His body tensed and relaxed.
And then his mouth was at her neck again, whispering kisses over the wet skin. “That was worth waiting for.”
“Yes.” She hugged him and rested her chin on his shoulder. It took her a minute to catch her breath. “Let’s just stay here.”
He kissed her nose. “All right. But I think eventually we’ll start to cook.”
“Well, let’s get out before that happens.” She toyed with his hair, winding the strands around her fingers.
His hands slipped slowly up and down her back, massaging her. “I’m not finished with you. Yet.”
“Oh, really?” She sat back, searching his eyes.
“Really. More delights await you, if you get out of the Jacuzzi.”
“Such as?”
“Such as one of the activities Dr. Rubio expressly and closed-mindedly forbade.” Gabriel brushed his nose against Julia’s. “So let’s dry off and move to the daybed.”
“I—I don’t know if I have another incredible orgasm in me.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed with the focus of a dying man. “I’ll take that as a challenge.”
He lifted her out of the water and carried her up the steps and onto the deck. Then he placed her atop the daybed, wrapped her in a dry towel, and proceeded to best his challenge.
Multiple times.
Chapter Sixty
February 4, 2013
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Julianne hadn’t left the light on.
In itself, her choice was almost inconsequential. There was a night light in the wall nearby. There were lanterns that housed flameless candles in the hall, illuminating the path to the nursery, where Clare was sound asleep in her crib. But Julianne had switched off the lamp on her nightstand when she retired for the evening. By the time Gabriel joined her in bed, after a long evening spent in his home office making his own translations of Dante from Italian into English, the master bedroom was dark.
Gabriel hovered in the doorway, surprised by the sight.
Rebecca was asleep down the hall. She’d been working tirelessly since she arrived from the airport to make the house ready for them. And she’d made lasagne for dinner, which was one of Julianne’s favorite dishes.
Aaron and Rachel had joined them, speaking enthusiastically about their new jobs. Rachel had brought a stack of Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards for Julianne, who accepted them gratefully.
And Leslie, their eagle-eyed neighbor, had greeted them with a homemade apple pie and tales of a very quiet but very alert Foster Place. The upgraded security system on the Emersons’ property seemed to have accomplished its goals.
Nevertheless, Gabriel was surprised that their first night at home after the break-in, Julianne would be sleeping so soundly, in the dark.
He approached her side of the bed and as he did, he nearly tripped over that damn pink flamingo. Julianne had posed it like a guard dog beside her bed and she’d dressed it in an I love Miami T-shirt.
The Professor skirted the lawn ornament with distaste, but he allowed himself a restrained chuckle. If Julianne was making jokes, she wasn’t mired in fear. And that relieved him. Greatly.
He kissed the top of her head and caressed her hair. Then he crossed to his own side of the bed and turned, admiring the repaired painting by Henry Holiday as it hung proudly on the wall opposite the bed.
He placed his glasses and his phone on his nightstand. He opened the drawer, simply to check that the memento mori was still there, after he’d unpacked it that afternoon. He closed the drawer, slipped into bed next to his wife, and succumbed to sleep.
Chapter Sixty-One
April 8, 2013
Magdalen College, Oxford
The wintry days of February and March soon gave way to spring.
Graham Todd emailed the fall schedule of graduate courses being offered at Edinburgh and volunteered once again to speak to Cecilia and the chair at Harvard. Julia assured him she would handle it.
On April 6, the Emersons and Rebecca arrived in London and traveled to Oxford so that Julia could attend the Dante workshop organized by Professor Wodehouse.
Gabriel had to return to London the day Julia was to deliver her paper, on the first day of the workshop. He was to record a series of interviews and commentaries on Dante for the BBC. The producer had indicated he only need be in London for three days, which meant he would return before the end of the workshop.
Even so, Julia missed him and the support his physical presence gave.
As she entered the conference room at Magdalen College, she saw it was empty, save for one person. The man in question was six foot three and had dark eyes and dark hair. He was casually dressed in a button-down shirt and jeans and carrying a jacket that had Saint Michael’s College emblazoned on the back.
“Paul.” Julia greeted him shyly. Although he’d sent a card and a gift when Clare was born, this was the first time they’d seen one another since the last time they’d both been in Oxford.
After that, Paul had written to her saying he didn’t want contact. Julia could still feel the sting of her friend’s rejection, almost two years later.
“Jules!” Paul raced toward her and picked her up in a bear hug. “How are you? It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too.” She laughed and begged him to put her down.
“Uh-oh. Is the Professor around?” He looked over her shoulder.
“No, he’s in London until Thursday.”
“Good. He won’t punch me for hugging you.” Paul embraced her once again before taking a large step back. “How was your trip?”
“It was good. Clare stayed awake almost the entire flight, but we kept her entertained. I’m still jet-lagged.” Julia smoothed her hair behind her ears. “How about you?”
“Oh, fine. I arrived yesterday. Professor Picton met me at the train station. We had dinner last night.”
“That’s great. How are your parents?”
Paul jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “They’re fine. Dad is doing less and less on the farm, because of his heart. I help out when I can. You look good. How’s the baby?”
Julia retrieved her cell phone from her messenger bag. “Can I bore you with a picture?”
“It won’t bore me. I’d like to see her.” Paul peered down at the screen. “She’s getting so big. And look at all the hair.”
“She was born with hair. I’ve been styling it.” Julia showed him a few more pictures, including a photo of Gabriel holding Clare and smiling.