Page 45 of His Fantasy Bride (Things To Do Before You Die)

“Why?”

She ignored the question, gave him a bright, obviously fake, smile and backed away toward the door. “I’ll talk to you later. I have a meeting this morning and—”

Her words cut off as he closed the small space between them and rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. “Now, Gabby.” She fumbled behind her for the doorknob, but he slid his hand down her arm and tugged her away. “Look, whatever’s going on, do you really think it will change the way I feel about you?”

“I don’t want you to hate me.”

What the hell was she hiding? He couldn’t think of anything that would make him hate her. “There’s nothing you can say that we can’t deal with.”

She raised her head and searched his face. “You really believe that? Haven’t you always suspected there’s something not quite right about…us? Maybe something too good to be true?”

A little niggle of foreboding twisted in his gut. He swallowed, but he wouldn’t back down now. “Christo,cara, what can be so bad? Is there someone else?”

She appeared shocked at the question, her eyes widening. “No.”

“Then what?”

Her shoulders slumped as she gave in, and there was that worry again. Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed her. She pulled away from him, and he allowed his hands to fall to his sides.

“Last night,” she began, “at the theater. There was a man.”

He cast his mind back. He’d been too focused on the fact that Gabby had finally given in and agreed to spend the night with him to take much notice of anything else. But yes, there had been a man in the shadows close to the stage door, someone tall and dark, but he hadn’t noticed any more than that.

Gabby was nibbling on her lower lip, and her gaze kept straying to the door. “I remember,” he said. “Who was he?” She’d already told him there was no one else. How bad could this be? Maybe she owed money and was ashamed…

She inched closer to the door. “His name is Luca Scarlesi.”

Shock gripped him tight, held him still. He knew exactly who Luciano Scarlesi was—the head of the Scarlesi Corporation, the company involved in the hostile takeover bid last year. “You know him?” he asked.

“He’s Theresa’s brother.”

“Your roommate?” So that was why the woman had been so shocked when he’d introduced himself that night. But was that his only connection to Gabby? “So he was waiting for Theresa last night?”

She shook her head. “He was waiting for me.”

“Why, Gabby?” He took a deep breath. “What is your connection to Luca Scarlesi?”

“Luca paid me to go to Sicily.” She spoke fast as though she needed to get the words out and over with. “He sent me with instructions to get to know you and send back information about your company.”

For a second, the words made absolutely no sense. Then the fog in his brain cleared. A wave of coldness washed through him. He’d been so wrong. There were betrayals they could never get through. Never recover from.

It had all been a lie, after all. And he was a fool. “I need you to go.” The words were low, and it was all he could do to keep from growling. His eyes narrowed.

She appeared rooted to the spot, lips trembling. She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand. The icy cold was melting under the heat of his rising rage. “I really need you to go. Right now.”

A shudder ran through her, and then she turned, fumbled with the door, and was gone.

Chapter Twelve

“You want me to come with you?” Theresa asked, handing her a mug off coffee and taking the seat next to her at the kitchen table.

“No.”

“You want to tell me what happened with Vito?”

Gabby had a flashback to the feel of him inside her. Would she ever feel that way again? “Definitely no.”

“I am your best friend you know. These are the sort of details you’re supposed to share.”

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