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