Page 50 of Broken Rules

Taking his hand, I nodded while flashes went off all around us.“Of course.Thank you for saying that.”

“I can honestly say I have hope for the direction this studio will go in.”Looking around, he sighed.“New investors, for one thing.New blood.”

At my arched eyebrow, he explained, “When the former investors wanted their money back after Lex announced he would release your version, Lex and his friends put up the cash.”

Now I understood why Lex’s friend was there.They wanted to see what their money went to.“This is all a lot,” I admitted, overwhelmed.

“No doubt.”His attention shifted to something over my shoulder, and a corner of his mouth pulled upward.“I’ll let my son explain the rest.”

He was behind me.Somehow, even in the middle of so many people, I could identify Lex’s cologne.My heart sang before I turned to find him there, looking contrite.Handsome and contrite.“Surprise?”he murmured.

Throwing myself into his arms would be a mistake.I couldn’t make it that easy.“You kept this a secret all this time, and all you have to say to me is surprise?”I asked.

“How about I love you?”he asked, keeping his voice low.“Is that better?”

My heart couldn’t take much more of this.Everything I wanted, everything I had missed these past lonely, miserable weeks was now in front of me.Mine for the taking.

Instead of bursting into tears, I replied, “It’s a start.”I had told myself over and over to forget him, that I was fine without him, better off alone.Funny how all of that evaporated now that he was in front of me, and I knew he had saved the movie and my dream.He protected my dream.

“Whatever it takes, Summer.Everything I have.Everything I’ll ever have.All of me.”His warm, dark eyes cut from one side to the other.“I’ll even throw myself on your mercy in front of half the world.What can I do to make you forgive me?”

I was still frozen by indecision when someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.“I’ll keep the family entertained,” Claudia whispered close to my ear.“You two can catch up.”

That was exactly what I needed to hear.I threw her a silent, grateful look.We would have words later about her keeping secrets, but for now, I was too busy basking in the joy of the moment.“Why don’t we get out of here to discuss this in private?”I suggested.

It probably looked suspicious, the two of us leaving, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.I was too busy feeling almost delirious.Could this be real?Was this my life?

Before we could escape, however, the last person I ever wanted to see barged through the crowd, brimming over with false cheerfulness.The man was as transparent as cellophane.“Well, well, well,” Eric crowed, all smiles and empty laughter.“I taught you everything you know.Where’s my thanks?”

Incredible how many things could go through a person’s mind in the blink of an eye.How many ugly, hate-filled thoughts.How much emotion—outrage, disgust, disappointment.All of it and more, raced through me and heated my blood until it boiled.

My mouth opened in preparation to vent every last thought.But it was Lex who spoke.“Your thanks must be somewhere with the invitation you never received,” he replied in a clipped, professional tone.Raising a hand, he signaled one of the security guards standing nearby.“We’ll take care of that right now by having you escorted off the premises.”

Two burly men dressed in black took hold of him.“Hey, wait a minute…”

Just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better.I had the pleasure of watching Eric removed from the building, red-faced and quietly protesting, before Lex led me out by the hand and helped me into his waiting limo.

The second we were alone, I turned to him with questions brimming over.“How—” I blurted out, but he cut me off with a deep, searching kiss, my face in his hands, his body pressed close to mine.I had never wanted anything more, but I couldn’t let it be so simple.There was still part of me that wouldn’t give up.

“Wait.”With my hands against his shoulders, I pushed him back, shaking my head when he leaned in for another kiss.“We’re skipping over something important.”

“I did try to contact you these past few weeks.”His ravenous gaze traveled over my face.“I would’ve told you.Claudia wanted to, but I thought it should come from me.”

“All you had to do was tell me?—”

He shook his head, touching his fingers to my lips.“Enough fighting, arguing over who should’ve done what.This was my gift to you and my deep, deep apology.I should’ve been fully honest with you from the beginning, but I didn’t want to spoil things by telling you there were issues between Dad and me.I thought I could handle them on my own.I was that arrogant.We both were,” he concluded with a sigh.

“He told me about your new investors.”

“New investors, new everything,” he confirmed.“I have you to thank for that.It makes the most sense, but I wouldn’t have considered bringing them on if it hadn’t been for you providing the impetus.”

Tracing the outline of my mouth with his thumb, he whispered, “I’ve missed you.It was like living the past month with part of me missing.You’ll never know the torment.”

“I don’t think I would go that far.”I closed a hand over his, then took a deep breath.Time to be brave and take the first step into the future.“I’ve missed you too.And what happened back there…”

“Are you happy?”he asked, tender, sweet.“That’s all I need to know.”

Was I happy?That was a no-brainer.“Why don’t you raise that privacy divider?”I whispered, eyeing the front seat.“And we can talk about that.”

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