Living Dangerously

Chapter Twenty-Seven



The pounding in Troy’s skull matched the beat of his heart and every fresh thump was new agony. He pried open heavy lids to see the blurry white walls of a hospital room. F*ck. Not again. Although it beat the fiery walls of hell, so maybe he shouldn’t complain. Remembering he’d woken up earlier to a nurse hovering over him, he turned his head a fraction. A huge mistake. His skull threatened to topple off his shoulders.

He needed to get his shit together, find some answers. First and foremost: where was Julie and how was Julie? He remembered the blood flowing from her arm before he’d passed out.

A nurse entered the room. Her very bright smile contrasted to her very dark skin. “Hello. Welcome back.” She stopped at his bedside and looked at the monitors before meeting his gaze. “How’s the head feeling?”

“Like a bomb exploded inside.” The words barely passed out of his drier-than-dirt mouth. “Water?” Please, God.

She smiled and let him have a sip from the cup on the tray table. Lifting his head set off more alarms between his ears. “I just saw your doctor a few minutes ago. I’ll go find him.”

Troy would’ve called her back to ask about Julie, but she escaped too fast.

No sooner had she cleared the door than his uncle—father—Zach came in, concern clear in his dark eyes.

“Well, that took about ten years off my life,” Zach said, taking the chair next to the bed. His relief came out in a long sigh. “I didn’t realize that private investigating was this dangerous.”

“It isn’t,” Troy mumbled. “It’s usually very boring and quiet. How’s Julie?”

Zach nodded. “She’s a tough one. She’s okay.”

“Is she here?”

“Yeah.” Zach nodded. “Down the hall. They gave her the biggest room on the floor. Word got out that she was here, and cards and flowers have been trickling in steadily.”

He had to see her. Troy made a move to get up, but the blast of pain from his gut and head made it impossible. It didn’t help that the room spun around him like a Tilt-A-Whirl.

“Hold on,” Zach said with a steady hand on his shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere for a little bit. You just got out of surgery and recovery.”

“Surgery?”

“Yeah. That bullet made a mess of your insides, but they cleaned you up. And that rock you fell on gave you a solid concussion but you’ll be fine. You’re just like a Mills. Hardheaded.”

Troy couldn’t muster a smile. “Did you see her? Talk to her?” Exhaustion crept in on him and he could barely hold his eyes open.

“Yeah. She’s taking the heat for this. Blames herself for not listening to you in the first place.”

“What happened to Carrie Ann?” She’d killed the man Troy had found.

“She’s here too. In serious condition, but she should pull through.”

“I’m glad...” Julie’s voice came from the door and Troy gingerly turned his head. “I’m glad I had cruddy aim, but hate that it took four bullets to slow her down.” Leaning against the door frame, wearing a hospital gown with her arm wrapped in thick white bandages and tucked into a sling, she watched him.

“Does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?” That was really the only thing Troy wanted at this point. A clean slate with her.

She moved in slowly and sat next to him, her hip connected with his. This close, he got a look at the bruises on her neck and jaw and wished she had shot Carrie Ann fatally. “Since you’ve taken not just one, but two bullets for me now, it would be hugely bitchy of me to be mad at you.”

“True,” Zach murmured behind her and Troy scowled at him.

Julie chuckled. “It is true.” She adjusted his sheets, then met his gaze.

Floored at the emotion he saw in her eyes, Troy vowed then and there to never f*ck up as bad again. “You know, I’m the one who has to say thank you now. You saved me this time.” He remembered seeing Carrie Ann’s gun aimed straight at his chest, and Julie flying through the air to tackle her just as the shot rang out. “Thank you. See, I knew you were tough.”

She canted her head to the side and gave him her quirky smile. “Two more times and we’ll be even.”

“Bite your tongue,” Troy said. “I’ll be happy with a nice quiet life after this.” His throbbing head testified to that.

“I don’t know how quiet it’s going to be,” Julie replied. “But I’ll take the press over a bullet any day of the week.” She ran her thumb over his jaw in a tender caress. “I think we should start over. From now on, when it comes to my safety I’ll listen to you.”

“And from now on, I won’t keep anything from you,” Troy promised.

