushed her sweet, curving form which caused her heart to pound even harder.

“Well, I can’t say the same for you,” Rob drawled out, trying to keep his wiley thoughts from reaching his mouth. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding out of line, but……man, you certainly grew up!”

A blush colored Abby’s fine, porcelain skin giving her that enticing little girl quality that’s now trapped in the incredible body of a young woman.

“Thank you,” she shyly replied. “Um….did you just arrive from the States?”

Rob was so sucked in by her lovliness that he almost didn’t comprehend what she said. “Uh, yes I did. I just saw Mark, but the nurse came in to check his vitals. I was just taking a walk down the corridor when I spotted you in here looking out the window.”

“But……you didn’t know that it was me, remember?” Abby said.

Rob was caught. He decided just to be honest and fess up. “You’re right. I didn’t know it was you. To be perfectly honest, when I walked by and looked in, all I saw was the incredibly beautiful woman and, well, I just couldn’t help myself from walking in and meeting her.”

Abby glanced down to hide her reaction, before glancing her green eyes up through a veil of long, fluttery lashes.

“You really thought that?”

Rob nodded. “I confess. I’m sorry if I offended you in any way.”

“Offended? Are you joking? I couldn’t ask for a more lovely compliment.”

Rob found himself becoming so aroused by this flirting banter that he was nearly in pain. He was absolutely dumbfounded by the effect this sweet girl/woman was having on him. Ever since his rock career took off, he never had to try with woman. As much as he enjoyed the indulgence in the beginning, there was no challenge. No ‘thrill of the chase’. However, this enchanting eighteen year old goddess had just reduced him to a naïve fourteen year old experiencing lust with the girl next door. He needed more.

“So, Abby, are you going back in to see your brother?”

“Just for a bit and then I’m going back to my parent’s flat. We’ve been here since the morning. They’re down in the cafeteria getting some lunch. I loathe the food here, which is why I just stayed up here.”

“Well, I tell you what,” Rob proposed. “Why don’t I go check in with Mark one more time and, when you’re finished saying goodbye to him, instead of going back to the flat, why don’t you meet me for lunch?”

Abby’s pounding heart just got stuck in her throat. She couldn’t believe that Rob actually wanted to continue to be with her. She was torn between screaming for joy like a little girl and acting like a confident woman that he was probably used to.

“That sounds fabulous, Rob. “The Jolly Farmer is not too far from here and has delicious fare.”

“Fine. Then lets say…..half hour?”

“I”ll be there,” she said.

“I’ll be waiting,” he countered.

Abby awoke with the same pounding heart that plagued her that glorious day. It was the day that was the humble beginnings of a relationship that would begin over the summer when she accompanied her brother to L.A. in order to attending casting calls while he and the band wrote for the new album. Rob would become almost a daily part of her life while she was out there that eventually grew into a love for each other that was so strong that it led them to a Vegas chapel the day before her nineteenth birthday.

It was the same Vegas chapel that would eventually be the undoing of their union. No…..it was Rob’s admitting that their marriage was a mistake that was the undoing. That bogus chapel only alleviated the pain of divorce.

Abby rolled on her side and cried into her pillow. No pain could be worse than what she was feeling right now because, as strong as she was trying to be, she was still in love with Rob and probably always will be.

A soft knocking on the door caused her to sniff and wipe her eyes. “Yes?”

The door opened and Grace stuck her head inside. “Abby, its almost noon. Why don’t you get up, get yourself together and come downstairs. Your father just picked up your grandparents and brought them here for lunch. You havent’ seen them in so long, so you should visit with them.”

“Okay, mum. Give me a half hour, okay?”

“Okay. Luv…….please tell me what you’re going through,” Grace begged. “You’ve got me so worried.”

“Don’t be, mum. I….I just need more time. I’m fine, really.”

Grace nodded and closed the door. Abby sat up and began to cry again. She hated lying to her mother. She wasn’t fine. She was far from fine. She was a wreck.

What she wouldn’t give to have Rob walk through her front door and beg for her forgiveness?

Chapter 49

Rob leaned back in the cushy aisle seat in first class and swirled the ice around in his empty glass. Just a few more hours and he’ll be landing in Heathrow before he has to endure a tram ride into Sheffield. At this this point, he didn’t care if he had to fight his way through a jungle with a machette. All he wanted to do was see Abby’s beautiful face again and hold her.

He sighed deeply and rolled his head towards Mark who had nodded off next to him in the window seat. He smiled over his good fortune at having such an even tempered and loyal bandmate, not to mention friend and, well, as of a few days ago…brother-in-law! Rob just couldn’t go to Sheffield alone and needed moral support, not to mention a buffer for Abby’s dad.

“Would you like a refill sir?”

Rob turned his head back to see a pretty, 20-something stewardess hover above him in her fitted, navy blue skirt and white blouse whose buttons had found themselves undone to her cleavage. Rob flashed a melting grin and held up his glass.

“Absolutely, darling.”

The stewardess left as Rob leaned his head back and closed his eyes. All he had thought of these past two days was how his life had changed the moment he ran into Abby at the hospital. But it was that following summer when she came out to L.A. with Mark that sent Rob head over heels in love with her. He can still remember everyday of it like it was yesterday.

“Aye, you blokes down here?”

“Come on down, Mark,” Paul called up from his finished basement that boasted a new recording studio where the band would be holed up writing for the next month or so.

“Aye mates,” Mark announced as he approached the bottom. “I uh…brought a guest.”

Paul and Troy looked past Mark to see Abby come down the stairs behind him.

“Hello lads,” Abby said. “Good to see you again.”

