Page 212 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

He blinked in surprise, a quirky grin ruffling his lips. “Well, yeah.”

Panic fluttered in her stomach. Was he trying to tell her it was a mistake? That he never should’ve kissed her because there was someone else in the picture? She couldn’t deal with that right now! She opened the door.

“Hey,” he said, his brows wrinkling with frustration. “We were in the middle of a conversation.”

Her back went stiff as she gave him a sideways glance. “If you’re expecting me to apologize for the kiss, you can save your breath.” A tight smile stretched over her lips. “You were mine long before you were ever hers.”

He flinched then burst out laughing.

Her eyes narrowed. “Really? You think this is funny?” She got out of the car and slammed the door behind her. The nerve of him! He jumped out and rushed to catch up to her as she bounded up the stairs.

“What’s going on with us?” A cocky grin wormed over his lips. “You’re jealous of Felicity.”

“Hah! I don’t even know Felicity. If anything, I feel sorry for her.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind,” she grumbled, punching the doorbell.

“No, you started it. I wanna know what you meant by that.”

She clenched her teeth. “Can we not do this now?” She pulled at her sweater, trying to clear her head, which was dang near impossible considering the source of her anxiety was standing right next to her. It didn’t help matters that he smelled fantastic—musk, clean water, and mint. The combination was one hundred percent Navy SEAL male. She clenched her fist. She couldn’t think about Maddox right now, not when there was so much at stake. She had to focus on questioning Piper. The sooner they could get to the bottom of the mystery, the sooner Maddox could go his merry way and she could get on with her life.

Her heart about stopped when he slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“What’re you doing?” she demanded.

“You’re just hoping there’s another round of kissing,” he murmured in her ear.

A wave of desire overpowered her before she could crowd it out. “Moron,” she grumbled, pulling away from him, but he only laughed. She might’ve slugged him in the gut, but the door opened.

Tears rushed to Addie’s eyes. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Piper responded. Her thin face caved as a sob rose in her throat.

Addie threw her arms around Piper and pulled her into a tight hug. Piper’s shoulders shook as she wept. Tears streamed down Addie’s face. Her heart felt like it would break in two. “I’m so sorry,” she uttered a few minutes later when they pulled apart.

Piper nodded, bringing a hand to her mouth, stifling a hiccup in her throat. Self-consciously she mopped her eyes and touched her hair. It was then that Addie realized she’d not formally introduced Maddox. Piper had heard about him often enough, but she’d never actually met him. She motioned. “This is Maddox. My …” She scrambled to come up with the right words to describe him, not for Piper’s sake but for Maddox’s.

“Her friend,” he inserted, a hint of amusement in his ocean blue eyes.

Recognition touched Piper’s expression. “Of course. You’re Addie’s Navy SEAL.” She frowned, glancing at Addie. “I didn’t realize the two of you were back together.” Before Addie could articulate a response, Piper continued. “It’s a good thing. Addie was devastated when she thought you were dead.” She gave Maddox a brief smile. “I’m glad things are working out for the two of you.”

There was no guile in Piper’s tone, merely a statement of fact. Somehow, that made it worse. Heat stung Addie’s cheeks, and she didn’t dare make eye contact with Maddox.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” Piper said mechanically. “Please. Come in.” She led them past the formal living room into the family room off the kitchen. Addie sat down on the sofa. Maddox sat down dangerously close to her with Piper choosing one of the overstuffed chairs across from them.

The last time Addie had seen Piper, she’d been on top of the world, excited about the upcoming release of PZT. The woman sitting before them was a shadow of her normal self. Petite with short, dark hair and lively, dark eyes, Piper was stylishly attractive. Today, however, her eyes were bloodshot and sunken around the edges like over-ripe fruit. Her tear-stained cheeks were so pale, they looked almost gray. Piper reminded Addie of a fragile twig that could break under the slightest amount of pressure.

Addie’s heart ached for her friend. No words were sufficient to express the sympathy and concern she felt. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” she uttered.

Piper’s lips pulled into a taut line. “I still can’t believe Jordan’s gone,” she said quietly, clasping her hands in her lap.

“Me either.”

Piper gave her a direct look. The haunted expression in Piper’s eyes battered Addie like a wrecking ball. “Did you know Jordan was coming to see you at the resort?”

“No, he just showed up. I was running out the door to pick up last-minute items for a conference and had planned to grab lunch while I was out. Since Jordan showed up, I asked my assistant to get the items for me and suggested that Jordan and I grab something at the café. We sat out on the terrace and talked.” Her voice faltered. “He was hit as he walked out the front of the resort.”

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