You'll be hearing from me. Adam's deep, husky promise kept Abby awake tossing and turning on the futon. Along with the memories of his kisses. Clinching her teeth, she rolled over on her back, confusing feelings fought with each other in her mind. Sighing, she stared up at the ceiling and brought a trembling hand up to touch her lips which still burned from his possession. Time ticked by slowly as she thought about what had transpired in the kitchen only a few hours ago.

The reasonable side of her conscious was telling her to run as far away from him as possible. Reminding her of every reason why she shouldn't be contemplating possibilities, but there was the other side of the coin. The part deep inside her that craved the sound of his voice. The feel of his touch. The chance to feel so much more...she wanted it so badly her heart hurt, causing a tightening in her chest so intense, it was hard to breathe.

The fact she almost gave into that desire tonight, scared her to death. If Vivian hadn't went all Dirty Harry on them, there was no telling how far she would have allowed him to take her. And allowed it without one ounce of thought for the ramifications of her actions. The pull and attraction she obviously felt for this man was stronger than she had first believed.

The glaring evidence was how quickly she succumbed to his kisses. For someone who adamantly refused to date or have a relationship, she sure as hell had done a fine job of throwing herself at him. But, then again, never had a man made her want so badly.

Abby rolled over and folded her body into a tight ball. Her mind raced to get a grip on reality while her body throbbed from the physical imprint Adam had left behind. His cologne wafted around her from her camisole in a delicious fog, wrapping her in an embrace she would gladly get lost in forever given the chance. A chance she knew couldn't happen. The loneliness which was her life, crashed around her and she felt her throat ache and her eyes burn with unshed tears. She refused to let them fall and she swallowed them back. She breathed hard and deep, struggling to get herself under control.

Crying did no good. It never did. It wouldn't solve her problems or make them go away. Life was brutally unfair, period. No amount of sobbing would change that. Abby had been a fool tonight to drop her guard. The pain she felt was a justified punishment for forgetting who she was and what was at stake if she let Adam Steele any further under her skin.

Besides, Abby snorted, someone like her had no business messing with a man who could eat her alive and spit her out. It wasn't like she was anywhere near the blatant ability the man possessed in this little pinky when it came to sexual prowess. Her skill still needed training wheels while his blew past her in an Aston Martin.

Abby's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door being unlocked. Reaching over, she flicked on the table lamp and sat up, tucking the blankets around herself. She watched as Jo Jo, still wearing the ridiculous headdress, entered carrying his gym bag and a box.

"I would like a word with you," Abby snipped, crossing her arms over her chest. If it wasn't for Pocahontas, she wouldn't be suffering a sleepless night and being haunted by "what ifs".

His shoulders slumped at the tone of her voice. "Now, baby doll..."

"Don't you dare, baby doll, me." Abby stiffly shook her head. "Do you have any idea how mad I am at you?"

Jo Jo sighed, setting his bag by the door. Pulling off the head piece, he laid it on the kitchen table next to the mysterious box before sauntering into the kitchen. "I'm going to make some tea. Do you want some?"

Cringing at the thought of tea, Abby refused. "I may never drink tea again," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Jo Jo asked, setting the kettle on the stove.

"Nothing," she muttered.

He walked sheepishly to the futon, slowly lowering himself on to it. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he gave her one of his patented puppy dog looks he normally gave her when he was in trouble. Which was totally killer when he wasn't wearing full make-up, but when accentuated with long lashes and smoky eyes...she didn't stand a chance against it.

"I know you're angry with me...and," he sighed, "you have every right to be. I shouldn't have told him your name or butted in." Shrugging his shoulders, he looked down at the box sitting in his lap. "I get carried away sometimes and I just wanted to help."

Abby could tell by his demeanor he truly felt bad and his apology was sincere. "I know you mean well Jo Jo, but honestly...my secrets are mine to tell. Not yours."

"I know, I know." He gave her a toothy grin, sitting back. "But you have to cut me a little slack. I mean, seriously Abby, the man is gorgeous. I think he might have fried my cognitional function."

Abby giggled. "He has a tendency to do that to me too."

"I about flooded my basement when I saw him! That is one good looking man." Closing his eyes, he fanned his face. "So...am I forgiven?" he asked, peeking out through his lashes at her.

"I can never stay mad at you." Abby elbowed him good-naturally in the ribs. "But next time, be warned. I'm taking revenge out on your shoes."

Jo Jo gasped in horror. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh...I would." She nodded. "First pair I'm going after are those damn boots from hell you made me wear." She narrowed her eyes at him, giving an evil smile. "First, I'm taking the butcher knife and hacking off those ridiculous heels." Abby did a chopping motion with her hand. "Then I'm taking a pair of scissors and I'm going to start..."

"Stop!" He covered up his ears, laughing. "I'll behave. I promise."

Pulling his arms down, Abby placed a kiss on his rouged cheek. "As long as you do, then your shoes are forever safe. What's in the box?"

