Page 231 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs
He placed a hand over hers. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” He exhaled a long breath, his eyes going murky. “The truth is, I was a mess at that time—inside and out.” He chuckled dryly. “I looked like a half-starved, yard chicken.”
“From your imprisonment and torture in Syria,” she uttered, the horror of it causing a shiver to slither down her spine. She couldn’t imagine what Maddox had been through.
“Yes.” He paused, swallowing. “When I saw you with that other guy…” His voice hardened as he released her hand. “I wanted to rip him apart limb by limb.”
She flinched, the darkness in him scaring her a little. There it was—the undercurrent that Maddox managed to keep hidden most of the time with his charm and wit. Still, it was there. Couldshe live with that? The dark side of things Maddox dealt with on a daily basis?
He forced a smile. “I figured it was better for both of us if I left. In retrospect, us being apart was a good thing. It gave me space to sort things out.”
She gave him an intense look. “And have you? Sorted things out?”
He looked surprised. “Yeah, I mean, I’m working on it.” He grinned, becoming his charming self once more. “I’m like the Sistine Chapel, a work in progress,” he teased.
Addie wasn’t ready for him to get playful. She needed more answers, needed to understand the man he truly was. “So, after you saw me with my date, you high-tailed it to San Diego?”
Wariness seeped into his eyes. “Yes.”
She leaned forward. “When did you start dating Felicity? The day you got back?” She cringed inwardly at the jealousy in her voice. Even to herself, her feelings weren’t making sense. One second, she thought she could never be with Maddox. The next, she was irate because he’d found another woman. Maybe she was the one who needed counseling!
He rubbed his neck, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. Then he gave her a perceptive look, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “It really sticks in your craw that I’m with Felicity.”
The taunting edge in his voice made her want to slap him. She drew back. “On the contrary. I don’t give a flying flip who you date. Like I said this morning, I feel sorry for her,” she sniffed.
The corners of his lips pulled down. “I’m glad you brought that up. I wanted to ask you about that.” He scooted close and leaned in, closing the space between them. “What do you mean? Why on earth would you feel sorry for Felicity?” His eyes moved over hers in that leisurely way that made her blood pump faster.He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. Her breath caught when he trailed a finger down her cheek.
“Maddox,” she protested.
“Huh?” His finger moved to her neck. With tantalizing lightness, he skimmed her collarbone lingering on the throbbing indention at the base of her throat. Then he wrapped a finger around one of her curls.
He brushed her lips with his. “What do you mean?” he implored.
Delicious tingles circled down her spine.Geez. How was she supposed to think clearly with him this close?
“Because …”
He kissed the side of her mouth. “Hmm?” he murmured, his lips moving to her ear.
She closed her eyes, anticipation singing through her veins, as he trailed a string of soft, shivery kisses down her neck.
All Addie could think about was Maddox and how he consumed her heart and soul. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She took his face in her hands and pulled him closer. When their lips connected, fire leapt through her veins and sizzled through her with a tantalizing persuasion that zapped her strength, melting her to him. Her heart soared infinitely higher than the altitude they were flying as his lips explored hers. His hands tumbled through her hair with an eager intensity that left her breathless.
When the kiss was over, he pulled back, giving her a quirky grin. “You were saying about Felicity?”
The comment was a frigid splash of water dashing all residual desire as she stiffened. “You’re such a jerk.” She moved to get away from him, but he caught her arm.
“You love me and you know it,” he laughed.
Yes, she did love him, but a thousand armies couldn’t drag it out of her. Her eyebrow shot up. “You certainly have a highopinion of yourself, Bama boy.” No one could rile her faster than Maddox. She stopped, a thought occurring to her. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“The kiss? Yes, I enjoyed it very much.” His eyes danced. Lightly, he fingered a tendril of her hair. “Thanks for initiating it … again.”
Her eyes rounded as she lightly slapped his arm. “I’m such an idiot,” she groaned. “I promised myself that I wouldn’t kiss you again.” Her brows furrowed. “Not while you’re withher,” she spat.
He laughed. “Felicity?”
“Yes.” Addie scooted back and clamped her arms over her chest. “You shouldn’t be kissing me either. Unless you enjoy being a two-timing snake.”
A deep, warm bubble of laughter left his throat. “You’re really cute when you’re jealous,” he teased.
