by Dee J. Adams
“Me?” he said, trying his damnedest to rein in his libido. “I’m loads of fun. I’m fun personified.” Yeah, okay, he was full of shit, but he loved bantering with her. He’d never bantered with anyone in his life. His parents sure as hell never bantered. They’d barely spoken. Growing up had been a lesson in extremes for him: extreme violence or silence, and very little middle ground.
There was something so real about Julie that it made him be someone he’d always wanted to be but never had the courage to try for. Never found a person he wanted to try for.
“If you’re so much fun, how come you haven’t kissed me since you left my house the other morning?”
Wham. She went straight for the shit. “Not true. I kissed you last night.”
She gaped at him. “You call that a kiss? My grandmother kisses better than that.”
He stared down at her with one lifted eyebrow. “Your grandmother uses her tongue when she kisses you?”
“Gross!” She smacked his chest with her free hand, but she was laughing.
“Hey, you started it.” He set her on the short trunk of his car and eased her legs apart so he could stand between them. He tilted her face up to his. “Let’s be real clear on who kisses you and with what body parts.” Troy eased her sunglasses off so he could see her amazing eyes. Eyes that had captivated him when he’d first met her while she was dying on the red carpet. Eyes that looked at him now with heat and excitement and maybe a hint of victory.
He moved in slow, brushed his lips across hers in a barely there kiss. He wanted to savor the seconds leading up to the real contact so he took his time as he glided his mouth over hers. Her breathing quickened against his lips and she opened for him. He went in slow and deep, tasting the chocolate she must have scored from the vending machine. Every nerve ending came alive at her response, at the way she slanted her head to receive more of him. She held him close, one hand cupping the back of his head and the other on his ass, and it didn’t take long for slow and deep to become fast and hard. She nearly inhaled him and if she hadn’t been hurt he’d have stripped off her yoga pants and done her right then.
But their privacy ended when a camper pulled into the rest stop. Troy pulled away from her voracious mouth. It was going to be hell having her inches away, taking in her sweet, exotic scent and not being able to touch her. “We need to hit the road before I do something in public that could get me arrested.”
“Ooh, I like the sound of that.” Her voice held a mountain of promise and her eyes sparkled with teasing light. He loved this playful side to her. She made him feel special, like he deserved the attention and happiness she brought into his life, and he couldn’t remember the last time anyone made him feel that way.
He grinned and gestured to the door. “C’mon, Irma Jean. In the car.”
Chapter Fifteen
Late afternoon and Julie’s house was dark. Too dark. The garage was boarded up and the cement in front of it was burned to a crisp on the short driveway. Yellow crime-scene tape wrapped around the area. He’d been here for hours and hours and there’d been no sign of anyone. There’d been nothing but time to look at all the houses along her street and up above on the hillside where a dozen homes sat on stilts. This neighborhood screamed money, with custom homes, expensive cars and immaculate yards. One mansion in particular caught his attention. Undergoing a complete renovation, it looked like it might topple down the mountain any minute and take out Julie’s house directly below it. Good thing Julie planned on moving.
A car came up the road. A little red Fiat. Brand new. Very sharp. His mother called a car like that a ticket magnet. The car made a U-turn and parked three spaces in front of him. A short woman wearing all white got out. Her mini dress and high heeled shoes showed off amazing calves. She juggled a key ring as she got to the front door, then let herself in.
Allen couldn’t see enough of her face to place her.
Frustration and anger all boiled together. Allen got out of the car and strode to the front door with every intention of finding out where Julie had gone. She couldn’t be far. She’d been hurt for God’s sake. He’d seen it on the news. There had even been footage of her on crutches.
His poor Julie. She needed him now more than ever and if this girl had a key to her house, then she’d have to know where Julie was.
He just had to play this right. He knocked on the door and wiped his sweaty hands down his khakis as he waited. A few seconds later, it swung open and the lady looked up. This close, recognition dawned on him. “I know you,” he said. “You were in Nowhere to Hide.” The words spilled out before he could stop them.
She gave him a flat stare. “Yes. I was. Can I help you?” The film had been panned so she was probably more used to harsh criticism than anything else. He knew how that felt.
“I loved that movie. I thought you were terrific.” He’d rented it and ended up getting off more than once to her pole dance scene. “Your name is Carrie Ann, right?” Julie’s best friend.
Her hard gaze softened and her caramel brown eyes studied him more closely. “Are you a neighbor? Can I help you with anything?”
A neighbor! Yes, that would work. He nodded, knew the perfect house to call his own. “I live up there.” He pointed to the mansion under construction high on the hill behind Julie’s home. “I thought I had a mini hill slide and wanted to check if the backyard was okay.” He loved the sound of this and by the look on this girl’s face, she was buying it.
“Oh, wow. A slide. That would be bad. I haven’t even looked in the yard. Do you want to wait here or—”
“Of course not. I’d like to see if there’s damage. This is Julie’s house, right? I met her briefly once when I was walking the hill. That poor lady has had enough trouble in the last day. I don’t want her to worry if there’s any damage. I’ll cover anything.” He couldn’t stop the wide smile that spread across his face. “I’m right about your name, aren’t I?”
