Falling for Her Soldier (20 page)

But he wasn’t here.

If the only thing he was dishonest about was his name, what did that mean? For just a moment, Ellie decided to put a pin in that, and consider the rest of their story.

It was Charlie who’d cleaned three restrooms at the WS before she’d arrived so she wouldn’t have to. It was Charlie who’d freely given her his car, his “
baby
,” when he knew she needed to get away. Charlie was the one who’d kissed her like no one ever had, and laughed with her and made her feel safe and happy and alive. It was Charlie Johansson who had saved Sam’s life and then e-mailed her for two months so she wouldn’t feel alone. It was Charlie she danced with and wanted to dance with for the rest of her life.

Charlie was who she trusted with her whole heart.

Ellie blinked with a start when the crowd around her erupted in applause. Jane’s dance ended and she was bowing to the crowd. Cameras flashed, blinding her, and suddenly the room was too bright, too crowded, and very much too lacking in one person’s presence.

Just then, Rick breezed her way. Mac was on his arm this time, and Tess was behind them, holding the arm of a tall, dark-haired guy.

“Ellie, hi,” Tess said hesitantly, breaking away. “I’m sorry about…before.”

“Me too,” Mac added, sliding to Tess’s side.

“It’s okay,” Ellie said. “I…I think I know what…I know what happened.” She glanced past them, wondering with foolish hope if maybe Charlie had come, too. But no, she figured he was somewhere quiet, very much away from the public’s eye, probably thanking his lucky stars he wasn’t about to dance under a spotlight.

Why had she done that? Why had she suggested they do a dance in the first place? Had it been some kind of test to see if Big Game Hunter would break? Maybe. But that felt so long ago, like they were two different people back then.

“My brother is a super-ass,” Tess added.

“The biggest super-ass,” Mac tacked on, nodding.

Ellie felt like she was supposed to agree with them in girl power camaraderie. But she didn’t happen to agree.

“Some show,” Rick said.

“Yeah,” Ellie replied over the noise. “Thanks again for all this. It’s overwhelming.”

“It wasn’t my idea. It was Charlie’s.”

Ellie stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“He barged into my office yesterday, begging me to pull every string I have to make sure the news stations would cover the event. He offered to give me his car.”

“The Impala?” Ellie asked in horror. “You didn’t take it, did you?” She was about to wrestle him for the keys.

“No,” Rick said. “But after that, I knew he was dead serious.”

“So Charlie…he did this?”

“All of it. Only thing I did was set up a few phone calls. Charlie’s the one who talked to every news director in town. I have no idea what he promised them.”

Ellie’s heart pounded in her throat, behind her ears, not hearing anything else Rick was saying. There was only one thought on her mind. “I have to… Excuse me.” As she darted toward Chick’s office, she pulled her phone from her clutch and found the number. But before she could hit the call button, her phone rang.

“Ellie,” the voice on the other end said.

“Charlie?”
she practically shouted. The room she was in was loud enough, but when she pressed the phone to her ear, everything seemed twice as deafening on his end. “Charlie?” she repeated.

“Ellie, please don’t hang up. I’m sorry—so sorry. Can you hear me?”

She nodded, tears choking her speech. “I hear you,” she said, covering her other ear. “Charlie? Where—”

“I’m so sorry, Ellie. Truly.”

“I know.” She pressed her hand harder over her ear, straining to hear. “Where are you?”

“It turned into a mess. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’ll tell you everything, I swear. I’m so sorry about all of it.”

She swallowed and nodded some more. “I know. I’m sorry, too. I need to see you. Can I come over?”

“No, you can’t.”

Her heart dropped to her stilettoed feet. “Oh.” She blinked back new tears. “Okay.”

“Ellie,” he said, his words barely audible through all the noise, “you can’t come over because I’m not at home. But if you want to see me, just lift your chin and look slightly to the right.”

“What?” she said, totally confused. But when she lifted her eyes, they landed on Charlie standing ten yards away, his phone to his ear. He was wearing a black suit, snowy white shirt, black tie. American flag lapel pin glinting under the lights. He looked a hundred times better than any daydream.

“Hi,” he said into the phone, waving.

