Living Dangerously

Chapter Nine



Julie’s pulse mushroom bombed as Cal came at her. Had she not been so close to the stairs she might have laughed, but with Cal’s velocity, Julie could only brace herself for contact. Cal didn’t so much as fall into her as at her. Her best friend sent her flying. With her back to the stairs she had no way to protect herself, no arms or legs to cushion her fall. Not that arms or legs could cushion a fall like this. They’d more likely break into many pieces as she was going to do very shortly.

Still airborne, a heavy weight hit her before she connected with the stairs. Strong arms surrounded her, twisting her in midair, before they hit. Impact knocked the breath from both of them. She heard it whoosh out of his lungs on a gust as she landed on a solid chest instead of the hard stairs. They rolled a few steps and finally settled on the first landing.

Julie didn’t move. Couldn’t move. Her heart pounded wildly, her breathing rough and loud between her ears. She clearly had a guardian angel. Either that or she was a cat in a former life and those nine lives were coming back to save her now.

A familiar scent wafted up her nostrils. A spicy cologne she associated with one particular man. She lifted her head and gazed into the eyes of Troy Mills.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he said at the same time she said, “You. Again?”

Julie’s racing heart fluttered at their position. Draped completely over Troy’s chest, the intimacy hit her just as clearly as the growing erection in Troy’s pants. With his arms still securely around her, she’d never felt more safe or protected. Their legs entwined like lovers and his palms brushed soothingly across her back.

Her initial fear of his immediate injuries waned as she looked at his smile and watched the intensity in his eyes. “You know if you keep saving my ass like this, I’m going to have to put you on the payroll.” Her voice sounded much too husky for her own good, but her grin mirrored his.

“It’s becoming a habit I—”

“Querida!” Ari’s voice broke the spell and Julie looked up to see the crowd gathering around them.

“I’m okay.” She glanced at Troy. “Are you okay?” The fall had to hurt. She’d knocked the wind out of him just as surely as if she’d punched him.

“I think so. I—”

“Julie!” Cal’s voice rose above the worried muted whispers.

Ari helped her off Troy and she felt a loss at the separation. She glanced up again when Cal called her a second time. She spotted her best friend through the crowd of people who’d gathered at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide and panic-stricken.

“Oh my God, Julie!” Cal stood and winced, keeping her weight on her right foot. “Are you okay?” she asked even though she was the one hurt.

“I’m okay.” A couple of men helped Troy to his feet as Julie carefully took the stairs on shaky legs. Several people made way for her. “But it looks like you’re hurt. Did you sprain your ankle?”

“I don’t know. I might have just twisted it.” She turned to her brother, still on the floor where he’d fallen into her. “Drew, are you okay?”

Drew lay curled up into a tight ball on the carpet, his shoulders shaking. Cal’s hurt ankle suddenly became an afterthought as both of them surrounded Drew. For a twenty-five-year-old man, he looked more like a little boy.

Julie put her hand on his shoulder. “Drew, it’s okay. Everyone is okay,” she assured him.

“No,” he shouted, the word muffled behind his arms. “It’s not okay!”

“Yes, it is,” Cal said, trying to soothe him. “I’m fine. It barely hurts and Julie is fine too.”

“Drew,” Julie said, stroking his arm. “C’mon, let’s get up and I’ll buy you a Coke. How does that sound?”

He sniffed loudly and peeked out from behind his arms, his eyes skeptical. He rolled over and grabbed Julie in an awkward hug. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” His warm breath whooshed past her ear.

“Honey, it was an accident.” Julie gave him a last reassuring squeeze and pulled away.

He looked at the crowd gathered around him and his brows pulled together. “I want to go home.” He didn’t exactly shout the words, but his snarl and gritted teeth hinted at the definite possibility.

Cal shot Julie a warning glance. Drew was about to have a serious meltdown. “Fine,” Cal said, rubbing his arm. “We can go. I’ll take us right now.”

“No!” he shouted again. “I want to go to my house.”

