Rocky raised her hand in Lincoln’s face. “And I’m banking I will be leaving without you if you keep eyeing Miss Powell.”
“Jealous much?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not my type. Besides, I’m here for Booker, not for you. Tonight’s a big deal.”
“Yeah, it is a big deal,” Julian confirmed, imbibing another sip of scotch.
“Why don’t you ask her out?” Rocky said, motioning toward Phoebe.
Lincoln shook his head. “Eh, she’s too feisty for me.”
“Translation. You can’t handle her?” Rocky raised a brow in amusement.
“I can handle any woman who comes my way. The question is, could she handle the Linc-Man?”
“Okay you two…settle down. I swear you bicker like an old couple.” Julian chuckled.
A deep cough interrupted from over Julian’s shoulder. “Announcements will start soon. You ready?” Judge Channing asked.
“Yes, sir.” Julian stood, shook his hand and nodded. “I just want to say thank you. This means the world to me.”
Julian needed this. Not only had he never killed a woman point-blank, but it was Frank’s daughter and Chloe’s sister. The intense discussion between the two men was uncomfortable to say the least. If the information was known to him prior to the rescue, Julian would’ve had a different plan. And Reyna could’ve gotten the help she needed.
After Judge Channing was fully recovered, he’d asked for the details of the rescue since he’d been unconscious the entire time after Booker and Lincoln arrived. Julian gave him the rundown, feeling more guilt and anger than ever before.
Judge Channing had told Julian the fuel behind Reyna’s vengeance and why she wanted him and Chloe dead. There was evil in Reyna and that woman was not Frank’s daughter, far as he was concerned, and Frank assured Julian he didn’t hold any ill-will against him for doing what was necessary.
“No need for thanks.” Judge Channing warmly smiled. “I owe you my life, son. What’s more, you saved my daughter.”
“I would do it again,” Julian had promised.
“I know.”
A tap on the microphone sounded through the speakers and echoed in the enormous room. The guest’s voices hushed as a red-haired woman in an emerald gown took the stage. Judge Channing sat back at the table with Knox and Isabella, and Julian sat down in his chair.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Stacey Hampton, Campaign Manager of Concrete Angels Foundation. It is truly an honor to stand before you all and humbly thank you for being with us this evening, and for your generous donations. I would like to give a brief history of this special foundation and tell you about the late Doctor Sarah Channing. A woman whose heart was bigger than California. A woman with a vision…”
Julian looked to where Chloe stood on the right side of the stage. Her eyes met his, and then her smile just about knocked the wind out of him.
Beautiful woman.
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Chloe was his future, his present, his everything.
Tonight he would welcome that very future.
He would say goodbye to his past.
Move on but never forget.
Chloe’s heart swelled as her eyes locked on the man she loved. His eyes told a story of a tortured past and Chloe hoped the scars the demons left behind were healed. The man who helped her remember her past, and now she longed for a future with him.
There was a new hunger in his kiss in the alcove after she saw him in the hallway. She welcomed it but it also unnerved her.
Was he hiding something, or did something terrible happen on his overseas mission?
It was going to take some getting used to him going away on assignments. The last one he was gone overseas for two weeks and it nearly broke Chloe since he was unable to make any contact with her except through Tyco.
Julian didn’t talk about his missions with Chloe, as confidentiality was ever critical. He’d told her the less she knew, the safer she was. No news is good news, he’d assured her before he left. She found it hard to believe. All he would do was kiss her nose, tell her he’d be back, and make love to her in the rain.
Little did Chloe know her world would flip upside down and her life would turn out to be the very romantic-suspense novel Phoebe gave her a hard time about. Get your head out of the clouds and come back to earth because there’s no such thing as a hunky, secret-undercover agent who will come to your rescue. She laughed to herself as Phoebe’s words replayed in her head.
