Nellie glanced up from the front reception area as Felix walked into 5th Street. She’d just dropped off a package with the girl sitting behind the desk. Nellie looked Felix over very obviously then smiled politely before walking away.
“One down,” he said in a hushed voice as he approached the desk slowly.
Kelsey, the girl behind the desk, had never been good about being discreet when she gawked at him. This time she barely glanced at him before looking back down at her phone. Felix smiled, feeling very accomplished. But he did make note that her ditzy ass didn’t bother asking him for proof of his membership. He walked right by her like nothing.
The big test would be Ella. He walked through the gym and up the escalators for the first time ever not being stopped by anyone. A few girls did turn their heads, but he couldn’t be sure if it was because they recognized him, or if maybe they were just checking him out.
When he got to the door of Ella’s class, he peeked in through the window on the door. She stood off to the side talking to Sonia. She’d called him back this morning, when he texted her asking for her address, to tell him she’d been called into cover for Sonia, who was going to be late. So she asked him to just meet her there instead.
Felix held the doorknob for a second, afraid to go in. He was going to feel really stupid if someone recognized him, so he hesitated for a moment.
“You looking for someone?” He turned to face Abel, who walked toward him with Nellie.
Nellie whispered something to Abel as they approached him. Felix tried not to smirk at Abel’s suspicious glare. “I’m here for the class,” he said, trying to disguise his voice.
Abel looked him over from top to bottom with a scowl. “The self-defense class?” he asked incredulously. “You need to sign up for . . .” Felix laughed when he saw Abel’s scowl morph into a confused expression. “Felix?”
Nellie’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Felix brought a finger to his mouth. “Don’t blow it,” he said quickly in a lowered voice as someone walked out of the class and past them. Felix held the door open.
“What are you doing?” Abel asked, lowering his voice as well.
“We’re going to Disneyland today, and I don’t wanna be mobbed all day, so I had friend of mine, this Hollywood makeup artist I know, hook me up.”
“Wow, that’s good,” Nellie said, smiling big.
“You look like a thug,” Abel added. “It’s why she came and got me. She thought you were gonna rob the place or something.”
Felix laughed. “Is that why you looked at me like you did? I figured with a goatee, this mustache, and a hoodie, I’d look like just another East L. A. thug.”
“Those dark-ass sunglasses make you look even more suspicious,” Abel said with a frown, “especially indoors. Don’t go getting shot.”
Felix assured them he wouldn’t. “Go in,” Nellie said, smiling. “I wanna see if she recognizes you.”
Both Abel and Nellie waited outside. “Don’t let her see you,” Felix whispered. “She’ll know something’s up.”
Some of the girls in the class turned and looked at him as he walked in but not like they normally did, just as anyone would when someone walks in a class that’s already in session. They quickly turned back to the cop who Felix could only assume was a guest speaker. Felix looked him over, glad it wasn’t Grayson, who Ella said volunteered occasionally to come in and speak. The guy talking now was giving the group the latest alarming statistics of the violence in this area, telling them why their taking this class was such a good thing, and urging them to get friends and family to do the same.
Felix brought his attention to Ella, who was reading something now on her phone. She looked up and did a double take when she saw him. He saw those cute little brows of hers come together slowly; then her mouth dropped open and she smiled, bringing her hand over her mouth. Okay, maybe he wasn’t fooling everyone.
Something about her recognizing him so instantly warmed him. Unlike Kelsey, Nellie, and even Abel, it was as if Ella would know him anywhere. He brought his finger over his mouth, not wanting Ella to out him to everyone else.
Ella walked over to him, smiling big. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to enjoy today without being stopped every five minutes.”
“You did this yourself?” she asked, touching his goatee.
“No. I had a friend stop by this morning. She does makeup for one of the big studios in Hollywood.”
Ella immediately looked up from his goatee, meeting his eyes. “A friend, huh?”
Felix gulped, instantly realizing the error of his ways. While he had no intention of ever sleeping with Candy again, their relationship wasn’t exactly a friendship. In fact, Candy had arrived that morning at his place fully intent on doing more than just his goatee and mustache.
“Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat. “We met on the set of that music video I had a cameo on a while back.” Ella didn’t seem at all impressed, so he added quickly. “I called her last night and told her what I was doing today—taking my girlfriend to Disneyland—and that I needed a little help blending in.”
He really had. Of course, that still didn’t stop Candy from saying some of the suggestive things she had. Bottom line was that even though it felt a little weird, he’d actually enjoyed saying the words “I’m in a serious relationship now.”
