Suddenly Sexy (21 page)

“Is there anything else that’s bothering you?”

“The guys I meet in the line of work are awful.” She couldn’t stop comparing the men to how great Eric had been with her. “I really want to call up Wade’s girlfriend and tell her to get out now.”

“She’ll make that decision once she sees these pictures.” Asia patted the button of her shirt that was the video feed.

“And I can’t help think how great I had it with Eric,” Julie confessed as they walked out of the bowling alley. “I should make up an excuse to contact him. What do you think?”

“Forget about him,” Asia said bluntly. “If he hasn’t contacted you by now, he never will.”

Julie stopped in the middle of the parking lot. That wasn’t the advice she wanted to hear. “Didn’t you once tell me to stop fantasizing and go for it?”

“You had a wonderful time with Eric, but it was never meant to be permanent. It ran its course. You shouldn’t concentrate on the fact that it’s over. Celebrate the fact that it happened.”

That sounded oddly familiar. “Are you quoting Dr. Seuss?”

“Paraphrasing,” Asia said with a guilty smile. “But the guy is wise.”

Maybe one day she would remember Eric without the pain and misery. Right now it hurt just thinking about him and what she had lost.

“If you’re feeling social, come by for a slice,” Asia said as she headed for the pizzeria. “The peppers they use are so hot it will wipe out the taste of Wade.”

Julie made a face and stuck out her tongue as if it was contaminated. “Nights like these make me wish I got to work on the security contract for Z-Ray.”

“You’ll get there,” Asia said and waved goodbye.

Julie gave a small smile as she walked over to her car, which was parked directly under a light and in plain view of the bowling alley entrance. One day she would get to work on a prestigious contract. With a little patience and a lot of studying, she’ll have her dream job.

Julie pulled her keys from her purse and reached her MINI Cooper when a shadow fell upon her. Her heart lurched and instincts kicked in. Julie whirled around on her heel and struck out her arm. Her fist collided with a large hand. She tried to pull back but her assailant grabbed her wrist and immobilized her with little effort.

“You’re getting better.”

Eric?
She stared at him as the call to fight seeped from her body. She must be hallucinating. He seemed taller. Leaner. And, damn it, sexier.

He let go of her wrist and slid his hands into his pockets. “Now what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?”

* * *

ERIC SAW JULIE’S EYES
narrow before she crossed her arms and braced her legs. She wasn’t happy to see him. At least she didn’t try to throw another punch.

He didn’t blame her for being angry. He had tried to be honorable, but that bit him in the ass. Typical. He had been in the wrong and hoped it wasn’t too late to correct his mistakes.

Julie’s gaze went from his head to his feet. “Where’s a Taser gun when you need one?”

Eric raised his eyebrows. “No need to get violent.”

“Bowling does that to me,” she said, clenching her hands at her side.

“I thought you were on a decoy assignment.”

“I was. We just finished and everyone is at the pizzeria. Why don’t you go over and say hello to them?”

“Maybe later.” He didn’t want to be with anyone else. He wanted Julie.

She had haunted his dreams until he couldn’t sleep. He missed her warmth and generous spirit. He wanted to be surprised by her crazy plans and be part of her world.

Julie didn’t look lovesick and wasn’t wasting away. From what Perry had said in emails, Julie had developed into a strong and confident woman. Eric studied the fitted T-shirt and snug jeans. “No alias tonight?”

“No,” she replied sharply. “How did you know?”

“Because I know you well. I can see you through the aliases. To the real you.” He saw her guarded expression and knew it was time to shut up.

“What are you doing here, Eric?”

He decided to play it casual since Julie wasn’t thrilled to see him. He hadn’t expected her to throw her arms around him…. No, that wasn’t true. He had hoped for an enthusiastic welcome. He should have known better. It’d been two long months.

“I was here to discuss the Jeremiah Boone case with the lawyers,” he said. “I decided to check up on Perry, as well. He told me where you were.”

“And you might as well see how I’m doing since you were in the neighborhood?” Her nostrils flared as she reined in her anger. “No need. I’m doing fine. Better than fine.”

“So I hear. You’re training to become a private investigator.” It wasn’t right to feel proud. He had nothing to do with it, but he was pleased that the incident with Jeremiah Boone didn’t prevent Julie from focusing on her dreams.

“That’s right. I’m working toward a license.”

He smiled. “And what’s this about being the star pupil in self-defense?”

Julie shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You said yourself that I suck at self-defense.”

His smile faded. “I told you to forget everything I said that day.” He had tried to keep her away from a dangerous situation, but instead, he had said things that could have permanently crushed her spirit.

“You didn’t tell me. You wrote a letter that explained nothing.” She glared at him. “I never took you for a coward.”

This reunion wasn’t going as planned. Eric nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I had to return to D.C. and was immediately thrown into handling a crisis.”

“That is not a good excuse.” She pointed at him with an accusing finger. “You could have at least tried to contact me.”

“Okay, I couldn’t face you,” he admitted rawly. “How could I, knowing that I fell short in your eyes?”

Her jaw dropped. “That’s not true. Who told you that? Whoever they were, they lied.”

“No one had to tell me. You were always looking at me as if I’m a hero.” He lowered his gaze in shame. “I wanted to be your hero, but I failed to protect you in Boone’s office.”

“You protected me,” Julie argued. “You were injured and hurting, but you tackled that crazy woman with a Taser gun.”

“It never should have escalated like that.” He thrust his fingers in his hair as he remembered that moment in the parking lot. Pure terror had flooded his heart when he had seen Julie collapse to the ground. “Your safety had been at risk because of my error of judgment.”

