Over the next couple of weeks, preparations for the wedding where well and truly on the way. Nell and Amelia were on full planning mode. The wedding had been set for six weeks after Landen had proposed, but there was still so much to do. Landen loved that his mom and the woman that he loved seemed to have bonded even better than he had ever hoped.

Amelia had also finally moved into his penthouse. Landen loved having her there with him every night and every morning. Landen was still surprised that having her there with him felt so right, but more than that, it felt normal.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly, almost too smoothly, Landen thought. He found that he was almost waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was just a feeling he had somewhere deep inside him that he couldn’t seem to shake off.

About two weeks after Landen had proposed, he arrived at his office and found a worried looking Nikki sitting in his office staring into space.

“Hey, Nik,” he said as he walked into his office, slipping off his jacket before he took his seat behind his desk. “You’re here early, is everything okay?”

“Not really,” she said as she set a newspaper down on the desk in front on Landen. “I stopped at the newsstand on the way in this morning; I wanted to pick up some bridal magazines for Amelia…”

“More?” Landen asked with a laugh as he reached forward, picking up the newspaper.

“Landen,” she said, and something in her voice caught Landen’s attention. He sat up straight in his chair, looking at his assistant, then glanced down at the newspaper he was holding. “Page seven.”

Landen glanced back up at Nikki for a moment, before he looked back down at the paper again, then opening it on page seven. The moment he did, his heart almost stopped in his chest. There on the page in front of him was a picture of him and Amelia; the one that was taken the night of the charity ball, the night he asked her to marry him.

Beneath it was the caption, The Bulldozer’s secret love.

“I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL THAT FUCKER!” Landen exclaimed angrily as he stood up abruptly, sending his chair crashing to the floor. “This photo was supposed to be taken for the event only, so now I’m going to screw this little asshole to the wall.”

“It might be okay, right?” Nikki asked, but Landen could hear the worry in her voice. “I mean it’s not even front page, and it’s not a national paper. Maybe he won’t see it.”

“It’s not Pete Reynolds seeing it that I’m worried about,” Landen sighed, as he minded raced with some many thoughts at once, he felt like his head was ready to explode. “If Amelia sees it, she will freak out, and if she freaks out…”

“She might run,” Nikki finished Landen’s thought.

“I need to get over to her office,” Landen said as he picked up his seat from the floor, pushing it back behind his desk, before he grabbed his jacket from coat stand in his office. “Nikki, I need you to get hold of the editor of this piece of trash, also I need you to get hold of Juliet Browning. She is the event coordinator for the charity, she will have the name of the money grabbing little asshole that took this photo. I want his name by lunch, or Juliet will be spending the next six months in litigation too.”

Landen turned to walk out the door but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Amelia standing in the doorway.

“Amelia!” He said, surprised to see her standing before him, but the look on her face told him exactly what she was doing there. She had seen the photograph too.

“You said that picture was just for the event,” she replied, her voice flat and completely unreadable. She was holding the newspaper in her hands; though now it no longer resembled a newspaper, she was gripping it so tightly.

“It was,” Landen said, knowing that if he said the wrong thing, he could make everything a million times worse than they already were. “I mean, it was supposed to be. But I am going to get to the bottom of this. I promise you; I will fix it.”

“How?” She asked as tears suddenly glistened in her eyes before they trickled down her cheeks. Still, her voice was unchanged. “How can you undo this? It’s out there for the world to see. For him to see.”

“I know,” Landen said as he took a step closer to Amelia, but something stopped him from closing the distance between them completely. “But I give you my word, Pete Reynolds will never hurt you again.”

“You can’t say that,” she replied, her voice now barely a whisper as if all her fight was suddenly gone. “You don’t know him like I do. He will never stop, and he will never let anyone stand in his way.”

“No, you’re right, I don’t know him like you do,” Landen admitted, wishing that there was some magic wand somewhere that he could wave and make all this go away. “But I will die before I let him near you; before I let him hurt you again.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she breathed out as she brushed the tears from her face. “I knew that staying was a mistake, and I was right.”

“You can’t let him win, Sweetie,” Nikki said as she stood up from her seat, walking towards Landen and Amelia. “Remember, we can’t let them win. Just like you said.”

