“I’m getting you into your house, Addison.”
“With a screwdriver?”
He slipped the tension wrench into the bottom of the keyhole and applied just enough pressure, as if he was turning a key. Then he worked the screwdriver into the lock and felt for the pins.
“You look like you’ve done this before,” Addie said suspiciously.
“Many times, and not just as part of my SERE training. You’d be surprised at what we learn in the military, and maybe a bit scared.”
“Yeah, my dad comes out with some crazy skills sometimes. Once, the power went out and Dad left the room. I thought he was getting a flashlight, but he came back with jumper cables, an old car battery and a ball of wire. I don’t know how, but he turned them into light.”
Noah chuckled. He probably would have gone with a simple flashlight, but her dad’s method sounded impressive.
The lock turned with a soft click, and he stood and opened the door. “Done.”
Addie’s eyes were wide. “Wow. I’ve completely lost faith in door locks.”
“Don’t worry, this is a specialized skill your average house thief probably doesn’t have. Although, I always recommend a house alarm.”
“You sound like my father.” She glanced at her car in the drive, then back to him. “Let me repay you with food.”
“Food?”
“I have enough Chinese to feed a family of five. Maybe more.”
Dinner with Addie. Alone. At night. That didn’t sound safe, in more ways than one. “Addie—”
“And before you say no because of anything that occurred between us”—the muscles in his shoulders twitched—“we decided to forget about that. Remember?”
He’d never agreed to forget about it, because that would be fucking impossible.
She lifted a shoulder. “And it’s just food.”
But it wasn’t…it washer. Her house. Her company. Her sweet scent that would surround him the entire meal.
“Sure.” The word slipped out and he had no fucking idea how.
Her eyes brightened. “Great. I’ll get it from the car.”
Ten minutes later, the takeout was spread over the coffee table, and she was right. It was a lot of food.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around her small living room. It was a quarter of the size of his, but it felt cozy, and not just because of the size. The throw over the couch, the copious number of cushions, the fluffy purple rug that should look out of place but didn’t…it was all Addie.
He cleared his throat as he turned back to the Chinese. “You ordered all this food for yourself?”
“Sure did. When people ask me what my hobby is, I tell them eating. They think I’m joking… I amnot.”
His lips twitched. This woman was a walking contradiction. Her hair was perfect, her nails always a different color, andshe constantly wore heeled boots. She looked high maintenance. But she wasn’t. She was as down-to-earth as they came, and she made him laugh more than anyone else. “That explains the chocolate you carry in your pocket.”
She paused, mid-scooping a huge spoon of fried rice onto her plate. “How do you know that?”
“I saw you pull a peanut butter cup out of your pocket while you were waiting for your drink outside the food van today.”
Anyone else might look embarrassed. Addie laughed. “I like food, but chocolate is king of the foods. And a day without chocolate is a day wasted.”
Once Addie’s plate was full, he filled his own. “Anything youdon’tlike?”
“Pineapple on pizza. Yuck. I hate it so much that even the smell of hot pineapple makes me gag.”
