After rinsing with mouthwash and spraying a little perfume on, she hurried to the front door. He’d already knocked once.
“Hey,” she said, trying to tone down the huge smile and not look so ecstatic to see him as she opened the door for him.
“Hey,” he said with a smile just as big as hers felt then stepped in. Before she could say another word, he pulled her to him. His mouth was on hers instantly, kissing her feverishly.
Nellie fell into his possessive embrace, feeling every inch of his hard body press up against hers. His mouth continued to devour hers as if he hadn’t kissed her in months. She held onto him tightly, feeling her legs go weak with every stroke of his tongue, which wrapped around hers. When he finally came up for air, he leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. “You busy?”
Taking a deep breath but still unable to even speak, she shook her head and gulped. His eyes were so dark and full of shine. It had always amazed her how sexy and welcoming his stares could be only to turn into such a contrast when those very same eyes were in the ring, staring down an opponent ominously. They were still sexy as sin either way, but she’d only recently begun to see the smoldering stare—a new one she liked to think he reserved just for her. But she knew better.
Her mind had wandered off to what he would do to her tonight. The very thought unbelievably had her tingling already.
“You wanna go to dinner?”
That shot her right out of her thoughts. “Dinner?”
Abel shrugged, pulling away a bit, and she had to fight the urge to pull him back to her. “Yeah, I figured I owe you that much.”
Immediately she shook her head, wondering if Noah or Roni had somehow put him up to this. Maybe Roni had picked up on the dive her mood took over the phone and told Noah to do something about it. “You don’t owe me anything, Abel. We went over this in the beginning, and I’m good with the way things are. I really am. In fact, I’m great with this arrangement. It’s for the best this way. No demands, remember?” She really hoped she sounded convincing, because as much as she hated to admit it, she was more than thrilled to know he was here and not out on his date, regardless of why. The last thing she wanted was for him to start thinking that she was expecting more and for his visits to cease.
She noticed his eyes going a bit dark, and he lifted a brow. “Yeah, I remember. I just thought it’d be cool if we went to dinner first.” His jaw clenched for a moment then added. “There’s a place downtown I think you might find interesting.”
Secretly excited that he wanted to do more than their usual but amazing romps, she lifted a shoulder and tried to appear as indifferent as she could. “I guess. I had skipped dinner.” She nodded in the direction of her dining table with her laptop and a still-full single wine glass. “I was just going to do a little work, but now that you mention it, I am a little hungry.”
“Good.” His lips spread into a sexy smile. “Then let’s go.”
She loosened her hand from his so she could go grab her purse from her bedroom, but he grabbed her hand back and pulled her to him again, diving into her neck. Feeling his warm tongue lick her neck then suck it made her tingle in the most private of places, and her entire body trembled in response.
In reaction to her trembling, he sucked harder, moaning against her neck. “God, you taste good.”
Unable to hold it in, she gasped as his tongue continued to tease and work its way down to just below her earlobe. She felt him chuckle softly against her ear. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. “After dinner, I have every intention of coming back here and tasting every part of your body.”
To her dismay, on those words, he let her go, and she walked away, feeling light-headed, nearly stumbling in the process. His words still lingered even as she grabbed her purse and a light sweater . . . tasting every part of your body.
Nellie took one last trembling breath, trying to compose herself before she walked out of her bedroom. No sooner did she reach him in the front room than he took her hand and pulled her to him again. There was a noticeable gentleness about the way he kissed her now. It was still very sensual and very deep, but he toned down the aggressiveness.
“Damn, Nell,” he whispered against her lips in a tone that was new to her then inhaled deeply before finally pulling away and leaving her confused.
“What?” She asked, looking into his eyes.
He shook his head, and for a moment, he appeared unnerved as if those last two words had maybe slipped out. “Nothing,” he smirked. “You just taste damn good.” He kissed her again quickly. “I can hardly wait until later.”
She almost got the nerve to suggest that maybe they shouldn’t wait. Maybe they could just skip the restaurant and get down to the business of him tasting her. But the nerve evaporated quickly as her face heated just from thinking about it.
Without saying it, she did want him to know that she was looking forward to later just as much as he was. Biting her tongue, she smiled at him seductively, sending an unspoken message with her eyes. That seemed to do it. His eyes were on her lips immediately as the corner of his mouth lifted. She’d leave it at that and then show him later exactly how much her body was yearning for him as well. For now, they were off to dinner.
***
They arrived at The Den, the place Abel had mentioned would be interesting. It was. While it was obviously a restaurant, it was unusually dark with most of the light coming from the candles that adorned the small intimate tables. And although waiters walked around with trays of food and patrons were enjoying their dinner, the atmosphere was more like a swanky underground club. There were dramatic drapes that covered the walls and matched the linens on the tables and chairs. Throbbing dance music was coming from another room, though their maître d’ led them into the dining area.
“My agent told me about this place,” Abel whispered in her ear as they walked behind the maître d’. “I have no patience for the paparazzi or overzealous fans. When I signed up for this fight, I knew it would be bad, but I had no idea it’d get this crazy. He pretty much said that I should get used to it, so places like this are best if I wanna keep my social life on the down low.”
