“I don’t want to lose another day. And it would be nice to stay at a hotel with you.” She smiled.

“Good. I’ll make the reservations and rent a car.”

“What about Rachel and Aaron? Shouldn’t we drive with them?”

“They’re driving up Wednesday after work. Rachel instructed me that it was my responsibility to see that you arrived home safely. She expects me to be your chauffeur and your bell boy.” He winked at her and grinned.

“She knows, doesn’t she?”

“Rachel thinks she knows everything.” His grin tightened. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle her.”

“It isn’t Rachel I’m worried about.”

“You don’t need to worry about anything. We’re just two family friends who met in a city far from home. It will be harder on me than it will be on you.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I will be in the same room with you without being able to touch you.”

She looked down at her bare feet and smiled shyly.

Gabriel took her hand in his and began to stroke it. “When is your birthday?”

“I don’t celebrate it.”

“Why not?”

“I just don’t.” Now her voice was defensive.

“Well, I’d like to celebrate it with you. Don’t deprive me, Julianne.”

Gabriel’s blue eyes communicated more frustration than annoyance.

Julia thought back to their argument about the clothes and decided that she didn’t want to have another fight with him so soon.

“It was September first. You missed it.”

“No, I haven’t.” He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his cheek against hers.

“Are you free next Saturday? We can celebrate it then.”

“What will we be doing?”

“I’ll need to make some arrangements, but we’ll be going out.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go out together — in public.”

He frowned. “Let me worry about that. Now, are you accepting my invitation or not?” He slid his hand down to one of the ticklish spots on her side.

“I am accepting with gratitude. Please don’t tickle me.” She began giggling in anticipation.

Gabriel ignored her plea and began tickling her lightly until she shrieked with laughter. He loved to hear her laugh. And she loved the rare moments when he was playful.

When she finally caught her breath, she began apologizing. “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings earlier. It’s no excuse, but yesterday was a rough day, and on top of that, I’m hormonal.”

Hormonal? thought Gabriel. Ohhh… He looked at her with concern.

“Are you ill?”

“I’m fine. I get this way a few days before. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about it.”

“If it makes you sick or upset, of course I want to hear about it. I care for you.”

“You might want to mark it on your calendar so you know when to avoid me. That is, if things…” she trailed off.

“I’ll do no such thing,” said Gabriel, stiffly. “I want you, all of you — not just the bits and pieces. And of course things are going to continue.” I hope.

Julia’s revelation presented Gabriel with an interesting situation. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten his human biology. It was more like given his lifestyle, it had never been an issue. Hormonal women, or women on their cycles, did not frequent The Vestibule looking for sex.

Rarely had he entertained the same woman in his bed more than once.

Even then they had not discussed such intimate subjects. He wouldn’t mind discussing such intimate subjects with Julianne. He wanted to be able to read her moods, even if they were weepy or short-tempered. The thought both perplexed and pleased him.

“I should let you get dressed. But there’s one more thing we have to talk about.” Gabriel gave her a serious look, and Julia immediately steeled herself.

“I spoke with my lawyer again.”

“And?”

“He advised me to stay away from you. He said that the university has a zero-tolerance policy with respect to fraternization that covers both students and faculty.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that both of us would be at risk if we were to be involved while you’re in my class. You could be expelled, under certain conditions.”

Julia closed her eyes as a groan escaped her lips. Why is the universe always conspiring against us?

“We knew that the policy was in force, and we knew that it was serious. We just need to maintain the status quo and continue being discreet for a couple more weeks. As soon as Katherine turns in your grade for my seminar, we will be free to see one another.”

“I’m afraid.”

Gabriel reached up to touch her cheek. “What are you afraid of?”

“If anyone sees us together or suspects something, they can file a complaint. Christa wants you, and she hates me. Paul doesn’t like how you’ve treated me, so I’m sure he’d be eager to claim that you’ve harassed me. And Professor Singer…” Julia shivered. She didn’t want to consider what Professor Singer thought.

“I’m not going to let them expel you. No matter what. It’s never going to come to that.”

Julia tried to protest, but he silenced her with his lips, murmuring reassurances into her mouth as he tried to demonstrate how deeply he cared for her without using words.

They enjoyed a beautiful day together. They laughed and kissed and spent hours talking. Gabriel took several pictures of Julia in various casual poses until her embarrassment got the best of her and he was forced to put the camera away. He resolved to take a picture or two while she was asleep that evening, for Julianne had the face of an angel when she was at peace.

And he knew that a sleeping Julianne would make a captivating subject.

After dinner, they found themselves dancing in front of the fireplace.

Gabriel had prepared a compilation of several sultry songs by Sting, but Julia couldn’t concentrate on the music. Her head was in a haze as it always was when he kissed her. She was so caught up in the physical feelings and emotions it almost made her dizzy.

His hands were in her hair, tangling and caressing at the nape of her neck. They moved to her shoulders, where they slowly traced the slope of her skin. Then they slid down to her waist, and gently, teasingly, moved slowly upward to the sides of her breasts. Two strong hands gently cupped her breasts, moving and massaging them softly.

Julia pulled back.

Gabriel kept his hands where they were and opened his eyes. He looked puzzled at first. She’d retreated, and he could feel her heart racing against his fingertips.

“Julianne?” he whispered.

She shook her head, her skin flushed and her mouth open. She didn’t break eye contact as she moved closer. Gabriel moved his hands a little, just to gauge her reaction. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them he saw something completely new in their brownish depths — heat.

The sight of Julia’s sudden and intense arousal hit him sharply, not just in his own heightened state of excitement, but emotionally as well. She’d never looked at him this way before, all anxious and animated, as if no one had ever touched her before.

Gabriel rumbled slightly in his chest at the thought. He motioned to her with his eyes to come in for a kiss, and he melded his lips to hers, caressing her breasts more forcefully and trailing a thumb against the nubs that began to poke through her shirt. Julia gasped in pleasure into his mouth, and that spurred him on further. Soon he was groaning against her lips and pressing their bodies more tightly together.

More! his body ordered him. Closer. Faster. Tighter. More. More. More.

“Ugghhhh,” he groaned, breaking free from her lips and moving his hands to the safe space of her shoulder blades.

Julia pressed her cheek to the planes of his pectorals, her emotions swirling. Eyes closed, she grew unsteady on her feet, but Gabriel reached down and caught her by the waist.