Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno #1)(143)

Gabriel pulled back so that he could see her eyes. “Don’t call me that,”

he half-growled.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to think about all the university policies I’m breaking right now.”

Her smile disappeared, and Gabriel instantly felt regret.

“And I would never call the beauty of your backside an ass — it’s far too elegant for that. I would have to create a whole new word just to describe it in all of its glory.”

Now Julia laughed, and he squeezed her with both hands for good measure.

Professor Emerson is an ass man.

Her fingertips preferred his hair, stroking and weaving, tugging his face to hers. She could feel his heart beating against her chest. Her breathing stuttered, but she didn’t care. She loved him. She’d loved him since she was seventeen. And he’d been so sweet to her. In that instant she would have given him anything and damned the consequences. What consequences?  Her mind couldn’t even name them.

His fingers began to move, stroking her curves and kneading the flesh beneath them. His right hand slid down to cup her thigh, pulling her leg upward. He wrapped her leg around his hip, and she pressed against him, in an erotic tango against a wall. Now he could move. His hips pressed forward, while his hand traveled downward to support the back of her leg. She could feel him hard against her — a delightful pressure and tentative friction.

Julia couldn’t stop kissing long enough to consider how she had mastered the art of balance or breathing through Gabriel’s mouth. She felt emboldened to remove her hands from his hair, stroking his shoulders and waist before exploring his own delicious curves. Curves she had greatly admired on more than one occasion. Curves that were taut and muscular beneath her fingers. She pulled him more tightly against her, pressing her hands against him in encouragement.

He didn’t need to be encouraged. His hands teased up and down her sheer stockings, caressing her thigh. This was heaven. Breathing, panting, straining, kissing, feeling. He met with no resistance. No hesitation.

She accepted him. She wanted him. And her body was soft and warm and oh so receptive.

“Julia, I — we — have to stop.” He pulled back.

Her eyes were closed, and her lips were red and pouting. Now he hungered for her mouth even more.

Brushing the hair away from her face, he questioned softly, “Sweetheart?”

Her eyelids fluttered open.

He brought their foreheads together and inhaled her breath, all perfumed and sweetness. With one final caress, he coaxed her leg backward and helped her lower it. She removed her hands regretfully from his derrière.

Then, although it pained him, he placed some distance between their bodies, taking her hands in both of his.

“I shouldn’t have cornered you like that. Or let things go so far.” He shook his head, biting back a curse. “Did I scare you?”

“I didn’t say no, Gabriel.” Her soft voice echoed in the great hall. “And I’m not scared.”

“You were frightened of me before. Remember that night when you asked me about one of my photographs…the aggressive one…” Gabriel’s lips pressed together tightly.

“I know you better now.”

“Julianne, I would never take anything from you or try to manipulate you into something you don’t want. Please believe me.”

“I do, Gabriel.” She pulled on one of his hands and coaxed him to spread it across her heart, palm flat to her chest, between her br**sts. “Feel my heartbeat.”

He frowned. “Too fast. Like a hummingbird’s wings.”

“This is what happens every time I’m near you. When you touch me.

I’m the one who’s overcome by you, Gabriel. Don’t you know that?”

He brushed his thumb against her naked flesh and gently transferred his attention to her swollen lower lip.

“I did this to you. Does it hurt?” he whispered.

“It only aches in your absence.”

He pressed his lips to hers reverently. “You’re killing me.”

She tossed her hair back and grinned. “But it will be a sweet, sweet death.”

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Let’s continue our tour before my contact decides to evict us for indecency. I’ll have to speak to him about getting the videotapes from the security cameras.”

Videotapes? Security cameras? Scheisse, thought Julianne.

Hmmmmmm. On the other hand…

By the time they reached Gabriel’s apartment, they were laughing and giddy. Their desperation for one another had cooled somewhat, but was still warm and affectionate. Julia was blissfully happy. And they had the whole night together…

Gabriel kissed her in the kitchen, insisting that she allow him to do everything.

“But I want to help.”

“We’ll cook together tomorrow night.”

She thought about this for a moment. “I don’t know how you’d feel about it, but I have Grace’s chicken Kiev recipe. We could make it together.”

She looked up at him uncertainly.

“Scott used to call it squirt chicken.”  He smiled sadly and kissed her again. “I haven’t had it in years. I’d be glad for you to teach me.”

That’s likely the only thing I’ll ever be able to teach you, Gabriel. You are a love god, amongst other things.  She brushed his lips with hers and made herself comfortable on the bar stool.