She finally grinned at him and nodded. “Yeah. You caught me. Carrie Ann.” She scrunched her face into a pucker. “You really liked the movie?”
“Loved it. I don’t know what all the fuss was about. I thought it was great.”
The smile she gave him could’ve melted wax. Allen’s pleasure with his deception made his insides bubble with glee.
“Is Julie here?” he asked, looking over her shoulder into the house, knowing full well Julie wasn’t there.
“Uh, no. No, not at the moment.”
“Well maybe it’s for the best if there was a slide. After everything she’s been through, this is the last thing she needs.”
Carrie Ann finally opened the door wider and ushered him in. He looked around the spacious house, barely able to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. It was gorgeous. Just like the woman. The big slate entryway welcomed him and he’d never felt more at home. It was too bad she had the place up for sale. He could see living here with her, spending lazy mornings making love in front of the big fireplace in the living room.
“The yard is this way,” Carrie Ann said, leading him through the house. The slate gave way to thick cream carpeting that didn’t have one spot of a stain anywhere. The open floor plan showed off the combined giant den and living room areas. They passed through a formal dining room and went out French doors to the backyard where a narrow lap pool took up most of the yard beneath the hill. Carrie Ann scanned the yard. “I don’t see a slide.”
The upper part of the hill consisted of thick brush and trees. A big slide could bring it all down in Julie’s backyard, but a small one could go unnoticed if the brush stopped it.
“What a relief,” Allen said. “I’m sure glad she won’t have this to worry about.” He strolled around the patio and fingered the hummingbird feeder that still had a sticker on it. “I just love how cozy this place is. I can see it from my balcony.”
Carrie Ann eyed him. “What did you say your name was again?”
He opened his eyes wide. “You know... I don’t think I even to
ld you.” Allen sounded too formal and he wanted to be the neighborly guy next door. He put his hand out. “I’m Al.” He should come up with a good last name, something to get this lady interested. “Al Gates. You’ve probably heard of my cousin Bill. He gets a lot of press.” Allen laughed at his joke and when Carrie Ann’s eyes bugged out wide, Allen’s pleasure doubled.
“I’m not nearly as successful as him.” Allen looked shyly away. He needed a big job, something to warrant the mansion under renovation on the hill. “My video games are about to go global. They’re in the final stages of testing. But once they’re released, my cousin’s going to have a run for his money.” He laughed and she laughed with him.
She took his hand and led him inside. “I can’t believe Julie’s never told me about you.”
“We’ve only talked a couple of times since I bought the place a few months ago. I figured I should introduce myself since I’m right on top of her.” He laughed again and widened his eyes. “Well, that didn’t come out right!”
Carrie Ann laughed again. “You’re funny. I knew what you meant.”
“Anyway we’re both so busy. But with the renovations, I’ve been having trouble with my watering system. Every time I fix a leak, I find another one, and it’s making the ground soft and I’m getting these little slides, so...” He shrugged as if that explained it all and Carrie Ann nodded knowingly. Anyone who ever spent anytime near a canyon home knew the possibilities.
“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.
Allen put his palms up. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
“It’s no bother. Let’s see what she’s got in the fridge.” She led the way into the kitchen and Allen was floored again at the absolute beauty surrounding him. Granite countertops gleamed among stainless steel appliances and redwood cabinets. Maybe he could persuade Julie that with him here, she wouldn’t have to move. He’d protect her against anyone and anything.
Carrie Ann opened the fridge door. “Iced tea. Cranberry juice, sparkling water... Any of those catch your fancy?”
“If she has a Perrier, I’ll take one.” He’d followed her enough to know Perrier was her favorite drink. A new surge of self-esteem washed through him. This is how those frickin’ video companies should treat him. They should offer him beverages when he pitched his games. They should make him feel comfortable and worthy.
“Sure, she’s got plenty.” Carrie Ann snagged his drink and passed it to him, then got one for herself.
“Great.” Allen twisted open the bottle and chugged a few swallows. Carrie Ann watched him as she did the same. “So, I want to know why Julie hasn’t ever mentioned you.” He grinned and got exactly what he wanted when she smiled at him.
* * *
Julie looked out the diner window at the green fields on the outskirts of the third rest stop on their way to Denver. The sun didn’t come close to the California heat she was used to, but it seemed clearer out here without the smog to diffuse it. She welcomed the warmth of the restaurant after the cool air-conditioned BMW. She sipped her iced tea and scratched the itch above her ear under another god-awful wig. Ditching the old brown one, she’d gone bold with red. She wished she hadn’t mentioned her collection. Troy had made her pack all four of them.
The restaurant buzzed at a third its capacity. Red-and-white checkered table cloths covered the tables while battered red leather chairs dotted empty spaces. Weary travelers—truckers, families and businessmen—took a break from the road with hot meals and cool drinks.
Across from her, Troy rubbed the back of his neck. He looked tired. They’d been on the road the better part of ten hours. Hell, she was tired and she hadn’t been doing anything but researching and reading scripts in the backseat.
“Why don’t we find a hotel so you can sack out?” she suggested as she set her glass down and reached for her dinner. She’d thrown her healthy eating out the window for the house special: a barbeque burger that hadn’t disappointed.
