.
Ichabod clears his throat.

"I think we should clear the air as soon as possible, Abigail. Before we go any further in our work relationship," Ichabod said.

Abbie's eyebrow lifted. She tilted her head and looked up at him.

"Yes?" Abbie asked.

"There seems to be something.... Something brewing between us, Abigail. Ever since we met again this morning," Ichabod continued.

A stray black curl fell in front of her eyes. Abbie brushed it away defiantly and glared at him. She threaded her arms across her chest.

"I won t apologize for kissing you, Ichabod. Or for my feelings for you. Even though they may be one-sided," Abbie said.

Ichabod lowered his eyes and stopped to cough into his hand. He looked down at the ice package now beginning to melt in his hand. He cursed at it and tossed it in the middle of his desk. It landed with a loud thud and began to pool on his desk. Ichabod turned back to her. He took a breath. His heart was beating so fast against his chest. He swallowed hard.

"And what are your feelings for me, Abigail?" Ichabod stared at her. He licked his lips nervously.

Abbie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She lifted her chin and tightened her arms against her chest. She looked up at Ichabod.

"I I I.. aam attracted to you. I have since I was thirteen. I guess it has never left me all these years," Abbie sighed.

He chuckled.

"I sensed it when I used to visit on holidays with your brother. You would blush every time I tried to talk to you and never look me in the eyes. You would giggle a lot and then eventually run away to your room for the rest of the evening."

Abbie winced and shook her head.

"Oh, God. You remember all that? I was such a stupid kid. No wonder Daniel said that you will always think of me as a baby,"Abbie groaned and rolled her eyes.

Silence. Ichabod frowned at Abbie.

"That's ok. I understand if it is only one-sided. That you will never feel the same way about me. So I guess you didn't kiss me back. It was reflex when you nibbled back,"Abbie stated. She was fishing for him to answer.

"Reflex? It wasn't a reflex," Ichabod whispered.

Abbie's eyes widened. Her full mouth opened.

"What?" She frowned at him.

"I wanted to kiss you Abbie, only Daniel." Ichabod lifted his butt up from the edge of his desk and walked up to her.

"Daniel what? Was in the same room?" Abbie answered. She looked up at him as he came near. She raked her teeth across her top lip.

"Yes."

"Oh, and if he wasn't?" Abbie answered. She licked her lips. She was breathless and gasping. Her heart beat fast in her chest.

"I would have kissed you Abbie among other things that do not make me sound like a gentleman." His eyebrow lifted. They were now face to face very close in the middle of his office. Abbie released her arms and let them hang on either side of her.

"Does that mean that this thing between us?" Abbie asked. "This... attraction. You feel the same?" She raised her hands and waved them between her and Ichabod. She looked into his eyes.

"Yes. I am attracted to you too, Abbie. Even more than I thought, at first. But there are obstacles between us work wise and personal." His voice gentle and soft.

"You're not my boss, Ichabod!" Abbie giggled. Her voice low. She pressed her lips together.

"Yes. But we are associates at the same University. I am married and you're brother will beat my skinny butt to an unrecongnizable pulp if he knew the thoughts I've had about you since that kiss!" Ichabod's voice was a low harsh whisper.

Abbie's eyes widened.

"Oh? What kinds of thoughts?" A low groan escaped from Abbie's lips. She swallowed hard.

Ichabod's blue eyes rose and met hers. He frowned at her. He parted his lips licked and then smacked them.

"You really want to know?" Ichabod asked. "They are not gentlemanly thoughts, Abigail." His eyebrow lifted.

"I can handle it." Abbie tilted her head up to look at him.

Abbie shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Ichabod stepped closer and leaned back. He looked down his long nose at Abbie. His cheeks blushed pink.

Ichabod ran his wet tongue over his bottom lip. Abbie parted her lips and released a sigh. He stared down at her full lips.

"My thoughts have been of biting and sucking on your lips bruising them until they are a bright cherry red as I take you on this rug then on the couch and on my desk," Ichabod groaned. He winced.

"In that order?" Abbie gasped. Her voice shaky.

He hummed yes and nodded.

"Then, I would trail soft, wet kisses down your face, your chin to your neck and behind your ear. Where I would bite and suck until you cry out my name begging me to kiss you more and then.....,." Ichabod closed his eyes tight and shook his head. God, I sound like. He didn't know what he sounded like.

Abbie gasped and stared up at him. Her brown eyes grew huge and her mouth opened to make a perfect "0" She blinked up at him. Ichabod's pink cheeks were now a bright beet red all over his face. The color a contrast to his black and blue eye. He opened his eyes.

Abbie shook her head. She licked her lips.

