I gave her a playful salute. “Message received. Go forth and cook.”
* * *
Over our four weeks together, Max and I had learned to juggle our often-conflicting schedules. His was regimented: PT early in the morning, followed by a pretty standard eight-thirty to five work day. Mine, on the other hand, fluctuated, with some days starting and ending early while others began midday and stretched into early evening. I worked weekends, too, more often than not.
Still, Max was easy-going and accommodating, understanding when I had to go to sleep early or couldn’t meet up with him until later in the evening. He didn’t complain, and he seemed to be genuinely interested in what I did at the battlefield, coordinating living history events and special groups and projects. We’d found common ground in our love of history, in particular of the history of the Civil War.
We’d also learned that we both adored Chinese food and action movies. When Max had suggested takeout and Bond for this evening, we’d been lazing in bed just before he’d gotten up for PT. I’d been so excited about the prospect of watching 007 while we noshed that Max had laughed at me.
“You know what? You really are the absolutely perfect girlfriend.” He’d hopped out of bed, totally nude, and leaned back to give my ass a light smack, making me shriek and giggle. It wasn’t until he’d disappeared into the bathroom to get ready that I’d realized what he’d said.
Girlfriend. The word had both warmed me and terrified me, which was probably why I’d been extra edgy after the call from the advocacy group. Everything was getting serious much faster than I’d expected. I was happy, because Max was the most wonderful, exciting and passionate man I’d ever known, and I was frightened because I was already falling for him, hard.
Now, as we lay on the sofa, our limbs entwined, I thought about Harper’s suggestion that I talk to him ... and about going with the flow. Maybe I really was making a mountain out of a molehill.
As if he’d heard me thinking, Max rubbed one warm hand down my spine. “So we’re on for Friday night still, right?” He sounded both tentative and eager, if that was possible. As if he was excited about the idea but didn’t want to let me see how much it mattered.
“Of course.” I forced myself to keep my voice light. “There is something I should mention, though. And you might not like it.”
“Oh, yeah?” His body, under mine, tensed a little. “What’s that?”
I took a deep breath to calm the butterflies hitting the walls of my stomach. “Um, the political advocacy group I work with called today. They’re organizing a rally in support of Billy Johnson. And it’s on Friday afternoon.”
Max’s arms tightened around me. “Okay. I thought all of that had died down. The protests, I mean. Petersburg PD dropped the charges against Reardon, you know. The case is in the Army’s hands now. JAG is handling it.”
“Mmmhmm, I know.” I focused on his forearms resting beneath my breasts. Even this part of his body turned me on. I had it bad. “That’s what they want us to protest. You know ... did the Army force the police to drop the case? And why did they? That kind of thing.”
“Ah.” Max sighed. “Petersburg didn’t release any details about what happened or why they changed directions.”
“No.” I shifted a little. “But the assumption is there in the absence of any other explanation.”
“Samantha, you know I can’t tell you anything. What I discussed with Reardon is confidential.” He hesitated, and I sensed that he wanted to say more. “But can you trust me when I say that I’d never let any of my soldiers get away with doing something wrong? I’d never stand by while one of my people was let off the hook if he deserved to be punished.”
I shifted so that I could see his face. “I know that, Max. I know that you’re honorable and that you have principles.” Stretching my neck, I kissed the underside of his chin, where his evening beard rasped against my lips. “But I also know that you’re not representative of the whole Army. And it’s possible that other people who are above you want to make this problem go away.”
I expected him to argue, but he didn’t. “You’re not wrong, flower child. That shit happens. But it’s not happening now.” Sincerity and truth rang out in his words, and I didn’t have any choice but to trust him.
“I believe you.” I meant what I said, too. “I trust you, Max. I know what kind of man you are.” I swallowed hard. “And because of that, if you tell me you’d rather I skip this rally on Friday, I will. If you tell me that there’s no reason to protest, I’ll tell the advocacy group that I can’t do it.”
He was silent for several beats. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
I twisted so that my chin rested on his sternum. “Of course I would, idiot. I kind of like you a bunch. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, because it’ll make you cocky, but there’s not a whole lot I wouldn’t do for you.”
Max stared into my eyes, and what I saw in his made my heart thud against my chest. He reached one finger to brush the hair away from my face. “I kind of like you a whole bunch, too, babe. And there is nothing on this earth that I wouldn’t do for you.” He crunched forward so that his lips pressed against mine briefly. “If you want to do this rally, if you feel like you need to do it, I’m okay with that. I trust you, too.”
Unexpected tears rose in my eyes. “Seriously? It wouldn’t make you look bad to ... I don’t know, the officers above you?”
He gave me a crooked grin. “Nah. I mean, I’ll be honest. I’d prefer that you didn’t necessarily march into the hail and farewell carrying one of your signs and chanting about the war-mongering military, but even if you did, I’d deal with it.”
I couldn’t hide my smirk. “Oh, would you? And just how would you deal?”
“I’d say, ‘Sir, that’s my girlfriend, Samantha. She’s passionate about everything she does, including me—’”
“Especiallyyou,” I interrupted.
“‘Especiallyme, and no matter how much that might make you or anyone else uncomfortable, it doesn’t matter, because I love her for who she is, and I’d never ask her to change any part of that.’”
My chest tightened until breathing became an issue. “You love me?”