Social life? She nodded, refusing to comment on that. Did he really consider their booty calls part of his social life? Just then, their waiter lifted the drapes against the wall that actually opened up into a very private booth.
Abel smiled as their eyes met. “I’ve been here a few times, but this is the first time I requested this much privacy.”
Feeling a rush of excitement laced with a bit of sudden nervous energy creep up her spine, Nellie turned back to the waiter and smiled as she slipped into one side of the large booth.
To her surprise, instead of slipping into the seat across from her, Abel slipped in right next to her, immediately taking her hand in his. The waiter took their drink orders then walked away, closing the drapes behind him. They now sat there in complete seclusion from the rest of the restaurant patrons.
Nellie had heard of restaurants like this in Los Angeles for the many celebrities and VIPs who cherished their privacy. She just never would’ve imagined being at one of these places and sitting next to such an intimidating yet tantalizing specimen of a man.
From the way he’d acted the moment he arrived at her house that evening and being in such an intimate setting, she naturally expected him to start driving her insane with his kisses and tasting her neck the moment the waiter left them alone. To her surprise, he took a sip of his water and sat back. He did bring his big arm around the back of the booth, the playful touch of his fingers to her hair alone making her quiver with anticipation.
Regardless of what a small gesture it was compared to how he’d behaved earlier, Nellie’s heart sped up anyway. She knew there was no way he’d asked for this much privacy just so he could play with her hair.
She took a sip of her own water, sucking in a small piece of ice in the hopes it would cool her burning insides at least a little.
“So how’s t
he cocktail mixer coming along?” he asked, his fingers still playing with her hair. “Last I heard, Noah said you had some heavy hitters lined up. That’s pretty awesome. The last coordinator we had for these things wasn’t nearly as successful at getting this kind of stuff together.”
Nellie smiled, looking up into those usually very sensual eyes. They now looked genuinely pleased. They’d done little talking during their previous steamy encounters. And of what little they had done, zero of it was personal. Now he seemed ready to chat.
“Are you ready for your drinks?” The waiter asked from the other side of the curtain.
“Yes, we are.” Abel replied.
The waiter opened the curtain and set down Nellie’s glass of wine first then Abel’s rum and Diet Coke. “Are you two ready to order, or would you like some more time?”
Nellie and Abel hadn’t even opened their menus. “We’re gonna need a little more time,” Abel said as his fingertips grazed Nellie’s nape ever so softly.
In an effort to conceal her shivering, she reached for the menu that still sat unopened in front of her. It was insane how his touch alone could nearly send her over the edge.
Clearing her throat, she attempted to sound as collected as possible. “Actually, we’re all booked and ready to go. A winery from up north decided to take all the booths left, and they were very generous with their donation. Now it’s up to me to get it all together, and with the budget we have now, it should be a huge success.” She sipped her wine then smiled at him. His eyes hadn’t left hers since he’d asked the question. They twinkled with pleasure, and his eyebrows were now raised in reaction. “I’m very excited about it. It’s what I was working on when you dropped by today.”
Abel smiled big now as she lifted her glass to her lips, making her gulp down the wine harder than she’d anticipated. The man she not too long ago referred to as a boy because of their age difference was absolutely a man in every sense of the word and a beautiful one at that. How in the world had she scored getting this man in her bed? He was eye candy for crying out loud!
He lifted his glass in the air. “Well, that’s awesome,” he said as she lifted her own glass again. “I say this is cause for a celebration.” They clinked their glasses together and each took a drink. “Does Noah know yet?”
Nellie nodded. “He should. I told Roni about it on my way home today, and she said she would tell him.”
Glad that talking about the cocktail mixer was not a personal subject, she filled him on some of the details and plans she had for it. He listened intently, at times unnerving her when his eyes would leave hers and make their way down to her lips, staying there a little too long. He’d smirk every time he noticed that she lost her train of thought because of this but didn’t comment.
By the time they’d ordered and their food had arrived, the subject had moved on from the mixer to his upcoming fight. As much as she noticed he tried to downplay it, she knew this was huge. If he won, he’d be up there with such heavyweight greats as Holyfield, Foreman, even Muhammad Ali.
“The guys over at 5 Street and I were talking the other day, and we planned on having this conversation with you together, but I don’t see any harm in me bringing it up now.”
Nellie tilted her head, stopping her fork just before she brought it to her mouth. They were long past any conversation about the cocktail mixer, but aside from that, she couldn’t imagine what else he and the 5 Street guys would want to talk to her about. Roni hadn’t mentioned anything either.
There was a moment of what felt like uncomfortable silence on his part, but Nellie waited without saying a word as he wiped his mouth and took another drink of his rum and Diet Coke.
Chapter 3
Abel was not about to admit it to anyone, but the idea of having Nellie around 5 Street more often was one that pleased him. Between his intense training, which was getting even more grueling as the fight approached, and all the interviews and appearances he was contractually obligated to do lately, his free time was becoming increasingly non-existent. So when Noah and Gio had brought up the possibility of her not just coordinating events at 5 Street but the ones leading up to his fight, including the ones she’d have to travel out of town with him, he immediately agreed. Her success with the cocktail mixer for their charity foundation further confirmed she’d be a perfect choice.
