Living Dangerously

by Dee J. Adams

  “Why’d you call me?” he asked. His voice sounded oddly husky.

  She shook her head and seemed as if she couldn’t answer the question. Finally, she swallowed and looked up at him. “I knew you’d help me. I trusted you to help me,” she clarified.

  “So let me help you.” Gingerly, he sat next to her, took her hand in his. She was ice cold. He wanted to pull her against him and warm her up. Instead he put her hand in between both of his and rubbed her skin. “This guy has had way too many chances at you. I’m not going to let him get another.”

  She met his gaze. “For two weeks. But when two weeks is over, I return with a target on my back unless the police have figured out who it is. Let’s be realistic here. This isn’t NCIS where the crime is solved in an hour. We both know the chances of the police finding anything in two weeks, much less the man responsible.”

  Hell, she hadn’t said a damn thing he hadn’t already thought himself. “How about we take each day at a time. It’s possible the police will find something when they go through your car.”

  Julie’s smile nearly stopped his breath. “I’ll have to remember you’re an optimist.”

  “I’m hurt,” he said, holding onto a straight face. “I’m sunshine and light. I thought for sure you saw that about me.”

  Now she laughed. “Right. Sunshine and light. Let me write that down. Hey, maybe if I’m lucky you’ll sing ‘The sun’ll come out tomorrow...’”

  “Actually,” Troy said. “If you’re lucky...I won’t.”

  Her grin broke down every wall he kept trying to erect. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. “C’mon. Let’s get you packed. Vegas is waiting.”

  * * *

  Dressed in soft gray sweats, Julie settled in the comfortable backseat of Troy’s black BMW 750 Li—under protest. Just because she had eighteen stitches in her thigh didn’t mean she couldn’t sit in the front seat like an adult. Apparently Troy thought otherwise. As she settled against her pillow—Troy had brought along a few creature comforts including her pillow and favorite blanket, and yes, it softened the blow of this trip to see him bend over backward to make her comfortable—she decided to treat this trip as a twofold vacation. One, she could dig into the stack of scripts that had piled up on her desk, and two, she could use the time to research her roles for the two movies she had lined up back-to-back. She had just enough time to shoot Ari’s movie before starting the as-yet untitled indie film that had caught her attention.

  She constantly observed people and this trip would give her an opportunity to watch real people along the way. Hollywood was good for watching the people who wanted to stand out, people who made themselves something they weren’t, in the name of fame. But Julie wanted to be around real people. The ones who cared about the important things in life like family and friends. She pulled the blanket up under her chin. His black leather backseat wasn’t so bad after all, but she didn’t plan on confessing that.

  For the first time in hours, she sighed and let her muscles relax. What a day. She was wiped out. She could pull out her reading light and work on some research with one of the psychology books she’d brought along, but moving seemed counterproductive to the exhaustion creeping into her bones. The warm bath she’d taken had been shallow and had lasted just long enough to get the smell of smoke out of her hair without getting her stitches wet.

  The car hummed smoothly beneath her and her lids got heavy as she gazed at the dark stubble on Troy’s jaw. It had been a long day for him too. A surreal lifetime had passed in the twenty-four hours since they’d fallen into her bed. No wonder she was tired. She’d hardly slept at all last night. Mmm, last night...kissing him...touching him...

  * * *

  “Julie.” Troy’s low voice woke her and she blinked open heavy eyes. “We’re here,” he said. He’d opened the door at her feet and leaned in. “I’m going in to register. I didn’t want you to wake up and get scared.”

  She sat up. “We can’t be here already?” She looked around at the flashing lights that definitely screamed Las Vegas.

  Troy lifted a dark eyebrow. “You passed out before we got to the freeway in L.A.” He shrugged. “And I made good time.”

  Julie squinted her eyes and looked at her watch. “Three and half hours? Are you kidding me? I’ve never made it to Vegas in that time.”

