Gabriel's Inferno

Chapter 34

Julia reclined on her back on the terrace’s banquette, staring up blissfully into Gabriel’s sparkling eyes. He’d divested himself of his suit jacket and loosened his tie, but refused to remove it, remembering how arousing it had been when Julia tugged on it at the Ponte Santa Trinita.

She was captivated by him — his nose, his cheekbones, his angular jaw, his magnificent blue eyes under dark brows, and the chest hair that peeked out over the top of his white t-shirt beneath his open collar.

He was on his side facing her, resting his head on his upturned arm, his right leg crooked at the knee, pouring champagne. They toasted their love and partook of Gabriel’s favorite vintage of Dom Pérignon before he leaned over to capture her lips with his.

“I’d like to feed you,” he murmured.

“Yes, please.”

“Close your eyes,” he said. “Just taste.”

Julia trusted him, so she shut her eyes and felt something nudge against her lower lip; then it was inside her mouth, all chocolate and juicy sweet strawberry and the feel of Gabriel’s thumb brushing across her heated flesh. Opening her eyes, she grabbed him by the wrist, pulling his thumb slowly into her mouth.

His eyes widened, and he groaned. She drew his thumb across her tongue, touching it lightly, and sucking on it determinedly, before swirling across its tip to savor any remaining chocolate. Gabriel groaned a second time at the way Julia looked up at him through her eyelashes, staring down at her with a mixture of passion and surprise.

She released him and looked away. “I didn’t mean to get your hopes up. Thumbs are one thing, but I’m terrible at — ”

He interrupted her self-deprecation with his lips, kissing her almost roughly. He stroked up and down her neck with a single finger while he explored her mouth with his tongue. When he pulled back, his eyes had a fire in them.

“I don’t want you to put yourself down anymore. I won’t hear it. What we have is ours alone. Don’t prejudge yourself or me or what the two of us can be together.” He gave her a light peck on the cheek as if to soften his severe tone and brushed his lips against her ear.

“And I have no doubt that you are excellent at that. A mouth as gifted as yours could never disappoint.” He winked at her impishly.

She flushed as red as the fruit but didn’t respond.

He returned to feeding her strawberries dipped in chocolate, interspersed with small sips of champagne, until she declined any further dessert so that she could return the favor.

Picking up a fork, she loaded it with tiramisu and arched an expectant eyebrow at him. “Close your eyes.”

Gabriel did as he was told, and she delicately slipped the fork between his lips. He hummed loudly, for the dessert was very good. Better still was the pleasure of being fed by his beloved. She was preparing to serve him another piece when he interrupted her.

“I think you forgot something, Miss Mitchell.” His tongue swept across his lower lip.

He grasped her hand, dragging two of her fingers through a small portion of the dessert and drawing those same fingers languorously into his mouth. As usual he was unhurried, drawing gently on each finger, gliding his tongue up and down before sucking on them from root to tip.

As Gabriel adored her fingers with his mouth, Julia’s body cried out for him. She couldn’t help but imagine his most talented tongue dipping into her navel and lower down, where no one’s mouth had ever been…

“Are you happy, love?”

Julia opened her eyes and blinked. “Yes.” Her voice was shaky.

“Then kiss me.”

She pulled him by his tie, just as he’d hoped, and he complied gladly, rolling so that he was almost on top of her, his knee between her thighs.

He was warmth and wet kisses and long fingers that stroked up and down her ribs and down to her bottom, cupping it firmly. She felt the heat of his chest through his shirt as it pressed up against her breasts, and his hardness against her thigh, and she wanted more, more…on top, in between, inside…

Gabriel pulled back and took her hand in his, kissing the back of it.

“Come to bed.”

“You can have me here.”

He furrowed his brow at first, and after his smile returned he kissed her nose. “Oh, no. I want you in my bed. Besides, it’s chilly out here, and I can’t have you catching pneumonia.”

She looked slightly disappointed.

He hastened to comfort her. “If you still feel the same way, we’ll revisit it tomorrow. But for tonight, we should be behind closed doors. I’ll meet you inside. Take all the time you need.”

He kissed her with restraint and watched her very fine derrière as she walked across the terrace and into the bedroom. He leaned back on the banquette and threw his arm over his face, unashamedly adjusting himself more than once through his navy wool trousers. The anticipation was killing him. He’d never been this excited before, so ready to spread her out before him and take her with abandon. But that was precisely what he would not allow himself to do.

Not tonight.

How had he ever thought that fucking some woman he didn’t even know in one of the washrooms at Lobby was exciting? How had he believed that nameless, faceless orgasms would ever satisfy him? He’d spent his life worshipping at the altar of a silent, absent god who promised everything but delivered something fleeting that always left him wanting. He’d trafficked in lust masquerading as eros. But nothing had been further from reality.

Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.

Everything had changed since he found Julia again, and especial y since he’d fallen in love with her. She’d broken him open and taken his emotional virginity, but she had done so patiently and gently. He would give her nothing less.

