Page 13 of Guarding the Singer

PART IV

Selene wanted to jump and shout, but she had to hold it all in.

She’d sung the national anthem and tried to put all of her love for her country into her voice. At the end, she had been shocked to hear the applause. It thundered.

Her heart had soared at the feeling.

And when she turned to walk back into the Capitol building, she saw William standing there, waiting for her.

She had to keep herself from skipping along the red carpet. She had to try and look elegant and composed. TRY.

William smiled when she approached him, just the corner of his mouth, but she could see the sharpsparkle in his eyes. It might be just the chill in the air that had frozen his features, but maybe...

He turned and offered her his bent arm.

She reached out and took a hold of it, but realized that with her embroidered gloves on, she couldn't feel the wool of his uniform coat.

As soon as the inner doors of the Capitol were closed behind them, she felt him tip closer to her. "You were amazing."

She turned to look at him and realized that he was just inches away.

"Really?"

He nodded and grinned at her. "Really." She heard the sound of something buzzing and his brows lifted up. "I can bet that's my sister texting me about your performance. If you ever need someone to hype you up, you should call Mary. She'd gladly be your personal cheerleader."

They walked along another hallway, and Selene turned her head so she could see the car on the other side of the doors ahead of them. "How about you?"

She remembered her old mock trial coach telling her to never ask a question she didn't know the answer to, but she'd just sung on a worldwide stage and was feeling a little like she was flying. What was jumping off of the figurative cliff when you already had wings?

"I know you weren't a fan of mine before today. Any chance I changed your mind?"

William's steps slowed and she slowed down with him. He took a step ahead and turned around to face her, taking her gloved hands in his. She really wished that she could feel the warmth of his skin against her own.

He was just that handsome.

"I think I'm going to have to buy a bunch of your albums. I need to hear your songs so I can hear more of your talent. I've never heard the anthem sung with such passion and talent. I've spent years in the military and never had emotions stirred inside of me like that. Never."

She filled her lungs with a breath and beamed at him. "Now that is a review that I'm happy to hear."

He let go of one of her hands and while he held onto the other, he turned to stand beside her, lightly lowering her hand onto his arm. "And now, I'm wishing they were having me stay around for the ball. I would love to ask you for a dance."

They continued walking down the hallway toward the car and she chanced a quick look at him. "And I would love to dance with you."

His soft chuckle reached her ears. "Even if I step on your foot?"

Her laughter echoed off of the walls. "Well, in this dress, you'd be lucky to find my feet under all of the layers of fabric."

She watched him school his features into a more dignified look and she did the same, but she felt theenergy moving between them. It just kept lifting her higher and she knew that she'd never forget this day. Never.

Back at the White House, William delivered Selene back to the Lincoln Bedroom so she could change into her ballgown.

He'd stopped at the door and turned to face his back to it as a guard. The door at the end of the hallway opened a few minutes later and two Marines dressed in their full dressed uniforms just like himself walked by, talking amongst themselves. He kept his focus on them as they traveled down the hall.

This was as far from his ‘normal’ as he could get.

He'd been asked to guard Selene and that's what he was doing. Danger could come in many forms, and he wasn't going to be caught flat footed. It was his duty. And his sister?

She'd slit his throat if he let anything happen to Selene.

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