Julia sat facing backward on the leather sofa, resting her chin on her folded arms. The view through Gabriel’s floor-to-ceiling windows was remarkable. From her position she could see much of downtown and part of Lake Ontario. The trees of the city had changed color and were now dappled in gold and yellow and brilliant orange and red. They reminded Julia of some of the Canadian landscapes Paul had taken her to see at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
She’d volunteered to help Gabriel clean up after breakfast, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He’d kissed her forehead and asked her to relax, as if relaxing was even an option. Gazing at the Toronto skyline enabled her to focus on something beautiful while she replayed her conversation with him over and over in her head, trying to match it with their previous encounters.
How had she been so blind? And why had the Clarks hidden Gabriel’s addiction from her? They’d always treated her as if she was a member of the family. But not even Rachel had ever breathed a word about it, unless one considered what she said recently about his darkness. Did the Clarks always speak in extended metaphors like metaphysical poets? Julia would have needed a literary criticism class in order to interpret their allusions.
Gabriel leaned up against the fireplace, staring at her. She appeared remarkably at home perched on his sofa, looking out his window like a cat. But her tense shoulders telegraphed worry. He sat next to her, purposefully leaving a healthy gap between them. When she made no move to inch closer to him or even to look at him, he extended his hand.
“Please.” He smiled.
Julia took his hand reluctantly and found herself pulled to his side. He wrapped both arms around her and kissed her hair. “That’s better.”
She sighed and closed her eyes.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Gabriel felt her body relax. After all they’d discussed, he was surprised that she could relax with him. “When was the last time someone held you like this?” He began stroking her hair absentmindedly, when in reality he was anything but.
“Last night.”
He chuckled. “I seem to remember that. But before?”
“I don’t remember.” Julia’s tone was defensive, so he elected not to press her.
She’s probably starved for physical affection. Alcoholic mothers don’t have the wherewithal to look after their children. And that Simon character probably didn’t hold her—unless he was trying to take her clothes off.
The mere idea made him furious—that someone would treat her with so little care. He knew that something about their physical connection calmed her, as it did him. And that led him to believe that she had little experience with positive physical contact.
“Is this all right? Holding you like this?” he whispered against her hair.
“Yes.”
“Good.” And for effect, he traced the hairline around her face, brushing a wisp of hair back from her cheek. “So beautiful,” he whispered. “So lovely.”
They sat like that for some time until Julia decided to ask a question that she’d been wondering about. “The photo that you had over the bed, where the man is kissing the woman’s shoulder…where did you find it?”
Gabriel pressed his lips together. “I didn’t.”
“Then where—”
“Does it matter?”
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I saw it in the closet when I was looking for a sweater. It’s very beautiful.” She tried to move away from him, but he held her fast.
“Do you really think it’s beautiful?” His voice grew soft, and he lifted her chin so he could gaze into her eyes.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“And the others?”
“Not so much.”
Gabriel appeared smug. “I made them.”
“You made them?” She pulled back in surprise.
“Yes.”
“But they’re…”
“Erotic?”
“Yes.” He smiled wryly. “Is it difficult to believe that I could take a beautiful and erotic photograph, Miss Mitchell?”
“I didn’t know you were a photographer. And those aren’t regular photographs.”
“I’m not much of one, really. But they turned out nicely, I think. I have others.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. Others? “And the women?”
He shifted next to her.
“The women are, or rather were, friends of mine.”
“Models?”
“No.”
Julia crinkled her face in confusion until the answer finally dawned on her. And with eyebrows raised, she gave Gabriel a very surprised look.