Ella examined his goatee again with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Of course, even this would look good on you.”
He told her about Abel and Nellie and the girl at the entrance not recognizing him and how Nellie had actually thought he was a thug coming in to rob the place. Ella laughed.
“How’d you know it was me so fast?”
“Your stance,” she said without hesitation.
“My stance?”
“Yes. Your stance,” she said very matter-of-factly then touched his shoulders and arms. “And these.” She touched his chest, running her palm over it. “And this.” She lowered her voice. “I’d know this masterpiece anywhere.”
She winked and asked him to give her a minute as she walked away toward the desk. Felix stood there flabbergasted. “My stance?”
A few minutes later they were out of there and on their way to the happiest place on earth. As expected, the place was packed. If Felix had had more time he might’ve been able to arrange to bring her on one of the days the park opened up only to VIP guests. Not only would it be far less crowded, but among the VIP’s would be other celebrities. Because they were all in the same boat, they respected each other’s space, so he wouldn’t have had to wear this stupid getup.
Still, the last thing he wanted was for Ella to think him a diva, so he went the flow and waited in the long lines like everyone else without complaining. By lunch time, they’d been there over three hours and had only been on four rides. And even though his mustache was now itching, Felix didn’t have a single complaint. It turned out waiting in the long lines had been the best part so far. They got to talk extensively, and Ella did a lot of giggling because every time he kissed her she said it tickled. That only made him want to do it more.
Felix himself had never been a huge fan of Disneyland. Like Ella, he’d been on the older side when he was finally able to afford to go. Though not nearly as old as Ella on her first trip, he’d still been older. It was decidedly a place for the very young or the young at heart. Felix preferred the parks with the edgier more heart-stopping rides. Ella, it seemed, was young at heart. The smile on her face when she’d looked in the mirror after putting on the pink princess ear hat just like the ones she’d described her neighbors wearing was priceless. She spent most of the day in a whimsical daze. Felix had even bought her a bouquet of the Mickey head balloons she’d spoken of on their way there. At first, she’d protested he shouldn’t, that those balloons were for little kids and he was being silly. But he’d since caught her several times looking up at her balloon bouquet with that same blissful smile she’d worn throughout all the rides she said she’d only dreamed of getting on some day: It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and even some of the kiddy rides like Alice In Wonderland. He’d kissed her every single time he caught her because she was just too damn adorable.
They’d just finished with Disneyland and were on their way over to California Adventure when Felix got another call from Adelina. He’d already ignored her first two, but she’d texted earlier after he hadn’t returned her calls to say that it was critical that he get back to her ASAP.
He took advantage of the time he had standing outside the ladies’ room and waiting for Ella to answer the call. “Make this fast, Adelina. I’m busy right now.”
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
“You’re still in Los Angeles, right?”
“Yes. Anaheim,” he clarified. “But yeah, I’m still in town.”
“Good. How soon can you get to Burbank?”
“Today? Not at all.”
Ella walked out of the ladies’ room and over to him. Felix had to smile at the ridiculous hat that she apparently wasn’t taking off all day. He readied himself to either hurry Adelina off the phone or hang up on her because he wasn’t going to waste any of his Ella time on his publicist.
“Why? I don’t have you down for any appearances or interviews today. Aren’t you just hanging out at 5th Street?”
Annoyed that she’d think he’d be ready to just jump when she asked him to, Felix asked Ella to give him just a minute. She motioned for him to take his time as she took the balloon bouquet he was holding for her from him. He started to respond when two of the balloons flew away. Ella stared up at them helplessly then turned to him and pouted.
He laughed, putting his phone aside so he could kiss those pouty lips, and promised to get her more. Done with Adelina, he brought the phone back to his ear.
“Whatever it is will have to wait for another day. I’m indisposed for the rest of the day to be anywhere and,” he said firmly then added with even more inflection, “to take any more calls unless it’s a real emergency.”
“But this is Mercedes-Benz. It’s a huge endorsement and you’ll be gone next week. Okay, okay!” she said quickly as if she knew he was getting ready to hang up on her. “I doubt they’ll wanna do this on the weekend, but if I can get them to agree, because tomorrow is your last day before you leave for Big Bear, are you okay with tomorrow?”
It was also his last day with Ella, and he didn’t want to cut into that, but he also knew Ella was working, so he agreed quickly just to get off the phone already.
“I can’t believe I did that,” Ella said as soon as he was off the phone, looking genuinely upset with herself as she glanced up at her balloons. “You don’t have to get me more. I still have plenty.”