Troy blinked his eyes. “Again? Sweetheart, I’d remember if I met someone who looked like you. Mark, what happened? Did you ditch Tara for this lovely?”

“Bugger off, ya twit!” Mark snapped. “Its Abby. My bloody sister. Of course, you haven’t seen her since she was 13 which was, oh….five years ago.”

“God bless mother nature!” Paul mused. “Abby, you certainly grew up.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Mark said, before turning to Abby. “If you want sis, you can go up and keep Bekka company.”

“Better you endure the wrath of her pregnancy hormones than I,” Paul joked. “I can’t keep up with her frigging mood swings.”

Abby grinned and said her goodbyes before going back up the stairs.

After a round of coffee, Bekka pulled herself up from the plush sofa. “Damn, I can’t remember the last time I peed so much. Excuse me, Abby. If I’m not back in 15 minutes, call for help.”

“Will do,” Abby replied with a smile, thoroughly enjoying Bekka’s company. She got up to get another cup of coffee from the kitchen as the back door opened and a booming voice followed.

“Paul, where’s your ugly ass?” Rob called out before coming to a dead halt upon seeing Abby, who almost dropped her cup of coffee.

“What the…….Abby? What……what are you doing here?” was all he could muster upon unexpectedly seeing her.

“Surprise!” she joked with a shrug. “I came with Mark. I’ll be staying with him while he’s here to write. My agent set up several auditions for me out here.”

“So….you’ll be here the entire time?”

“Mmm,hmm,” she hummed.

“Wow, I can’t believe it. I mean, I haven’t stopped thinking of you since that day we spent after we left the hospital. I gotta confess – I wanted to ask to call you, but I thought your parents would freak if they thought you were dating me.”

“Probably,” she quipped. “However, I am eighteen – perfectly legal to make my own decisions.”

“So, how are we gonna sneak around your brother?”

“Don’t worry – I’ll take care of him!”

Rob leaned in closer. “You know what I remember the most about that day?”

“I can guess,” Abby softly whispered. “Why don’t you tell me? Or….why don’t you show me?”

Rob’s eyes drank in the face that was etched in his memory for the last two months as they lowered to the most enticing set of pink lips that he ever had the pleasure of kissing. And he planned on rekindling his memory even more.

The corner of his mouth turned up as he leaned down towards Abby’s waiting mouth. As soon as his lips touched hers, he wished that he were alone so he could hold her close and explore the inside of her mouth with his tongue.

However, when he felt the cool tip of her tongue touch his, he growled deeply and cuppled the back of her neck to deepen the kiss. Only the sound of a flushing toilet kept it from getting any hotter.

They quickly jumped apart and Abby brought a cool hand up to her hot cheek, just as Bekka entered the kitchen.

“Damn, that was quite a river I did there, oh……hey Rob! Do….you know Abby already?”

“Uh, yeah, I”ve met her twice before in England. Just uh…..having quaint conversation.”

Bekka looked from Abby to Rob and their flustered looks didn’t fool her.

“Uh….huh,” Bekka said. “Well, the guys are downstairs waiting for you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Rob said, looking back at Abby. “I”ll uh…..talk to you later.”

“Uh, yes…later,” Abby retorted, before heading back into the living room.

When Rob passed Bekka, she grabbed his arm and leered at him. “Pink lip gloss looks rather fetching you ya, dear!”

Rob’s eyes widened as he wiped his mouth. “Damn! Bekka, don’t…”

“Hey, don’t worry about me. I think this should be very interesting!”

She winked and walked away as Rob headed downstairs.

“’Bout time, asshole,” Paul said.

“What were you doing? Upstairs trying to charm my baby sister?” Mark asked.

“She is a sweet young thing, I’ll say that much!” Troy said.

“Shut up!” Mark and Rob both said simultaneously, causing one to eye the other.

It caused Paul and Troy to eye Rob as well, for his defensiveness of Abby made them wonder.

Rob huffed and tried to change the subject. “Gimme a pencil, paper and guitar and lets get to work!”

“Sir, here’s your drink.”

Rob’s eyes snapped open from his memory to find the stewardess holding his drink out to him.

“Thank you sweetheart.”

The stewardess parted her lips slightly and lightly wet them as she allowed her fingers to brush his, before she leaned down.

“You know, first class customers get very special treatment. Anything else you need besides a drink?”

Sometimes, things were just too easy! Rob smiled politely and twinkled his dark blue eyes. “There’s only one thing I need right now. And she’s waiting for me at my destination.”

The stewardess straightened up, looking a little disappointed. “Lucky girl,” she commented before eyeing a sleeping Mark.

“What about him?”

Rob chuckled. “I wouldn’t even go there!”

Rob watched the stewardess walk away, amazed by how untempted he was by other women. Its because they all paled in comparison to his Abby.

“She just has to forgive me,” Rob said to himself. “I can’t live without her!”

Chapter 50

After taking a quick shower, Abby lazily dressed in a pair of jersey drawerstring pants and Rob’s t-shirt that she had taken from the hotel before she left. As determined as she was to try to break free, she craved something of his next to her skin.

She then put her honey blonde hair up in a ponytail, took a deep sigh then went downstairs.

Grace was pulling dishes out of the cupboard, preparing to set the dining room table, when Abby entered.

“Need some help, mum?”

Grace turned when she heard her daughter’s voice and frowned. She had never seen her daughter so despondent, nor so careless about her appearance. However, even in an oversized t-shirt and no makeup, Abby’s beauty was still undeniable.

“No luv, I’ll take care of it,” Grace said. “Your grandfathers are out on the deck. Your dad took the grandmums to the store so they can get the ingredients for a vanilla sugar cake he’s been craving.”

