by Dee J. Adams
Life just got a whole lot more interesting.
Epilogue
Two months later
Elena juggled her new Coach carry-on bag and her purse while unlocking her front door. She couldn’t wait to find Julie and share her news. Didn’t matter that she and Bill had flown all night long, she intended to jump in the car and find her daughter ASAP.
Rushing into the foyer of her townhouse, she dumped her bags on the floor and ran down the hallway. She should’ve made a pit stop at the airport, but wanted to get home too badly to waste the time. She’d been holding it the whole drive home.
After a quick stop in the bathroom, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and called her daughter. The familiar notes of “Always Believe”—Julie’s favorite Seger Hughes song—rang from the other room. What?
Keeping the cordless in her hand, she breezed down the hallway and found Julie with her cell phone in her hand, standing in the middle of the kitchen.
Julie punched the phone and put it to her ear. “Hi, Mom. How was your trip?”
Elena laughed as she hugged the stuffing out of Julie.
Pulling back, Julie took a long look at her. “You look fabulous. Like Italy really agreed with you.” She looked past her to the front door. “Where’s Bill? I figured he’d be right on your heels.”
“He was.” Elena looked over her shoulder. “He was bringing in my bags.” She jogged to the front door and saw him on the phone, her bags on the curb next to the limo. She still had a minute. She wanted to break the news to Julie without him there, so she hustled back to her daughter.
“What’s got you so wired?” Julie asked. “I thought you’d be wiped out after your red-eye.”
A red-eye where she’d joined the mile high club. She flushed just thinking about the sizzling rendezvous in the first class bathroom. It’s a wonder they hadn’t gotten caught.
“There’s something I want to tell you and it’s probably going to be a shock, but you need to know—I mean it’s not like I would’ve kept it from you, but I just didn’t want to tell you over the phone so I waited until—”
“Mom!” Julie stopped her with her palms out. “Calm down. What? Just tell me already. You’re scaring me.”
Elena swallowed, her mouth dry. “Here goes nothin’.” She held out her left hand and showed off her brand new five-carat engagement ring. The platinum setting twinkled around the oval diamond.
Julie’s jaw hit the floor before her gaze met Elena’s. Then she grabbed her hand and took a closer look. “Holy freakin’ cow, Mom! When did this happen?”
“A few days ago. Are you okay with it? Please tell me you’re okay with it. I’ve never been happier and Bill convinced me that we have to grab life by the balls and run with it, so I’m grabbing and running.” Just because Julie had wanted them to date, didn’t mean she expected them to get married.
“Sorry it took so long. My little sis called and I needed to take it.” Bill carried in her bags. He looked delicious in his tan Dockers and navy polo shirt.
Julie’s eyes narrowed as she stalked toward him. “A ring?” Her voice did not sound like a woman happy for her mother, and Elena quickly stood between the two of them. “You have the nerve to give my mother a ring after only two months?” The anger in her tone made Elena sick.
“Actually, it was more like seven and a half weeks,” Bill corrected. His smile didn’t match the anger coming from Julie, and before Elena knew what was happening, Julie threw herself at Bill.
Even as Elena yelled, “Julie!” Bill caught her deftly, seemed to keep her in a hug where she couldn’t hurt him.
Laughing. Someone was laughing. Julie? Bill was definitely laughing. After a good half a minute, Julie let go and turned to Elena, the smile on her face and twinkle in her eyes in direct contrast to the voice she’d used a minute ago.
“What is going on?” Elena said, glancing between the two of them.
“Bill asked me for your hand in marriage before the trip. I told him it was fine by me. The sooner the better.”
This time, Elena’s jaw hit the floor. “What? You knew?” she said to her daughter. “You told!” she said to her fiancé. “I thought I was going to tell her now. When we got home.”
Bill took her hand and tugged her into his arms. “I couldn’t really ask you to marry me without clearing it with your daughter. I needed her blessing. I know how tight you both are and I wasn’t about to come between you. Forgive me?”