A flush of embarrassment heated Julie’s face. Though Cal had mentioned Drew having more behavioral issues, she’d never seen him like this.

Taking a steadying breath, Cal shut her eyes briefly and seemed to ready for the battle. She sat next to Drew. “I know you do, but the house is being tented for termites. You have to stay with me for a few days.”

“No!” he shouted again, still on the floor and physically backing away from them both, his attention on the people watching them.

Julie bent to hear Cal’s whisper. “He’s pissed because he thought we were going to be sitting at your table.”

A freight train loaded with guilt slammed into Julie, and another wave of heat spread across her skin. “I am so sorry,” she whispered back. “I thought they’d squeeze him in at the table. I didn’t think they’d move you to sit with him somewhere else.”

Cal shrugged like it was no big deal, but Julie still felt bad.

“Drew,” Julie said, hoping to help. “What if I come with you guys?”

Cal covertly mouthed thank you behind her hand.

“We can catch up. I’m still upset that I had to cancel our lunch a couple of months ago.” They’d rescheduled, but she’d had to cancel that appointment too after being shot. “What do you say? I can follow you and Cal home.”

Drew slowly met her gaze. He had a lost look in his eyes that was becoming too familiar. “You will?” he asked. Julie realized that Hollywood had crushed the boy who’d had such huge hopes and dreams. He’d not only lost his confidence, he’d lost his self-esteem. It was as if Tinseltown had literally stolen Drew’s mental health. His father’s suicide hadn’t helped anything, nor had the fact that Drew had found Andrew Sr.’s body. His life had been a downhill slide ever since.

“Sure.” She took his hand and squeezed. “We can make some popcorn and catch up. How does that sound?”

A smile blossomed on his face and he looked like the old Drew. Julie still couldn’t figure out why Hollywood had passed over him for so many years. He was a good-looking guy with the same blond hair and amazing light brown eyes as his sister. “It sounds good. As long as you don’t go back on your word.”

Ouch. That stung. Apparently he wanted to hold onto his grudge because she’d canceled their last two visits. “I won’t go back on my word. Jeez. Give me a break,” she teased with an eye roll and quick smack to his forearm. “It’s not every day a girl gets shot and loses her spleen.”

Drew’s eyes rounded before his face crinkled up. Uh oh. Wrong thing to say. The man was going to cry any minute. He had more moods than a schizophrenic with bipolar issues.

“C’mon,” Julie said, rising to her feet and extending a hand. “Let’s blow this joint so we can get comfortable and pop in a movie or something.”

“Blow this joint,” Drew echoed. He laughed and took her hand, his mood shifting once again. “I like that.” He reminded her of the eleven-year-old boy she’d first met in acting class with Cal. He’d been fearless, ready to tackle any scene or exercise. He’d had an energy and vitality that made him stand out.

“Hey. Yo. What about me?” Cal said from her spot on the floor. “I could use a little help.” She lifted both hands, and Julie and Drew each grabbed one and pulled her up. She tested her ankle by circling it and putting some weight on it. “I think I’m good,” she said with a wink to her brother.

His sweet smile decimated Julie. Drew’s love for his sister shone as bright as sparklers on the Fourth of July. Ever since their mom had died nine years ago, Cal had taken care of Drew. She’d been not only his older sister, but his surrogate mother.

Julie respected her best friend. Cal had a lot on her plate dealing with Drew and her career, paying for the mortgage on the house she grew up in and her own condo. She had a big nut to crack every month, but she’d been doing it for years.

An arm draped around Julie’s shoulders and she recognized Ari’s strong scent of patchouli. As usual, he had his dark hair slicked back against his head. Her smile faltered and she got the heebie jeebies when he kissed her temple. Troy stood just behind him, looking as if nothing had happened, his face stony.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ari asked softly in her ear.

“I’m fine.” She didn’t like putting up with Ari’s roaming hands in public. For some unexplainable reason, she couldn’t meet Troy’s gaze. Only at the last minute did she look into his eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He nodded, his expression somber, his lips a grim line.

