Grace loved Julia liked a daughter and always considered her part

of their family. Perhaps someday Gabriel would make Julia part of

their family officially…

Gabriel and Tom exchanged polite greetings, and Gabriel picked

up Julia’s Christmas gift from Paul. To his credit, he resisted the urge to say something snide and carried the box without comment.

As the trio approached the door, Officer Roberts walked in. She

was wearing her uniform.

“Hello, Jamie.” Gabriel smiled, but his body tensed.

“Hi, Gabriel. Home for Christmas?”

“That’s right.”

Gabriel’s Rapture

She greeted Julia and Richard, and turned back to Gabriel, notic-

ing the way Julia’s arm was tucked into his elbow.

“You look good. You look happy.”

“Thank you. I am.” He smiled genuinely.

Jamie nodded. “I’m happy for you. Merry Christmas.”

Julia and Gabriel thanked her and quietly exited the restaurant,

reflecting privately on the way forgiveness made certain burdens

lighter.

As they walked through the front door of the Clark house, Gabriel

was plotting with Richard to enjoy Scotch and cigars on the patio.

Julia was still feeling a little shell-shocked from her confrontation with Natalie, but she was so relieved to be home that she pushed

all thoughts of her afternoon aside. She disappeared into the living room while Gabriel and Richard hung up their coats.

“Sweetheart? Can I take your jacket?” Gabriel called. When she

didn’t answer, he followed her.

His next question died in his throat as he skidded to a stop. His

beloved Julianne was frozen like a statue, staring at a woman who

was sitting in the living room with Aaron and Rachel. Instinctively, Gabriel gripped Julia’s waist and drew her backward to his chest.

He watched as the woman rose gracefully from her seat and

floated over to them. She moved like a ballerina or a princess, a

subtle air of old money clinging like perfume to her every movement.

She was tal , almost the same height as Gabriel, with long, straight blond hair and large, ice-blue eyes. Her skin was flawless, and she was model thin except for her generous and perfect breasts. She

wore knee-high black suede stiletto boots, a black wool pencil skirt, and a pale blue cashmere sweater that hung provocatively off of her alabaster shoulders.

She was beautiful. And imperious. She took one look at the

way Julia was tucked under Gabriel’s arm and arched her back like

a Russian blue cat.

“Gabriel, darling. I’ve missed you!” Her voice was rich and clear, with just a hint of a British accent. She embraced him tightly.

Julia wriggled away from them, none too keen to engage in a

group hug.

“What are you doing here?” A myriad of emotions flashed across

Gabriel’s face as she pressed her full pink lips to both of his cheeks.

81

Sylvain Reynard

She kissed him slowly, oozing sensuality. To add insult to injury, she wiped her lipstick stain from his skin, chuckling softly as if it were a private joke.

His eyes fled to Julia’s, and she returned his gaze, eyes tinged

with disappointment.

Before he could say anything, Richard cleared his throat and

stepped forward. She brushed his proffered hand aside and hugged

him.

“Richard. A pleasure as always. I was so sorry to hear about Grace.”

He graciously accepted her embrace and walked over to Julia to

assist her with her coat. After he’d hung it up, he quietly persuaded Aaron and Rachel to join him in the kitchen, denying Paulina her

audience.

“I didn’t know you had two sisters.” She acknowledged Julia’s

existence with a frosty smile. She towered over Julia, who was wearing plain flat shoes, jeans, and a black cardigan. Beside her, Julia felt dowdy and small.

“I have only one sister and you know it,” Gabriel snapped. “Why

are you here?”

Julia came to herself and bravely extended her hand, before Ga-

briel made a scene. “I’m Julia. We spoke on the phone.”

Paulina kept a tight rein on her facial expression, but Julia saw

what she was attempting to conceal — the cold flames of resentment.

“Really?” she laughed artfully. “Surely you can’t expect me to keep track of all the girls who’ve answered Gabriel’s phone over the years.

Unless you were one of the girls I spoke with when I interrupted a ménage? Remember that night, Gabriel?”

Julia withdrew her hand as if she’d been smacked.

“I expect an answer to my question,” Gabriel spoke, his voice

stiff and cold as a frozen lake. “Why are you here?”

