Abel took a deep breath.
Fucking sensationalism
. He’d always known, even way before he thought he’d have a chance at the title, that he’d hate this part of the process. He’d seen it play out firsthand with his friends, Felix and Gio. “No one’s getting in my head,” he said with conviction and he meant it.
“
Atta boy,” Andy said the relief coming through loud and clear. “I’ll keep you updated on what you need to know, but in the meantime, you concentrate on training and fuck all this other shit. Avoid making any statements or answering any questions without checking with me first.”
“
You got it.”
Still wearing his earpiece
, Abel got out of the car. He had no intention whatsoever of following up on this bullshit story. His conversation with Andy though frustrating had served at least one purpose. It had gotten his mind off his thoughts of Nellie and her breakfast date. That is until Andy mentioned one more thing.
“
Listen, I’m not gonna make that 5k run you’re doing in San Francisco this week after all. The folks over at the Today Show found out I’ll be in New York on Monday and wanted to set up something while I’m out there to see about getting you and Felix on the show together.” Abel could already hear the excitement in Andy’s voice. He lived for this shit. “I almost said no, but then I got a call from the Letterman show too. I can kill two birds with one stone, and this is huge compared to the run in Frisco. So I’ll have to stay in New York a few days longer than I planned. You should be okay. Still, I don’t want you out there alone. You’ll have security, of course, but I’ve got some calls out to a few people who might be able to meet you out there. This way you don’t have to worry about coordinating any of the last-minute requests for interviews or signings.”
Abel slowed just before entering the gym.
“Coordinating?” He couldn’t help smiling. “I think I may know someone who’d be perfect for the job.”
“
You do?”
“
Yeah, and I’d feel better because I know this person. I wouldn’t be out there with someone I’ve never met.”
“
Cool, give me a number and name and I’ll get on it.”
“
Nah,” Abel opened the door to gym and started in. “I got this. I’ll call you when I know for sure and give you whatever details you need.”
**
*
After Abel had worked t
wo hours on his speed, rhythm, and timing on the speed bag, Gio forced him to take a break. “Take fifteen, and then I’ll meet you in the ring for some sparring.” Gio said, already pulling out his phone.
Abel headed for his locker with one thing in on his mind. Nellie
’s breakfast date should be over by now. If it wasn’t, he was interrupting it. This Logan guy had had her long enough. “Time’s up,” he muttered as he pulled his own phone out of his locker.
When he asked for her number on the cruise
, he played it down, saying he just wanted to be able to give her a heads up before dropping by her place if he ever did. He even threw in a mention of “in case you’re not alone” as if that would be a non-issue. At the time, it was the truth. He hadn’t wanted her to get the idea that he was anticipating this turning into anything more than what it was—a convenient and uncomplicated arrangement between two consenting adults. Even after feeling what he had that morning, he still wasn’t sure.
He was
, however, beginning to understand why Noah had so easily overlooked the age difference with Roni. From the very first time he’d been with Nellie on the cruise—in that vending machine room where he’d taken her against the door—she’d felt just as young as any girl he’d ever been with. And ironically, even though she’d been the only divorcee he’d ever been with, judging by her reaction to some of the things he’d done to her so far, she was far less experienced than most. Sure she was more mature and classier than just about any girl he’d been with, but that was a positive, not a negative.
There was also something about the way she clung to him when he held her.
It made her feel so vulnerable; although, her personality and demeanor were just the opposite. Most notably, Abel was surprised that it didn’t scare him. He didn’t quite understand it, but there was something about it he actually liked. After hearing her reiterate how
great
she was with their arrangement then feeling what he’d felt this morning while she was on the phone, it was almost comforting to know that maybe she was feeling more than she was admitting.
One thing he was sure of was the phone call he was about to make. This was business
, and as much as having Nellie to himself for a few days was the biggest motivator here, he also had another reason. This morning was a wakeup call. Noah might’ve actually been right to worry. If he’d felt what he had from the mere possibility that she was having breakfast with another man, he couldn’t imagine how he’d react if he knew she was sleeping with someone else. Shaking his head in frustration, he had to admit that this could pull the plug on what he hoped would last much longer. The last thing he needed was for what Noah was afraid of to happen. He’d snap and everything would change.
This was
almost as motivating as being with Nellie for a few days. Almost. He wanted to establish their working relationship. So if he did have to pull the plug on their extracurricular activities, this part of their relationship was set and would remain as it was, regardless.
She answered on the first ring.
Abel got right to what he really wanted to know. “Hey, you busy?”
