With her back to her father, she was able to roll her eyes without giving him the validation he wanted in all this. Sure, her brother had been a dick, but it wasn’t like he’d actually directly threatened David. There was no way in hell he’d follow through on anything like that unless it was totally called for. And boy had David complained.
No. She just didn’t want to deal with this. Going out with him was supposed to be fun with little commitment, not meet the whole family and crew, along with indirect implications of riling up an angry SEAL if David wronged her.
“Johnny’s been gone for a long time,” her father said quietly.
Maddy slowed her work on the lasagna. Yes, he had been gone for a long time. The last time she saw him was in passing a little over a year ago. The year before that she had been backpacking with her friend when he’d returned to the United States. No, the last time she clearly remembered seeing him was the night she’d been trying to forget the past three years.
* * *
He’d just finished his SEAL and language training and was going to be shipped out for the next six months, if not longer. Maddy hadn’t really been old enough to hit the bars with everyone.
She was just nineteen at the time and was tired of being the kid sister who wanted to tag along, so she waited for them back at the house.
Unsurprisingly, they had come back drunk. Maybe she’d even counted on that, knowing that he would be made it easier for her to say what she wanted.
Johnny sat with her on the porch swing while her brother went in to take a shower. In the quiet of the night, they just sat there for a bit, enjoying the moment.
“You didn’t come out with us,” he said quietly. He kept his head forward as he spoke.
She turned to study his profile, to try and take in every detail before he disappeared from her life for the next six months.
Being the daughter of a cop hadn’t prepared her for the worry she would feel for her brother and Johnny. She thought it would, but the realization that Special Forces were guaranteed to risk their lives soaked her with worry.
Johnny’s hair had been cropped short during training. She didn’t really care much for it. His hair was always so soft looking, and she was a bit jealous that she never got the chance to run her fingers through it to find out. Her gaze followed down his face and along his strong jaw. She leaned in slightly and could smell the alcohol and aftershave.
Johnny turned to her and stared for a moment before she had to break contact.
“I’m not old enough,” she said stiffly. She hated to admit their difference in age. It was only a few years, but somehow that seemed like a lifetime apart. He was going overseas to risk his life and fight dangerous men. She was barely out of high school and not doing anything remotely dangerous or noteworthy.
He gave a little laugh. “You know that never stopped your brother at nineteen.”
She sighed. Among all of them, she had been the good one and not totally by choice.
Maddy turned back to him and raised a brow. “You going to take me out drinking then?”
She saw something pass across his face. Desire? It was so fast that she nearly didn’t see it before it passed.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Her mouth dried.
Johnny gave a lopsided smile. “Don’t think your brother would like that.”
“Who cares what he wants?”
The words came out in a breath. His gaze zeroed in on her mouth.
Yes. He felt it too. She could see it clear as day on his face. Without everyone else around and all the pressures from what others wanted, they had an attraction. Something that had always been there. Through all the camp-outs, pizza nights, football parties and Friday-night hang-outs. There was something between them. Something real.
She understood before when she had been in high school. Their age difference would have caused issues.
When he signed up for the Navy, she hadn’t been surprised when he’d gone for SEAL training. Maddy always assumed that he would come home some break and see that she was right there waiting for him. But that never seemed to happen. There was always something going on. Some reason she could never get him alone to say what she always wanted to say.
Now there they were. The perfect moment, and all she could think of was pressing herself against him.
“I don’t think this is such a good—” Johnny began.
Maddy moved her face in and pressed her mouth to his. For a moment their lips just pressed against one another, and fear lanced through her. Maybe she should just get up and run.
No. She wouldn’t let him shut her down. If she was going to go down, let it be in a big ball of flames.
He groaned softly and wound his hand into the back of her head, slanting his mouth over her own. She moved closer to him, wanting to feel the heat of his body through the cool night air.
His tongue traced her lips, and she opened to him. She ran her tongue along his.
She felt her center clench at the moves, knowing on instinct what he was mimicking despite her virgin ways.
Johnny pulled back and traced kisses down her neck and behind her ear, then back to her mouth again, her breathing heavy in the still night as he did so.
The door banged open. Suddenly there was nothing but cold air between them.
“Done with the shower,” Trent said, his words slightly slurred.
She looked over to Johnny. His jaw ticked a little, and she could see he was trying to get his breathing under control.
“I’ll be there in a sec,” he said.
Trent mumbled something and walked back into the house. She could hear him rummaging in the kitchen.
“That was—” She started but stopped when Johnny pinned her with a hard stare.
“It can’t happen again,” he said firmly.
A dagger would have been kinder.
“What?”
“Trent is my friend, and my brother-in-arms. I can’t risk the integrity of the whole team like this.”
She stared at him through her tears.
“You felt it,” she said. “I know you did.”
Johnny stood and looked away. “It felt like kissing my kid sister.”
Anger boiled in her. Kid sister?
Maddy stood and pushed past him to the door.
“You know it didn’t feel like that, but whatever. Good luck on your mission.”
“Mads…” His voice was more a plea than anything, but she couldn’t look at him. Her heart ached too much.
With one step, she walked away.
* * *
She’d written him over the years. More when he first left, hoping that he would say he was wrong. That things might be different someday.
But when her letters went unanswered, she found it harder to keep writing. Instead, she wrote to Trent and hold on to the little pieces of information he would tell her about Johnny.
With time his rejection hurt less, and she gave up the silly idea that they were made for one another. That was fairy-tale material and something that didn’t really happen to people. No, the handsome warrior who dedicated his life to protecting people would not return from slaying dragons for his loyal princess.
Instead, she needed to be realistic. She accepted that what you could hope for was common interests and mutual satisfaction. Although the latter, she’d found, was the harder piece in the whole thing. Even David lacked the ability to impress her enough to go all the way with him, which often led to frustration on both their parts.
