Calculated Risk (Triumph Over Adversity #1) - Lynn Shannon Page 0,32

in Addison’s thoughts. Then it rang again. Jason broke off the kiss. He was breathing fast. Addison felt a secret rush of pleasure that the tough Marine was as rocked by their shared moment of passion as she was.

She glanced over her shoulder. “I should answer the door.”

“I’ll get it.” Jason cleared his throat, but he didn’t release her. Instead his thumb came up to brush against Addison’s bottom lip. A rush of warmth coursed through her, but it was dampened by the confusion darkening his handsome features.

“Addy…kissing wasn’t a good idea.” Jason’s gaze lifted to hers. “A relationship between us isn’t possible, no matter how much I wish otherwise.”

The doorbell chimed again. Jason made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. “Hold on,” he yelled, before turning back to her. “I don’t want to mess up our friendship.”

“You didn’t. I’m the one who kissed you.”

Addison backed away. Why on earth had she been so impulsive? They’d never discussed the attraction between them, let alone dating or a future. And what did Jason mean when he said a relationship wasn’t possible, no matter how much he wished otherwise?

She hugged her arms around herself. Questions rolled in her head in rapid-fire succession, but she couldn’t formulate the words. “Get the door, Jason. We’ll talk later.”

“Are we okay?”

She nodded. The doorbell rang again. Jason slid past her and strolled to the door. Addison watched him go, her heart sinking. She didn’t need this right now. More questions, more confusion. Not while someone was trying to kill her.

Had kissing Jason been a horrible mistake?

Eighteen

Jason paused before opening Addison’s front door. His heart was beating so hard, it was a wonder the organ didn’t fail. The scent of Addison’s perfume lingered on his clothes. It’d only been one kiss, but the ground had shifted beneath him.

The military had taught him discipline, to think with his head and not his emotions. Being with Addison…the woman got close to him and every one of his brain cells stopped operating. It was more than physical. There was an intimacy and closeness to their relationship Jason had never experienced before. As if he could tell her anything.

It was powerful. Heady.

Dangerous.

Jason needed to get it together. Kissing Addison had been a terrible mistake in judgment. It blurred the lines between them and risked ruining their friendship. Addison knew about his PTSD now, but she didn’t understand the extent of it. Nightmares that made him scream and left him sweating and breathless. The depression that plagued him every year when the anniversary of the bombing arrived. A constant feeling of being on guard, alert for any danger.

The doorbell chimed again. As a precaution, Jason glanced through the peephole. Nathan and Kyle stood on the stoop. Jason grasped the handle and yanked open the door. A blast of cold air greeted him.

Nathan’s thick finger was poised over the doorbell. He scowled. “Finally. What took you so long?”

Kyle’s cowboy boots thumped on the tile floor as he crossed over the threshold. “Two more rings and we would’ve broken the door down.” He jerked his head in Connor’s direction. “The only reason we didn’t was because the mutt had his nose pressed against the glass. I knew if something was wrong, Connor would be the first to tell us.”

Jason caught the lettering on the side of the bakery box Kyle carried. Nelson’s Diner. It was the restaurant they ate at on Wednesdays. “What’s in the box?”

“It’s not for you, Gonzalez. We figured Addison could use a treat after the week she’s had.” Kyle bellowed Addison’s name before heading into the kitchen. “It smells amazing in here. What are we having for dinner? I hope it goes with apple pie.”

Addison laughed. “Everything goes with apple pie.”

Kyle scooped her up in a hug and then put the pie down on the counter. He opened the lid and Addison clapped her hands. The inaudible murmur of their voices filtered across the room.

Jason shut the front door. “I thought you guys were going to eat before you came over. Addy only has two boxes of pasta noodles. She’s not used to feeding a group of men that eat like we do.”

Nathan shrugged off his leather jacket. “How do you think we got the apple pie? We ate at Nelson’s. But that was hours ago and chasing down potential killers ain’t easy. We worked up an appetite.” He frowned, his sharp gaze assessing Jason. “You look upset.”

“Someone is trying to kill Addison. That’s not reason enough