Grace then eyed the t-shirt Abby had on. “Rob’s?”

Abby’s insides came alive just by the mere mention of his name and the look on her face told Grace that Rob was the reason for her daughter’s meloncholy.

“Uh, yeah. Its comfy,” Abby replied before she went in search of her grandfathers. She found the men outside on the deck playing cards on an unusually balmy November day.

“Hey you two,” Abby called out with a found smile.

Joe and Sav held their cards to their chests as they looked in the direction of their granddaughter.

“There’s my princess!” Joe exclaimed, laying his cards face down. He then held onto the table to prop himself out of the chair to stand. Abby quickly went over to him.

“No, grandpa, you don’t have to stand,” she said.

“Stop treating me like I’m old,” Joe whined. “I’m fine. If I do nothing but sit, everything locks up on me.”

“Except your mouth,” Sav said, unable to let that one pass.

“I see nothing’s changed,” Abby smirked, giving both of them a kiss on the cheek before studying them. “Then again…..you both look……real good.”

“Did you expect us to look like corpses?” Joe questioned.

“Probably expected us to look like pasty, gnarled 80-somethings, right?” Sav asked.

“Well…..maybe not that bad,” Abby quicky redeemed herself. “You just look so…vibrant.”

“Its all in the attitude, my dear,” Joe said. “The two of us had a long talk one night and decided that we weren’t just going to go through the motions of living everyday just to wait to die. We don’t know how much time we have left on this earth, but dammit, we’re gonna make the best of every moment we have left.”

“Since the weather’s been cooperating, we’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors,” Sav said. “We walk everyday, dine out a couple of times a week with your grandmothers….”

“….I finally stopped drinking!” Joe proudly announced.

“Wow, that’s wonderful,” Abby said in amazement. “You both look wonderful.”

Sav reached up and stroked his granddaughter’s face. “I wish I can say the same for you, luv. I see sadness in that beautiful face of yours.”

“Not to mention the fact that you’re here without your husband,” Joe added.

“Well, he just got back from the tour two days ago. I was with him for about two weeks before I……I left ahead of him. I wanted time to come out here for several days before I had to be back on the set next week.”

Joe smiled politely. “Princess, you insult me.”

Abby’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I may be really old, but I’m not stupid. I know a lie when I hear one.”

Abby looked mortified then turned to Sav, who gave her a nod. “Sorry luv. As much as I hate to admit it most times, I agree with your Grandpa Joe. You’re supposed to be a newlywed. You sure don’t act like one who just spent two weeks with her traveling hubby, nor do you look like you’re in a hurry to get back to him now that he’s home.”

Abby couldn’t fool two wise men. “You’re right. I don’t. Its just…..I’m just not ready to talk about anything yet. There’s something going on that, well, I just don’t know if its worth fixing……or if Rob thinks its worth it.”

Sav place his hand on hers. “Luv…..is it another woman?”

“Oh…no, nothing like that. If anything, he’s the one with the jealousy problem.”

Joe chuckled. “Ah, another lad became sweet on ya?”

“Well, he wasn’t really ‘sweet’ on me, just a big flirt. I mean, he was just the guitarist of Fusion’s opening act, even though he is Jimmy Page’s grandson.”

Sav began to cough as Joe leaned back in his chair. “Sweet Jesus! You kidding me?”

Abby shook her head with a smirk. “Nope!”

“No wonder Rob was all in a lather,” Sav quipped.

“Yeah, well, it didn’t get too pretty after that,” Abby somberly said. “He accused Jimmy of being after me, and I told him that I thought Jessica was after him….”

“Jessica?”

“Their manager’s assistant. She has the hots for Rob, but he thinks I’m nuts.”

“Oh dear,” Sav said. “Sounds like a big misunderstanding to me.”

“You didn’t fight over this, did you?” Joe asked.

“Yes, we did. We said some things………that were very hurtful.”

“Then why are you here instead of home where he can beg your forgiveness?”

“I couldn’t stay home,” Abby said. “There’s……more to it than what I told you.

I……there’s a chance that I may not be going home – at least to Rob anyway.”

Abby’s lovely green eyes welled up with tears. Joe reached out and stroked the back of her head.

“It’ll be alright, princess. You’ll both get through this. That husband of yours loves you too much to let you go.”

“But he’s not my……” Abby began to blurt out before she caught herself. She abruptly got up from the table. “I’m sorry, grandpas. I…I just can’t talk about this anymore. I’m sorry.”

She then turned and went back inside and upstairs to her room. Joe and Sav looked at each other.

“My knees are killing me,” Joe said. “You know what that means?”

“Its time to visit the physician for a cortisone shot?” Sav sarcastically answered.

“No, wanker! It means that something’s going to happen today. I can feel it.”

“Since when does arthritis give you psychic abilities?”

Joe gave him a look. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t think that Rob’s gonna show up here any moment.”

Sav sighed. “I can’t.”

Chapter 51

Rob and Mark sat in the back of the taxi that was taking them from the tram station to Abby’s parents’ house. The closer they got, the more his gut was in knots. He hoped that her parents were able to keep her there. He even decided that Mark shouldn’t tell his parents that he was coming in, else Abby find out and assume that Rob might be coming with him and fly the coop!

Rob was stressed out and anxious – not to mention bone tired. No sooner that he had touched ground in L.A. and entered his home that he hadn’t seen for a few months that he was back on a plane to go halfway across the world.

But, for Abby….anything was worth it. He had always thought that she was special. He had known since that night last summer in L.A. after one of their many secret rendevouz dates, when he learned exactly how precious she truly was.