  “I’ve got a talent.” He grinned and her pulse quickened like it did every time he smiled at her that way. She wouldn’t have minded if he kissed her again, but he backed out of the car. “Stay here. I want to keep you under wraps. I’ll come get you after I check us in.” He closed the door and strode to the lobby of what had to be a one-star hotel. If that. The man definitely planned to keep a low profile. He came back a few minutes later, started the car and drove around to the back row of outside-facing rooms. He parked in front of the room, but a driveway close by led to the street. Had he done that in case they needed to make a quick getaway?

  “Um...you know,” she said, keeping her tone neutral as he grabbed his bag and one of hers from the trunk, “I usually stay at the Venetian when I’m here.”

  “Yeah? Nice place.” He pointed to the room in front of them. “This is us. Room 113.”

  “Have you been there? To the Venetian?” she asked.

  “Yep. A couple of times.” He unlocked the door as she gimped her way up the sidewalk.

  Of course there was no way he’d allow them to stay at any of the posh hotels in town. She’d be recognized instantly. Realistically, she’d probably be recognized anywhere they went, but she understood his attempt to keep a low profile. Still, it was fun to bust him. “I can pay, you know. I didn’t plan on you footing the bill just because it was your idea to get me out of town.” Thinking about being out of town made her remember something that hadn’t crossed her mind until this second. She stopped. “Oh, my God.”

  Troy turned and scanned the parking lot. “What?”

  “What about your job? You can’t just leave Ari for two weeks without any notice. He’ll fire you.”

  “I already quit.”

  Julie’s mouth dropped open and she all but felt the blood drain from her head. “You what? You can’t quit. When did you quit? I won’t let you quit. That’s your job. What were you thinking?”

  He moved right in front of her. So close she smelled the last traces of his spicy aftershave. “I was thinking that someone’s trying to kill you...” He ran his hand through her hair, cupped her head. His heat, his strength sent an instant mass of tingles down her back. “...and I’m not going to give them another chance.” He gazed down at her as she licked her lips in anticipation of his kiss. Instead, he jerked his head toward the room. “Chop chop. You’re wasting time.”

  She didn’t move a muscle except to narrow her eyes. “Did you just tell me to ‘chop chop’?”

  He grinned and she hated that he was having so much fun, except he was so absolutely gorgeous it was worth it.

  A car zoomed into the lot and Troy moved in front of her, all traces of humor gone. The new arrival parked right next to them and a couple staggered out.

  “C’mon, Irma Jean, get in the room,” Troy said to her.

  Irma Jean?

  The couple barely glanced at them until Julie lost her balance on a crack in the sidewalk because her crutch landed funny. Troy dropped a bag and caught her, righted her.

  The woman waiting for her drunk boyfriend to open the next door got a closer look at Julie. She didn’t have on any of the disguises they’d discussed before the trip started. Not even a baseball cap. “Hey, you know who you look like?”

  Troy opened his mouth, but Julie beat him to it. “Yeah. I get that all the time. Reneé Zellweger.” Her old—now new—hair color was just enough to throw people off and if these two had been at the pool or in a casino, they may not have seen the news all day.

  “Who?” the woman said, crinkling up her nose. “No, I was thinking of...what’s her name?” She smacked her boyfriend in the back just as he f
inally got his key card to work. He opened the door and looked at her. “You know...the one in that race car movie,” she said. “She had that TV show for years. You hated that show, remember?”

  “You can’t please all the people all the time,” Julie stoically informed Troy under her breath.

  Troy was tired of playing games. “Irma Jean, get in the room. I’m not going to tell you again.”

  So, he wanted to role play, did he? She was a professional. May as well try out that southern accent she’d been working on. “Okay, Billy Joe Bob, I’m goin’. Quit being such a pain in the ass. G’night, y’all. Have a nice evenin’.” Even though it was nearly three in the morning.

