Julia nodded slightly.
“As soon as I get back to Toronto, I’m going to change the presets on my radio. I won’t be listening to that station anymore.” He cleared his throat.
“Love, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But I’m wondering what you told your father. I owe you an apology for getting into a shouting match with him at the hospital. I said some things I shouldn’t have.”
She eyed him curiously.
“I told him he shouldn’t have sent you back to live with your mother.
That it was his job as a father to protect you, and that he failed.”
Julia was surprised. No one, not even Rachel or Grace, had ever confronted Tom about his choices. No one. An expression of wonder spread across her pretty face.
“Aren’t you angry with me?” He sounded surprised.
“I can’t be. Thank you, Gabriel, for defending me. No one has ever done that before.”
She took his hands in hers and kissed the slightly swollen knuckles and the places where the skin had split. His battle wounds were almost as dear to her as his beautiful, expressive eyes.
“I didn’t tell my dad everything. Just that I caught him with Natalie, and that I couldn’t live with her anymore. It created a problem since my dad was dating her mom. But he never complained.”
“How very noble of him,” said Gabriel sarcastically.
“I spent a few days in Selinsgrove trying to calm down, and Dad brought me back to school. He moved me out of the dorm and into a small studio apartment. You would have laughed at it, Gabriel. It was even smaller than the one I’m in now.”
“I wouldn’t laugh.” He sounded hurt.
“It’s just that you’re so particular. You would have hated it even more than you hate my current apartment.”
“Julianne, I don’t hate your apartment. As I said before, I hate the fact that you have to live there. What happened next, after you went back to school?”
“I hid. They sort of became a couple after that, and I was afraid of running into them, so I avoided all of the places where I might be seen. I went to class, I worked on my Italian and my applications for grad school, and I stayed home. I kind of…retreated.”
“Rachel mentioned something like that.”
“I wasn’t a good friend to Rachel. After that night, I stopped taking her calls. I wouldn’t even speak to Grace, even though she wrote me the most beautiful letter. I sent your family a card at Christmas, but I was too humiliated to explain what happened. Rachel knows I caught them together because Natalie finally told her. But she doesn’t know how bad it was. And I don’t want her to know.”
“Anything you tell me is strictly between us.”
“I didn’t want to admit that I had been so stupid as to get myself into that situation. That I gave in to him for so long. That I was blind to the fact that they were together. I wanted to pretend that it happened to someone else.” She looked up into Gabriel’s face, which was remarkably sympathetic.
“Please don’t say that you are stupid ever again. Shame on them both for how they treated you. They’re the villains in this story, not you.” He kissed her forehead twice and buried his face in her long hair. “I think you need to get some sleep, sweetheart. It’s been a long day, and we want you to heal.”
“Won’t it upset your family when they realize we’re in here together?”
“They figured out we’re a couple. And for the most part, I think they approve.”
“For the most part?”
Gabriel sighed. “Richard doesn’t object to us as a couple; he has con-servative views on sex. So although I promised that we wouldn’t be doing that under his roof, he would prefer we slept in separate rooms. Although I’m sure he’d turn a blind eye tonight and tomorrow night because of what happened to you.”
“What about Rachel and Aaron? They share a room.”
“Richard doesn’t approve of that, but in his mind at least they’re getting married. Rachel has always been supportive of me, and I think she’s supportive of us.”
“What about Scott?”
“Scott is very protective of you, and he knows that I’ve been a libertine, so…”
“You weren’t a libertine. You were just lonely.”
He kissed her softly. “That’s very generous of you, but we both know it isn’t true.”
They both reclined, and Julia rested her head on his chest, running her fingers across his upper body. She hummed to herself as she mulled over his words, how he’d cared for her and wanted to worship her. They were, perhaps, the most important words she had ever heard. She traced a hesitant finger over his chest, outlining his tattoo.
Gabriel’s hand quickly covered hers. “Don’t,” he breathed, pulling her hand away.
“I’m sorry. What’s m-a-i-a?”
Julia heard him catch his breath. “I didn’t mean to bring it up. But we were telling secrets. I thought…”
Gabriel began to rub his eyes with his free hand, but he didn’t release her. “Maia is a name.” His voice grew rough.
“Did you — love her?”
“Of course I loved her.”
“Were you together long?”
He coughed. “It wasn’t like that.”
Julia squeezed him tightly and closed her eyes.
But Gabriel lay awake, staring at the ceiling for a very long time.
