Chapter 23
Julia’s weekend with Gabriel was perhaps one of the happiest of her life.
She carried memories of it like talismans all week — through his seminar on Wednesday and Christa’s persistent attempts to demean and embarrass her, and through Paul’s well-meaning but unwelcome encouragement to file a complaint against Professor Singer.
Gabriel’s week was the week from hell. It was difficult for him to keep his eyes off of Julianne in his seminar, and the exertion made him irritable and short-tempered. Christa had almost arrived at the end of his patience, begging for extra meetings in which they could (allegedly) discuss her dissertation proposal. He rejected all her requests with a dismissive wave of his hand, which only made her redouble her efforts.
And Professor Singer…she sent an e-mail to Gabriel:
gabriel,
It was good to see you again. I’ve missed our little talks.
your lecture was technically proficient but I’m disappointed
that you would present something so closed-minded.
you used to be adventurous. And free.
Perhaps the professor doth protest too much…
you need to embrace your true nature
and undergo a little training.
I can give you just what you need.
I can give you exactly what you crave,
Mme. Ann
Gabriel glared at Professor Singer’s dominatrix-like provocation, clear even in her lack of capitalization of his name and pronouns. His revulsion at her words and her person clarified for him how much he’d changed since their last encounter. She held no allurement for him, no attraction at all. Perhaps even in the time before Julianne returned to him he’d begun walking
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toward the light, a journey that had been nurtured and encouraged by her presence. The thought pleased him.
He was careful not to reply to or delete the e-mail. Instead, he did exactly what he had done with her previous correspondence — he printed it and placed it in a file in his office. He was unwilling to launch a complaint against her since their initial involvement had been consensual. But he was not above threatening her with her own words, should the need arise. He only hoped her fascination with him would continue and that she would forget all about Julianne.
In an effort to divert himself, Gabriel spent most of his free time that week either preparing for Julianne’s birthday or fencing with the fencing club at the university. Either option was far healthier than his previous habits for blowing off steam.
Every night he would lie awake staring at the ceiling, thinking of Julianne and wishing that her warm, soft body was next to his. He was beginning to have difficulty falling asleep without her, and no amount of tension release (in any form) was eliminating that difficulty. Or his hunger.
It had been a long time since he’d been on a formal date — since Harvard, at least. He cursed himself for his previous foolishness in thinking that his predations at The Vestibule were an adequate or preferable substitution for something real. Something pure.
He missed sex, it was true. Sometimes he wondered how he would be able to keep to his regimen of chastity, whether his hunger might overtake him and he’d work his seductive skills on Julianne’s sweetness. He had no intention of straying from her. He didn’t miss the alienation that came from going home alone from a lover’s apartment and washing her traces from his body as if they were contagions. He didn’t miss the self-loathing he felt when he reflected on past assignations, conquests of women who he would never have introduced to Grace.
Julianne was different. With her he wanted passion and excitement, but also tenderness and companionship. And that realization, although new, continued to both frighten and excite him.
P
On Saturday afternoon, Julia eagerly read and re-read the e-mail that gave her details about her birthday celebration.
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Happy Birthday, Darling.
Please do me the honor of gracing me with your presence
at the Royal Ontario Museum this Saturday evening at six o’clock.
Meet me at the Bloor Street entrance.
I shall be wearing the suit and tie and the incredibly wide smile
as you walk through the door.
I look forward to the pleasure of your company with great anticipation.
Yours with affection and deepest longing,
Gabriel
She complied eagerly, wearing the iris-purple dress that Rachel had bought, along with sheer black stockings and Christian Louboutin heels. It was too far (and too painful) to walk in those shoes from her apartment to the museum, so she took a cab. She arrived promptly at six, her eyes shining and her cheeks pink with excitement.
I’m going on a date with Gabriel. Our first real date.
It almost didn’t matter that he’d insisted on celebrating her birthday; the thought of having Gabriel to herself for a romantic evening shoved all apprehension aside. She missed him, despite their furtive texts and e-mails and occasional leisurely phone calls.