"Ah...this was in case you weren't in the forgiving mood." Jo Jo opened the white cardboard container with a flourish. "Double fudge cupcakes with sprinkles."

Her mouth watered. "You are totally forgiven."

The next afternoon, Abby was in the middle of getting ready for work and battling with a wig that refused to cooperate no matter what she did, when a knock sounded on the bathroom door.

"Are you decent?" Jo Jo's voice asked from the other side.

"Would it keep you out if I said I wasn't?"

He chuckled. "No."

Abby snorted, shaking her head. "I didn't think so. Come on in."

"Hummina...hummina... You look amazing as a redhead." Jo Jo whistled, waving a hand in the air as he took in her look for the evening.

Abby was wearing the standard Kit Cat Club uniform of a sleeveless tuxedo blouse and short black skirt, but the flame red, four inch wedged Mary Jane peep toes with strap not only matched the wig, it gave the ensemble a naughty school girl appeal. Jo Jo had picked them out when he discovered she had planned on wearing comfy flats due to her still tender ankle, insisting the wedges would give her plenty of support and keep him from gagging. She moaned, the hair though, kept falling in her face and sticking to her mascara.

"I look like a Muppet," she sighed, blowing the hair out of her face for the hundredth time.

"Come here, baby doll," Jo Jo laughed softly, turning her to face him.

Picking up the brush off the vanity, he started to brush out the mid-shoulder straight locks with a practiced hand. Within minutes, he had it parted and tucked artfully behind right ear with a few decorative pins to hold it all in place. Placing Abby's cat ears on top, he stood back and admired his creation.

"BAM!" He whirled her around to face the mirror. "Miss Kitty is on the prowl," he purred in her ear causing Abby to start laughing.

"What would I ever do without you?"

"Baby doll, you'll never have to find out." Jo Jo gave her a resounding smooch on the cheek. "This came for you while you were in the shower." He handed Abby a small, brown wrapped parcel.

"What is it?" She looked at it suspiciously, rolling it around in her hands. There was no markings, no postal codes, no street addresses...nothing to discern where it came from or who it was to for that matter.

"Do I look like I have x-ray vision?" Jo Jo scoffed as he applied a coat of her frosted pink lip-gloss.

"Whose it from? Who gave it to you?"

Jo Jo sighed, rolling his eyes. "Somebody knocked on the door. I went to answer it, but looked through the peephole as per your protocol. When I confirmed it wasn't the boogieman, I opened the door and a very nice looking, although bald as an eight ball, man handed me that package and said I was to give it to Ms. Abigail Maddison Lane." He turned his attention back to the mirror with a huff. "Sometimes you really know how to ruin a surprise with all your paranoia, baby doll."

Abby glared at his reflection. "You would be too if the last time somebody left a package on your doorstep it was a poor defenseless dog that was duct taped up with his throat slit who happened to belong to the man you were currently dating!"

Wincing, Jo Jo turned around, wrapping her in a hug. "I'm sorry. I sometimes forget what you have been through." He pulled back, sympathy clear in his baby blues.

"Yeah...well...I'm sorry too." Abby wrapped her arms around his lean waist and snuggled into his chest. "I didn't mean to bite your head off. I hate being this way...I truly do."

"One day, someone is going to hold you so tight, that all your broken pieces will stick back together again," Jo Jo whispered.

Abby smiled. "You're doing a pretty good job."

"Of course I am." He leaned back and winked down at her. "Now, how about you open the box? I'm about to go loca here."

"Layla was on shift last night wasn't she?" Abby asked, ripping the open the brown paper.

Jo Jo laughed. "You bet your beeshey butt."

"Holy crap on a cracker," Abby muttered in shock, holding up a brand new iPhone 6 Plus. She immediately knew where and who it had come from. The only man who would do something this irresponsible to get what he wanted. "Steele."

"Oh my God. He got you a phone?" Jo Jo plucked it out of her hands. "That's it. I need a sugar daddy." Opening the box, he pulled out a gold colored phone. "The man has taste, I'll give him that."

"The man is a control freak," Abby muttered.

"Hey, it's already been activated, baby doll," he said showing her the screen.

Sure enough, the screen popped on with tons of little multicolored apps when he pushed the button. Abby took the phone and swiped through pages and pages of them. Everything from Candy Crush to a full library of romance books downloaded to a little button. The man was certifiably insane.

"It's huge. Why did he send you a phone?" Jo Jo asked, giggling. "Most guys go the flowers routine."

"It'll be like talking into a Pop Tart." She sighed. "He sent it so Steele can manipulate me into having dinner with him."

"The man asks you out to dinner after having a gun pointed at his head and now sends you an expensive cell phone to ensure he's able to and you're still debating whether or not you should go?" Jo Jo tisked at her. "Baby doll, you have passed crazy like it was standing still."

Taking the box from him, she started to put the phone back inside. "I can't keep it. I'll have to figure out a way to give it back to him and there's no debating, Jo Jo. I am not going out with him," she said firmly.

