phire eyes flashing, hands on hips, flaring out his open suit jacket like the plumes of an angry peacock.

He took a menacing step closer.

“I see you’ve met my fidanzata. I suggest you keep your hands to yourself, unless you’re prepared to lose them.”

Giuseppe scowled before his face smoothed out into a polite smile.

“We’ve been speaking for several minutes. She never mentioned you.”

Julia didn’t wait for Gabriel to rip Giuseppe’s arms from his sockets, thus sullying the Uffizi’s pristine floors with his blood. Instead, she stood between the two men and placed a hand on Gabriel’s chest.

“Gabriel, this is Professor Pacciani. He’s also a Dante specialist.”

A look passed between the two men, and Julia realized that

Pacciani was the man who’d rudely interrupted Gabriel’s lecture by muttering and coughing.

He lifted his hands in mock surrender.

“A thousand apologies. I should have realized from the way you

looked at her during your…speech that she was yours. Forgive me,

Simonetta.” His eyes moved to hers and rested there, his mouth parting in a sneer.

At the sound of his sarcasm, Gabriel took a step closer, his fists clenched.

“Darling, I need to find somewhere to put my glass.” Julia shook

her empty champagne flute, hoping it would distract him.

Gabriel took the glass and handed it to Pacciani. “I’m sure you

know where to put this.”

He grabbed Julia’s hand and quickly pulled her away. The guests

parted like the Red Sea in front of them as they made their way

through the Botticelli room.

Julia saw person after person stare at them and she blushed even

more deeply.

29

Sylvain Reynard

“Where are we going?”

He led her into the adjoining tiled corridor and began walking

toward the end of it, far beyond earshot of the other guests. Pushing her into a dark corner, he positioned her between two large marble statues perched high atop plinths. She was dwarfed by the towering forms.

He grabbed her purse and tossed it aside. The sound of the leather hitting the floor echoed down the corridor.

“What were you doing with him?” Gabriel’s eyes flamed, and his

cheeks were slightly red, which for him was a rare occurrence.

“We were just making small talk before he — ”

Gabriel pulled her into a searing kiss, one hand tangling in her

hair and the other sliding down her dress. The force of the contact propelled her until she felt the cold wall of the Gallery against the naked skin of her upper back. His hard body aligned with hers

forcefully.

“I don’t want to see another man’s hands on you again.”

He parted her mouth roughly, penetrating with his tongue, while

his hand slid over the curve of her backside, massaging the flesh with his fingers.

Julia realized instantly that he’d been careful with her every other time he’d touched her. He wasn’t careful now. Part of her was inflamed, desperate for him. Another part of her was wondering what

he would do if she said stop…

He lifted her left leg, pulling her thigh around his hip and pressing against her.

She felt him through the fabric of her dress, hearing the silk

taffeta rustle like a breathless woman. The dress clearly wanted more.

“What do I have to do to make you mine?” he groaned, mouth

against mouth.

“I am yours.”

“Not tonight, it seems.” He tugged her lower lip backwards into

his mouth, nipping it with his teeth. “Didn’t you understand my

lecture? Every word, every painting was for you.” His hand slid up her dress, teasing the skin of her thigh until it reached the string that stretched across her hip.

He pulled back to see her face. “No garters tonight?”

30

Gabriel’s Rapture

She shook her head.

“Then what’s this?” His fingers tugged at the very thin string.

“Panties,” she breathed.

His eyes glinted in the semi-darkness. “What kind of panties?”

“A thong.”

He smiled dangerously before pressing his lips to her ear. “Am I

to assume that you wore this for me?”

“Only for you. Always.”

Without warning, Gabriel lifted her, pressing her against the

cold wall. His lips on her neck, he pushed their hips closer. The long, thin heels of Julia’s tangerine stilettos caught the curves of his ass. He fixed her with wild, blue eyes.

“I want you. Right now.”

