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Elizabeth gave hilance ‘Have you decided the sea looks too cold to come in, after all?’

He raised dark brows ‘Is that a challenge, Dr Brown?’

‘Could be, Dr Sullivan Or is that Lieutenant?’ She arched auburn brows

Actually, it had been Captain…‘It’s just plain Mr nowadays,’ he confir away to pull the black T-shirt over his head

My God! There was no way Elizabeth was able to hide her gasp of horror as she saw the scars that an’s torso

There were several long puckered scars on the long length of his back that looked as if they ht have been made by either a knife or a whip But it was the ones on the front of his body that caused her the most alarm Three perfect, tiny scars that were obviously bullet holes—one in his stomach, another in his left shoulder, and another just above his heart!

‘Rogan?’ Elizabeth’s gaze was fixed on those scars as she fell down onto the sand beside hiers almost touched them ‘What happened to you?’ she breathed shakily

‘Obviously, I was shot’ He gave a hard and humourless save a dis

She gave a slow, disbelieving shake of her head, a sick feeling in her stoined the bullets ripping into Rogan’s flesh!

Flesh Elizabeth could no longer stop herself froertipsthe hard ridge of skin that had healed over what had obviously been a life-threatening wound

She o…?’

‘I left the aro’

She shook her head ‘That doesn’t answer my question’

Rogan sighed ‘You should know by now that I don’t like answering questions’

Elizabeth sed hard as she looked up at hily ‘Is that why someone shot you? Because you refused to answer their questions?’

He ri them on the sand beside his T-shirt

Elizabeth et to her feet when she saw there were yet an—’

‘You know, most women find my battle scars a turn-on,’ he said cynically as he looked down at her

Those blue eyes snapped with iination that allows them to realise the pain you must have suffered’

‘This conversation is over,’ Rogan snapped coldly

‘You could have died—’

‘But I didn’t’

‘Rogan—’

‘Give it up, Elizabeth,’ he groith finality ‘Come on, I’ll race you to those flat rocks at the mouth of the cove!’ He attelasses down on his towel and ran across the sandy beach to the water’s edge, before turning to see if Elizabeth had taken hie

She was only a couple of paces behind hi deter ‘The conversation isn’t over, Rogan’

‘It is if I say it is,’ he insisted

Their gazes continued a silent battle for several long seconds, before Elizabeth finally gave a terse nod ‘Last one to the rocks has to carry both rucksacks back up the cliff to the house!’ she shouted in challenge, and she streaked past him to dive s

Rogan re her, her strokes smooth and powerful as she set off towards the rocks half a mile or so away He wasn’t in the least surprised that Elizabeth swa else: with capable efficiency

That saan’s wounds hadn’t been inflicted in any normal combat…

‘What are you? Oly hard as she drew herself up onto the flat rock before collapsing beside Rogan She had barely swuan had overtaken her, and he had been sitting here for several seconds watching through narrowed lids as she completed her swim

Elizabeth now studied him from beneath her oered lashes…

Wet, Rogan’s hair was black and silky where it rested long and dalistened on his deeply tanned scarred body, and the dark hair on his chest tapered down until it disappeared beneath a pair of black boxer-style swihs

The ragged heaviness of Elizabeth’s breathing was suddenly no longer due to the exertion of her swim!

‘Not quite Oly of those broad shoulders

Elizabeth eyed him ruefully ‘Just another one of those “useful” skills you learnt in the army?’

His mouth thinned ‘Yes’