She wanted to hug him, wanted to see the smile she’d seen in the hospital when they’d talked and joked. He stood four feet away but it might as well have been miles. It was as if some invisible barrier kept them separated.

Well, bullshit to that. She didn’t care what anyone thought, especially Ari, so she pulled out from his arm and marched over to Troy, where she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Really. I seem to say it a lot, but thank you.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her briefly. He felt so solid against her, like he could withstand anything that came at him, be it bullets or a flight of stairs. She pulled away and looked into his eyes, finally getting the whisper of a smile she’d been hoping for.

“Julie,” Drew called. “C’mon. We’re waiting.”

Right. Drew. After saying more goodbyes, Julie and Drew helped Cal to the garage. Julie promised to follow directly behind to keep Drew from having a panic attack.

She would’ve rather been with Troy, thanking him a different way for breaking her fall. Just thinking about how close she’d come to breaking her neck had a chill racing down her spine. She’d never forget the strength of the man beneath her.

Her thigh still tingled where she’d felt him grow against her. She flushed at the memory, at the heat in his gaze, the solid strength of his muscles and the pounding of his heart beneath her. God, what a stud. She shook off the haze as she started her car and waited for Cal to pass her going out of the garage.

It took about thirty minutes to get to Cal’s Studio City place, and Julie helped her up the small flight of steps to the building and her spacious condo.

Cal and Julie both ditched their heels as soon as they walked in the door, and Drew slipped off his navy blazer. He went straight to the kitchen. “I’m making popcorn,” he singsonged. His foul mood seemed to have disappeared, which suited Julie fine.

“I need to use the bathroom,” Julie said, doing the hold it in dance of someone who’d had too much to drink at lunch. She beelined to the guest bathroom where all of Drew’s things cluttered the dark marble countertop.

“Hey, Julie,” Drew yelled a minute later from outside the door. “I made some of that mango tea you talked about. Will you have some and tell me what you think?”

Julie finished in the bathroom, washed her hands and opened the door to see Drew with a whopper of a smile creasing his face. “Well, since I’ve lightened my load, I can have some, sure,” she said.

Drew had already poured them each a glass. Julie carried one to Cal, who had a comfortable spot on the sofa. Julie sat back on the thick cushions. The couch was very similar to the one she had at her house. Cal had fallen in love with it and bought nearly the same thing in a different color.

Cal gulped her drink. “Ugh. Drew, what’s in here? I think it’s a little bitter. What do you think?” She stretched out on the sofa, her foot nearly in Julie’s lap.

Julie tasted the drink. It was icy cold just the way she liked her tea, but Cal was right about the bitterness. She didn’t want Drew backsliding into a depression though and she took another sip. “This is...interesting. Maybe I’ll pick some up for my place. With a lot of sugar.”

Drew beamed and took a drink. He grimaced. “Yuck, this is awful!”

Julie sipped more and made a face just to elicit a laugh from Drew. It worked.

Cal puckered her lips together after another taste. “I’m so tired. How come three-hour luncheons wipe me out so fast?” She set her glass on the coffee table.

Julie had more tea, then set it next to Cal’s. She couldn’t hold back a giant yawn. “Because it’s exhausting to be ‘on’ for that many hours.” She stretched her legs, crossed her ankles on the coffee table and leaned her head back on the sofa. “This is nice,” she muttered.

“It is nice,” Drew said. “When was the last time the three of us spent any alone time together?”

The carefree smile on his face made Julie happy. She shook her head. “I can’t even remember.”

“It’s been years,” Drew said before sipping his own tea. His voice sounded sad and maybe a little angry. “I feel like you guys have left me behind.”

Cal lifted one eyebrow. “What are you talking about? I see you all the time.”

