His lips tilted in a lazy grin as his eyes gleamed with a hidden knowledge, an unvoiced emotion. “What I have in my arms, Em. What else?”
What else indeed.
She opened her lips to speak, knowing that the words would betray her own hurt, her own longing.
“Emily. Sweetheart?”
The male voice had her turning in Kell’s arms, her gaze widening at the sight of the man standing before her.
He was taller than she remembered. Definitely better built and more mature.
“Charlie.” She laughed in delight, feeling his arms wrap around her in a quick brief hug before she pulled back and felt Kell’s hand tightening warningly at her hip.
“Charlie, this is Kell Krieger, a friend of mine. Kell, this is Charlie Benson.”
Kell didn’t look pleased.
Tall, with closely cropped brown hair and laughing brown eyes, Charlie had definitely matured. The silk evening suit he wore stretched across his lean, wiry shoulders, and though he hadn’t exactly filled out, he had definitely hardened.
“It’s good to see you, Emily,” Charlie said softly, his lips still holding his smile despite the glower Kell directed at him. “I was hoping you would be here.”
“Your name wasn’t on the guest list.” She shook her head in surprise. “How did you get in?”
“Dad pulled a few strings at the last minute so I could surprise you.” He pushed his hands into his slacks and stared back at her in approval. “You’re looking good. Damned good.”
Emily could feel Kell tensing behind her.
“Kell, Charlie and his father work in data processing and intelligence at the Pentagon.”
“It’s good to meet you, Benson,” Kell answered, extending his palm toward Charlie.
Charlie took it warily, wincing only slightly before Kell released him. His look when he glanced back at Emily was wry. “Navy SEAL, huh? Did your dad finally talk you into one of his candidates?”
“Not hardly, Charlie.” She kept her smile light, but she could feel Kell growing tenser by the second. “Dad just wishes I would become so cooperative. Kell was my choice.”
“She’s a gift, Krieger, I hope you realize that,” Charlie said then, his tone warning. “If you don’t, there are those of us waiting to snag her on the rebound.”
Emily could feel the blush covering her face then.
“She has to rebound first,” Kell growled. “If you’ll excuse us now, she’s promised me this dance.”
Emily hid her smile as Kell led her away, though she did look back long enough to wave back at Charlie. His expression was faintly regretful, with a gleam of longing in his eyes that pricked at her conscience.
She had kept up with him over the years, but this was the first time she had run into him at a party.
“Your taste in men is lousy,” Kell remarked as he pulled her into his arms once they reached the patio.
Emily restrained another smile. “I picked you.”
“Only under duress,” he grunted. “I thought Wilma Dunmore stated earlier that there were no surprise guests?”
“The
re are always surprise guests.” Emily moved against him, her head resting on his chest as he led her around the dance floor.
His arms were warm and strong around her, creating an impression of security, of peace. She hadn’t had that before, had never known how calming it could be.
“We need to leave soon,” he whispered against her ear then. “I don’t want to stay too long and give anyone a chance to catch either of us off guard.”