Exclusive Access (17 page)

Chapter
Twenty

Julianne
had never cried at weddings, but her eyes misted up several times during this
one. To say it was beautiful didn’t do it justice. Ace wore a tux with a crisp
white shirt and white bowtie, which made his dark hair and dark eyes even more
stunning.

Harper
looked like something out of a fashion magazine in a sleek, white strapless
dress that showed off her curvy body and floated behind her like a cloud. She
wore her hair up in a complicated series of twists that had taken Julianne,
Angela, and Liane nearly an hour to hold in place with pins. The end result of
all that work was worth it.

They’d
written their own vows, and they were perfect in both their simplicity and
their emotion. After the official pictures were taken, everyone moved into the
hall for the reception. There was a band, a dance floor, and more food than all
the people there could eat in a month.

Even
though Kane was in the bridal party, he made sure Julianne wasn’t left alone
any longer than necessary, and even pulled an extra chair over to the bridal
party table so she didn’t have to sit with strangers. He looked so damn
gorgeous in his tux that she couldn’t stop staring.

She’d
noticed him glancing around all morning and afternoon and assumed he was
looking for his father. The reception had been going on for about two hours
when the toasts were finally done, and everyone had eaten. The cake had been
cut, and the band began warming up. Kane leaned over and whispered he’d be
right back.

Julianne
frowned as she watched him and Ace sprint away toward an unused part of the
building. She leaned over and asked Liane, who was the closest to her of the
women she knew, where they were going. Liane’s green eyes filled with mischief.
“No clue.”

Julianne
narrowed her eyes, but one look at Liane’s resolute expression and she knew it
was no use badgering her. “All right. Tell me one thing, though. Will I be
embarrassed as hell?”

“
I hope not.”

She
watched the couples who were eyeing the dance floor, standing at its edges. It
was traditional for the bride and groom to have the first dance, so why had Ace
chosen this moment to leave with Kane? Something was going on.

When
the three finally returned, Kane’s eyes were shining a bit too brightly, and he
gave her an almost desperate look as he took his seat next to her. Ace stood
next to Harper and held out his hand. They rose amidst loud cheering and
applause, and the band leader introduced them again as they took the floor. Ace
guided Harper around the floor as easily as if he’d been born to dance, and
Julianne’s happiness was genuine. She was so grateful she’d been a part of
this.

When
they finished, instead of the band leader inviting other couples to join Ace
and Harper on the dance floor, Ace stepped up to the microphone and gave Kane a
huge smile. What was going on?

“
Thanks again to everyone for being here today,” said
Ace. “Harper and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. To share this day,
and our public declaration of love, with friends and family means the world to
us.”

He
paused as his gaze swept over Kane and Julianne again. “We have two very
special friends with us here today, who traveled from
NorthEast
.
Kane Bannerman is a name most of you know as the current CEO of Bannerman
Investments, a company whose tradition dates back hundreds of years. It’s one
of the oldest businesses still in existence today that survived the move
underground intact. He’s joined by the lovely Julianne Wallis, who is a feature
reporter for
Underground Technology
Update
. You know that name well, too, no doubt. The online magazine boasts
a readership in the millions, and is the most respected trade journal of its
kind.”

She
glanced toward Kane who looked like he was ready to jump out of his skin. What
the
hell
was going on?

“
Kane has asked for some time before we invite everyone
to join us on the dance floor, because he has a public declaration of his own
to make. Kane?”

Kane
rose and walked toward the band, while Julianne broke out in a cold sweat and
wondered how quickly she could make it out of the building without anyone
coming after her. She watched him give Ace a firm handshake and then step in
front of the microphone. None of this felt real. She felt as if she was viewing
it from above the crowd, out of her own body.

“
Thank you, Ace, and congratulations again to you and
Harper. I know you’ll have a long and happy life together.” Kane glanced toward
Julianne, and her mouth went bone dry. “Julianne, you are the most endearing,
engaging, elusive woman I have ever known, and I am head over heels crazy in
love with you.”

The
crowd made noises consistent with his words, a few clapped softly, and suddenly
all eyes were on her. She tried to keep breathing. He had planned this along
with the others. She knew it was true because as she glanced at each of the
Weathermen in turn. There wasn’t a surprised or confused expression in sight.
The women knew, too. She could see it in their eyes.

“
I know you hate surprises,” he continued, “and you’re
not crazy about large crowds either.” A few people in the crowd laughed softly,
and she debated whether it would look foolish to crawl under the table. “But
there was no other way to ask this in front of everyone, and that’s what I want
to do. Ask this in front of everyone. You’re my entire world, and I can’t
imagine spending the rest of my life without you.”

Tears
stung her eyes as she gazed at this sexy, charming man who had swept her off
her feet five years ago, and was still doing the same thing, every single day.
She’d never come close to feeling this depth of emotion for anyone, and she
couldn’t imagine spending her life without him, either.

A
wave of surprised muttering started at the back of the room, then made its way
toward the front where Kane stood in front of the band. A man walked onto the
dance floor, dressed in a suit and tie, and bearing the formidable carriage of
someone who was used to commanding a room and getting his own way.

His
hair had more silver in it than Kane’s small streaks at his temples, but his
eyes were the exact color of his son’s. This had to be Daniel Bannerman. His
timing was beyond lousy. He stood in front of his son, oblivious to the fact
that every single one of the Weathermen had risen from their seats and stood
glaring at him.

Several
burly-looking men walked toward Daniel from wherever they’d been hiding, their
eyes full of the urge to throw him out, but Daniel didn’t seem to notice or
give a shit that they were there.