The museum had undergone a substantial renovation, and a crystal sculpture shaped like the hull of a ship jutted out of the original stone wall. Julia didn’t like the juxtaposition of modern and Victorian; she preferred one or the other. But perhaps she was in the minority.
As she approached the entrance, she discovered that the museum was closed; its posted hours indicated it had been closed for thirty minutes. Nevertheless, she walked up to the door and was surprised that she was greeted immediately by a security guard.
“Miss Mitchell?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Your host is waiting for you in the gift shop.”
Julia thanked him and wended her way through the shelves of artifacts, toys, and tchotchkes. A tall man, impeccably dressed in a navy blue pinstripe suit with side vents, stood with his back toward her. As soon as she saw his form, his broad shoulders, and brown hair, her heart jumped in her chest. Will it always be like this? Will I always feel breathless and weak-kneed whenever I see him?
She knew the answer even before she approached him. When he didn’t turn around, she cleared her throat. “Professor Emerson, I presume.”
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He spun around quickly, and as soon as he saw her, he gasped. “Hello, gorgeous.” He pressed his lips to hers a little too enthusiastically and peeled her out of her coat.
“Turn around,” he said thickly.
Julia slowly spun in a circle.
“You’re stunning.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her more forcefully, tugging her lip in between his and gently exploring her mouth.
She pulled back, embarrassed. “Gabriel.”
He gave her a heated look. “We’ll be doing more of that this evening. We have the entire museum to ourselves. But first…” He reached over to pick up a clear box that had been sitting on a low table nearby. Inside the box was a large, white orchid.
“For me?”
He smirked. “I’m making up for having missed your prom. May I?”
She beamed up at him.
Gabriel removed the flower and tied it to her wrist a little too competently, winding the white satin ribbon around her in an elaborate weave.
“It’s lovely, Gabriel. Thank you.” She kissed him sweetly.
“Come.”
She came willingly, but he immediately realized his mistake and stopped. “I mean, if you please.”
She smiled and threaded their fingers together.
They walked over to a large open space where a small, impromptu bar had been set up. Gabriel guided her with his hand at the small of her back.
“How did you arrange this?” she whispered.
“I was one of the donors for the Florentine exhibit. I asked for a private viewing — they gladly complied.” He gave her a half-smile that almost caused her to melt into a puddle on the floor just like in the film Amélie.
The bartender greeted them warmly. “Miss?” he prompted.
“Do you know how to make a Flirtini?”
“Of course, Miss. Coming right up.”
Gabriel’s eyebrows went up, and he leaned over to whisper in her ear, “That’s an interesting name for a drink. A preview of coming attractions?”
She laughed. “Raspberry vodka, cranberry juice and pineapple. I’ve never had one before, but I read about it online, and it sounded yummy.”
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He chuckled, shaking his head.
“Sir?” asked the bartender, handing Julia her drink, garnished with a small slice of pineapple.
“Tonic water with lime, please.”
She was surprised. “You aren’t drinking?”
“There’s a special bottle of wine at my place. I’m waiting for that.” He smiled at her.
Julia waited until Gabriel received his drink so they could toast one another.
“You can bring your — what was it — Flirtini with you. We’re the only guests here.”
“I could nurse one of these all night. They’re pretty strong.”
“We have all the time in the world, Julianne. The entire evening revolves around you…your wants, your desires, your needs.” He winked at her and led her to an elevator. “The exhibit is on the lower level.”
When they entered the elevator, Gabriel turned to her. “Did I tell you how much I missed you this week? The days and nights seemed to last forever.”
“I missed you too,” she said, shyly.
“You look lovely.” He gazed down appraisingly at her high heels. “You are a vision.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s going to take all of my self-control not to spirit you away to the Victorian furniture exhibit so I can make love to you on one of the four poster beds.”
Julia’s eyebrows shot up, and giggling slightly, she wondered what kind of reaction that display would elicit.
