Chapter 37
SAM
“Mind if I steal Sam away?” Charlie asked as he broke away from the conversation with his father and brothers.
Amy and Angel exchanged a rueful glance. “Of course! We were just catching up. She’s all yours honey.”
Sam clasped Charlie’s hand and followed as he guided them to the dance floor. A flush crept across her cheeks as she caught the looks they got from Tyler and Richard as they passed, with Tyler lifting a champagne flute in her direction.
Either Charlie had said some something, or they were indeed not nearly as subtle as they thought they were, and she was starting to believe the latter was probably the case.
Charlie gracefully twirled her around before pulling her back into his embrace. He took one hand in his as the other rested comfortably on the small of her back. A delicate touch that felt far more intimate than it should, and she couldn’t help but smile.
They swayed along with the music, in perfect harmony with one another.
She had worried about Charlie tonight more than she was willing to admit aloud. Worried that he would feel overwhelmed with everything going on. Worried that all of the people would overwhelm him. Just… worried in general.
The echo of his quiet sobs was a haunting sound that she hoped she would never have to hear tear from him again.
But, given the warmth in his eyes as he gazed at her, the gentle smile tugging his dimples into place, she was hoping that those worries would be a distant memory.
“I hope my mom didn’t grill you and Angel too bad,” Charlie said.
Sam laughed. “She didn’t, though she knows you and I are together now.”
Charlie grimaced, pushing Sam gently outward to spin her once more before pulling her back to him. “Nothing ever slips her notice, I guess.”
“It certainly doesn’t, though I think her focus is now honing in on the other couple here tonight,” she said, nodding in Peter and Angel’s direction, who had followed them onto the dance floor a short distance away.
“As long as I have you to myself, I’m glad for it,” he teased, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “But I just realized that our official deal is technically over after tonight.”
“I suppose it is,” she hummed. “Feels a bit weird, huh?”
“A bit. Just think, all of this because you wanted to write smut,” he replied, waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.
“I don’t see you complaining about research in that particular department.”
“And I never will,” he said, pulling her harder against him until there wasn’t a breath between them. “In fact, I’m available at your beck and call anytime you need notes.”
Her chest rumbled with a laugh. “Well, you’ll just have to wait for the next book. I finished writing it last night. But I’ll keep your offer on standby.”
“That’s amazing! I hope I was helpful at least, then?”
“You were more than helpful. I got a lot of good material out of you,” she teased.
Mischief overtook his features. “That so?”
Her arms went to encircle his neck. “I’d say so. You were the most romantic fake-boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
He laughed, the sound of it causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise deliciously. “How about as a real boyfriend now?”
“Hmm, not the same.”
Charlie winced. “Ouch.”
“You’re even better,” she added quickly, unable to keep the goofy smile from spreading across her lips.
He let out a low groan. “God, if I wasn’t worried about the heckling we’d get from the peanut gallery, I’d kiss you right now.”
“Patience is a virtue, honey,” she teased as she rested her head against his chest.
Sam lacked the expertise to formally assess the event’s success, but the packed dance floor and the loud chatter all around them suggested it was going well. She expected nothing less with Amy Backman leading the charge.
She sighed contentedly. Even if she was a little tired from staying up so late the night before to finish her book—well after Charlie himself had fallen asleep—she was glad for it. She’d turn it over to Angel after she got back to New York.
For now, she’d just revel in the fact that she’d not only met her goal but exceeded it in more ways than one.
Samantha MacMillian, pen name pending, had written a smutty romance novel.
She was no longer at risk of breaching her contract.
Her creative spark had returned with gusto, as she’d already had a few ideas for new romance books she’d love to explore soon.
And, best of all, she’d gone into a fake dating experiment with Charlie and walked out of it with the most amazing boyfriend ever.
So, tonight, all she wanted was to rest easy and enjoy.
As the band concluded with their song, the singer took a moment to make a few announcements. The crowd around them parted, making their way off the dance floor and heading in various directions as the announcer listed off the locations of the different auctions that were about to start.
Sam pulled away from Charlie, nodding toward the throng of people. “Is there anything you have to do for this?”
Charlie shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. I was told to be made available just in case they needed anything, but that’s about it.”
“What all are they auctioning off, do you know?”
“I don’t really know all of it. There are actual items up for bidding, but there are experiences, too, at least from what my dad said,” Charlie started before smiling. “Including a particular bachelor auction that I managed to get out of.”
Sam laughed. “You and Peter, it seems, but what about Tyler? I didn’t see anyone with him.”
Charlie’s smile widened. “He didn’t bring one.”
Her mouth fell open before she managed to throw her hand over it to prevent the laugh that threatened to spill out. “You mean he still has to do it?”
“Yep. As much shit as he gave everyone about it, Mom told him the rules applied to him, as well, so he has to participate later tonight.”
Sam allowed the laugh to tumble out. “If you think for a second that I’m not going to record that—”
“You’ll have to get in line,” Charlie interrupted, “because Peter and I already called dibs.”
As he finished his sentence, Charlie’s eyebrows furrowed, and his gaze drifted over Sam’s head. Following his line of sight, she spotted Richard amidst the crowd, beckoning him over with a wave. Seizing the moment, Sam decided to take the chance to freshen up.
“You go,” she said as she patted his arm. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit. Gonna run to the bathroom really quick.”
There was hesitation in his eyes, as if he were trying to come up with an excuse not to leave her side, but she nudged him in the direction of his father. “Go. I’ll be there in a bit, I promise.”
She knew she had succeeded when he sighed, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her temple. He let her hand go reluctantly as she pulled away, the faint whisper of his fingers lingering on her skin as she made a quick beeline for the restroom.
Once she finished and washed her hands, she took a minute to gather herself.
She checked herself in the mirror, ensuring that her makeup and hair were still intact.
Angel had been right about her hairdo, as the illustrious copper waves pinned off her right shoulder definitely did make her feel like a Hollywood starlet.
She quickly pulled out a tube of lipstick to reapply, blotted it once with a paper towel before checking her reflection. One final fluff of her hair and she made her way out of the bathroom.
She was only a few steps from the door when something grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth, pulling her back.