Ichabod's gaze caught the motion of her pink tongue. His eyes met hers. A soft moan escaped his lips. He lifted his eyes, rolling them.

"God, I don't know what this is between us. I don't know if it is real or a passing fancy. Or only the beginning of a mid-life crisis."

Ichabod was breathless. His voice came out in short gasps.

"A mid- life crisis? I'm a mid-life crisis?" Abbie frowned.

Ichabod grimaced. He realized his mistake. He shook his head.

"No, no I meant the situation. I am attracted to you, Abbie like I have never been before with any woman. I'm just trying to understand what this is between us. That's all. For both our sakes. I don't want lead you on or hurt you," Ichabod said. He shook his head.

Abbie frowned. She folded her arms against her chest again.

"First of all I'm the one who kissed you. So, I'm the one who should be afraid of leading you on. Second you're not having a mid-life crisis, Ichabod. You are only thirty-three years old. You're too young to have a mid-life crisis!" Abbie replied.

"And that's another thing. Our ages. I am ten-years-OLDER than you, Abigail," Ichabod stressed. His teeth clenched.

"Thirty-three is not old. Stop talking old to me, Ichabod," Abbie said.

"Oh Yes? Tell that to the students. They call me old man Crane, here," Ichabod said indignant.

Abbie laughed.

"Oh, no really?" Abbie lifted her hand to her mouth and giggled.

"Yes. Really," he sighed and rolled his eyes. A smile spread across his full red lips.

Silence.

Abbie took a breath and let it out. She watched as Ichabod walked back to his desk.

"Well, you know the real obstacle keeping us apart is not your age, Daniel or our positions in this University. It is if you still love Katrina and want to reconcile with her,"Abbie stated. Her voice stern and low. She swallowed hard and bit her bottom lip.

Ichabod looked up at her. His eyes widened. He snatched the frozen French fry package from atop his desk and placed it back on his eye. He grunted at the cold.

"Do you still love Katrina. Do you still want to reconcile with her?" Abbie whispered. She pushed her hands up against her chest to stop them from shaking. Afraid of his answer.

Ichabod straightened. His broad shoulders back. He stared at her.

"Do you love Luke?" Ichabod asked. His thin lips pressed together.

"I asked you first," Abbie answered.

"I will always love Katrina but we have a lot to reconcile before she finally signs the divorce papers. Do you love Luke?" Ichabod answered.

Abbie sucked in her full lips and puffed them out. She straightened her back suddenly defensive. She sighed.

"To be honest, I've been beginning to have my doubts back in Sleepy Hollow. Luke was my sec.... First love. He helped me through so much after Momma died my senior year. Especially with Danny in College. I had Jenny but she was still just a kid and I had to comfort her. I will always love Luke, for that," Abbie sighed.

Abbie tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She lowered her eyes to Luke's promise ring. The single diamond atop the golden band shone in the sunlight through the large office window. Abbie was about to say Luke was her second love and Ichabod was her first love but it wouldn't come out. She didn't want him to know. Not yet anyway.

Ichabod nodded. His good eye rested on Abbie's ring.

Abbie raised and met his eyes. Abbie looked up at Ichabod. She grimaced at Ichabod holding the ice package to his eye. Knowing it was her fault for the bruise.

"So, I guess that is it, then. This thing between us ends before it even begins," Abbie stated. She offered a faint smile.

"It seems so," Ichabod whispered. "It's better this way until we are truly free from our significant others. Emotionally, figuratively and physically." He took the ice pack off his eye. His gaze bore into her eyes.

"Yes. You're right," Abbie nodded. She lowered her eyes. She raised her Amber brown eyes again to meet his and stared at him. She then tilted her head and looked at Ichabod slyly.

"Sooo.....does this mean you're not angry about the eye?"Abbie said.

"No. I am not mad about the eye," Ichabod chuckled. A low rumble deep in his throat. Both laughed and a silence fell between them. There was nothing left to say.

"Good." Abbie smiled.

"Sympathy for the Devil's" ringtone then blasted loudly from Ichabod's black trousers. It startled Ichabod and Abbie back into reality. Abbie watched Ichabod take the cell phone from his back pocket and frown at the screen. He lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"It's Katrina," Ichabod said. He pressed his lips together.

Abbie nodded and walked to the door. She opened the door only to look back to find Ichabod's gaze still on her. She smiled. Ichabod returned her smile as "Sympathy for the Devil" played for a second time.

"Better get that," Abbie answered. Ichabod cleared his throat.

"Hello. Katrina," Ichabod said. "No, I was talking to someone." His voice smooth and dark.

Abbie closed the office door behind her.

To be continue......