While Gabriel pondered the ways in which he could worship her, Julia was leaning against the vanity in the bathroom trying to catch her breath.

Gabriel’s sensuous foreplay was the equivalent of a scorched earth seduction.

There was no going back. There was no slowing the tremendous, irresistible pull they felt toward each other.

Oh God, how I want him.

She studied herself in the mirror as she fixed her hair and makeup and brushed her teeth. Minty fresh and freshened up, she reached for her nightgown and robe, only to discover that in her passion-soaked haze, she’d entered the wrong room. Her lingerie was in the other bathroom.

Merda.

She could take off her clothes and wrap herself in one of the Turkish robes hanging behind the door. But that would rather defeat the purpose of purchasing lingerie. She could try to sneak into the other bathroom, but that would mean crossing through the bedroom, and Gabriel was sure to have come in from the terrace by now. No doubt he was reclining on the bed, like King Solomon in all his glory.

Julia trembled with anticipation at the mere idea. Should I take a shower first and just wander out there in a towel? Should I strip down to my panties?

As her brain stalled on how best to make her entrance, Gabriel tidied the terrace and moved everything inside. He placed the pillar candles around the room, grouping several of them by the bed. He adjusted the music so that a playlist he’d created solely for that night filled the air. He’d entitled the playlist Loving Julia and was more than a little proud of it. He placed a few personal items on the nightstand and turned out all the lights.

Then he waited.

And waited. But she didn’t appear. He began to worry.

He walked over to the bathroom and pressed his ear against the door.

He could hear nothing, not even the sounds of running water or the rustling of silk. His heart leaped into his throat. What if she was afraid? Or upset?

What if she locked me out?

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

He was surprised to be so invited. He opened the door carefully and peeked inside. Julia was standing in front of the mirror, looking shy. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just — Gabriel, will you hold me? I had all these plans, and then I came in here and froze and…” She rushed over to him.

His face wore a concerned expression. “It’s only me, love. Maybe I’ve overdone it.”

She shook her head and pressed her face to his chest. “No, I’m over-thinking things, as usual.”

“Then think about how much you are loved, my sweet, sweet girl.

Tonight I will show you just how much.”

He kissed her tenderly, and when she smiled up at him and nodded, he picked her up to carry her to the bed.

Julia wasn’t afraid. She thought she might be, but as Gabriel held her in his arms, pausing with each step to kiss her, her nerves began to relax.

She loved him. She wanted him. And she knew that he wanted her too.

He placed her on the edge of the bed and looked down on her with kindness. Julia’s breathing stilled; that was the look he had given her in the orchard. In their orchard. Now she wanted him even more.

“You turned the lights out,” she said.

“You have beautiful skin. It will be particularly alluring by candlelight.”

He kissed her forehead. “A figure such as yours would have inspired cave-men to carve on walls.” He kneeled in front of her and slowly removed her high heels.

“Are you sure?” she whispered.

He sat back and looked up at her, pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Only if you are, love.”

She smiled. “I meant — about the shoes. I could keep them on.”

The thought thrilled him. He couldn’t deny it. But he worried about her comfort, and there would be plenty of time for other, more playful moments.

“I shouldn’t have let you navigate the cobblestones in such high heels.

It had to be painful. No shoes tonight.”

He caressed her feet slowly, running his thumb up and down the arch of her foot, a move designed to relax but also to arouse her. She began to whimper; it felt so good. She wondered briefly how his thumb would feel on other parts of her body, and a shiver coursed up and down her spine.

Gabriel paused. “You’re quivering. We don’t have to do this.”

“It’s a pleasant kind of quivering,” she murmured.

He continued to caress her feet for a few minutes before his hands ascended the backs of her calves to rest behind her knees. His magical fingers teased the hidden erogenous zone, almost making her cry out. She couldn’t keep her eyes open as her breathing came quicker.

He knows a woman’s body the way…somebody knows something. What was I saying?

In truth, he knew her body better than she knew it herself, which was a regrettable state of affairs. Nevertheless, she trembled as she thought of what delights awaited her when he actually moved his hands a little higher.

As if he was reading her mind, he ceased his attentions to her knees and moved his hands up to her thighs, pressing and parting them slightly so he could run his thumbs up and down, pausing before coming to the tops of her stockings. He was trying his best to take his time, making sure that she enjoyed every movement, ensuring that he skipped nothing.

“Gabriel, please don’t sit on the floor.” She reached her hand out to him, and he kissed it.

“The whole evening is a gift. Simply accept it.” A smile tugged at the edge of his oh-so-perfect lips. “St. Francis of Assisi would approve.”

“But I want to make you happy too.”

“You’ve already made me happy, Julia. More than you know. Would it help if I confessed that I’m nervous too?”

“Why would you be nervous?”

