Julie sat up and gasped for air, running her hands over her arms, her breath heaving out. She was not burning. She was not in a casket.
Luke was beside her, saying something. “Julie. Baby. It was a dream.”
She blinked into the sunlight, bringing a massive Ansel Adams black and white woodsy scene into focus. It hung on the wall in front of Luke’s bed.
“Nightmare,” she whispered, and turned to him. “Luke, I was in a casket going up in flames, and,” she swallowed hard, “I’m sure you know where this is going. I need to call her sister.”
“Then we’ll call,” he assured her and reached over her to pull open a black nightstand where he removed the piece of paper. “I’ll get you a phone.”
“I left mine in your truck, I think,” she said. “I don’t remember bringing in my purse at all.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “I’ll go get it, but I’d rather you call from mine. Just to be safe, in case the line is tapped by someone other than Blake. No sense in making it easy on them to get your address.”
A few minutes later, Julie was wearing Luke’s shirt, standing in his kitchen waiting on the coffee she’d made to finish brewing, and feeling a little shy about the night before. Shy. Her. Go figure. Lauren would never believe it. She could hardly believe it. She was falling for Luke in a big way. Heck, who was she kidding? She’d fallen big years ago and she was just falling deeper now.
“Hope you made enough for me,” he said from behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder, and found herself breathless at the sight he made, standing there holding her purse. She turned to inspect him, taking in the jeans and a t-shirt he’d haphazardly pulled on, looking as delicious as he did in a suit or tuxedo. With his dark hair rumpled from sleep and her fingers and sporting a seriously sexy one day shadow on his jaw, he definitely gave new meaning to good morning.
“Your purse is supposed to match the outfit,” she teased.
“I’ve never been much on matching outfits,” he said, setting it down on the table top and then sitting down.
She filled two mugs and grabbed spoons before joining him. The cream and sugar were already on the table. “Since you got my purse for me, I made enough for you, too.”
“Well then,” he said, doctoring his coffee with lots of cream. “I’ll have to find a new strategy tomorrow, I guess.”
“Who says I’ll be here tomorrow?” she challenged, warmed by the idea that she would be.
“Danger’s in the air,” he said. “And even if it weren’t true, and it is, I’d use whatever excuse I had to in order to keep you here.”
“I think...I’d let you.”
A slow smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Good to know.” He motioned to the other room. “Let’s go to my office. I want you to call from my land line and I’ll have the cordless. Say as little as possible and agree to nothing I don’t give a nod of approval to.”
“Okay,” she said, and rose.
Luke’s office was lined with framed Sports Illustrated magazine covers that spanned years. He was clearly a collector. But then, he loved sports, especially baseball. She sat down behind his desk, letting the plush leather chair soothe the stiffness in her body.
“Her name is Diana,” Luke said, resting a hip on the desk. “And according to the official reports, there’s been no dispute of the suicide and there is no criminal investigation.”
She nodded and took the phone, feeling as nervous as the day she’d taken the bar exam.
“Don’t agree to anything unless I give you a nod,” he reminded her.
She nodded. ”What’s the number?”
He arched a brow. “No argument?”
“Part of doing my job well is being smart enough to call on experts when I need to, and actually listen when they talk. In this case, you’re my expert.”
Surprise flickered on his face before he read off the number from memory and then put the receiver in his hand to his ear.
“Hello,” a female voice said on the second ring. The sound of her voice was so familiar, so Elizabeth, that Julie’s stomach knotted.
Julie discreetly cleared her suddenly parched throat. “Hello, this is Julie Harrison.”
“Oh, thank God,” the woman said. “I’m not sure this line is safe. Meet me in an hour at the dinosaur display in the Metropolitan Museum.”
Julie’s eyes went to Luke’s. “But-“
The line went dead.
Luke cursed under his breath. “This could be a setup. You realize that, right?”
She nodded in agreement and pushed to her feet before wrapping her arms around his neck. “Which is why I’m glad I have a big, bad ass, ex-Navy SEAL bodyguard. And in order to save time, I think we should share the shower at my place so I can change.”
***
They were ten minutes late. Julie eyed her watch with concern as she and Luke stepped through the doors of the museum, cold air chasing them through the entry. She shivered and tugged her leather jacket closer, thankful she’d stopped by home to change into black wool pants and a black sweater. That bridesmaid’s dress would have made the cold day even colder.
Luke stood beside her, dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a leather jacket. They scanned the magnificent room with sky high ceilings, and though he might appear relaxed, she could feel the tension rippling off of him. He was not happy about this meeting.