“You, Madi. I won’t risk anything happening to you.”
The conviction in his voice removed the angry wind from my sails of defiance.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Behaving like a brat only made the situation worse. Besides, I’d sworn I wouldn’t behave like that anymore.
Something about coming home and being surrounded by my brothers had me acting like an annoyed teenager.I thought I left her behind when I joined the Navy.
Turning to Matt, I uncrossed my arms and said, “I’m sorry. It’s just frustrating.”
“It is,” he agreed.
No false sympathy. No excuses. No trying to make me understand.
None of this was his fault.
“And I don’t always handle it well.”Understatement of the year.
He laughed and opened his mouth, but then closed it. All traces of humor left his face as Matt lifted his chin. “Your father’s here.”
The locks clicked when Matt hit the button. Dad opened my door.
“Thank you, Matt. How’d it go tonight?”
Heat spread across my chest, rose up my neck, and colored my cheeks.Please don’t let my dad notice.
“It was a quiet night, sir.”
“John,” Matt quickly added, making Dad chuckle.
Before getting out, I said, “Thank you. You don’t have to stay; I can catch a ride home with someone else.”
Chapter 26
Matt
The night wouldn’t end the way I wanted it to, which was probably for the best.
The promise in Madi’s eyes and her sultry voice had made me blind with desire.
Blind enough to risk life and limb, and my job, to rush her out of the restaurant so I could get her into my bed before she changed her mind.
Or I found the strength to resist her.
My laugh echoed in my truck as I pulled away from the entrance.
Resisting Madi wasn’t in the realm of possibility.
Luckily, her brother’s wife going into labor was exactly the cockblock I needed to prevent me from fucking up the good thing I had going.
We are friends.And that was all we could be.
Chapter 27
Madi
Iignored my disappointment that Matt left—like I told him to—as Dad filled me in while we walked to the labor and delivery wing. “Jamie said Emily’s water broke during dinner.”
I glanced at my watch; the hands pointed to five after nine.