He breathed a sigh of relief that his unguarded remark hadn’t caused her to retreat from him. He would have to be more careful.
He’d been actively involved not only in the financing of the exhibit of many of Florence’s treasures, but also in their selection. As they wandered through the several rooms, he offered a few brief words on some of the more impressive items. But mostly they just strolled hand in hand, like a loving couple on a walk, pausing from time to time to embrace or kiss when the mood struck. Which it did, often.
Julia finished her cocktail a bit ahead of schedule, and Gabriel obligingly found a place to leave their glasses. He was happy to have their hands
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free, finally. She was a Siren for him, an irresistible voice. He stroked her neck, her cheek, her collarbone. He pressed his lips to her hands, her lips, her throat. She was undoing him little by little, and when she smiled or laughed he thought he would catch fire.
They spent quite some time admiring Fra Filippo Lippi’s painting Madonna with the Child and Two Angels, for it was a piece they both admired. Gabriel stood behind her, his arms wrapped snugly around her waist.
“Do you like it?” he whispered in her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Very much. I’ve always loved the serenity on the Virgin’s face.”
“Me too,” said Gabriel, lightly drawing his lips from just under her jaw back to below her earlobe, nuzzling her softly. “Your serenity is very alluring.”
Julia’s eyes rolled back into her head. “Mmmmmmmm,” she moaned aloud.
He chuckled and repeated his movements, allowing the tip of his tongue to move across the surface of her skin. Only a whisper, only a promise, so light she thought it had to be his lips.
“Does that please you?”
She answered him by reaching up to grasp his hair. It was all the encouragement he needed. He turned her around and pressed her to him, moving his arms to the small of her back.
“You are the true work of art,” he murmured against her throat. “You are the masterpiece. Happy birthday, Julianne.”
She gently tugged on his ear with her lips then kissed it softly. “Thank you.”
He kissed her firmly, begging her silently to open for him. Their tongues moved together, slowly. He was unhurried. It was just the two of them in an almost empty museum. He kissed her lips and her cheeks, walking her to a corner of the room, hesitantly backing her toward the wall.
His eyes were wary. “Is this all right?”
She nodded, breathlessly.
“If you want to stop, just tell me. I won’t let things go too far…but I need you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in.
He pressed her gently against the wall, molding his body tightly to hers. Every muscle, every plane of his was met by corresponding curves and softness. His hands traveled down her sides and to her hips, hesitating.
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She pressed herself more tightly to him in response. And all this time, their tongues and lips explored, never satisfied. His long, thin fingers slid to her back and down so that they were cupping her two rounded, delicious curves. He squeezed tentatively, and smiled against her mouth when she moaned.
“You’re perfect. Every part of you. But this…” He squeezed her again and began kissing her with renewed vigor.
“Are you telling me you like my ass, Professor?”
Gabriel pulled back so that he could see her eyes. “Don’t call me that,” he half-growled.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to think about all the university policies I’m breaking right now.”
Her smile disappeared, and Gabriel instantly felt regret.
“And I would never call the beauty of your backside an ass — it’s far too elegant for that. I would have to create a whole new word just to describe it in all of its glory.”
Now Julia laughed, and he squeezed her with both hands for good measure.
Professor Emerson is an ass man.
Her fingertips preferred his hair, stroking and weaving, tugging his face to hers. She could feel his heart beating against her chest. Her breathing stuttered, but she didn’t care. She loved him. She’d loved him since she was seventeen. And he’d been so sweet to her. In that instant she would have given him anything and damned the consequences. What consequences? Her mind couldn’t even name them.
His fingers began to move, stroking her curves and kneading the flesh beneath them. His right hand slid down to cup her thigh, pulling her leg upward. He wrapped her leg around his hip, and she pressed against him, in an erotic tango against a wall. Now he could move. His hips pressed forward, while his hand traveled downward to support the back of her leg. She could feel him hard against her — a delightful pressure and tentative friction.