Chloe got a glimpse of Phoebe, gesturing to the heels with the red bottoms. A reminder of the bet Chloe had lost. Chloe twisted her lips. Damn Louboutins nearly cost Chloe a thousand dollars…but worth every penny.
An applause filled the room and Lincoln had two fingers in his mouth, letting out a loud whistle. “You the man,” Lincoln bellowed to his teammate. “You got this.”
Julian took the stage, stood behind the podium and pulled an index card from his jacket pocket. He looked at Chloe and smiled. Damn, his dimples got her every time. She bit her lip, tilted her head at the man who looked so damn sexy in his tuxedo.
She was lost in him; licks of desire fluttered her belly and throbbed between her thighs.
How does he do that?
Chloe shook her head slightly, needed to stay focused for her cue to step up on the stage and remove the cloth over the easel that was hiding the plaque.
“Thank you, Stacey, for the wonderful introduction,” Julian started. “Tonight is a very special evening and I stand before you, honored and humbled. Five years ago, Ambrosia Cruz, my late wife, was gunned down at a convenience store during an attempted robbery…”
As Chloe stood stage right, listening to Julian and waiting for her signal, she couldn’t help that her thoughts wandered to the day she told Julian her idea of the dedication to the Los Angeles chapter. Images flashed to the morning when Julian had again made his famous pancakes she loved so much.
“Julian, you’re being ridiculous,” Chloe huffed. “I am capable of eating at the kitchen table.” Chloe bit her bottom lip as she gawked at the shirtless man, showing off his rippled abs and the sexy ‘V’ line trailing sweatpants that hung low around his hips. “But then again the view of you serving me breakfast in bed wins.”
Julian had come from the kitchen and was carrying a tray with a plate of pancakes, a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice.
“Don’t give me any grief, Channing. Doctor’s orders. You need to stay off your feet, rest, and eat lots of food.”
“Did you forget I’m a doctor too? And I don’t recall the doctor telling me to eat lots of food. If you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to turn into an elephant.”
“Will you just let me take care of you?”
“It’s been over a month. I was lucky there were no complications during the surgery. I’m perfectly fine. I go back to work in a week.”
“Doc, you are so fuckin’ stubborn, you know that?” Julian placed the tray on the nightstand next to her bed. “Look, I know Phoebe’s been taking care of you and frankly, I’m sure she’s getting sick of me hanging around here. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can since I have to return to work in a few days.”
“And I love that you’re taking care of me, and this time we’ve spent together. But I’m not going to break.”
“Baby, you’re the strongest woman I know. Been to hell and back.”
“And I appreciate it and you.” Chloe scooted on the bed and patted on the mattress. “Sit.”
Julian sat at the edge of the bed and brushed her hair behind her ear. “I just want to take care of you. Is that too much to ask?”
“No, it’s not… But I want to talk to you about something very important.”
“What’s up, Doc?” Julian chortled, lightening the mood with his impersonation of the cartoon character.
“Cute…but seriously. I’ve been thinkin
g about what happened to me and Amber.”
Julian widened his eyes. “What happened to you and to Amber are not the same thing.”
“I beg to differ. Both people wanted revenge. The only difference is, I survived, and Amber didn’t. So, I’ve been thinking. Hear me out…”
Julian quirked a brow at Chloe’s infamous words, the ones she spoke when an idea sparked. “Yeah, last time you said that, it was absolutely ludicrous. And it still got you this damn hole...” Julian lifted the hem of her tank-top and his thumb grazed the stitched scar on her stomach.
“At least I’m here.”
“And so am I.” Julian cupped Chloe’s jaw and closed the distance, their faces just a feather apart. “I’m not going anywhere.” He pressed his mouth to Chloe’s. The kiss intensified to a hungry soul-devouring kind of kiss that melted her panties. Their tongues tangled in an intimate dance. “God, I can’t get enough of you, Channing. I hate that I have to leave you in a few days. I’m going to worry about you, there’s no denying it.”
Their foreheads touched and the comfortable silence was welcomed.