Scowling at her best friend, Julie scrambled for damage control. “Drew, I miss this too. But sometimes schedules change and I can’t control what happens.” When the three of them had first met, they’d been virtually inseparable. Julie loved them both like the siblings she’d always wanted and never had. But as her career took off and life got busy, her time with Drew had dwindled to a fraction of what it used to be. Julie didn’t realize Drew’s mood swings had become so frequent. Cal hadn’t mentioned him having any public breakdowns and Julie hadn’t thought to ask.

As she watched Cal, a pang of sympathy hit her chest. Cal worked her butt off to keep her brother safe. Drew had been a happy kid for the most part, but after their father had committed suicide, he’d withdrawn. Cal had managed to pull him out of his depression just in time for their mother to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She’d died within six months of their father’s funeral. It was as if Drew snapped after that. He’d retreated to someplace in his mind and hadn’t managed to cope with life. He held down a job bagging groceries at the market around the corner, and Julie figured that’s what kept him as grounded as he was.

Cal yawned and Julie followed. She was dead tired. All it took was sitting down on a comfortable couch for a few minutes and her body said naptime. Cal’s lids drooped over her eyes and she sighed. “We are so lame. I think if someone screamed fire, we’d turn over and go to sleep.”

“Fire,” Drew said from the recliner adjacent to the sofa. He had his feet propped up and a grin on his face.

“Always the comedian,” Julie mumbled. Her lids felt like bricks and the sofa offered her a delicious respite.

“You two are boring,” Drew said. But he leaned back in the recliner, linked his fingers and rested his head in his hands. “Hey, Julie, do you think we can have our lunch next week? We can make it an early birthday celebration.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot your birthday is coming up,” Cal mumbled, her eyes closed.

“Some best friend you are,” Julie teased. “Lunch sounds good,” she murmured, happy to be off her feet and the three-inch heels she’d worn most of the day.

“Just think,” Drew said, “If you hadn’t spun away from that bullet, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“Mmm.” Julie agreed. “True.” Her eyes drifted shut. Good thing Cal had passed out first. Drew’s smile was the last thing Julie saw before she conked out.

* * *

The guns were lined up in order of size on the table. Three rifles, three handguns. It was a nice collection. All had been well used over the years, mostly for target practice, but most recently not. Several lethal knives gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the window.

Shooting Julie Fraser on the red carpet provided an unbelievable feeling of satisfaction. But it hadn’t kept her down. Missing her at the party in the hills had been a real shame. If she hadn’t spun around at the last second, that bullet would’ve landed right in her cold-blooded heart. Watching the other bullets hit her on the red carpet had been massively exhilarating. Where the hell that stupid bodyguard came from was still a mystery. He wasn’t on the payroll, which meant they were getting it on.

Little Miss America’s Sweetheart was doing the nasty after prolonged abstinence. At least that’s what it looked like. Why else would this guy be hanging around all of sudden? It wasn’t for the homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Fingering the cold steel of the Colt felt good. It felt solid and strong, just like its owner.

It felt good to always have the guns and knives close, though chances were good they wouldn’t be necessary after tomorrow.

Research had shown that there were other, more fun ways for Julie to die. Bullets were nice, but sometimes overrated. Experimenting with explosives had been new, fun and challenging. Discovering poisons had been educational as well. Buying lethal drugs had also been much easier than anticipated. So many interesting ways to kill. It was amazing how much a person could learn from the Internet and from making connections in all the right places.

Julie could run, but she couldn’t hide.

* * *

Sitting in his car, in the dark, on Julie’s deserted street, Troy leaned his head against the headrest. Not one streetlight lit this small canyon road, which maximized the potential for security issues. He’d been here for almost an hour already, had the realtor’s phone number on the for-sale sign memorized. He should go home. Yeah, he’d been telling himself that for about forty minutes now. “Go home.” But he glanced at the house and didn’t budge.

What did he think was going to happen? Today’s freak accident had weirded him out something fierce. That Julie might have died in front of him a third time had his palms sweating. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he looked at the house again. The same lights lit the back of the house where she spent most of her time in the large comfortable den.