“I want to please you. I haven’t been with a virgin since I lost my virginity and that was a long, long time ago. We’re going to take this slowly. I want you to relax and be as comfortable as possible. And if you’re ever — uncomfortable, I want you to tell me. Immediately. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course.”

“I care for you — you’re precious to me. And one of the most precious things to me is your voice. Please tell me what you want, what you need, what you desire…” His voice grew raspy on the final three words, and an involuntary tremor passed through Julia’s body.

She leaned down to press her lips against his. “What I desire is for you to stop kneeling to me, Gabriel. So get up off the floor.” She tried to look fierce, but he simply grinned at her.

Hello, Tiger…

“Give me a minute, and I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the nearest washroom, and Julia could hear the sounds of the water running in the sink.

He returned momentarily to find her standing up and reaching around to the back of her dress. His hands immediately moved to cover hers.

“I’d like to do that.” His voice was husky.

He unzipped her dress slowly, staring deeply into her eyes. Then he gently pushed the green silk off her shoulders. It made a sighing sound as it floated to the floor, as if it too, had been seduced by him.

Julia stood in an ivory satin slip, whose hem ghosted the top of her gartered black stockings. Gabriel gasped at the sight of her, for she looked like an angel. A brown-eyed angel with dark upswept hair against creamy white skin, wearing an ivory slip over black lace under things. A juxtaposition of virtue and the possibility of eros.

He reached out an explorative finger to touch one of the garters. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

Julia blushed. “I know you didn’t want black, but truthfully, I wasn’t expecting you to see me in these. I thought I was going to change.”

“Hey.” He gently lifted her chin and caressed her colored cheek. “You are stunning. And I never said I didn’t like black. But if you want to change, I’ll wait.”

He gazed down at her expectantly, but she shook her head. She’d waited long enough. She ran her hands up and down his powerful chest before pulling him toward her by his tie. She kissed him deeply and slowly unknotted it, trying to be as sinuous as possible, sliding it around the back of his neck and dropping it unceremoniously to the floor. She attended to the buttons on his shirt, making short work of them and placing it and his t-shirt on top of his tie. While he stood before her, half-naked, she pressed her mouth to his chest, wrapping both arms around his upper back so she could feel the muscles in his shoulders and lower down.

“I can feel your heart beating,” she whispered.

“For you,” he said, with a smoldering expression.

She smiled as she touched his abdominals and waist. His skin was warm, much warmer than hers, and oh, so inviting. Unbuckling his belt and unfastening his trousers was slightly nerve wracking, but he placed a steadying hand over hers and helped her when they refused to cooperate.

When he stood in front of her in his boxer briefs, having already kicked off his shoes and socks, she took a deep breath, waited for his nod, and pushed his underwear over his hips.

She took a step backward to admire him. She licked her lips and grinned. Widely. Gabriel was gorgeous.

It was probably genetic, or maybe it was a gift from the gods, or a combination of both, enhanced by his diet and exercise. But as her eyes wandered over his muscular body and well-defined abdominal muscles, something inside her warmed and melted. She felt heat rushing to her womb and farther down, especially as she noticed the V that extended from his hips. He was a modern version of Michelangelo’s David, but with far finer proportions and unspeakably beautiful hands. Perhaps it was in poor taste, but she was more than a little smug when she realized how much larger he was than him.

Karma… her conscience cheered. She fought back a giggle, biting her lip roughly so that she didn’t behave like a schoolgirl in reaction to her momentous discovery.

Gabriel noticed her strange reaction but said nothing. He suppressed a smirk, telling himself that it was probably not the right time to joke with her about his size. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, and he knew damn well how good he looked, particularly now as he strained at attention.

All because of her.

“May I?” He came closer and ghosted his fingers over her hair, pausing for permission.

She assented, and he began to remove the pins, one by one, spilling her curls onto her shoulders. Julia closed her eyes and drank in the feeling of Gabriel’s fingers running through her hair. It reminded her of the day back at Richard’s house when he played hairdresser.

He untangled each curl lovingly, crown to end, until her tresses hung about her face like a dark curtain. He grazed the curve of her neck before his fingers found the straps of her slip. He pushed them over her shoulders.

Julia stood in a black lace bra, black lace boy shorts with attached garters, and black sheer stockings.

Erotic perfection paired with the blush of innocence.

She was truly lovely. But she was nervous under his watchful gaze. She didn’t like being stared at for long periods of time; it made her self-conscious.

So he gathered her to him and kissed her until he felt her shoulders soften.

“Julia, I would like to see all of you,” he whispered.

She nodded, and he took his time removing her stockings, releasing the catches and slowly rolling them down her legs, pausing briefly to fondle the backs of her knees again. Her labored breathing in his ear assured him that he was doing it correctly. Then he stood behind her and pressed kiss upon kiss across her shoulders before gently unfastening her bra. She pulled it forward and dropped it at their feet, thinking to herself how sexy their clothes looked together on the floor.

