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The tension literally draining from his body as Abel’s heart still pounded wildly was yet another wake-up call This was so ht 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 hiainst 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 ht’ve said to her if she’d confir those noises

He squeezed his hand into a tight fist just as Gio walked into the locker roo his phone back in the locker This was a little too alarrip or end this arrangeot the best of hiht 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

Chapter 5

The redeye flight they’d been booked on was now understandable Even just after ht, Abel and Nellie turned heads in the airport Nellie could only iht Abel was all about avoiding theso

"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 sobut 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’olden"

"What? How about the hurtful things or blatant lies?" She stared at hi to hide her distaste for Andy already

Bianca had uy 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 wo fro and neorthy than what he was actually doing--trying to settle doith one girl for once She told Nellie that on a few occasions Andy was actually adding fuel the fire in hopes of va up the stories of Felix with other wos

Abel sht hurt ive a shit what they write about me I just don’t like the cameras intoout 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 i a household naave the media freedom to ask pretty much whatever they asked but that Abel always insisted onsure they knehat topics were off limits beforehand

"I emailed you the list" He’d told her with a chuckle "But between you and et to pass it out to the reporters in tiet"

Frouy, 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 ot it and it didn’t bother her He’d actually apologized in advance that her lifewith him because the paparazzi were relentless So she was certain that keeping any signs of affection that would get tongues wagging hy he’d refrained But they were technically still in public

Glancing casually around her surroundings, she could see that first class was half e across the aisle was an older ht 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 ti-tiot tickets to sporting events everywhere, and ent to a few Giants ho 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 o 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 ot out, the network he worked for got sothat 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