Page 59 of Embracing Love

“I hear Ethan dragged you off to the gym?” Nadine asked him.

“No dragging was involved.” Ethan retorted, defensively.

“He’s right. I went willingly,” replied Gabriel, smiling back at her.

“I thought you were going to play golf?” Tanya asked him.

He shook his head and ventured another glance at her face. “We did, for a while.” He found that he couldn’t drag his gaze away, even if he wanted to.

She looked beautiful and he wondered who she’d made the effort for.

“So you went to the gym instead?” she asked, venturing a smile, and trying to make conversation.

“I did.” His reply was cold, curt, and roughly delivered. No soft endearments, no low whispered voice. He forced himself to look away, and laughed at the tail end of a joke Russell had delivered the punchline to.

“If you’ll excuse me,” said Tanya, addressing everyone and no-one in particular and then left the group quickly. He saw Nadine look after her, and almost about to walk after her, but she hesitated. Instead she looked at Gabriel, it was just a slip of a look, as though she was trying to gauge something. But she said nothing.

So he turned to Dorothy and made polite talk.

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