She sighed. It was so hard to be angry at a man who thought of everything. After rolling her eyes, she gave a sidelong glance to Julie. “And you! Shame on you for scaring your old mother half to death!”
Julie looked at Bill. “Will you excuse us for one sec,” she said, taking her hand and turning her. Before Elena got a word in, her daughter wrapped her in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you. I think this is the best news ever.”
When she finally pulled away, she hid a giggle. “Mom, you were totally punked.” But then her smile faded as she looked from her to Bill. “I knew from the beginning, from the first time I saw you both together that you’d make a good team.”
Bill put his arm around her and Elena leaned into him. “I meant what I said. I’m going to take very good care of your mother.”
“I know.” Julie nodded. “I’m counting on it.”
“I love her a lot. I know it’s fast, but I just didn’t see a reason to wait. She can take the time she needs to get used to the idea, but I want you to know,” he said to her, “I want you both to know that I’m committed to making this work. If we can tackle a seven-point-one earthquake, we can tackle anything.”
Elena certainly hoped so. Though she doubted her ability to give Bill children and despite his assurance he didn’t have to have his own kids, they’d been pretty sporadic with birth control. They’d decided to let fate determine that outcome. The idea of having a baby at the same time as Julie made her want to laugh and cry.
“Well, I’ve been practicing my speech for days and it’s not going to waste, so here it goes.” Elena stood straighter. “Julie, Bill asked me to marry him and I said yes. I’ve never loved anyone more and I plan to spend the rest of my life with him. Through sickness and health for richer or poorer, ’til death do us part. This is it for me. He is totally stuck.” She turned to him to make sure he knew what he was getting into. “You got that mister? You are totally—”
Bill kissed her quiet and by the time he let her up for air, Julie had snuck out. “Remember what I told you in the airplane bathroom?” he asked, nibbling a path to her sensitive ear.
“Not to scream?” she murmured as all sorts of tingles shimmied down her back. The bathroom had been so tiny she’d had to stand on the toilet for Bill to enter. She’d never done anything as crazy, but she loved how much they lived life. She loved every one of their adventures. But mostly she just loved him. With all her heart and soul.
“Yeah, that.” He walked her down the hall toward her bedroom. “I’m lifting that ban. You’ll be needing to scream in just a few short minutes.”
Elena felt familiar liquid heat gather between her thighs and when Bill got his hands under her dress, he looked at her in shock.
“You’re not wearing underwear.”
“No, you kept my underwear.” At his lifted eyebrows and small head shake, she clapped a hand over her mouth. “I thought you had my underwear,” she said, her panic growing. If he didn’t have it… “Where is it?”
His smile widened. “On the plane?”
She buried her head against his shoulder. “Oh my God. How embarrassing.”
“Damn, I’m sorry.”
She met his gaze. “Sorry you don’t have them?”
“No, sorry I didn’t know you weren’t wearing underwear. That is a picture that would’ve burned itself into my brain and stayed until the day I died.”
“Which won’t be for another fifty or sixty years, right? I want a long time with you, pal.”
He met her gaze, h
is eyes a deep foggy blue. “You’ve got me until the end, babe. I love you,” he said, stroking his palms along her sides and tempting her with his magical hands. He nuzzled her nose and she breathed him in.
Seeing the honesty in his eyes, Elena had never felt more secure in a relationship. She linked her fingers behind his neck. “I love you too,” she whispered. She moved in close enough to feel his breath on her lips. “And I will until my last breath and beyond.”
He brushed his mouth over hers in a teasing touch and a shiver of excitement washed over her skin. “I’m going to give you everything I am, everything I have for the rest of my life. You can count on it.” His kiss sealed the promise and Elena’s heart found a home.
The End
Also by Dee J. Adams
The High Stakes Series
Against the Wall:
4 stars – One Good Book Deserves Another.
