As good as Abel was with his poker face, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull off being around her and another dude without Noah picking up on his irritation. And feeling irritated was an understatement if there’d ever been one. Just the thought of seeing her walk in with another dude tensed his insides even more. He’d hardly eaten because of it.

“Hey!” Roni stood from the dining room table as Nellie walked in the front door—alone. She was carrying a covered tray. “Oh my God, did you make deviled eggs?”

“Yes,” Nellie smiled. “That’s why I’m late. I got a craving at the last minute and decided to whip up a batch.” Roni took the tray from her, smiling, and Nellie turned to the front room now where he sat. “Hi guys!” She waved, smiling beautifully.

Abel had to wonder why he’d never seen the beauty until recently. He’d noticed the change in her well enough. She’d gone from Roni’s docile quiet friend, who’d been practically invisible to him for the most part, to suddenly this head-turning vixen. He got that part. It wasn’t unheard of for a scorned woman to want to reinvent herself in a way that made her feel more attractive, better about herself —reborn. It happened often actually. But the beauty he’d never picked up on before was what got him. He’d been attracted to her long enough. It was hell trying to fight the sexual tension between them for as long as they had, but now he was seeing past that, and every time he saw her, he had to fight the urge to overdo telling her how damn beautiful she was.

He didn’t even realize he was already smiling when he acknowledged her, taking her in from top to bottom. She wore a simple enough short little black and white patterned cotton summer dress with wedge sandals similar to the ones she’d worn on her breakfast date with Logan. It was a dress he’d probably seen her in before, but somehow now it was cause for sitting up straighter and gulping. He was already having visions of pulling the spaghetti straps down along with the top of the delicate fabric of her dress and taking her beautiful br**sts in his mouth. But more than anything, he wondered if he’d make it through this night without cornering her somewhere and kissing her, because it was what he really wanted to do so badly now.

“I’ll have to get with you guys in a little bit,” she said as Abel continued to take her in, “so you can fill me in on last night’s meeting.”

Noah began to nod, but before any of them could say anything, Roni tugged at Nellie’s arm. “C’mere, you work horse. Forget about that. I wanna hear about last night.”

“Yes,” Bianca agreed from where she sat. “I haven’t heard anything yet. Sit down. I want details.”

Nellie laughed as Abel gnashed his teeth then took a bitter swig of his beer. Of course, the second he took his eyes off her and turned to Noah, his friend was already watching him. Neither said anything, and Abel was glad because the way he felt at that moment he’d have no patience for any of Noah’s irritating observations.

The fight started and Abel tried his damnedest to watch without trying to overhear the conversation going on in the dining room. He overheard bits and pieces. Nellie gushed about the concert being fantastic then about hanging in the VIP lounge with the band members. Somehow, Logan managed to get tickets to a sold-out concert and get her into the VIP lounge. Abel wondered about that. Now that he was technically a VIP himself, he’d been experiencing some of that part of this new lifestyle. Typically, you had to be someone big or know someone who could pull some strings to get in, especially if you’d be hanging with band members after their concert.

It could’ve been his imagination, but it seemed the girls’ voices hushed all of a sudden. They were still talking and giggling, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying anymore. Maybe it was for the best. It really wasn’t any of his business, and hearing the details might be more harmful to his already heightened mental state. Sitting up at the edge of his seat, he decided to give the fight his full attention.

Fuck Nellie’s date. The only thing he’d focus on from here on out when it came to Nellie would be when he’d have her under him again. It was all he should care about anyway. Right now he could only hope it would be sometime later tonight. For now, he’d ignore the urgency with which he’d begun to need to be near her—kiss her. It was a sexual urgency. That’s all it was.

~*~

“I still can’t believe Logan just up and left you with another guy. But, okay, you know me,” Bianca said, leaning in and lowering her voice. “I’m a sucker for colored eyes and my babe’s eyes are probably as good as they get, but I still want details. You said Sam’s eyes are super light?”

“Oh my God, yes,” Nellie said, thankful that Bianca had lowered her voice.

She knew she had no reason to try to keep this on the down low, but things between her and Sam could be different than with Logan. She’d always said from the moment she started this thing with Abel that if she ever considered sleeping with someone else she’d end things with Abel. Sam was definitely a consideration. “It was so hard to concentrate on what he was saying, because his eyes are so crystal light blue I kept getting caught up in them.”

“Oh!” Bianca clutched her chest. “I know just the feeling. I felt completely drawn to Gio even way back in high school. It’s something about those colored eyes.”

The only eyes that Nellie had ever felt completely drawn to were Abel’s. She said that Sam’s had distracted her, but she’d leave that clarification to herself. Roni looked too pleased at the moment.