“Listen, it’s over. Reyna is dead and Dad is back at work. Business as usual,” Chloe tried to reassure him.
“It’s not business as usual. I know you’re still troubled about Reyna. Shit, she was your half-sister for crying out loud.” Julian pulled back and studied her. “How have your sessions been with Doctor Zhang?”
“Good, I guess. Talking about it helps. It hurts to know Reyna as a little girl going through the abuse.” Chloe picked at a piece of lint from her tank-top. “I wish Mom had known her as the little girl, maybe she could’ve done something.”
“Reyna lost her way, Doc. You can’t save everyone.”
“And you can’t either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You taking care of me, hand and foot.”
Julian chuckled. “The guys are giving me shit for playing Nurse Nightingale all the while the workload isn’t lightening up. I already have my assignment. I’ll be gone for a few days and although the team is happy your recovery is going well, they know I’m milking this time off.”
“I’m going to have to get used to you being gone days or maybe weeks at a time.”
“It’s what I do… I’m going to miss you like crazy. But the best part of returning home is coming back to you.” Julian gently kissed her nose.
“Speaking of returning home… The fundraiser event is around the corner.”
“And?”
“And we usually have one of the ladies give their testimony, how the foundation has helped them. But I want to do something different this Christmas. I want to gift the Los Angeles chapter with an official name. A dedication.” Chloe pulled out a paper from the drawer next to the bed and handed it to Julian. “I want to name it Ambrosia’s Angels.”
Julian surveyed the paper for a moment. “I don’t know what to say…”
“Amber’s the reason we’re together. I know it’s foolish for me to say, but I feel like she was watching over both of us.”
“I like that. Ambrosia’s Angels.” Julian grinned. “Yeah, our guardian angel.”
“The dedication is fitting, don’t you think?”
“It’s perfect.” He placed the paper on the nightstand and kissed her lips again.
“So, the event… I want you to get a hold of Amber’s parents, your sister, Mom, Knox, and anyone else you want to be there for this event.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told by a hunky, super-secret agent.”
“Oh really? Should I be jealous of this hunky, super-secret agent?”
“Well, I don’t remember much about him except he goes by the name of Booker.”
“Booker, huh? Should I be jealous of this Booker character?”
“Maybe. He does look sexy in a tux.”
“Does this Booker come with a last name?”
“Nope, just Booker. I think he got that nickname because he has a little black book with hundreds of women’s names in it. He’s a player.”
“Oh really?”
“Something like that. I was hoping he’d ask me out on a date.”
“And did he?”
“No, he disappeared. Vanished. Poof. Gone.”
“Well, that was a jerk move on his part.”
“I know, especially when he teased about giving me a foot massage for wearing four-inch-high heels that I wasn’t able to break in.”
“I can remedy that…” Julian took her foot and began to massage the ball of her heel. “How’s this?”
“Mm,” Chloe moaned. “Feels nice. But maybe you can go a little higher… I have this knot that needs to be massaged.”
Julian’s hands moved to her calves. “Here?”
“Mm-hm, yes…that feels good too. A little higher.” Chloe sucked in her lip, the throbbing at the apex of her legs calling for his touch.
“How’s this?” Julian’s fingers slipped through her panties. “Hm…feels like someone is wet and ready.” His thumb massaged back and forth along the slits of her flesh.
Julian slid Chloe’s panties down her legs and tossed them aside. He grabbed her ankles and yanked her so her back was flat on the bed. He pushed down his sweats and centered himself between her legs.
“Is this what you had in mind?” Julian’s husky voice sent shivers up Chloe’s spine.
Her gaze locked on his dark-chocolate eyes as she traced the ridges of his biceps. Her libido called for every part of him. He was absolutely gorgeous…
And he’s all mine.
“I guess I got two for the price of one.”
“I’m double-trouble, baby,” he mused. “And right now, I want to be your player.”
“God, you are so cheesy. Don’t tell me that line worked on other women?”
