Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

M addox pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. He’d wondered if Corbin would tell Addie he was coming. Judging by her bug-eyed look, Corbin hadn’t. He allowed himself a moment to drink in Addie’s exquisite features. How many times had he dreamt of running his hands through her thick tresses of curly hair? Most often in his dreams, her lively green-gold eyes held a twinkle of mischief. Today, however, they were shadowed with concern. There were faint circles under Addie’s eyes, and she looked pale. The temptation to reach out and place a comforting hand over hers was so strong that he clasped his hands together, instead, so he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.

Addie gave him an intense look that bordered on irritation. “Why’re you here?”

He tensed. No, Happy to see you. I’m glad you’re alive. I’m sorry I carved out your heart and stomped it into the ground. Was Addie really so heartless? Disappointment pummeled through him. What had he expected? That she would fall into his arms? Tell him that she made a big mistake by breaking up with him? That she still loved him?

Only in his dreams. Anything he and Addie had shared dried up months ago. He’d do well to keep his emotions contained. He was here because of Corbin. He’d do what it took to protect Addie before getting the heck out of Dodge.

Maddox realized Addie was awaiting his answer. He cleared his throat, glancing at the woman sitting beside Addie. “Can I speak to you in private?” He gave the woman an apologetic look. “No offense.”

A seductive smile snaked over the woman’s lips. “None taken.” She gazed into his eyes with a star-struck expression, like she’d just seen her first Corvette. “Your accent is adorable,” she gushed. “What part of the South are you from?” she asked, mimicking his accent.

He cringed. One of Maddox’s pet peeves was when people poked fun at his accent. A phrase from the movie Sweet Home Alabama ran through his mind. Honey, just ‘cause I talk slow doesn’t mean I’m stupid. He caught Addie’s amusement from across the table. She knew exactly how he felt about the topic. The distance between them shrank, and they shared a silent exchange. For an instant, the connection between them ran stronger than steel. Then Addie seemed to realize what was happening and quickly looked down.

“I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” The woman looked back and forth between Maddox and Addie, a befuddled look on her face.

Maddox shook his head and chuckled under his breath. The woman obviously meant no harm. “No, you’re good.” He tried to catch Addie’s eyes, but she wouldn’t look at him.

“The name’s Madison. What’s yours?”

“Maddox.”

The woman leaned in, an open invitation brimming in her light eyes as she brushed her hand against his. “Are you new in town?”

An embarrassed laugh hiccuped in his throat as he looked at Addie. Her face had turned darker than an eclipse, and she looked like she wanted to scratch the blonde woman’s eyes out. A jolt of surprise raced through Maddox. Was Addie jealous? The notion kindled hope in him. Normally, he’d give the man-hungry Barbie the brush-off. However, this could work to his advantage and be payback for seeing Addie with another man. Of course, Addie had no idea that he’d flown in to see her. Still, it hurt all the same. Maddox flashed a large smile, which he was sure looked goofy. “Yes, I just arrived.”

The woman let out a throaty laugh as she made a point of panning over him with an appreciative eye. “Oh, honey. From the looks of it, I’d say you arrived a long time ago.”

Maddox’s skin crawled, and he felt like a piece of slimy meat.

Addie’s eyebrow shot up, her features twisting in a hard amusement. “Maybe I should leave you two alone.”

“Maybe you should,” Madison agreed, touching Maddox’s arm. Inwardly, he recoiled. Forward women always turned him off. Madison was obviously on the prowl. He second-guessed this plan to make Addie jealous. It was working, but no way could he stand to be around Barbie for any length of time. She made Felicity look like the catch of the century, and she hadn’t impressed him. The sad truth was that no woman could compare to Addie. Not only was she beautiful, she was spunky and smart. Simply being in her presence made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a very long time. Too bad she wanted nothing to do with him. He wondered about the guy he’d seen with Addie. Were they involved? The notion sent a fireball of jealousy spiraling through him.

A server approached with a plate of food. She placed it in front of Addie, but her eyes remained trained on Maddox. “Hey,” she said, interest lighting her features.

Oh, no. Not her too! “Hey, how ya doing?” Maddox said with a curt nod. What was it about the women in this town? They acted like they’d never seen a man before. If only Addie were one-tenth as enamored with him. Even when they were together, she’d played it cool, always making him work for her affection. As frustrating as it was, he liked that about her.

