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