Page 26 of Fighting for You

“I am in a good mood today,” I said, blushing a bit. “In fact, I owe you a big thanks for your advice yesterday,” I add.

Waving me off, Melanie sits down across from me and shakes her head. “No need to thank me. I want you to be happy.”

“Well, I am. Ryder and I had a great talk yesterday and we are finally moving forward with this relationship,” I sighed. I did, however, leave out the fact that we had amazing and mind-blowing sex. I didn’t feel like that would be very workplace appropriate, but by the huge grin smothered on my face, something told me that Melanie could figure that part out on her own.

“I am glad to hear that. Now, we can get back to the article,” Melanie said, getting back into work mode.

Happy to begin feeling useful at work again, we delved right into the article. First, we began comparing notes on the interview questions that Melanie had sent out to Ryder and the other guys. They were pretty standard questions: ages, years of military experience, family, and hobbies. The idea was to give the reader a glimpse of who these guys were as people first then jump into their roles as SEALS and men in the military. I began reading over the responses to the questions on what it was like during combat. To be honest, I cringed a few times reading over lines where the men described being attacked by enemies, wearing heavy layers of clothing and protective gear in the scorching desert heat, and how they would at times, question if they would ever return home. Ryder’s responses were raw and honest and I had to fight back the urge to cry.

“Why don’t we split up the guys and each of us writes about two of their stories. Then we can work together on the first few paragraphs of the feature which describes the need for Salvatore Security Forces to bring in ex- military men,” Melanie states.

I nod as I continue taking notes and then once we feel like we are ready to branch off and work independently, we debrief and then I head to my office.

As I write my portion of the article, I feel a sense of pride just knowing Ryder. His life has been spent at war and working to protect others. He is such a noble and honorable man and I can’t help but feel myself falling for him.

After lunch, I get a text from Ryder.

Ryder: Are we still on for our park date tonight?

Me: Of course!

Ryder: Perfect, I will be there at seven. I have to work tonight, but not until 11. We have plenty of time to spend together.

Seeing that Ryder had to work late at night at the Port had my anxiety spiking, but I had promised both of us that I would trust Ryder. He survived war, I shouldn’t have to worry about him doing a routine security job.

Me: Wonderful. I will be ready.

My flirty text had me smiling to myself as I put my phone away and dived back into my article. More than anything I wanted to capture Ryder and his friends in a way that would make them look like the amazing heroes they are, and make Melanie proud of me.

As I sat back in my chair, I realized that my life was finally on track again. I just hoped nothing would happen to derail my happiness.

Chapter 24

Ryder

My shift tonight will begin at 11. But, until then, I am going to spend as much time with Meghan that I can get. When she left work, she had texted me so I could meet her at her apartment. I drove so fast on my way there, I was sure I had broken most speeding limits.

I was waiting by her door when she finally arrived. She looked amazing as usual and my hands were desperate to touch her.

The evening sky was clear with not a cloud in sight. A slight breeze added a nice chill to the air and I was certain tonight would be a perfect evening for our park date.

“Hey,” Meghan said, walking up to me and placing a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Let me just change my clothes and then we can go. I’m starving,” she added, unlocking her apartment door.

I followed her inside and my hands quickly found her sultry hips. “I could help you undress if needed,” I smirked, pulling her body against mine.

Laughing, Meghan spun in my arms so that we were now facing one another. “If I let you do that, we would never make it out of here,” she giggled.

“Fine by me,” I said, my tone deep and filled with need.

I saw her eyes considering the proposition for a minute, but then she shoved me aside and laughed to herself as she walked back to her bedroom.

Ten minutes later, she returned wearing a pair of denim jeans, a black silk shirt, and black flats. She looked beautiful even when she dressed down. I think Meghan could wear a paper bag and still be the most beautiful woman in the world.

We left her apartment and stopped at a small deli and picked up sandwiches, potato salad, and chips. It would be the perfect dinner while sitting under the stars and watching a movie in the park. I loved how in the summer months, the city would play movies in the park.

When we arrived at the park, there were already a ton of people filling the space. My senses went on high alert. Even after leaving the SEALS, my training kept me always on the lookout for danger. Big crowds were always a place that made me nervous, but I didn’t dare show that to Meghan. I knew she worried enough about me, so the last thing I would want to do is add more worry for her.

“Where do you want to sit?” Meghan asked, glancing around for an open area.

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