He took a moment to cup her breasts from behind, bringing his body flush with hers. He caressed her lightly, brushing her nipples with his thumbs as he opened his mouth to pay homage to the skin beneath her ear. Then he slid his hands to her ribs, pausing to rub them up and down before hooking his fingers in the material at her hips. He continued teasing the skin beneath her ear with his tongue as he removed her panties.

Julia was finally, gloriously, nude.

He hugged her around the waist and moved her to face him, noting the way her eyes were bent to the floor, her plump lower lip worried between her teeth. She started to fidget with her hands, and Gabriel knew she was only a moment away from covering herself.

“You are a goddess.” He freed her lip, pushing his thumb softly to the curve of her mouth before he lifted her chin. His eyes swept across her deliberately from head to toe and back up again so that she could see his admiration.

“When I am an old man and I can remember nothing else, I will remember this moment. The first time my eyes beheld an angel in the flesh.

“I will remember your body and your eyes, your beautiful face and breasts, your curves and this.” He traced his hand around her navel before dragging it lightly to the top of her lower curls.

“I will remember your scent and your touch and how it felt to love you. But most of all, I will remember how it felt to gaze at true beauty, both inside and out. For you are fair, my beloved, in soul and in body, generous of spirit and generous of heart. And I will never see anything this side of heaven more beautiful than you.”

He enveloped her in his arms, kissing her repeatedly with light kisses, trying to communicate with his lips how much he loved her. He fingered the diamonds in her ears and placed his mouth to her earlobe. “Having seen you naked, I should demand that the only thing you wear in my presence from now on are these earrings. Anything else is superfluous.”

Julia pressed a quick kiss to his lips before moving to recline on the bed, peeking over at him shyly. Gabriel had to take a deep breath and release it in order to get his bearings, for the sight of Julia naked and inviting was almost his undoing.

“Why don’t you lie on your stomach, darling? I’d like to admire your beautiful back.”

She smiled and rolled over, folding her arms and resting her head on them so she could continue to stare. He hovered above her, a pleased look on his face as he pressed a kiss to each shoulder blade.

Just like my favorite black-and-white photograph, she thought.

“You’re breathtaking, Julia, from all angles. A true work of art.” He traced a finger down her spine, pausing as she shivered under his touch, then he smoothed a hand over one of her lower cheeks.

“You changed the music,” she mused, recognizing Matthew Barber’s romantic song And You Give.

“You inspired me.”

He picked up a small bottle of sandalwood and satsuma scented massage oil and placed some of it in his hand, warming it, and began to rub her shoulders. Julia closed her eyes and sighed.

“Just feel.” Gabriel kissed her cheek and continued his gentle movements, traveling down her back unhurriedly until he was exploring the two dimples above the curve of her peerless derrière.

“These are lovely.” He pressed his lips to each dimple.

Julia flinched, so Gabriel paused. When he continued, she began to relax. After what seemed like an hour, he was whispering in her ear, coaxing her to roll over. She felt as if she was floating on a cloud. She blinked up at him, a lazy smile spreading across her face.

He reached down to nuzzle her nose with his as he moved over her, one leg between hers and one leg to the side, his elbows resting near hers.

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered, lowering himself until their bodies whispered against one another. Then he slowly began to press angel-soft kisses up and down her neck and across her collarbone while he continued his massage of the front of her body with one hand.

Julia loved the way her breasts brushed up against his hard chest and the feel of his taut abdomen against her softness — the way his strong hand slid beneath her bottom, pulling her against his hips.

“You don’t know how much I desire you,” he murmured against her neck. “How sexy you are.” He nuzzled the dip at the base of her throat, pausing to trace it with his tongue.

Without warning, Julia arched off the bed and cried out in pleasure.

Her hands found his back, and she began tracing the muscles, coming to rest on his hips, pushing down on them.

“Not yet, love.”

He worshipped her with his mouth, with lips, with the gentle nip of teeth, unhurriedly adoring his beloved’s body. She tensed when he kissed her hip bone, tasting the skin with his tongue before drawing it into his mouth.

“What’s wrong?” he murmured, as he nuzzled across her lower abdomen from one hip to the other.

“No one has ever…” She stopped, embarrassed.

He grinned wickedly against her hip, plying it with kisses and working her flesh with his tongue. Of course he never did this for you. In addition to being a motherfucker, he was also a fool.

“Sweetheart, spread your legs for me.”

Her eyes were dark and slightly cautious, but she complied. She watched as he gazed at her appreciatively, his eyes darting up to meet hers.

He smiled and gently began to pet her with his fingers. Julia moaned.

He touched her lightly at first, testing her with one finger, moving carefully. Then he stretched her with two fingers, curling them upward as his thumb began to rub tiny circles. He never took his eyes away from her face, watching for any sign of discomfort, listening to her breathing speed as his curled fingers found her spot inside. He bowed his head in admiration, bringing his lips to the top of her inner thigh, teasing her before taking the flesh into his mouth and sucking with abandon, while continuing the movements of his hand. It was an extraordinary combination.