“
Uh . . . no, not really. Give me a sec,” she said to someone then . . . was that a giggle? And most notably why did it have him clenching his teeth and instantly heating his insides. “I was just hanging out. What’s going on?”
Hanging out?
Abel took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, hating to admit now that Noah was
absolutely
right. “Not sure how busy you are this week but I’m in need of some coordinating for an event I’ll be doing in San Francisco.”
“
Oh?”
“
Yeah, it’s a charity run I’m doing. It’s just a 5k, but Andy was supposed to be there with me to make sure everything goes smoothly with the reporters and all that. It’s gotten so crazy lately. He’ll be stuck in New York for a few days, so he was trying to come up with someone who might take his place, and I figured since you’re good at that stuff maybe you could come with me.”
She was quiet for a moment then infuriatingly
burst into laughter. “I know, honey, just give me a sec.”
Honey?
“Who are you with?” he asked his tone far more demanding than he’d intended, and the worst part was that, at that moment, he didn’t even care.
Next came what sounded like her kissing someone and Abel
’s frozen insides were completely on
fire
now. “I met with Roni and Little Jack after breakfast at the mall. We’re doing some shopping, and Roni’s in the dressing room right now. Jack is a handful, let me tell you.” She laughed. “But he’s also hilarious and adorable.” There were more kissing sounds, and then he heard Jack laughing. “And he’s just so lovable I wanna squeeze him to death.” There were a few more exaggerated kissing sounds until Jack squealed and Nellie laughed again. “I’m sorry, Abel. I was just keeping him busy until Roni was out, but she’s done now. So San Francisco, huh? Which days?”
T
he tension literally draining from his body as Abel’s heart still pounded wildly was yet another wake-up call. This was so much worse than he’d thought. He explained about San Francisco and his itinerary, and to his relief, she said it sounded doable but that she’d have to double check and get back to him.
Once off the phone
, Abel leaned against the lockers with his hand over his chest. His overworked heart was still beating hard. Closing his eyes, he thought about how he’d nearly slipped off the tightrope
again
. He didn’t even want to think about how he might’ve reacted or what he might’ve said to her if she’d confirmed it was Logan she was still with while giggling and making those noises.
He squeezed his hand
into a tight fist just as Gio walked into the locker room. “You ready?”
Abel nodded
, placing his phone back in the locker. This was a little too alarming. He was either going to have to get a grip or end this
arrangement
before stuff like today got the best of him and he snapped with no right to whatsoever. The question now begged to be asked. Was it too late to pull back? As much as he hated to admit it, he had no choice now. The answer to the other alternative was getting pretty obvious. Would he be able to get a grip if he heard about or saw Nellie with someone else? Not a chance in hell.
C
hapter 5
The redeye flight they
’d been booked on was now understandable. Even just after midnight, Abel and Nellie turned heads in the airport. Nellie could only imagine now if they’d taken a day flight. Abel was all about avoiding the media, and so far they’d succeeded in doing so.
“
You know,” Abel began as they took their seats in first class, “if I’d had more time, I would’ve driven in a heartbeat.”
Nellie smiled
. “The drive up the coast
is
beautiful.”
“
Yeah, it is,” he said, slipping his hand into hers. “But I hate flying in general, not so much flying but airports. If it were up to Andy, he’d have me fly everywhere and at the busiest times of the day.”
“
Why?” she asked curiously.
“
He loves the paparazzi. The more they splatter my face and name all over the headlines, the better. He insists I shouldn’t care what they say but that as long as I’m in the headlines I’m golden.”
“
What? How about the hurtful things or blatant lies?” She stared at him, trying to hide her distaste for Andy already.
Bianca had mentioned how much she disliked
the guy more than once. Back when Bianca had dated Felix, she felt that Andy was actually trying to sabotage their relationship. He’d insisted that Felix’s reputation of a bad-ass womanizer jumping from one famous female’s bed to another was far more exciting and newsworthy than what he was actually doing—trying to settle down with one girl for once. She told Nellie that on a few occasions Andy was actually adding fuel the fire in hopes of vamping up the stories of Felix with other women with absolutely no regard to Bianca’s feelings.
Abel smirked.
“As long as it’s not defamation or anything that might hurt my career, he says it’s good. I personally don’t give a shit what they write about me. I just don’t like the cameras in my face and the scenes they tend to make when I’m trying to mind my own business and they’re running alongside me, yelling out my name.
That
pisses me off.”