“I can live with that.” Julie took his hand and linked their fingers. “I figured something out while you were in surgery.” At his questioning eyes, she continued, “Remember the night I called you? The day of the luncheon?” she specified. “I spent the afternoon with Drew and Cal. Drew fixed some iced tea that tasted nasty. He must have drugged me. I remember Cal falling asleep first, but she could’ve been faking it. I don’t know. My point is that Drew had time to mess with my car.”

“I remember you had a headache,” Troy said.

Julie nodded. “I felt like I had hang—” Her phone rang and she fished it out of the sling. “It’s Ari. We’ve been playing phone tag. He left a message that they need me in wardrobe fittings in a few days.” She shook her head. “I can’t do this movie.” She pressed the talk button, but Troy snatched the phone out of her hand and disconnected the call. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean you can’t do it? I thought you wanted this role more than anything?”

She nodded. “I do, but I’m not leaving you here alone.”

Her words stunned him. “You’d give up the role of a lifetime for me?”

“Well. Yeah. It’s just a movie. You’re what matters to me. I’m not going to leave you in a hospital and fly across the country to work when you need me.”

It hit Troy like a two-ton wall. The love he felt for this woman filled him full. That she would sacrifice something she’d lobbied so hard for, just to be with him, gave him a sense of completion he never expected.

There was no way in hell he was going to let her give up her dream for him. That could crush their new relationship faster than the bullet that hit him. He didn’t want resentment or guilt. He wanted honesty.

He took her hand, looked into her bluer-than-blue eyes. “Go make your movie. I’ve got Zach, and I’ll probably be out of here in a few days. Don’t say no to this because of me. That would make me feel like shit.”

Her brows quirked together and she shook her head. “I don’t like it. Look, if I’ve learned anything in all this, it’s about what’s important. You are important to me. I don’t want to neglect you.”

“Do you plan on retiring just because you met me?” he asked.

She canted her head. “Well, no, not retiring, but I can be choosier about the roles I take and how often I work.”

“So be choosy. After this role,” Troy said. “Look, I’m going to have to learn to share you with the world. I get that. We may as well start now. Go make your movie.”

Her beautiful smile crept on her face. “Are you always this bossy?”

He grinned. Didn’t matter that his head was splitting or his gut was on fire, he loved looking into her sparkling eyes and seeing her emotions. “Pretty much, yeah. I just do a good job of keeping it under wraps.”

“Ha. Not really.” She held out her hand. “Gimme that. I need to call Ari back and tell him I’ll be there for the fitting.” She took her phone and found his number. “There’s a real good chance he’ll get a look at me and fire me. I’m so bruised and scarred, I’m not sure makeup is going to cover me.” She lifted the edge of her hospital gown and showed him where the stitches on her thigh had been removed. “They took the old ones out here, and put new ones in here.” She pointed to her arm. “Basically, this whole movie thing might be a moot point.”

“He won’t fire you. You’re...” he was about to say America’s Sweetheart, but caught her warning look, “...golden,” he said instead. She was also his heart and soul.

One month later

Julie stepped into the entryway of her new gated home in Beverly Hills and dropped her suitcase. The sprawling one-level house didn’t differ too much from her old ranch-style house with the exception of all the land. She had a big front yard and a bigger backyard, complete with park-like grounds, a pool and tennis court. She’d only seen the place from the pictures her mother and Abbey had sent, but she’d fallen in love with it.

Elena, Abbey and Troy had overseen the move while Julie had been shooting the film on location in Chicago. The twenty-one-day shoot had been the most aggressive schedule she’d ever worked. Back-to-back sixteen-hour days had fried her brain. She needed to recharge.

Troy had wanted to pick her up from the airport, but a last-minute problem with a client had held him up. Abbey had a callback for a part in a dance movie and instead of bothering her mother, Julie had called Fido and he’d picked her up. Solo. It was a little anticlimactic to the whirlwind of the past month.

Julie sniffed the air. Garlic. Something smelled really good. She kicked off her shoes and padded slowly toward the kitchen, checking out her new home and mentally cataloguing the furniture she’d change. “Hello? Is someone here?” she called. The three people she trusted most had a key.

A tiny bud of apprehension wiggled in her stomach as she thought about Cal, but she shoved it aside as she peeked around the kitchen door. The huge kitchen had black granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an enormous center island. The kitchen table sat in the far corner flanked by two glass walls and French doors opened up to the nearby pool. Two tall, white candles flickered on the table, but the best sight stood in front of the oven.