He’d never get enough of kissing her now and did so again then pulled away and looked up at her remaining balloons. “Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s not gonna cut it. I can see where the other two are missing. Let’s go replace them.”
They replaced her balloons first thing then were off to explore the second park. They hadn’t even been in the other park for five minutes when his text message indicator dinged again. He’d just bought her an ice cream cone they were going to share because he wasn’t big on sweets and because he’d already eaten crap that day that wasn’t on his training menu list. Ella saw Felix frown and looked at him confused. “Who was that you were on the phone with?”
“Adel—” He caught himself. ”My publicist.”
“Her name’s Adele?”
“No, Adelina,” he said, annoyed with himself that he’d let that slip because he’d only ever referred to Adelina as his publicist when he mentioned anything about her to Ella.
He’d never called any of his publicists by their last names. It sounded too proper, and it felt weird, but he was seriously thinking about going back to referring to Adelina as Ms. Lazardi. He might even replace his publicist again because even this could come back and bite him in the ass. He didn’t want to risk anything when it came to Ella now.
“You only have the one, right?” She licked her ice cream, squinting as she looked up at him. He nodded, refusing to offer more about Adelina. “So it’s that woman from the day of the blood drive. The pretty one?”
Ella offered him the ice cream cone, and he took it with a shrug. “I don’t know about pretty, but, yeah, that was her.”
He licked the ice cream a couple of times then handed it back to her.
“That’s it?” she said, taking it. “You don’t want anymore?”
“I really shouldn’t be having any, sweetheart.”
His phone dinged again, making him clench his jaw.
“Is something going on today? Is that why she keeps calling and texting?”
Ella continued to eat her ice cream, seemingly unfazed as if her question was just a curious one, but it made Felix nervous. She was way too smart and way too perceptive for that question to be without further motive than just curiosity. And her comment about Adelina being pretty had come out of nowhere just like the first time she’d pointed it out.
“I don’t even know if that’s her,” he said, pulling out his phone. He had no intention of responding; he was only going to turn it off. “It’s just some endorsement deal she’s trying to set up a meeting for.”
Inadvertently, he read the beginning part of Adelina’s text and decided maybe he should read it, but only because he didn’t want his last day with Ella tomorrow interrupted.
They can only see you tomorrow if we can get together before noon. Does that work for you?
The second text was a bit more urgent.
I have them on hold, Felix. Yes or no! If you don’t respond, I’m just going to set it up for tomorrow morning.
Felix looked up at Ella who was still working on her ice cream and if he wasn’t mistaken eyeing his phone with a little more than just curiosity now. “What hours are you working tomorrow?”
“The late shift. I switched with Carmen in case I was too tired after today to go in early. Why?”
“Because I don’t want her setting up this meeting when you’re off.” He was already responding to Adelina as he spoke. “Tomorrow’s my last day here before Big Bear.”
Can’t do morning. Set it up for another day.
“My dad’s spending the weekend at my grandma’s starting today,” Ella said as Felix send off the text. She lifted a playful brow. “I don’t have to go home tonight. We can spend all morning at your place tomorrow if that’s something that might interest you. It’d be nice if I could show you my gratitude for making me feel like such a princess.” She licked the rim of the ice cream cone slowly then licked her lips and smiled. “All day.”
Felix could feel his pants tighten even as his phone pinged again.
Are you sure? Because you’ll be gone after tomorrow. This is important!
It took him just seconds to respond to that.
I’m DAMN sure. Set it up for another day. I’m turning my phone off now.
He turned the phone off and slipped it into his pocket. “All day, huh?” he asked, slipping his arm around Ella’s waist and pulling him to him. “Sounds like heaven to me.”
~*~
Ella
The only time Grayson’s words had crossed her mind today was early on. The times Felix had seemed so unnerved by the calls and texts he kept getting were when she was pulled from her magical Disney reverie. She hadn’t even realized she’d always wanted to come to Disneyland this much. When he had said he’d take her anywhere she wanted to go, Disneyland had been the very first place that popped into her head.
Even then, as caught up in everything as she’d been, she’d still noticed his sudden anxiousness whenever his phone rang or pinged. Despite what a sweetheart and how graciously attentive he’d been, she couldn’t help but think of Grayson’s words when she realized it was his pretty publicist who’d been doing all the calling and texting. Whatever he says or does for you, whatever he buys you, it’s nothing he hasn’t already done for someone else.