“Can I get you something to eat?” the server asked.

A wicked idea took root in his mind. “Just an extra plate.” He looked at Addie. “I’ll share with her.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “Oh, no you won’t.”

“Come on, Addie,” he drawled, laying his Southern accent on thick. “It’ll be like old times.” He reached over and grabbed one of her fries and plopped it into his mouth.

“Fine,” she relented, rolling her eyes.

“One extra plate coming right up. What would you like to drink?”

“Club soda with lime.”

“You got it,” the server clipped, walking away.

“My name’s Madison, by the way.”

“You said that already,” Addie said dryly. “But in your defense, it must’ve flown right out of your head.” She wrinkled her nose, a cheeky smile curving her lips. “All that air.”

Maddox coughed to cover his startled laugh. He put a hand over his mouth, feeling like a louse, especially when he saw Madison’s downcast expression.

She managed to hitch the corners of her smile up quickly though. “You should come over and let me introduce you to my friends. I’m sure they’d love to meet you,” she chirped. He followed Madison’s look and saw the women at the table. They flashed gargantuan smiles and waved. He nodded and waved back. Awkward .

Madison stood and tugged on his arm. “Come on.”

This was getting out of control fast—a runaway train with no brakes, headed for a cliff.

“Thanks, but I came here to speak to Addie.”

Madison’s lips turned down into a pout. “That’s too bad.”

It was fun watching the triumphant expression on Addie’s face.

“Nice meeting you, Madison,” he said, signaling that their conversation was over.

She touched her hair, uncertainty creeping into her eyes. “Would you like my number?”

His lips turned down. “I’m afraid not. My girlfriend wouldn’t like that very much.” He glanced at Addie as he spoke and saw a flicker of surprise before a curtain veiled her eyes.

Madison’s smile faltered. “Who’s your girlfriend?” Her hand went to her hip. “Addie?” She asked the question like it left a nasty taste in her mouth.

A beat stretched long and tense as Maddox looked across the table at Addie. Her expression was unreadable. “No,” he finally said. “That ship has sailed.” The finality of the words clunked against his insides like nails in a coffin. “Her name is Felicity.”

Madison flicked her hair. “Too bad. If you ever change your mind, look me up.” Her gaze lingered on him long enough to make him feel uncomfortable.

“Sure thing.” He offered a polite smile.

She turned on her heel and sauntered back to the table across the room.

Addie took a large bite of her sandwich. She chewed and washed it down with a drink of water. “It looks like you made quite an impression on Madison Wells. Congratulations. She’s been chasing Corbin for years. Now that she realizes he’s taken, she’s setting her sights a little lower.”

“Ouch. You know how to hit a man where it hurts, don’t you?” A grin slid over his lips. “Admit it. You were jealous.”

Color seeped into Addie’s cheeks, making her look adorable. “Was not!”

He laughed. “You were and you know it.”

Her eyes flashed. “You wish.”

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 word love . 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 time had 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.”

“Yes.” He forced a smile. “So you see, you have nothing to worry about.”

Her eyes went harder than granite. “That’s good to know.” She scooted back her chair and stood. “You know what? I appreciate you coming, but I don’t need any help.”

He jumped to his feet. “How can you say that?” He lowered his voice. “You don’t know why someone killed Jordan or why your home was broken into. Corbin’s worried sick about you. Even as we speak, he’s getting his boss to check into the situation.”

“You mean the billionaire philanthropist Sutton Smith. Who’s also your boss.”

“Yes.” He didn’t know how much Addie knew about Sutton’s private security company, so he figured it was better to keep the conversation generic.

She raised her chin. The look in her eyes reminded him of a headstrong horse about to bolt. “I’m sorry you wasted a trip, but I don’t need your help.”

He caught hold of her arm. “Don’t be ridiculous, Addie. This is a serious situation. From the sound of it, you need all the help you can get.”

Fire flashed in her eyes. “Not from you.” She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Go back to your girlfriend,” she muttered as she stomped out.

Crud! He couldn’t let her go like that. He needed to keep her in his sight at all times. She was the most stubborn, infuriating woman on the planet. He thought she’d be relieved if he told her he had a girlfriend, but she was acting ticked about it, which made no sense. Addie had broken up with him, not the other way around.

He pulled his wallet from his pocket and slapped down a twenty-dollar bill before rushing after her.