Wearing faded jeans and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, Troy checked something in the oven before closing the door. His smile destroyed her.

He whipped off the oven mitts and met her in three long strides. “Surprise,” he said, wrapping her in his arms. She squeezed, but not too hard. He was still tender. “God, I missed you.” He pulled back, ran his hand through her hair, and she leaned into his palm, loving his heat. His mouth came down over hers in a soft, deep kiss that curled her toes. Their tongues mated, danced, retreated and met again. Every cell in her body burned hot and alive as his hands roamed her curves, up, down and back up again. Troy backed off and leaned his forehead against hers. “I can’t keep kissing you without an exact replay of our first encounter.”

She’d never forget the way he’d pushed her against the front door and kissed the bejeezus out of her. “As I recall, I kind of liked that,” Julie whispered against his mouth.

“Yeah, I did too. But pretty soon we’re not going to be alone.”

Julie’s eyes snapped open. “We’re not?”

“No. Your mother and Abbey are coming over any minute. They miss you and want to be here when you go through the house. I actually thought you were one of them.”

“Oh.” Talk about a disappointment. “So, no hot sex on the kitchen counter?”

Troy grinned. “Rain check?”

“Absolutely.” Julie leaned up to kiss him, but stopped. “Hey, wait a minute.” She looked beyond his shoulder. “You cook?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Don’t you?”

She snorted. “Not if I can help it.” She brought him down to her mouth for another smoking hot kiss. “I am so turned on with that news.”

“Knock, knock? Anyone home?” Elena’s voice carried into the kitchen and Julie groaned.

“Told ya,” Troy said at her lips before giving her one last quick kiss. The kitchen phone rang and he grabbed the receiver. He noticed the caller ID as he started to hand it to Julie. “This is weird. Yeah?” he said, taking the call. He put a finger up as he took a few steps away.

Elena and Abbey walked in together and Julie counted her blessings. Her mom, her man and an employee she loved. Considering everything she’d been through, she couldn’t complain. She walked through her house for the first time, loving it on sight. The house fit her perfectly. Four spacious rooms, each with its own bathroom, hardwood floors throughout, and most important, a giant-ass gate that surrounded the whole property.

After her twenty-minute tour, the phone rang again. “This is for me,” Troy said, picking up the receiver in the living room. “I’ve got it,” he said into the phone. “See you in a sec.” He hit the button on the phone that controlled the front gate. “Hope you don’t mind, but I needed Blake to drop off my cell phone. I left it at the office.”

“I don’t mind. He should stay for dinner as long as he’s here,” Julie said.

“You sure you don’t mind? You just got home.” Troy took her hand and linked their fingers. Every inch of him was strong, solid and all hers.

“Not a problem for me,” Julie said, loving the way his thumb caressed the inside of her palm. He sparked flames and made all her hot spots hotter.

“Um... I’m just going to run to the bathroom. Be back in a sec,” Abbey said. She disappeared before anyone got a word out.

Elena chuckled. “I hope she doesn’t hide in there through all of dinner.”

“Something I should know about?” Julie asked.

“Abbey and Blake have a little game of cat and mouse going. Abbey does not want to be caught.”

“She told you this?”

Elena nodded. “In a roundabout way.”

Julie lifted an eyebrow as something occurred to her for the first time. “Is Abbey gay?” she whispered.

Laughing, Elena shook head. “No, honey. She’s not gay. But there is definitely something she’s not telling us. Whatever it is, it’s something obviously very private and very personal. She knows we’re here for her if she wants to talk.”

A car engine shut down outside and Troy opened the front door for Blake. Julie had only met him briefly before she’d flown to Chicago for the film. He was as cute as they come, built solid with stunning blue eyes and handsome smile. Why would anyone run from him?

After a round of hellos and an introduction to Elena, Blake looked around expectantly. “I saw Abbey’s car out front. Is she here?”

Julie filled in the noticeable moment of silence. “She is. She just ran to the bathroom. She’ll be right out. Blake, I hope you’ll stay and join us for dinner.”

Blake glanced at Troy, obviously seeking silent permission, which he got by way of a nod. “Sure,” he said, with a quick smile. “Smells really good.”

“Good,” Elena said, moving toward the kitchen. “Give me a few minutes to set the table and we can eat.”

Julie gave Abbey another five minutes before she softly knocked on the bathroom door. “You okay in there?” she asked quietly.