Julia’s body bowed off the bed as she came with a cry so loud it approximated a scream. He continued touching her, but lessened his suction until she thrashed and tried to close her legs. He brought his mouth up to hers and kissed her tenderly.

“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling feather-light. It should be a crime to have such gifted fingers…andwhat a mouth…

“Did that please you?”

She nodded, breathing heavily, her eyes a little wild.

He doubted that the senator’s son had ever found her spot, and the thought made his chest swell with pride. He was looking forward to introducing her to all of the places on her body that he could bring pleasure to, one by one. He dragged his finger from her neck, circling a breast, and down to the place on her thigh where there was now a fresh mark. He pressed the newly colored skin lightly.

“Does it hurt?”

“No. But how —?”

“This part of your thigh is very sensitive. Someone who is selfish or rushed would ignore it and touch here first.” He moved his finger to pet her lightly between her legs.

She was still sensitive from her orgasm, and so she jumped. He withdrew his hand and traced her thigh again.

“Julia, the only thing that redeems my previous experiences is that I can place what I’ve learned at your service. The only woman I’m interesting in pleasing from now on is you.”

She reached up to touch his face, and he leaned his cheek against her hand, closing his eyes. She pressed her thumb against his mouth, feeling his full lower lip, and tugged him forward into a passionate kiss. He responded by placing his body over hers, and her heart quickened, thinking the moment of their union was imminent.

Once again, she grasped his beautiful behind, urging him closer. He smiled patiently and pushed back on one arm. “This isn’t a good position.

I need to move you.”

“I thought — me underneath you, isn’t that right?”

“It’s the worst position to lose your virginity in,” he explained, planting baby kisses across her shoulder.

“I think I’ll like it.”

Gabriel pulled back. “Not for your first time; it would be too easy for me to hurt you without realizing it.”

Hurt? she thought.

His heart stuttered at the worry that flitted across her eyes. He placed his hands on either side of her face. “I am not going to hurt you, Julianne. I am not a teenage boy. I’m not him. I’m going to be very, very gentle. That’s why we can’t do it like this.”

“Why?”

“The angles. My weight on top of you, even if I’m distributing it to my knees. Gravity. If you’re on top, you can control the movements, the depth of penetration. I’m giving the control to you. Trust me,” he breathed, kissing her ear.

He continued to caress her, murmuring adorations against her smooth, almost translucent skin. Then he wrapped his arms around her back, lifting her from the bed and switching positions so that he was flat on his back and she lay on top of him.

As she rested on his chest, he whispered Dante’s words to her in Italian:

“Color di perle ha quasi in forma, quale convene a donna aver, non for misura;

ella è quanto de ben pò far natura;

per esemplo di lei bieltà si prova.

De li occhi suoi, come ch’ella li mova, escono spirti d’amore inflammati,

che fèron li occhi a qual che allor la guati, e passan sì che ‘l cor ciascun retrova: voi le vedete Amor pinto nel viso,

là ‘ve non pote alcun mirarla fiso.”

Gabriel praised her beauty and her goodness, comparing her to a pearl and declaring that Love, itself, was featured in her visage. Julia whispered her thanks for his beautiful words, stilling so that she could hear his heart beat under her ear. She was overwhelmed to think that she held this person, this man she had loved for so long, in her arms. She couldn’t stop touching him, tracing every muscle, every sinew of taut perfection. She traced his eyebrows, the indentation above the center of his sensuous upper lip, his sideburns, his ears…

He reached up to kiss her, tracing her lips with his tongue and drawing her plump lower lip into his mouth. For a few moments there was skin on skin, two naked bodies flush and prone. Julia’s hands continued to explore Gabriel’s form, his face, his chest, his hips. She began to stroke his erection softly, hesitantly, pressing kiss after kiss to his neck and throat as she worked him with her hand.

He growled in her ear, signaling his pleasure. A surge of confidence propelled her to stroke him more surely, quickening her pace as she brought her lips to his chest, kissing his pectorals and his tattoo. He was panting now.

“Let me worship you with my body, Julia,” he rasped, not wanting his impending satisfaction to take place in her hand.

She released him as he grasped her thighs, gently coaxing them apart so that they rested on either side of his narrow hips. She felt him beneath her, lifting of his own accord between her legs. She shifted slightly, and a worried look shadowed her lovely face.

Gabriel placed his hand on her heart. The little beating thing inside her spluttered frenetically at his touch and sped up. “Are you all right?”

She leaned forward, allowing her hair to hang about her face like a screen.

He reached up to push her hair behind her shoulders so that he could see her better. “Please don’t hide. I want to watch you.”

Julia bit her lower lip and looked away.

“What?”

She shook her head.

“Sweetheart, now is not the time to be shy. Tell me.”

She stared at his chest, trying very hard not to look at the dragon as it mocked her with its permanence. “This isn’t how I imagined it,” she whispered, so low he had to strain to hear her.

