Living Dangerously

by Dee J. Adams

  “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. Tr
oy 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.”

  Epilogue

  The black stretch limousine cruised down Sunset Boulevard as fans screamed and waved from the street. Julie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The intoxicating scent of Troy’s cologne wafted up her nose and made her wish they were alone in their bedroom and not about to face the world at another red carpet event, their first since their harrowing meeting nine months ago.

  Troy shifted next to her and his lips grazed her ear. “Have I told you how proud I am of you?” His low voice sent tingles down her back.

  She nodded stoically. Her role in Ari’s movie had garnered her another Oscar nomination, as had the supporting role in the film she’d done after that. An embarrassment of riches. But just like last time, she was up against some long-time Hollywood powerhouses and didn’t expect to win. Her victory was in the double nomination. She’d warned Troy not to get his hopes up for her. She had her feet firmly planted on the ground and wanted the same for him. “Yes,” she told him, now opening her eyes and taking in the gorgeous face of her new husband.

  Considering the roller coaster of summer, it had been a hell of good year.

  The twinkle in his eyes made her smile. “Quit looking at me like that,” she warned him with a grin. “I told you I’m not going to win.”

  “I happen to think otherwise.”

  Something occurred to Julie and her mouth dropped open wide. “Troy Mills, you didn’t somehow find out the winners, did you?” He was an excellent P.I. and she wouldn’t put it past him. The man had worked for half the people in Hollywood.

  He pretended to check out the bruise on his thumb from a one-on-one basketball game with Blake. “Did I happen to mention that I did a locate for Brad Krazin
sky?”

  Julie’s mouth dropped open wider. “Brad Krazinsky? Brad Krazinsky of the accounting firm that handles the ballots?” A dumb question she already knew the answer to. She’d met Brad at one of the Oscar luncheons held for the nominees.

  Troy glanced up, all wide-eyed and innocent. “Oh, does his firm represent the Academy? I didn’t realize...”

  Julie slugged his arm. Not too hard, she did adore the man, after all, but this was too much. “I don’t want to know,” she told him fiercely. She covered her ears. “La, la, la, la,” she sang, drowning out his laughter.

  He pulled her hands down and linked their fingers. “I’m not saying anything.”

  She studied him with hard eyes. Did he know? Was he yanking her chain? He’d changed so much in the months they’d been together. He talked more. He laughed more. He made every one of her dreams come true just by being her partner and supporting her. “You’re not saying anything because you don’t know, or because you don’t want to spoil it for me?”

  Squeezing her hand, he looked her square in the eyes. “I’m not saying anything.”

  Oh, hell. He knew. He had to know. No, he couldn’t know. Those ballots were kept under lock and key, completely confidential. There’s no way he could know. But, God he was so good at getting information. People loved him. They talked to him, confided in him. It was what made him so good at his job. Business had skyrocketed in the last nine months. He’d hired more investigators to handle the load, freeing him up to work on his favorite part of the job. The locates. He loved bringing people together, which led her back to Brad Krazinsky. Would the man be so thankful to be reunited with his birth mother that he’d tell Troy the results of the most famous award show in history?

  “I don’t believe you. You can’t know. Brad could lose his job if he told you.”