It had been just over a week since Abel had last seen Nellie and his insides were going wild with anticipation. The whole way to her place he’d driven over the limit. He still hadn’t figured out how he was going to make things work with her, but one thing he was certain of was that he was determined to figure it out. This past week alone had been proof enough that he wanted, no needed her in his life. But he damn sure wasn’t sharing her with anybody. So he had to figure something out.
He honked at the idiot in front of him driving way too slow. The way he was feeling now was further confirmation of how crazy he was about her, because he couldn’t drive fast enough to be near her.
The moment his car was in her driveway and turned off, he jumped out and rushed to her front door.
“Come in!” she called out from somewhere inside. “I’m just packing some last-minute things.”
Hastening his step as he walked through her living room and into her bedroom where her voice had come from, his heart sped up as well. As he came around the corner and into her room, their eyes met and she smiled. Beautiful. With three long and quick strides, he was at her side. Fear of rejection or not he went for it.
“God, I missed you,” he said, slipping his hand behind her neck and kissing her deeply.
The fact that she allowed it and was even moaning in response then stopping mid-kiss just to say that she missed him too, was all the assurance he needed. This trip wouldn’t be what he’d dreaded. “I wanna make love to you,” he whispered anxiously against her lips before burying his tongue in her mouth again.
He moved the small suitcase she’d been packing on her bed aside, and immediately Nellie lay back down on the bed. Like a man on a mission, he yanked her shorts and panties right off, pulled her to the edge of the bed, and dropped to his knees. Sucking the inside of her soft thigh until he saw the pleasing hickey that would be there for days, he moved on to what he really wanted to suck. Opening her with two fingers, he went in for his prize. God damn it! He needed to make this his and only his.
Instantly, her back arched, and she moaned loudly as he licked and sucked all her juices. There were plenty. Round and round he moved his tongue rhythmically, loving her body’s reaction to each one of his strokes. She tasted so damn good that he couldn’t get enough.
Every time he thought she was getting close, he’d slow, not wanting to have to stop yet. It’d been too damn long since he’d had this, and he wanted this to last as long as possible. Her entire body quivered more and more with every stroke of his tongue, and she’d cry out with every suckle until he latched on to that perfect little spot, the one he knew would have her screaming his name in seconds.
Her fingers ran furiously through his hair until he heard what he now loved hearing. “Abel! Oh my God, Abel!” With her body quivering out of control, she continued to cry out in undeniable pleasure until she was begging for him to stop. “Please, I can’t take anymore.”
Getting one last taste then kissing her one last time, he looked up at her gasping and still squirming in delight. He smiled completely satisfied that she couldn’t possibly need another guy in her life.
Abel wasn’t beyond begging now if she ever spoke of needing to be free to date others. Right then and there, he decided he wouldn’t be bringing it up, but if and when the subject ever arose again, he was going for it.
Nothing, not his pride nor the fear of her running away, would keep him from telling her that he absolutely refused to share her. She was his now, and he’d just staked his claim on her. One way or another, he’d get her to agree.
***
The drive was far more pleasant than what he’d been dreading all week. For most of it, Nellie had snuggled up next to him. As much as he still wanted to know if she’d seen Sam again, he dared not ruin the mood. The drive was too long for any awkward silences, and that’s what would happen—either that or him blowing up.
She’d pulled out her tablet earlier to check her emails. She was supposed to meet the director of PR later that evening to go over the 5th Street booth that they’d be setting up in the hotel lobby. Starting tomorrow, the eve of the fight when all the hype really got going, a Los Angeles radio station would be broadcasting from there. They’d be giving away all kinds of free stuff with the 5th Street logo on them. Nellie would be in charge of making sure it all got set up and went smoothly.
He glanced at her, so glad now that he’d made up his mind. It was still a risk, but one he had no choice but to take.
His earpiece beeped. Glancing down at his phone, he saw it was Andy. The guy called him nonstop, now that the fight was this close. The media coverage for the fight was nuts now, exactly why Abel hadn’t wanted to fly in. He tapped his earpiece.
“Hello?” Nellie glanced at him at the sound of his voice, and he pointed to his earpiece.
“Hey, you almost there?”
“A little more than halfway.”