The door cracked open and Abbey’s doe eyes looked back at her. “Is Blake still here?” she whispered.

“He’s staying for dinner.”

Abbey knocked her head against the door frame.

“Did he do something to you?” Julie asked. “Should I toss him out of my house?”

“No!” Abbey whispered fiercely, her head shooting up, her eyes wide. “He didn’t do anything. He’s really nice. I just...” She shook her head. “I can’t explain it.”

Can’t or didn’t want to? Julie sighed. “He seems adorable to me. Come on out and have some dinner. That’s an order.” She almost never used the boss card, but now seemed like a good time.

Abbey followed her into the kitchen where Blake’s cool glance at Abbey belied nothing. “Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m starving,” Elena said. Matchmaker that she was, she put Abbey next to Blake at the circular table, and by the look on Abbey’s face, she was going to catch hell for it later tonight.

“Hi, Abbey,” Blake said quietly as they all sat down.

“Hello.” Abbey barely looked at the poor kid. What the hell was that about? Everyone noticed his not-so covert glances at Abbey except for Abbey. Unless she’d become a better actress than Julie thought.

During bites of the best lasagna she’d ever tasted, Julie answered questions about the movie and got the scoop on Abbey’s recent auditions and callbacks.

“Is there anything new with Carrie Ann and Drew?” Julie asked. She’d stopped referring to her as Cal a month ago, after she’d shot her four times. That day had changed her whole way of thinking about her best friend. She’d waited most of the night to ask because the subject still made her stomach cramp.

“Carrie Ann is finally out of the hospital,” Troy said as Abbey and Blake helped Elena clear the table. “Her infection cleared up and she was moved to jail until the trial.”

“She doesn’t need jail, she needs treatment. Mom, I want to make sure we cover the bills her insurance doesn’t, okay?”

Elena shook her head as she rinsed the dishes. “It’s not your job to pay her bills. I don’t care if she was your best friend—she tried to kill you.”

“I know, but I can’t just abandon her. Or Drew. They need help and I’m all they’ve got.”

“You won’t be able to do anything if they’re found guilty and go to jail,” Troy said.

“Maybe not, but if they end up in a mental facility I want to at least see to it that they can be together. Can we work on that?” she asked Troy.

“Sure. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“And Allen’s mom? Is she doing okay?” Julie had not only covered Allen’s funeral costs, but she’d sent his mother a whopper of a check. Allen had saved her life at the cabin just as Troy had done on the red carpet, and she wanted to make sure his mother didn’t suffer financially because of the loss. Nothing could bring back a son, but not having to worry about money certainly made life a little easier.

Julie reached across the table and took Troy’s hand. “Dinner was perfect. Thank you. How did you know I love Italian food?”

Laughing, Elena closed the dishwasher door. “He’s a P.I. How do you think he found out?” She raised her hand. “He asked me.” She glanced at her watch. “Okay, this cleaning detail is done for the night. Abbey, let’s hit the road. My show starts in thirty minutes.”

“I guess I’ll be going too,” Blake said. “Thanks for dinner.” His mood had gone from somber to downright surly, but he’d been trying his best to hide it. Not much got by Julie though, including Abbey’s cold shoulder to the guy. Blake practically flew out the door and Elena and Abbey followed close behind.

Julie shut the front door and found Troy watching her from the hallway, his eyes hot and smoky. He checked his watch and she did the same. They had approximately four-and-a-half days before she had to be in New York City to start filming her next movie. God, she’d missed him. Missed his big hands, his sexy eyes, and his hard body. She’d spent all her downtime talking to him via text, email, Skype and phone. It was a hell of a way to start a relationship.

“We need to talk,” she said. She had to know before it went any further that he could handle everything that being with her entailed.

“Okay. Sounds serious.” He seemed oddly relaxed as he took her hand and led her into the living room. They sat on her comfortable sofa and he kept her sweaty hand in his. “What’s on your mind?”

Where did she start? She’d had nothing but time to think about how they were going to make this work. He was so intensely private and her life was so freakishly not.

“After Lucas and I broke up I dated a couple of guys,” she said.

Troy just looked at her, his expression unchanged.

“And,” she continued, determined to get this out, “I couldn’t give them what they wanted. I couldn’t give them a quiet dinner out without interruption. I couldn’t give them a normal home life when I was working crazy hours out of town for months at a time. These last few weeks were nothing compared to a big budget film. One of those could keep me out of town for months on end.”

