Page 193 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Well, he couldn’t argue with that. Addie’s feistiness was one of the things he loved most about her. He winced inwardly at the wordlove. Somehow, he was going to have to find a way to rid her from his system.

The server returned with the club soda and extra plate. “If you need anything else, let me know.”

Maddox smiled. “Thanks.”

Addie kept eating. He motioned at the food. “Are you gonna share, or what?”

She pursed her lips. “I suppose.” He slid the empty plate towards her. She reached for a handful of fries and plopped them on his plate. Then, she placed half a sandwich beside the fries—the half she’d eaten from.

He laughed in surprise. “Seriously?”

Her eyes met his in defiance. “Seriously. You charge in here unannounced and interrupt my lunch.” She shoved the plate in his direction. “Beggars can’t be choosy.”

Man, Addie had moxie. Never a dull moment with her. “All right. I guess I’ll take what I can get.” He took a bite of the sandwich. It was very good.

“You never did answer my question.”

“Huh?” He took a drink of the club soda, appreciating how it burned down his throat.

She leaned forward. “Why’re you here?”

He rolled his eyes, growing tired of Addie’s accusatory attitude. “It shouldn’t take a genius to connect the dots. Corbin sent me to protect you.”

She’d been about to take a bite of a fry. Instead, she threw it down. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.” He put a fry in his mouth and made a point of chewing it slowly. He wasn’t going to let Addie get him riled. He’d promised Corbin he’d help and that’s what he was here to do.

She scoffed, shaking her head. “This is just like my brother to use Jordan’s death as an opportunity to get us back together.”

He tensed. “Don’t flatter yourself, darlin’. This has nothing to do with our past relationship. Yes, I was upset when you dumped me, but I moved on.”

Something indiscernible flashed in her eyes. “With Felicity.”

He had the urge to laugh uncontrollably. Felicity? Couldn’t he have come up with a better option than her?

Her eyes widened. “You know why I broke up with you.”

“Yes, you explained your reasoning very thoroughly.” The hurt and anger rushed back with a vengeance.

She clutched her napkin. “I thought you were dead.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

He was surprised to see tears glistening in her eyes. “I went to your funeral. Mourned your death.”

A gush of tenderness crowded out the anger. This time, he couldn’t stop himself from touching her hand. Electricity zinged through him when their skin connected. He could tell from her startled expression that she felt it too. For a second, he forgot about his own heartache and thought about everything Addie had been through. In her defense, it would be hard to love someone with a dangerous profession. He’d come very close to not coming back from Syria. While he and his fellow SEALs had escaped, they were still living with the emotional scars. Even though he was no longer a SEAL, his profession was still just as dangerous. “I’m sorry for all of the turmoil I’ve put you through.”

She jerked like she’d not heard him correctly.

“I mean that.” She’d not moved her hand from underneath his. Warmth from her skin seeped into him and he felt like timehad been peeled away, that they’d never been apart. Then in the time it took for him to take his next breath, something changed. She removed her hand and sat back, drawing into herself. What in the heck had just happened? Sometimes, Addie completely mystified him. There was only one way to make this job work. He had to clear the air once and for all, put her at ease about their relationship.

“Look, you don’t need to worry. I didn’t come here to try and start things up with you.”Liar, his mind screamed. “I came because Corbin said you were in trouble. He couldn’t come, so I took his place.”

Her lips formed a tight line. “I see.”

“I’ll always care about you as a friend.” The words rang false in his own ears. “Like I told Madison, I’m with someone else now.”

“Felicity.”

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