“Is that why you left without saying goodbye? Because you thought I was disappointed in you?”

“It wasn’t until we were giving our statements to the police. As I was telling them what happened, I realized I was an obstacle for you. I was blocking you from living out your dreams. You don’t need to put up with that. And my leaving was the best thing for you.”

“How do you figure that?”

“You now work in a very supportive environment. Perry listens to your ideas. Your coworkers admire your skills and they will do anything to help you.”

“I had that with you, too.” She took a step forward. “You didn’t agree with me on everything, but that was a good thing. I didn’t need a yes-man or a groupie. I needed a partner.”

“You don’t need me now.” It hurt to say it. He once thought Julie couldn’t do anything without him, but she’d proved him wrong every step of the way. “You accomplished everything by yourself. You hunted for crucial information and you put the puzzle together. I couldn’t help you when you faced Jeremiah.”

“So you weren’t at the top of your game that day. It happens.” She reached out and touched his arm. “You shouldn’t throw away a partnership because of one bad day.”

“Is that what we had? A partnership?”

“You didn’t see me as a partner.” She dropped her hand. “You saw me as your protégée or your responsibility.”

“You’re right, I did. I should have seen what we really were—a couple.”

“We were never a couple,” she said flippantly. “I was Batman and you were Robin.”

“I’m serious, Julie.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Tell me the truth. Are you still in love with me?”

She looked away. “After how you left me? What do you think?”

“I think you are.” He hoped and prayed that she was. “You’re not one who would easily fall out of love.”

She tried to shrug off his hand. “You sound very arrogant.”

“I wanted to be a hero in your eyes,” he confessed.

“You are, Eric,” she said quietly and faced him. “But not in the ways that you think. I’m not expecting you to cheat death or sacrifice your freedom to be a hero.”

“What do you think is a hero?”

“It’s in the way you take care of those around you. Like…” She gestured with her hands as she tried to explain. “Like how you let everyone have their moment in the sun.”

“That’s not heroic.”

“It is to us. You took care of us as if we were your family. You took the time to teach us the skills we needed, even though it wasn’t in your job description. You always looked after us.”

“I thought you found my protective nature suffocating.”

“I did sometimes. But the reason you are my hero is because your heart was in the right place. Even when I was messing up and didn’t have any experience to fall back on, you still supported my dream of becoming a private eye.”

He cradled her face in his hands. “I tried to stay away. I thought it was for the best, but I missed you.”

“Good,” she said. “I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who suffered.”

“I quit my job,” he revealed as he caressed her cheeks with his fingers.

She stiffened in his hold. “Why the hell did you do that?”

“I’m moving here. For good.” Eric watched her expression. She didn’t look happy. Julie looked confused and distrustful.

“To help Perry?” she asked cautiously.

“No, I’m here because you’re here.” He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “I’m in love with you and I want to share my life with you.”

His heart ached as time stood still. Was she going to accept his love, or would she push him away?

“You’re going to regret it,” she whispered. “You’ll get bored with the job. With me.”

He looked into her eyes. “Never,” he promised. “You are the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.”

She tilted her head away. “I seriously doubt that.”

“Then I’ll show you every day how much you excite me. I want to wake up with you every morning and hold you in my arms every night.”

“Go on.”

“I want you at my side at work. I’ll request that we work as partners. Equal partners.”

“Are you sure you want to do that? You are a former special agent. You spent your whole career fighting crime. I spent mine folding uniforms.”

“We’re bringing our strengths and weaknesses to the table. Your instincts and my experience. Your enthusiasm will balance out my caution.”

“We make a good team,” she said, warming up to the idea. “But before you get any crazy notions, I want you to know that I’m not giving back the office. It’s mine now, fair and square.”

“We could share. We’re partners, after all,” he said, gathering her close. He didn’t want to take that office from Julie. She’d hated her cubicle and the workspace represented her hard-won success. But he couldn’t resist teasing her.

“No, but nice try.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be a good idea,” he agreed as he brushed his mouth against her forehead and swept his lips against her closed eyes. “We’d never get any work done.”

“You are going to have to earn that office,” she warned him, her voice breathless. “In the meantime, no one is working at my old cubicle.”

“I could always move into the supply closet,” he mused as he grazed his mouth against her cheekbones. “You can visit me anytime you want.”

“I just might accept your invitation.” She grasped his jaw with her hands and kissed him.

Eric tried to show an ounce of self-control, but he had been dreaming about her kisses for weeks. As soon as her lips brushed against his, his restraint snapped. He held Julie tight against him and deepened the kiss.

She tasted just as he remembered. Her soft lips yielded as he invaded her mouth. Julie caught his tongue and drew him in. She speared her fingers into his hair and held him tightly as she kissed him fiercely.

He needed this. He needed her sweet, hot kisses. He was starved for her touch and her affection. He was insatiable for Julie. He had been in danger of not feeling, not caring anymore, but Julie had changed that. She was his muse and inspiration. He may never be the hero she deserved, but he would be the man she needed at her side.

Julie tore away and pressed her swollen lips together. “Come on, Eric, let’s get out of here.”

She laced her fingers through his. Her hand was small and delicate, but he felt her strength. He loved everything about this woman, and he knew he could rely on her. No matter what they faced, Julie would have his back.

And Julie knew he would do the same for her. She didn’t have to ask. He would be there.

Eric raised her hand and kissed her fingers. “Where are we going?” he asked.

“Home,” she said simply.

Home. He was going home with Julie. His partner, his love, his life. Eric held her hand tighter. “Lead the way.”

* * * * *