“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” she insisted, swiping at her damp cheeks, frustrated at herself for her weakness. “I’m hormonal, and my best friend got married, and my client might have killed his wife. I’m not myself. I just...I need to go home and have some time to myself.” She tried to get up.
He stopped her again. “If you go home, I’m going with you.”
She shook her head. “No.” She crossed her arms over her chest, aware of her nakedness in a way she never had been before. And his. She was very aware of his long, lean, muscular body that she hadn’t seen until now, because he put her back to him. “My building is safe. I have top notch security. I’ll be fine.”
“Your client might have killed his wife,” he said. “You just said that yourself.” He studied her for a long, intense moment. “You told me to fuck you and I got pissed about it.”
The confession surprised her. “I...you used to like it when I said that.”
“And I still would if the circumstances were different.” He brushed the hair from her eyes. “I wanted tonight to be different. I...” He scrubbed his hand over his jaw and let out a heavy breath, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I screwed this up royally.”
“You didn’t screw up anything, Luke. I just don’t know what you want from me.”
He turned to her again. “What do you want from me?”
“I don’t know,” she said, feeling cornered and uncertain.
“You didn’t complain when I brought you here tonight. You didn’t argue when I said I was going to stay with you. What did you come here wanting tonight?”
She could say sex. She could, and she knew she could, and maybe she even should. But she didn’t. She reached up and ran her fingers over the strong line of his jaw and she said exactly what she felt. “I just wanted to be with you.”
His eyes settled heavily on her face, a muscle in his jaw flexing. “You wanted sex.”
“No,” she said quickly. “I mean yes. No. I just wanted to be with you, Luke, and if that’s the wrong–”
He picked her up and she yelped at the sudden action, clinging to him until they were off the main living room and inside the master suite.
Unlike Lauren and Royce’s place, there was a huge window above a massive bed, where moonlight beamed down and illuminated the room. He laid her on the bed and settled his big, wonderful, naked body on top of hers.
“Do you know what I wanted when I brought you here tonight?”
There was something in his eyes that made her heart thunder in her ears and her chest tighten. “What?”
“To make love to you, Julie,” he said. “To have you make love to me. And I didn’t think that’s what you wanted at all.”
That tight feeling in her chest expanded and her eyes began to burn again. He was asking her to give them a chance beyond sex and while she knew this was the moment of no return she really should run from, she couldn’t. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’d like that very much.”
With those words, there was a dangerously scary and somehow remarkably wonderful crack in her armor that became even more wonderful when he kissed her, when he made love to her with that kiss. But when he was inside her again, when they moved together, when she stared into his eyes, she felt no fear. There was nothing left but Luke and endless possibility.
***
Julie woke in a dark, dark place. She tried to move, but her shoulders were lodged against something. She reached up with her hands and hit something solid. Oh God. Where was she? Hello! Hello! She tried to move again, and panic rose inside her. She started pushing on the hard surface over her head. It was too dark, way too dark. Suffocating. She coughed, realizing she couldn’t breathe and suddenly it was hot. So very hot. Orange light flamed around her and she could see now. She was in a casket. The wood around her began to burn, flames licking at her limbs.
Julie sat up and gasped for air, running her hands over her arms, her breath heaving out. She was not burning. She was not in a casket.
Luke was beside her, saying something. “Julie. Baby. It was a dream.”
She blinked into the sunlight, bringing a massive Ansel Adams black and white woodsy scene into focus. It hung on the wall in front of Luke’s bed.
“Nightmare,” she whispered, and turned to him. “Luke, I was in a casket going up in flames, and,” she swallowed hard, “I’m sure you know where this is going. I need to call her sister.”
“Then we’ll call,” he assured her and reached over her to pull open a black nightstand where he removed the piece of paper. “I’ll get you a phone.”
“I left mine in your truck, I think,” she said. “I don’t remember bringing in my purse at all.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “I’ll go get it, but I’d rather you call from mine. Just to be safe, in case the line is tapped by someone other than Blake. No sense in making it easy on them to get your address.”
A few minutes later, Julie was wearing Luke’s shirt, standing in his kitchen waiting on the coffee she’d made to finish brewing, and feeling a little shy about the night before. Shy. Her. Go figure. Lauren would never believe it. She could hardly believe it. She was falling for Luke in a big way. Heck, who was she kidding? She’d fallen big years ago and she was just falling deeper now.
“Hope you made enough for me,” he said from behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder, and found herself breathless at the sight he made, standing there holding her purse. She turned to inspect him, taking in the jeans and a t-shirt he’d haphazardly pulled on, looking as delicious as he did in a suit or tuxedo. With his dark hair rumpled from sleep and her fingers and sporting a seriously sexy one day shadow on his jaw, he definitely gave new meaning to good morning.
“Your purse is supposed to match the outfit,” she teased.
“I’ve never been much on matching outfits,” he said, setting it down on the table top and then sitting down.
She filled two mugs and grabbed spoons before joining him. The cream and sugar were already on the table. “Since you got my purse for me, I made enough for you, too.”
