Abel (9 page)

“
You okay?” Noah asked as their run finally came to an end.

Abel took a long swig of his water
, still unwilling to speak. Catching his breath after drinking his water, he nodded.

“
You didn’t overdo it, did you?” Noah’s brows were pinched, his eyes full of concern. “Something hurt?”

Yeah
, his ego was crushed. But hurt was maybe pushing it—or not. “Nah, I’m good. I had a long night. That’s all.

“
Another
date
,” Noah frowned. “I’m telling you, dude, you’re gonna have to cut down on the late nights or all-nighters anyway. This fight is no joke, and your body needs all the time to recoup from the extra training you’re doing now.”

They started back toward Abel
’s car, the irritation still weighing heavy. “I’ll be fine.”

Out of nowhere
, Noah chuckled. “Roni was a little pissed at you the other night. I was actually worried she might bring it up today.”

Abel turned to him, his forehead pinched now.
“Pissed at me? For what?”

“
I told her you had a date the night after you got back from San Francisco, and when she confirmed with Nellie that Frisco wasn’t
all
business, she was hot.”

“
Nellie was?” Abel asked, feeling hopeful.

“
No,
Roni was. She still insists that Nellie’s gonna get hurt.”

Abel frowned
, deciding to keep to himself who his date had actually been with that night. Noah would find out soon enough. Abel would spare himself Noah’s shrewd expression. “Well, if it pisses her off so much, why did you tell her?”

“
Because I want her to get used to it, that’s why,” Noah said, looking at Abel over the roof of his car. Abel unlocked his door and got in, leaning over to unlock Noah’s door. As soon as Noah got in, he continued. “Roni tends to romanticize everything, and even with Nellie telling her she’s good with this being a purely physical thing, that she’s in no way looking for any kind of relationship, Roni’s still worried. Hell, Nellie even assured her again just the other day that she’s all about having fun and being a free spirit now with no one to answer to, but Roni still keeps insisting one of you is bound to want more eventually and that you two might sour up things for our little group. So I need to keep reminding her that it’s not happening.”

Abel
didn’t think it possible to feel anymore aggravated than he already did. All about being a free spirit? Maybe she
would
be jumping in bed with this guy Friday night. Maybe that was who she really wanted to be now, and what he thought he saw in her eyes, felt in her kisses, despite her saying flat out that serious relationships weren’t on her to-do list, was just him being delusional. Maybe he shouldn’t give a shit about what she did when he wasn’t around, and he should just enjoy the incredible time he had with her. Evidently it was what she was doing.

Swallowing back the
irrepressible jealousy, he revved the ignition to a loud start. He now attributed what he was feeling to his overinflated ego. He’d been so sure the extra effort he made to take care of her needs—needs he’d suspected and she’d confirmed had been grossly neglected by her ex—would be enough to keep her from going out and having them be satisfied elsewhere. That and the fact that amidst the most grueling training he’d ever had he was likely in the best shape of his life. His body would probably never get any harder than it was now. He’d been sure she’d be highly appreciative of that and that it would go a long way in keeping her from “letting loose.” He didn’t admit it then, but now he had no choice because he felt ready to detonate. Only now he welcomed it. Anger was good. As long as it was ego-crushing fury, he could deal with this. Pain was completely different. He had no time to deal with that in his life right now.

“
Yeah, well you can keep reminding Roni of that because I’m only in this for one thing. Nellie’s
free spirit,
”
he said the venom in his words maybe a little too thick, “takes care of what I need without me having to deal with the usual drama of someone demanding more.”

The irritation only mounted now
because, even as he stared ahead, he could feel Noah’s eyes on him. He knew he should’ve kept his mouth shut. “Good,” Noah said as they pulled out of the parking lot. “I’m not gonna lie, man. I was pretty worried about this in the beginning, especially with you making her your own personal assistant. But seeing as how you two seem to have this thing under control, it makes me feel better. You know Roni had this crazy notion that maybe you’d be a little ticked about Nellie going out on a date.”

Clenching his jaw
, Abel shrugged. “Not at all.” As they came to a stop, Abel could see from the corner of his eye that Noah was staring at him again. He refused to look his way because if he didn’t know better, Noah was already on to him.