“Nope, just you.”
Julian’s intense stare held her captive, as if he were looking deep in her soul like an open door. Briefly Chloe wondered what Julian saw when he looked at her. His smile radiated warmth, but it was his eyes she was drawn to.
“I love you, Agent Booker.”
“And I love you, Doctor Channing…”
A roar of applause pulled Chloe back into the ballroom. She was in such deep thought, she hoped she hadn’t missed her cue.
“…Finally, I would like to bring Doctor Chloe Channing up here. The woman responsible for this evening’s event,” Julian concluded, and his outstretched hand gestured for Chloe to come up on stage.
That’s my cue.
Chloe lifted her gown as she cautiously stepped onto the stage. She took the microphone from the stand, held it close to her mouth, bracing herself to speak and to calm her nerves. As much as she prepared for the event, public speaking was never as easy as it looked.
“Thank you, Julian, for sharing your story,” Chloe started. “And thank you all for being here this evening and for the contributions that will benefit the women and children who are on the road to recovery from their battered past. I would also like to thank the many volunteers who spent countless hours getting this event together and I’d like to thank the women who participated in the dating auction. The final numbers have been calculated and I am pleased to announce we have exceeded our goal this evening.”
The roaring claps and whistles filled the ballroom.
Chloe peered out into the crowd, taking it all in. Warmth spread throughout her body and heart to see the standing ovation and the many people in attendance. She looked down at her best friends who mouthed ‘you owe me’ for bribing them to participate in the dating auction. Chloe laughed internally knowing exactly who their suitors were.
Chloe raised her hand to silence the crowd.
“Thank you again. I know you are all ready to start dancing and get your groove on. I promise we will get to that in just a few more minutes.”
The audience laughed and a whistle or two sounded.
“This evening I wanted to do so
mething different. Normally, we would have one of the women give you their testimony, but we decided to change it up a bit. Not only is it a privilege for me to stand here in front of all you, but also a blessing. This man” —Chloe extended a hand toward Julian—“for those who may not know, saved my life a few months ago. So, I wanted to return the favor to honor him and his late wife. From what Julian told me, Ambrosia had so many wonderful virtues. She had so much love not just for her husband, but all the people around her. She loved to make people laugh, had a boundless energy, and she loved children. She was a woman who was compassionate, caring and had a heart of gold. I thought it fitting to recognize her and her amazing qualities, which is exactly what this foundation is all about. So, with that said, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to reveal the beautiful plaque that will be dedicated to the Los Angeles chapter in honor of Ambrosia Cruz.”
Together, Julian and Chloe removed the heavy cloth and revealed the plaque with the embossed inscription.
Ambrosia’s Angels – May her wings protect you and guide you to safety.
Claps erupted as the guests stood to their feet. Chloe placed the microphone back on the stand and began to clap with the crowd. The applause lasted for a moment and slowly descended as the guests sat back down.
Julian lifted the microphone and began to speak again. “Thank you. This means the world to me… But I have something else to add to this evening’s event.”
Chloe furrowed her brows in confusion since this was not part of the ceremony as she and Julian had rehearsed.
“After Amber’s passing, I was going through life blindly. I didn’t want to love again because I feared it. Love does that to you. I realized I needed to face my fear and love again.” Julian took Chloe’s hand and met her eyes. “When I met this beautiful woman, I knew she was the one…and the fear of losing her scared me. She says I saved her life, but it was the other way around.”
Julian knelt on one knee and pulled out a small black box from inside his jacket.
Chloe sucked in a breath. She brought a trembling hand to her mouth as tears pooled in her eyes.
“Doc, the first time we met we had an immediate connection. Our first conversation happened right here. Not one of my finer moments, but you were cute as hell. Do you remember? You were babbling about high heels and fat-pants.” Julian laughed as Chloe nodded, tears tumbling down her face.
Till I Found You: The Broken Hero Series—Book One Page 26