Rob and Abby left the quiet little restaurant on a very balmy Los Angeles night and headed towards his car. Before he opened the passenger door to let her in, he placed his hands on his shoulders and looked down at her.

“Its only 8:30, Abbs,” he playfully called her. “Is there somewhere you want to go, or………would you just like to be alone for a bit?”

He watched her bite her lip with a bit of uncertainty. “Well, I’m not really too much for the nightlife scene. Plus there aren’t many places I can get into because of my age. Blasted country!”

Rob chuckled at her English humor. “Guess I’ll have to visit you across the pond after you leave and take you pubbing in London since you’re of age there.”

Abby suddenly lowered her eyes and looked somber. Rob slid a finger under her chin and lifted her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking about me leaving…….I….I don’t want to. I’m having such a great time here……with you.”

“So am I,” Rob replied. “But, maybe you won’t have to go back. I mean, if you land an acting job, you’ll have to stay here….right?”

“True, but so far I’ve gone on a dozen auditions, gotten callbacks on a few, but that’s it.”

“Don’t worry babe, you’ll get something. I know it.”

Abby smiled a girlish smile when he called her ‘babe’. For almost two months they’ve been seeing each other on the sly, managing to keep their little meet-ups from the rest of the band – Mark especially. So far, Bekka was the only one who suspected anything, and she kept their little romance hush-hush on account of the fact that it was good to see Rob finally with a good girl for a change.

“So……do you want to maybe……go back to my house and watch a movie? I have satellite.”

Again, he saw that uncertainty in her face and the realization hit him like lightening.

“Don’t worry, babe. We’ll just watch t.v., I promise.”

Abby’s eyes were a mix of embarrassment and a bit of relief. “I’m not worried about anything. And, yes, I’d like to go to your house.”

Rob kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose and then her lips before opening his car door. “Your wish is my command!”

An hour later, Rob and Abby were nestled on his butter soft, chocolate colored leather sofa watching a movie. His arm was around her and she was nuzzled against his side with her legs curled under her.

Rob had a hard time concentrating on the movie, as the fragrance from Abby’s hair kept enticing him – not to mention the feel of her soft, young body pressed up against his - which was anything but soft right now. In fact, he had been sufficiently aroused since they left the restaurant and hadn’t gone down a wit since.

He gave into his longing by running his cheek across the top of her head before inhaling the fragrance of her hair. He felt Abby sigh and heard a small whimper of pleasure before moving down to her face. When Abby had lifted her head to meet his, they came together in a kiss that had surpassed any they had shared since she came out here.

Mouths fused and arms wrapped around each other, they gave into the physical tension that was causing them each so much pentup frustration. When Rob casually began to lean back, he groaned when Abby willingly followed until her sweet, young body was practically laying on top of his – a feeling that was driving him senseless.

His hands grasped the side of her head as his lips left hers and proceeded to kiss her face all the way to her ear before whispering into it.

“Oh God, Abby,” he rasped. “You have no idea how much I want you. Its killing me!”

And then….he felt Abby freeze.

She pulled her head away and looked down into his eyes. “Rob, I…..I…..”

He sat up, taking her with him, trying to reign in the lust that overtaking him right now.

“Abby, I know. I understand,” he soothed her. “I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not ready for. Its just……..I want you so much it hurts. I’m sorry.”

Abby sat up and away from Rob on the other side of the sofa, trying her best to calm her beating heart. She wanted to do exactly what he wanted. Did she ever! If there was ever anyone she wanted to experience the most intimate act that a man and a woman can share, it was Rob – no question about it.

But…she also knew that he wouldn’t hold out forever waiting for her. This was a moment that she dreaded since they began seeing each other. The moment where the subject of becoming intimate would come up and she’d have to tell himt he truth – and risk losing him.

“Rob, I…..I don’t think this is going to work. I was dreading this moment and desiring it at the same time, but….but I can’t.”

Rob slid over next to her and took her hand. “Abby, I said its okay. We don’t have to now……”

“Rob, you don’t understand. It won’t be now. It won’t be next week. It won’t even be next month. I know you won’t hold out forever for me, which is why this won’t work between us.”

Rob looked a little hurt, not to mention a little surprised. “You mean, you don’t want to make love to me - ever?”

Abby softly laughed to herself. “Are you kidding? There’s nothing more than I want to do right now than have you take me upstairs. But…..I can’t. Not until…….”

“……until, when?”

“Rob, there’s something you need to know. I…..I kinda made a promise to myself that……..that I’d wait. Until my wedding night.”

Abby bit her lip as she waited for what she confessed to register on Rob’s sexually frustrated face. She expected a dropped mouth and bulging eyes, but instead, got a look of intrigue.

“Really?” he said, raising one brow. “You’re…..you’re serious about that?”

Abby looked at him with regret and nodded. “I’m sorry, Rob. I shouldn’t have led you on like that. I may be young, but I know that there’s nothing a lad hates more than being teased. Please forgive me.”

“Why are you apologizing Abby? You have nothing to be sorry for. I had nothing but tremendous respect for you before tonight and well, now…….”

“……yes?”

“……now, anything that I’ve ever felt for you has just skyrocketed. I never met a girl who had such respect for herself. Lets just say that…in my line of work…I don’t meet too many of those.”

Abby blushed at the leer Rob gave her with that statement. “Yeah, I bet!”

He cupped the side of her head. “Baby, listen to me. You made a promise to yourself, then you keep it. I’ll even make sure that you keep it.”

Abby was astonished. “What? You ….you’re serious?”

“Absolutely.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Not a bit.”

Abby then caught onto something and turned her head away. “Oh, okay. I get it.”