“
You won’t be spending the rest of your life with her
if I have anything to say about it.” Daniel’s voice rang out over the crowd,
clear and angry.

A
muscle twitched in Kane’s jaw. Julianne knew that look well enough by now. He
was trying to hold his emotions in check, but he wouldn’t do so for long.

Ace,
Emmett, and Dominic advanced toward Daniel, but the man held up one hand and
glared at the three. “Don’t even think about it.”

“
How dare you speak to them that way,” said Kane. “Get
out of here. You weren’t invited, and you will not ruin this day for Ace and
Harper, nor will I allow you to ruin it for me.”

“
And I will not allow you to marry that woman!” He
turned and pointed toward Julianne.
Talk
about spoiling the suspense.
“How ironic you speak of me ruining this day
for Ace, Harper, and you when Julianne tried to ruin you and my company.”

Kane
stepped off the elevated portion of the floor and advanced toward his father.
“It’s not your company anymore. What happened five years ago is dead and
buried. Get out of here now before I throw you out myself.”

Out
of the corner of her eye, Julianne saw Blaine talking on his phone. She hoped
he was calling the police. Kane reached his father, and she could easily see
now how thoroughly pissed off he was. They were practically nose to nose, and
Kane showed no trace of fear or intimidation on his face.

“
She’s trying to do the same thing, Kane. Mark my
words. You marry her and this company will go down in flames.”

“
You’re nothing but a bully. You’ve always been a
bully.”

“
I’m a realist, and you think with your cock. You
always have.”

Kane
pushed his father. Not hard, but enough that the man’s eyes widened and he
stumbled back a step or two. The crowd reacted, and nearly everyone was on
their feet now. Each of the other Weathermen, plus the security team, now stood
in a circle around the pair, no further away than a few steps from both men.

Julianne’s
pulse raced, and tears ran down her cheeks as she watched Kane. He was fighting
for her, finally standing up to the one man he’d never really faced down
before. If that wasn’t true love, she had no fucking clue what was.

Kane
pushed him again, and she heard Ace tell him to take it easy. “Get out of
here.” Kane’s voice held a dangerous quality she’d never heard before.

“
How dare you touch me?” Daniel’s voice came out in a
hiss, but his words were clear enough. “I own you. Without me, you wouldn’t
have that company. You wouldn’t have shit!”

 
“
You
don’t own me. You may still sit on the Board, but I have the controlling
shares. I’ve been running the company on my own for over ten years and it’s
grown by leaps and bounds. What was that you always said? Numbers don’t lie?”

Kane
pushed him again, and Daniel’s determined gaze faltered a bit. He took several
steps backwards, but Kane moved so they were mere inches apart again. “Isn’t
that right, Father? Numbers don’t lie. Here are a few numbers for you. Seven,
the age I’m not anymore. Three, the number of children who lied to you that
day, and whom you believed over the word of your own
son
!”

Ace
moved closer to Kane and placed a hand on his shoulder, but Julianne wasn’t
sure Kane even noticed.

“
Forty-seven percent, the amount of growth Bannerman
Investments has experienced in the past three years. Twenty-eight, the number
of new accounts I brought in, during the past year alone. Zero, the amount of
control you have over my personal life, and one, the number of women I love and
want to spend to the rest of my life with.”

He
and his father glared at each other, hands balled into fists at their sides.
Julianne held her breath, and she was quite certain every person in the room
did, too. She became aware of several uniformed officers circling the
perimeter, and it was then that Daniel finally saw them, too.

Daniel
glanced around, eyeing the police and the crowd. Then he gazed at each of the
Weathermen in turn, and finally turned his attention toward her. She wiped her
face and held his gaze. She would not show this man fear.

“
I will never accept you as my daughter-in-law.”

“
I don’t need your acceptance.”

A
small smattering of applause started. Julianne cut her gaze toward Kane, who
now advanced toward her with nothing short of adoration on his face. She
blinked away fresh tears as the emotion of what had just happened overwhelmed
her. When Kane reached her, he pulled her into his arms and held her, stroking
her hair and back.

The
applause around them rose now, but she didn’t want to look at any of them. She
only wanted Kane to tell her it would be all right. Ace was next to them now,
grinning from ear to ear. He had a wireless microphone in his hand, and passed
it to Kane with a nod.

Kane
smiled at her. “I’m so proud of you right now.”

The
mic wasn’t on yet, for which she was grateful, but it also meant everyone now
pressed closer to them, trying to hear. Ace and the other Weathermen asked
everyone to give them some room.

Julianne
spotted Daniel on the fringes, flanked by the security team and the police now,
looking like someone who had just had the wind knocked out of him. She knew
this was far from over, but it didn’t matter. They’d deal with him another
time, and this time they’d do it together.

“
I’m proud of you, too,” she said. “You stood up to
him, and you fought for me.”

“
I will always fight for you. I love you. You gave me
the courage to face him. I’ve never done that, Julianne. Not really. But I know
now that I can.” Kane turned on the microphone and fished a small velvet box
out of his jacket pocket. He handed the mic to Ace long enough to open the box,
and then he got down on one knee and took the microphone back.

Julianne
stared at the ring, tears streaming down her face. It was the most beautiful
thing she’d ever seen. A silver band with a big ass diamond, surrounded by tiny
green and blue stones. She adored it.

Kane
gazed up at her with so much love in his beautiful eyes that her heart nearly
burst from joy. “Julianne, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”