Page 53 of Forbidden Sins

“I’m going to try not to think about it.” He stroked his fingers over the ivory keys. “At least until this is done.”

Alana gave his shoulder a quick squeeze as the house lights went down, indicating a stage show, and the hum of the crowd outside the curtain quieted. He could somehow feel their eyes and attention through the heavy cloth.

Soon Gabe found himself alone on the stage. He placed his hands on the keyboard of his piano and, focusing only on the white-and-black keys, zoned out the entire room and started.

He didn’t know how long he’d been playing; he’d planned for only a twenty-minute set but by the way the sweat rolled down his neck and his fingers ached, he knew it had probably been much longer. When he stopped, the crowd erupted into cheers. He took a bow, left the stage and made his way to his regular table.

Crossing the floor, he shook hands, gave hugs, but when he saw Ellie, sitting alone in the same booth where they’d first discussed their annulment, he stopped in his tracks.

“Ellie, what are you doing here?”

“Our court date is tomorrow. I want to cancel it.”

“What?”

“Let’s stay married.”

“Ellie, what is this? I don’t have time—”

“Listen to me. I can’t bear not being with you. Yes, we might have done all of this out of order. Getting married first, then getting to know each other. You showed me the comfort and safety of a real relationship. I showed you how to be impulsive. We balanced each other. But that doesn’t change the fact that I fell in love with you somewhere along the way. And you fell in love with me. You can’t tell me that you no longer feel that way about me. I love you.”

“Ellie, I—”

“Tell me you love me, goddammit!” She demanded.

Gabe knew there was no use fighting her. He was madly in love with the stubborn, funny, sexy, beautiful woman in front of him. “I love you. I think I fell in love with you the day I bumped into you at that casino. I fell in love with you when I saw our wedding certificate. I fell in love with you when we kissed in the elevator in your father’s building, when I made love to you on top of that piano. Since the minute I laid eyes on you, I haven’tnotbeen in love with you.” He shook his head and breathed out a frustrated breath. “How did we get here?”

“I don’t know. Do you think we can start over?”

“You want to stay married.”

She nodded. “But I want all of the relationship trappings. I want dates, romance.”

“You got it.”

“I want you.”

“You got me.”

“I’m sorry I ran from you. I’m sorry I let my father’s opinion run my life. I should have confronted him earlier. Told him what I wanted.”

“I can’t let you take the fall for that. I was just as reluctant to talk to him about it. I realized that life isn’t what I wanted anymore.”

“There’s nothing in our way now, is there?”

“No, there isn’t. We were fools for letting anything get in our way before.” He grinned. “Come here.”

When she did, he wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her, knowing that he would never let Ellie—his wife—go again.