Coach Maddie and the
Marine
Blaire Edens
Release Date:
January 11, 2016
After
the combat death of her Marine husband, grief counselor Maddie Westerfield has
thrown herself into helping other families—leaving no time for dating. Which is
just fine with Maddie since falling in love again, especially with another man
in uniform, is out of the question. No matter how gorgeous he is. Plus, she’s
busy looking after her eight-year-old nephew for her deployed sister.
For the last
eight years, Lieutenant David Sterling has lived with the guilt of losing one
of his soldiers in an ambush in Afghanistan. So when the opportunity presents
itself, he jumps at the chance to help the beautiful widow coach her
nephew’s football team. But keeping things strictly professional between them
is harder than he expected. And even though he knows a relationship with Maddie
will only lead to heartbreak, he can't help falling for her.
1 He turned back
to the dishes and tried to get his mind back on track.
He
popped the last bite into his mouth and carried his plate to the sink. “That
was great, Maddie. Thank you. Nothing like a home-cooked meal.”
Something electric cycled between
them and he rose and walked around the table and put his hands on her
shoulders.
She stood and turned to face him. Like magnets, they
were unable to fight their affinity for each other. His nose nearly touched
hers. He slid his arms around her waist.
“You move fast, Lieutenant
Sterling,” she whispered.
Part of her wanted to resist, pull
away from him and restate her determination not to fall into a relationship
with him. But his masculine scent was jamming her brain and the other part of
her, the wholly female part, carried the day.
“You have no idea,” he said, lightly
kissing her neck.
She closed her eyes and leaned into
the firmness of him. Dipping her head to the side, she allowed him to trace a
lazy line down her neck with his lips, igniting a building warmth deep inside
her. She rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the feel of his arms
wrapped around her waist like iron bands. He wrapped her arms around his neck
and he tilted his head. As their lips met, blazing energy sparked between them.
“We shouldn’t be…” Her voice trailed
off.
“I can’t seem to help it,” he
whispered against the sensitive skin of her neck.
She knew the feeling. Regardless of
how much she rationalized it, tried to make her brain and body agree, her body
always seemed to win out when he was within range.
She was tired of fighting the
attraction. She kissed him on the lips. Ignoring the warning bells ringing in
her head, she slid her tongue into his mouth. The taste of him heightened her
arousal and she wanted him, all of him.
Just as she was about to suggest
they move into the bedroom, the phone rang.
She pulled back and placed her hands
on the flat muscles of his chest. “It might be Callie,” she said. It had been
nearly two weeks since she’d heard her sister’s voice.
He grumbled under his breath,
obviously irritated that she was letting the phone interrupt them. She found
the phone on the table beside the sofa.
“Hello?” she answered breathlessly.
“Oh, Callie, it’s such a relief to hear your voice.”
She listened intently, occasionally
answering questions about Andrew. David sat silently on the sofa. If she hadn’t
been so acutely aware of him she wouldn’t have even known he was in the room.
When the call ended a few minutes
later, she placed the handset back into the charger and looked up at him. Tears
welled up in the corners of her eyes.
“Is she doing okay?” he asked
quietly.
“She’s fine. I just miss her so much
and it hurts like the devil when she asks me about Andrew. I can’t believe he
missed her call. He’ll be crushed.”
Sobs rocked her body, and she curled
into herself. He sat down and wrapped her in the warm strength of his arms. He
held her for a long time, murmuring soothing sounds into her hair. When she
stopped crying, he raised her chin up so she could see him.
“I know how worried you are. I know
what it’s like to have someone you love so dearly in the line of fire. We can
talk about it anytime you feel the need. I’ll listen.”
She saw a softness in his eyes that
he’d never shown before. They glistened with a tenderness she’d never guessed
existed.
Was it possible that underneath his tough marine
exterior he was the sensitive man she’d been looking for her entire life?
Blaire
Edens lives in the mountains of North Carolina on a farm that’s
been in her family since 1790. When she’s not plotting, she’s
busy knitting, running, or listening to the Blues. Blaire loves iced tea with
mint, hand-stitched quilts, and yarn stores. She refuses to eat anything that
mixes chocolate and peanut butter or apple and cinnamon. She’s
generally nice to her mother, tries to remember not to smack her bubble gum,
and only speeds when no one’s looking.
Sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt. This is how I find books to read so I know "Coach Maddie and the Marine" will be on my "To Read" shelf. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.
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