Daring to Love: A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 3) (10 page)

Evan tried to calm his jitters, but not even meditation worked today. The atmosphere behind the stage was boiling with adrenaline. In one hours’ time, they would know who had won the Sports Star Awards. The nominated athletes were joking around with each other. Anything to keep the tension down.

When Nick, the winner of the two-man and the four-man bobsled World Cup competition came up to him, Evan mentally groaned and tried to move out of his way. Nick was the typical bullshit artist, always on the lookout to pit his strength against someone. Stupid risk taking included.
Just like you.

Bob, can’t you shut up just for today?

Just saying….

Nicks taunting interrupted his inner dialog, “Skiing is for chickens.”

“Watch it, dude” he cautioned the man. “And skiing isn’t for chickens, just so you know. It takes skill and lots of hard work to do what I do.”

“Real men rush down the bobsled run not some knolls with fluffy snow.”

He felt his temper rise, “Maybe real men hide behind the bobsled so they don’t have to admit they can’t handle a double diamond black run.”

Evan turned his back to Nick, when he grabbed his shoulder and said, “Don’t turn your back on me, asshole. You know what, Armstrong? I bet you’re too much of a chicken to race down the bobsled run in Chestnut Mountain on your skis.”

Blood rushed to his head and just when he was about to accept Nick’s challenge, just like always, an image of Charlene entered his head and how disappointed she’d be with him.

Shaking his head, he declined to take the bait, “Sorry, but no.”

“You chicken shit. That’s what you are.” Nick threw several other curses in his direction as Evan headed for the opposite side of the backstage area. 
Walk away, that’s how to handle a bully like Nick. Just walk away.

He was surprised that it wasn’t all that difficult. Dean had been right, he’d do anything to make Charlene happy and suddenly it was easy to reject a challenge. Evan recognized that not hurting Charlene was a lot more important than trying to impress anyone. The only person he needed to impress was her, and he could do that in much more pleasurable ways.

I’m proud of you!

Oh gosh, is that really you talking, Bob?

He grabbed a bottle of water off a waiting table and took a drink. When a few drops spilled on his suit jacket, he reached into his inside pocket to pull out a handkerchief and instead found a note scribbled on a piece of scratch paper.

"Evan. Whether or not you win the election, for me you’ll always be the number one. I love you. Charlene."

Yes! He didn’t need to impress anyone. Not even her. She loved him just the way he was.

***

Charlene didn’t know where to hide her fidgeting hands. Why had she agreed to come to the Sports Star Awards in the first place? She’d have to sit at the table with Evan’s family. His parents, his second oldest brother Dean and his fiancé Melissa, Douglas, and his only sister Samantha. 

At least she already knew Douglas and his father Ken. Douglas spotted her from the entrance and walked towards her, giving her a big hug, “Here you are Charlene, let me introduce you to the rest of my family.”

When he chivalrously led her over to their table, she felt her nervousness fade away.
Thank God, Douglas is here.

He introduced her to a woman in her sixties, with wonderful jet-black hair and the same sky-blue eyes as Evan. “Hi Mom, this is Charlene, Evan’s girlfriend.”

“Charlene, this is my mother.”

His mother looked at her with scrutiny. “Please call me Joyce, I’m so happy to meet you. Evan is a changed man since he met you.”

“Me?”

Joyce took her hand and said, “No reason to be nervous, Charlene. We are a big and crazy family, but we don’t bite.” She said it with a disarming smile and Charlene instantly liked her.

“I’m so sorry we weren’t able to get together last week. This is the time of the year when most of our donors’ funds start coming in.

“Donors?” Charlene asked.

Joyce smiled at her, “For the neglected children’s fund. And then we needed to try and get the bookkeeping all straightened out for the last year. I simply didn’t have a single free minute.” She laughed softly at herself and Charlene smiled.