“Listen, today was supposed to be a free day for you. I figured after the drive you’d be in no mood for work. But would you consider having drinks with some of the reps from Fitness magazine?” Andy was speaking quickly. Abel had picked up on this habit from him. Since he was so quick to say no to so many of the things Andy wanted him to do, Andy would speak quickly and get it all out before Abel could reject the idea as he already felt like doing. “It’d be twenty—thirty minutes tops. It’s just a very informal meeting to get a feel of any specific ideas you have for the photo shoot. What date and time of day works best for you—that type of thing. You’d meet them in a VIP lounge. No paparazzi allowed. So you wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with any of that.” Andy cleared his voice then laughed. “They get that you’re, um, I don’t wanna say difficult but that you’re not exactly thrilled about being in the spotlight, so they just wanna make sure you’re taken care of—happy.”
Happy was exactly how Abel was feeling right about then. He glanced back at Nellie, who was still very much engrossed in whatever it was she was reading on her tablet. “What time are you meeting with Reynolds tonight?”
“Six,” she said without even looking up.
“How long do you think you’ll be?”
Now she looked up at him. “He said about an hour, but you’ve talked to him, right? He goes on and on and on. So it could be a little longer.”
“Is that all you have going on tonight?”
He’d meant business-wise, but the look she gave him was a strange one. She couldn’t possibly have social plans, could she? She looked away too quickly, making his insides turn, and he swallowed hard. “I’m not sure yet. My friend is supposed to text me when he gets into town.”
“Lemme call you back, Andy.” Abel hung up on Andy before he could even respond. “What friend?” he asked in the most demanding voice he’d used on Nellie to date. This pissed him off.
“Sam,” she said, staring at her tablet in a voice so low that he barely heard her, but he did and he was instantly lit up.
He jerked the car off the exit they were about to pass so fast that Nellie gasped.
“Sam? He’s coming to Vegas to meet with you this weekend? Are you kidding me?” Pulling the car off the road, he turned off the ignition and glared at her now startled eyes. “Are you seeing him the way you see me?”
His demanding question was as enraging as it was terrifying. Did he really want to know? Was this something he wanted to be thinking about just before the fight? But there was no turning back now. She was nuts if she thought he’d stand back idly, knowing she was on a date with Sam. He’d hunt them down and the media could finally have what they wanted out of Aweless Ayala. It’d be the scene of all scenes—the brawl before the main event.
“I’ve seen him twice since I met him, and, no, I’m not sleeping with him if that’s what you’re asking, but would it matter?”
Her question wasn’t an angry one or resentful that he was being demanding like he’d been expecting. It sounded hopeful, but there was a trace of something else.
“Of course it matters,” he said, taking down his lethal tone a notch, and took her hand in his. Only then did he realize how his own hand practically shook with tension. “I can’t do this anymore, Nell. I know you’re not looking for a serious relationship, but I can’t fucking stand the thought of you with someone else.”
Her eyes went wide, and he saw of hint of a smile then it flattened. “But you and Rachel, the girl from—”
“It’s all bullshit. I swear to you.” With the hope of her not telling him off yet, he decided to be completely honest. Thanks to Noah she already knew anyway. “She works at the gym, and, yeah, I’ve gone out with her in the past, but since I’ve been seeing you, there’s been no one else. No one, Nellie. I’m crazy about you, and I don’t want to be with anyone else.” He couldn’t stress it enough. “I want you and only you, but I need this to go both ways. I won’t push for anything too serious if you’re not ready for that, but I do need to know that you’re not seeing anyone else.”
She stared at him, her eyes still unsure. “The photos of you and her the morning you left my house . . . You two kissed.”
He fucking knew it! “She kissed me, and it wasn’t even on the lips. It was close but not quite, only the angle they got made it look as if we did.” Now he spoke as quickly as Andy did in the hopes of her not cutting him off before he could finish. “She was just happy about being one of the 5th Street hopefuls being featured in a big fitness magazine that I’ll be doing a layout for soon. But I swear to you none of what the tabloids are saying is true.” He squeezed the steering wheel, knowing there’d been no mistake about what he’d seen the night Sam dropped her off at Noah’s. Now she was telling him she’d gone out with him again and the guy was flying out to Vegas to see her? “You and Sam? I saw you kiss him.” He cleared his throat, afraid to ask, but he had to know. “You said you haven’t slept with him, but have you done more than that kiss I saw?”
The one that was seared in his fucking brain now. He stared at her wide eyes as she shook her head. “No.”
“You’re not still seeing him tonight or this whole weekend, right?” he asked, and once again like when he’d told her he needed her in Vegas with him, the desperation in his own voice surprised him. “Nellie, you’ll kill me. I’ll go nuts, knowing you’re with him.”