“Then tell me how.”

“I thought you’d be… over me.” His banner over me is love.

“I like being on top, I won’t deny it, but you’re very small, sweetheart, and very delicate. I’m worried that — ”

“I know I made you wait a long time, Gabriel.” Her voice was just above a whisper. “It will be all right if you can’t be careful with me. If you need to be…aggressive.”

Her remark disturbed him deeply, for behind the words he recognized not her voice but Simon’s. Of course that’s what she thinks — that’s how he

treated her. Men are dogs with no self-control, and she’s just a plaything for their sexual release. The idea sickened him, but he fought to keep revulsion from showing on his face. He placed his hand on her cheek and gently stroked her.

“Julia, I love you. If I were the kind of man who would be aggressive with you because you made me wait, then you shouldn’t be going to bed with me. You’re a person, not a toy.

“I don’t want to use you. I want to please you. So much.” At this he gazed up at her with large, dark eyes, dropping his voice to the merest whisper.

“I want you forever, not just for tonight. So please, let me do this my way.”

He begged her with his eyes to take him at his word. He didn’t want to have to explain why he was concerned and what kind of outcome he was studiously avoiding. There would be time enough for that in the morning.

“All I ever wanted was for someone to love me,” she said, quietly.

“You have that now.”

He moved his mouth to her breasts, holding one gently in his hand while he nuzzled the other. They were perfect. Perfect in weight and size, natural and pretty. Rosebuds and cream. He thought back to the night he’d first seen one, peeking out from behind her purple robe in their hotel room in Philadelphia. How he’d longed to take her into his mouth. He flicked her with his tongue, licking softly, and gently drew on her nipple, feeling it peak still further in his mouth.

Julia threw her head back, making inarticulate noises. Gabriel measured her reaction carefully. He wanted her to be aroused, and if she orgasmed by this alone, so be it. It would make what followed much, much easier.

“Let go, love. You don’t have to fight it,” he spoke to her other breast, as he offered it his attention.

Julia shuddered at his words and began rocking against him, eyes closed, sliding back and forth. Within a few minutes he felt her tighten and release, her posture sagging as she finished. She opened her eyes, blinked, then smiled down at him almost languidly.

And thank you very much for orgasm number two…

She took the initiative to kiss him, murmuring her affection through swollen lips. When she retreated, he reached over to grab something from the nightstand. She watched as he freed himself from under her, squirting a clear substance into his right hand and rubbing it somewhat roughly up and down on himself.

He noticed the expression on her face and hastened to explain. “It will make things easier for you.”

Julia flushed deeply. She knew about such things, although she had never had reason to use them before. She felt embarrassed that she hadn’t thought to purchase it for herself. She had come to Florence unprepared.

“You’re very kind.”

His mouth curved up into his cocky half-smile. “I told you I’d anticipate your every need.” He kissed her and reclined back on the pillow. “I can use a condom, if you’ve changed your mind.”

“With all the tests you’ve had, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

“It’s still your choice.”

“I trust that you told me the truth about everything.”

“I’m glad I’m your first.”

She smiled widely at his declaration. “I want you to be my last, Gabriel.”

She kissed him passionately, her heart quick and full because of his words.

Because of his actions. “But I want something from you now.”

“Anything.”

“I want you to be on top.”

When his brow crinkled and he looked perilously close to a frown, she leaned over him in earnest. “You have already shown yourself to be a generous lover. But it isn’t a good idea to put me in control when I don’t know what I’m doing. It makes me nervous. I won’t be able to relax and concentrate on how it feels. Please…” She added the last word as a half-hearted addendum, for she didn’t want to have to plead with him. He’d asked her to voice her desires, and she was doing so.

He realized at that moment how stressful it would be for her to sit above him naked and exposed, responsible for what was to happen. Later on, perhaps, but not the first time. Despite his worries, he could not deny her. Gabriel nodded, a slight tension visible in his jaw, and in one fluid movement she was on her back and he was kneeling between her legs.

Her smile was like the rising sun. For this was how she had always imagined it.

“Thank you,” she murmured against his mouth as he kissed her tenderly.

“It takes so little to make you happy.”

“I wouldn’t say little, ” she giggled as she rubbed her thigh against him.

He smirked at her, reveling in a moment of levity.

The music changed then, and Julia looked up at him with interest.

“What’s the name of this song?”

“Lying in the Hands of God by the Dave Matthews Band.”

“I like it.”

“Me too.”

She regarded him curiously. “Why did you choose it?”

“The words, the music…” His smile widened as his eyes sparkled.

“The rhythm.”

“Oh, really?”

“Feel it. Focus on the rhythm. It’s perfect for making love.” He gripped her hips and pressed himself up against her, sliding up and down in time to the music, knowing that she would enjoy the contact as much as he.

She moaned, all laughter gone, and began to push herself toward him.

“Take a deep breath, love,” he whispered.

As she inhaled, he pressed inside her just a little. She closed her eyes and drank in the feeling.

