Karma… her conscience cheered. She fought back a giggle, biting her lip roughly so that she didn’t behave like a schoolgirl in reaction to her momentous discovery.

Gabriel noticed her strange reaction but said nothing. He suppressed a smirk, telling himself that it was probably not the right time to joke with her about his size. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, and he knew damn well how good he looked, particularly now as he strained at attention.

All because of her.

“May I?” He came closer and ghosted his fingers over her hair, pausing for permission.

She assented, and he began to remove the pins, one by one, spilling her curls onto her shoulders. Julia closed her eyes and drank in the feeling of Gabriel’s fingers running through her hair. It reminded her of the day back at Richard’s house when he played hairdresser.

He untangled each curl lovingly, crown to end, until her tresses hung about her face like a dark curtain. He grazed the curve of her neck before his fingers found the straps of her slip. He pushed them over her shoulders.

Julia stood in a black lace bra, black lace boy shorts with attached garters, and black sheer stockings.

Erotic perfection paired with the blush of innocence.

She was truly lovely. But she was nervous under his watchful gaze. She didn’t like being stared at for long periods of time; it made her self-conscious.

So he gathered her to him and kissed her until he felt her shoulders soften.

“Julia, I would like to see all of you,” he whispered.

She nodded, and he took his time removing her stockings, releasing the catches and slowly rolling them down her legs, pausing briefly to fondle the backs of her knees again. Her labored breathing in his ear assured him that he was doing it correctly. Then he stood behind her and pressed kiss upon kiss across her shoulders before gently unfastening her bra. She pulled it forward and dropped it at their feet, thinking to herself how sexy their clothes looked together on the floor.

He took a moment to cup her breasts from behind, bringing his body flush with hers. He caressed her lightly, brushing her nipples with his thumbs as he opened his mouth to pay homage to the skin beneath her ear. Then he slid his hands to her ribs, pausing to rub them up and down before hooking his fingers in the material at her hips. He continued teasing the skin beneath her ear with his tongue as he removed her panties.

Julia was finally, gloriously, nude.

He hugged her around the waist and moved her to face him, noting the way her eyes were bent to the floor, her plump lower lip worried between her teeth. She started to fidget with her hands, and Gabriel knew she was only a moment away from covering herself.

“You are a goddess.” He freed her lip, pushing his thumb softly to the curve of her mouth before he lifted her chin. His eyes swept across her deliberately from head to toe and back up again so that she could see his admiration.

“When I am an old man and I can remember nothing else, I will remember this moment. The first time my eyes beheld an angel in the flesh.

“I will remember your body and your eyes, your beautiful face and breasts, your curves and this.” He traced his hand around her navel before dragging it lightly to the top of her lower curls.

“I will remember your scent and your touch and how it felt to love you. But most of all, I will remember how it felt to gaze at true beauty, both inside and out. For you are fair, my beloved, in soul and in body, generous of spirit and generous of heart. And I will never see anything this side of heaven more beautiful than you.”

He enveloped her in his arms, kissing her repeatedly with light kisses, trying to communicate with his lips how much he loved her. He fingered the diamonds in her ears and placed his mouth to her earlobe. “Having seen you naked, I should demand that the only thing you wear in my presence from now on are these earrings. Anything else is superfluous.”

Julia pressed a quick kiss to his lips before moving to recline on the bed, peeking over at him shyly. Gabriel had to take a deep breath and release it in order to get his bearings, for the sight of Julia naked and inviting was almost his undoing.

“Why don’t you lie on your stomach, darling? I’d like to admire your beautiful back.”

She smiled and rolled over, folding her arms and resting her head on them so she could continue to stare. He hovered above her, a pleased look on his face as he pressed a kiss to each shoulder blade.

Just like my favorite black-and-white photograph, she thought.

“You’re breathtaking, Julia, from all angles. A true work of art.” He traced a finger down her spine, pausing as she shivered under his touch, then he smoothed a hand over one of her lower cheeks.

“You changed the music,” she mused, recognizing Matthew Barber’s romantic song And You Give.