To his surprise, her face scrunched up and she began to cry. He had several reactions that he was expecting from her. This was not one of them. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
He leaned in, bringing her to him, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, speaking through her tears against the side of his head. “You have no idea what I’ve been going through these last several weeks, fearing the end was near. Hearing about you and Rachel and then seeing those photos nearly killed me. After the night and morning we’d had, I thought I felt something different. I thought I felt it in San Francisco.” She pulled away and looked at him. Even with her face all red and her makeup smeared, she was still beautiful. “And then those photos . . .” She shook her head again, staring into his eyes. “It’s the only reason why I went to that brunch with Sam in the first place.”
His gut had been right all along. If only he’d had the balls to act on his instincts sooner. “Is he really flying out here just to meet with you?”
The jealousy consumed him. Even though she was telling him she hadn’t slept with Sam, obviously they’d done a lot more kissing than what he’d witnessed. The guy wouldn’t be coming all the way down here just to hold her hand. Although the way Abel felt now he’d go to the ends of the earth just to see her. Sam was probably as taken by Nellie as Abel was. Who could blame him? It still didn’t help the burning he was feeling now as he waited for her to answer.
“No, he said it’s part work and part pleasure,” she said, wiping the corners of her eyes now.
Part pleasure? Yeah, Abel bet. “But you’ll cancel any plans you had with him, right?”
She nodded and something tugged at the corner of her lips. He also saw a glint of what might be excitement in her eyes. “Good,” he said before kissing her softly, and then he pushed her down on the seat, thankful for the bench seats that his classic car provided. “You’re mine, Nellie. And now that we’ve confirmed this, because we have, right?” He needed to be clear on this. He wasn’t leaving anything to be misinterpreted. She nodded, chewing on her lower lip with a smile, her eyes still twinkling with unshed tears. It was all his tortured heart needed. He didn’t care how busy his life was. Come hell or high water, he’d make time for Nellie no matter what. With a groan, he dove in, kissing her passionately. “But it’s not official until . . .” He started pulling her shorts down.
“Abel!” she nudged at his chest, pulling herself up and looking out at the deserted exit in the middle of nowhere. “Are you crazy? We’re right off the exit.”
“Good point,” he said, sitting up and starting the engine again.
He pulled off the side and started further down the deserted road. “If we drive out further, I can take you outside against the car, under the desert sky.”
Her jaw dropped, but he saw the excitement mixed with fear in her eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
With a wicked smirk, he turned his attention back to the desolate road. “I’ve always wanted to do this. Who better to have my first time out on the open road with than the only girl I’ve ever been in love with.”
Staring straight ahead, he dared not look her way. It hadn’t exactly slipped, and telling her he was in love with her wasn’t on a whim. The whole time that he’d been tormented this past week, he’d considered showing up at her house and just spilling it. If there was ever anything he’d been certain of, it was this.
He finally glanced at Nellie, her silence scaring the hell out of him. She was staring at him with her hand over her mouth. Her eyes completely welled again and her brows pinched. “It’s true,” he smiled, “not just in love, Nell, but hopeless, there’s-no-helping-this-guy kind of in love with you.”
The second he stopped the car, she opened the door and jumped out, startling him. He watched her rush around the front of the car as relief and excitement overwhelmed him. Rushing out just in time, he caught her as she jumped in his arms. “I am so in love with you too, Abel Ayala,” she said, kissed him madly, then stopped and pulled away to look at him. Her expression was torn between a smile and almost breaking down again. “I’ve been so afraid to admit it even to myself, but I am completely and utterly in love with you.”
A part of him almost hated ruining such an incredibly romantic moment with sex. But an even bigger, throbbing part of him now wanted to fuck the hell out of his girl. He tugged at her shorts as he let her feet touch the ground. “Pull these down.” He spun her around, pinning her against his car, and dove into the side of her neck from behind sucking hard. “Mine,” he whispered forcefully into her ear as he pulled his zipper down. Her sudden gasp but zero resistance only made him more insane with urgency. “Now let’s make this official.”
~*~
Winston Reynolds was obviously a big fan of his own voice. The man could talk non-stop; often times he repeated what he’d just spent extensive time explaining in a different way. But Nellie had to hand it to him. The man knew his stuff. Unlike Andy, he disagreed that any publicity was good publicity.
“You don’t want to lose the respect of your public,” he insisted. “Sure, getting caught up in any kind of scandal will get your name in all the headlines, but what is that doing to your career? Sometimes—and this is more often than not—less is more.”
