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All he could see was Maddy

How long had it been? Nine years? No, ten

A lifetime And a heartbeat

They’dshift had just ended, and she was grabbing a cup of coffee and a cruet a decent otten back from an overseas mission to the Middle East, and he was at Bethesda for a routine physical, which he’d just passed with flying colors

They’d bumped into each other on the cafeteria line—literally

As she’d juggled to balance her tray, Maddy had pivoted, walked smack into Marc and knocked the cup of hot coffee he’d been holding all over him

She’d been totally mortified He’d been totally aotten a kick out of the way she took care of the proble napkins to his shirt as if she was dressing a wound

Chewing her lip, deep in concentration, she’d been so serious about the task at hand that it had taken a good five minutes before she spotted the twinkle in Marc’s eyes

Then she’d risen to her feet, tossed down the napkins and, without a single word, went over and bought Marc another cup of coffee

“Here you go” She’d handed it to him “I’d say we’re even”

His grin had turned into a deep-throated chuckle, and his gaze had scrutinized her from head to toe “Not unless you sit down and share a cup with me Then we’ll be even”

She had And that’s when and where it had begun

Marc didn’t open up easily He was reserved by nature—a trait which had been accentuated by his covert role as a navy SEAL Yet with Maddy, he was relaxed, comfortable She was easy to talk to She didn’t pry and she didn’t pursue any subject he chose to avoid She was open about her own life—a sale and had alanted to be a nurse ROTC had paid her scholarship to college, and she’d gone on to be a navy nurse, stationed here in Bethesda Medical Center Fro up, Maddy had completely undersold herself It was no wonder she’d becoift There were hts, should have died from their injuries, but hadn’t—thanks to Madeline She wasn’t beautiful, but there was so brown eyes, delicate features and a body to kill for, she possessed a certain warmth and style that was impossible to miss

The sexual pull between the, when Marc had done nothing ht, they’d both felt the burn It had taken all Marc’s self-control not to back her into the apartment, tear off her clothes and bury himself inside her until neither of them could breathe

Maddy had felt the same He saw it in her eyes when his lips left hers—the wonder, the astonish; he could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest