Making a quick move toward the front door, Abel walked as quietly as he could.
“Oh, you look handsome.”
Damn. Abel stopped and glanced up at his mother who was looking away from the stove where she was making dinner, while his brother Hector and his girlfriend, Charlee, studied at the kitchen table.
Hector smirked, knowing Abel’s cover had been blown. “Another non-date with Nellie?”
Abel gave him a look but ignored the question, walking into the kitchen instead of out the door. His mother, on the other hand, as expected, didn’t ignore Hector. “Nellie?” She turned to Hector first then back to Abel with a confused expression. “You’re dating, Nellie, Mijo? Roni’s friend?”
“No, Mom, I’m not dating anyone.” He shot Hector another warning look. “I already told you I gotta train. I don’t have time for dating right now.”
His mother was no fool. She threw the dish towel she held over her shoulder and wiped her hands on her apron with a knowing look. “Then where are you going tonight?”
“To hang out with a friend,” he said, stabbing a fork into one of the pieces of chicken she had simmering in green sauce and blew on it. He held his hand underneath in case it dripped. “But it’s not a date.”
His idiot brother was obviously enjoying this. “I’m pretty sure that’s what you called it when Noah asked at the gym.”
Abel rolled his eyes, biting into the chicken on his fork.
“Ay, Abel. So just say it. What’s the big deal?” his mom asked as she stirred the beans in the other pot. “Wait, Nellie? Isn’t she Roni’s age?”
Hector laughed. He knew just as well as Abel that their mother had never been too keen about Noah marrying a girl eight years older. It was no surprise this would be the first thing she’d bring up. Both he and his brother knew their mother would have issues with this—issues he wasn’t willing to discuss or get into. It didn’t matter—he wasn’t dating her.
“It’s not a date, and who said I’m seeing Nellie tonight anyway?” Abel set the fork down, kissed his mom’s forehead, and looked back at his brother. “I told Noah I had a date. I never said with whom.”
His brother gave him a knowing look. Aside from getting together with Nellie in the past few weeks, Abel had been too caught up in his training and everything else leading up to this fight for a social life, period. Hector knew all too well that Nellie had been Abel’s only escape from all the fight madness in weeks. And since Abel was notoriously private about his personal life, Hector was also the only one who would know this. Even one girl was too much of a distraction for Abel’s anal ass. Juggling more than one at a time like this in his life would be out of the question, so there was no use denying it.
“Okay, so I’m meeting up with her again, but it’s not a date,” he said as indifferently as he could. “I just said I had a date to Noah to get him off my back. The guy asks too many questions.
“Yeah, well you know why,” Hector said just as Abel walked up behind him and squeezed his shoulder so hard that Hector leaned over. “Because he’s nosey, that’s all. That’s all,” Hector repeated as Abel squeezed harder.
Abel squeezed one last time for good measure. Playful banter or not, he was not getting into this now. The bottom line was Nellie was exactly what he needed right now: someone he could spend time with and release all the pent-up stress that was building up because of this fight, without any demands of commitment. And since Nellie was okay with him squeezing in some release time after his training here and there without asking for more, this was the perfect arrangement. God damn it. He’d never needed to release so much in his life.
Coming off that cruise, he told himself he’d keep his distance. As long as she was game, he’d go see her once or twice a month—keep things light—but he hadn’t been able to go even a few days before he showed up at her place and they’d gone at it all night.
After that, he promised himself he’d had his fill and didn’t need to pay another visit for at least another few weeks, and, son of a bitch, he made a detour on his way home just the other night. Now here he was with every intention of seeing her again, only this time he was going to ask her if she wanted to have dinner first. It was beginning to feel a little rude, his showing up just to get his glorious release and then leave while she slept soundly.
Abel had showered and cleaned up at the gym. Since the bathroom in the pool house behind the house where his mom and brother lived was being remodeled, he’d even taken clothes to change into, all for the sake of avoiding any type of interrogation from his mom. He’d even been willing to endure Noah’s questioning instead. Now, because his dumb ass had forgotten his ATM card in the main house, he’d been caught doing both.
Ever since Nellie told Roni about what happened on the cruise, Noah had been all over Abel. In the very beginning, Noah had been angry. Abel remembered that first phone call he’d gotten from Noah the night they got back from the cruise. Obviously Nellie had told Roni everything.
“Are you serious? You’re gonna do this with Nellie? Do you know the shit I’m gonna have to hear once you wipe your hands of her and move on? Hell, I’m already hearing it.”
Abel thought he’d silence him when he told him this was her idea. But Noah came right back at him.
“Of course it’s her idea. She’s lonely right now—vulnerable.” Abel was still having fun, listening to his paranoid friend fret until his next comment. “Roni knows her better than anyone, and even though Nellie claims she’s ready to let loose and make up for lost time, Roni’s still worried. She’s not a dude, and most important, she’s never been like that. Jumping from one bed to another and having meaningless sex with one guy after another will have her feeling like shit in no time. I don’t want you, my friend, to be caught up in this mess. I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Abel had been short on words, promising only that he’d keep his distance, only to replay that damn conversation in his head again and again, even as he’d driven to Nellie’s place the very next day. He’d make sure he’d work her out long and hard, leaving her so exhausted she couldn’t possibly think about jumping into anyone else’s bed, not for a while anyway. Not that it mattered. It was just a game—a guy thing. It was hard to explain, but the satisfaction he’d felt when he left her sleeping so soundly that she could sleep into next week with no energy to even be thinking about other guys, was damn good. He was enjoying this. That’s all it was.
Tonight, Noah had started in on him again, when he saw him getting dressed and not in the usual basketball shorts that he typically changed into just to go home in. But Abel had been quick to shut him up by saying that he had a date. Noah knew Abel didn’t refer to his time with Nellie that way. As long as Noah didn’t push, he wouldn’t have to tell him the truth. Thankfully, Noah hadn’t and Abel had left it at that.
He thought the questioning was over from his mom.
“Does Nellie cook?” His mother asked as she sipped from a serving spoon.
“Ma,” Abel had to laugh with Hector now. He grabbed his keys. “It doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?”
“Okay, okay, she cooks, Mom.” He turned to her as he reached the door, bouncing his eyebrows. “She cooks real good.”
“Ay, cochino!” His mother threw the dishtowel at him, but it hit the door as he walked out. “Don’t wait up!” he yelled, still laughing as he walked down the concrete stairs.
Abel could hear Hector and Charlee laughing and then his mom scolding Hector for laughing. He shook his head as he reached his car. Suddenly, all thoughts of his mom and Noah’s questioning were pushed to the back of his mind, and he thought of something more urgent. He needed to stop and buy more condoms—lots more.
~*~
After setting up her laptop on her dining room table, Nellie decided she’d have a glass of wine while she worked. Glad that she had so much work to keep her mind busy and off other things, she set her glass of wine on the table. She was about to take a sip when she heard the rumbling of a car engine pull up outside then turn off.
Curious, she stood up and out of her chair. The second she peeked out of her window and saw Abel’s car in her driveway, she darted off to her bathroom. Her heart was already pounding, and she felt as silly as a school girl, but she couldn’t help it. Luckily, he was sitting in the car still on the phone, so she had a few seconds to freshen up.
Thoughts of his date came to mind. Had it fallen through? Was he here for a consolation prize? Is that what she’d now become? “Oh stop!” she said to herself in the mirror as she powdered her nose. “You’re being ridiculous,” she continued to whisper softly. “This is the perfect setup. Who could ask for more? The guy’s body is unreal!” Now she pointed at herself menacingly. “Don’t you dare let your feelings get involved and ruin this!”
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 greatwith 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 the 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 5th 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 5th 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.