Then she positioned him carefully and sank down, inch by inch.
Gabriel bit out a curse at the feel of her around him.
She rocked back and forth as his thumbs found her nipples again. And then she lifted herself up and brought herself down, experimenting with rhythm and depth of penetration.
She pulled his hands to her hips, one at a time, encouraging him to help her set the pace. But Gabriel was only too eager to let her lead and to watch her, eyes half-closed in pleasure.
Her palm found his chest, careful not to touch the tattoo that was healing. The face of Dante, leaning against Beatrice, gazed up at her. As if she were a promise ready to be fulfilled.
She closed her eyes. The feelings were too intense. One more ascent and she was falling, falling. Gabriel lifted his hips, increasing the pace, chasing after her.
He pulled her down as he thrust up and she felt him jerk inside her. She opened her eyes to see his gaze meet hers. His chest tensed beneath her palm.
She relaxed atop him and his body slowly softened.
A lazy smile passed over his face. “I’d like to be awakened like that every morning. Look at you—a beautiful, fierce goddess of love, who never takes except she gives tenfold more. Let me be your servant in love and desire.”
“Gabriel.” She touched his face.
“And you did all of that with an injured ankle.” He grinned wickedly.
Before she could answer she was pinned beneath him and he was settling between her hips. He lifted her arms above her head.
“Now it’s my turn, goddess. Let’s see what you can do without any hands.”
She laughed until he took her mouth.
“My Beatrice,” he whispered.
Chapter Forty-Four
December 21, 2012
Julia was dreaming.
In itself, this was not an unusual occurrence. She had dreamed vividly throughout her pregnancy but found her sleep deep and dreamless after she brought Clare home from the hospital.
In the wee hours of the morning, while Clare slept soundly in the nursery, Julia dreamed she was back at St. Joseph’s University, walking down the hall to the room she shared with Natalie, a fellow undergraduate.
It was Julia’s birthday. She was supposed to celebrate it with her boyfriend but forgot her camera. Walking down the hall, she felt happy and excited.
In her dream, Julia knew what was about to happen. She knew what lay behind the closed door to her room. Still, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door.
Thud.
The sound of the door hitting the wall was unusually loud. Julia stared at the door, wondering why it had made such an odd sound.
Crash.
Julia’s eyes snapped open.
She was no longer in Philadelphia; she was in her bedroom in Cambridge. The night light plugged into the wall cast a gentle glow over the room.
But something wasn’t right.
Julia lifted her head and saw a man standing a few feet away, holding the reproduction of Henry Holiday’s painting in his gloved hands.
He stared straight at Julia.
The man was a behemoth—well over six feet, six inches and formed like a linebacker. His dark eyes were flat, emotionless.
He took a step in her direction.
Julia screamed.
Chapter Forty-Five
Gabriel awoke immediately, confused. He’d fallen asleep at his desk in his study.
He stumbled to his feet, not bothering to figure out why he wasn’t in bed with his wife. Tearing open the door, he saw a large, dark figure moving down the hall. Gabriel stood between him and the nursery, where Clare was sleeping in her crib.
The figure didn’t hesitate. He rushed toward Gabriel and threw a punch, directed at his jaw.
Gabriel ducked and drove his fist into the larger man’s midsection.
The man was unfazed by the blow. He grabbed Gabriel by the shirt and threw him down, slamming him into the wall.
The man headed to the staircase but, as he passed, Gabriel grabbed his foot and twisted, bringing the man to his knees.
The man cursed in Italian and lashed out, striking Gabriel in the sternum.
Gabriel’s heart was caught midbeat. It shuddered and paused before beating irregularly. Gabriel fell back, clutching his chest.
The man stood and lumbered like a large bear down the hall.
Gabriel found he couldn’t move. He lay on his back, frozen, gazing up at the ceiling. He tried to draw breath.
“Gabriel?” Julia dashed from the bedroom, just in time to see the man disappear down the stairs.
“Clare,” Gabriel managed to rasp.
“Where is she? Did he take her?” Before Gabriel could answer, Julia ran to the nursery door and opened it.
From the doorway, Julia could see that Clare was still in her crib. Julia rushed toward her and touched the baby’s face. She stirred but didn’t wake.
“Thank God,” she breathed.
She ran back to her bedroom, picked up the cell phone, and dialed 911.
Chapter Forty-Six
Julia was glad Rebecca hadn’t been there to surprise the intruder. She was a light sleeper and awoke early some mornings. Thankfully, she’d left for Colorado the day before in order to spend the Christmas holiday with her children.
Julia was seated on the couch in the living room, holding a sleeping baby. She hadn’t wanted Clare out of her sight.
The Cambridge police were combing the house and the backyard. Gabriel was pacing nearby, having been checked and cleared by the paramedics. He’d been on his phone for the past hour.
Julia buried her face against Clare’s hair. She’d thought Gabriel was having a heart attack. He’d been pale and short of breath when she found him in the hallway. The color had returned to his face and now he was pacing like a caged lion, angry and frustrated. As if he’d roar at any moment.
Julia whispered a prayer of thanks that she still had a family and hugged Clare more tightly. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there before a pair of bare feet stood in front of her. (Parenthetically, it should be noted that even Gabriel’s feet were attractive.)
He hadn’t bothered to put on shoes and he was still wearing a pair of tartan flannel pajamas. He crouched next to her and placed a gentle hand on her neck. “Darling?”
He pushed her hair back from her face. “The company that installed the security system is sending someone immediately. According to them, the system is still armed. The intruder must have bypassed the alarm.”