“No. It feels good.” She rolled over to face him.
He slid his hand to the small of her back so he could pull her into a deep kiss.
“Julianne.” He brushed a few wisps of hair out of her eyes. “There’s something I would like to say to you.”
Her brow furrowed.
He traced a single finger across her eyebrows, smoothing out the worry lines. “Don’t frown. It’s something nice. I think.”
She looked up at him expectantly.
His eyes were large and dark and serious. “I love you.”
She blinked twice and a smile slowly crept across her face. “I love you too. I thought I was hearing things when you said it last night.”
He kissed her tenderly. “I wasn’t sure you heard me, either.”
“You know, you said it to me before.”
“When?”
“The night I rescued you from Christa. I put you to bed, and you called me Beatrice. You said that you loved me.”
He swallowed noisily. “Julianne, I’m sorry it took me so long to say it properly.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against the stubble on his chin. “Thank you.”
“No, darling. I should be thanking you. I’ve — never felt this way before.
It makes me realize how much time I’ve wasted.” Gabriel’s eyes grew sad.
Julia kissed him softly. “We both had a lot of growing up to do. It’s better this way.”
“I regret the way I treated those other women. And that I wasted my time with them. You know that, don’t you?”
“I regret being with him. But there’s nothing either of us can do about it now except be happy that we found each other.”
“I wish we could spend the day in bed.” His voice was suddenly wistful.
She laughed. “I think that would shock and scandalize your relations.”
“Most likely. Damn them.”
They both laughed until their laughter morphed into passionate kisses.
She was the first to retreat. “Can I ask you something?”
Gabriel’s jaw set. “Of course.” Don’t be too inquisitive this morning, Julianne. I can’t tell you everything in Richard’s house.
“What kind of lingerie do you like on a woman?”
Gabriel’s jaw immediately relaxed and his lips curled into a wicked smile. “You’re asking this because — you’re doing a survey?” He chuckled, taking her hand in his and pressing his lips against her knuckles.
She looked down at their conjoined hands. “I would like to go shopping before our trip. I was wondering what you — liked.”
He gave her a heated look, heavy with desire. “Julianne, I am a man.
If I were to tell you what lingerie I prefer, it would be no lingerie.” He lifted her chin so that he could see her eyes. “You’re very beautiful. When I think of being with you, I think of taking my time to admire your beauty — your face, your shoulders, your breasts, every part of you. Cream and pink and soft curves for my body to worship.”
He pushed her gently so that she was on her back and he was kneeling on either side of her hips. “I want you to wear something that would make you feel comfortable and beautiful, because that’s how I want you to feel when we’re together.” He captured her mouth and kissed her intently.
When he pulled back she eyed him impishly. “As comfortable as a Lululemon yoga outfit?”
He seemed puzzled. “I don’t know what lou lemons are, but provided they make you comfortable, I’m sure I wouldn’t object.”
She arched her neck so that she could rub the tips of their noses together. “You’re lovely, you know that? But I was serious when I asked you.
I want to choose something you’ll like.”
“I’ll like anything provided you are the one wearing it.”
He kissed her again, and this time he allowed himself the luxury of lowering his naked chest so that it was close to but not touching hers. Heat and electricity jumped between their skin, and soon Julia was breathless.
“Color?” She gasped. “Style preference?”
Now he was chuckling, and stroking her cheek as it flushed beneath his fingers. “Well, not black or red.”
“I thought those were the standard colors. They’re supposed to be seductive.”
He moved to the side so he could whisper in her ear. “You have already seduced me. I am enticed and tantalized and very, very excited.”
Now the room grew warm, and she forgot what her next question was supposed to be. Final y, she remembered. “So no black or red. Any favorite colors?”
“You’re stubborn, aren’t you? I think you would look nice in light colors — white, pink, blue. I suppose I could say I envisioned you in something classic, with your hair cascading down your shoulders. But this isn’t about me, this is about you. And I think you should choose.” He grinned.
“Of course, I might decide to purchase an item or two for you while we’re there. But for our first time, it’s all about what you want. What makes you feel special and sexy and cherished. That’s what I want because I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She smiled up at him, and he thought his heart would melt. She took his face in her hand, running a thumb across his angular jaw, and he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. When he opened his eyes, they were clear, bright, and very hungry.
She had to look away. “I need to get ready. What time do we have to leave for Philadelphia?”
He began to kiss across her collarbone from one shoulder to another.
“After — kiss — breakfast — kiss. Our flight is around dinnertime — kiss — and we have to be at the airport early.” Double kiss.