Troy nodded, his face somber. “You’re telling me this because...?”

“Because, I want you to understand what you’ll have to give up to be with me. You’ve waited for me this whole time, and I know we’ve talked and it’s been as good as it can be for a long-distance relationship, but...” She shook her head because she’d been through this before. She hated messy and didn’t want this budding love with Troy to get messy.

“You’re forgetting one very important thing,” he said. Julie waited, her heart full and ready to break if he agreed that the distance was a deal breaker. “What about the perks of being with you?” His gaze softened. “What about the way you make me laugh and the way you make me a better man? What about the light you put in my life just by being you? As long as we have a home together, somewhere where it’s just us and the press or producers or well-meaning friends can’t intrude, then I don’t care what happens if we’re out to dinner or a movie.” He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. “I’m not those other guys you dated. I’m not looking to compete with you. I know I have to share. I’m on board because I love you and that means I deal with...” He searched for the word he wanted.

“The chaos?” she supplied.

He grinned. “You’re words, not mine. I was thinking more along the lines of whatever comes our way.”

“What about your privacy?”

“What about it?” He shook his head. “If you’re trying to get rid of me, this isn’t the way to do it.” He linked their fingers. “I love you. That’s what it comes down to. I don’t care about the shit happening out there,” he said gesturing to the front door. “I care about what’s happening in here.” The honesty in his eyes melted her as he gestured around them. “And in here.” He lightly tapped the spot over her heart. “Yeah, the long-distance thing sucks, but we’ll make it work. If you want to. If you’ve decided I’m not what you want or—”

“God no!” she said. “I’m not saying that at all. I just want you to know what you’re getting into.”

His smile singed her eyebrows it was so hot. “I know exactly what I’m getting into and there’s no way you’re talking me out of it. After all those phone calls and Skype sessions you don’t think I’m invested in making us work?” As he leaned forward he wrapped his hand around her nape and brought her closer. “If we’re done here, I think we can move on to the next part of the evening.”

That sounded good to her. She was dying to get naked with him.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

“You better believe it.” She put all the sex kitten she could muster into the words as she unbuttoned the top button of her silk shirt. Troy’s eyes narrowed. She undid the second one and his eyebrows quirked.

“Am I missing something?” he asked. “I thought we were meeting Trace Bradshaw for drinks.”

Julie’s jaw dropped open wide. “Oh, my God, I completely forgot! What time is it?” It didn’t matter that she’d just looked at her watch. She scrambled to button her shirt and get her shoes back on.

“Whoa, slow down. We’ve got time.” Troy kissed her sweetly and her pounding heart slowed a fraction. “Are you sure you still want to go? You don’t have to. She said if you were too tired that she’d see you next time around.”

“No, I slept on the plane, I’m fine. Just give me five minutes to freshen up.”

Some kind of Hollywood blowout was happening at the Beverly Hills Hotel because the paparazzi were out in force as Troy pulled up to the valet. Last month’s news had been splashed all over the paper and entertainment shows, but Julie had managed to keep a fairly low profile since she’d been on location and working so many hours.

But now. This. There was no way to avoid the crowd unless she cancelled on Trace, and she didn’t want to cancel. She hadn’t seen Trace since the woman had visited her in the hospital after the first shooting, and that visit had been short and sweet because Trace had to drive to a new venue for her next race.

“You ready?” Troy asked as he unbuckled his seat belt.

“I am if you are.” This test worried her the most. Could Troy handle the press? The constant questions and interruptions? Would he get tired of the attention poured on them?

She forced out a breath as the valet opened her door. She stepped out of the car and Troy eased by her side in a flash, taking her hand and walking the gauntlet as reporters threw out questions and snapped photos.

“Julie, have you recovered from last month?”

“Julie, who’s the new guy?”

“Julie, look this way.”

Everyone wanted a piece of her. Though she knew it came with the territory, it had never bothered her more than right now because she didn’t want to lose Troy. She didn’t breathe easy until they got to Trace’s suite on the top floor.

Julie knocked and the door opened with a flourish.

“Hey!” Mac Reynolds, Trace’s husband, greeted her with a big hug as she stepped into the room. Mac and Trace had both been technical advisors to Julie’s movie Dangerous Race. Mac had taught Julie’s stunt double, Ellie, how to drive the race car for the movie.

