21. Chapter 21
The room was quiet, save for the sound of their slowed, steady breathing. The kind of silence that settled deep, wrapping around them like the warmth of the sheets they were tangled in.
Heath lay on his back, Maddie tucked into his side, her bare leg draped over his.
His arm curled around her, fingers tracing absent circles against her spine, the weight of her against him so damn perfect it almost made him forget the size of her bed.
Small. Too damn small for him. But somehow, in this moment, he didn’t give a shit.
She was warm. Soft. The kind of comfortable that made it hard to think about anything else.
But Heath had never been the kind of man to ignore a hard conversation. Not when it mattered. And this—they—mattered.
He exhaled, shifting just enough to look down at her, to see her half-lidded eyes, the faint smirk on her lips. Like she was still floating in the haze of what they’d just done. And fuck, that was a sight.
His hand slid up her back, fingers tangling lightly in her hair. “Maddie.”
“Mm,” she hummed, pressing her cheek against his chest. “If you’re about to ask me to move because your giant SEAL body doesn’t fit in my bed, the answer is no.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’ll survive.”
“Good.”
She nestled closer, and for a second, he let himself enjoy it. Let himself want this.
Then he did what had to be done.
“I can’t do casual with you,” he said, his voice low, steady.
Maddie stilled.
He felt the way her muscles locked, the way her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. Didn’t say a word.
He brushed a hand up and down her spine, grounding them both. “I don’t do the whole whatever this is thing. Not with you.”
She exhaled slowly, her fingers splaying over his chest, resting right over his heartbeat. “I never said I wanted casual.”
Heath tilted his head, studying her. “Then tell me what this is.”
Maddie was quiet, her fingertips tracing lightly over his skin. She wasn’t avoiding the question—he could see the wheels turning in her head, the way she was weighing it.
Finally, she looked up at him, eyes sharp but guarded. “You’re putting this on me?”
He gave a slow nod. “Yeah. I am.”
She blinked. “Why?”
“Because I need to know if I should walk away now, before either of us gets hurt.” His voice was firm but not harsh. Just real. Honest.
Maddie swallowed, her throat working. “And if I don’t want you to walk away?”
His hand tightened in her hair, just enough to make her tilt her head back, to make her look him in the eye. “Then say it.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her breathing picked up. He saw it, felt it—the war inside her. The part of her that wanted to push him away. The part of her that didn’t.
Heath’s grip softened, his fingers slipping through the strands of her hair. “It’s your call, McAuley.”
She searched his face, eyes flicking between his, trying to find something in him that she already knew was there.
Heath exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. He knew she needed time to process this, but fuck, she was making him sweat.
He kept his voice even. “It’s either a relationship or nothing, Maddie. We can be friends. We can be in each other’s lives. But I’m not playing boyfriend without actually being your boyfriend. I can’t do casual.”
Maddie studied him, quiet, thoughtful, not rushing to fill the silence. She wasn’t rattled—just processing, and that made him even more nervous. She was taking this seriously.
Finally, she tipped her head, her lips quirking just a little. “Tell me what relationship means to you.”
He let out a short laugh, shaking his head. “You’re really making me spell it out.”
She lifted a brow, deadpan. “Yes.”
He sighed, settling his hand on her hip, thumb rubbing absent circles over the bare skin just above her waistband. “It means… exclusive. I’m taken. You’re taken. We’re in each other’s lives in a real, meaningful way. No expiry date. We take it one step at a time.”
Maddie’s fingers ghosted over his ribs. “So, I would be your girlfriend.”
He snorted. “Are you new to this?”
She huffed a small laugh, shifting against his chest. “I mean, yes?”
Heath smirked, but he was dead serious when he nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I envision.”
She hummed, considering that. “We have a lot of obstacles.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Like I said—one step at a time. We deal with things as they come up. Like mature adults. Partners in crime.”
Her lips twitched. “So, you’d commit a crime for me?”
He grinned. “Obviously yes. Please say murder.”
Maddie laughed under her breath, shaking her head. “You SEALs… good at murder?”
He shrugged.
Her gaze flickered over him. “Tell me about that.”
Heath stilled. He hadn’t expected her to actually ask.
But she had.
And maybe… maybe she needed this—needed to think about something else. To digest his words without staring straight at them. He’d set his boundaries. He’d been clear. He could give her a minute to breathe.
So, he let the conversation shift. “You want to know about my job?”
She nodded. “Yeah. You joined the Navy out of high school, right? Then what?”
