Chapter 4

Picking up a woman at the airport while standing nervously in a terminal was definitely a novelty. All the other women in his life would grab a cab or wait curbside while he drove up in whatever vehicle he was driving. He'd never walked in or paced like a doting husband as plane after plane emptied out.

Passengers came and went and Harm felt like he may have missed her until he spotted the tall, slender woman with short, auburn hair. She was a familiar face in an ocean full of unfamiliar people and when Mac saw him the terse expression on her face turned to joy.

Good Lord she was still beautiful. Just the sight of her was making his heart race as Mac hurried towards him.

Her olive toned skin was sun kissed and lovelier than ever. She wore loose jeans, a crimson t-shirt and black leather jacket that he'd gifted for her 30th when their relationship was still simple. A backpack was slung over one shoulder and he appreciated the casual outfit over Marine greens.

"Hey, Harm."

"Hi, Mac."

She came to a stop in front of him where they stared awkwardly at one another, neither knowing what to do next. Harm shrugged and extended his hand, an impersonal hello that was swatted away as Mac pulled him in for a hug.

"Come here." She came up to her tippy toes and her arms looped tightly around him. Hugging Harm felt like the homecoming Mac didn't realize she needed. She closed her eyes and dropped her head on his shoulder when his arms came around her torso and held on tight. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

He was still a gentleman.

The kind that pulled luggage from the carousel, opened doors and was charming in a smooth, casual way. As he lifted her suitcase into a sleek SUV, Mac couldn't help but notice his appearance. He was stronger, biceps bunching beneath the black Harley Davidson t-shirt he wore. The shirt stretched across the expanse of his back as Harm reached up to secure the hatch.

Then there was his hair, a little longer but still within regulation. The swirling wind through the parking garage made it a little messy and Mac itched to run her fingers through the silky strands when he jumped into the driver's seat.

"Ready?" Harm's smile was genuine, a lesser version of his flyboy grin that caused her stomach to do flip-flops. Unshaven, with a five o'clock shadow, he was the most gorgeous version of Harmon Rabb Jr. that she'd ever seen.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

….

Mac spun in place, taking a quick glance at the flat Harm was living in. It was distinct and yet had a similar vibe to his loft back in Washington. A little industrial with exposed red bricks and deep wood accents like the mantle above a small fireplace made the flat feel cozy.

Heavy wood furniture begged to be sat in and Mac envisioned herself curred up in one of the large armchairs with a good book. "This is pretty nice."

From the entrance she could see the large kitchen to the right with floor to ceiling windows and a metal spiral staircase that disappeared through the roof. "Really, really nice."

Harm nudged her shoulder gently and motioned with his chin towards the left where two open doors led to the rooms. "This way. I'll give you the nickel tour after you settle in." He walked ahead to the space Harm mostly used as an office and dropped the bags she brought.

A pretty wooden desk was against one wall, a heavy leather chair sat by another floor to ceiling window framed by curtains. The bed came down from a shelfl, a murphy style with its cabinet also made of dark wood. His home was pure masculine and very much him, Mac decided when she looked around and spotted his model of Harm's steerman atop the desk. "That's a familiar sight."

He grinned at her observation. "One of the wings broke when I moved. It's fixed but I didn't want to take it to the office and chance someone touching her."

"She looks good in here."

Harm pointed towards the closet. "So there's a chest of drawers in there that's all empty and plenty of hangars for your uniforms." He hung the heavy bag Harm assumed carried her class 'A's and placed the suitcase at the edge of the bed. "That door leads to the bathroom, it's a shared kind so remember to lock the door to my side when you…you know." He grinned sheepishly.

"I actually wouldn't mind a quick shower. I feel like I've been traveling for a week."

Harm flipped on the light and pointed to a shelving system full of bath towels, hand towels and even a large fluffy robe. "Towels and toiletries are here. The hot water takes a damned long time so let it run for a bit. Heater never works properly….Are you hungry?"

"I can eat, yeah."

"Good because I'm making dinner. I figured you'd be too jetlagged to go out."

She was and his thoughtfulness made her heart swell. "I am, thank you."

"It's not a problem." He stood and watched when Mac's fingers traced the sash attached to the robe. Harm wasn't sure what to expect during her visit, the zillion and one scenarios he'd toyed with in his mind fizzled out the second she stepped into his arms at the airport.

Ever since he was trying to hide his nervousness, filling her in on boring touristy facts as they traversed the city. He didn't once ask about significant others or anything personal and now that she was here, he felt like an utter fool.

"I'll leave you to it." A sense of panic had him rushing out of the bathroom, needing a little breathing space to calm his mind. Her voice made him stop.

"Harm? I mean it, thank you. VOQs are fine in a pinch but-"

"I know. I'm glad you're here, Mac."

As she watched his retreat - and that's exactly what it felt like - Mac frowned. She knew he wouldn't have invited her if he didn't want the company. But the sexual tension between them was still there and stronger than ever. She hated what it did to them and she hated that they still couldn't move past it.

Mac showered and changed. While the Marine in her wanted to address their friendship, she was here for a different reason. Cutting to the chase

was the best approach.

