Seducing the Marine

“All right, we’ll try it your way,” he said, his tense expression softening slightly.

She gave his hand a squeeze, then pulled back, turning to look around the room. “I think I’ve seen enough here. There’s one more place to check out, then I’ve got to get home.”

“Big date?” he said.

Olivia laughed. “No. Just a few late appointments. But I do have to go to a party on tomorrow night. It’s a hospital fund-raiser thing at the theater. In the old ballroom?”

“Sounds fun,” he said.

She seized on an opportunity to try to help him. “It would be fun—if you came with me. It’s a really good cause. There’ll be free food and drinks. I bought six tickets, so we can each drink and eat for three people. There’ll be a band and dancing.”

“Are they giving you money for your project?”

“No, that’s a different foundation.”

“I guess I could come,” he said.

Olivia nodded. “All right, then. I can pick you up.”

“No, I’ll meet you there,” he said.

“All right. It starts at six. Cocktail attire. It’s a date.” She shook her head. “But not a date date.”

She walked to the door and stepped out onto the snow-covered porch. Getting Will out in society again was an important first step. And putting themselves in a crowd of people was the perfect way to avoid any intimate encounters. From now on, she was determined to treat Will more like a patient and less like an old boyfriend. Or a future one.

3

WILL STOOD OUTSIDE the theater, watching as people hurried inside. The marquee above his head announced the hospital benefit, and it was only now that he realized he’d be walking into a large crowd. He knew his fears were unfounded, but that didn’t make them any less real. He’d have to move among them, to engage in conversation and force down a meal, all the while battling an overwhelming case of... Hell, there wasn’t even a name for it. Or if there was, he didn’t know it.

It wasn’t claustrophobia, because that was the fear of small spaces. And he wasn’t afraid, just uneasy. The people in the confined space were what worried him. The dread racing though his body was irrational and yet completely real.

Will cursed beneath his breath. He’d have to put the fears aside. He’d walk up the stairs to the ballroom and find Olivia and everything would be fine. He’d stay by her side and focus only on her. He wouldn’t constantly scan the room for suspicious behavior or work out his exit plan in case something went down. He wouldn’t search for the closest safe cover or calculate his odds with the available weaponry. He’d simply try to have...fun.

“Will?”

He spun around, his nerves already on edge, and saw Olivia approach. Her hair fell in waves around her face and she was wearing a dress, her slender legs visible below the revealing hemline. Will reached for his tie, feeling woefully underdressed. He should have just worn his dress uniform. But he knew the stir that would cause, the comments and the questions, the endless conversations with strangers about what was going on in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was much better to stay under the radar.

“You look...incredible,” he said, leaning in to brush a kiss to her flushed cheek.

“So do you,” Olivia replied. She reached up and tugged at the knot on his tie. “A sport coat and tie. Very nice.”

“I borrowed it from Jim. Not too casual?”

“No, not at all.” She slipped her arm around his. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

Will knew the moment he started up the stairs that it would take all his strength and determination to get through the evening. There was so much chatter coming out of the ballroom that his brain hurt trying to process every voice. How was he supposed to carry on a conversation? Without camo and a weapon, he felt vulnerable. Olivia belonged here. He didn’t.

They checked their coats and Will’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the dress she wore. It fit her body like a second skin, showing off her tiny waist and long legs. The neckline was cut just deep enough to tease him with thoughts of her breasts. He was reminded again that this wasn’t the girl he’d loved all those years ago. She was confident and powerful and brilliant.

“Nice dress,” he murmured as they walked into the ballroom. He’d been to a few events in this room years ago, but it didn’t feel like familiar surroundings. He was a fish out of water.

A small jazz combo played on the stage, and several couples danced. Tables were set up on either side of the room, and candles cast a soft glow over the pale blue linens. The waitstaff, dressed in black, wandered through the room with trays of champagne and appetizers, and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Liv filled out name tags for both of them, then pasted his on his chest. Almost immediately, they were swallowed up by the crowd. People came up to talk to her and she politely introduced him. He attempted to reply to questions directed at him, but suddenly his mouth felt as if it were filled with sawdust.

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