Page 34 of Forbidden Sins

“How are you liking Vegas?” Alana asked her.

“It’s nice. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to see much of it—with work taking up so much time—”

“And getting married,” Alex commented. “Huge time commitment. I’m planning a wedding, and it’s a lot of work. Although I think we’re skipping the Elvis impersonator.”

“Dude. Be cool.” Gabe’s voice was rich with warning.

“It’s fine. I can take it,” she assured him.

“I’m just having fun. Sorry, Ellie.”

There was another knock on the door, and Gabe looked up to see Charles Burnham. He expected to be summoned, but instead the man looked at Ellie. He didn’t look happy. “Ellie, may I speak to you?”

“Yeah, sure,” she turned to the group. “It was nice meeting you all.” Gabe watched her leave the room and walk down the hallway with Charles, a bad feeling clenching his gut.

Ellie followed her father down the hallway to his office. He didn’t say a word, not until they were inside with the door closed.

He turned on her, his face twisted with disgust. “What were you doing in that conference room?” For a brief moment, she thought he had somehow found out what she and Gabe had done in there the night before. She had no idea how she would talk her way out of that one.

“Why were you sitting in on that meeting?”

“I wasn’t. I told Gabe the news about the Hong Kong acquisition. He introduced me to his friends.”

“I don’t want you associating with those people,” her father commanded.

Excuse me?“And why not?”

“They’re a group of degenerates,” he said dismissively. “You have no idea what sorts of business they do.”

“They’re nice. Gabe was just introducing me.”

“They’re his clients. But I don’t care for the association with them. Gabe’s a hell of a lawyer, and he brings in a lot of money. Money fromthem. But I don’t have to like it. I’ve worked to shut them down for years, without success. They have a lot of powerful connections. But they’re smut peddlers.”

Ellie shook her head at the unfairness of her father’s tirade. “Their money is good enough for you, but you think they’re degenerates and want to shut them down?”

“Don’t be smart, Ellie. I don’t want you to be seen with them—especially not here. Are we clear?”

“You can’t tell me who I will or will not associate with.” She paused.“Are we clear?”

Charles looked like his head might explode. Anger turned his complexion a bright red, and she was willing to bet that no one had spoken to Charles Burnham like that. “I want to have a relationship with you, but I’m a grown woman, and you don’t get to dictate my life to me.” Holding her head high, she brushed past him and headed out of the office.

Ellie could barely breathe as she walked away. The scene with Charles reminded her that even though she was his daughter, that Gabe was one of his favorite associates, it didn’t matter. If he found out about what had happened between her and Gabe, they would both be ruined.

She didn’t get far before Gabe stopped her farther down the hallway. He must have seen the emotion on her face, because he frowned. “Ellie, what’s wrong? What happened with your father?”

“Nothing,” she told him, unsure of how to tell him what her father had said.

“I’m fine,” she said, trying to move past him.

“Where are you going?”

“I have work to do.”

Gabe moved in close to her, blocking her way. “Ellie, tell me. What happened? If he said something to you—”

“It’s nothing,” she insisted. “I have to go. I still have to look up those property deeds for you, and that’s on top of a dozen other things. I’ll bet you have the same.”

Gabe nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s time to work.”