lobes. She wasn’t wearing Grace’s earrings anymore. The thought

gutted him.

Her brow wrinkled as she contemplated what he’d just said.

“What’s so significant about July first?”

“Today is the day my contract in Toronto ends. It’s the day my

resignation takes effect.” He cleared his throat. “I read your emails and listened to your voice mails — all of them. But I hoped you’d

seen the book. I placed it in your mailbox myself.”

Julia was still processing his words. She wasn’t accepting his

excuses; she simply wasn’t arguing with him. At least, not yet.

“I’m sorry I missed your graduation.” He sipped a glass of water.

“Katherine sent me a few photographs.” He cleared his throat, hesitating. “You looked beautiful. You are beautiful.”

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Sylvain Reynard

He dug into his trouser pocket and produced his iPhone. Curi-

ous, she took it, setting her wine aside. As his wallpaper, Gabriel had a photograph of Julia in her graduation gown, shaking Katherine

Picton’s hand.

“From Katherine,” he explained, noting her confusion.

She scrolled through his photo album determinedly, her stom-

ach queasy. There were pictures from their trip to Italy and photos from Christmas, but Paulina was not to be found. There were no

compromising pictures of Gabriel, no images of other women. In

fact, almost al the pictures were of her, including a series of very provocative shots that he’d taken in Belize.

She was surprised. After being so convinced he wanted nothing

to do with her, the sight of his apparent regard was disorienting.

She returned his phone. “The picture that you used to keep on

your dresser, the one of us at Lobby, did you take it with you?”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Yes. How did you know?”

Julia paused for a moment as the revelation sunk in. “I noticed

it was missing when I went looking for you.”

He reached out to take her hand but once again, she withdrew.

“When I went back to my condo, I saw your clothes. Why you

didn’t take them?”

“They weren’t really mine.”

Gabriel’s eyebrows knitted together. “Of course they were yours.

They still are, if you want them.”

She shook her head.

“Believe me, Julianne, I wanted you with me. The photograph

was a poor substitute.”

“You wanted me?”

Gabriel couldn’t help himself. He gently stroked the curve of

her cheek with his thumb, inwardly relieved that she didn’t flinch.

“I never stopped wanting you.”

She moved away, leaving his hand to touch only air. Her tone

grew harsh. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be left by the person you love, not once, but twice?”

Gabriel pressed his lips together. “No, I don’t. Forgive me.”

He waited to see if she would answer him, but she didn’t.

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Gabriel’s Rapture

“So Paul gave you that sweatshirt.” He toyed with his glass. “How

is he?”

“He’s fine. Why do you care?”

“He’s my student.” Professor Emerson sounded prim.

“So was I, once,” she said bitterly. “You should email him. He

said he hasn’t heard from you.”

“So you’ve spoken with him?”

“Yes, Gabriel. I’ve spoken with him.”

Julia pulled her wet hair out of its ponytail, running her fingers delicately through the tangles.

Gabriel watched, entranced, as a cascade of dark, shiny strands

fell across her thin shoulders.

“My hair hurts,” she explained.

The corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. “I didn’t

know hair could hurt.”

He ran his fingers through her hair, and his expression changed

instantly to one of concern. “You could have been seriously injured, standing in the middle of the street.”

“I’m lucky I didn’t drop my laptop. It has all my research on it.”

“It’s my fault for surprising you. I’m sure I looked like a ghost, skulking about behind that tree.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever skulked a day in your life. And you

didn’t look like a ghost. You looked like something else.”

“Like what?”

Suddenly, Julia felt her skin flame.

He watched her cheeks take on the shade of pink he was most

familiar with. He ached to feel her blush beneath his fingers. But he was wary of pushing her.

She gestured vaguely. “Paul suggested I back up my files on a

flash drive, so if something happened to my computer I’d still have everything. But I haven’t updated it recently.”

At the second mention of his former research assistant, Gabriel

suppressed a growl and the urge to mutter a favored expletive that involved copulating carnally with celestial creatures.

He turned to her. “I thought you’d expect me to get in touch

with you once you graduated.”

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Sylvain Reynard

“What if I did, Gabriel? Graduation came and went with no

word from you.”

“As I said, I had to wait until my resignation took effect. My

contract didn’t end until July first.”

“I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t say the things I need to say while you’re sitting on my futon.”

“I see,” he said slowly.

She shifted her feet, actively resisting the overwhelming urge

to throw herself into his arms and tell him that everything was fine.

Things between them weren’t fine. And she owed it to herself, if not to him, to be honest.

“I’ve taken up enough of your evening.” He sounded defeated.

He stood, glancing at the door, then back at Julia. “I understand

if you don’t want to talk to me. But I hope you’ll give me one more conversation before you say good-bye.”

Julia straightened her shoulders. “You didn’t say good-bye with

a conversation. You said it by fucking me against a door.”

He strode toward her quickly.

“Stop it. You know my opinion of that word. Never use it in reference to us again.”

Here was the old Professor Emerson, simmering beneath Gabriel’s

chastened exterior. He’d been soft with her, so she found his change in tone jarring. But she’d been exposed to his ill temper before and discovered, at that moment, that it didn’t really trouble her. So she ignored him and stood up, prepared to escort him out.

“Don’t forget this.” She picked up his cell phone.

“Thank you. Julianne, please — ”

“How’s Paulina?”

Her question hung in the air like an arrow, poised in flight.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m wondering how often you saw her while you were gone.”

Gabriel placed his phone in his pocket. “I saw her once. I asked

for her forgiveness and wished her well.” His tone had the air of

finality.

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Gabriel’s Rapture

“Is that all?”

“Why don’t you just come out and ask the question, Julianne?”

His lips pressed into a thin, angry line. “Why don’t you ask me if I slept with her?”

“Did you?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Of course not!”

Gabriel’s answer was so swift, so vehement, Julia retreated slightly.

He was righteously indignant, his fists clenched.

“Maybe I should have been more specific. There are a lot of things a man and woman can do short of sleeping together.” She raised her chin defiantly.

Gabriel glared, forcing himself to count to ten. It would not do

for him to lose his temper now. Not when he had so far to go.

“I realize that you and I have very different views of my departure, but I assure you, I didn’t seek out other women.” His expression grew gentle. “I was alone with your pictures and my memories, Julianne.

They were poor companions, but the only other companion I wanted

was you.”

“So there wasn’t anyone else?”

“I was faithful the entire time. I swear it, on Grace’s memory.”

His oath stunned them both, and as their eyes met she saw his

sincerity. She closed her eyes. Relief began to well up inside her.

He took her hand, cradling it gently in his. “There are a lot of

things I should have told you. I’ll tell you now. Come with me.”

“I’d rather stay here,” she whispered, her voice taking on an eerie sound in the flickering darkness.

“The Julianne I remembered hated the dark.” He released her

hand. “Paulina is in Minnesota. She reconciled with her family and met someone. We agreed that I would no longer be supporting her,

and she wished us well.”

“She wished you well,” Julia muttered.

“No, she wished us well. Don’t you see? She assumed we were still together and I didn’t tell her otherwise. In my mind, you and I were still together.”

This was Gabriel’s own arrow, pointed back at her. He hadn’t

told Paulina that he was single, because in his mind, he wasn’t. The realization washed over her.

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“There’s no one else.” His voice was the soul of sincerity.

She averted her eyes. “What were you doing in front of a closed

coffee shop in the middle of the night?”

“I was working up the courage to ring your doorbell.” Gabriel

began twisting the platinum band on his left hand. “I had to convince Rachel to give me your address. She was understandably hesitant.”

Julia’s eyes dropped to his left hand. “Why are you wearing a