Snatching the phone out of Abby's hands, he frowned at her. "You'll do no such thing. This is a gift Abby and you will look like a total bitch if you give it back to him. It's also a chance for you to take a little bit of your life back like you promised you would." Jo Jo hushed her up when she started to protest. "I know all your reasons, but this is different. You can make the rules how you want them and he sent you the tool to do it." He shook the phone under her nose. "It's one night Abby. If you don't want to do it for him, then at least do it for yourself."

"Why are you pushing this so hard?"

"Because I believe in fairytales."

"Well, I don't." She grabbed the phone back. "I'll deal with this later. I'm going to miss my bus."

Slipping the phone into her apron, she hustled out of the bathroom before Jo Jo could pelt her with anymore of his fairy dust nonsense. Scooping up her backpack, she shoved the box inside and grabbed her fleece, running out of the apartment. If she didn't hurry, she'd end up having to walk an extra four blocks to catch the next one.

She was shrugging on her jacket, when a big, black, sleek looking car parked alongside the sidewalk caught her attention. It's highly polished and tinted windows making it standout like a sore thumb in this neighborhood.

Ignoring it, she hunched her shoulders against the cold early evening wind and headed towards the bus stop. It didn't take too many steps for her to realize the car was following. Stopping, she dug around in her pocket for the keychain bottle of pepper spray Vivian had given her the day after her ordeal.

Abby managed to get her hand around it when the driver's side window slid down. Whirling, she pointed the bottle straight into the surprised face of...Erich. Recognition dawned on her and she slowly lowered the little spray bottle.

"Erich?" she asked, stunned Adam's driver would be sitting outside her door.

"Yes, ma'am." He straightened his tie, relief to not have been pelted with pepper spray clear on his face. "Mr. Steele has asked me to take you to work this evening."

"Is he with you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the remaining closed window.

"No, ma'am. He's out of town and sent me in his stead."

The disbelief melted into anger. "He did, did he?" Abby walked up to the window. "Well, you can tell Mr. Steele that I have no need of your services."

Turning on her heel, Abby stomped off, feeling pretty proud of herself for only having stumbled a little. But, the feeling didn't last as the car kept creeping along with her every step. She sighed heavily and turned.

"If I don't get in, you're going to follow me the whole way aren't you?"

"He was rather adamant."

Before Abby could think of a response, the phone started playing One Way or Another by Blondie. Rolling her eyes at his audacity, she plucked the annoying phone out of her apron and pushed answer.

"Do you have a stalker playlist?" she snapped.

"Get in the car, Abigail."

"No." Pushing end, she dug out the box the phone came in and dumped it and the phone into Erich's lap. Giving Erich a little wave, she started walking down the street again, not caring if he followed her all the way to Timbuctoo.

Seconds later, Blondie started screaming she was gonna getcha from the opened window. She smiled, take that Mr. High and Mighty. After several repeats of the stalker anthem, the phone went silent, but Erich was still following her every step of the way.

"Get in the fucking car Abigail." Adam's voice drifted to her from the opened window.

Abby stopped, her brow creasing as she looked at Erich who simply shrugged his shoulders. "Speaker phone," he mouthed.

Not wanting everyone within shouting distance to hear, she walked back over to the car and leaned into the window.

"What part of no did you not understand, Mr. Steele?" she hissed, feeling ridiculous. Even through her heart beat frantically at the sound of his voice, it was unsettling talking to Erich's lap.

"I don't know, Abigail. I don't take no for answer. Ever." His voice was low and sultry smooth and coming out of the cars stereo system, not Erich's lap. "Now, get in the car."

"I don't need a ride, thank you."

Nothing but silence followed and for a moment she thought he had hung up.

A heavy sigh traveled through the speaker. "I am aware you don't need one. I wanted to make sure you arrived at work safely."

She could picture him running a hand through his hair. "I can take care of myself," she said determinedly.

"I know you can, baby, but just this once...let me take care of you."

Abby's knees went weak. Baby. He called her baby. They were only words, but to her...they were the catalyst able to pull her heart. Making her ache in ways she never imagined. This man, who she barely knew, held the power to move her more than any man she'd ever encountered.

"Please?"

Closing her eyes, she bowed her head. "Fine," Abby said softly.

At this rate she'd probably already missed her bus anyway, she reasoned as she opened the passenger side door and slipped in. It sounded logical enough, but she knew the real reason she was sitting in luxurious leather and it had nothing to do with the damn bus.

I wanted to take this time to thank you for reading!! I really hope you enjoyed this installment of Bending Steele and you'll consider giving it a vote. I can't tell you how much your support means to me and how much it motivates me to keep going.

If you find any errors along the way, don't be afraid to point them out and I enjoy any recommendations or critiques you may have. As always, I will try and update once a week, usually on Thursdays, but if you don't see an update here, check out my other works When Roses Collide or FANGED. Thanks again!!