Page 42 of His Fantasy Bride (Things To Do Before You Die)

He brought her hand up to his mouth, his lips caressing her palm so the heat slumbering inside her sparked to life. “Come on, Gabby. You know it’s what we both want.”

She bit her lip. Tomorrow she would see Luca. And afterward she would explain to Vito who she was. Why they had met. And she was pretty sure she would never see him again. Once that was done, she would never feel the touch of his hands, of his mouth.

Would it be so bad just to have one night?

She glanced out of the window. They were pulling up outside the theater.

Decision time.

She squeezed his hand. “I’d like that.”

He blew out his breath. “Thank Christ.” Lowering his head, he took her lips in a sweet kiss. “I’ll meet you here after the show.”

She nodded as the car door opened from the outside. The driver held it for her and she slid out, tugging down the red dress as she did so. Vito got out beside her and hooked his hand in her arm to walk her to the stage door.

As they entered the alley that ran alongside the theater, she had a first inkling of foreboding.

The light above the door cast shadows on the tall figure leaning against the wall. His face was in darkness, but she didn’t need to see his face to recognize him. She’d known this man most of her life. Had once—quite weirdly—believed she wanted to marry him. Of course, she’d been egged on through her teens by Theresa, who claimed it was the one way for them to be really sisters.

Her feet slowed of their own accord.

What the hell do I do now?

She knew who to blame for this. Theresa must have told him where she was working when she called her brother. That wasn’t supposed to have happened. But maybe it had never occurred to her friend that he would drop by.

Why would he?

“Is something the matter,cara?” Vito said from beside her.

Was there time to turn around and run? Could she fake an attack of some kind? Maybe she could faint, and Vito would have to carry her back to the car and drive her far, far away from here.

Up to now, he hadn’t taken much notice of the other man. Clearly he hadn’t recognized Luca. It was weird. Luca hated the D’Ascensios—she’d always known that—but she had never actually heard Vito mention the Scarlesis in all the time she’d known him. Maybe her luck would hold.

“Nothing,” she said brightly. She turned to him and smiled—well, she formed some sort of rictus with her face that might pass for a smile if the recipient was half blind. Which, unfortunately, Vito wasn’t. “Well, must dash. I’ll see you later.” She tugged her hand, but he held it tight and cast a glance at the man in the shadows as though he sensed something amiss. “I’m going to be late, Vito.”

He searched her face but then gave a quick nod, and leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll pick you up here after the show.”

She nodded and tried not to look at Luca until Vito’s car had pulled away and vanished into the traffic. When she turned back, Luca had straightened and was now walking toward her. As he stepped under the streetlight, she caught his faint frown, his brows drawn together. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his black jeans, and he wore a white shirt, open at the throat. He came to a halt in front of her, his gaze sweeping down over her in the red dress. “Gabby.” Luca nodded to her. “You look…colorful.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Theresa phoned me. Told me you wanted to meet.”

“Tomorrow. I wanted to meettomorrow.”

“You worried me. You went off to do that little job, and then you all but vanished. One message in over six months. I was concerned about you. And then you turn up, finally, and look at who you had in tow.”

She sighed and gave a little shrug. “I really do have to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Tell you everything.” Well, probably—make that definitely—not everything. But enough. She didn’t wait for him to say anything else, just headed to the stage door. She rapped on it once, and it opened from inside and thankfully shut behind her.

She made it through the show on autopilot, hardly aware of what was going on. The meeting with Luca made it all so real. It was over.

The first time, when she’d left Vito six months ago, had been hard enough, but at the same time it had all seemed a little unreal. That was happening to Gabrielle, not Gabby, and Gabrielle was way too level-headed to lose it completely.

Gabby was a hot mess.

And she didn’t know how she was going to cope with this. She was breaking in two. She wanted to bawl and scream that it wasn’t fair. But, of course, it was fair.

You reap what you sow.

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