Troy shifted in the seat, his muscles sore from the fall earlier. He couldn’t get the vision of Julie out of his head, would remember until the day he died how her arms and legs flailed before he’d snagged her against him just before she’d hit the stairs.

He shook his head. Sitting here another minute wasn’t going to change anything. She was fine. Today had been an accident, not some stalker situation.

Shifting again, he’d put his hand on the keys to start the car when his phone rang. He checked the screen.

Julie Fraser.

Troy shot a glance to the house, expecting to see her staring at him through the side window of the front door, but all looked quiet. Not a curtain or blind out of place. He punched the screen on his phone.

“Mills here,” he said.

“Very businesslike of you.” The amusement in Julie’s voice came through clear as shiny crystal.

“I’m nothing if not a businessman,” he replied evenly. “Everything okay?” The last time she’d called him, it was because she wanted him to check out the security on her house. Well, he’d not only done that, but he’d persuaded her to move as well. That she took his advice so seriously made a huge crack in the wall he kept trying to build between them.

“Mostly.” She sighed. “At the tail end of a killer headache.” Troy imagined her stretched out on her thick comfortable sofa. “I was just thinking about today.” He waited, not wanting to bring up something that was bound to take them in the wrong direction. “Thinking about what might’ve happened if you hadn’t been there.”

Yeah. He’d been thinking about it too. Wasn’t that the reason he’d been sitting in front of her house for the past hour? What did it mean that he’d been in the right place at the right time the last three times she needed him most? This had to be some kind of fated cosmic joke.

“Don’t think about things that didn’t happen.”

She snorted. “Are you practicing to be a shrink?”

He grinned. “Naw. I just thought it sounded good.”

“Mmm,” she said. “I, uh, was hoping to talk to you a little more. We didn’t really get a chance today since I needed to help Cal get Drew home. I’m not sure I thanked you properly.”

Troy closed his eyes and remembered the tight hug, the clean fresh scent unique to Julie, and imagined all the ways she could properly thank him. Like letting him have unlimited access to every inch of her bare skin. A quick vision of her spread out on a bed with his face between her legs whizzed through his brain and sparked a hot blast to his dick. Shit. He needed to keep his mind on the conversation.

“You did,” he assured her. Yeah, he got that she was giving him every opportunity to take advantage, and every instinct he had told him things with Ari weren’t what they looked like, but he still couldn’t step into uncharted territory with her. “How is Carrie Ann, by the way? Her ankle going to be all right?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. She just tweaked it a little.”

“What’s the deal with the guy today? Was that Carrie Ann’s boyfriend?” Troy asked.

“No. That was her brother, Drew. He has a few issues. Most of the time he functions very well. But he tends to crack under pressure. We went back to Cal’s place and he calmed down. Then we took the longest nap in the history of mankind on her sofa this afternoon.”

That explained why she was wide-awake and calling him at eleven at night. She didn’t say anything for a long time and Troy waited, knowing she had something heavy on her mind.

“I must have really been tired because I woke up feeling like I had a hangover. Falling asleep usually cures my headaches, it doesn’t bring them on. Boring stuff. So...are you doing laundry tonight?” she asked.

He chuckled at her delivery. “Nope. No laundry.”

“Do you think maybe...would you like to...” She huffed a sigh. “I’d really like to see you. Face to face. Do you think we could meet somewhere or maybe you could drop by my place? I mean, unless you’re too tired. I know it’s late.”

Troy leaned his head back against the seat, more torn than he’d ever been in his life.

“Troy?” she said again. “I wouldn’t ask this except I can’t ask my mom because she’s taking a road trip tomorrow and I know she’s asleep already and Cal is hanging with her brother since he’s staying at her place for a few days.” She stopped. “I’m sorry. I sound pitiful and stupid and—”

“Stop right there.” Troy sat up straighter, couldn’t stand to hear her say those things about herself when they weren’t anywhere near the truth. “I’ll be right there.”