“You inspired me.”

He picked up a small bottle of sandalwood and satsuma scented massage oil and placed some of it in his hand, warming it, and began to rub her shoulders. Julia closed her eyes and sighed.

“Just feel.” Gabriel kissed her cheek and continued his gentle movements, traveling down her back unhurriedly until he was exploring the two dimples above the curve of her peerless derrière.

“These are lovely.” He pressed his lips to each dimple.

Julia flinched, so Gabriel paused. When he continued, she began to relax. After what seemed like an hour, he was whispering in her ear, coaxing her to roll over. She felt as if she was floating on a cloud. She blinked up at him, a lazy smile spreading across her face.

He reached down to nuzzle her nose with his as he moved over her, one leg between hers and one leg to the side, his elbows resting near hers.

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered, lowering himself until their bodies whispered against one another. Then he slowly began to press angel-soft kisses up and down her neck and across her collarbone while he continued his massage of the front of her body with one hand.

Julia loved the way her breasts brushed up against his hard chest and the feel of his taut abdomen against her softness — the way his strong hand slid beneath her bottom, pulling her against his hips.

“You don’t know how much I desire you,” he murmured against her neck. “How sexy you are.” He nuzzled the dip at the base of her throat, pausing to trace it with his tongue.

Without warning, Julia arched off the bed and cried out in pleasure.

Her hands found his back, and she began tracing the muscles, coming to rest on his hips, pushing down on them.

“Not yet, love.”

He worshipped her with his mouth, with lips, with the gentle nip of teeth, unhurriedly adoring his beloved’s body. She tensed when he kissed her hip bone, tasting the skin with his tongue before drawing it into his mouth.

“What’s wrong?” he murmured, as he nuzzled across her lower abdomen from one hip to the other.

“No one has ever…” She stopped, embarrassed.

He grinned wickedly against her hip, plying it with kisses and working her flesh with his tongue. Of course he never did this for you. In addition to being a motherfucker, he was also a fool.

“Sweetheart, spread your legs for me.”

Her eyes were dark and slightly cautious, but she complied. She watched as he gazed at her appreciatively, his eyes darting up to meet hers.

He smiled and gently began to pet her with his fingers. Julia moaned.

He touched her lightly at first, testing her with one finger, moving carefully. Then he stretched her with two fingers, curling them upward as his thumb began to rub tiny circles. He never took his eyes away from her face, watching for any sign of discomfort, listening to her breathing speed as his curled fingers found her spot inside. He bowed his head in admiration, bringing his lips to the top of her inner thigh, teasing her before taking the flesh into his mouth and sucking with abandon, while continuing the movements of his hand. It was an extraordinary combination.

Julia’s body bowed off the bed as she came with a cry so loud it approximated a scream. He continued touching her, but lessened his suction until she thrashed and tried to close her legs. He brought his mouth up to hers and kissed her tenderly.

“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling feather-light. It should be a crime to have such gifted fingers…andwhat a mouth…

“Did that please you?”

She nodded, breathing heavily, her eyes a little wild.

He doubted that the senator’s son had ever found her spot, and the thought made his chest swell with pride. He was looking forward to introducing her to all of the places on her body that he could bring pleasure to, one by one. He dragged his finger from her neck, circling a breast, and down to the place on her thigh where there was now a fresh mark. He pressed the newly colored skin lightly.

“Does it hurt?”

“No. But how —?”

“This part of your thigh is very sensitive. Someone who is selfish or rushed would ignore it and touch here first.” He moved his finger to pet her lightly between her legs.

She was still sensitive from her orgasm, and so she jumped. He withdrew his hand and traced her thigh again.

“Julia, the only thing that redeems my previous experiences is that I can place what I’ve learned at your service. The only woman I’m interesting in pleasing from now on is you.”

She reached up to touch his face, and he leaned his cheek against her hand, closing his eyes. She pressed her thumb against his mouth, feeling his full lower lip, and tugged him forward into a passionate kiss. He responded by placing his body over hers, and her heart quickened, thinking the moment of their union was imminent.