“Hi,” she whispered, her heart soaring with relief, though about to pound out of her chest. “What are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer, but instead pointed at someone she couldn’t see. Suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed and Charlie—camera-shy, soldier boy Charlie—was standing under a spotlight. Someone traded him a microphone for his cell.

“What am I doing here?” he spoke into the mic. The crowd buzzed in shock and turned his way. “Eleanor,” he said, walking toward her. “I’m here because
you’re
here…so there’s nowhere on the planet I’d rather be.” When he got within two feet, he stopped and extended his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Without a thought of her pride or bruised feelings from the past, she dropped her phone and purse and reached out. “Yes,” she said. Her fingers tingled when she slid her hand into his and he gripped her tight. The crowd parted around them as he led her to the middle of the floor.

He glanced at her and lifted an eyebrow. “Ready?”

“You hate this kind of attention,” she whispered. “You don’t have to do this.”

Charlie pulled back a dazzling smile. “For you, Ellie”—he leaned over and touched his forehead to hers—“I’d do anything.” A second later, he hooked an arm around her waist, spun her in a half turn, then caught her in a starting position for the tango.

“Bublé?” she whispered, looking into his eyes, barely noticing the two hundred people and five news cameras focused on them.

“Hell, no,” Charlie said, nodding to someone behind her. “But you better hold onto me; this could get wild.” He locked his frame and the music began.

The familiar oooh’s, Spanish guitar, velvety voice, and that sexy twinkle in Charlie’s eyes. And then the lyrics,
It’s now or never
, had never rung so true.

Slowly, he bent her backward, leaning her into a dip, her back arching as he hovered over her. She was vaguely aware of the crowd’s whoops. Their steps weren’t perfect, and after a while, they weren’t even proper tango steps, proper anything ballroom, but Ellie held onto Charlie as he swept her across the floor, spinning her under his arm, holding her by the hips. Their eyes locked the entire time. When his hand slithered down her bare back and landed a few inches south of a PG rating, Ellie shivered and giggled, accidentally stepping on his foot.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “My fault.”

Charlie grinned. “I forgive you, baby. Now hold on.” As the song headed into the final chorus, Charlie spun her around three times under his arm while keeping his other hand sliding across her waist as she rotated. Back in his arms, he locked her hands behind his neck, pressed his forehead to hers, then ended their dance by dropping her into a very low dip, their foreheads still touching. Ellie was grateful she had a tight hold around his neck, because when Charlie finished the move by running his hand all the way up her bare thigh, her feet nearly came out from under her.

She threw her head back and Charlie dipped his chin, resting his mouth to her neck, just like he’d done so many times in rehearsal. Her body trembled instinctively, every hair on her skin recognizing his touch. She’d missed it so much, missed
him
so much that she tightened her grip, leveled their faces, and kissed him so hard she saw spots. Charlie’s response was immediate, the pressure of his fingers sinking into her skin, his lips moving with hers, turning her muscles to jelly.

Maybe he couldn’t suspend her weight any longer in the dip, because Charlie broke the kiss much sooner than she expected, their noses touching. She could feel his breath against her cheek, rapid and winded, like hers.

“Nice job,” he whispered.

“You, too.” She smiled. “If you give lessons in that, I’m signing up.”

Charlie laughed and gave her a full-body squeeze, then pulled her to a standing position. She teetered on her heels, leaning into him for support. The crowd went wild, five camera lenses in their faces. She was a little bewildered, so she glanced at Charlie, whose arm was still hooked around her waist. He was smiling and nodding to the crowd, so she did likewise.

A moment later, Chick was at their side. “Wasn’t that something, folks!” he exclaimed. “Let’s hear it one more time for Ellie and Hunter!”

The crowd erupted anew, and Ellie couldn’t help looking at Charlie again, hearing his nickname. He seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he was looking down at her, a worried expression in his eyes behind his steady, camera-ready smile. She gave him a little squeeze and he seemed to relax.

“That was wonderful,” Chick said. “Tell us how long you’ve been dance partners.” He moved the mic to Ellie.

“Five—” She panted, still catching her breath. “Five days.”

“Only five days? Well, it just goes to show, nothing’s impossible for two people in love. Am I right?” He gestured toward the crowd to get them cheering again.

