Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno #1)(20)

Gabriel stared down at his lovely but obviously ruined white shirt and cursed inside his head. He’d liked this shirt. Paulina had bought it for him in London. And there was no way Julia’s spittle mingled with Chianti would ever come out.

“I have several of these as well,” he lied smoothly. “And I’m sure the stains will come out. Rachel will help me.”

Julia raked her upper teeth across her lower lip back and forth and back and forth.

Gabriel saw the movement, and it made him rather queasy, like a kind of seasickness, but her lips were so red and inviting he couldn’t look away.

It was a bit like watching a car wreck while standing on the deck of a ship.

He leaned over and patted the back of her hand. “Accidents happen.

They’re no one’s fault.” He smiled and was rewarded with a very pretty smile in return as she released her lower lip.

Look at her. She does blossom under kindness. Just like a rose, opening her petals.

“Is she all right?” Rachel asked, suddenly appearing beside them.

Gabriel withdrew his hand quickly and sighed. “Yes. But apparently Julianne hates couscous.” He winked at her slyly and watched as the flush spread from her cheeks and over the surface of her porcelain skin. She truly was a brown-eyed angel.

“That’s fine. I’ll make rice pilaf instead.” Rachel disappeared, and Gabriel followed, leaving Julia to stop her heart from trying to escape out of her chest.

While Rachel packed away the disdained grains into the refrigerator, Gabriel went to his bedroom to change his soiled shirt, depositing it with more than a little regret in the garbage. Then he joined his sister in the kitchen to clean up the broken glass and wine from the floor.

“There are a couple of things I need to tell you about Julia,” she began, speaking over her shoulder.

Gabriel walked the glass shards to the garbage bin. “I’d rather not hear it.”

“What’s wrong with you? She’s my friend, for crying out loud!”

“And she’s my student. I shouldn’t know anything about her personal life. Her friendship with you already presents a conflict of interest that I was unaware of.”

Rachel squared her shoulders and shook her head stubbornly, her gray eyes darkening. “You know what? I don’t care! I love her a lot and Mom did, too. So you remember that the next time you’re tempted to shout at her.

“She’s been broken, you jackass. That’s why she hasn’t kept in touch with me this past year. And now she’s finally crawled out of her shell, a shell I might add, that I thought she would never leave, and you’re forcing her back into it with your…your arrogance and condescension! So drop the Mr. Rochester-Mr. Darcy-Heathcliff British stuck-uppity bullshit and treat her like the treasure she is! Or I’m coming back here and putting a pump in your ass!”

Gabriel straightened his spine and cast her a withering stare. “By

‘pump,’ I take it you’re referring to a lady’s shoe?”

She didn’t back down. Or flinch. In fact, she grew taller. And almost menacing.

“Fine, Rachel.”

“Good. It’s hard for me to believe that you didn’t recognize her name, after all the times I told you about how much she loved Dante. I mean, how many Dante enthusiasts from Selinsgrove do you know?”

He leaned over to her and placed a kiss across her furrowed brow.

“Go easy on me, Rach. I try not to think about anything connected with Selinsgrove if I can help it.”

Her anger melted at his words, and she hugged her brother tightly.

“I know.”

A few hours and another bottle of expensive Chianti later, Julia stood up to leave. “Thanks for dinner. I should be getting home.”

“We’ll drive you,” Rachel volunteered, disappearing to find her coat.

Gabriel frowned and excused himself to go after her.

“It’s all right. I can walk. It’s not far,” Julia called to the siblings.

“No way. It’s dark out, and I don’t care how safe Toronto is. Besides, it’s raining,” Rachel shouted before finding herself engaged in a heated discussion with Gabriel.

Julia walked toward the door so that she wouldn’t have to hear him say that he didn’t want to drive her home. But the siblings reappeared shortly, and the three of them walked down the hall to the elevator. Just as the elevator was arriving, Rachel’s cell phone rang.

“It’s Aaron.” She hugged Julia tightly. “I’ve been trying to get hold of him all day, and he’s been in meetings. Let’s go to lunch. No need to worry, big brother, I have your spare key!”

Rachel strol ed back to the apartment, leaving a scowling Gabriel and an uncomfortable Julia to take the elevator down to the garage.

“Were you ever going to tell me who you are?” His voice was slightly accusing.

Julia shook her head and hugged her ridiculous knapsack more tightly.

He looked at her book bag and decided then and there that it had to go. If he had to see that hideous thing one more time, he was going to lose it. And Paul had touched it, which meant that it was polluted. She’d have to throw it away.

Gabriel led her to his parking space, and she immediately walked to the passenger’s side of the Jaguar.

He pressed a button and the Range Rover next to the Jaguar chirped.