“
So did, uh, Nellie mention the
date
to you?”

“
Nope,” Abel said, staring straight ahead, willing the light to turn green because he had a feeling where Noah might be going with this.

“
Hmm, that’s kind of odd, no? I mean neither of you is demanding anything from the other, so why wouldn’t she mention it?”

The
light turned green, and Abel revved up his engine as he took off again. “She
did
mention the concert,” he said, turning on the radio. He was ending this right now. “Only she didn’t mention who she was going with and I didn’t ask.” He glanced at Noah for a second. “It’s none of my business.”

With that
, he turned the volume up on the Sublime song on the radio. This conversation was over. It hit Abel now why he hadn’t wanted this thing with Nellie to be anything more than what it was from the very beginning. He didn’t have time for all the angst he’d felt in the last hour alone. Either he’d stick to what he’d agreed to—take the time he was spending with Nellie for what it was worth and leave any and all feelings out of it—or walk away now before he was in too deep. Only he knew now and he’d known it before he even asked Nellie to come with him to San Francisco that he was already in too deep. The trip had only solidified it. He’d been certain she was feeling the same thing too. But the fact remained she was going on a date—her first
real
date since her divorce—whatever the fuck that meant.

Chapter
8

Once again
, Nellie gave herself the same speech. This was to be expected. It shouldn’t surprise her that it was Thursday and she still hadn’t seen nor heard from Abel since the night after they got back from their trip—almost a week ago. He was in training hell, and then he’d gone to New York for a few of those days. It was a trip she’d been invited to, only she didn’t realize that not going would mean not hearing from him either. Even a text or two letting her know he’d been thinking about her like she’d been thinking about him all this time would’ve been nice. But she knew this relationship was different than most. Just because it felt as if things had changed in San Francisco didn’t mean he’d suddenly start behaving like a real boyfriend who checked in on a daily basis.

Even still
, she’d given in a few days prior and texted him to ask how New York was. His single response, hours later, was “good.” She hadn’t bothered texting him back, and he hadn’t bothered to ask her how she was doing, so it was the only word she’d heard from him since then.

Nellie had
heard from Noah and Gio about her coordinating some of the 5th Street events leading up to the fight like Abel had mentioned. Even Hector had called to give her more info on exactly what she’d be in charge of in Vegas the day before and of the fight. It made more sense that Abel would’ve called her with that info, but again she shouldn’t expect anything more from Abel than she had from the beginning.

Maybe this was his way of toning thing
s down after they’d gotten a bit heavy in San Francisco. After hearing from Roni about some speculation about them since they’d been seen traveling together, Nellie thought maybe Abel was trying to save face now with other employees from 5th Street who might’ve heard about it. Though he never actually asked her to keep it on the down low, he was so private she just naturally assumed that’s how he’d prefer it.

There was a knock at her office door
, and Nellie looked up in time to see Emily poke her head in the door. “Come in.”

Nellie could use the break. Besides
, for the last twenty minutes or so she’d done more theorizing about Abel than concentrating on her work.

“
Your room is booked for Vegas.” Emily handed Nellie the paperwork. “I went ahead and printed out your confirmation for you.”

Nellie thanked her
, taking the paperwork, slipping her reading glasses back on, and skimming through it.
MGM Grand
. She hadn’t been to Vegas in a while. The last time she’d gone, she was still married. She wondered after the stories that had risen because of their San Francisco trip and now his sudden disappearance if this trip would be different. With the hype of the fight and the influx of paparazzi, would Abel would keep things far more professional this time and keep his distance? Certainly he’d have little time to socialize.

“
Did you hear what they’re saying about Abel’s dad?”

Nellie glanced up at her
over her glasses then back at the paperwork, feeling a little annoyed. “What now?”

“
Well, they’re all rumors, and I only noticed because Abel was trending on twitter.”

“
He was?”