Joyce continued, “But I wouldn’t miss the Sports Star Awards for anything in the world. I’m so proud of Evan. Too bad that Trevor and Ryan, with their girlfriends - Nicole and Kendra, couldn’t make it, because they are on a trip to Tahiti.”

“Tahiti? I’ve always dreamt about a vacation in the South Sea Islands.”

“Yes, it would be fantastic right? Both couples got engaged recently and took  the opportunity to celebrate their  “engagement-moon. And Patrick my second youngest son is hunting for the perfect shoot in Asia.”

“He’s a hunter?” Charlene asked incredulous.

Joyce laughed out loud, “Oh no, honey, he’s a photo journalist. You’ll meet him in summer, he usually spends the summer in Chicago.”

She could see how much Joyce cared for her family.
She must have been a terrific mother!

Her thoughts were stalled when two more couples arrived and Joyce introduced them to her as Dean and Melissa, and Melissa’s friends Rachel and Peter.

At the last minute, a beautiful girl with long, thick, chocolate colored hair rushed in and quickly took her place before the program started.
This must be his sister Samantha.

During the breaks in the program, a lively conversation took place at their table, and Charlene didn’t feel once out of place or excluded.

Rachel gushed about Evan and how she was such a fan of him. “Melissa, I can’t thank you enough for getting Peter and I tickets to the Awards. I must have watched all of Evan’s races on TV. He’s simply unbelievable.”
Yes he is.

“Don’t mention it. I’m glad you were able to get here from Santa Clara in time.”

Rachel padded her big belly and answered, “Me too. We’re staying for the entire week, it’s probably our last getaway before the baby is born.”

Melissa grew very silent and Rachel opened her eyes wide, “Tell me it’s true! You’re pregnant too?”

Dean joined the conversation with a very proud smile, “We haven’t told everyone yet, but yes, Melissa is already in her fourth month. I’m so happy!”

While Rachel continued to rave on and on about Evan, her husband Peter turned towards Charlene. “She’s been like that for days. She’s forgotten totally about me. I’m just a boring business man.”

Rachel kissed him, having overheard his comment and taking exception to it. “You’re everything but boring, darling.” Everyone laughed as it was easy to see how much they loved each other. 

Rachel and Melissa continued to catch up on their lives, talking about grandma and her rose garden. “So, have you pruned the plants yet?” Rachel asked.

“Not yet. It’s still getting a little too cold at night for much to be happening with them. Did Trevor tell you I did his garden?”

“Yes, I would love to see it and then talk more about what I want to do to our backyard. Right now it’s just blah!”

Charlene listened to the two women as they continued to talk about roses and gardens.
They must be cousins or something since they share the same grandma. But, didn’t Joyce introduce them as friends?
None of this made any sense to her and she made a mental note to ask Evan later about them. Her head was spinning with all the new faces and information.

During a break in the program, she excused herself to visit the powder room and Melissa, Rachel and Samantha follow her.

Dean called after his wife, “Don’t miss the election, Angel.”

Samantha laughed, “I always imagined angels must be blond, with your auburn hair, you look more like a witch. A good one of course.”

Now all of the four women giggled and soon the conversation had turned to a discussion about nicknames. Sam revealed that her brothers used to call her “Firecracker” but her boyfriend Craig wasn’t sold on that name and called her “Love”. The girls agreed that her nickname wasn’t very innovative and Firecracker definitely fit better to her temper.

Charlene kept silent during the discussion, until Samantha asked her, "So, what does my brother call you?"

She could feel herself blushing a deep red, and tried to side-step the question, but the girls insisted. “Come on, Charlene. Tell us. What fantastic nickname did Evan come up with for you?”

“You have to promise you won’t tell anyone.” She waited until the other women nodded their heads and crossed their hearts.

Sighing, she told them, “He calls me Wonder Woman."

“What?” Melissa asked.

“As in Superhero?” Rachel added.

“Really?” Sam inquired.

“Really,” Charlene confirmed.

After a short silence the giggling started again and someone asked, “So, do you have a nickname for him?”