Julia couldn’t stop kissing long enough to consider how she had mastered the art of balance or breathing through Gabriel’s mouth. She felt emboldened to remove her hands from his hair, stroking his shoulders and waist before exploring his own delicious curves. Curves she had greatly admired on more than one occasion. Curves that were taut and muscular beneath her fingers. She pulled him more tightly against her, pressing her hands against him in encouragement.
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He didn’t need to be encouraged. His hands teased up and down her sheer stockings, caressing her thigh. This was heaven. Breathing, panting, straining, kissing, feeling. He met with no resistance. No hesitation.
She accepted him. She wanted him. And her body was soft and warm and oh so receptive.
“Julia, I — we — have to stop.” He pulled back.
Her eyes were closed, and her lips were red and pouting. Now he hungered for her mouth even more.
Brushing the hair away from her face, he questioned softly, “Sweetheart?”
Her eyelids fluttered open.
He brought their foreheads together and inhaled her breath, all perfumed and sweetness. With one final caress, he coaxed her leg backward and helped her lower it. She removed her hands regretfully from his derrière. Then, although it pained him, he placed some distance between their bodies, taking her hands in both of his.
“I shouldn’t have cornered you like that. Or let things go so far.” He shook his head, biting back a curse. “Did I scare you?”
“I didn’t say no, Gabriel.” Her soft voice echoed in the great hall. “And I’m not scared.”
“You were frightened of me before. Remember that night when you asked me about one of my photographs…the aggressive one…” Gabriel’s lips pressed together tightly.
“I know you better now.”
“Julianne, I would never take anything from you or try to manipulate you into something you don’t want. Please believe me.”
“I do, Gabriel.” She pulled on one of his hands and coaxed him to spread it across her heart, palm flat to her chest, between her breasts. “Feel my heartbeat.”
He frowned. “Too fast. Like a hummingbird’s wings.”
“This is what happens every time I’m near you. When you touch me. I’m the one who’s overcome by you, Gabriel. Don’t you know that?”
He brushed his thumb against her naked flesh and gently transferred his attention to her swollen lower lip.
“I did this to you. Does it hurt?” he whispered.
“It only aches in your absence.”
He pressed his lips to hers reverently. “You’re killing me.”
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She tossed her hair back and grinned. “But it will be a sweet, sweet death.”
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Let’s continue our tour before my contact decides to evict us for indecency. I’ll have to speak to him about getting the videotapes from the security cameras.”
Videotapes? Security cameras? Scheisse, thought Julianne.
Hmmmmmm. On the other hand…
P
By the time they reached Gabriel’s apartment, they were laughing and giddy. Their desperation for one another had cooled somewhat, but was still warm and affectionate. Julia was blissfully happy. And they had the whole night together…
Gabriel kissed her in the kitchen, insisting that she allow him to do everything.
“But I want to help.”
“We’ll cook together tomorrow night.”
She thought about this for a moment. “I don’t know how you’d feel about it, but I have Grace’s chicken Kiev recipe. We could make it together.” She looked up at him uncertainly.
“Scott used to call it squirt chicken.” He smiled sadly and kissed her again. “I haven’t had it in years. I’d be glad for you to teach me.”
That’s likely the only thing I’ll ever be able to teach you, Gabriel. You are a love god, amongst other things. She brushed his lips with hers and made herself comfortable on the bar stool.
“Tonight’s dinner is brought to you by Scaramouche. Since Mohammed cannot come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.”
“Really?”
“Everything is here, including a very fine Grand Marnier chocolate cake from Patisserie La Cigogne. And I have an extraordinary bottle of wine that I’ve been saving, which I will allow to breathe before we get started.” He winked at her. “I even have candles for the cake.”
“Thank you for a lovely evening, Gabriel. It was — the nicest birthday I’ve ever had.”
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“It’s not over yet,” he rasped slightly, his bright blue eyes sparkling. “I haven’t given you your present.”