“Get what?”

“You’ll date me, but….well……you’ll ‘see’ other women too. Its okay. I understand…….”

“Abby, I am not going to see anyone else while I’m seeing you,” Rob stated emphatically.

“But how…..I mean……., well…..you know,” she said with a blush.

“What? Hold out? I’m not that much of a dog, Abby,” Rob defended himself. “And besides, I made a promise to myself as well.”

“What’s that?”

“That the girl that I wind up getting serious about and, well, eventually marrying someday won’t be anything like the groupies I”ve met. She’s gonna be the exact opposite. Kinda like you. So…..I want you to remain just the way you are.”

Abby put her arms around him. “I can’t believe you’re being so understanding.”

“Easy,” Rob said, kissing her first. “Its because I love you.”

Abby’s heart melted when she heard those three glorious words. She hugged him with all her might.

“Oh God, Rob. I love you too! I love you so much. I never thought it would come to this.”

“Believe it, babe,” he whispered in her ear before gazing into her eyes. “And, who knows? I may just be the lucky guy on your wedding night!”

“Rob? Rob? Yo, mate, snap out of it!”

Rob’s spell was broken by Mark’s voice. “What? What is it?”

He was answered by the sound of the taxi coming to a halt in front of Tyler Savage’s house. He looked at the large, luxurious home through the taxi window and took a deep breath. He felt Mark clap him on the shoulder.

“Nice knowing ya, mate!” he mused.

Rob opened the door with resolve. “Lets do this!”

Chapter 52

Abby curled herself around her pillow upstairs on her bed. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way she could imagine that pillow being Rob. How was she ever going to have the strength to get on without him? If only she knew that there might be hope for them, then she wouldn’t feel this way. But his admission that their marriage may have been a mistake was enough for her to realize that there was no use in pushing the issue. She wouldn’t beg to stay where she was not wanted. No matter how much she loved him.

She couldn’t remember not loving him. Nor could she keep herself from remembering what that love finally led to last Christmas.

A week before Christmas, Abby helped Rob decorate a small tree in his house. In four days, she and Mark would be flying back to Sheffield to spend the holiday with their family, so tonight was hers and Rob’s Christmas together.

Abby stood back and surveyed the tree. “Looks lovely.”

“Especially with you standing next to it,” Rob replied, tickling her nose with a piece of tinsel.

Abby batted it away then put her arms around him. “I’m going to miss you so much,” she whispered against his neck as she hugged him. “I wish we can be together on Christmas day. Its my favorite holiday.”

“It should be,” Rob said, rubbing the small of her back as they embraced. “Especially since your birthday is the day before. Which reminds me. I have a gift for you.”

Abby pulled away and gave him a girlish grin. “You do?”

Rob leered back at her. “I do! But, you have to find it. On the tree.”

Abby scanned the tree filled with ornaments, bulbs, tinsel and lights. “Huh? How do you expect me to find anything in there? Its like looking for a needle in a haystack!”

Rob shrugged and folded his arms. “Those are the rules, darling? You find it, you keep it!”

Abby was intrigued by the game and began to search the tree, not knowing where to start. “Can you at least give me a hint where to start?”

“You’re waaaaay cold,” Rob stated as Abby moved around.

“You’re getting warmer……warmer…..little warmer.”

Abby moved her hand along the tree as Rob gave her signals that she was getting closer. When her hand passed over a sterling silver heart ornament, Rob smiled.

“Boiling hot!”

Abby’s eyes widened as she took the ornament off the tree. “This is it?”

Rob walked over to her. “Do you know what that is?”

“A silver heart,” she replied.

“No, its my heart. And you’ve held it in your hands ever since I ran into you at the hospital, just as you’re holding it in your hands now. Now I want to show you how much love I have for you in my heart. Open it.”

Abby noticed a tiny hinge on the side of the heart and pried it open – revealing a dazzling solitaire diamond in a platinum setting with tiny emerald chips on either side. Abby stared at him with shock as she lifted the ring up.

“Rob, wh…..what?”

He walked over, took the ring from her. “Abby, remember back in August when I told you that I may be the lucky guy on your wedding night. Well, I want to be. I don’t need to date anyone else to know that you’re the one for me. I knew I wanted a woman like you and I’ve got you. I don’t want to lose you and I don’t want to wait any longer. I want you to be my wife. I also want to come to Sheffield with you for Christmas – so we can tell your family together. ”

He slid the ring on her finger as he said those words and Abby just about died. What was a fantasy was now unfolding in real life. The man she had a crush on when she was 13 and fell in love with at 18 now wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And she felt the same.

She practically wrapped herself around him and let her tears of joy flow. “Yes! Oh my God, yes! I’ll make you so happy, I promise!”

“I know you will, sweetheart,” Rob whispered against her neck. “I know it.”

They then kissed with such passion that it rivaled the flames in the fireplace. Rob couldn’t keep his hands from traveling where they didn’t dare the past few months. He ran them over her tight little bottom before dragging them up her back and around so his thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts. He couldn’t wait until she was wearing nothing but her own glorious skin and feel all of her.

“God, you’re driving me crazy,” he hissed.

She pulled back and met his eyes. “You know…since we’re getting married, we…we could, you know…..consummate it early.”

Any man would’ve dragged her right to bed and taken advantage of that. And Rob wanted to badly. But part of what made him fall in love with Abby was her trueness to herself. He’d wait – if only so she could keep the promise she made.

“Don’t tempt me, Abby,” he rasped. “You’ve tempted me beyond insanity these past months. But……I’ll wait – just like you. It’ll make our wedding night all the more special.”

