Read Online Abel by Elizabeth Reyes - Free Book Online Page A

chuckle. “But between you and me, I sometimes forget to pass it out to the reporters in time. So it’s up to you if you wanna make copies or forget .”
    From that moment on , she’d decided she didn’t like the guy, 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 much as pecked her nor held her hand. She got it and it didn’t bother her. He’d actually apologized in advance that her life might get a little annoying after being seen traveling with him because the paparazzi were relentless. So she was certain that keeping any signs of affection that would get tongues wagging was why he’d refrained. But they were technically still in public.
    Glancing casually around her surroundings , she could see that first class was half empty and that the only person sitting across the aisle was an older man who was already asleep. But the flight 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 times actually. My ex is kind of a big-time sportscaster. Well he was,” she said. “He got tickets to sporting events everywhere, and we went to a few Giants home games whenever they played the Angels.” She smiled, trying 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 many details of her divorce Abel knew about. If she had to go 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 married pretty much ruined his career. When the word got out, the network he worked for got so much hate mail demanding that 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.
    The only reason Nellie had even brought up Rick was because of Abel ’s question. She had every intention of sparing Abel the details. She certainly wouldn’t be telling him about how her loathsome ex had had the gall to call her recently and ask if there was any way she could get him an exclusive with Abel. He was now working for a small cable sports show, but an exclusive with Abel just before what was being billed as one of the most anticipated fights of the decade would do wonders to get his career back on track—a career he insinuated might still be intact if she hadn’t given that interview right after they separated, letting the world know just what a bastard he really was.
    Of course , that call had ended with her hanging up as he started trying to despicably lay the guilt on her, as if somehow he’d been the victim.
    “ Thinking about him still upsets you.”
    Abel squeezed her hand. His comment was more of an observation than a question. Nellie hadn ’t even realized her expression must’ve gone taut, but Abel was staring at her with a knowing look, brow raised. “I’d say still disgusts me is a better way to phrase it.”
    That seemed to ease his expression , and then he smirked. “That bad, huh?”
    Nellie shrugged and glanced out the window. “I try not to think about him at all, but every now and again, I remember.”
    “ Sorry I trudged up hurtful memories.”
    She turned