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Julia chewed on the edge of her thued her more closely

“Hasa different tack,” she hedged

“That can be a double-edged sword, Julianne Originality is admired, but sometimes established methods are established for a reason”

“I’ll let you read it tomorrow, if you have ti her back, up and down “In fact, I’oal is to help you, not hurt you You know that, right?”

“Of course” She kissed hiainst his chest “I just worry about what you’ll think”

“I’ll be honest, but supportive I promise”

“That’s the best I can hope for” She smiled up at him “Now I need you to take htfully “What would cheering you up entail?”

“Takingme with your naked body”

“What if I’o to bed by lancing at him out of the corner of her eye

In a flash he was behind her, scooping her into his ar for the stairs

Chapter Three

You can’t present this” Gabriel strode into the study the following afternoon, clutching a printout of Julia’s lecture

She looked up fro” He set the pages down and pulled off his glasses, tossing them on top of her desk “St Francis comes for the soul of Guido da Montefeltro after he dies We discussed this You agreed with ed my mind”

“But it’s the only interpretation that an to pace in front of her desk

“We talked about this in Belize I sent you an illustration of the scene while ere separated, for God’s sake! Now you’re going to stand in front of a room full of people and say that it never happened?”

“If you’d readand turned to face her

“I read the footnotes None of those sources go as far as you You’re ”

“Merely?” Julia pushed back froree with most of what I say Professor Marinelli liked my paper”

“She’s too easy on you”

Julia’s mouth dropped open “Too easy? And I suppose you think that Professor Picton invited me to the conference merely out of charity?”

Gabriel’s expression softened “Of course not She thinks well of you But I don’t want you to get up in front of a crowd of senior professors and offer a naïve interpretation If you’d read my book, you’d—”

“I read your book, Professor E And you naïvely adopt the standard interpretation, without reflecting on whether you should”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed

“I accept the interpretation that lacial “I never naïvely adopt anything”

Julia stood, huffing in frustration

“Don’t you want me to have my own ideas? Or do you think I have to repeat what everyone else has already said just because I’rad student?”

Gabriel’s face reddened “I never said that I was a grad student once, too, if you’ll recall But I’m not anyo” Julia threw up her hands in disgust and walked out of the study

Gabriel followed