She couldn’t imagine Felix having gone through all this trouble—disguising himself so he could spend the day at Disneyland treating just any girl like a princess all day—just to get a piece of ass. Ella didn’t profess to be anything extraordinary, but this was Felix. He didn’t have to do all this.
Nothing more than a challenge.
Once again she scolded herself. The challenge was over. If that’s all he’d been in this for, then why was he still around? In hindsight, she wondered now if that was why she’d been so anxious to get it over with in his library that first night—to see if once he’d won the challenge he’d run. If it really was the case and all he’d been in this for was the challenge, then it was better to pull the rug from under her feet sooner rather than later before she was in too deep.
Even though the night had ended the way it had with him dismissing her so unceremoniously, okay rudely, he’d apologized almost immediately, and she’d heard the sincerity in his voice when he was able to do so in person. Now that she knew the whole story behind those painful photos she couldn’t possibly hold his reaction against him.
She waited for Felix where she was holding their spot to watch the main street electrical parade that was about to begin in a few minutes. Since there were still a few minutes until it started, he’d gone off to get them some water. The bothersome thoughts she didn’t want to have about his pretty publicist were still on her mind when the announcement came over the speaker. The parade was about to begin and the lights went off. Ella looked around anxiously for Felix as the announcer began speaking in an electronic voice about the magical parade about to start when Felix was suddenly behind her.
He pulled three different colored glow necklaces around her neck and handed her a bottle of water. Then he sat behind her, bringing his legs on either side of her, and pulled her closer up against him. Ella was still busy admiring her pretty necklaces like the ones so many kids around her wore. As silly as it was, she couldn’t help feeling excited. They were so bright.
“Thank you.” She turned to kiss him, touching him gently on his fake goatee. She’d already told him it made him look sexy as hell.
Then the music started. It was loud, and it throbbed through all the speakers around them, making her heart beat a little faster with excitement. Then the lit floats came one after another, each one more beautiful than the last. She’d seen this on television and on YouTube on more than one occasion, but being here, witnessing it in person, hearing it this loud, and feeling the vibration of the music was exhilarating. For a moment, she thought she almost felt choked up.
“That’s it,” Felix whispered in her ear then kissed her cheek. “I’m getting you season passes.”
She nodded, smiling big, but couldn’t pull her eyes away from the beautiful twinkling floats. The day couldn’t have ended better, but then it did. The fireworks show started immediately after the parade, and it was spectacular. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day with her amazing new boyfriend. Ella felt like the luckiest girl on the planet.
When it was all over, Felix said they should stay put and wait for the crowds to disperse a little instead of trying to herd along with them to the exit. So they did. They moved off to the side of the passing crowds, and he leaned against a planter, pulling her up against him.
He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. “You have fun today?”
She nodded, smiling big. “It was one of the best days of my life.”
“Really?” he asked, looking a bit surprised.
“Yes! Everything was as amazing as I imagined it would be.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her face against his big hard chest. “Even waiting in the long lines was so much fun because I got to spend all that time just talking to you.”
He rubbed her back and she felt him chuckle. “That’s exactly what I thought. When we first got here today, I thought I was gonna hate the waiting, but it was the best part because of you.”
She looked up at him and smiled, feeling all kinds of craziness inside her. Now she was the one a little surprised. “Really?”
“Really,” he said then kissed her so softly she closed her eyes and sighed. He held his lips against hers for moment without moving, almost as if he were holding his breath. “I love you,” he whispered. She opened her eyes wide and looked into his. “I hope that doesn’t freak you out, but I do. I’m fucking crazy about you.”
“Really?” she asked, her voice squeaking as she felt the warm tears fill her eyes.
He nodded, kissing her again quickly, and then hugged her tightly. “Yes, Ella,” he said against the side of her head. “I really, really love you.”
“I love you too,” she managed to say without her voice breaking.
He pulled away and looked at her, the surprise in his face overwhelming. “You don’t have to say that just because—”
“Oh my God, I’d never,” she said before he could even finish saying it. “What’s there not to love, Felix? You’re amazing. You have such a huge heart. You love me.” She felt her lip quiver. “And you make me feel like a princess. Of course I really love you.”
He kissed the tear that escaped her eye and pulled her up against his chest. “Jesus Christ, Ella,” he said, inhaling deeply, “can you feel my heart?” She nodded, knowing hers was pounding just as hard. “That’s what you do to me, baby.”
“My heart’s doing the exact same thing,” she said against his chest.
Ella didn’t want that moment to ever end, and it was as if he didn’t either because they stayed that way, neither one making an effort to pull apart, for a long time. Finally, after the crowds had thinned down to just a few stragglers walking down Main Street, they decided to start walking.
