When she played the final note and lifted her hands from the keys, she squinted nervously as she awaited the reaction. Only the previous night had she dreamt the audience ripped up their programs in disgust.
There was only silence.
Then the first clap came, followed by another, and then another, until the entire audience was on their feet applauding and cheering, whistles ringing out and echoing off the walls.
She looked down at the front row and saw her family standing, tears of pride streaming down their faces.
But mostly she looked at Marco, at the love and pride radiating from him.
A stagehand entered from the wing, carrying an enormous bunch of flowers. Taking them from him, she read the attached note: I knew you could do it. You are incredible. M. Xxx
Beaming, she blew her husband a kiss before taking one last bow and hurrying off the stage so she could kiss him properly. She had every intention of kissing him for the rest of her life.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my lovely family for all their support, and my writing buddies who have been there for me every step of the way, especially Aimee, Amalie, Catherine, Lindsay, and Sri.
Especial thanks to Adam and the little Smarties. I love you all xxx
About The Author
Michelle’s love affair with books began as a baby when, according to her mum, she would throw her teddies out of the cot and cuddle books instead. This love for all things wordy has never left her. A voracious reader, her tastes cross all genres. Her first experience with romance was as a child devouring copious amounts of fairy tales. As her reading tastes evolved, she discovered something special—that a book has the capacity to make her heart beat as if falling in love for the first time.
When not reading or pretending to do the housework, Michelle loves nothing more than creating worlds of her own featuring handsome heroes and the sparkly, feisty women who refuse to take crap from them. She hopes her books can make her readers’ hearts beat a little faster, too.
If you would like to follow Michelle on Twitter, you will find her @chellebellwrite. You can also contact her via her website at http://www.michelle-smart.com.
Tempted by Trouble Page 16