Chapter 29
Julia awoke the next day to find Gabriel sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed and watching her. She yawned slightly and stretched in the rays of sunlight that streamed in from between the blinds.
“Good morning.” She smiled.
He leaned over and pulled her into a warm embrace.
“I’ve been up and about, but I returned a little while ago to check on you. You’re very peaceful when you sleep.” He kissed her sweetly, then walked to the closet to retrieve a sweater.
Julia rolled onto her stomach and shamelessly ogled him, admiring the way his dress shirt skimmed across his shoulders. From her current vantage point, she could also admire his backside, hugged as it was by his black jeans.
Now that’s a damn fine derrière, she thought.
Gabriel peered at her over his shoulder. “What was that?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
His lips pulled inward, as if he were restraining a grin. “Oh, really?”
He walked over and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I didn’t know that you were an ass girl.”
“Gabriel!” Somewhat embarrassed at having been caught, she smacked his arm lightly, and they both began to laugh.
He caught her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. “However, I would like to state unequivocally that my ass is quite flattered.”
“Oh really?” She arched an eyebrow.
“Extremely. And he wishes for me to convey his very best greetings and — ah — he looks forward to making your acquaintance in a more personal manner when we’re in Florence.”
Julia shook her head at him and leaned forward, begging for a kiss. She was rewarded with a brief but tender exchange before Gabriel pulled back.
He grew serious all of a sudden. “I need to talk to you about a couple of things.”
She chewed at her lip and waited.
“Simon has been arrested and there are multiple charges. His father has dispatched the family attorney to save him, and there are rumors of a plea bargain.”
“Really?”
“Apparently, the senator wishes to keep the sordid story out of the news. Scott placed a call to the prosecutor and received his assurance that your case will be given a very high priority. Scott emphasized that all of us would like to see the outcome include prison and not some sort of halfway house or treatment program. But given Simon’s connections, I think prison is unlikely.”
Julia made a mental note to thank Scott for speaking up for her. “What about you? Are you in danger?”
Gabriel grinned. “The Talbot family lawyer made noises about pressing charges. Thankfully, my brother had a short but illuminating conversation with him, pointing out that the press would be very interested in hearing my side of the story, as well as yours. I won’t be charged. Needless to say, everyone involved is now sick of Scott.”
Julia closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. The thought of something happening to Gabriel was painful, especially since she’d brought this trouble to them both.
“I need to take a shower and get dressed,” she said, opening her eyes.
Gabriel gave her a heated look and trailed a single finger down the length of her arm. “I would dearly like to shower with you, but I’m afraid such an act would scandalize my relations.”
Julia shivered. “Well, I can’t have you scandalizing your relations, Professor Emerson.”
“Indeed, Miss Mitchell. It would be most shocking. Most shocking. So in the interest of decorum, my very flattered ass and I will forego showering with you.” He leaned forward, his eyes glowing. “For now.”
She laughed, and he left her to her daily ablutions.
When Julia returned to her bedroom after her shower, she found Gabriel hovering in the hallway. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to be sure you didn’t trip or something.
Where are your crutches?”
“In my room. I’m okay, Gabriel.” She limped past him. When she found her hairbrush, she began to pull it awkwardly through her long, tangled tresses.
“Let me do that.” Gabriel walked toward her and took the hairbrush from her hand.
“You’re going to brush my hair?”
“Why not?” He pulled out a chair and encouraged her to sit down, and then he stood behind her and slowly began to run his fingers from crown to ends, disentangling her hair manually.
Julia closed her eyes.
Gabriel continued for a moment or two before bringing his lips to her ear. “Does this please you?”
She hummed at him, her eyes still closed.
He chuckled and shook his head. She was so sweet and easy to please.
And he wanted to please her, desperately. When all the tangles had been removed, he gently stroked the brush through her hair, working slowly, section by section.
Never in her wildest dreams had Julia imagined Gabriel as a hairdresser.
But there was something instinctual about the way he touched her, and the feeling of his long fingers coaxing her hair made her skin warm. She could only imagine the joys that awaited her in Florence when she would be able to enjoy all of him. Naked. She crossed her legs quickly.
“Am I enticing you, Miss Mitchell?” his honeyed voice whispered.
“No.”
“Then I must not be doing this correctly.” He restrained a chuckle and slowed his movements through her hair, pressing his lips to the edge of her ear. “Although my true purpose is to make you smile.”
“Why are you so kind to me?”
His fingers stilled. “That’s an extraordinary question to ask your lover.”