"Well, I have to admit I'm worried," Linda said. "I just had my first date with you, and we ended up at your place sleeping together."
"Do you regret that?"
"No, and I definitely do not regret us having sex," Linda said quickly, "I'm just… worried."
She cast her eyes down, thinking of past relationships that had fizzled quickly after the passion faded.
"I mean, I'm just an Army sergeant. You're anational superstar. That's got to have issues that come with it, right? And do you want this to be something, or something else?"
"I get what you mean, 'something or something else.'" Brutus's voice was soft, understanding. "We're both feeling this, but we need to figure out what 'this' is." He squeezed her hand gently. "And about your job... I know it's a huge part of your life, and it's something we need to be realistic about."
"Correct. There may even be days where all I could say is we can't meet up, and I'll call you when I get back."
"Which... would absolutely suck," Brutus admitted. "But I think that I can deal with it. I trust you, and I know the people you'll be doing missions with."
Linda tilted her head, looking at him in concern. "Are you sure, Brutus?"
"As sure as I can be about this until it happens," Brutus replied taking her hand across the table. "Linda, please don't worry. I know your duty station is a bit of a distance from here. And the Army is a part of who you are. But that's the thing, Linda. I'm okay with it."
"You're okay with it?" Linda asked. "Most men I've tried to see weren't. They just want a strong woman who looks good in uniform."
"You're beautiful, Linda, no question," Brutus said, his gaze warm. "But I've met plenty of beautiful women. It's your strength, your passion, the way you see the world... that's what drew me in."
Linda felt a flutter in her chest at his words. They reminded her of why she'd been drawn to him beyond his celebrity.
"I just worry that I'll get called away on assignment, and when I come back, things will have changed."
"I can't promise what the future holds," Brutus said honestly. "But I can promise that I'm interested in you as a person. Hell, I like you as a person. The tough mama bear who protects her team, the fiercely independent woman, the intelligent go getter... and yeah, the vixen who rode me like a bronco and made me see the gods last night. But most of all, I want to keep seeing you because you see me like nobody else in the world. Not my family, not my team, nobody. You see me in a way that sometimes I don't even see myself. You let me feel comfortable standing out here in boxers and an apron, making you breakfast and not feeling self conscious about it. And I want more of that."
"You do?" she asked.
Brutus nodded.
"I'd like that too."
The admission felt vulnerable, like opening a door she usually kept locked. With other men, she'd always kept one foot out the door, expecting them to leave once they realized the realities of dating a soldier. But something about Brutus made her want to risk it.
"Good," Brutus said. "Now, I figure we can finish up breakfast while our clothes finish washing. That's why I had to leave you with my t-shirt, by the way. I put everything in the washer. And then we probably need to get you back to Fort Pickett. Would you like to grab a shower before we go?"
"You said something about a hot tub?" Linda lifted an eyebrow. "Think I can grab a soak in that?"
"Only if I can join you," Brutus said.
"I'm down for that, too." Linda grinned. "As long as we get back to post by five o'clock. I need my rest before tomorrow."
As she gazed across the table at him, she realized that for the first time in years, she didn't want to rush back to base. The thought of returning to her barracks room, usually her sanctuary, felt less appealing than staying wrapped in Brutus's arms. That feeling both thrilled and terrified her, but with his warm eyes meeting hers across the table, she found herself ready to embrace the uncertainty.
12
BRUTUS
Late March wasn't Brutus's favorite time of the year. He hated the offseason circus. The endless combine hype and free agency drama were a distraction when all he wanted was to focus onnext year... and more importantly, seeing Linda this weekend.
Also, the weather in early March was still a little too cold for his ankle's liking. But as he turned around, doing another hundred yard lap of his backyard while dragging the fifty pound sled behind him on the slick grass, he felt like it had been a good month, and that with spring coming up he was in a better place than he'd been in years.
His workouts were going well. He felt strong, focused, and ready to prove himself again this year... but that wasn't the only reason he felt good.
It was Linda. Over the past few weeks, she and Brutus had developed a sort of pattern. At night, after she got off work, they'd text or chat daily, often for hours. She'd sat up with him as he went through an online course on European history, working with him to help him get back into the pattern of academia. Or more precisely, to help him learn how to be a real student, one without a tutor, an academic advisor, a teacher's aide and a professor all contorting themselves in order to make sure he understood enough of the subject matter in order to pass the course.