He stretched out on his back, arm tucked under his head, watching her as he answered. “Then BUD/S. Made it through selection, got assigned to a SEAL Team, went through all the specialty schools I could get my hands on. Ended up specializing in combat medicine, CQB, and breaching.”
Maddie’s fingers trailed along his chest, like she was mapping him out. “And college?”
He smirked. “That what you’re into? A guy with degrees?”
“Just trying to see how much I will dominate you in the hospital, Senior Chief.”
“Fully.” He chuckled. “Took classes in between deployments, finished a degree in emergency medicine. Wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, but it made me better at my job.”
She was quiet for a beat, then, “Where are you from?”
He rolled his head toward her. “San Diego.”
Maddie frowned. “Really?”
He smirked. “Yeah. My family’s from here—well, the opposite side of the city from La Jolla, but yeah. Mom, Dad, Adam, Natalie—we’re all still around.”
Maddie’s brows lifted. “So, big family?”
Heath let out a soft laugh. “Big enough. Adam’s got kids now. Natalie too.”
That seemed to make her pause.
She exhaled slowly. “And that,” she murmured, eyes fixed on his chest, “would be another obstacle for us.”
Her voice was quiet, thoughtful, like she was finally saying something she’d been holding back.
Heath stayed still. Let her sit with that realization. Let her say it.
But deep down, he already knew—
They weren’t just talking about the future.
They were talking about her.
* * * * *
After a few minutes, Maddie stretched, pushing up from the mattress and slipping into the bathroom. Her limbs felt heavy, relaxed, her mind foggy from the kind of sleep she hadn’t had in… well, forever.
Splashing cold water on her face, she took a deep breath, studying herself in the mirror. Hair a mess. Skin flushed. Lips a little swollen. Good Lord.
Shaking her head at herself, she padded back into the bedroom—and immediately frowned.
Heath was standing at the foot of the bed, pulling his jeans back on, his shirt still in his hand.
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Oh, you’re leaving.”
He pulled his shirt over his head, ruffling his hair as he glanced at her. “Well, yeah. For a lot of reasons—including the fact that I have nothing here. We didn’t even eat dinner. Gotta live, Doc. Can’t roll around in bed like teenagers all day.”
Maddie huffed, watching as he grabbed his belt, sliding it through the loops with that easy, practiced motion. “That’s disappointing. Thought we were embracing our youth.”
Heath smirked but didn’t answer, heading downstairs, his boots heavy against the wood.
Still shirtless, Maddie grabbed the first pair of leggings she could find and a hoodie, tugging them on quickly before following him down.
By the time she got to the kitchen, he was already gathering his things—tools, bags, whatever else he never left behind.
She narrowed her eyes at his efficiency. “What, you afraid I’m gonna sell your stuff on Marketplace?”
Heath shot her a flat look before shaking his head.
Maddie grinned. “Problem?”
“You keep things interesting.” He shouldered his bag, moving toward the door.
She lingered, watching him. It was always like this. He never left things behind. Never got too comfortable. Maybe that was just how he was wired. Maybe it was intentional.
Her stomach twisted.
“Where are you going now?” She hesitated for a split second before blurting, “Home?”
He stopped. Turned. “Yup.”
She swallowed, then, before she could overthink it—before she could talk herself out of it—said, “Can I come?”
He stilled. Really stilled. “Why?”
Maddie exhaled sharply, suddenly feeling incredibly exposed. “Well, I dunno,” she said, feigning nonchalance. “I’m your girlfriend now, right?”
His jaw ticked. His eyes darkened.
And then, before she could second-guess herself, she leapt into his arms.
Heath caught her easily, arms banding around her waist, his mouth crashing down on hers in a deep, breath-stealing kiss. He kissed her hard, like he was making sure she meant it, like he wasn’t going to let her take it back.
When he finally pulled away, his voice was rough. “Go pack a bag.”
Maddie smiled, breathless. “Yes, Senior Chief.”
His grip on her tightened for a second, his lips ghosting against her jaw, before he set her back on her feet. “Hurry up, McAuley.”
Grinning, she took off up the stairs.
For the first time in months, something felt right.
* * * * *
The drive into Coronado Cays felt like stepping into a world she’d never quite belonged to.
Maddie sat in the passenger seat of Heath’s truck, her overnight bag wedged between her feet, her body still warm from the kiss he’d given her before they’d left La Jolla.
She’d been here before, of course—Coronado, the tourist side, the Hotel Del, the beach—but never back here, never into this neighborhood, this quiet enclave of wealth and seclusion tucked away behind gated streets and pristine canals lined with yachts.