  Troy quickly closed the door behind them and flipped on a light. The odor of strong cleanser didn’t quite mask the stale scent of the room. Dark maroon carpeting covered the floor and navy comforters blanketed the beds. Troy tossed his duffel bag on the chair in the corner and her suitcase on the luggage stand next to the dresser. The furniture barely fit in the small space. She hadn’t even considered the possibility of two rooms, but looking at two double beds made her wonder if that’s all they’d had available or if he didn’t want a repeat performance of last night.

  “For your own safety, I think you should avoid interacting with people.”

  Julie faced him. “So, I’m supposed to cower and hide for the next two weeks even though I’m not anywhere near someone who wants to kill me.”

  “I didn’t say cower. Hiding isn’t bad.” He looked stone-cold serious.

  Suddenly all the fight drained out of her. She dropped her bag on the dresser, yanked her pillow from his arms and tossed it on the bed closest to the door.

  He snagged it up just as quickly. “You’re in this bed.” He lofted the pillow on the bed deeper in the room.

  “Because...?” She really wanted to hear this answer.

  “Because if someone tries to get in I’m closer to the door.”

  “You don’t honestly think someone’s going to come after us, do you? I mean, it’s not as if anyone followed us to Vegas. I’m assuming you would’ve realized if someone had been following you. Especially since you drove here at the speed of light.”

  That got her another smile. “Let’s just get in the habit, okay? Make me happy.”

  She thought she’d made him happy last night, but maybe not if he seriously expected them to sleep in two different beds tonight. It was like taking a shot to the solar plexus. He got her right where it counted. Her self-esteem.

  She took an unsteady step toward the bed and the pressure on her thigh made it scream in pain.

  Without missing a beat, Troy snatched her up in his arms and laid her down on her bed. “I’ll get the pain meds the doctor gave you.” He rooted through her pack and came out with the prescription bottle.

  Julie hated taking anything, but she swallowed the pill with a few chugs from a bottle of water Troy handed her. The doctor had told her to stay ahead of the pain and since this was still day one, she saw no reason to ignore that order. “You sure thought of everything,” she said to avoid talking about the giant sex elephant in the room. “Water, snacks, my pillow and blanket. You probably have a quartet stuffed in your bag too...you know, for a little ambiance music.”

  “No quartets.” He bracketed her with strong arms once she made herself comfortable against the headboard. “Look, I know this place isn’t the Ritz.”

  “Or the Venetian,” she deadpanned.

  “Or the Venetian,” he repeated. “But you know if you’re spotted, then the word is out and all this is for nothing. I’m not letting this guy get to you.” His words landed with definite promise in the quiet room. He looked so serious, so intent.

  She stroked her thumb lightly down his cheek. “Why are you doing this? Going so far out of your way for me.” Maybe she wasn’t the only one who felt the connection between them, but the wall he’d erected still had her wondering if he wanted mental distance. She had offered him a job, so maybe he’d just changed his mind and forgot to tell her. That kind of made sense on a weird, I haven’t exactly hired you level.

  “I like you.” He said the words simply. Softly. His gaze roamed from her eyes to her mouth and back to her eyes. “When you called today. When I heard the panic in your voice, I...”

  He looked away.

  “You what?” she whispered. She had to know.

  He met her gaze. “I freaked out. I know I don’t have any rights to you or hold over you after one night, but I still panicked. If I can do something that’s going to keep you alive, then I’m going to do it. If that means keeping you under wraps and going underground then I’m going to do that too.”

  She wanted to kiss him so bad. Wanted to feel his arms around her and forget the horror of the day. “Are you really going to sleep in that bed over there?” She saw no reason to skate around the subject anymore.

  He looked straight into her eyes. “Where else would I sleep?”

  “Seriously?” she asked. “You want an engraved invitation? Because I’m fresh out at the moment. Of course, we are in Vegas and we can probably get anyth—”

  He kissed her. Not hard, but just enough to shut her up. His lips moved tenderly over hers and memories from last night lit her up like a Roman candle. Warmth spread from her stomach to her chest and fanned up to her face. He could turn her into a ball of fire with a simple kiss.

