Page 75 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“I love you.” He moved the hand containing the BlackBerry toward her until she had no choice but to take it from him. “When that phone rings, it’s me. Will you take my calls?”

“Always.”

“Likewise, love. Unless I absolutely can’t.”

“Same.”

“I plugged in the charger next to the other one on your bedside table.”

“Aren’t you Mr. Efficient?”

“That’s Mr. President to you, ma’am.”

Sam laughed as she put the BlackBerry on the table. Everything in her resisted carrying a second phone, but if it meant she’d have a bat line straight to him, she’d do it. “I knew you’d make me call you that.”

Nick yawned and reached for her, bringing her back into his embrace. “You only have to call me that in bed.”

“Haha. Dream on.”

“Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“I do. We caught a new case tonight. I already told Vernon that I have to be at HQ at eight.”

“That’s good. Now about that birthday-level treatment I was promised…”

“Speaking of your birthday—and Scotty’s—what do you want to do?” He’d be thirty-eight in December, and Scotty would be fourteen next week.

“I don’t care as long as we spend the day with the kids.”

“We can make that happen. We also need to be thinking about visiting the shelter to find a dog for our boy.”

“Or we can ask the shelters to come to us with some options.”

“That’s risky. He’ll want them all. He won’t be able to send them back—and neither will we.”

“True. Let’s look online and narrow it down after we move.”

“Don’t remind me that we have to move.”

“Okay, I won’t.” He kissed down her neck and along her collarbone, pushing her T-shirt out of the way as he went. “You’re way too overdressed for a birthday-level treatment.”

“I figured I was in big trouble, so I dressed accordingly.”

“I’ll admit I was upset—seriously upset—that you were off the grid, but after hearing where you were and why, and I… I can’t be upset with you for being who you are and doing what you do.” With his chin propped on her chest, he gazed at her. “I know exactly who I married, Samantha, and I hate how my career has impacted yours.”

“It hasn’t. Not really.”

“Yes, it really has. You’re recognized everywhere you go, and I know you hate that. My higher profile has raised yours, which makes an already dangerous job that much more so.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“It’s a huge big deal and a massive safety issue that we have no choice but to address.”

“It’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out, the way we always do. And for what it’s worth, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the way we deal with this shit when it comes up. In my past life, I would’ve been in for days or even weeks of passive-aggressive silence while I was punished for the transgression of the moment.”

“That’s no way to run a marriage.”

“Believe me, I know. That was awful, and this… This is magic.”