Abel (5th Street 4)

Lifting her eyes away from the paperwork, but making sure her sudden interest wasn’t too noticeable, Nellie looked at Emily for a second then back down again. Emily stood up. “I’d sit and chat longer, but I have to get back to work, you slave driver. I’m down to half of that list you gave me of those calls I need to make.”

“Good,” Nellie said without looking up again.

“And Logan called. He said he’s running late, but he’ll be here as planned.”

Thanking her for the info, Nellie went back to examining her itinerary for Vegas. The second Emily closed the door behind her, Nellie was on her computer. She knew she’d just finished telling Emily that those tabloid stories were ridiculous and made up, but she was still curious. Curious . . . that’s all.

Opening her top drawer, she pulled out her inhaler and took a hit. She hated how her asthma was such a dead giveaway that her nerves had been altered. As much as she tried to deny that this was clearly a blow to her heart, the unmistakable wheezing that forced her to pull out her inhaler unwittingly exposed her true emotions.

She typed Abel’s name into the search engine, hit enter, and waited. A second later, a ton of stuff about his upcoming fight came up: stats, more stats, fight hype, and commentary. It was endless. Chewing her lower lip, she considered reading about the hype. Even as close as she’d been working with 5th Street and with Abel being up for such a coveted title, boxing was just something she’d never followed. She didn’t even know much about Abel’s opponent except that they called him Hammerhead something or other and that he’d been the reigning champ for a few years now. Most of this she only knew because she’d heard it from Roni.

A photo of Abel in a suit and tie made her lose her train of thought. Certain that it was because she now saw him so differently than she did say a few months ago, she tried not to inhale too deeply at the photo, but the guy was a dream to look at. Staring at it for a moment, she remembered the very day it was taken. It was last year, the night he announced he was the next contender for the heavyweight title. He smelled as good as he looked, and damn he looked good enough to taste—eat. Okay maybe she was looking at him the same way even back then because she remembered thinking that night when he first walked in the room in that suit the very thing she was thinking now. “Perfection,” the whispered word slipped her lips.

“There’s someone here to see you,” Emily said over the intercom on the desk.

There was something strangely different about her tone and Nellie rolled her eyes. Logan no doubt was standing right in front of her young squirming assistant. Emily obviously had a crush on him. Still staring at the screen, she responded. “Thanks, Emily, send ’im in.”

A moment later, the door to her office opened and Nellie’s eyes went from the image of Abel on her screen to the glorious sight of him right there in her office. Scrambling and nearly gasping, she clicked the Internet window closed.

“Abel,” she said, reaching for her reading glasses and pulling them off.

The expression he wore was an odd one at first, and then he seemed amused. “You look good in glasses. You should wear them more often.” The corner of his lip lifted, turning into that sexy smirk she’d seen on him often—usually in bed. “It’s all kinds of sexy.”

She cleared her voice, standing up, and looked down at the glasses she still held in her hand. It reminded her how she’d avoided using them in San Francisco. Deep inside, a part of her thought maybe it’d be a reminder of their age difference.” I only need them to read.”

Smiling now, he walked slowly toward her but didn’t stop in front of her desk, making her already galloping heartbeat speed up. “I didn’t think you could get any sexier.” He walked around her desk, sliding his finger over the dark mahogany top. “It completes the look perfectly.”

Her insides instantly warmed as he reached her, and she was frozen in place now. His big hand was already on her waist as his eyes went from looking into hers down to her lips. “I missed you,” he whispered then licked his lips.

The thought of the reports of him being in a very serious relationship in correlation to his complete disappearance after just having come back from such an amazing trip crossed her mind. She almost didn’t say it, but couldn’t hold back. “I missed you too.”

With a smoldering smile, he leaned in and kissed her, pushing her gently back so her bottom pressed against her desk. As his hand moved down her thigh and under her skirt, Nellie gasped against his mouth, but couldn’t summon even an ounce of resistance. Instead, she ran her fingers through his hair, biting down on his lip as he lifted her onto the desk with one hand and began unbuttoning her blouse with the other.

As much as she hated to, she had to say something. “The door isn’t locked.”

He pulled away, breathing heavily with a smirk that made her blush even as she sat there on her desk, her legs already spread for him and his hand up her skirt. “You want me to lock it?”

Still trying to catch her breath as her heart thudded loudly against her chest, she knew what she should say. Instead, she unbelievably heard herself breathlessly whisper what she wanted to say. “Yes.” There’d be no more depriving herself of this kind of pleasure ever by playing it safe like the old Nellie would’ve done. She said this was all she was in this for, and she wouldn’t ruin it by letting overwrought emotions get involved now.

Smiling even bigger, Abel groaned, kissing her even deeper. He’d just begun to pull himself away when the intercom went off again. “Nellie,” Emily’s voice came on, “Logan’s here. How long should I tell him you’re going to be?”