“Talking? At a hotel?”
“She’s upset about the turn her life has taken. Her appearance here was a desperate attempt to change direction.”
Julia began curling in on herself, drawing her knees flush against her chest.
“No, no, no,” he chanted, tugging her arms and knees away from her body, trying desperately to relax her defensive posture. “She’s gone, and she won’t be coming back. I told her again that I’ve fallen in love with you. She has my money and she has my lawyers, and that’s it.”
“That’s never been enough for her. She wants you, and she doesn’t care that you’re with me.”
He put his arms around Julia’s unyielding body. “I don’t care what she wants. I’m in love with you, and you are my future.”
“She’s beautiful. And sexy.”
“She’s malicious and petty. I saw nothing beautiful in her today.”
“You made a child together.”
He winced. “Not by choice.”
“I hate sharing you.”
Gabriel scowled. “You will never have to share me.”
“I have to share you with your past—with Paulina, with Professor Singer, with Jamie Roberts—with countless other women I’m probably going to pass on the street in Toronto.”
He set his teeth. “I’ll do my best to protect you from such embarrassing encounters in the future.”
“It still hurts.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “If I could change the past, I would. But I can’t, Julianne, no matter how badly I wish I could.”
“She gave you what I can’t.”
He leaned over her body, his hand pressing down on the mattress next to her hip. “If you were thirsty and someone offered you water from the ocean, would you drink it?”
“Of course not.”
“Why?”
She shuddered. “Because the water is salty and dirty.”
“And if someone gave you the choice between that water and a glass of Perrier, which would you choose?”
“The Perrier, of course. But I don’t see what this has to do with her.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t you?”
He moved, bringing his chest to hers, kneeling in between her legs so he could press their hips together. “You don’t see the comparison between you and her? This is my water.” He pressed himself against her again. “You are my water. Making love with you is all I need to quench my thirst. Why would I throw this away for water from the ocean?”
He moved against her as a reminder. “She has nothing to offer me.”
He lowered his face so their noses were inches apart. “And you are beautiful. Every part of you is a masterpiece, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. You’re Botticelli’s Venus and Beatrice. Do you have any idea how much I adore you? You captured my heart when I first saw you, when you were seventeen.”
Her body began to relax incrementally under his touch and his quiet words. “How was it left with her?”
“I told her that I didn’t appreciate her dropping in on me and that she was never to do it again. She took it as well as could be expected.”
Gabriel was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. “Come in!”
He rolled onto his side just as Rachel walked in.
“Dinner is on the table, and Tom and Scott are here. Are you two coming downstairs?” She looked from her best friend to her brother and back again. “Do I need to send Scott up here?”
Julia shook her head. “Did he bring his girlfriend?”
“No, she’s spending Christmas with her parents. I asked him to invite her but he gave me a big song and dance.” Rachel looked annoyed. “Do you think he’s embarrassed by us?”
“More likely he’s embarrassed by her,” said Gabriel. “She’s probably a stripper.”
“Professors in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Rachel glared at her brother and stormed out.
Julia looked puzzled. “What was that about?”
His expression tightened. “My dear sister is less than impressed with Paulina—and me.”
Chapter 9
Jt was a different Christmas Eve than any of them had ever experienced. Grace’s absence was felt most keenly by her husband and children, Aaron wished that he was already married, and Rachel wished that her chicken Kiev was even half as good as her mother’s, frozen butter or not.
After dinner, Gabriel, Tom, and Richard retreated to the back porch to smoke cigars and drink Scotch while the rest of the family enjoyed coffee in the kitchen.
“How was Italy?” Aaron asked Julia as the two of them refilled their mugs from the coffee maker.
“It was great. The weather was good, and we had a wonderful time. How are the wedding plans?”
“They’re coming along. When Rachel tried to rent one hundred doves to be released after the ceremony, I put my foot down. I think some of my gun-toting relatives might be tempted to shoot the damn things.” He winked.
“How are your parents?”