“Well then,” he said, doctoring his coffee with lots of cream. “I’ll have to find a new strategy tomorrow, I guess.”
“Who says I’ll be here tomorrow?” she challenged, warmed by the idea that she would be.
“Danger’s in the air,” he said. “And even if it weren’t true, and it is, I’d use whatever excuse I had to in order to keep you here.”
“I think...I’d let you.”
A slow smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Good to know.” He motioned to the other room. “Let’s go to my office. I want you to call from my land line and I’ll have the cordless. Say as little as possible and agree to nothing I don’t give a nod of approval to.”
“Okay,” she said, and rose.
Luke’s office was lined with framed Sports Illustrated magazine covers that spanned years. He was clearly a collector. But then, he loved sports, especially baseball. She sat down behind his desk, letting the plush leather chair soothe the stiffness in her body.
“Her name is Diana,” Luke said, resting a hip on the desk. “And according to the official reports, there’s been no dispute of the suicide and there is no criminal investigation.”
She nodded and took the phone, feeling as nervous as the day she’d taken the bar exam.
“Don’t agree to anything unless I give you a nod,” he reminded her.
She nodded. ”What’s the number?”
He arched a brow. “No argument?”
“Part of doing my job well is being smart enough to call on experts when I need to, and actually listen when they talk. In this case, you’re my expert.”
Surprise flickered on his face before he read off the number from memory and then put the receiver in his hand to his ear.
“Hello,” a female voice said on the second ring. The sound of her voice was so familiar, so Elizabeth, that Julie’s stomach knotted.
Julie discreetly cleared her suddenly parched throat. “Hello, this is Julie Harrison.”
“Oh, thank God,” the woman said. “I’m not sure this line is safe. Meet me in an hour at the dinosaur display in the Metropolitan Museum.”
Julie’s eyes went to Luke’s. “But-“
The line went dead.
Luke cursed under his breath. “This could be a setup. You realize that, right?”
She nodded in agreement and pushed to her feet before wrapping her arms around his neck. “Which is why I’m glad I have a big, bad ass, ex-Navy SEAL bodyguard. And in order to save time, I think we should share the shower at my place so I can change.”
***
They were ten minutes late. Julie eyed her watch with concern as she and Luke stepped through the doors of the museum, cold air chasing them through the entry. She shivered and tugged her leather jacket closer, thankful she’d stopped by home to change into black wool pants and a black sweater. That bridesmaid’s dress would have made the cold day even colder.
Luke stood beside her, dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a leather jacket. They scanned the magnificent room with sky high ceilings, and though he might appear relaxed, she could feel the tension rippling off of him. He was not happy about this meeting.
A guard walked up to Julie and handed her an envelope. She tore it open immediately and showed it to Luke.“She says to meet her at the dinosaurs. I guess that means we need tickets.”
“Tickets it is,” he said, drawing her hand in his. “I’m keeping you close. It’s safer that way.”
“That’s not how it worked out in the shower, thus why we’re late.”
“I behave in public,” he assured her. “Mostly.”
She laughed, which was remarkable considering her nerves were prickling with so much force that she had to fight the urge to rub her hands up and down her arms. She was used to the adrenaline of negotiations, but this was different. This was darker, and she wondered how Lauren had dealt with the viciousness of the crimes she often took to trial.
Once they had their tickets and reached the fifth floor, they walked to the middle of the dinosaur display. Looking around, Julie sighed. “The whole floor is part of the display. Do you suppose she plans to find us?”
He shrugged. “I would assume that’s the idea. Let’s step to a quiet corner where she won’t feel intimidated.”
“The bench over there.” Julie pointed to a corner with an empty sitting area. “You don’t think she’ll be afraid to approach me with you here do you?”
“It didn’t bother her the first time,” he reminded her, as they headed to the spot she’d indicated and took a seat.
Luke had hardly said the words, when a woman wearing dark glasses and a scarf over her hair approached.
“Thank you for coming.” She glanced between them, removing her sunglasses. “Both of you. I’m Diana Macom, which is Elizabeth’s maiden name, but I’m sure you know that by now.”
The woman’s eyes, so like Elizabeth’s, reached into Julie’s soul and twisted.
“The coffee shop is busier than I’d like,” she said. “Maybe we should stay here.”
Luke stood up to let her sit and then squatted beside them and Julie knew it was because he was watching her and not just listening to her. Diana removed her glasses. “I’m sure you’ve figured out I’m Elizabeth’s sister, by now.”
“That’s hard to miss,” Julie commented. “You’re so alike.” Julie decided an introduction was in order. “This is–“
“Luke Walker, I know,” she said. “I checked into private investigators. The Walker brothers have a reputation.”
Luke’s face was unreadable. “Then you know we do mostly airport and corporate security work.”
“I know you’re all capable of doing whatever you want to do and well,” she said, and pulled a small journal from her purse. “She wrote about you.”
The hair on Julie’s nape lifted. “That’s...Elizabeth’s?”
“Yes.” Her voice hitched and she swallowed hard. “She wrote about a lot of things she didn’t dare say out loud.” Her spine stiffened. “My sister did not kill herself.”