Nellie put the papers down
, took her glasses off, and gave Emily her undivided attention. Trending on Twitter was huge. She knew the fight for the heavyweight title was big, and she’d gotten an idea of the kind of excitement his presence alone could garner from the reporters both in San Francisco and LAX, but she had no idea it was
this
big. She’d heard bits and pieces of the hype here and there, but she’d been so busy with this mixer she hadn’t had time to pay attention too closely to the details. And if she had to be honest, she was trying to keep her mind off him, so she was purposely avoiding the stories.

“
Yeah, isn’t that crazy?”

With a nod, Nellie motioned for Emily to take a seat. Emily quickly made herself comfortable in one of the seats in front of Nellie
’s desk. “According to the rumors,” she began anxiously, “his dad was killed by the Mexican mob. That part of the story seems to be the only part that’s fact or at least the part of him being murdered in Mexico when Abel was just a kid. But they’re saying he wasn’t just involved in the mafia but he was a key player as in one of the leaders of a big time cartel. They’re also saying he was a big-time womanizer and well . . .” Emily sat back in her seat, waving her hand in front of her. “If Abel and his brother got their looks from their daddy, I can only imagine the man had it going on too. Supposedly, he had another family in Mexico.” Her eyes brightened. “Can you imagine? More yummy Ayala brothers, only these most likely speak the language of love.”

Emily made a purring sound before
breaking out into laughter.

“
You’re silly.” Nellie put her reading glasses back on, immediately dismissing the rumors. “I can personally vouch for how inaccurate the media can get their stories, and Gio’s wife used to date the current welterweight champ, Felix Sanchez. She’s also told me all about the tabloids and overzealous reporters. The media were like vultures trying to catch his every move. Every single girl the poor guy’s ever been photographed with turns into some made-up story, and the more scandalous, the better. It’s ridiculous. I can almost guarantee you that the only truth to Abel’s dad’s story is that he died on a trip to Mexico. That much I’ve heard directly from Roni. If there really was so much more to the story, I’m sure she would’ve mentioned it.”

Nellie wasn
’t sharing yet about her relationship if she could still call it that since he’d seemed to suddenly fall off the planet where she was concerned anyway. So she left out that Abel had told her himself in San Francisco that the stories about his dad were
completely
false.

Exhaling and sounding more than
a little deflated, Emily frowned. “Well, unlike Felix, Abel’s managed to stay very private. He’s yet to even acknowledge the rumors about his dad, and his private life has been much of a mystery. It is pretty obvious the tabloids are digging. I read what they started to wag their tongues about you and him just because of your trip, but I guess after digging enough, they realized you really are just his personal assistant/coordinator. So they moved on to the next girl.” That got Nellie’s attention instantly, but she refused to even look up as she waited for Emily to continue. “First they took plenty of photos of him and Felix in New York each with one girl after another hanging all over them at some party. They were linking him already with Tammi what’s-her-face from that movie
Bloody Hearts
because apparently they left together. But I guess they got some pictures of him having lunch the other day with a local girl who works at 5th Street, who he’s actually been linked to before. They’re already making him out to be in a,” she held up her fingers, air quoting, “very serious relationship with her.”

Lifting her eyes away from the paperwork
, but making sure her sudden interest wasn’t too noticeable, Nellie looked at Emily for a second then back down again. Emily stood up. “I’d sit and chat longer, but I have to get back to work, you slave driver. I’m down to half of that list you gave me of those calls I need to make.”

“
Good,” Nellie said without looking up again.

“
And Logan called. He said he’s running late, but he’ll be here as planned.”

Thanking her for the info
, Nellie went back to examining her itinerary for Vegas. The second Emily closed the door behind her, Nellie was on her computer. She knew she’d just finished telling Emily that those tabloid stories were ridiculous and made up, but she was still curious. Curious . . . that’s all.

Opening her top drawer
, she pulled out her inhaler and took a hit. She hated how her asthma was such a dead giveaway that her nerves had been altered. As much as she tried to deny that this was clearly a blow to her heart, the unmistakable wheezing that forced her to pull out her inhaler unwittingly exposed her true emotions.