“But……..but how long will that be? You know how long it takes to plan a wedding – a proper one? Rob, I’m sorry, but…….I can’t wait any longer.”

Rob grinned over her admission that she wanted him badly. It also aroused him to the point where he didn’t know how much self control he had left.

“Abby…what are we gonna do?”

She thought a bit, then gave him a wicked smile. “Well, Mark and I are supposed to be leaving in four days. Why don’t I tell him that I’ve got a last minute audition and have to leave a day later. Then…….why don’t you and I leave a day early and…….”

“……and what?”

She twined her arms around his neck and grinned up at him. “Make a stop off in Vegas?”

Rob smiled wide. “You’re kidding? Are….are you sure? I thought every woman dreamed of a big wedding since they were little girls.”

“True, but I don’t need a big wedding. I can’t wait and you can’t wait. All I need is you there saying ‘I do’. Lets just do it and tell everyone afterwards. What say you?”

Rob mischievously chuckled over his daring wife-to-be and knew he couldn’t resist.

“I say…..’I do’!”

Abby sighed into the pillow the was wet from her tears. How can a moment of happiness and certainty about your future with someone turn upside down not even a year later? The answer will probably plague her for a long time.

She closed her eyes and allowed the memories of happy times with Rob both comfort and torment her.

So lost in them she was that she didn’t even hear the sound of the doorbell downstairs.

Chapter 53

After ringing his parents’ doorbell, Mark tried the knob and found it open.

“Secure as usual!” he mused before turning to Rob. “C’mon.”

As soon as they entered the hallway and rounded the corner to the kitchen, was Mark met by his mother who was too delerious to see him.

“Mark!” Grace gasped, before hugging her long, lost rock star son. “Oh my God, what a surprise! Abby didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“She didn’t know, mum,” Mark managed to say while having his mother squeeze the breath out of him. “It wouldn’t have been a surprise if she did. Uh….she’s still here, right?”

“Yes. Upstairs. Now…are you finally going to tell me what is up with her?”

“Uh, well, no, but I’m hoping it’ll all blow over. I’ve brought someone with me.”

Grace looked past Mark to see Rob come out from where he was waiting behind the corner wall. “Hi mom!”

Grace’s face softened a bit with relief. “Why did I have a feeling it had something to do with you,” Grace said. “Rob, is everything alright?”

Rob shook his head. “No, not really.”

Tyler then came to see who had arrived and smiled wide when he saw his son, but it soon turned to a bit of a scowl when he saw his son-in-law. Rob picked up on it.

“I know – you’re not glad to see me, right?”

Tyler folded his arms and sighed. “Well, if you’re the reason my daughter’s been acting like a zombie since she got here, I’d say no. But, if you’re here to fix whatever the hell is bothering her, then I’d say yes.”

“Look, mom…dad…I really need to see her – now! No sooner that I landed in L.A., I found out that she was gone and Mark told me she was here. We jumped on the next plane here and, well, here we are. I need to see my…….wife.”

“She’s up in her old room – second down on the left down the hall,” Grace said.

Rob nodded and sprinted up the stairs. He came to Abby’s door and softly knocked. He didn’t hear anything, then knocked again.

“What do you want, mum?” was Abby’s answer.

Rob opened the door to find Abby laying on her bed away from him.

“I’m not your mum and what I want is for you to come home.”

Chapter 54

Abby bolted upright when she heard Rob’s voice in place of her mothers.

“Rob?” she gasped with shock and a hint of relief. “What……what are you doing here?”

Rob entered the room and shut the door behind him. “I think you know the answer to that, Abby. I come home from the tour to find a note from wife saying that she’s moved her stuff into a hotel and skipped off for a few days. Fortunately, Mark told me you were here. I dragged him on the next plane out here. Abby….how could you do this?”

Abby clutched the pillow to her chest as her eyes couldn’t believe that her handsome husband just jetted across the Atlantic to come after her. Or so she thought.

“Rob, you made it very clear the last time we saw each other that it was a mistake getting married. And, judging from that letter we received, it’s a mistake that was easily erased. There’s no sense in me….”

Abby didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence as Rob swooped over to the side of the bed, yanked her to her feet, pulled her body against his and kissed her senseless.

Abby was absolutely lost. For the last few days, she wondered what Rob was thinking and doing without her and even fantasized about him charging across the country to come for her. And he did.

She kissed him with all the love that she had for him. It was all she had been reminsicing about since she got here. And now….he was here.

He pulled away and looked down into her eyes. “Does that feel like a man who made a mistake in marrying the woman he loves?”

Abby shook her head that was already spinning from the kiss. “No, but….but you said…..”

“Screw what I said, Abby! I was an idiot! A jealous, stupid idiot. Here I thought that you were the one I had to worry about handling female fans around me. You did nothing but handle everything with class. Including the Jessica situation – which, you were right about.”

“Did……did she….I mean, did you and her…?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me? She’s no better than a groupie. I’ve had it with that Abby. Which is why I married you.”

“But, we’re not married, Rob,” she whispered through a sob.

He sat her back down on the edge of the bed and knelt down in front of her. “Look at me, beautiful. Do you think a piece of paper is gonna convince me that you’re not my wife? We’ve been living as husband and wife for almost a year – even if it was deceptively. We knew we were married. We knew it in our hearts, and that’s all that matters.”

She lovingly touched his face. “Are you sure, Rob? Are you absolutely sure that you want me for the rest of your life. If you’re not, say it now while we’re still young enough to get on with our lives and with…..other people.”

He took her by the wrists firmly, but gently. “You listen to me, Abigail Silver. No other man will ever touch you, understand? I was the first, and I’ll be the last. Does that answer your question?”

