Finding Dani (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 3) by Kori David Page A

ring of flesh. When Gunner had said Damon had been shot twice, it hadn’t really registered for her. Logically, she understood, but right now, emotionally, she wanted to cry that he’d been in so much pain. Probably healing alone in some military hospital, not even his father knowing he was hurt. He should have had at least one person that loved him around.
    “This one is so close to your spine. It could have caused paralysis or worse.”
    At that, he turned further so that her hand slid from his lower back to his abs. Rock hard six pack abs that contracted at her light touch. Good Lord , she thought, and fought the need to lick him from navel to neck—and everything in between. His scars were mostly forgotten as she willed her eyes up toward his face. She was embarrassed to be ogling his magnificent body. But she was a doctor, after all, and she admired the human form. At least, that’s what she tried telling herself.
    “Well, it didn’t cause any paralysis. As you can plainly see.”
    She followed his glance downward and found his camouflage pants tighter than usual. His erection was as impressive as he was and she had to clench her hands to keep from reaching out to touch him. You’d think she never had a man the way her hormones were reacting.
    “Oh,” she whispered. Tearing her eyes away, she saw that he was smiling at her. And she hoped that her sudden all over body flush would be mistaken for embarrassment instead of blatant arousal. “Maybe we’d better get in the shower and cool off.”
    She was proud that her voice shook only a little.
    Damon laughed. The sound husky and too sexual for her peace of mind. “Coward.”
    She stepped inside a stall and closed the curtain, refusing to fall victim to his taunt. He was too damn sexy for his own good, and she was already biased. That was the problem. Damon was her husband’s twin, so she had firsthand knowledge of his anatomy, without ever touching him or seeing any more than she already had.
    It was a sobering reminder. But only for her mind; her body was remembering.
    “Sorry about the quarantine, Red. I tried to keep you out of it, but the CO is a hard-ass and doesn’t trust anyone outside his own unit.”
    Dani smiled, thankful to focus on something else beside her lusty thoughts. “It’s frustrating, but understandable. I would probably do the same thing in his place.”
    The walls were high enough that she’d have to be on a tall ladder to check out Damon’s nakedness. She almost wished she had a ladder. But it broke up the sexual tension, and if she were honest with herself, she was relieved. With a side of disappointment.
    Once she was stripped, she turned on the shower and had cool water streaming down over her body. She stood on tip toes to pass Damon her bar of soap. Then she heard his chuckle from the other side and wished she could see his face.
    “What?” she demanded.
    “I’m going to have to be careful around the guys smelling like this.”
    “Afraid they might get a little frisky?”
    “Damn, skippy.”
    “Well, you do have a cute ass.”
    “’Bout time you noticed.”
    Dani shook her head as she soaped her hair. Getting clean was clearing up her head too. “Did you find Travis?”
    “He’s not in the camp. He skipped out this afternoon before I was able to get the perimeter locked down. And that makes him look guilty.”
    “He might be working—,” she defended, “—And he’s used to coming and going from camp.”
    “It’s not his job at this camp. That’s what Monty’s team is for.”
    Dani didn’t have an argument for that, because he was right. Even pitching in and helping was at the discretion of Dr. Nelson. Here, now, he was team leader. Even though he was with Doctors Without Borders, and not the CDC, he was a good leader.
    “Need me to wash your back?” Damon asked, holding her bar of soap over the curtain. All she could see was his hand.
    She laughed, “I’ve been washing my own back like a big girl for