Abel continued to stare at her, hoping she’d shed a little light on what those plans were exactly. When she didn’t, he pulled away from her slowly. “I don’t know,” he said, trying to keep his tone as normal as possible. “Probably, but it’d be best if you were in on everything from here on out since it’s getting down to the wire.” He reached for his drink, not wanting to have eye contact with her when he asked his next question. “Any chance you can get out of your plans?”

He turned to her when she didn’t answer immediately. She was frowning then inhaled thinking about it. “I don’t think so. It’s a concert, and the tickets have already been paid for.” He swallowed down a bigger drink than he had originally planned. Maybe she was going with a girlfriend. “Oh, yeah? Who you gonna go see?”

She smiled suddenly.” Slightly Stoopid at the House of Blues.”

Feeling the slightest bit of relief and not really understanding why, he remembered Noah recently mentioning that Roni wanted to go see them too, but . . . “I thought Noah said they were sold out.”

“They were,” she said, taking a sip of her water this time. “At least when Roni and I tried getting tickets they were. Somehow, a co-worker of mine was able to get tickets.”

Just moments ago, Abel thought he might need another drink maybe two. Now he was overcome with the urge to kiss her again. “That’s cool,” he said, leaning into her again. “I know Roni really likes them.” With that, his mouth was on hers, and his fingers once again were making their way up her thigh under her skirt. He murmured against her lips, “Ever had sex in public, Nellie?” The thought of taking her right there was already driving him to the brink of madness.

“No!” She gasped, pulling away slightly.

“Shhh! It’s okay,” he whispered, laughing softly. His hand moved further up in between her legs. Technically, they’d been in a public place on the cruise, but they were behind a closed door. Even though this was a private booth, he understood her apprehension, so he wouldn’t push her. “We don’t have to do that. You said this was exciting on the cruise.”

“It was,” she said breathlessly. “But—”

“We won’t go there. Trust me,” he whispered quickly then pulled away to look her in the eyes. “You trust me?”

She nodded, licking her lips, and he dove in again. He kissed her hungrily, feeling her moan in his mouth as he gently pushed her thighs apart.

Not only did she allow it but she adjusted in her seat for him so his hand could travel as far up as he wanted it to. And he wanted it all the way up. His fingers reached the damp warm paradise that they sought out. “Nice,” he said against her lips then bit her bottom one as his finger pushed her panties aside.

Feeling her gasp again, he kissed her softly. “Relax.” He easily slid a finger in her then two more before she could protest. The moment his thumb rubbed that perfect spot, she let her head drop back as her legs spread slowly for him. “That a girl,” he whispered as he dove into the open invitation to take her neck and suck as he f**ked her with his fingers.

She was beginning to pant and tremble all over as he worked her steadily with his thumb. He brought his mouth back over hers to muffle her moans. Sliding his fingers in and out of her faster now as he felt her getting close to that magic moment, he continued to kiss her deeply mimicking with his tongue what his throbbing erection wanted so f**king badly to be doing to her body.

As her body began that now-familiar trembling, which he thought about too often even when she wasn’t around, he slowed his kisses. He wanted to live the moment with her through her mouth. Hearing her struggle to keep her moaning to a minimum, Abel felt something he hadn’t felt in years—the panic of feeling that he might mess his pants right there.

Over the years, he’d mastered what he and the guys referred to as not shooting off their load prematurely. This was way premature. He hadn’t even taken off his clothes yet! What? Was he back in middle school?

Luckily, she pulled her mouth away from his to breathe; her chest heaved up and down as she let her head fall back and rest on the back of the booth. Abel had to literally pry his fingers away from between her legs before he embarrassed the hell out of himself. He squeezed his legs closed. Hearing her continue to breathe heavily as she came down from her climax wasn’t helping matters either.

He, too, let his head rest on the back of the booth. The next words out of his mouth flew out without thought. “Your ex-husband ever do that to you?”

The second he heard his own words, he regretted them, not because he didn’t want to know but because it was an unspoken rule between them. Though they’d never said it, it was implied loud and clear: no getting into personal stuff, including what they did when they weren’t around each other now and in the past. The subject of her failed marriage was one that Noah had made clear was a sore one.

He glanced at her before she could respond. “I’m sorry. Don’t answer that. That’s none of my business.”

Nellie cleared her throat then took a sip of her wine. She turned to him, taking a deep breath as if she were still trying to catch up with her normal breathing. That made him smile despite having asked his stupid question.

“You’re right that it’s none of your business, but it’s not a big deal, so I’ll answer anyway. No, he didn’t. In fact, we never did most of the things you and I have done.”