She kissed him once more and disappeared on her crutches into the hallway.
Downstairs, Richard was a whirling dervish of activity, making and serving Sunday breakfast for his hungry family. Scott was eating everything that wasn’t nailed down or claimed by anyone else, and Rachel and Aaron were poring over pictures of Philadelphia wedding reception venues on Aaron’s Blackberry.
“There they are.” Rachel greeted her brother and her best friend when they entered the kitchen.
“I need to give this back to you,” Julia whispered as she began to undo the scarf she had knotted around her neck.
“Keep it. Mom would have wanted you to have it.”
Julia pressed her friend into a grateful hug. Once again she was thankful for her generosity, and also for Grace, whose generous presence never seemed far away.
“You look happy this morning.” Scott poured Julia a glass of orange juice as she sat down.
“I am. I really am.”
“Make sure he treats you right,” he whispered, his expression serious.
“He has changed, Scott. He…loves me.” She spoke in a low voice so no one else could hear.
Scott gazed at her in surprise. “I’ll be damned,” he muttered. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, changing the subject.
“Simon was supposed to have a bail hearing yesterday. His lawyer was trying to have him released.” He looked at Julia cautiously. “I haven’t been able to find out what happened.”
It took a moment for his words to register, but when they did, she was seized with anxiety. She knocked her orange juice over accidentally, turning her breakfast into a sticky, juice soaked disaster.
She blinked rapidly as she tried to regain her composure, trying to mop up her latest mess, cursing herself for being such a bundle of nerves.
Gabriel has to be tired of watching me drop things. I am such an idiot.
Before she could stand to her feet, a hand appeared in front of her face.
Julia looked up into a pair of concerned sapphire eyes. Gabriel moved his hand slightly, encouraging her to take it. He pulled her into his side and seated her on a different bar stool, kissing her forehead quickly.
“You’re safe now,” he whispered. “I won’t let him near you.” For good measure, Gabriel rubbed her arms up and down comfortingly.
While Richard prepared another waffle, Gabriel picked up her ruined breakfast and headed to the sink.
“I’ll do that. Sit with your girl.” Scott’s voice was low and gruff at Gabriel’s elbow. “And I’m sorry.”
No one noticed the subtle exchange between the two brothers — the prodigal son and the son of constancy. Their eyes met and a look of understanding and perhaps even forgiveness passed between them. Gabriel nodded gratefully and took a seat by Julia, wrapping his arm around her waist and murmuring soothing words in her ear until she stopped shaking.
He had to get her out of Selinsgrove.
As they drove away, Julia closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
It had been an emotional morning. Saying good-bye to her adoptive family was always difficult. And saying good-bye to her father after the weekend’s events was exhausting.
“Are you sorry to leave?” Gabriel reached over to stroke her cheek.
She opened her eyes. “Part of me didn’t want to leave. Part of me couldn’t wait to put everything behind me.”
“I feel the same way.”
“What did my dad say to you when he shook your hand?”
Gabriel shifted in his seat. “He thanked me. He said he knew you could have been hurt a lot worse.” Gabriel threaded his long fingers through Julia’s, pulling her hand to his lips so that he could kiss it. “He asked me to keep an eye on his little girl. He said you were everything to him.”
That made a tear run down Julia’s cheek. She wiped it away and looked out the window. Things with her father had certainly changed.
On the flight back to Toronto, Julia cuddled up to Gabriel, eschewing her homework to rest her head on his shoulder.
“I need to make arrangements for our trip,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“When will we leave?”
“I’d planned on leaving as soon as classes were over on Friday. But if you’re coming, I’ll need to wait until after Katherine turns in your grade.
My lecture is on December tenth. Could we leave on the eighth?”
“I think so. I have to submit essays on Friday, and Katherine is expecting a draft of part of my thesis then too. I’m assuming she’ll submit my grades within a few days, so I could probably leave on the eighth. When were you planning on coming back?”
Gabriel moved his arm so that it was wrapped around her and she was resting her head against his shoulder. “Rachel is adamant about having everyone home for Christmas. That includes you. So we would have to leave Italy on the twenty-third or the twenty-fourth and bypass Toronto for Philadelphia. Unless you’d rather spend Christmas in Italy, with me.”
Julia laughed. “Not at the risk of incurring the wrath of Rachel. And my dad is expecting me, even though he knows I can’t stay at his house.”
She shivered involuntarily.
Gabriel squeezed her. “Then you can stay with me. We’ll reserve a room at a hotel. I’m not sleeping across the hall from you ever again.”