“That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand. “Is that why you were so worried last night?”
He nodded.
“She misled you.”
“That’s no excuse for my behavior, before or afterward.” He cleared his throat. “She assumed we were in a relationship, but I wasn’t interested. That made it worse, of course. I graduated from being merely an animal to being an animal and an ass**le. When I saw her at Thanksgiving, I hadn’t spoken to her in years. I asked her to forgive me. She was remarkably gracious.
“I’ve always felt guilty for treating her badly. I’ve stayed away from virgins ever since.” He swallowed noisily. “Until last night.
“First times are supposed to be sweet, but seldom are. While you were worrying about pleasing me, I was worrying about pleasing you. Perhaps I was too careful, too protective, but I couldn’t have borne it if I’d hurt you.”
Julia put her breakfast aside and stroked his face. “You were very gentle and very generous. I’ve never known such joy, and that’s because you loved me with more than just your body. Thank you.”
As if to prove her point, he kissed her deeply. Julia hummed as his hands tangled through her hair, and she wrapped her arms about his neck. He slid his hands between them to the front of her robe, parting it hesitantly. He lifted his head, his eyes questioning.
She nodded.
He began whispering kisses against her neck and drew his mouth up to tug at her earlobe. “How do you feel?”
“Great,” she whispered as his lips skimmed down to her throat.
He moved so he could see her face while one of his hands traveled to rest atop her lower abdomen. “Are you sore?”
“A little.”
“Then we should wait.”
“No!”
He laughed, his lips curling up into his signature seductive smile. “Did you mean what you said last night about making love out here?”
She shivered at the way his voice inflamed her but returned his smile, winding her fingers in his hair, tugging him closer. He opened her robe and began to explore her curves with both hands before dropping his mouth to kiss her br**sts.
“You were shy with me this morning.” He pressed a reverent kiss over her heart “What changed?”
Julia brushed against the hint of a dimple in his chin. “I will probably always be a little shy about being naked. But I want you. I want you to look into my eyes and tell me you love me as you move inside me. I will remember that as long as I live.”
“I’ll keep reminding you,” he breathed.
He divested her of her robe and positioned her on her back. “Are you cold?”
“Not when you’re holding me,” she whispered, smiling. “Wouldn’t you rather have me on top? I’d like to try it.”
He threw off his robe and boxer shorts quickly and covered her body with his own, placing a hand on either side of her face. “Someone might see you out here, darling. And I can’t have that. No one gets to see this beautiful body except me.
“Although the neighbors and passersby might be able to hear you…for the next hour or so…” He chuckled as she inhaled sharply, a tremor of pleasure coursing all the way down to her toes.
He kissed her, pushing her hair away from her face. “My goal is to see how many times I can please you before I can’t hold back anymore.”
She grinned. “I like the sound of that.”
“So do I. So let me hear you.”
The blue sky blushed to see such passionate lovemaking, while the Florentine sun smiled down, warming the lovers despite the gentle breeze. Beside them, Julia’s coffee and milk grew stone cold and sullen at being ignored.
* * *
After a brief nap, Julia borrowed Gabriel’s MacBook to send an email to her father. She had two important messages in her inbox. The first was from Rachel.
Jules!
How are you? Is my brother behaving himself? Have you slept with him yet? Yes, it is COMPLETELY inappropriate for me to ask that question, but come on, if you were dating anyone else you would have told me already.
I’m not going to volunteer any advice. I’m trying not to think too much about it. Just let me know you’re happy and he’s treating you properly.
Aaron sends his best.
Love you,
Rachel.
PS. Scott has a new girlfriend. He’s been secretive about her so I’m not sure how long they’ve been dating. I keep bugging him to introduce me but he won’t.
Maybe she’s a professor.
Julia snickered, glad that Gabriel was showering and not reading over her shoulder. He’d be annoyed at his sister for posing such personal questions. She took a few moments to phrase her response before typing her reply.
