Living Dangerously (33 page)

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. Troy 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 Krazinsky?”

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.”

Troy lifted his hands in exasperation, but he still had a devastating smile on his face. “I didn’t say anything.”

He wouldn’t be grinning like that if she’d lost, would he?

Oh, man, she didn’t need this. She didn’t have a speech prepared or anything. She groaned mentally.
Stop
it
!
You
did
not
win
.
You
won’t
need
a
speech
.

All thought of winning or losing jumped out of her brain when Fido slowed the car and stopped at the entrance of the Kodak Theater.

“Give me a second,” Troy said as he exited the car. The laughter disappeared from his eyes and the serious face she was so familiar with took over. He wanted a look at the buildings across from the theater. Julie could’ve told him until she was blue in the face that a repeat of the Sporties wouldn’t happen, but he didn’t care. When it came to protecting her, he took his job as husband, partner and protector very seriously.

Fido turned and narrowed his deep blue eyes. “The last time we did this, I told you to
break
a
leg
, so I can’t say that again, and I know
good
luck
is bad luck, so I’m just going to say, have a great evening.”

Julie smiled as Troy held out a hand for her. “Thanks, Fido. We’ll see you after the show. Don’t go putting down any money on me tonight.”

He laughed. “Too late for that. I’ve got you with good odds.”

That’s how the first cameras caught her, laughing at Fido’s words as she exited the limo in her slinky black satin gown. Troy put a protective arm around her waist and escorted her up the red carpet. She refused to look over her shoulder or consider that someone might be sighting her through a rifle scope. She wouldn’t live her life in fear or in the past.

She was a hot commodity this year and everyone wanted an interview. Who designed her dress, her shoes, her bag, her jewelry? How was married life? How did it feel to be a double nominee? Troy stayed with her through all of it, his big hand, warm and steady at the small of back, tracing circles on the bare skin the backless gown revealed, and shredding her concentration when it came to answering questions. He handled the press like a pro, like the chaos didn’t bother him in the least. He was solid as a rock and that only made her love him more.

Four hours later, after the craziness of the red carpet where her husband put up with the pictures and interviews and questions, after Julie had won her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing Josephine in a small indie film called
Never
Again
, they sat together in the first row of the theatre as the names for Best Actress in a Leading Role were named.

Julie already had her statue and nothing could dampen her night. The clip of her movie was the last to play, and the crowd watched as her character, Elizabeth, gave the monologue at the movie’s turning point. The audience remained silent as tears slid down Elizabeth’s cheeks, as she stood up for herself and made the hard decision to leave the man she said she’d be with forever. The clip ended and the audience applauded.

Julie smiled at the camera. There were too many reasons why she wouldn’t win. First, she’d already won tonight, and second, she still didn’t have a speech prepared. Someone might have thought that after adlibbing an Oscar acceptance speech, she would’ve jotted something down in the ladies room in case she won this second award too, but no one who’d ever been nominated twice in one night ever won unless it was the director and best picture nominees. She’d tried to make up for forgetting to thank her new husband while in the press rooms, but the damage was done. She’d fucked up.

Leo Frost, last year’s winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role, read off the names again. “And the Oscar goes to...” He fumbled with the envelope.

“I am so proud of you,” Troy whispered in her ear. “And I love you.”

Julie’s heart thumped like a bongo drum as she looked at him...

“Julie Fraser-Mills for
Meltdown
,” Leo said from the stage.

The crowd erupted into cheers and Julie felt the sting in her eyes. Troy’s sexy smile and gorgeous eyes spoke to her on an elemental level. He leaned close to her ear. “Brad didn’t tell me anything. I just knew it in here.” He patted his chest.

Love for this man overflowed her heart. Not so much because she’d won, but because he loved her, because she’d found her soul mate, her partner for the rest of her life.

She kissed him softly, and in his eyes she saw all the love and pride he talked about. Troy helped her up the first couple of steps before taking his seat.

Her eyes burned, but she smiled as she looked out to the audience. “You all sure know how to make a girl feel welcome. Thank you.” The audience laughed. “Thank you to the Academy and the people who voted, I am truly honored and humbled to be among such amazing performers in my category. Thank you to the whole cast and crew of
Meltdown
because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. But most of all, thank you to my wonderful husband, Troy. Without you, I wouldn’t be standing here. Without you, I wouldn’t be the happiest woman in the world.” A rogue grin curved his lips right before he winked at her. It was just like his wink on that first day in the hospital and her heart swelled. They’d come so far. She held up the statue. “This man is nice to have, but it’s that man...” she pointed to Troy, looking like a god in a tux, much as he had the very first time she’d met him. “...who makes my world complete. Thank you.” Julie didn’t walk off stage...she floated.

Later that night, back at the beach house with the waves rushing outside their bedroom slider doors, Troy eased the designer gown off her shoulders as he backed her up against the door.

“I’ve been waiting all night to get this dress off you,” he rumbled in her ear.

She ran her hands up the planes of his muscled chest and took a deep intoxicating breath of his cologne. She laughed again about his Brad Krazinsky joke. “I am so going to get you back for making me think you knew about the awards. Payback is a bitch, you know,” she whispered breathlessly. She felt his smile against her jaw.

“But it’s so fun to tease you,” he admitted, scattering soft kisses next to her ear. He pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Mad at me?”

Julie stroked her thumb across his bottom lip as she registered the concern on his face. “Yeah,” she said without any heat whatsoever. “You’re going to have to make it up to me tonight. Over and over and over.”

Troy teased her lips with his, the relief in his eyes easy to see. “You don’t have to tell me twice, Mrs. Mills. I am all over that.”

“You’d better be all over m—”

His kiss not only took her words, but her breath as well. A few seconds later, her dress slid down her body to pool at her feet and Julie forgot everything except the beauty of being with her husband. As Troy made love to her that night with the waves crashing outside their bedroom, Julie knew no better ending could ever be written...not in television and not in the movies. Real life didn’t get any sweeter than this.

* * * * *