Abby hadn’t a doubt in her mind. Her love for Rob was so strong that it overpowered any lingering questions as to his love for her. She wanted no other but him as well.

“Yes, it does,” she said through her tears as she hugged him.

Rob straightened up and laid her down on the bed, coming down on top of her. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

He began to kiss her as his expert hands slid up her shirt to feel the velvety skin that made his thoughts melt since he first felt it. His hand then hooked around the waistband of her jersey pants and began to slide them down. Abby quickly rolled to the side and sat up.

“Uh, Rob….what are you doing?”

He looked at her, confused. “You have to ask? I haven’t seen you in almost ten days. I want you.”

“We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“We’re not married.”

“Oh shit!” he blew out. “Here we go again!”

“Sorry,” she said with a glimmer in her eye. “You know the rules.”

He got off the bed and pulled her up. “Get dressed.”

“Where we going?”

“To town hall to find a justice of the peace – now!”

Chapter 55

Four Days Later

Los Angeles, CA

A now officially married Rob and Abby arrived back from Sheffield after spending four of the zaniest, craziest days of their lives.

And now that they were home, it wasn’t any different. The ten days they spent apart seemed like ten months and the official newlyweds couldn’t get enough of each other.

That night, Rob let out a satisfied groan of release as he made love to Abby for the second time. No sooner than he rolled off her that Abby rolled towards him, running her lips all over his neck.

“I’ll never get enough of you,” he panted with a laugh.

“Fine with me,” she answered as she savored the saltiness of his skin. “I’d say that every time feels like the first time, but that would be a lie. Nothing could ever compare to our first time.”

Rob turned to her. “Damn straight! Man, that was……that was…..”

“It was………..”

December 23^rd

Previous year

Rob quickly opened the door of the quaint little hotel located down the street from The Chapel of Love where he and Abby just finished saying their vows. He swept his young bride up in his arms and carried her in. He kicked the door closed then set her down on her feet by the bed.

“I guess this is the part where I change into a little nighty, but I don’t have one,” Abby said. “We planned this all so quickly that all I had time to buy was this dress.”

“It wouldn’t matter,” Rob said, stroking her face. “It wouldn’t have been on that long anyway. I want you so much Abby, that I just can’t wait.”

“Me either,” she replied, twining her arms around his neck. “Rob…….make love to me – finally.”

Rob let out an evil growl before leaning Abby back onto the bed. He was torn between the frustration of wanting to ravish her and the concern for being slow and gentle since it was her first time.

Rob didn’t know the last time he was with a virgin. His body wanted to take her with a vengence, but his mind told him the opposite. This may be harder than he thought. After a nailbiting, six month, celibate courtship, how in the world was he ever going to go slow and not hurt her?

“Damn,” he whispered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, its just…..I want you so bad, but……I don’t want to hurt you either. Abby, you’ll tell me if I hurt you or if I’m being too rough, okay?”

“Don’t worry about me, Rob. I want it as much as you. Plus….I trust you.”

Rob’s chest swelled knowing that his new, young wife was placing her livlihood in his hands. He began to kiss her gently, then passionately. He let his hands roam free of her body, which now belonged to him. She took charge first by pulling his shirt off and he reciprocated by unzipping the back of her simple white dress she hurridly bought for the occasion. He slid it from her body then sat above her go gaze at her sweet tight body clad only in a white lace bra and matching panties and rubbed his face.

“Oh my God,” he whispered. “You are so beautiful.”

“And you’re too slow,” Abby said, leaning up to unclasp her bra and toss it to the ground. She watched the look on Rob’s face as she did that.

“Better?”

“That does it!” Rob bit out as his head dipped to take her nipple in his mouth as his hand caressed the other one. Abby hadn’t expected him to do that, nor did she expect the sensation that would tear through her. Her body bucked up under him as she gasped.

“Rob! Oh!” she half screamed as he fingers dove into his hair to hold him in place.

She continued to squirm underneath him as her unspoiled body came alive under the touch of a man. Rob had managed to slide her panties off before unbuckling the belt of his black dress pants. Abby then came to her senses a bit and decided to take charge herself. She tossed Rob onto his back and unfastened his pants the rest of the way and slid them off. She then ran her finger teasingly along the waistband of his boxers before her eyes widened at the sight of what was straining against them.

Rob saw the look on her face when she noticed his rampant reaction to her.

“That’s all for you, Abby. For six long months, you’ve been doing that to me.”

She eyed him wickedly. “Must’ve hurt like hell, aye?” She then lightly stroke him. “Does this feel better?”

Rob squeezed his eyes shut and flinched. “Fuck, yeah! I mean…no! I mean, shit Abby, stop it! I don’t want to……”

“…..come too quickly?” she filled in for him.

He flipped her on her back and pinned his body to hers. “You’re not as innocent as I thought,” he challenged her, as he slid his boxers off. “Now….just relax, okay?”

Abby brought her legs up around his waist, a natural instinct which overtook her. Rob began to guide himself inside of her slowly and he almost died when he felt moist heat touch his fingers. Slowly he pushed his way in as he took Abby’s mouth with his own. Her little sighs of pleasure gave him the go ahead to go a little further each time. However, his slow entry was making Abby a little impatient.

“Rob, please,” she begged.

“Abby, I’m trying to go slow…..”

“No!” she shouted as she lifted her hips up which caused him to sink all the way in.

“Oh fuck!” he shouted.

“Oh………ow,” Abby quietly bit out.

“Shit, Abby, I’m sorry, but you……..”

“Shhh, stop. Don’t worry. Just…….just love me, Rob.”