Nellie smiled, nodding. She couldn’t agree more. He wouldn’t even have to try to convince Abel of that. After he’d officially made her his earlier that day, Abel had explained in more depth about Rachel. One thing that she’d noticed about Abel even early on was his inability to fake or hide what he was feeling. So often she’d chalked up what she thought she’d felt from him to be nothing more than lust: the way he kissed her with so much passion even from the very start. The way he looked deep into her eyes and held her so possessively every single time had been so telling of what he’d wholly admitted to her now—that just as she’d been, he’d been drawn to her for months before they ever kissed on the cruise and that ever since then he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind.
So his annoyed expression when he spoke of the stories about him and Rachel that had gone viral was absolutely genuine. He’d also called himself a fool for waiting so long to come clean, but her constant reminders to him that she was great with their agreement had held him back from doing so. Of course, Nellie felt like an idiot now for having done so and so often, but she also explained why she had. They both agreed to be completely honest about their feelings from here on and that the tabloid stories would have zero effect on their relationship. Their relationship. Even thinking about it now made her smile silly.
With her meeting finally over and her ears still ringing from all the talking Reynolds had done, she was finally on her way back to her room--their room or suite rather. The MGM had, of course, put Abel in a penthouse suite with a much needed and much appreciated private elevator. There was a private entrance and exit that, judging by the amount of media coverage already at the hotel, Nellie had to admit was more of a necessity than a luxury for someone as private as Abel.
She’d felt him tense even as they neared Vegas. They’d driven by huge billboards promoting the “fight of the decade” with the images of him and McKinley every few exits. Then they exited the freeway. Even with all the glitter and bright lights of Vegas, the enormous billboard that took up almost the entire side of the MGM Grand hotel, featuring both McKinley and Ayala facing off, outshined everything else on the strip.
Nellie had to admit that, for a brief moment, even she’d felt rattled. This was the man she was in a relationship with now. The guy was bigger than life at the moment, and his name was already all over every media imaginable. But just as he’d vowed to make time for her, even though she told him not to worry about it because she completely understood, she vowed to not let his fame bring any conflict into their relationship. She saw and felt his loyalty to her. She believed him when he promised her that he’d never hurt her. No matter what she read or heard from here on, she’d promised she wouldn’t give it so much as a second thought until she got the truth straight from him.
Walking in through the main public entrance of the hotel, she immediately saw the media frenzy already going on. They were everywhere. Reynolds had mentioned that the crew who would be putting up the radio broadcast 5th Street booth overnight should already be there getting ready to set up. She wanted to make sure everything she’d ordered for delivery had arrived. There was another booth being set up not too far from the 5th Street booth. She read the banner going up.
DETROIT’S HOT 107.5 HAS MCKINLEY FOR THE WIN!
HIGHLAND PARK GYM – MAKING CHANGES WITH DETROIT’S YOUTH.
Frowning, she wouldn’t let it get to her. Somehow McKinley’s camp had gotten wind of the 5th Street gym’s promotion and decided to do one of their own. How original to include his hometown gym doing things for their youth as well. She rolled her eyes and continued going through the list on her tablet of the things that should have been delivered that night.
Loud male voices interrupted her concentration on the inventory, but she looked up only to see some guys in suits and others in work clothes over by the McKinley booth, horsing around. She went back to her list, checking things off as she confirmed they’d arrived.
The loud voices once again got her attention. This time they didn’t sound as playful. One of the guys sounded heated. Curiously, she looked up as a few of the others setting up the 5th Street booth looked over too. To her absolute surprise, she had to look twice to be sure she saw who she thought she was looking at. Sam was one of the guys in suits who she’d glanced at earlier. Earlier, she’d only had a view of his back. Now he stood arguing with the other guy in a suit. A few flashes from cameras around the area went off.
Nellie looked around. The paparazzi were even more rampant now. While they masqueraded as normal tourists, Nellie could tell who the real tourists were versus the vultures. A few other actual tourists lifted their phones and took photos as well. Could two guys arguing near McKinley’s camp really be that newsworthy? She shook her head and glanced at Sam again. He was now headed toward her.
“Oh, no,” she whispered under her breath.
The last thing she needed was for Abel to get wind of the idea that she was hanging around Sam still. She’d get this over as quickly and painlessly as she could. The guy he’d been arguing with followed him, and Sam stopped when he noticed.
“Back off!” he barked at the guy who resembled him very closely. “I’m done talking to you. I already said no.”
The other guy grabbed his arm roughly. “This is for Nate, man. Don’t forget whose side you’re on.”
Sam jerked his arm away from the guy and kept walking. In all the times she’d been around Sam, his demeanor had always been upbeat and bright-eyed. She’d never seen the stony-faced Sam who approached her now.
“Hey, babe, we need to talk.”