Julia blushed deeply and looked down at her hands, wondering if he had meant to sound so sensual. I wonder what “present” he wants to give me. I know what present I would like. It’s official. I am now fantasizing about making love with Gabriel…
Julia’s erotic imaginings were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She walked to her purse and checked it reluctantly.
“I don’t recognize the number,” she mused. “But it’s a Philadelphia area code.”
She answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hello, Jules.”
Julia inhaled slowly, making a strained vacuuming sound with her lungs. All the color disappeared from her cheeks, and immediately, Gabriel walked over to her, knowing that something was very, very wrong.
“How did you get this number?” she managed before her legs grew rubbery. She stumbled to a chair and sank down.
“That’s not a very warm welcome, Julia. You’ll have to do better than that.”
She razored her lower lip with her teeth, not knowing how to respond.
Her caller sighed dramatically. “Your father gave me your number. I always enjoy talking to him. He’s very forthcoming, which is more than I can say for you. You’ve been a spoiled little brat.”
She closed her eyes and began to breathe in and out very fast. Gabriel took her hand to try to lift her to her feet, but she wouldn’t move. “What do you want?”
“I’ll overlook your bitchiness because I haven’t spoken with you in a while. But don’t push your luck.” He lowered his voice to a near whisper. “I called you because I wanted to see how you were doing in Toronto. Are you still living on Madison Avenue?”
The caller laughed, and Julia placed a hand to her throat.
“Stay away from me. I don’t want to talk to you, and I want you to stop calling my dad.”
“I wouldn’t have to call your dad if you’d responded to my e-mails. Instead, you deleted your account.”
“What do you want?” she repeated.
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Gabriel frowned his concern and gestured for her to give him the phone. She shook her head.
“I had an interesting conversation with Natalie the other day,” the voice said.
“And?”
“She said that you might have a few photographs that belong to me.”
“I don’t have anything of yours. I left everything behind. I think you know that.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I simply wanted to tell you that it would be very unfortunate if those photos ever ended up in the hands of the press.” The voice paused. “I have a video or two of you I could pass around. I wonder what your dad would think if he saw a tape of you on your knees with my — ”
As his foul description rang in her ears, Julia made a wheezing noise and dropped the phone. It crashed against the hardwood and skidded toward Gabriel’s feet. But by this point, Julia was already running for the guest washroom. The sounds of her dry heaves echoed down the hallway.
Unfortunately for the caller, Gabriel had overhead his final threat. Gabriel picked up the phone and put it to his ear. “Who is this?”
“This is Simon. Who the fuck is this?”
Gabriel hissed involuntarily, and his eyes narrowed into slits.
“This is Julianne’s boyfriend. What do you want?”
Simon was silent for a moment.
“Jules doesn’t have a boyfriend, asshole. And no one calls her Julianne. Put her back on the phone!”
Gabriel growled, the sound rumbling from his chest. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll do what she says and leave her alone.”
Simon laughed darkly. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Julia is unstable. She’s a very troubled girl, and she needs professional help.”
“In that case, it’s a good things she’s dating a professional.”
“A professional what? Asshole? Do you even know who you’re talking to? My father is — ”
“Listen, motherfucker, you’re lucky we aren’t in the same room or you’d be spending the evening in surgery trying to have your head reattached to your body. If I find out that you’ve contacted her again, in any way, I’m going to come after you, and not even your father, whoever he is, will be able to make you sentient again. Do you understand? Never contact her
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again.” Gabriel snapped the phone shut and hurled it against the wall. The cell phone broke into several pieces that scattered across the floor.
He closed his eyes and counted to fifty before he allowed himself to go to her. He’d never been so angry. Or had such murderous thoughts. It was a good thing Julia needed him. Otherwise, he was pretty sure he would have hunted that boy down and killed him.
Gabriel poured a glass of water and carried it to her. She was seated on the cold, ceramic edge of the bathtub in the guest washroom. Her head was down, and her arms were wrapped across her chest, her poor corsage shaking with the trembling of her hand.
