Page 32 of Forbidden Sins
CHAPTER TEN
ELLIESTOODNEXTto Gabe as he unlocked his door using a pass code, and when he opened the door, she walked inside ahead of him. She’d been in his home before, the day after their wedding.
“I’ll be right back,” he told her, disappearing around a corner.
She turned her head, and then she saw it.Speaking of knowing nothing about him.She walked to the grand piano, shiny and black, and sat at the bench in front of it. Did Gabe play the piano? She pictured his long, capable fingers, his grace, his beauty—she knew that he must have been a skilled player, and she longed to hear him play.
She lifted the lid and pushed one of the keys. The sound filled the hallway, and echoed off the marble. She hit the next key. Then she played a little song that she remembered from childhood.
When she looked up, she saw Gabe watching her from the hallway. She was surprised to see him, having not heard him approach, but not as surprised as he looked to see her sitting at the piano.
“Do you play?” he asked.
Ellie shook her head. “That’s about the extent of it,” she told him, standing. “But based on this, I’m willing to bet that you do.”
“Some,” he explained, not moving from the hallway.
“You any good?”
Gabe shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“Will you play me something?”
“Later,” he told her. “But now I’m hungry. Want some food?”
Ellie realized that she hadn’t eaten since lunchtime. “Yeah. I’m starving.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen,” he suggested, taking her hand and leading her through the house. “How do you feel about a very, very late breakfast?” he asked, opening the fridge.
“Sounds great.”
They weren’t going to be together forever—sex was just a fun diversion for them. There was no way they would be able to maintain the pace they’d set, keep the fires burning as hotly. But being in his kitchen as he opened the fridge and pulled out a selection of fresh vegetables and a carton of eggs? Well, it felt nice.
“Well, I’m about to make you the best omelet you’ve ever had.”
“Oh really? That sounds like some big talk.”
“Not just talk. You should know by now that I’m amazing at everything I do.”
Ellie laughed. “You’re not wrong. Want any help?”
“No, you take it easy. You’ve worked hard tonight,” he said with a wink. “Want a drink? There’s some wine in the cellar over there.” He gestured over his shoulder to a door off the kitchen.
“Sure, what kind of wine goes best with eggs?”
Chuckling, Gabe cracked one into a bowl. “Surprise me.”
Ellie went into the wine cellar, and picked a bottle of red that looked appealing. She poured them both a glass and handed one to Gabe. The small act of domesticity made her smile.
Just temporary... Just temporary... Just temporary.
Ellie knew that she and Gabe had no chance of a future together. She watched his back as he whisked the eggs, and mentally ticked through the list of reasons why they couldn’t stay together—their career tracks, her father. The fact that they were so freakin’ sexually compatible couldn’t stand up to those things. But still, she liked Gabe, and wanted to get to know him.“Tell me about your friends,” she said.
“What do you want to know?”
“You’ve told me about your business interests, Di Terrestres, but who are they? What are they like? What drew you all together?”
“That’s a lot of questions,” he told her, his hands busy chopping vegetables. “My friends and I are tight. I met them when I returned from London after finishing law school. We did everything together. Went into business together, each of us using our strengths to ensure the success of the group. We share everything. We were like a wolf pack, the Brotherhood.”