Trace and Ellie got up from the sofa and joined them, giving Julie a hug.

“How was the race?” Julie asked Ellie.

“Not bad for a debut,” Trace said, speaking for her. “A second-place finish.”

“That’s great!” Julie hugged Ellie again and eyed the smile on Trace’s face, then glanced at Ellie. “Trace won, didn’t she?”

Ellie laughed. “Yes, she did. I figured I should let the boss win on my first time out.”

The group laughed and Julie introduced Troy, only to find out he’d already worked for most of them. She had no idea he’d been the private investigator who originally found Trace Bradshaw when Trace’s sister discovered she had a twin. That had led to Troy working for Trace’s brother-in-law, Quinn, who was now married to Julie’s former stunt double, Ellie.

Yes, it was a very small world.

After a couple hours of catching up, Troy and Julie ran the paparazzi gauntlet on the way out. Troy held her close and kept a guarded eye on the people crowded around them, but he handled the chaos with calm.

Once safely in the car, he took a right on Sunset Boulevard.

Julie had to know what he thought of the media circus. “So...did tonight freak you out?” She fiddled with the button on the cuff of her shirt. “Because that’s about the norm for me. It’s an acquired taste.” She waited for his answer, afraid to see the expression on his face.

“Bullets freak me out. Cameras...not so much.”

She glanced at the wry smile on his face and fell in love with him a little bit more. “I’m serious. It’s never-ending. The cameras, people wanting to meet or talk or find a connection somehow. It’s not easy.” He missed the right turn for her house. “Where are you going?”

“I have a stop to make. Hope that’s okay.”

“Sure.” Maybe this had to do with the client problem he had earlier. “Anyway, what I was saying before. It’s not an easy life and it takes a certain person to be able to handle it. I just love you, and I don’t want to put you in the limelight if you don’t want to be there.”

“I want to be wherever you are,” he said. “That’s when I’m at my best.” Julie swallowed the knot lodged in her throat and Troy continued, “This last month was a bear. A few times I didn’t think I’d get through it. But then I thought to myself, if this is what I have to deal with to have a life with you...to be with you...then it’s worth every second.” He glanced at her and the emotion in his eyes filled her heart with love. “Because you are worth getting shot over. You’re worth dealing with pushy photographers and obnoxious paparazzi. I can handle anything as long as I’ve got you with me and I know you’re safe.”

Julie reached for his hand and squeezed tight. “I hope you still feel that way in a few months.”

“Months? How about years? How about decades?” His half grin and hot glance took her back to their road trip. She loved his profile, loved his strong jaw, the shape of his nose and the curve of his lips. He always knew how to say the right thing.

Sunset Boulevard wound its way closer to the beach, and soon they were driving on the Pacific Coast Highway. The full moon illuminated the ocean like a giant nightlight. Troy made a left near Pepperdine University and cruised along a row of beach houses before pulling into a driveway.

Curiosity ate Julie up. “Who lives here?” she asked.

Troy’s sidelong glance and smile as he got out of the car only made her radar sharper. He opened her door and helped her out. Did this place belong to him too? Her heart thumped as he unlocked the front door, flipped on a light and ushered her in before him.

The house was gorgeous. A short hallway with closed doors on either side opened up to a huge two-level great room. A glass table for four preceded the large kitchen to the right, and three steps down the wide staircase, the open living room boasted a huge flat screen television and fireplace with a giant comfortable sofa.

What really caught Julie’s eye was the wall of glass windows and two sets of French doors that lead out to the balcony and the beach. Troy unlocked the door and she took a deep breath of the salty sea air. The rush of waves soothed frazzled nerves the paparazzi had ruffled.

“Surprise,” Troy said, his voice low in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“You are full of them, aren’t you?” She smiled and canted her head back and to the side as his lips skated from her neck to her ear. Tingles shimmied down her spine and she shivered.

“Cold?” he asked.

“Not even close,” she whispered. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck as his mouth came down over hers. The kiss consumed her, took her to a place where nothing mattered but Troy. He tasted like the mints they swiped from Trace’s suite. His hands curved around her ass and brought her more fully against him so she felt his erection low against her belly. After a few minutes, he pulled away.