He checked his watch. “It’s still early. We can make it to Denver and call it a night there.” He cut into the mammoth steak on his plate.
“Then how about I take a turn at the wheel?” It was the least she could do and her pain meds had worn off. Her leg could handle an hour in the driver’s seat.
“Maybe tomorrow. I’m okay.”
Two men came from the short hallway that led to the restrooms on their right. Troy had made sure to seat her with her back facing the restaurant, but this one spot left her vulnerable to anyone coming from the bathrooms. Sure enough, one of them slowed down and took a good long look at her as he walked by.
After so many years of experiencing that sensation of eyes on her, Julie tilted her head and took a bite of her burger, giving the guy a good angle of the back of her head. Tangy barbeque sauce exploded on her tongue but she barely tasted it. She waited until they passed before continuing her questions. Troy still hadn’t told her something fairly important in all of this. She swallowed her bite and wiped her mouth. “Where are we going anyway? You owe me that much.”
He didn’t immediately reply, and she wasn’t sure if it was because he had food in his mouth or he didn’t want to tell her. “It’s my uncle’s place,” he finally said, keeping an eye over her shoulder. She didn’t dare turn around to see who he was watching. “I used to go there in the summertime. It’s not fancy, but it’s remote.”
She considered that. If her presence meant the people around her were in trouble, then didn’t this put Troy’s family in danger? “Does your uncle know we’re coming?”
Troy shook his head, then sipped his iced tea. “Nope. I doubt we’ll run into him. He only uses it a few times a year.”
“When was the last time you were there?” She liked getting information out of him. Maybe his guard came down because of his exhaustion, but Julie didn’t care. She liked that she had him talking.
“Too many years ago to count.”
“I can count pretty high,” she informed him. She popped a French fry. “Humor me.”
He looked at her, then cut another bite of steak. “I left when I was nine.”
How did he even know the place existed anymore? “Nine? You know, it’s possible he’s not there. Or maybe he sold the place,” she said. “Then what will we do?” She chewed another fry.
“He didn’t sell it. He told me years ago that when I wanted the place, it was mine.”
“That’s nice, but life happens you know. Maybe he had to sell it or maybe it burned down.”
He paused with the fork halfway to his mouth and lifted a dark eyebrow. “Hello, Miss Sunshine and Light. I thought you were an optimist.”
She sighed. “I guess my cup is more half-empty these days. Sorry. What I meant to say was, ‘Gee, that’s nice to fall back on.’”
He laughed around the food in his mouth, but it sounded harsh around the edges. “Let’s see if you think that after you see the place.”
“Hey, I can rough it as good as the next gal.”
He cocked his head and gave her a flat stare.
“What?” she said, letting a hint of indignation creep into her voice. Just because she’d gotten used to the finer things in life didn’t make her a sissy or a wimp. “I’m tough. You don’t think I’m tough?”
His dark eyes watched her, his face turned as serious as she’d ever seen him. “I know you’re tough.” Maybe he was thinking about that day on the red carpet so many weeks ago or the fact that she’d lived through a car bomb yesterday. Or was it the day before? Time seemed to have gone haywire with her internal clock. “I just don’t love that I’m taking you to a place that I haven’t been to in decades. But it’s about keeping you und—”
“Under wraps. I know.” She sipped her drink. “Why don’t you cut yourself some slack where I’m concerned. I can take care of myself.”
He looked over her shoulder again, then glanced at the crutches leaning on the wall next to the table.
“Hey, don’t be looking at those stupid stick
s of death. Just because I’m not great on them doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.” She lifted her fork to snag a French fry, then set it down. She wasn’t even hungry anymore. She hated running and that’s what this was. Running far and fast and leaving everything she knew behind.
He reached out and covered her hand with his. “This is the right thing.”
Then why did she feel like such a chicken? Why did she think that no matter how much time she spent away from home, it wasn’t going to make a bit of difference to the man stalking her? Why would someone want to kill her in the first place? Was it a fan she’d let down or one of the crazies who asked her to marry them? She didn’t have enemies. She’d told that to the police. In a town that fed on gossip and rumors, she’d learned to keep her mouth shut and watch what she said like a hawk when it came to interviews and sound bites. She’d learned years ago that if she kept a positive or diplomatic spin on things, it was much harder to edit something out of context and make her look bad.
“It might be the right thing, but for how long?”
His understanding gaze said more than words. Once again it struck her that he had put his own life on hold for her. He might be a man of few words, but his actions spoke for themselves.
Julie picked up her burger if only to end the conversation so Troy would finish his dinner. She’d heard his stomach rumbling the past two hours of the drive and knew he was starving. He demolished his steak in minutes and pulled out his wallet.
“Let’s go,” he said, yanking a couple of bills from his money clip. “I don’t like how these two guys keep looking over here. You might’ve been made.” He tossed the cash on the table.
Julie’s pulse jumped and she set her napkin on her almost-empty plate. “I’ve got this ridiculous wig on. I can’t imagine they really recognized me.”
“I can.” He got up, reached for her crutches and they escaped out the side exit.
