Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno #1)(104)

“Then where — ”

“Does it matter?”

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I saw it in the closet when I was looking for a sweater. It’s very beautiful.” She tried to move away from him, but he held her fast.

“Do you really think it’s beautiful?” His voice grew soft, and he lifted her chin so he could gaze into her eyes.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“And the others?”

“Not so much.”

Gabriel appeared smug. “I made them.”

“You made them?” She pulled back in surprise.

“Yes.”

“But they’re…”

“Erotic?”

“Yes.” He smiled wryly. “Is it difficult to believe that I could take a beautiful and erotic photograph, Miss Mitchell?”

“I didn’t know you were a photographer. And those aren’t regular photographs.”

“I’m not much of one, really. But they turned out nicely, I think. I have others.”

Julia’s jaw dropped. Others?  “And the women?”

He shifted next to her.

“The women are, or rather were, friends of mine.”

“Models?”

“No.”

Julia crinkled her face in confusion until the answer finally dawned on her. And with eyebrows raised, she gave Gabriel a very surprised look.

He sighed and began rubbing his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure it was in poor taste to display them. And it was certainly in poor taste to subject you to them when they’re personal in that way. That’s why I felt it necessary to remove them before I brought you into my bedroom. But the photos were taken with their consent. In a few cases they begged, actually. You’ll notice that I’m in more than one of them too, so I was far from simply a prurient observer.”

She forgot her question about which photograph was of Paulina and drew back in complete and utter astonishment. “That’s you?”

“Yes.”

“The one I was asking you about, that’s you?”

His eyebrows knit together. “Don’t act so surprised. I thought you found me attractive.”

“But you’re naked in that photo.” Feeling very flustered, Julia began waving a hand furiously in front of her face, fanning her heated skin.

Gabriel laughed heartily and drew her closer. “I am naked in all  those photos.” His voice oozed sex as he crooned in her ear. “That photo was my favorite too, even though in the end I didn’t like the woman very much.”

He smiled a slow, smoldering grin and kissed the top of her head. “I’d like to take your picture.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You’re beautiful, Julianne. A photo of you — of your smile or your profile or your elegant neck — would be far lovelier than any of the art I own, including Holiday’s painting.”

She shook her head.

“I’ll ask you again someday. Now, how about a reservation tonight at Scaramouche? It’s one of my favorite restaurants.”

“I don’t think dinner out is a good idea.” Julia was still trying to catch her breath.

“Why not?”

“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t be seen in public?”

Gabriel frowned. “But I know the owner. I can reserve the chef’s table where we’d be away from prying eyes. Unless you’d rather go to Harbour Sixty to see Antonio. He has been pestering me to bring you back.”

“Really?”

“Really. He told me all about the meal you shared with him and his family at the Italian-Canadian Club.”

“Antonio was very kind to me.”

Gabriel nodded and moved as if to kiss her, but she placed a hand on his chest.

“I can’t go to dinner with you tonight. I have a meeting with Katherine Picton tomorrow and I’m not ready for it.”

“Tomorrow?”

“She invited me to tea at her house. She kind of scares me.”

“Wait til you meet her. She looks like someone’s grandmother, but don’t let that fool you — she’s brilliant and definitely no-nonsense. She’ll expect you to address her as Professor Picton, and she doesn’t do small talk or speak of anything personal.”

“Only pretentious Oxonians prefer to be addressed as Professor,” murmured Julia.

He frowned until she winked at him.

“She’s very formal, but she’s a hell of an academic, and if you can work with her, it will be very good for you. Just be on your best behavior, and I’m sure she’ll take to you. As much as she is capable of doing.”

Julia shivered, and Gabriel responded by tightening his arms about her.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be interested in your proposal. I’m sure she will want you to change it, but if I were you, I would accept her corrections without argument. She knows what she’s doing.”

“I’m sure she has more important things to do during her retirement than supervise graduate students.”

“She owed me a favor. I told her I had a brilliant student who I didn’t feel comfortable supervising because she was a friend of my family, and Katherine agreed to meet you. She’s pretty skeptical about today’s youth — she doesn’t think they’re as talented or as hard working as they were when she was in graduate school. So she didn’t promise me anything.”