F*ck it. He didn’t care that she knew he’d been sitting across the street in his car. Didn’t care about anything except that she was lonely and probably scared, not only because a stranger kept sending her flowers, but also because she could’ve died today just by a fall and not some stalker’s bullet. What kind of life lesson was that?

Troy got out of the car and walked across the street. He debated all of two seconds before he said another mental f*ck it and rang the doorbell. He heard Julie on the other end. Knew she was checking him out through the peephole. Saw her wide-eyed fascination as she opened the door. Wearing skin-tight, faded jeans and a figure-molding green T-shirt, she looked good enough to eat.

Then she smiled. A sweet curl of her lips as she looked up at him and the words f*ck it ran through his head again. He stepped in close, wrapped his hand around her nape and pulled her against him. If she wanted him to stop, she had time to say something. But instead, she just stared at him with excitement in her eyes and a blush staining her cheeks. Damn, but she was so beautiful.

Without another second’s hesitation, Troy bent his head and kissed her. He didn’t just kiss her, kiss her. He f*cking kissed the hell out of her. He sealed his mouth over hers and stepped in at the same time he pulled her flush against his chest.

She had no problem with the idea. No problem at all. She wrapped her arms around his neck, opened for his tongue and stood on tiptoe to get closer. Troy walked them in a few more feet and kicked the door closed behind him. He spun her around and backed her up against the front door as his mouth continued to own hers. He hadn’t started off slow or sweet. He’d started with a hunger that went deep into his bones. For the first time in his life, he threw away the rights and wrongs of what he was doing. He scrapped his ideals and simply took exactly what he wanted.

God, she tasted like chocolate, smelled like Julie, and his brain nearly short-circuited. His tongue dueled with hers in a slick, sinful dance of give and take, a war of supremacy where no one came out a loser.

In less than a minute they were both breathing hard. Her fingers dug into his scalp as she angled her mouth against his. He couldn’t kiss her deeply enough. Couldn’t touch enough of her. He didn’t even care about the clothes. The fact that he had her in his arms, that his tongue slid against hers in the most mind-bending kiss known to man was enough. She couldn’t seem to get close enough as she moaned and kissed him just as desperately as he kissed her. With every passing second, Troy’s control spiraled out of reach.

She gasped when he lifted the edge of her shirt and put his hands on her soft skin, caressing both sides, up and down. Though she didn’t stop or pull away, the surprise in the sound knocked some sense into his fried brain.

He pulled back before he did the stupidest thing in the world and f*cked her at her front door.

She looked up at him, her face flushed, her eyes heavy lidded and loaded with desire. She licked her lips, and the temptation to go back for more nearly got the best of him.

“What?” she said, her voice husky and sexy as hell. “What’s wrong?”

“This,” Troy said, searching for sanity. “This is crazy. I can’t just walk in here and...” He glanced around the big entryway before meeting her gaze. “Strip you naked and f*ck you.”

A smile curved her lips and she lifted one arched eyebrow. “Um...it’s possible that you can,” she hedged.

What? Shit, this was more than he could handle. Troy took a step back, needed the cool air to clear the crazy thoughts running rampant in his brain.

Julie ran her hand through her mussed hair. Damn, she looked even more beautiful with her lips swollen from his kiss and her eyes bright with passion. Those eyes narrowed though and Troy knew—without a doubt—what was coming next.

“Where were you before you rang the doorbell?” she asked.

Yep. The million-dollar question. There was simply no way to lie about the answer either. “Sitting in my car on the other side of the street.”

His answer sobered her passion. A bucket of cold ice water couldn’t have done a better job. Her back stiffened and her head cocked to the side.

“Why?” Her tone sounded more leery than angry.

“Probably for the same reason you called me.”

She thought about his answer. Her shoulders relaxed.

