Dangerous Secrets (Tall, Dark & Deadly #2)(71)

“Have a donut,” Blake said to Julie pushing the box in her direction.

“I’m too tired to eat,” she said.

“I’m never too tired to eat,” Blake commented, and the room broke into laughter.

“Yes, we know,” Julie said smiling.

Blake finished off his donut and stood up. “Time for beddy-bye.”

“Us too,” Royce said and Lauren climbed off his lap.

“I know you’re tired,” Lauren said to Julie, “but tomorrow let’s talk about you leaving divorce behind and coming to work with my new firm.”

“Yes,” Julie said. “I’d like that.” She was ready to leave the past behind, ready to take some risks.

Goodbyes were said, and soon Julie was alone with Luke. She had no idea what had gotten into her, but now that she’d taken the step to confess her love for Luke, she was feeling daring all over again.

“Luke,” she said, caressing his cheek. “Will you marry me?”

Luke stared at her, a stunned look on his face before his lips curved into a smile. “You know you just stole my thunder, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Us macho Walker men like to go down on one knee and propose properly. And I’m supposed to have the ring first.”

“Oh, right,” she said, smiling at his response. “So, now what do we do?”

He set her on her feet and then back in the chair and went down on one knee. “Julie. Will you marry me?”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling like she was home for the first time in her life.



THE END





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UNDER HIS PROTECTION





Chapter One


“I can’t believe you did this.”

Blake Hewitt stared at her hands clutched in her lap, the sound of her father’s angry voice making her throat close. She refused to look up, didn’t want to see the disappointment written all over his face.

She’d seen enough of that to last a lifetime.

“Why did you do it, Blake? You know how delicate circumstances are. The election’s in a couple of weeks and we’ve been struggling. Then you go and do this.”

The loud slap of the magazine hitting the center of his desk sounded and Blake jumped in her seat. Gritting her teeth, her lids lifted, allowing her gaze to focus on the tabloid magazine facing her.

With a candid shot of her on the cover in a most provocative pose. The headline screamed, “Blake Hewitt Revealed!”

She looked away. It hurt too much to remember that night. A night that had been all in good fun with the few close friends she had.

Her friend Shannon invited her over for a barbecue and swimming. Not necessarily unusual in D.C. when the city was in the throes of an Indian summer. She had a few drinks, become a little loose. Stripped down to her American flag bikini—the swimsuit chosen since it was just so ironic, she couldn’t resist—she’d been hot and wanted to jump in the pool. Hey, she was amongst friends, so why not?

But she hadn’t been amongst friends. The photo on the cover of the popular trashy magazine more than proved that. And the two-page spread filled with various photos within the tabloid confirmed it.

She could trust no one.

Blake frowned, sadness filling her. She hoped whoever sold the pictures was well compensated. She hoped the money they made had been worth it.

“Where in the world were you anyway?” her father demanded.

“It was a party at Shannon’s house. You remember Shannon, don’t you?” Shannon’s father had been a diplomat and they’d known each other since they were teens. “It was a small gathering, just a few friends.”

“People you didn’t know were there.”

“And people I did know. I thought…” Blake paused, swallowed hard. “I thought I could trust them.” She winced when she heard her father’s disbelieving grunt.

“Please. Haven’t I told you before you can’t trust anyone? The campaign’s winding down and we’re being scrutinized like bugs under a microscope.” Her father grunted with disgust. “I swear, it’s like you did this on purpose. Mocking our country with the stripes of the American flag draped across your…posterior, stars placed directly over your…God.”