“What the hell did I know, Nikki?” Amelia replied with a soft sob. “I was stupid to believe I could ever have my happy ever after.”

“What are you saying, Amelia?” Landen asked, knowing that in her mind, she had already decided what her next move was going to be, and something told Landen it was something he was not going to like.

“I’m saying that I can’t do this,” Amelia cried, as this time a sob came from deep inside her. “I’m saying I love you. I love you so much I can barely think straight. But I also love you too much ever to risk you getting hurt again. I just can’t, Landen. I need you to understand.”

“Understand what?” Landen demanded, taking another step closer to her. “That the woman I love wants me to let her walk away from me. I’m sorry Amelia, I don’t understand.”

“I NEED YOU TO TRY!” She exclaimed as she threw the paper to the ground. “I need you to see that this is the only way.”

“I CAN’T!” He yelled as he pushed his hands through his hair with sheer frustration. He turned, walking toward the window and stared out at the street below, as he tried to calm his racing heart.

For a moment no one said a word, and you could almost cut the atmosphere in the office with a knife.

Landen felt hurt, angry, and beyond terrified all at once, and for the first time in his adult life, he felt completely and utterly out of control.

“I think I will leave you two alone,” Nikki said, walking towards the door. As she passed Amelia, she softly touched her arm, giving her a sad smile, before she continued out of the room leaving Landen and Amelia alone.

Once more silence fell between them.

“I don’t know how to do this, Amelia!” Landen finally whispered without turning back to look at her. “I’m not this person. I am focused, determined, and ruthless. I’m the Bulldozer. I don’t let people close for a reason. I can’t have a weakness…”

“What are you saying?” Amelia said, and Landen could hear the fear in her voice, the same fear he was feeling himself.

“You are my weakness, Amelia,” Landen said as he turned and looked at her once more. “You are everything I swore I would never want, but you are now all I need. I can’t lose you. I won’t. Please don’t ask me to let you walk away.”

“I’m afraid,” she whispered as a fresh wave of tears fell. This time Landen didn’t hesitate, he hurried to her, wrapping her in his arms.

“I know you are,” he replied as he pressed his lips to her forehead. “But I promise you, that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I swear to you, something like this will never happen again. I give you my word.”

“Okay,” Amelia said as she wrapped her arms around him holding him tighter.

Landen sat at the desk in his office, staring into space. He had work he needed to catch up on, but he couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than Amelia, and the whole situation with Pete Reynolds and the photograph.

He had asked one of the partners in his firm, to follow up with the newspaper that published the article, also the photographer who sold them the photo. He knew that when it came to the newspaper, there was little he could do about them publishing the article, but the photographer had broken his contract with the charity that had organised the event, and Landen was determined to make him pay.

He had taken the day off and taken Amelia home. Part of him was relieved she had agreed to go home with him, but there was still part of him that was scared that she would run.

When they got back to the penthouse, Landen ran Amelia a hot bath, insisting it would help her relax. After her bath, she climbed back into bed, passing out, completely exhausted from all the tears she had shed.

A little after midday, the buzzer in the hallway sounded. Landen was surprised to find his father had dropped by.

“Dad!” Landen said as his father stepped off the elevator, making his way down along the hallway of Landen’s penthouse, where his son greeted him with a handshake. “What brings you here at this time of the day?”

“Well I could say that I was passing by,” Sean said as he followed his son back into living room, and on through to the kitchen. “But the truth is, your mother asked me to drop by.”

“I take it Mom has seen the newspaper,” Landen said as he pulled two mugs from the cupboard, setting them on the counter before he picked up the coffee pot and gave his father a questioning look. “Coffee?”

“Please,” Sean replied with a nod, as he sat down on the high stool next to the breakfast counter. “And it was Laney who saw it.”

Landen poured them both a coffee, before he brought the mugs to the breakfast counter, sitting down next to his father.

“So,” Sean said after he took a sip of his coffee. “I stopped by the office before I came here. Nikki said you had taken Amelia home. She said she was pretty upset.”

“I think she panicked a little,” Landen sighed, knowing that was an understatement. “She is sleeping now, so I think she has calmed down a little.”

“And how are you doing?” Sean asked his son as if he could sense Landen’s mood.

“You know,” Landen shrugged. “Freaked out. I thought she was going to leave, Dad.”

