Charley smiled softly. “You’re already helping, just by being here,” she told him.
Pierce wasn’t sure how long they sat there wrapped in each other’s arms. But in that quiet moment, Pierce made a silent vow to himself that he would be there for Charley, to support her, andto help her find happiness again. She deserved nothing less, and he was determined to be a part of her journey toward healing.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Charley stood in her office, staring into the full-length mirror propped against the wall near her bookshelf. She smoothed her hand down the front of her red pantsuit. The rich color was bold and striking. Alyvia had picked it out for her when they were shopping the other day, telling her that she looked absolutely badass in it and that, if she was going to stand in front of donors and the press, she better look like a woman ready to conquer the world.
Charley hadn’t been so sure at the time and was beginning to think her friend was crazy, but now, standing in her office and looking at her reflection, she could see it. The red popped against her sun-kissed skin, and the black camisole underneath softened the look. Her blonde hair was down in loose waves, and her makeup was subtly done in neutral tones. She didn’t just look the part. She felt it. A woman who had a hand in building something meaningful for a community she cared deeply for. A woman her dad and brother would’ve been proud of.
Her chest fluttered with a mix of excitement and nervousness, but she smiled. “You’ve got this,” she whispered to her reflection, then turned toward the door. It was time.
She grabbed the sheet of paper off her desk that held the itinerary for the ceremony, then headed down the stairs. Once in the lobby, she made a quick round, checking in with the volunteers and making sure everything was set for when the doors opened immediately after the ribbon-cutting.
Seeing that everyone was in place, Charley smoothed her hands down the front of her suit and started toward the doors, her black heels clicking softly against the polished tile floor.
As she approached the entrance, the doors swung open from the outside. On instinct, she stepped back, and when she focused, she saw it was Pierce standing there, the sunlight spilling in behind his broad frame. For a second, she forgot how to breathe.
She had seen him in his uniform, where he looked rugged, handsome, and commanding, every inch the Navy SEAL he was. She’d seen him in shorts and a T-shirt, and then jeans and a button-up, casual and devastatingly unfair. But this? This was new.
Khaki pants that fit him a little too well. A navy polo stretched across his chest and shoulders, showing just how fit he was. The fabric pulled just enough across his toned biceps when he moved, and the color made his light brown eyes look richer, warmer.
Her brain began cataloging all the versions of Pierce Hutchinson she had witnessed.
Uniform Pierce.
Shorts Pierce.
Jeans Pierce.
Dress Pants Pierce
Khaki Pierce.
Which left only…. Her cheeks heated instantly as she pictured Pierce in underwear.
The thought popped into her head uninvited and fully formed, and she nearly choked on air. Lord help her.
Pierce stepped inside and walked toward her, that slow, knowing grin spreading across his face like he could read her mind. His gaze swept over her once, not in a way that made her uncomfortable, but in a way that made her feel seen.
Ever since their date the other night, Charley had felt lighter somehow, like talking to Pierce had cracked open something inside her that had been locked down for far too long. The conversation had gone deeper than she ever would’ve expected on a first date. But instead of scaring her, it had left her feeling freer, as if she could finally breathe without so much weight pressing on her chest. She had kept everything from her past bottled up for so long and so tightly that she had not realized how badly she needed to let some of it out. And now that she had Pierce, someone she trusted, someone she knew she could be honest with, she couldn’t help but feel a little lucky.
“Why are you blushing?” he asked casually as he stopped in front of her. “Should I be worried about what’s going on in that head of yours?”
She pressed her hands against her cheeks, wishing they were ice packs to cool her off.
Jesus, if he only knew what was going through my mind right now.
“You don’t want to know.”
His eyebrow lifted. “Now I definitely want to know.”
She shook her head quickly as she felt the heat spreading through her whole body. Screw the icepacks. What she needed was an ice bath.
Pierce stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough that it wrapped around her. “Later,” he murmured, eyes dancing with amusement. “You can tell me all about it later.”
Her heart did a small, dangerous somersault.
He glanced around the lobby, then back at her, his expression a bit more serious. “I just wanted to come in and make sure you were good before this thing kicks off.”