Nellie frowned. She
’d had a short conversation with Andy already only to go over her duties in San Francisco. He did mention that while Abel was very private Abel didn’t understand the importance of staying relevant and becoming a household name. Andy also said that he usually gave the media freedom to ask pretty much whatever they asked but that Abel always insisted on making sure they knew what topics were off limits beforehand.
“
I emailed you the list.” He’d told her with a chuckle. “But between you and me, I sometimes forget to pass it out to the reporters in time. So it’s up to you if you wanna make copies or
forget
.”
From that moment on
, she’d decided she didn’t like the guy, but now that she was beginning to understand just how private Abel really was, it really irked her that his own publicist would ignore his very specific requests.
Abel
’s squeezing of her hand and then his leaning over and caressing her face before kissing her softly, surprised Nellie. They’d done plenty of kissing in the car that picked them up and drove them to the airport, but the whole time in the airport he hadn’t so much as pecked her nor held her hand. She got it and it didn’t bother her. He’d actually apologized in advance that her life might get a little annoying after being seen traveling with him because the paparazzi were relentless. So she was certain that keeping any signs of affection that would get tongues wagging was why he’d refrained. But they were technically still in public.
Glancing casually around her surroundings
, she could see that first class was half empty and that the only person sitting across the aisle was an older man who was already asleep. But the flight attendant had been just up the aisle when he did this. “Ever been to Oakland?” he asked her curiously, and she was glad they were off the topic of his annoying publicist.
“
Yes, I have a few times actually. My ex is kind of a big-time sportscaster. Well he was,” she said. “He got tickets to sporting events everywhere, and we went to a few Giants home games whenever they played the Angels.” She smiled, trying to ease the sudden hardened look on Abel’s face now. “That’s how I know the drive is so beautiful.”
Nellie had no idea how
many details of her divorce Abel knew about. If she had to go by his stern expression, he at least knew it’d been bad. It was so bad that the scandal of her ex not only leaving Nellie but getting her own sister pregnant while they were still married pretty much ruined his career. When the word got out, the network he worked for got so much hate mail demanding that such an offensive man be taken off the air or that people would boycott the shows he broadcasted that it sent the network into a tailspin. It wasn’t nearly as big a scandal as say Tiger Woods, because Rick was just a broadcaster, but the show he did was syndicated, so it wasn’t just local. He was quickly given paid leave, and his contract that was supposed to have been renewed later that year, wasn’t.
The only reason Nellie had even brought up Rick was because of Abel
’s question. She had every intention of sparing Abel the details. She certainly wouldn’t be telling him about how her loathsome ex had had the gall to call her recently and ask if there was any way she could get him an exclusive with Abel. He was now working for a small cable sports show, but an exclusive with Abel just before what was being billed as one of the most anticipated fights of the decade would do wonders to get his career back on track—a career he insinuated might still be intact if she hadn’t given that interview right after they separated, letting the world know just what a bastard he really was.
Of course
, that call had ended with her hanging up as he started trying to despicably lay the guilt on her, as if somehow he’d been the victim.
“
Thinking about him still upsets you.”
Abel squeezed her hand. His comment was more of an observation than a question. Nellie hadn
’t even realized her expression must’ve gone taut, but Abel was staring at her with a knowing look, brow raised. “I’d say still disgusts me is a better way to phrase it.”
That seemed to ease his expression
, and then he smirked. “That bad, huh?”
Nellie shrugged and glanced out the window.
“I try not to think about him at all, but every now and again, I remember.”
“
Sorry I trudged up hurtful memories.”
She turned back to him.
“Not hurtful,” she smiled weakly. “I haven’t hurt in a long time. In fact, I don’t remember ever crying for
him
really. It was . . .” She shook her head, remembering that she was supposed to spare him the details. “Never mind, you don’t wanna hear about all that.”
This conversation was veering into
the off limits. It was personal—
way
too personal—Abel certainly didn’t need to hear all this.
Just as their flight took off
, Abel leaned into her. “If you’d rather not talk about it, that’s cool, but I don’t mind hearing about it. We do have over an hour to kill, and I don’t know about you,” he glanced around, “but I’m too wired to sleep like everyone else on this flight seems to be doing.”
Hesitating for a moment
, she finally smiled. She supposed she could give him the short version. Since he likely read the sports section, he may’ve heard about it anyway. “I don’t know if Noah told you, but my ex got my sister pregnant while we were still married.” By the widening of his eyes, she could tell that this
did
surprise him. She nodded. “They’d been having an affair off and on for years, and supposedly they were going to get married as soon as our divorce was over.