And he did just that, however he didn’t last as long as he would’ve liked to. She was just too tight….too wet, which proved to be too much. He held out long enough for Abby to muffle a scream and sink her nails into his back. And then he gave into his own release.

This beautiful, untouched creature was now his for life.

For life.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Rob turned his head towards his wife, took her hand and placed it between his legs. “Is this payment enough?”

Abby giggled and squeezed him hard. “Hmmm, thinking what I was thinking, I see. You’re an insatiable beast, Rob Silver.”

“A beast that you’ve seemed to tame, little lady,” he replied as he went for her – just as the phone rang.

“Oh, just get it – we’ve got all night,” Abby said.

Rob picked up the phone. “What?”

“Blow me, asshole,” Paul shot back on the other end. “What’s the matter – disturb your marathon fuck-fest?”

“Yes, so make it quick!”

“Don’t worry. I don’t have time to chat. Bekka and I are catching a plane in two hours. Just wanted to know the name of that bogus wedding chapel in Vegas.”

“Why?”

“So Bekka and I don’t make the mistake of going there, that’s why?”

“You….you mean you’re both….”

“Save the congratulations till we get back,” Paul sarcastically quipped. “We’re finally gonna do it. After Vegas we’re gonna swing over to Tahiti for a week.

Her parents are watching Ryan while we’re gone. May as well make the best of our hiaitus.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Just her parents and mine. I’ll tell management when I get back. Hey, they didn’t crucify you for eloping with Abby, so I’m in the clear.”

“Good luck man. Call when you get back.”

“I will. Bye.”

Rob hung up and turned to Abby. “Another one bites the dust. Paul and Bekka are off to Vegas to get hitched.”

“Looks like we started a trend!” Abby mused.

“You and I are married. Paul and Bekka are off to get married. Your brother’s gonna give Tara a ring next month for Christmas. Poor Troy! Man, he’s gonna be under the gun now.”

“If he’s smart, he’ll propose to Kimberly. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”

“Looks like we all got tamed a bit,” Rob said.

Abby looked at him like a hungry animal and straddled him. “Actually, I kinda prefer you ‘untamed’,” she growled as they went for round three!

Epilogue

Three Years Later

Los Angeles

Abby looked up at the clock which signaled a few minutes past midnight. She closed her script and tossed it on the coffee table then got up from the sofa and stretched – deciding to call it a night.

She first tidied up the family room, gathering a few stuffed animals that were left on the loveseat and tossing them in a basket in the corner with the others. After moving the wind-up swing back into the corner, she went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to make sure she had enough pre-made bottles of formula ready for tomorrow. Satisfied that all was in order, she headed upstairs.

She slowly opened the bedroom door, careful not to wake her husband, but found the bed empty. She warmly smiled as she looked down the hall to the last door on the right. Knowing that’s where her husband probably was, she headed there.

She opened the door and, sure enough, found Rob peering over the solid mahogany crib as he stared at his three month old son, Jackson Robert Silver. Abby joined him.

“Hey.”

Rob turned to her. “You’re still up?”

“Just finished memorizing my lines. First day back on the set tomorrow since he was born. Its gonna be nice to get into some regular clothes and not having to hide my big stomach with camera angles and fancy lighting.. Why are you still up?”

Rob just gazed at his son.

“Are you sure you don’t want to put him in the bassinette in our room?”

“Nah, he needs to get out on his own,” Rob joked. “Gotta toughen my boy up!”

“So, why is his ‘daddy’ in here watching him?”

Rob stared at his son then looked at his wife. “Can you blame me? Look at him. He’s absolutely perfect, Abby.”

Abby had to agree. “He is, isn’t he? You know…..now that I think of it, this reminds me of a story my Grandma Abby told me about the night she and my Grandpa Joe adopted my mum. She told me that they just stared at her in the crib for the longest time.”

Rob looked at her astonished. “You never told me your mother was adopted.”

Abby shrugged. “I guess the subject just never came up. She was only two months old when her biological parents, who were from Scotland, were killed in a car accident. She was in a car seat in the back and survived. Since my grandparents weren’t able to have children of their own, they adopted my mum and my Uncle J.T. after that.”

Just then, litte Jack fidgeted in his sleep before letting out a soft coo without disrupting his innocent, newborn slumber. Rob reached in and gently rubbed his back.

“I never thought I could love someone so much – well, besides you,” he said. “I actually feel like a bonafide grownup with a wife a child.”

“All you lads grew up,” Abby replied. “Troy and Kimberly are on their honeymoon. Mark just found out that Tara’s expecting and Paul and Bekka just gave Ryan a little sibling. It’s a good thing you guys put the band on hiaitus for a year!”

“We needed it bad,” Rob said. “We put out 3 albums in less than 6 years, plus the tours. We didn’t want to burn out of have our fans get sick of us.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll never get sick of you,” Abby said, hooking her arm through his.

“Man, could anything be more perfect right now?”

Abby leaned her head on Rob’s shoulder and stared at her son. “Yes, it could be. I wish my grandfathers were alive to see him. I can’t believe they lived as long as they did, but there were times I thought they’d live forever. I miss them so much.”

“Yeah, they were two of the coolest old dudes I ever met,” Rob said. “But, I’m sure they’re watching him right now.”

“I’m sure,” Abby replied.

“So, how long before we give him a sister?”

Abby looked at Rob with absurdity. “Give me a break! I don’t think the writers want to work around another pregnancy so soon.”

“Maybe when he’s two we’ll try,” Rob suggested.

“So…..are you gonna let your daughter marry a rock star when she turns eighteen?”

Rob pinched his temples. “God help me!”