“The police say she did,” Luke countered, though his tone was gentle.
“They’re wrong,” Diana bit out with no gentleness in return. “Judge Moore is very influential. Of course, Elizabeth’s death wasn’t deemed suspicious. Who would cross the man? I need help from someone who isn’t influenced by him or afraid of him.”
“You think he killed her?” Julie asked in a low voice.
Diana’s lips tightened. “Read that journal and then you tell me. If not him, then someone connected to him. Someone close. The question is, how close?” She paused. “There’s so much damning information in that journal and people are named.”
“Did she tell you about any of this?” Luke asked. “Or did you just read about it?”
“She didn’t tell me,” she said. “In fact, she said the farther I stayed from her husband the happier she’d be.” She inhaled and let it out, seeming to fight tears. “I’ve tried to piece together the tidbits in the journal. I’m fairly certain that the Judge is involved in something dirty and that he and another high-level official of some sort double-crossed whoever they’ve been working for.”
“Why come to Julie over this?” Luke asked. “Why not contact Elizabeth’s attorney?”
“Because we both thought he was being paid under the table by the judge,” Diana said flatly.
“But Julie worked for the judge,” Luke argued.
“Her best friend is a former Assistant District Attorney, who is connected to any number of trust-worthy people, or organizations, including Walker Security,” she said, and glanced at Julie. ”And because Elizabeth met you and told me that she believed you had no idea what you were involved in.”
“Yet she didn’t tell you what she was involved in?” Julie queried.
Her lips thinned. “No. And believe me, I tried to pull it out of her. Look. All I’m asking is for you both to read the journal, and if you see what I do, and I know you will, then please help me get justice for my sister.” She held up the journal. “I’ll pay the Walker rate. Elizabeth had life insurance and I was the beneficiary. There is no better way to spend that money than to let her rest in peace knowing her killer, or killers, are brought to justice.”
Julie’s eyes met Luke’s, giving him a pleading look.
Luke let out a resigned sigh and accepted the journal. “We’ll look this over and get back with you.”
Chapter Eleven
It was late afternoon by the time Luke sat on Julie’s couch reading the journal, with Cici, the ever-friendly feline, purring and brushing back and forth against his leg. With her stockinged feet tucked under her, Julie was glued to his side, trying not to miss a word. A guy could get used to having Julie this close and this involved in what he was doing.
“Wait,” she said as he started to turn the page. “I’m not done yet.”
He arched a brow at her slow perusal of the material.
She gave him a disapproving look with those gorgeous blue eyes. “You might miss something reading so fast.”
“This isn’t a contract,” he reminded her. ”It’s a woman’s thoughts. Some of which are none of our business.”
Julie leaned back against the couch cushions as she considered his words. “I know. It is kind of creepy reading a dead woman’s journal, isn’t it?”
“Very.” Luke set the journal on the coffee table in front of him. "I don’t like this entire situation. Most importantly, I don’t like you involved.”
“I don’t like me involved,” she agreed. “But I am and we can’t change that.”
He studied her a long moment, saw the pink flush of her cheeks, read the guilt she felt over Elizabeth and didn’t deserve. “You’re involved because the judge and Elizabeth both pulled you into this. Not because of some sort of responsibility.”
“Yes,” she insisted. “There is responsibi
lity for me in this.” He started to object and she held up a hand. “Please hear me out. I know you’re trying to protect me, Luke. I appreciate it, probably a whole lot more than you understand. But there’s right and wrong in life, and I try to do right. Doing something about this is the right thing to do.”
Luke leaned back next to her and turned to face her, falling harder every time he got a glimpse of who she was as a person. “I understand.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” he said, stroking her cheek. “We have to look into this, and we have to decide if, and when, to go to the police. And yes, it’s the right thing to do.”
“What if someone on the police force is involved in this?”
“We don’t even know what ‘this’ is or isn’t, at this point. Let’s not assume anyone is corrupt.”
“Come on, Luke,” she pressed. “You read what I did in that journal. That man Elizabeth wrote about, what was his name,” she paused and snapped her fingers, “Paul Arel. That’s it. And then someone called ‘Dragonfly’. Clearly, that’s a code name. It sounds like the judge and that Dragonfly person were doing deals behind Arel’s back. And then there’s the stolen artwork. The journal says it’s hidden behind a wall in the study.”
“We don’t know if it’s true or who the real players are,” he countered. “Give me time to investigate. And for all we know Paul Arel is a code name as well.”
“What if Elizabeth’s threat related to Dragonfly? Maybe the judge didn’t want her to tell him he was being cheated.”
“Dargonfly could be a man or woman,” he reminded her. “It could even be Elizabeth’s sister, and she could be setting us up.”
She sat up. “Surely not? Do you think that is possible?”
“Everything is possible.” Hell, he’d seen SEALs he’d have believed to be unbreakable cry under imminent threat of capture.
“I should know that,” she said tightly. “The judge alone should have been a wake-up call, if not the very dark side I see divorce bring out in people.”
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