Julie licked her lips, loving the taste of him, the feel of his strength as he took her hands in his. She would’ve been happy to keep kissing him, but as long as he stopped, her curiosity won out. “Is this your place?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Yes and no.” His dark eyes twinkled with another secret and Julie lifted an eyebrow, waiting. “I bought it, but it’s not mine.”

Julie puckered her lips. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Yeah, it does.” Troy pulled a box out of his blazer pocket and got down on one knee. Julie felt her eyes go wide. “No way,” she breathed. All the blood rushed out of her head.

After opening the box, Troy took her hand. A spectacular square cut diamond ring twinkled up at her from a platinum setting.

“Julie, you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” He looked up at her, his eyes glowing with emotion. “You make me laugh and you make me want to be a better man. You taught me how to open up and let people in.” He clenched his jaw, and watching him fight emotion brought tears to Julie’s eyes. She’d never loved him more than she did right this second. “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me?” A hint of uncertainty lingered in the question.

It was so perfectly Troy: heartfelt and to the point.

Julie’s chest tightened up. “Yes, please,” she whispered.

The growing smile on his face made her laugh through her tears as Troy slid the ring on her finger. She laughed because he probably had one of her other rings sized to make sure this one fit. She laughed again because her heart was so full of love she thought it might pop. Troy stood up and Julie wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you more than anything else in this world. Even chocolate.”

Troy leaned back and laughed as he brushed some hair off her cheek. “That’s big.” He nodded. “But I’m pretty sure I win in the love department.” His cocky tone reeked of another surprise.

“Is that so?” She smiled up at him, exactly where she wanted to be. With him.

He nodded. “I bought you this place as a wedding present so I think that means I win.”

Her jaw hit the floor as she pulled away from him and looked inside the gorgeous house. “You did what?” She took a few steps into the living room and glanced around, then at Troy. “When?”

“A couple of weeks ago. I bought it as is, furniture included. You can do whatever you want with it. I thought it might be a good escape on nights like tonight when the paparazzi and the crowds get to be too much.”

The gesture shredded her. “I love it.” She moved back into the safety and comfort of his arms. “You didn’t have to do this, you know. I love you because you’re you. Besides, I thought you weren’t going to keep things from me. You don’t have to buy me things.”

“I know. But I want to buy you things. And you have to give me some breathing room when it comes to surprises.”

“An ocean-front beach house?” She didn’t want to come right out and say you probably couldn’t afford this.

“Too much?” he asked, but his smile was killer.

She scrunched up her face. “Possibly.”

His gaze narrowed. “You think I got in over my head with this purchase?”

She should’ve known better to think he wouldn’t see through her. She scrunched her face again. “Possibly,” she repeated.

He nodded, suddenly solemn. “So, if I told you that I’ve invested my money over the years and own a couple of apartment buildings that turn a very hefty profit, you’d feel better? And if I told you that I’m a long way from poor, would that also make you feel better?”

Julie’s jaw dropped again. “How could we spend a full week together and I didn’t know this about you?”

Out came his smile. “I guess you didn’t ask the right questions.” He laughed at the outrage on her face. “It’s not something that defines me,” he said. “I’ve worked hard for a lot of years and most of my expenses are paid by clients. It would’ve been stupid not to invest in something, but I like my job. At least I used to.” He squeezed her waist. “I’m thinking I might have to cut back. Working sixteen-hour days has its drawbacks.”

“Tell me about it,” Julie grumbled.

“Speaking of money, I want to sign a prenup,” he said.

Julie stepped back, her smile gone. One giant surprise after another with this man. “What?”

“I don’t want anyone to think I’m marrying you because of your money. I want to sign a prenup.” He reached for her and she backed up, a finger in the air.

“Did I say yes to marrying you?” she asked.

His eyes narrowed. “Yeeeess.” He drew out the word as if a trap awaited him.

“In my world, marriage means what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine. No prenups.”

He shook his head and sighed. “I’m just protecting you. I don’t care.”

Julie stepped close and grabbed his collar. “I do care. I didn’t say yes to you blindly. I’m getting married once and staying married. I trust you with my life. With my heart. I trust you won’t let me down.” She gazed into his eyes. “Read my lips. No prenup. We go into this deal a team and we stay a team.”

Troy touched his forehead to hers. “Irma Jean, I like the way you think.”

Julie smiled, her love for this man more profound as each second ticked by. “Stop your yakking, Billy Joe Bob, and take me to bed already.”