Hi Rachel,
The hotel is beautiful. Gabriel has been very sweet and gave me your mother’s diamond earrings. Did you know about that?
I feel guilty about it, so please let me know if this upsets you.
As to your other question, Yes. Gabriel treats me well, and I am VERY happy.
Say hi to Aaron for me. Looking forward to Christmas.
Love, Julia. XO
PS. I hope Scott’s girlfriend is a professor. Gabriel will never let him hear the end of it.
Julia’s second email was from Paul. It could be said that he pined for her, but also he was grateful to have maintained their friendship. He would rather keep his longings to himself than to lose her entirely. And he had to admit that since she’d begun seeing her boyfriend Owen, her very skin glowed.
(Not that he would have mentioned it.)
Hey Julia,
Sorry I didn’t get the chance to say good-bye before you went home. I hope you have a good Christmas. I have a gift for you. Would you give me your address in Pennsylvania so I can send it?
I’m back at the farm trying to find time to work on my dissertation in between large family gatherings and getting up early to help my dad. Let’s just say my daily routine involves a lot of manure…
Can I bring you something from Vermont?
A Holstein of your very own?
Merry Christmas,
Paul.
P.S. Did you hear that Christa Peterson’s dissertation proposal was accepted by Emerson?
I guess Advent really is the season of miracles.
Julia stared at the computer screen, reading and re-reading Paul’s postscript. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was possible, she thought, that Gabriel accepted Christa’s proposal because she threatened him.
Julia didn’t want to bring up such an unpleasant topic during their vacation, but the news troubled her. She typed a short reply to Paul, giving him her address, then she emailed her father, telling him that Gabriel was treating her like a princess. She closed the laptop and sighed.
“That doesn’t sound like a happy Julianne.” Gabriel’s voice sounded behind her.
“I think I’m going to ignore my email for the rest of our trip.”
“Good idea.”
She turned to find him standing in front of her, wet from the shower, hair tousled, a white towel wound around his hips.
“You’re beautiful,” she blurted before thinking.
He chuckled and pulled her to her feet so he could embrace her. “Do you have a thing for men in towels, Miss Mitchell?”
“Maybe for one particular man.”
“Are you feeling all right?” He raised his eyebrows expectantly, his expression hungry.
“I’m a little uncomfortable. But it was worth it.”
His eyes narrowed. “You need to tell me if I’m hurting you, Julianne. Don’t hide things from me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Gabriel, it doesn’t hurt; it’s merely uncomfortable. I didn’t notice it during because there were other things on my mind—several other things. You were very distracting.”
He smiled and kissed her neck loudly. “You need to let me start distracting you in the shower. I’m tired of showering alone.”
“I’d like that. How are you feeling?”
He pretended to ponder her question. “Let’s see—loud, hot sex with my beloved inside and outside…Yes, I’d say I’m great.”
He hugged her close, and the cotton of her robe absorbed some of the water droplets from his skin. “I promise it won’t always be uncomfortable. In time, your body will recognize me.”
“It already recognizes you. And misses you,” she whispered.
Gabriel moved the top of her robe aside so he could kiss the slope of her shoulder. With a gentle squeeze, he walked to the bed, retrieving a bottle of ibuprofen and handing it to her.
“I have to run over to the Uffizi for a meeting, then I have to pick up my new suit at the tailor’s.” He appeared concerned. “Would you mind shopping for a dress by yourself? I’d go with you, but my meeting won’t leave me with much time.”
“Not at all.”
“If you can be ready in half an hour, we can walk out together.”
Julia followed Gabriel into the bathroom, all thoughts of Christa and Paul forgotten.
After her shower, she stood in front of one of the vanities, drying her hair while Gabriel stood at the other. She found herself glancing over at him, watching as he carried out his shaving preparations with military precision. Finally, she gave up putting on lipstick and simply leaned against the sink, staring.