Page 59 of Not Another Love Song

The applause died down, and Nathan retook the stand. She chanced one look at Xander before the moment was over. She expected his gaze on her, glaring at her, smirking at her.

He stared down at his music pages, flipping to the next song, eyes turned down. He ran a hand through his hair before his fingers settled on the neck of his cello. His lips quivered, his teeth worrying at the inside of his mouth.

He didn’t look up at her. Gwen shook her head, clearing it. Not everything was about her.

Nathan reintroduced the guest singer, and Gwen finished act one with a flustered brain and a heated body.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Plaza would host them again for the after-party. The Pops always took a week off after a concert, so each afterparty was a huge affair. This evening was not as grand as the anniversary party, so each orchestra member was allowed only one guest for free.

Jacob and Declan met her briefly after the show, hugging and taking selfies, but she let them opt out of paying $200 for their second ticket to the after-party. Declan went to flag a cab to take the two of them to some of their favorite cheaper bars in the East Village, and Jacob turned to her.

“You sure you don’t need me there tonight? You know how much I love free booze.”

“You love free booty more,” Gwen teased him.

“I do.” Jacob grinned. “I really do.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll get swept away again and leave you alone for most of the evening.”

“It’s tough to be so famous,” he said, pressing a hand over his heart. He brought his hands to her cheeks, pulling her head to his. “No drugs. No subway home after one a.m. No private after-after-parties with men you don’t know.”

She grinned. “I promise.”

Jacob touched the diamond earrings and said, “These look great on you.”

He kissed the corner of her mouth a dozen times until she pushed him away, laughing.

“Get outta here,” she said.

He started to head toward Declan, who was standing on the corner, but his eyes caught something over her shoulder. “Hey, man,” he said. “Beautiful piece. I was really, really impressed.”

Gwen froze, hoping…maybe he was talking to a ghost. Or a streetlamp.

“Thanks,” Xander’s voice rumbled about five feet behind her, near the side door to Carnegie Hall. Gwen crossed her arms, blaming the chills on her skin on the September wind, and not the memory of his voice behind her ear. “Xander Thorne.”

And then he was stepping to Jacob, extending his hand. Gwen bit her lip and looked down.

“Jacob Diaz. We’ve met, actually. Gwen and I played your friend’s wedding.”

There was a pause. Gwen looked up at Xander, finding his eyes running over Jacob. “Right, sorry. Jacob. You play piano.”

He had his cello with him, as always. There were lockers at Carnegie for the musicians to leave their instruments to pick up after the party or tomorrow morning, but Xander Thorne always took his instrument home first. Gwen would too if she had a Stradivarius.

Jacob nodded, and said, “Again, great piece. I really enjoyed it.” He turned to Gwen. “Have a great time. I’m so proud of you.”

She smiled.

“You’re not coming to the party?” Xander asked.

Christ, why was he so fucking talkative? She looked up to his considerable height and saw his eyes drilling into Jacob, watching, cataloging.

“He can’t,” Gwen said, not bothering to explain the problem of not having a spare $200 for one night of drinking to someone who owned a $900,000 cello.

Jacob grinned apologetically and headed to where Declan had flagged a cab. He pointed to Gwen as he walked backward. “See you at home.”

She smiled, waving to Declan as they slipped inside the car. And then it was just her and Xander. So Gwen cleared her throat and said, “See you over there,” walking quickly to join a few clarinet and piccolo players on the way to the Plaza.

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