“You have it, all the same.”
“Then you’re a fool.”
His grip on her tightened. “You f**k priests and old, married men because you’re afraid. You’re afraid of what might happen if you were to sleep with someone who was unattached.”
She struggled in his arms.
“Since when did you become a psychiatrist? Don’t project your bullshit on me. At least I’m not f**king around on my wife.”
“Attenzione, Cristina.” His tone was a warning. “So who is the man you f**k tomorrow night? A priest? A professor?”
She regarded him for a moment, then traced her finger across his lower lip. “Who said it was a man?”
Giuseppe gave her a ravenous look.
“Then I expect you to share.”
Chapter Eleven
Wake up, darling.” Gabriel ran his thumb over Julia’s eyebrows. “You need to get ready.”
She buried her face in the pillow and mumbled something unintelligible.
He chuckled, thinking about how adorable she looked.
“Come on, you need to grab the shower before one of our neighbors occupies it.”
“You go first.”
“I’m already showered, shaved, and dressed, darling.” He ran the back of his hand down her naked spine, taking pleasure in the tremor that resulted.
“You kept me up too late,” she groaned.
“If you don’t get moving, Katherine will be cross with us.”
“I’m not taking a shower. I can sleep longer.”
Gabriel rolled her over and ran his nose along her collarbone, inhaling her scent.
“You smell like sex,” he whispered, flicking out his tongue to taste her skin. “And me.”
“That’s why I’m not taking a shower. We had incredible makeup sex, which I’d like to remember.”
It was all he could do not to pull the sheets off her and engage in wild, passionate (and scent-transferring) sex. But he quickly restrained his impulses.
“You can’t deliver a lecture at Oxford smelling of sex.”
“Watch me.”
Gabriel looked at his wristwatch. Then he looked at his wife.
Then he took off all his clothes and commenced in wild, passionate, scent-transferring (albeit quick) preconference sex.
The Emersons were late departing for All Souls College. On the hurried walk over, Julia told Gabriel the story of Katherine and Old Hut.
He was surprised. He knew Professor Hutton by reputation but had never met him. Apparently, he was a bit of a bastard.
(One might wonder how much of a bastard Hutton had been, given the former nature of the professor making the judgment.)
Gabriel was grateful for Professor Picton’s support and told her so over breakfast inside All Souls, expressing his hope that Christa would forgo the opportunity to make trouble for Julia at her lecture.
“Applesauce,” said Katherine. “Julianne has the situation in hand and we’d all do well to let her see to it.”
Julia smiled bravely, fidgeting with the silver necklace Gabriel had given her back in Selinsgrove.
As they entered St. Anne’s after breakfast, Gabriel wrapped an arm around Julia’s waist, hugging her.
“You look lovely. And you’re going to be fine.”
She glanced down at her navy suit and plain navy pumps. Gabriel had wanted her to wear Prada or Chanel, but she was wary of flaunting their money. She’d rather people focused on her research than her clothes. So she’d purchased a simple jacket and skirt from Ann Taylor, with modestly high-heeled shoes from Nine West. Even so, given the way some of the other conferencegoers dressed (with the exception of Christa Peterson), she felt a bit overdone.
Underneath her clothes, she knew she wore Gabriel’s scent along with the corset he’d bought for her, which bolstered her confidence considerably.
“I’m going to get a coffee. What would you like?” He smiled and released her.
“A bottle of water, please. I’d like to sit down, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. See you in there.”
Julia returned his smile and entered the lecture theater alone.
Gabriel exchanged a few pleasantries with some colleagues before he approached the refreshment table. By the time he’d poured his drink and taken a bottle of water, everyone had exited.
Or so he thought.
“Hello, Professor.”
A sultry voice behind him arrested his attention. Gabriel turned to find Christa hovering nearby like a malevolent ghost.
“What do you want?” His expression grew murderous.
“You wanted to talk yesterday. So—talk.”
Gabriel glanced around the empty room, wondering if their voices would carry into the lecture theater.
Christa stepped closer to him than was appropriate and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. When she opened them, her eyes were hungry.
“You smell like sex.”
“Don’t play games with me. I want the slander to stop.”
“That isn’t going to happen.”
“I’ll sue you.”
Something flitted across her face, but she quickly pulled her features into a relaxed smile.