Publisher's Synopsis
Download for FREE with Kindle Unlimited This is a 10,000 words CLEAN stand-alone story with an HEA, so no cliff-hangers! Caden Mitchell has lived a life of near-isolation, his only solace his devotion to the military and his stead as a commander in the Navy Seals. When his best friend, Jonathan, is killed, his commanding officer demands that he seek psychoanalysis before he be recommissioned back into the military. He's disgusted with the idea, but his love for active duty wins out, and eventually he sets up and appointment to see the psychiatrist. The woman whom he sees is Dr. Everly Thomas, a young but distinguished psychiatrist who specializes with patients suffering from PTSD. Beverly herself had been a military brat growing up, and had a brother whom she was very close with die in active duty. At first, Caden and Beverly's similar personalities clash, but eventually, they forge a bond that is stronger than any either of them have known. Everly becomes the key to unlocking Caden's grief, and helping him finally recover after Jonathan's death. But that isn't the only bond they form... ---------------------------------------------------------- EXCERPT FROM BOOK Caden and Everly gazed at each other for several seconds. As if suddenly charged with magnetic impulses, their faces began to pull toward one another until they were connected at the tips of their noses. From there, their mouths slowly moved together, and the circuit was formed. They begin to kiss, earnestly and bashfully at first, each feeling out the movements of the other's mouth, Caden marveling at how Everly's lips felt on his-almost electric-and then, the kisses began to transform into something more intimate. Without warning, Everly pulled away. "I don't usually do this," she said, slowly and perhaps slightly ashamed. "I cannot believe I'm doing this, in fact. This violates just about every principle in the patient-doctor handbook." Caden looked at her with a little smirk on his face. "Hey," he said, "You started it." "Now that is not true!" Everly said, and slapped him playfully. "It was a mutual decision. I just..." Caden searched her face, looking for clues as to what she was going to say next. "I just...As soon as you walked in here-actually, even as soon as you interrupted session with the other patient, I just, I don't know, felt this immense attraction to you." Everly paused and looked at Caden. Caden noted that this was the most vulnerable she'd been since they'd met, less than an hour prior. He nodded. "I felt the same," he said. "As soon as I saw you when I barged in early, I thought to myself, 'Jesus, this is the most beautiful-no, the most powerful woman I've ever seen," he responded. "That's so sweet of you," Everly said, looking down bashfully. "But Jesus, this doesn't change the illegality of whatever the hell we're doing right now." She looked up into Caden's face, perhaps hoping that he'd affirm her reservations, and tell her they had to stop-but, as Caden saw when he looked even deeper into her eyes, she was hoping that he'd say they should throw caution to the wind. And Caden wasn't a man to exercise caution. "Fuck it," he said. "It's both of our jobs to contribute to the betterment of mankind. We lose pieces of ourselves in the process. It's only natural we'd wanna combine those pieces with each other." Where the hell was that coming from? Caden marveled at what he was saying-he was sounding downright poetic. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a stand-alone story with an HEA, so no cliff-hangers! Story contains mature themes and language, and is intended for 18+ readers only.