Charlene couldn’t have blushed any more as she felt heat stain her cheeks again. “Sex God.”

“What?! You call my brother ‘Sex God’? Eww..”

“Please don’t tell anyone.”

Evan had to ask the athlete besides him if he’d heard right, when they announced his name as the winner. The next minutes he functioned on autopilot: went up to the stage, took the award, held his speech of thanks, accepted congratulations.

Finally he was able to headed for the table where his family was gathered, and pull the one person into a hug, that meant everything to him. Charlene. “Thank you for the note. You don’t know how much that meant to me.”

Dean joined them a few moments later and Evan excused himself, “I need to talk to Dean for just a minute. Be right back.” He kissed her lightly on the lips before he walked off with his brother.

He cut right to the chase, “So, it really is that easy?”

Dean nodded his head, “Yes. It is. When you find the ‘one’ it doesn’t take years or even months.”

“Thanks for the advice, man.” Evan pulled Dean into a bear hug and slapped him on the back.

“Bro, I’m so happy for you. And Charlene is great. I can’t think of anyone better situated to handle you.”

“Me? I’m easy to get along with.”

Dean laughed and they returned to the table and the rest of their family. Now that the awards had been announced, Evan was free to sit at the table with everyone else.

After the official program had finished, the band started up and couples left their tables to take to the dance floor. Evan pulled Charlene from their table and wrapped his arms around her. The band was playing a soft ballad, giving him the perfect opportunity to hold her close. “So how did you get along with my family?”

Charlene smiled at him, “I love them all.”

“They like you as well.”

As the evening began to draw to an end, people began to say “goodnight” and head to their own homes. Evan was eager to finally be alone with Charlene and asked her, “Are you ready to go home?”

She looked up at him with eyes full of love and nodded her head.

“Come on then. Hey, folks. Thanks for coming tonight. Charlene and I are going to head out of here.”

“Take care.”

When it was Samantha’s turn to hug him good bye she whispered into his ear, "Good night Sex God.”

He wanted to slap her but she was too fast for him and made a funny face as soon as she was safely out of his reach.
That little brat! I should have beaten her up more frequently when we were kids.

Later on the way out he said to Charlene, "You told my sister that I'm a Sex God."

Her face instantly turned into a damn sexy dark red and she mumbled, "They forced me to." God how he loved her blushing!

He pulled her into his chest, "Do you know what a Sex God will do to a naughty girl like you?"

She licked her lips, apparently thinking hard, "Hmm… You could push me against the wall and take me right here. Hard and fast.”

That idea sounded good. He wanted to do just that. The lust roared through his body, but he shook his head, "No, I tried that already and you enjoyed it way too much."

"Or you could torture me with your hands and tongue until I beg you for more?"

He shook his head again, "No. Judging by the gleam in your eyes that wouldn't be any punishment at all." He pulled her even nearer to him and could feel the heat radiating from her body, and her hard nipples pressing against him. Their little banter had aroused both of them.

"Then I'm out of ideas."

"Well. Good that I'm not. I can think of a million things to do to you." He held her at arm length and his gaze caught her bright red silk scarf. Scorching hot images featuring her naked body and the scarf came to his mind, while he slightly touched the scarf and said with a coarse voice, "That scarf might come in handy for my plans.“

Her eyes widened in anticipation and he could see raw lust. They’d have a lot of fun later this night and he was more than willing to explore her kinky side.

“I might have to tie you to the bedpost. For being such a naughty girl."

A moan escaped her throat as she asked, "You'd really do that?" With these words she ground her hips against his center, rubbing her taut nipples against his chest.

"I’d most definitely do that." Then he took her chin so she had to meet his eyes and what he saw there overwhelmed him. Her look was full of desire, but something else, too. True love.

***The End ***

Please enjoy a preview of the story of Dean and Melissa

I Love You Twice

The Armstrongs, Book Zero

Falling for Him, Book Seven

Jessica Gray