Though Troy couldn’t be completely honest with her, he wanted to, so he shot for the truth of the moment. “Look, I’ve been thinking a lot about today too. What does it mean that I’ve been there for you the last few times when you needed somebody?” He shook his head. “I don’t know the answer to that. I only know...” He ran his hands through his hair and turned away, stepped farther into her house and created more distance between them. He knew only one thing. That he wanted Julie Fraser with every beat of his sorry heart. He wanted to feel her under him as he pushed deep inside her. Wanted to hear her call his name as he touched and tasted every last inch of her.

“You only know what?” Julie followed him into the house, both her tone and steps hesitant.

Shit. He shouldn’t have started this. He walked around her, kept a large distance before he lost all sense of reason and lunged for her. Again. “I know that I can’t get you out of my mind. Ever since the shooting at the house, I’ve been thinking that someone could take a shot at you anytime and it’d all be over.” He shook his head, pissed that he sounded like some overprotective gorilla. He took the last few steps for the door, needing the space before he did something he’d regret.

“Wait a minute.” Her voice rose with an edge of anger. “What are you doing? Where are you going? You’re leaving?”

Troy turned. The mix of anger and uncertainty in her eyes made him sick inside. He didn’t want to upset her or hurt her in any way, and getting involved with her on any level would mean more trouble than he could handle.

“I shouldn’t have come over.” He shook his head. “Shouldn’t have rang the doorbell in the first place.”

Staring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her gaze. “What is the problem?” She shook her head. “You’re going to need to spell it out for me because as far as I can tell, we’re two consenting adults and—” She stopped suddenly. “Are you married? Because if you’re married then you’re right, you can haul yourself out of my house right now. I never saw a ring on your finger, but if you think I sleep with married men, then you’d be categorically wrong.”

Troy closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. He believed her. Everything he’d seen between her and Ari until now made perfect sense. Her body language had told the story, but he’d become so damn cynical that he wouldn’t believe his own eyes.

It didn’t change the fact that he still worked for Ari. It didn’t change the fact that he’d been watching her for weeks, months with the sole intention of nailing her to the wall when it came to wrecking a marriage.

He’d been wrong. His relief didn’t temper his frustration with the whole situation.

“Well, are you?” Her voice sounded razor sharp, and America would have been hard pressed to find their Sweetheart anywhere in the vicinity.

He met her gaze. “No.”

She huffed and shook her head. “Then what is the issue?” When he didn’t immediately answer, she paced in front of him. “Let me ask you something. Do you think I kiss a lot of guys the way I just kissed you? Do you think I—” She let out a frustrated groan that mirrored his exact aggravation. “I just don’t get it.” She stared at him and waited.

He couldn’t tell her he’d been hired to watch her, not while Sophia remained a client. He had strict confidentiality issues. His reputation demanded it. “I like you. A lot. Too much,” he said. “This is just—” Talking had never been his strong suit. This conversation was killing him.

“Just?” she prompted. “What? Just bad timing? Just plain crazy? Just not what you wanted?” She shook her head. “Maybe I’m not what you thought I’d be? I have no idea. People think one thing of me, and when they get the real me it’s a completely different story. I’m not glamorous or exciting or lead a wild life. Well, fine.” She gestured behind him. “Walk out the door. But don’t think you’ll get another chance to come back in.” Turning, she faced the slider doors that led out to the narrow backyard.

Troy’s heart felt like a twenty-pound medicine ball. It sunk hard and fast. He wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life. He wanted her with a powerful need that shot from his chest clear down to his toes. He craved the taste of her, the feel of her in his arms. His pulse thudded hard and fast as he stood frozen on the spot. He wanted her because of all the things she wasn’t. Who needed glamorous when you had down-to-earth and real? Who cared about wild when you craved steadfast and solid?

He’d never jeopardized his work before, had never had the inclination. How could he start now? Until he talked to Sophia and quit, he couldn’t act on his impulse. It would be unethical. Completely wrong. And once he walked out the door, his chance at spending time with this woman disappeared like one of Copperfield’s illusions. Ultimately, he knew what he had to do. Knew it with a certainty that crushed him like the weight of an avalanche. He turned, put his hand on the knob and opened the front door.