“This was an action-packed and pulse-pounding read with some surprising, gasp-worthy twists and turns. I was caught off guard more than once by developments I hadn’t seen coming and moved by characters who left an impression.”
Over the Top:
5 stars – Happy Goodreads Reader.
“I can’t believe how much stress
The Adrenaline Highs Series
Dangerous Race:
5 stars – Laura Wright, author of Mark of the Vampire and Bayou Heat series.
“High Octane Awesomeness!”
4.5 stars – The Fiction Vixen.
“Really, really fabulous read. The mystery / suspense subplot is interesting and keeps you on your toes, the main and secondary characters are all great and likable, there is sizzling chemistry in both the primary and secondary romances, and it’s well-written.”
4 stars – One Good Book Deserves Another.
“Taking high octane romance and suspense to a whole other level, Adams goes green flag with a prologue that left me shaken and a story that both thrilled and chilled.”
Danger Zone:
New York Times Bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann, on Danger Zone:
“Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for romances set in the world of movie-making. But in DANGER ZONE, Dee J. Adams not only uses her years of experience in Hollywood to create a delightfully gritty and authentic world filled with insider insights; she also creates a cast of very real and likable characters. I especially loved stunt-woman Ellie Morgan’s kickass, take-no-prisoners attitude, and her long-time friendship with her best-friend and roommate Ashley. As for the book’s hero, Quinn Reynolds? I’m in love. This one’s on my keeper shelf.”
Starred Review from Library Journal:
“Highly recommended for romantic suspense fans, especially those who like stories with complex relationships.” Marlene Harris, Reading Reality LLC
Dangerously Close:
4 stars – Romantic Times.
“Witty dialogue and unyielding suspense make for another great story in the Adrenaline Highs series. The hero and heroine are fully developed and emotionally rich, and the best part of the novel is the developing relationship between them from strangers to friends to lovers. Readers will enjoy spending time with these memorable characters.”
5 stars – The Book Vixen.
“Dangerously Close is hands down my favorite book in this series thus far and it’s easily one of my top picks for 2012. I was completely and utterly drawn into this story. The strong romance balanced out perfectly with the suspense element.”
Living Dangerously:
4 stars + Scorcher – Romantic Times.
“It has everything from the glitterati of Hollywood to a high-speed cross-country getaway—even a bit of bondage. Narrow escapes are the norm in this action-filled novel.”
Imminent Danger:
4 stars – Liz Donatelli
“Adams never fails to deliver a fast-paced plot filled with unexpected twists and ‘whoa…I can’t believe that just happened’ moments. Abbey & Blake’s story is as deliciously sexually charged as it is suspenseful.”
About the Author
After graduating high school in Texas, Dee J. moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. For twenty years, she acted in television and worked behind the scenes as an acting/dialogue coach for sitcoms. Writing happened accidentally after a vivid dream and the urging of her husband to “Just write it down.” Three weeks, fourteen hours a day, and four hundred and fifty (long hand) pages later, she had her first novel. Dee J. loves writing books filled with action, mystery and love. (Not necessarily in that order.) Her experience in show business led to her narrating many of the books in the Adrenaline Highs series for Audible.com. She is the wife of a wonderful man and mother to a fabulous daughter. She’s a dog lover all the way—due in part to a killer allergy to cats—with a fondness towards Boxers and Pit Bulls. She is a member of several organizations, including Romance Writers of America and SAG-AFTRA.
For more information on Dee J.’s books please visit:
www.deejadams.com
Dee J. can be found on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/DeeJAdamsAuthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DeeJAdams
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5107047.Dee_J_Adams
Amazon:
http://amzn.to/MuznPw
A Little Danger
Copyright © 2015 by Dee J. Adams
ISBN: 978-0-9892452-5-8
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written consent of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Edited by Melissa Johnson
Cover Art by Croco Designs
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Also by Dee J. Adams
About the Author
Copyright