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“Much. How do you always read me so well?”
His dark eyes flickered with a fire that he quickly concealed. “It’s my job.”
“This part isn’t.”
“No.”
“What did you mean by…after? After what?”
He grew silent for a moment, and a few creases appeared at the corner of his lips. She started to tell him it was all right if he didn’t wish to share with her, but he started to speak in his deep drawl.
“Before my brothers worked for a protection agency, the Abels had a protection agency too. Something happened to one of the women we were guarding. Hell, I shouldn’t tell you this. I can’t have you thinking I’d ever, ever let down my guard with you. I won’t, Avalynn.”
Her heart fluttered at the vehemence in his tone. “I know that.”
His chest moved with his deep inhalation, making her cling to him tighter or risk being rolled off his body. “After the incident, our company went under. We had a rough patch, and then three of my brothers, Judd, Jaren and Jace all moved to Montana to join a new company. Jennings and I stayed behind taking on what work we could.”
“It must have affected your morale quite a bit.”
He pierced her in his stare. “Is that what’s happened to you after that video released?”
Ugh. She didn’t want to be reminded of what she faced, but the very reason she was lying in this bed with Julius right now was because that tape existed.
“Do you really think this will work? This supposed engagement?”
He cradled her hand and brought it to his lips to brush a kiss over the ring he’d just put there. “It was real, honey. It actually happened.”
Her stomach flipped on his words. She drifted off, aware of the slow rise and fall of his chest under her cheek.
What felt like moments later, something vibrated from the floor.
They’d fallen asleep. The light of dawn crept over the white sheets and the planes of Julius’s carved body.
“My phone.” He jostled her to the side and made a dive for the device in his jeans. The move branded a view of his backside in her memory. She was just admiring it when his voice broke into her thoughts.
“Fuck. Avalynn.”
Her gaze darted to his in alarm.
“It’s my momma.” He hit a button on the screen, shocking Avalynn by putting it on speakerphone.
“Hi, Momma.”
“Julius. Arlo. Abel,” she punctuated each of his names the way all mommas can when riled. “When were you going to tell me?”
He darted a look at Avalynn. She widened her eyes. What was she supposed to do? She didn’t know how to handle his mother.
He scrubbed a finger between his brows. “Uh…”
“The paparazzi were here asking if I have met your fiancée!”
Avalynn plastered a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp.
His mother continued, “I opened the door to get my mail and ten people snapped a picture of me. Now you tell me what is going on. When you asked for Grandma Houser’s ring, I thought you were just putting it in a safety deposit box for safekeeping like we always discussed. Julius, what have youdone?”
“Momma,” he choked out. “When you say you went out to get your mail, were you by chance in your—”
“Bathrobe? Yes. And hair curlers.”