  Julie snaked her hands around his neck and raked her fingers through his hair. It felt so good to taste his tongue against hers, to feel the heat of his mouth. He tasted salty like the party mix snacks he’d swiped from her pantry. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled away.

  “I accept the invitation,” he whispered. “I just need a minute in the bathroom and I’ll be right out.”

  Relief seeped through her sore muscles and she relaxed against the headboard. She should probably go to the bathroom too and get ready for bed, but she was so tired and she didn’t want to lose any extra time with Troy. The warm glow of his kiss still lingered on her lips and she snuggled deeper into the bed. She could go take her turn in the bathroom after they had wild monkey sex. She grinned as he disappeared behind the door.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Troy barely spent five minutes in the tiny bathroom. He hated this place almost as much as he hated taking Julie away from everyone and everything she loved. Sure, it was for a good reason, and if he thought he could get away with setting her up at the Venetian, he’d have done it in a heartbeat, but they both knew better. Had she said one thing about the shithole he’d picked for them? Not a word. How much did he appreciate that? When he came out, the sight of her stopped him cold. She’d pulled the comforter over herself and fallen fast asleep sitting up. He pulled down the covers on the other side of the bed, then gently slipped her between the cool sheets before lifting the blankets over her again. She didn’t stir one bit.

  She’d had a hell of day; no wonder she’d passed out. The three-plus hours in the car had only been the tip of the iceberg. Guilt already reared up and bit him in the ass because he planned on waking her up early to hit the road before the traffic got too ugly.

  He looked from her bed to the empty bed and back again. Sex had been out of the question even if she’d been awake. He wouldn’t risk opening the stitches on her thigh, and judging from her enthusiasm last night, that was a real possibility. The way she’d wrapped those gorgeous legs around his hips and rose to meet him with every hard thrust...

  Damn. His hard-on grew as the memories flashed in his mind. The way she held his head steady when he tasted her. The way she moaned his name and begged him to quit teasing her. Sixty-nine.

  Troy looked up to the chipped paint on the ceiling and exhaled hard. This was going to be the longest fucking road trip of his entire life.

  No, he couldn’t have sex with her now and probably not in the near future. The sooner his dick got used to the idea, the better off he would be. But that didn’t change the fact that she hadn’t wanted to be alo
ne. She needed someone. Needed comforting because her world had been tossed upside down.

  Like the patsy he was, he climbed into her bed, rolled onto his side and pulled her close against his chest. She made that sound he loved so much, the little purr in her throat that made his pulse quicken. He breathed in the fresh smell of her shampoo and scent of her skin. He willed his dick to stay down. No such luck. But having her safe in his arms was what finally made him relax enough to sleep.

  Voices outside woke him up and he blinked awake in the dark room. Clock said five-twenty. Ten minutes before his watch alarm would’ve gone off. Julie’s hand cupped his over her breast and the hard-on he’d gone to sleep with begged for morning action. Troy eased away from a warm Julie and peeked through the heavy curtains. The neighbors on the other side were just coming in.

  Welcome to Vegas.

  Since he could kiss his gym goodbye for the next couple of weeks, he hit the carpet and pumped out alternate sets of fifty pushups and fifty crunches. An hour later, he showered and got dressed, letting Julie grab as much sleep as she could before he rousted her out of bed.

  The cuts on her face still looked bright against her pale complexion. He wanted to get his hands on the asshole that hurt her and break every bone in his body.

  Troy knelt next to the bed and stroked his thumb across her cheekbone. “Julie,” he whispered. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

  Her eyes fluttered open. “Hmm? I’m up. What time is it?” Her husky voice had a new level of sexy that arrowed straight to his groin. She took in his clothes. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “We’re going. It’s almost seven. I want to get on the road. You can sleep in the car just like last night.”

  “I don’t get a shower?” she complained.

  “You rinsed down at your place last night. Besides, you can’t shower with the stitches. How about I give you twelve minutes in the bathroom to do what you need to do. I’ll go get us some doughnuts and coffee and check out, and we can hit the road.”