Felix held her balloon bouquet while Ella leaned into his other arm as he wrapped it around her and they headed to the exit. She’d always imagined that visiting Disneyland would be a magical experience, but never in a million years did she think it would be for this reason.
~~~
“We should’ve gotten you a Sleepy T-shirt,” Felix said, walking in the room and carrying a bowl and a big bottle of water.
Ella sat up on his bed, holding the sheet over herself and feeling a little embarrassed that she’d knocked out again. “How long was I out for?”
“Not very long.” He smiled, handing her the bowl, and she saw now that it was a bowl of cherries. “About an hour. I ordered Chinese, but I thought you might want a snack in the meantime.”
“You remembered,” she said, reaching for a cherry.
She bit it, smiling, as he scooted in bed next to her. He nuzzled against her cheek then kissed it. “Will this hold you over until the food gets here?”
“Yes, I’m not starving or anything, so this is fine.” She hated to ask, but she knew it was inevitable. “How long will you be gone?”
He sighed, obviously not thrilled about this subject either. “Since I’ve been training already, it shouldn’t be as long as it normally is to jumpstart the hard-core stuff. Noah said about a week maybe week and a half.”
She pouted, and he immediately kissed her, making her smile. “Well, at least I’ll be gone those three days on the cruise this week, so it should make the week go by faster.”
“Cold Duck, huh?” He reached for a cherry and bit off the stem. “Jack was into them.”
“Jack?”
He started to explain about the late 5th Street founder, and Ella instantly felt bad. She knew this. She’d read about it and seen all the photos at the gym, including the huge memorial plaque near the entrance.
“Yes, yes,” she said. “Jack. He was like a father figure to all of you guys. The one who left you all in charge of the gym.”
“That would be him.”
They munched on the cherries for a while as Felix told her more about Jack and how Felix owed all his success to the man who took him under his wing and taught him everything he knew about boxing. “To this day, Noah and Gio train everyone using Jack’s tried and true methods of training.”
She hadn’t even noticed that he’d stopped talking and was staring at her now. “What?” she asked, snapping out of it and feeling her face warm that she’d zoned out like that.
“What are you thinking?”
As embarrassing as it was to admit, she had no choice but to just be honest. She glanced away.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
It was only then that Ella realized she was shaking her head. She turned back to see the concern on his face, the same expression he wore too often when addressing her. She reached for his face and caressed it. “How could you possibly think something is wrong?”
He continued to search in her eyes. “You seemed . . . I don’t know.”
She leaned in and kissed him. “I was just thinking about how unbelievable this still feels to me and that I must be the luckiest girl in the world. If it’s true that you’re in love with me—”
“Of course it’s true—”
Ella kissed him before he could continue. She didn’t want to upset him. “Then I truly am the luckiest girl in the world.”
“You feel lucky?” he asked, his eyes widening, and seeing the concern in them replaced with a sudden joy made her smile. “When I woke up this morning with you in my arms, I didn’t wanna move. I was afraid I might really still be asleep and I’d wake up and you’d be gone.”
Ella picked up the bowl and put it on the nightstand. “You know what else I was thinking?”
He eyed her as his smile grew slowly. “What?”
“That the more we make love the less sore I feel afterward, and I can hardly wait until we do again.”
Felix groaned, pulling her into his arms and falling back onto the bed. His big arms and hands were immediately all over her naked body. Ella loved the feel of his hard body against hers. She giggled as he sucked her neck then pulled back suddenly and looked at her. “Are you still a little sore now?”
“Just a little.”
No way was she admitting she was more than just a little sore and have him pull back now. She already knew the discomfort would only be momentary but the utter ecstasy that followed immediately after was absolutely worth it.
“Then I know what might fix that.”
To her dismay, he pulled away and got off the bed. Before she could ask where he was going, his hands were on her legs and his smoldering eyes stared into hers as he slid her to the edge of the bed. Ella’s body trembled in reaction because she suddenly knew where this was going.
In the next second, he dropped to his knees and spread her. He kissed the insides of her thighs softly, torturing her as he moved his way up. She gasped then moaned, arching her back as his tongue licked and his mouth sucked her.
Last night was the first time she’d ever been pleasured this way, and she’d cried out then as she’d never cried out during sex. Already her eyes watered and her body squirmed from the extreme sensation of it.
As her climax began to build and she began to moan unabashed, all she could think was how could this beautiful sculpture of a man who was about to make her cry out again not believe that she was the luckiest girl alive!