Nellie was still staring at him, waiting for a response. “Well, we were thinking, since we have a few publicity events coming up for the fight that are gonna take place at 5 Street and a couple out of town, that you could be the one to get it all coordinated.”
Abel squeezed her hand when she lifted that sexy eyebrow of hers. He fought the urge to kiss her. It was something he’d been aching to do since they got there, but since he’d come on so strong when he first got to her place, he was trying to tone it down now. She’d made it clear once again that the way things were now between them was for the best. He completely agreed, but he felt so crazed around her that it was beginning to unnerve him. Telling her that she drove him crazy as he almost had at her place earlier might spook her.
Back when her divorce was going on, Noah had talked about her split with her douche bag ex-husband. Abel hadn’t really paid attention, but one thing he did get was that it was a bad one. It was so bad that the last thing she’d be looking for, for a while, was getting back into any relationships. Abel was more than fine with that, especially because serious relationships were the last thing he had time for anyway and certainly not with a divorced older woman. Saying things like what he almost did might have her backing out of this all-too-perfect set up. He didn’t want to blow it now. There was all this sexual tension that had built up between them for months. They’d let it go on for too long, and now he couldn’t get his fill, but he was certain it would start waning soon enough.
“Wow,” she said, putting her fork down then wiping her mouth with her napkin. “I’m flattered that you think I can handle something this big. I mean the cocktail mixer is turning out bigger than I had expected, but that’s because of this last donation. Otherwise, I wasn’t planning on this event being so big.”
She took another sip of her wine and licked her bottom lip as she’d been doing all night each time she took a drink. That was it. He’d held back long enough. Leaning into her, he kissed her softly, trying to not go overboard as he did earlier. This time he took his time savoring every inch of her delicious mouth. After that much needed and very long satisfying taste of her, he pulled his lips away but just barely. “Of course I think you can handle it,” he whispered against her lips.
Abel brought his hand to her face, lifting her chin to him so he could kiss her as deeply as he’d been dying to since they got there. It felt as if he’d never get enough of tasting her mouth, and the taste of her sweet wine only added to his frenzy. As usual, she kissed him back with just as much desire as he was feeling for her. Feeling the craze coming on that he felt every time they kissed like this, he forced himself to back off a little, and he came up for air.
Staring at her soft pink lips as he tried to catch his breath, he spoke again, trying to calm the yearning he was feeling already. “We meet again with the director of PR in charge of this whole fight in a couple of weeks. You think you can be there?”
She nodded as she too obviously struggled to catch her breath. Unable to hold back anymore, he placed his hand on her thigh, thankful that he’d gotten to her house before she’d changed out of her sexy-as-shit skirt suit. His fingers found their way under her skirt and caressed the soft warm inner thigh.
Feeling her quiver made him smile. “What day?” she asked.
“I’m pretty sure Noah said a week from next Friday after closing,” his lips were on hers again as soon as she nodded.
She pulled away mid kiss and thought about it for a second. “If that’s Friday the 13th, I can’t. I have plans that night.”
Abel’s hand froze on her thigh, and he stared at her for a moment, not sure if he should ask, but he sure
as hell wanted to. “Oh?”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding, her eyes rushing from his lips to his eyes. “If it were any other night, I could, but that’s the only night that I can’t. Will you be meeting again with him another time?”
Abel continued to stare at her, hoping she’d shed a little light on what those plans were exactly. When she didn’t, he pulled away from her slowly. “I don’t know,” he said, trying to keep his tone as normal as possible. “Probably, but it’d be best if you were in on everything from here on out since it’s getting down to the wire.” He reached for his drink, not wanting to have eye contact with her when he asked his next question. “Any chance you can get out of your plans?”
He turned to her when she didn’t answer immediately. She was frowning then inhaled thinking about it. “I don’t think so. It’s a concert, and the tickets have already been paid for.” He swallowed down a bigger drink than he had originally planned. Maybe she was going with a girlfriend. “Oh, yeah? Who you gonna go see?”
She smiled suddenly.” Slightly Stoopid at the House of Blues.”
Feeling the slightest bit of relief and not really understanding why, he remembered Noah recently mentioning that Roni wanted to go see them too, but . . . “I thought Noah said they were sold out.”
“They were,” she said, taking a sip of her water this time. “At least when Roni and I tried getting tickets they were. Somehow, a co-worker of mine was able to get tickets.”
Just moments ago, Abel thought he might need another drink maybe two. Now he was overcome with the urge to kiss her again. “That’s cool,” he said, leaning into her again. “I know Roni really likes them.” With that, his mouth was on hers, and his fingers once again were making their way up her thigh under her skirt. He murmured against her lips, “Ever had sex in public, Nellie?” The thought of taking her right there was already driving him to the brink of madness.
“No!” She gasped, pulling away slightly.