Abel

Chapter 5 - Part 2

They each checked into their respective rooms at the hotel, but Abel had no intention of sleeping alone that night, not for their entire stay for that matter. They would be there for three nights, so it'd be the first time they'd be spending this many days and nights of letting loose together. And if Abel got his way, it wouldn't be their last.

The young male attendant behind the counter had recognized Abel immediately, and he was a talker. The last thing Abel wanted was for this guy to go spreading the word about him and Nellie checking into one room only as he would've liked. The press would begin hounding her in no time. So they went through the motions of checking in separately for appearance's sake.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Abel pulled Nellie to him and kissed her. "Stay in my room tonight," he whispered against her lips. "Only reason I had them book two rooms was because of the damn paparazzi; otherwise, I would've just gotten one."

He waited to see if she'd protest in any way about his presumptuous admission. "You sure no one will catch wind of it?" she asked, staring at his lips.

Abel couldn't help smiling. "I honestly don't give a shit for my sake. I just want to avoid your life being turned into a circus." Feeling his smile wane a bit, he added, "For as long as I can anyway."

Lifting her gaze from his lips to his eyes, she stared at him momentarily without saying a word. He wanted her to get that this thing they had wasn't going away anytime soon. And while he kept reminding himself that he'd already tasted firsthand his reaction to knowing she might still be living it up with other guys, getting her to change her mind about that eventually might be easier than pulling back now. Because with every moment he spent with her now, the likelihood of that happening was beginning to feel impossible.

The anxiety mounted as he waited for a response to his last comment. Would she remind him again of the unspoken rules? Point out that he was starting to sound as if he might be breaking them? Already he'd asked her about her ex more than once. He'd even taken it a step further by asking if she was seriously thinking of never remarrying. She, of course, reaffirmed her desire to make up for what she'd missed out on when she'd been tied down to one guy the first time. What had been the most galling was that serious relationships were not on her to-do list.

"Don't worry about me." She smiled, easing his anxiety a bit. "I've had my share of the press, and I think I can handle them." The elevator came to a stop, and she began pulling away from his embrace. "But I know how private you are and how much you'd prefer to stay out of the headlines, so I think it's best if we're careful."

She started out the elevator doors as soon as they opened, leaving him wondering one thing. "But you're still staying in my room, right?"

Glancing back at him as she pulled her luggage along behind her, she winked. "Try and keep me out."

The huge and very relieved smile was instantly plastered on Abel's face. Then it hit him. "You had your share of the press?" He asked as he took her in from behind. He'd told her to dress comfortably since it was a redeye, and she hadn't disappointed, wearing a very short pair of denim shorts. He somehow got the feeling she hadn't worn them when she was married to her idiot ex-husband.

She turned to him just as they got to the door of one of their rooms. "It's more about my ex, and I'm done talking about him for today. Maybe another time I'll tell you about it."

"Good enough," Abel said, slipping his key in the door.

He was done talking about her ex too. There were obviously not so much as kindling embers left on that torch. The moron had snuffed that out for good. That's all that mattered to Abel anyway. He had better things he wanted to do with his tongue now than stand there and talk about that asshole. He opened the door and held it open for her, already excited about the night ahead of him.