His hand was in hers the second he reached her, and he kept walking. She tried tugging her hand back and protesting, but he held it tight. “I . . . I can’t right now. I’m working.”
“This won’t take long.”
“Don’t do this, Sam.” The other guy was still yelling out. “It’d never work out anyway. You have to know that!”
Considering the scene that he and the other guy were already making that had cameras still flashing, she decided to not do what she really wanted to do and wrestle her hand free in front of the curious crowd. “Where are we going? I can’t leave,” she asked urgently in a lowered voice so as not to give the nosey people stopping to look at them a more animated show.
They walked toward a door that read “staff only,” and he pushed it open. He turned around to face her as soon as the door closed behind them. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time. I just need you to know that my feelings for you are real, okay? They may not have been in the beginning, but they are now.”
She shook her head. “Sam, I can’t—”
“Listen to me,” he continued, sounding a bit more anxious with every word. “No matter what you hear, no matter what anyone says,” he tapped his heart, “what’s in here is real. I mean it.”
Searching his eyes, she took in what he was saying. What anyone says? She shook her head. “Sam—”
“I’ll make it up to you—”
“Sam—”
“If I’d known that I’d feel like this in the beginning—”
“Sam!” she had to stop him before he spilled his guts. Having no idea what he was talking about exactly, Nellie was sure of one thing. He was telling her that he had feelings for her, and the anxiousness in his words was escalating with every word. She had to end this now. “I’m with someone now. I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t when I went out with you.” Feeling stupid, she shook her head even harder now. “I mean I was, but I wasn’t.” She shrugged, giving up trying to make sense. “It’s hard to explain, but the bottom line is that we’re exclusive now and I can’t go out with you anymore.”
Instantly, his anxious eyes went stony again. “You and Ayala?”
That stunned her. “How did you—”
The door swung open, and the guy he’d been arguing with walked in. “Nate’s waiting outside. The crowd’s gathering fast, man. We gotta go.”
The guy’s eyes were as blue and as light as Sam’s. He glanced at Nellie once then looked back at Sam anxiously.
“You’re really with him?” Sam asked, ignoring the guy.
“Dude, what did you think?”
The other guy’s overly annoyed tone got her attention. Nellie glanced back at him, confused. How did either of them know? Her phone beeping in her small swing pack purse distracted her for just a moment.
“Let’s go!” The guy said even louder to Sam, who finally came unglued from the spot he stood.
“Stay here for a while.” He squeezed her arm as he walked past her. “Trust me. The photographers are relentless.” He stopped before walking out, his blue eyes almost clear now. “Just remember what I told you.” He tapped his chest again. “I mean it.”
They both walked out to what sounded like a mob now, and Nellie’s heart thudded. What in the world? Her phone beeped again, and she pulled it out of her purse. She had two texts. There was one from Logan, which immediately annoyed her, so she ignored it. Did he not get the hint? She wasn’t calling him back ever, especially not now. The other one was from Abel. It amazed her how just seeing his name made her smile despite the confusing and somewhat disturbing confrontation she’d just had with Sam.
You almost back? I’m done with my meeting and am back at the room. I need to hit the hay early, and I want you with me when I do. Don’t worry. The guys made me promise I’d get SOME sleep. =)
Instantly, any thoughts of Sam and certainly Logan were gone, and Nellie smiled giddily. Just as she began to text back, a young girl’s voice startled her.
“Ma’am?” With a flinch, she looked up. The girl in a hotel clerk’s uniform already wore a regretful and nervous smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just thought you might want to come out this other way. There are a lot of people standing just outside that door now.”
Nellie glanced back at the door, still confused why that might be. Obviously, even with all the billboards and the enormous one that covered the entire side of their hotel, she’d underestimated the prying of the media to get any story related to the fight. If they were hounding nobodies from both camps, they must be really desperate. She wasn’t such a nobody in Abel’s life now, but there was no way the media could know that yet. They’d been very discreet when they arrived, taking the VIP entrance through the back and the private elevator to his suite.
Grateful anyway that she could skip whatever was going on outside, she nodded and followed the young girl. Nellie had also missed a call from Roni earlier. She seriously doubted that Abel had told anyone the revelations they’d made on their way to Vegas and that they were now officially an exclusive couple.
God, just thinking about it made her breathe so much easier.
Still, she was going to have to make that call and tell Roni. For some reason, it made her nervous. It was probably because she’d have to admit that Roni had been right all along and that she’d been that close to calling everything off, even an impossible friendship. There was no way she could’ve dealt with holidays at Roni’s with Abel and a date. She was just enormously relieved that Abel felt the same way.