With one hand, he tugged at the string until it tore. Suddenly,

she found herself bare. He reached back to stuff the thong in his

jacket pocket, and her heels shifted, digging into his ass so much that he winced.

“Do you know how difficult it was for me to control myself after

the lecture? How I longed to take you in my arms? Conducting small talk was torture when all I wanted was this.

“I wish you could see how sexy you are with your back against the

wall and your legs wrapped around me. I want you like this, except I want you panting my name.”

Gabriel dipped his tongue in the hollow at the base of her throat

and Julia’s eyes closed. Her passions were struggling with her mind, which urged her to push him away and take a moment to think. In

a mood such as this, Gabriel was dangerous.

All of a sudden, Julia heard voices echoing down the hallway.

Her eyes flew open.

The sound of footsteps and merry laughter grew closer. Gabriel

lifted his head, bringing his mouth to her ear. “Don’t make a sound,”

he whispered. She could feel his lips curve up into a smile as they pressed against her.

The footsteps stopped a few feet away, and Julia heard two male

voices conversing in Italian. Her heart continued to race as she

strained her hearing for any sign of movement. Gabriel kept stroking 31

Sylvain Reynard

her gently, swallowing her sounds with his mouth. From time to time, he’d whisper sensual things to her — phrases that made her flush.

One of the male voices laughed loudly. Julia lifted her head in

surprise, while Gabriel took that opportunity to kiss her throat, nibbling at the delicate skin.

“Please don’t bite me.”

The murmuring voices echoed around them. It took a moment,

but eventually the import of her words sliced through his aroused, frantic state. He lifted his face from her neck.

With their chests pressed so tightly together, he could feel her

heart. He closed his eyes, as if entranced by its staccato rhythm. When he opened them again, most of the fire was gone.

Julia had carefully concealed Simon’s bite mark with makeup,

but Gabriel found it with his finger, tracing its perimeter lightly before kissing it. He exhaled slowly, very slowly, and shook his head.

“You’re the only woman who has ever said no to me.”

“I’m not saying no.”

He looked over his shoulder and spied two older gentlemen,

deep in conversation. They were close enough to see him if they

looked in his direction.

He turned back to Julia and gave her a sad smile. “You deserve

better than a jealous lover taking you against a wall. And I’m not in favor of being caught by our host. Forgive me.”

He kissed her and traced below her swollen lower lip with his

thumb, removing the slight smear of crimson lipstick from her pale skin.

“I’m not about to undo the trust I saw in your eyes last night.

When I’m in my right mind and we have the museum all to our-

selves…” His expression darkened as he fantasized. “Another time,

perhaps.”

He removed her heels from his backside and placed her on her

feet, leaning over to straighten the skirt of her dress. The taffeta rustled breathlessly at his touch and then forlornly, was silent.

Fortunately, Dottore Vitali and his companion chose that moment to return to the party, their footsteps growing fainter and fainter as they walked away.

32

Gabriel’s Rapture

“The banquet is supposed to begin shortly. I can’t insult them by

leaving. But when I get you home…” His eyes fixed on hers. “The

wall just inside our room will be our first stop.”

She nodded, relieved that he wasn’t angry anymore. Truthfully,

she was somewhat nervous but very excited about the prospect of

wall sex.

He adjusted himself through his trousers and buttoned up his

suit jacket, willing his body to calm. He tried to smooth his hair but only succeeded in making it look more like he had dragged his lover into a dark corner for museum sex.

Museum sex is a peculiar compunction of certain academics.

(But it should not be disdained without trying it.)

Julia fixed his hair and straightened his tie, checking his face and collar for lipstick. When she was finished, he picked up her clutch and her sweater, handing them to her with a kiss. Smirking, he adjusted her panties in his suit pocket so they were no longer visible.

She took an experimental step forward, finding the absence of

her panties surprisingly liberating.

“I could drink you like champagne,” he whispered.

She reached up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I wish you’d teach

me your tricks of seduction.”

“Only if you will teach me how to love as you love.”