"Need help?" She stepped into the kitchen and Harm was stirring something in a heavy pot. It smelled wonderful, a delightful reminder that her last meal consisted of crappy airplane food with a bag of pretzels.

"Nope, all taken care of." He pulled sparkling water out of the fridge, unscrewed the cap and placed it on the island. "I bought some stuff you like…uh, I hope you still like."

"I do." She grabbed the green glass bottle and took a long drink. "Thank you."

Harm nodded slowly, placed the lid on the pressure cooker and then went about fluffing the jasmine rice which sat in another pot. She was eyeing him suspiciously, that delicate eyebrow arching skyward. He couldn't tell if she was taking him in or trying to decide how to break the ice. "Mac-"

"Did you do it? What they claim you did?"

He snorted and shook his head. "You were always direct. I never liked asking that question and you always shot straight from the hip."

"Difference between Squids and Devil Dogs, I guess. I always like to know where my client's head is."

He leaned over the island. "Am I your client?"

"No but since I'm temporarily taking over your command I want to know where your head is." She hopped on a stool and watched as Harm came around and sat across from her. "I doubt you're any less impulsive but the information I was given had zero details other than the commanding officer striking a junior officer. That doesn't sound like you."

It wasn't something Harm thought he'd be capable of until Vukovic's crass language fueled by hard liquor sent him on a crash course. "I did it. I'm guilty. I punched a junior officer, broke his nose, bruised his ribs and then took him to the hospital when we got kicked out of the bar we were in."

"Why?"

He hated the look in her eye, hurt and confused if not a little angry and disappointed. While hitting a junior officer wasn't the worst offense, Harm knew he would be made an example of. "The officer in question was speaking ill of another officer."

"And you just decided to hit them? That isn't like you." She was almost chastising him and when Harm didn't immediately open up, Mac cocked her head to the side. "What happened? Who was involved?"

"You really don't know?"

"No, I don't and it's been worrying me ever since I got the call."

Harm smirked slightly, "I punched Vukovic."

Her stomach churned, there had been varying odious officers that she'd encountered in her career. Vic made a lasting impression for all of the wrong reasons. He was brash, a card carrying womanizer that thrived on bleeding heart stories to get into women's pants. His good looks and crisp uniform had gotten him far in life but he still had many lessons to learn. "Ah, Vic. Hate to say it but that sailor needed his ass kicked. I wanted to like him but."

"You know? He wasn't so bad, at first." He shrugged and while Mac had warned him that having Vic around would not be an easy task, Harm enjoyed the zealous way the younger officer tackled his cases. The man seemed like the type that needed a mentor and Harm was willing to fill that role until a few underhanded tactics were used and his true colors began to show.

"I took him to the bar and made an effort to get to know him a little better. See what made him tick." Off Mac's exasperated expression, he held up his hands in defense. "I know how that sounds but, I miss the camaraderie we had at Falls Church."

"And you hoped to find that with Vukovic?"

"Maybe?" Of late he spent more time with the Brits than with any US officer. The people in his office were far younger and that meant they had nothing in common. "Not that I was gonna invite him over for drinks but, he was made my Chief of Staff, I figured a little bonding would help calm him down."

The bar was not his scene with too many underaged women looking to get lucky with an older man to buy them drinks. He thwarted more than a few advances while Vukovic eyed the women like they were prey. "We had a few drinks, started talking and you know that phrase about loose lips?"

Harm paused for a moment and tried to find a delicate way to approach the words Vukovic had used. "I'm not gonna hold back and you're not gonna like any of it."

"Go on."

His fist rolled into a ball and for a brief moment Harm flashed back to that night at the bar. He could hear Vukovic's voice in his ear and the dark tone he'd used to question his relationship with her. "He asked me how long you and I were…uh…'fucking.' His exact words: How long were you fucking her." He put emphasis on the 'F' word just as Vic had that fateful night.

Mac's face didn't fall as expected nor did she seem bothered or exasperated. Instead, she tilted her head to the side and leaned in a little closer. "That's it? We've been dodging that bullet for years. Why does it bother you now?"

He hesitated again and sighed heavily, the action making Mac blanch slightly. "There's more isn't there?"

"Oh yeah. He said you were an uptight, bitchy woman, which makes you wild in bed...My blood boiled when he said he tried to 'nail you.'" Harm made air quotes and he took another deep breath. "I lost it when he began to give me details on how he planned to deal with you in bed. I'll spare you from hearing any of it."

Harm wouldn't speak the vile words outloud that resembled an admission of rape. It made him sick and that is when his fist connected with Vic's face. "I don't regret it and I won't apologize for it either. He's a piece of shit, unfit to wear the uniform and I wasn't going to let him get away with that. Not when it's someone I care for."

There was a time when Mac questioned the validity of the feelings he had for her. He was either actions or words but neither of them paired together. Now she sat in awe of a man who put his career on the line just to protect her honor. She felt unworthy of such action. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Yeah, I did. I mean it, Mac. I care for you a whole lot. He had no right to talk about you that way."

He held his hand so tightly that even his short nails dug into the skin of his palm. It was the touch of Mac's hand that made him relax when her fingers wrapped around his forearm. "You're too good of a man. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for caring."

"I told you once I'd always be there and I meant it."