But maybe tonight would change it all.
After finishing putting the lasagna together, she turned to her father and smiled. She loved him and his ability to treat Johnny like a son. When her brother had been murdered, she wondered if he would ever recover. It always seemed to her like Johnny and Kace Allen filled that hole a bit.
She walked over to him and stood on her toes as she kissed his prickly cheek.
“I want you to have a nice dinner with everyone. I promise I’ll make an effort to all eat together on another day.” She smiled at him. “Just not today.”
He nodded and sighed. Maddy stepped back and glanced at the clock.
“Shit, I’ve gotta hurry,” she said and scribbled the cooking time and instructions on a paper. “Follow that, and you’ll be great for tonight.” She handed him the note and raced to the door. With a cheeky wink, she waved goodnight. “Don’t wait up.”
Chapter Three
Johnny didn’t take long to settle in at the house. A familiar comfort passed over him. Hell, it even smelled the same. He’d spent so much time there in the past that it really was more like a second home, more so than even his own brother’s.
He quietly closed the door to the room, reflecting on how much things had changed in the last few weeks for him. He was grateful he had a familiar place to make the transition.
A delicious smell wafted over to him. He inhaled deeply. Yeah, definitely good to be home.
He walked down the stairs and smiled when he heard laughter.
No arms dealers. No terrorists. No looking over your shoulder. Just good people and good food. Home.
It felt good to be back.
Johnny stepped into the kitchen and found everyone at the table. Rich was just setting the lasagna out. His stomach rumbled at the mouth-watering sight. Having a deep connection with the cook was a spice of sorts.
Besides, Maddy always did make a great lasagna, although he’d never tell his Aunt Marilyn that. Not if he wanted to continue breathing.
He smiled at the pretty woman sitting next to Trent, Lisa. Her long brown hair was pulled back. Trent patted her shoulder.
Though Johnny still hadn’t quite gotten used to the idea of Trent settling down with a woman, the pair looked very natural together.
Of course Johnny knew her from years ago. She had been the woman Trent’s brother Paul had saved. The heroic act cost him his life and left a void in Trent’s family.
Still, he held no bad feelings against the woman. It was the duty of the strong to protect those weaker than themselves, even with risk, maybe especially with risk. Paul had done what any honorable man would do.
Johnny liked to think that he was following in his friend’s footsteps by joining the SEALs and that a part of Paul lived on in him by doing so.
A little sigh slipped out. This house really was like home to him. Not long after Paul’s death, Johnny’s mother had passed away fairly quickly from cancer. His dad sort of recoiled into himself, and since Johnny was the last one home, he just sort of gave up.
His Aunt Marilyn tried to reach him, but he had already found a place of comfort with Trent and his family. When Johnny’s father passed away just after high school, Rich had taken him in as his own without a second thought.
Johnny looked around the table, his smile slipping only slightly. “Where’s Maddy?”
Rich glanced over to him as he served up the lasagna. “She had a date tonight,” he said stiffly, his frown deepening the wrinkles on his face.
Johnny couldn’t hide his surprise if he tried. It had never even crossed his mind that she wouldn’t be there to greet him. In fact, as much as he didn’t want to hope for it, he’d been looking forward to seeing her.
It had been quite some time. Far too much time, really. Despite what happened years ago, he still hoped they could be friends.
“Oh, is she still seeing David?” Lisa asked and passed the bowl of bread to him.
David? Who the hell was David?
Johnny tried to force a blander expression on his face. Maybe this David was a great guy, the kind of man who could treat Maddy right and give her the love she wanted but Johnny couldn’t give. It’s not like he needed to be a SEAL, just a good man.
Rich grunted, and Trent snorted.
Not good. Johnny looked between the two men. “Not a fan?”
“He’s a weasel,” Trent said. “The man hasn’t seen a day of hard work in his life, and that’s not even saying anything about how he treats her.” A dark scowl appeared on his face.
Johnny frowned. He’d beat the shit of this David guy if he wasn’t treating Maddy right. “What’s that mean?” he practically growled.
“Boy can’t even come to the damn door to pick her up. Just pulls up and honks,” Rich said. He waved his fork in the air. “Like he’s doing her a favor by showing up.”
Lisa sighed loudly. “I think you two are being a little harsh, and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t approve of anyone she dated anyway.” She tapped her finger on the table. “You’re thinking about this the wrong way. David is just someone she goes and has fun with. Not everything has to be some sort of epic love connection.”
Lisa’s defense did little to dampen the irritation growing in Johnny. What the hell did she mean about David being a guy to have fun with? It sure as hell better not be what he thought she meant. He stabbed his fork into his lasagna, frowning.
“Whatever,” Trent said. “The guy is a prick, and he just better remember whose sister he’s dating, or I’ll have to remind him again.” He smirked. “Probably wet himself.”
Lisa rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything else.
Johnny nodded. Maybe he needed to let this David know where he stood.
* * *
Maddy frowned at her glass of Sex on a Beach, which was nearly gone. There wasn’t enough alcohol for her to enjoy the night considering the excruciating mixture of boredom and annoyance she’d suffered through so far.
David acted so excited when he picked her up, so upbeat. A couple of his friends, who were already out of law school, were invited to some exclusive dance club that just opened, and they could bring guests.
She was far less enthusiastic about the idea than him, but he seemed so happy, so she went along. That was a mistake.
For starters, she’d never been a big club fan. Most times she was happier just developing pictures in the silence of her dark room.
The whole bumping and grinding scene had never been her thing, but she still would have preferred to be on the dance floor than in her current hell: stuck in the VIP section with a bunch of lawyers talking shop. Not exactly the ideal date night.