Forbidden Sins. J. Margot Critch

prosecco? Been a while since we’ve done the Three Ps.”

      Ellie laughed. Ellie had met Rachel years ago, back in their wilder, party-hopping days. Rachel had been a popular teen music sensation in a self-destructive downward spiral, and in her, Ellie had found the perfect outlet for her own teen angst and partying antics. Together, they’d had some wild times, and then both cleaned up their acts. Ellie chose law school, and Rachel had taken to acting. They’d stuck together into adulthood, and despite it all remained the best of friends.

      “Sounds like fun,” she said, and sipped from her wineglass. She looked around the casino. She was new to Vegas, but she loved it. Ellie fed off the energy, and she smiled. The chaos fueled her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt at home—she was built for Vegas.

      It was a different world to her. In Vegas, she could live her life without paparazzi following her every movement. Nobody tried to get photos of her or Rachel being drunken messes outside of nightclubs, or even when either of them made a trip to the grocery store, just because she had been the rebellious teenage daughter of an aging D-list actress who couldn’t leave the spotlight. In Vegas, Ellie blended into the crowd, and in a weird way, the wild debauchery of the crowd made her feel safe. Shouts from a nearby craps table caught her attention. Someone was on a winning streak. Unlike in LA, regular people could be the center of attention in Las Vegas. Everyone was only a roll, a hand, a pull of a slot machine away from celebrity or notoriety. She looked at the excitement at the table and she saw the man behind the ruckus.

      His excited smile turned serious when his eyes met hers. She was too far away to see what color they were, but from her seat, she could tell they were more vibrant than any flashing light in the casino. His white shirt was open at the collar, revealing tanned skin. He was gorgeous. She looked away and turned back to Rachel, who was watching her.

      “You might as well go talk to him,” Rachel said.

      “Nope. This is a girls’ night. No boys allowed.”

      “Who made that rule?”

      Ellie looked back to the man and saw that he was still watching her. She smiled again, knowing she had him. She watched him pass the dice to the dealer, and walk away from the table to the disappointed groans of the other patrons.

      Ellie stood. “I’ll be right back,” she told Rachel, and headed in the guy’s direction. Rachel said something she didn’t hear over the din of the busy casino, and she turned her head. “What was that? Oof—” the air rushed out of her lungs as she smashed into a hard, male chest. She was unsteady on her high heels, but he reached for her, dropping his phone and catching her before she fell, while his cell phone cracked against the floor instead.

      “Oh hey,” he said, his strong fingers gripping her upper arms, supporting her. “Are you okay?”

      “Yeah, I’m fine.” Ellie looked down and saw the cracks that lined his screen. “I’m doing a lot better than your phone, at least.”

      He looked down. “Oh, dammit.”

      “Sorry about that,” she told him as he released her and picked up the device.

      “It’s okay. I really should have been watching where I was going. It was time to get another one anyway.” He shrugged. “I was on my way over to talk to you, so mission accomplished, I guess.” He extended his hand to her in introduction, and when he looked at her, she could see the interest in his eyes. “Gabe,” he said, a grin producing deep dimples below his chiseled cheekbones.

      She shook his hand. His fingers were large around her own. “Hi, Gabe. I’m Ellie.”

      “Ellie,” he repeated, as if indulging in her name. “That’s pretty. Are you here alone?” he asked, looking around.

      “She’s here with me,” Rachel said from somewhere behind Ellie. She couldn’t believe she’d completely forgotten about her friend, who’d been sitting at the bar.

      When Gabe’s eyes widened, and he smiled, Ellie could read the question in his expression. “Not like that,” she clarified. “We’re here together. But not here together.”

      He reached past Ellie and extended his hand to Rachel. “I’m Gabe.”

      “I heard.” She shook his hand. “Rachel.”

      “Why so interested if I’m here alone?” Ellie raised a playful eyebrow.

      “I was wondering if there was a boyfriend around here who would try to kick my ass for offering to buy you both a drink.”

      “What makes you think we won’t try to kick your ass?” Ellie asked him. She already liked the guy, and would definitely have a drink with him, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to give him a hard time. He had to earn her time.

      “I think you might try,” he concurred. He cleared his throat. “At the expense of my physical well-being, would you ladies like to have a drink with me?”

      Ellie looked at Rachel, who was doing something on her phone, ignoring them, and she knew her friend wasn’t interested in being part of the conversation. She turned back to Gabe. “Excuse us,” she told him, and took Rachel’s arm, pulling her a few feet away from Gabe.

      “What’s up?” Rachel asked, looking past her in Gabe’s direction.

      “Would you mind going home without me?” Ellie asked, looking over her shoulder at Gabe, who was watching them.

      “Are you sure?”

      “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be fine.”

      “You think that’s a good idea?”

      Ellie shook her head. “Probably not. But when have I ever been a fan of good ideas?”

      Rachel shrugged. “All right, I’m not your mother—although, your mother would be all over this—so I’m going to go. But you have to promise me you’ll be careful. You don’t know this guy.”

      “I’ve got pepper spray in my purse, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

      Rachel nodded, and walked past Ellie to Gabe. “Hey, Mr. Smooth-Talker. Let me see your driver’s license.” Following behind, Ellie laughed at her friend’s brashness.

      “What?” he asked, clearly taken aback.

      Rachel held out her hand. “Let me see it.”

      Gabe didn’t argue, and Ellie watched as he produced his ID.

      Rachel was lightning quick in snapping a picture of it with her phone. She grinned at Gabe. “Now if anything happens to my friend, I’ll know right where to send the police. Ellie, text me later so I know you’re safe. Let me know anytime if you need me to pick you up.”

      “Cross my heart, I will.” She watched Rachel leave, and when she was out of earshot, Ellie turned to Gabe. “Sorry about her.”

      “It’s fine,” he said with another amazing smile. “She’s just looking out for you. Being a good friend.”

      “She is. She’s amazing. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers.”

      “That’s nice. It’s good for someone to have your back.”

      “She’s like the only person,” Ellie muttered. She hadn’t meant to say that, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

      He frowned at her, and she knew she’d inadvertently revealed too much. “How about we get that drink?” He reached for her hand, but she pulled back from him.

      “Why are you so sure I’m eager to go anywhere with a stranger?”

      “Because you let your friend go home without you.”

      “That’s true,” she conceded.

      “All right, why don’t I tell you a little about myself? Then I won’t be such a stranger.”