She typed Abel
’s name into the search engine, hit enter, and waited. A second later, a ton of stuff about his upcoming fight came up: stats, more stats, fight hype, and commentary. It was endless. Chewing her lower lip, she considered reading about the hype. Even as close as she’d been working with 5th Street and with Abel being up for such a coveted title, boxing was just something she’d never followed. She didn’t even know much about Abel’s opponent except that they called him Hammerhead something or other and that he’d been the reigning champ for a few years now. Most of this she only knew because she’d heard it from Roni.

A photo of Abel in a suit and tie made her lose her train of thought.
Certain that it was because she now saw him so differently than she did say a few months ago, she tried not to inhale too deeply at the photo, but the guy was a dream to look at. Staring at it for a moment, she remembered the very day it was taken. It was last year, the night he announced he was the next contender for the heavyweight title. He smelled as good as he looked, and damn he looked good enough to taste—eat. Okay maybe she was looking at him the same way even back then because she remembered thinking that night when he first walked in the room in that suit the very thing she was thinking now. “Perfection,” the whispered word slipped her lips.

“
There’s someone here to see you,” Emily said over the intercom on the desk.

There was something
strangely different about her tone and Nellie rolled her eyes. Logan no doubt was standing right in front of her young squirming assistant. Emily obviously had a crush on him. Still staring at the screen, she responded. “Thanks, Emily, send ’im in.”

A moment later
, the door to her office opened and Nellie’s eyes went from the image of Abel on her screen to the glorious sight of him right there in her office. Scrambling and nearly gasping, she clicked the Internet window closed.

“
Abel,” she said, reaching for her reading glasses and pulling them off.

The expression he wore was
an odd one at first, and then he seemed amused. “You look good in glasses. You should wear them more often.” The corner of his lip lifted, turning into that sexy smirk she’d seen on him often—usually in bed. “It’s all kinds of sexy.”

She cleared her voice
, standing up, and looked down at the glasses she still held in her hand. It reminded her how she’d avoided using them in San Francisco. Deep inside, a part of her thought maybe it’d be a reminder of their age difference.” I only need them to read.”

Smiling
now, he walked slowly toward her but didn’t stop in front of her desk, making her already galloping heartbeat speed up. “I didn’t think you could get any sexier.” He walked around her desk, sliding his finger over the dark mahogany top. “It completes the look perfectly.”

Her insides i
nstantly warmed as he reached her, and she was frozen in place now. His big hand was already on her waist as his eyes went from looking into hers down to her lips. “I missed you,” he whispered then licked his lips.

The thought of the reports of him being in a very serious relationship
in correlation to his complete disappearance after just having come back from such an amazing trip crossed her mind. She almost didn’t say it, but couldn’t hold back. “I missed you too.”

With a smoldering smile
, he leaned in and kissed her, pushing her gently back so her bottom pressed against her desk. As his hand moved down her thigh and under her skirt, Nellie gasped against his mouth, but couldn’t summon even an ounce of resistance. Instead, she ran her fingers through his hair, biting down on his lip as he lifted her onto the desk with one hand and began unbuttoning her blouse with the other.

As much as she hated to
, she
had
to say something. “The door isn’t locked.”

He pulled away
, breathing heavily with a smirk that made her blush even as she sat there on her desk, her legs already spread for him and his hand up her skirt. “You want me to lock it?”

Still trying to catch her breath a
s her heart thudded loudly against her chest, she knew what she
should
say. Instead, she unbelievably heard herself breathlessly whisper what she
wanted
to say. “Yes.” There’d be no more depriving herself of this kind of pleasure
ever
by playing it safe like the old Nellie would’ve done. She said this was all she was in this for, and she wouldn’t ruin it by letting overwrought emotions get involved now.

Smiling even bigger
, Abel groaned, kissing her even deeper. He’d just begun to pull himself away when the intercom went off again. “Nellie,” Emily’s voice came on, “Logan’s here. How long should I tell him you’re going to be?”

Abel
froze, glancing at the intercom on her desk then back at her. “Not long,” Nellie said, exhaling with disappointment.

To Nellie
’s surprise, Abel didn’t move away from her completely as she expected him to. Instead, he moved back closer, taking his place back between her legs again. He stared at her for a moment before leaning in and kissing her then stopped and asked, “Same guy you had breakfast with that one morning?”