Johnny: #2 (Special Forces) by Madison Stevens Page A

and everything in him was calling for him to follow his brothers into battle?
    Admitting that would kill everything they had been working toward. It was one thing for her to say she would wait. It was quite another for him to turn around and saying he had to leave and go into a dangerous situation.
    His hands ran down her sides as she turned her back to him and rubbed her ass firmly over his now tight jeans. Johnny groaned in her ear.
    Maddy turned in his arms and stared up at him, eyes half-closed in lust. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to kiss him.
    Johnny kissed her back, loving the feel of her and the comfort she gave him.
    They twisted and swayed in the fray of people until he was sweating and tired.
    He nodded over to the table.
    “I’ve got to sit,” he said.
    Maddy waved over to him and danced over to where Marissa was dancing off to the side.
    He noticed that Clint hadn’t gone to the dance floor, no surprise to him, but the other man couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off the pretty brunette.
    Johnny sat hard in his chair and frowned at the beer. He really didn’t feel much like drinking considering everything.
    Clint turned his gaze away from Marissa to glance over to him.
    “You know we need you,” he said simply. “I won’t pull your leave, but if you ask to come, well, you’re still active duty, and there won’t be any trouble.”
    Johnny sighed. “It’s not that simple,” he said. “I can’t just walk away from her to go running into gunfire again.”
    Clint frowned. “She won’t wait?”
    Johnny shook his head and found her in the crowd. “She shouldn’t have to wait.”
    Clint sighed loudly, and Johnny looked over to him. He was staring hard at him.
    “I get it,” he said. “Some days I’m half-convinced I’m done with all this shit. Then I stare at myself in the mirror, and I know I couldn’t answer to that face if I’m not where I’m supposed to be.” He pointed a finger at Johnny. “Now you just got to decide if you’ll be able to look at that man in the mirror if you don’t go.”
    He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. That had been the problem really. When he looked at the man in the mirror, he saw two of himself: the SEAL on one side, ready to ride into battle to defend his country and his brothers, the other half the man that just wanted to love the woman of his dreams.
    Having one seemed impossible for him to have the other. And he knew that that if he chose his heart over what was right, he might never be able to look himself in the face again.
    “Fuck,” he grunted. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
    Clint slid his keys across to him.
    “Take her home,” he said. “I’ll make sure the friend gets home safely.”
    Johnny nodded and made his way to where the two women were dancing. He tapped Maddy on the shoulder. When she turned around, he nodded for them to step out of the moving sea of bodies.
    “I’m beat,” he said. “Think we could get out of here?”
    “We haven’t been here that long.” Maddy frowned. “Who’s car?”
    “Clint’s,” he said. “I’ll drop it off tomorrow for him.”
    Maddy looked over to her friend. “You okay taking Clint home?”
    He could Marissa swallow hard, but then she nodded, and he sighed in relief.
    Now he just wanted to get Maddy out of there and back to bed where they both belonged.

Chapter Sixteen
     
     
    Johnny remained quiet for the drive home. Maddy kept glancing over at him as they drove in his friend’s truck, wondering if she had done something to make him mad.
    Although he hadn’t wanted to go out, he didn’t seem to mind too much once he showed up. He didn’t resist dancing or anything like that.
    Still, his mood was definitely off. The only thing she could think of was that it must be something to do with Clint.
    They stopped outside her apartment and made their way up the stairs to her place. She opened the door and was surprised when he stepped inside close