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The fire in his belly was instantly quenched He thought back to the o when they first met, when they si irl all alone Surely her anxiety was understandable if not pitiable

He unwound her clenched fingers one by one and kissed the to leave you You know that, right?”

“It would hurt so much more to lose you now”

With a frown he wrapped an ar her cheek to his chest A ht back to what had transpired the evening before He’d gazed on her naked form for the first ti She’d shared her innocence with hiht he’d s of his life He pondered that fact for a moment

“Do you regret last night?”

“No I’lad you were my first It’s what I wanted since we met”

He placed his hand on her cheek, tracing her skin with his thumb “I’m honored to have been your first” He leaned forward, his eyes unblinking “But I want to be your last”

She smiled and lifted her lips toBen filled the room

“Ignore it,” he whispered fiercely, his ar her to recline beneath him

Her eyes darted over his shoulder to where his iPhone lay on the desk “I thought she wasn’t going to call you anymore”

“I’, so it doesn’t s and lifted the sheet from her body “In my bed, there’s only us”

She searched his eyes as he began to bring their naked bodies into closer contact

Gabriel leaned forward to kiss her, but she turned her head “I haven’t brushed my teeth”

“I don’t care” He lowered his lips to her neck, kissing across her quickening pulse

“I’d like to clean up first”

He huffed in frustration, leaning on one elbow “Don’t let Paulina ruin e have”

“I’m not” She tried to roll out froht hold of it He gazed over the ri with mischief

“I need the sheet to make the bed”

Her eyes traveled froers, to his face He looked like a panther waiting to pounce She glanced over the side of the bed at the pile of clothes on the floor They were beyond her reach

“What’s the problerin

Julia blushed and gripped the htly With a chuckle, he released the sheet and pulled her into his arms

“You don’t need to be shy You’re beautiful If I had ain”

He pressed his lips to her earlobe, gently touching the diamond stud He was certain his adoptive s found their way to Julia With another brief kiss, he turned away, sliding over to sit on the edge of the bed

She slipped into the washroo back as she dropped the sheet just outside the door

While brushing her teeth, she thought about what had transpired Making love with Gabriel had been a very emotional experience, and even now her heart felt the aftershocks That wasn’t surprising considering their history She’d wanted hiht with hione when she awoke the next otten her in the after years passed before she saw hiain, and then, he didn’t remember her

When she encountered hiraduate seminar at the University of Toronto, he was attractive but cold, like a distant star She hadn’t believed then that she’d become his lover She hadn’t believed it possible that the teant Professor would reciprocate her affection

There were so e, and now she knew the sting of sexual jealousy in a manner she’d never experienced before Thewhat they’d done with some other woman, and in his case many other women, made her heart ache

She knew that Gabriel’s trysts were different froht about by love or affection But he’d undressed the with him, how many of those women craved more? Paulina had She and Gabriel had maintained contact over the years since they conceived and lost a child together

Julia’s new understanding of sex changed her view of his past and ht And all theGabriel to her or to any other woman

Julia gripped the edge of the vanity as a wave of insecurity washed over her Gabriel loved her; she believed this But he was also a gentleman and would never reveal that their union had left hi And what of her own behavior? She’d asked questions and talked when she expected that most lovers would have been silent She’d done very little to please him, and when she tried he’d stopped her

Her ex-boyfriend’s words ca in her mind with condemnation:

You’re frigid

You’re going to be a lousy lay

She turned away froht happen if Gabriel was dissatisfied with her The specter of sexual betrayal reared itsSimon in bed with her roommate