Julia tried to step away. The verbal picture Paulina had painted

repulsed her, and she wasn’t sure she could stomach the answer, whatever it might be. Gabriel caught Julia’s arm, pleading with her with his eyes not to flee.

“I came to see you, of course. You wouldn’t return my calls, and

Carson said that you’d be with your family.” Paulina sounded irritated.

“Are you on your way to Minnesota?”

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Gabriel’s Rapture

“You know my parents don’t speak to me. Anyway, Gabriel, I need

to talk to you.” She gave Julia a venomous look. “Alone.”

Gabriel was conscious of the fact that the kitchen was still within hearing range of the living room. He took a step closer to Paulina, his voice hovering above a whisper.

“Allow me to remind you that you are a guest. I won’t tolerate

your disrespect for anyone, especially Julianne. Do you understand?”

“You never treated me like a guest when you were in my mouth,”

Paulina muttered, eyes flashing.

Julia inhaled sharply, her stomach rolling. If she’d met Paulina a few weeks ago, the encounter would have been awkward and uncomfortable. But meeting her now, after having spent hours in Gabriel’s bed, was incredibly painful.

Paulina knew what it was like to be intimate with him. She

knew his sounds, his smell, the look on his face when he climaxed.

She was taller, more sophisticated, and far more beautiful. And it was clear that unlike Julia, she had no hesitation about performing oral sex. Furthermore, and far more damaging, she’d created a child with Gabriel, something he was now unable to do with anyone else.

Julia tore herself from Gabriel’s grasp, turning her back on the

former lovers. She knew it would be better if she and he maintained a united front. She also knew it would be better to stand her ground rather than retreat. But her spirit had taken a beating at Kinfolks restaurant, and she no longer had the energy to fight. Emotionally exhausted, she shuffled up the stairs without a backward glance.

Gabriel watched her walk away, and he felt his heart plummet

to the soles of his feet. He wanted to go after her, but there was no way he was going to leave Paulina alone with his father and sister. He excused himself for a moment, disappearing into the kitchen to tell Rachel that Julia had fallen ill and to ask if she would check on her.

Rachel climbed the staircase and found Julia exiting the wash-

room on the second floor. “Are you all right?”

“No. I need to lie down.”

When Rachel obligingly opened the door to Gabriel’s old room,

Julia disdained it and walked across the hall to enter the guest room.

Rachel watched as her friend slowly removed her shoes, placing them on the rug next to the bed.

“Can I get you an aspirin or something?”

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Sylvain Reynard

“No. I just need to rest.”

“Who is that woman? And why is she here?”

Julia spoke through clenched teeth. “You need to ask your brother.”

Rachel’s hand tightened on the doorknob. “I will. But the fact

that I don’t know who she is tells me something. She can’t have been very important if Gabriel never brought her home.” She turned to

leave. “That should tell you something too.”

Julia reclined on the bed, hoping that sleep would take her quickly.

P

Gabriel walked into the kitchen three hours later and found

Aaron and Rachel engaged in an argument over the correct way to

make Grace’s famous chicken Kiev.

“I’m telling you, you need to freeze the butter first. That’s the way your mom used to do it.” Aaron sounded exasperated.

“How do you know? She didn’t say anything about freezing the

butter.” Rachel gestured to the recipe card.

“Grace always froze the butter,” said Gabriel, frowning. “She

probably assumed everyone would know that. Where’s Julia?”

Rachel turned on him, wielding a very large wire whisk. “Where

have you been?”

His jaw tightened. “Out. Where is she?”

“Upstairs. Unless she decided to go back to her father’s house.”

“Why would she do that?”

Rachel turned her back on her brother and resumed beating

a few eggs. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you went out with

one of your ex-girlfriends and left her for three hours. I hope Julia dumps your ass.”

“Honey…” Aaron reproved her, touching her shoulder.

“Don’t.” She pushed his hand away angrily. “Gabriel, you’re lucky

Scott isn’t here. Because he’d have dragged you outside by now.”

Aaron frowned. “What about me? I could drag Gabriel outside,

if I wanted to.”