“But she didn’t,” Sean replied giving his son a knowing smile. “She came to you instead. That has to count for something. That girl loves you. I can’t ever see her doing anything to hurt you.”

“But what happens next time?” Landen sighed. “What if she doesn’t come to me? What if she just runs?”

“Do you believe that she will?” Sean asked, and Landen knew his father was making no judgment.

“I don’t know,” Landen replied honestly, wishing he could have said that he knew without a doubt that she wouldn’t. “I mean, I get it. I get the fear, and I get why she thinks that running is her only choice. I just don’t know how to show her that running isn’t her only choice.”

“I won’t run,” Amelia said suddenly from the doorway, surprising both Landen and Sean. “I mean, I know in my heart that it is the right thing to. I love you so much, that the thought that you could get hurt because of me, well, it’s hard to breathe sometimes when I think about it. But then I try and imagine my life without you, and I can’t. I don’t want to have to spend one minute without you.”

“Amelia,” Landen said as he stood up. “I thought you were still sleeping.”

“I know,” she replied, giving him a smile before she turned to Sean, smiling at him too. “Hi, Sean.”

“Hi, Sweetheart,” Sean said as he stood up, walking to Amelia, then greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing okay,” Amelia assured him. “Better now.”

She turned back to Landen, giving him a smile.

“I know you’re scared,” Amelia said as she reached for his hand, holding it tightly. “And I know there is nothing I can say to you now to take that fear away. But I swear. I won’t run. I couldn’t even if I wanted to because I can’t do any of this without you. You are everything to me.”

“Then you don’t have to say anything else,” Landen said as he pulled Amelia into his embrace, and softly pressed his lips to hers.

“How about I make the three of us some lunch?” Amelia asked as she looked from Landen to Sean. “I mean if you don’t have any other plans?”

“Nothing that can’t keep,” Sean replied with a smile, as he walked back to his stool, sitting back down.

“Great,” she said as she gave Landen one more smile before she turned and walked towards the other side of the breakfast counter and got started preparing lunch for them all.

“Thank you for lunch, Sweetheart,” Sean said as he leaned in, kissing Amelia on the cheek almost two hours later. “I think I need to be stopping by here more often.”

“You’re very welcome,” Amelia said with a smile, she couldn’t help but laugh a little too.

He turned, pressing the call button for the elevator, but then turned back and looked at Amelia once more.

“Can I just say,” he said, and there was almost an air of uncertainty in his voice. “I know I don’t know everything you have gone through or how you even feel. But I do know my family. We Murphy’s take care of our own, and like it or not; you are one of our own. You just don’t have Landen here to take care of you, you have his four brother’s, and you have me too. So, if ever you need anything, and I mean, anything, all you have to do is pick up a phone, and anyone of us will be on the other end.”

“Thank you, Sean,” Amelia said with a broad smile, as she leaned forward, hugging him.

“Always my pleasure, Sweetheart,” Sean replied, just as the doors of the elevators opened. He released Amelia from his embrace, then turned, stepping into the elevator. “Oh, your mother said to remind you, dinner, this Saturday. No excuses.”

Landen just laughed as the door slid shut before he turned and looked at Amelia.

“So, Ms. Davenport,” Landen said as he took a step closer to her, giving her a wicked grin. “What would you like to do the rest of the afternoon?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she giggled as he pulled her into his arms. “What would you like to do?”

“I have one or two ideas,” he replied as he wiggled his eyebrows. “But it’s lady’s choice.”

“Well there was one thing I was hoping you might want to do,” Amelia said as she took hold of his hand, leading him back down the hallways.

“Oh!” Landen growled. “Do tell.”

“Well,” she said as she stopped, turned back to him and gave him a shy smile. “I thought that maybe we could finally watch Beaches. I mean, it’s my favourite movie, and you have been promising me forever that you would watch it.”

“Beaches?” Landen said, unable to hide the disappointment from his voice, and Amelia just laughed. “Really?”

She stepped closer to him, as she glided her hand up over his broad, firm chest.

“What do you think?” She whispered, before she pressed her lips against his, kissing him hard.

Without saying a word, Landen scooped Amelia up in his arms, then headed to the bedroom. He was going to make her pay for that, and he had so many delicious ideas just how he would. She was his.