What the fuck did he do to her?
When she reached down to tug the hem of her skirt over her knees, the sight of her instinctive attempt to maintain some semblance of modesty made his heart clench.
“Julia?” He handed her the water.
She sipped it slowly, but didn’t respond.
He joined her on the edge of the tub, pulling her into his side.
“He told you about when I was with him, didn’t he?” Her voice was low, dull.
Gabriel hugged her closer. “He demanded to speak to you, but I told him not to call again.”
She looked up at him as a tear slowly leaked from one eye. “He didn’t — say things about me?”
“He mumbled incoherently until I threatened him.” Gabriel grimaced. “And I wasn’t kidding.”
“He’s really nasty,” she whispered.
“Let me worry about him. And if that means flying to Philadelphia to speak to him in person, I’ll do it. And he won’t like what happens if I have to make that trip.”
Julia was only half-listening. Simon made her feel used. Filthy. Pathetic. And she didn’t want Gabriel to look at her like that. She didn’t want him to know what had happened. Ever.
“Sweetheart, what did he want?”
“He thinks I have some pictures of him, and he wants them back.”
“What kind of pictures?”
Julia sniffled. “I don’t know. They must be pretty bad if he’s so worried.”
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“Do you have anything like that?”
“No! But he says he has videos of me. Personal videos.” She shuddered. “I don’t think he does, but what if I’m wrong? What if he fabricates something and sends it to my father? Or posts it online?”
Gabriel swallowed his revulsion as he reached over to wipe her tears away. “He won’t do that, unless he’s stupid. As long as he thinks you have something potentially damaging to him, he won’t act preemptively. I could speak with your father and explain that I heard this miscreant threaten you. Then no matter what he posts online you’ll be able to say it’s a fabrication created by a stalker.”
Julia looked up at him wildly. “You can’t. My dad is already upset that I’m traveling to Selinsgrove with you. He can’t know we’re together.”
Gabriel ran his fingers through her hair before he quickly wiped away another tear. “You didn’t tell me that. Not that I blame him. But you need to tell him what happened tonight so that he won’t give Simon any more information.”
Julia nodded.
“I can speak to my lawyer tomorrow. You can file a complaint against him, and we can try to get a restraining order. We can also try to figure out if he actually has videos of you or if he’s bluffing.”
“I don’t want to do anything to antagonize him. You don’t understand — he has powerful connections.”
Gabriel pressed his lips together. He wanted to push her to take action, or to take action on her behalf, but it was clear that she was traumatized. And he didn’t want to add to her distress.
“If he contacts you again, I’ll speak with my lawyer and that boy will be introduced to an entirely new level of discomfort. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to pick out a new cell phone, and we’ll get you a Toronto number. You should tell your father to keep the new number secret.”
He lifted her chin so that she would look into his eyes. “He can’t touch you. I promise.” He smiled widely. “Don’t let the glasses and bow ties fool you. I can take care of myself. And I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He kissed her lips chastely and added a small kiss to her forehead. “When we’re home for Thanksgiving, you’ll be with me when you aren’t with your father. And I’ll always be only a phone call away. All right?”
She murmured just to let him know that she’d heard him.
“Julia?”
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“Yes?”
He pulled her into a closer embrace. “This was my fault.”
She gave him a questioning look.
“If I hadn’t left you that morning — if I had come back to Selinsgrove to find you…”
She shook her head. “I was only seventeen, Gabriel. Dad would have pulled a gun on you.”
“I should have waited.”
She sighed, and her face wore a pained look. “You don’t know how much I regret not waiting for you. He’s why I never celebrate my birthday. And he just ruined it again.” She began to cry quietly.
Gabriel kissed away her tears. “Forget about him. It’s just us, now. No one else.”
Julia wanted to believe him. But unfortunately, she knew that her past was only just now beginning to catch up with her. She trembled in fear when she thought about what the holidays might bring.
Julia had very bad luck when it came to Thanksgiving.
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