Now that Gabriel had the merest hint of how she would feel around him, his body was tempting him to push in hard and fast. But he knew that any thrusting on his part would tear her. He wanted her. He wanted to be inside her. But he cast his desires aside for the moment and remained perfectly stil, distributing his weight to his elbows on either side of her shoulders, lapping and sucking her breasts.

Now that she had an inkling of what it would be like to be connected to him, to be filled by him, she wanted more. Much, much more. She wanted all of him.

“Careful,” he warned, as she lifted her hips, eager to entice him further.

“The next part will be uncomfortable.”

When she didn’t open her eyes, he placed a hand to her face, running his thumb along her cheek.

“Look at me. Look into my eyes.” His eyes fixed on hers as they fluttered open.

“I’ll give you anything. My body, my soul, take them. Take everything.”

They stared at one another as he pushed in a little deeper, nudging slowly, slowly…

Her eyes widened, and she inhaled roughly as he entered her.

Gabriel immediately froze, steadying her with a hand to her hip, ensuring that neither of them moved.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he crooned. He moved his hand to her face and began stroking her. “That’s the worst of it, I promise. Are you all right?”

He scanned her face eagerly for any signs of tears.

But there weren’t any. It wasn’t as painful as she thought it might be.

It wasn’t completely comfortable, either, but the sensation of having him inside her, the emotions she saw on his face, in his eyes, distracted her from the twinges inside…it was almost too much.

She wanted more. More of him. More of this and them… she wanted to see him come apart above her and know that they had done this together.

She wanted to find their own beautiful rhythm. The music swirled and rose about them, a tempting pace she was eager to match. She smiled, and he felt her smile travel all the way to his heart, allaying his worries. Without breaking eye contact, he began to move in and out maddeningly slowly.

She blinked rapidly at the feel of Gabriel inside her. Her hands slid down the tensing muscles in his back to his behind, smoothing over his curves and feeling his rhythmic thrusting beneath her touch. He balanced himself on one elbow, tracing sensual patterns up and down her ribs and over her shoulder. She was magnificent: her long, dark hair spread out across the white pillow, her brown eyes full and deep, locked on his, and her mouth, red and open, as she began to groan with every thrust.

Gabriel moved a hand to splay his long fingers across her ass, guiding and moving her, but following a gentle pace. He had waited so long.

She watched his eyebrows come together and his teeth clamp down on his lower lip. They were moving, moving, not fast but with determination, the synchronized connection of two lovers who would not look away.

Julia saw so many emotions in his eyes: love, concern, passion, adoration, affection, erotic desire…He looked at her as if she was the only woman on earth, as if there was nothing else in their private universe but the two of them and the sensual music that floated in the air as Gabriel made love to her, punctuated as it was by the noises escaping their chests.

Julia heard herself moan and pant, casting aside any embarrassment at hearing sex sounds fly unbidden from her throat. Gabriel loved her cries, and they spurred him on, arousing him even more, as if that were possible.

He reached in between them, and as his speed increased, he began to pet her in time to his thrusts. Her tightened grip on his ass indicated her pleasure, as she fought to keep her eyes open.

“Look at me. I want to see your eyes when you come.” The intensity of his voice matched his expression.

Her eyes grew wide, and she cried out as his fingers sped. Julia tightened like a knot pulled just too tight and suddenly, gloriously fell.

Erotic whispers and murmured adorations filled her ears. He had not cursed. She was far too distracted to focus on this surprising fact. She could not know that he was a vocal lover who groaned and shouted expletives to match his urges and satisfactions. But in this space, sacred or otherwise, his spontaneous utterances had been clean and pure.

“I love you. I love you. I love you,” he chanted above her, in time with his movements.

Julia was enjoying the feeling of intense, unparal eled fulfil ment as it flowed through her. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

And before she could find her way through her orgasm, she felt him push in deeply and cry out her name.

Gabriel collapsed, careful to distribute his weight to his elbows, a wave of emotion coursing through him as he came down from his climax. He held her close, whispering sweet words in Italian, waiting for her to open her eyes.

I love this woman. More than I love my own life…

His beautiful Beatrice was not a virgin anymore. He’d taken — and given — what Dante never had. He prayed silently that she wouldn’t live to regret the decision that brought her to his bed, or her choice of first lover.

He shifted so that he was beside her and reached a finger to trace her chin. Only then did he notice the flush that had spread across her neck and chest and further down. The skin of her inside thighs had bloomed pinkish red, and Gabriel choked back a sick regret.

Oh God, I’ve hurt her.

“Julia?”

Now her eyelids opened. At first her gaze was wide and unfocused.

Then in an instant it shifted. She saw him and the prettiest slow smile played across her lips, exposing her white teeth. She felt like she was a feather coasting on a summer breeze. It was so much better than anything else…

to see and hear him, to touch and taste him and then finally, gloriously, the naked, raw, and rare climax.