In love? Had Chick just announced to all of central Indiana that they were in love? Presumed Charlie loved her…on live TV? She could die of humiliation—twice in three days.

When Chick moved the mic back to her, she could only gape, dumbfounded. But then Charlie grabbed it. “I couldn’t agree more, Chick,” he said, straight into the microphone. “I’m one lucky man to have a woman like Ellie. She’s the love of my life.” The crowd “ahhh-ed” and Charlie passed the mic back to Chick, who went on to say a few things.

Ellie stood still, except for a spiral of heat whirling in her chest. The next thing she knew, the spotlight was off, lights in the room were up again, and the band on stage was tuning, ready to kick off the ball.

“Hey,” Charlie said into her ear. “You okay?”

“Yes,” she whispered, peering at him, at his wise and beautiful, trusting blue eyes. “Yes,” she repeated. “I’m…”

But she didn’t get the chance to finish. With the cameras pointing elsewhere, about a dozen people swarmed in to say they loved the dance and asked Ellie if she gave lessons. She tried to answer, but all she wanted was to talk to Charlie alone.

“Sorry, guys,” he said, cutting off the questions. “We really need some air. Can we get back to you?”

Gratefully, she allowed herself to be ushered out the exit and into the cool night air.

“Whoa.” Charlie bent over, braced his hands on his thighs and dropped his head. “That was intense.”

“Right?” Ellie agreed, still feeling stunned, blinking away the remnants of the spotlight behind her eyes.

“What a rush. All those cameras.”

“They seemed to love it.”

Charlie tipped his chin and looked at her, then slowly straightened. “They loved you, Ellie,” he said, moving toward her just as slowly.

“Yeah?” She felt a smile growing the closer he came.

Charlie was smiling, too, his eyes bright. “Oh, yeah.”

“Thank you for doing all this, for showing up.” She nodded toward the building. “And for getting the news here. Really, it’s incredible, it’s—”

“
You’re
incredible,” he said, taking her hand. “But I didn’t come here to put on a show and say things for the cameras. I came for you.” He pressed her hand over his beating heart. “I’m in love with you.” Slowly, he entwined their fingers, linking them together. “Though I would’ve rather told you in private, maybe at your studio, with only Elvis as witness.”

His words melted Ellie’s heart like homemade brown sugar syrup. “Charlie…” she whispered, unable to say more.

“I love you, Ellie,” he repeated, his strong, manly voice breaking. He gently tugged her arm, pulling her closer. “And I’m sorry for what I did. If you can find it in your…your big, beautiful heart to forgive me, I promise I’ll spend every day making it up to you.” He touched her chin, then tucked some hair behind her ear. “I love you,” he whispered, “with everything in me.”

She tried to squeak out a reply, but her heart was too full, her throat too tight to speak. So she wrapped her arms around him, rose up high on her toes like she was wearing pointe shoes, and found his mouth…showing him how she felt. He tasted like cake and sunshine and the sweetest love. His fingers combed into her hair, making her back arch, pressing her against his body. He felt solid, as indestructible as her feelings.

The moment she knew she could speak clearly, she took his face between her hands. “I love you, too,” she said. He gazed at her for a moment, then lowered his eyes, so Ellie kissed them one at a time. “Charlie…” She rested her forehead against his cheek. “I love you.”

She squealed in surprise when he hooted and pulled her off her feet, swinging her around. “Where’s a mic when a guy needs one?”

“No more mics, please,” she said, laughing into his shoulder.

Because of her long, tight dress, she was unable to wrap both legs around him like she wanted to, so her leg with the slit hooked around his back while the other sort of pointed out behind her.

“Is that a ballet move you’re doing on me?” he asked.

“Huh, sort of,” Ellie said, twisting to look over her shoulder at her extended leg. “Kind of a kinky
développé
.”

Charlie squeezed her. “That does sound kinky.”

Heaven shrouded them as she cradled his head in her arms, his lips hot on her bare shoulder. She kissed his forehead, his temple, stroked his short, silky hair. When he reached up to her mouth, his strong arms both boosted her up and locked their bodies together, and the world began to slip away.