That’s
what hurt most. That
she
would do that to me. The fact that Rick cheated wasn’t a surprise at all. I’d suspected for some time but was in denial. I’d gotten so comfortable in my established little cocoon of a life I was afraid of what the truth would do to it. But deep inside, I knew I was never enough for him—”
“
Did he tell you that you weren’t?” Abel’s brows pinched now as he searched her eyes.
“
No,” she admitted. “But from the very beginning, I got the distinct feeling that I wasn’t the only one.” She lifted and dropped a shoulder. “Woman’s intuition, I guess.”
“
Just because the guy was an asshole who didn’t appreciate what he had doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough for him, Nell.” Nellie’s attention was brought to his moving Adam’s apple as he swallowed hard. “He sounds like a fucking prick. That alone tells me
he
was never good enough for
you
. I’m sorry for what he put you through, but I’m glad he’s in your past. He
does not
deserve to spend his life with a woman like you.”
As Nellie
’s insides began to warm and her heart began to swell from hearing the conviction in Abel’s voice, she had to remind herself of something. The story of what Rick and her sister had done to her had been enough to have so many people up in arms that Rick had lost his job over it. Abel was one of
the most
intense persons she’d ever met. Of course, the story would piss him off as well.
“
Well, thank you,” she said, rubbing her hand over his hand, the one that was squeezing hers a bit tighter now. “Overall, the whole experience made me a much stronger person. That’s for sure.”
“
What about your sister? Have you talked to her since then?”
The flight attendant came around and asked if they wanted anything to drink. Nellie asked for iced tea while Abel asked for water.
“Believe it or not,” Nellie said, shaking her head. “I offered to let Courtney move in with me.” Apparently this surprised Abel more than her husband cheating on her with her sister because he looked stunned. Nellie sighed, nodding. “She’d already sold her condo and was making arrangements to move in with Rick when he left her hanging out to dry. Not only had he changed his mind about the marriage but he also decided that since he was divorced now he wanted to stay single and out of any relationship for a while.” A short scoff escaped her just as the flight attendant came over with their drinks. They took their drinks, and Nellie waited for the flight attendant to walk away before continuing. “His no-relationship crap lasted about a month before he moved with another woman in Seattle. Courtney had been staying with our parents and apparently had high hopes that once the baby was born Rick would change his mind. But he moved in with this woman just a few months after my nephew was born.”
“
So let me get this straight.” Abel said, closing the cap on the water he’d just poured into his cup of ice and sliding his hand back into hers. “You offered to not only let your sister, who got knocked up by your ex and had been having an affair with him for years, move in but also her son—you’re ex’s kid.”
“
I don’t see it that way,” Nellie explained. “Gus is my nephew first—not Rick’s son. I know technically he is, but that’s not Gus’s fault. He didn’t choose to come into this world under these circumstances. To me, he’s just my nephew. He’s an innocent baby and a part of my family now. I love him.” She sighed, knowing what she would say next would possibly make her sound like the most pathetic and stupidest person on the planet, but it was the truth and she thought Abel, having a brother he was so close to, would understand. “And despite everything that’s happened, I still love my sister. Aside from my parents and my brother who’s always stationed in some far-out place, she’s the only family I have in this country, well, besides Gus now. It’s why I offered to let them move in with me.”
Abel lifted a skeptical brow.
“So why didn’t she?”
Nellie glanced away
, unable to look at him when she told him this part. “She moved to Seattle to be near Rick. She said that even if they weren’t together she still wanted Gus to be around his dad.”
She g
lanced back at him, and Abel looked as disgusted as she thought he would. “She took her son away from the only real family he has to be near a man who tore your family apart and then just walked away? A man she knows is now living with another woman already?”
It got even more complicated than that
, and since Abel was already disgusted, he’d be even more so if she went on, so she nodded and left it at that. This time he looked away and cleared his throat. “So are you really never gonna marry again?”
Nellie tilted her head
, looking at him. “Is that what Noah told you?”
“
Something like that. He said basically the same thing you did on the cruise: that you’re not looking to get into anything serious right now and all that. Only Noah said you said possibly
ever
.”
Taking a deep breath
, Nellie sipped her tea. She needed to be careful here. He could be testing her—making sure they were still in agreement since things had gotten a bit heavier than she’d first anticipated they would. When she’d put it out there for him on the cruise, she wasn’t even sure any of this would continue afterward. And even when they did, she thought their booty calls would be maybe once or twice a month if she were lucky.