He exhaled and kissed her deeply. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” she purred.

“I love you. I just want to make you happy, to watch you smile. Forever.”

“You’ll make me cry.” Julia couldn’t continue; she was beyond words.

She kissed him, eyes closed, reveling in the arms of her lover. Her first.

And last.

“Don’t cry, my sweet, sweet girl.” He kissed her eyelids, caressing her cheek with his hand.

Suddenly, he was gone, and Julia found herself alone in the large bed, made larger still and colder by his absence. The aching loss was immediate, but her mind was still slow, numbed as it was by her first taste of this ecstasy. Before she could slide a hand across the sheet to reach for him, he was pressing near her.

“Just let me look, darling.” His whisper was hesitant.

She had no idea what he was asking, so she simply hummed her permission. Then tentative fingers grasped her knees and a gentle hand lifted one, angling and spreading her wide, but not too wide. Now her eyes were open.

Gabriel froze as their eyes made contact. “Just a quick look to make sure you’re all right.”

When he’d attended himself in the washroom, he hadn’t noticed any blood. The realization had relieved him more than he could express. His eyes flickered down, and soon he was sighing, his shoulders relaxing. He pressed something warm and soft between her legs.

She flinched.

“I’m sorry.” Again he pressed the damp cloth to her sensitive flesh. There were a couple of pinkish spots on it, but nothing alarming. In truth, he wished there had been no pink at all, but pink was infinitely better than red.

“I’m fine. You just surprised me.” Julia’s voice shook, but only because she was still floating, and the feeling of him touching her there had intensi-fied her sensations.

Gabriel picked up a glass of water from the nightstand and placed it in one of her hands, shaking two a little white pills from a medicine bottle into the other.

“Ibuprofen,” he explained, hastily. “For the pain.”

“It’s not that bad, Gabriel. I wouldn’t call it pain.”

“Please,” he begged.

She was puzzled by his overreaction but elected not to be stubborn, popping the pills quickly into her mouth and downing the entire glass of water. She was thirsty.

When he’d soothed her and cleaned her up, he scooped her into his arms, kissing her forehead over and over. He carried her across the threshold of the bathroom.

Julia heard the water running before they walked through the door.

“What’s happening?” she managed, holding her head up.

“Let me care for you, baby.” He kissed her forehead and gently placed her in the large and inviting bathtub.

The hot water and rose scented bubbles were comforting. She was still dreamy, but things were slowly coming into focus. She opened her eyes and saw Gabriel standing over her, still naked, still glorious, checking the temperature of the water with his fingers and adjusting the taps.

“Are you still thirsty?”

She nodded.

He disappeared for a moment and returned with a garnet-colored liquid in a wine glass.

“Cranberry with soda,” he said. “It’s good for you.”

She arched an eyebrow at him, wondering how he became an expert at warding off female problems, but once again, decided not to pursue the question. She drank greedily and passed him the empty glass.

“You changed the music. What is it?”

“Sogno by Andrea Bocelli.”

“It’s pretty,” she murmured.

“Not as pretty as you.”

He turned off the water and climbed in behind her, placing his long legs on either side of her body, pulling her to his chest. They each sighed in contentment. She leaned her head back on his shoulder, and he stroked her hair, his touch light and gentle.

“Was it — okay for you?” she whispered.

That’s an understatement, he thought.

“Like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. You were perfect. You are perfect.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and she snuggled into his arms. “And very, very sexy. How about you?”

“It was even better than I imagined. Thank you.”

He began to run his hands up and down the slick, wet skin around her ribs.

“Why the bath?” she asked, shifting against him slightly, feeling his new arousal against her backside.

His lips found her ear. “I wanted to care for you.”

“Thank you, Gabriel, for your kindness to me. I know things would not have been as pleasant if I was with someone else.”

He kissed her hair. “You deserve far more and far better than me, Beatrice,” he whispered. “La gloriosa donna della mia mente. The glorious lady of my mind.”

“My Dante.” She turned to kiss his wet chest. “When can we do that again?”

Gabriel smiled. “Not until tomorrow. You need to heal first.”

She squirmed slightly. “But it isn’t that bad. You were very careful.”

“After all that we’ve shared, I just want to hold you and be close. Rest in my arms and know that I love you. We’ll be making love again very, very soon.”

Julia felt comforted and let herself relax wholly against his body. She silently thanked the gods of large bathtubs, handsome, sexy lovers, and rose-scented bubble bath. (Not necessarily in that order.) And she thanked the gods of virgins who were about to have sex with their sex-god (no blasphemy intended) boyfriends for the mother of all orgasms. Thrice over.

In the wee hours of the morning, the Edenic lovers wound themselves around each other, flesh against flesh, sleepy and sated in a large, white bed.

Lightness and darkness, innocence and experience, kissed and caressed in the warmth and acceptance created by their love. The dark angel whispered to his muse in Italian until she fell asleep in his arms, happier than she had ever been. She was loved.

The End