The Marine Corps was everything Landon Donnigan ever wanted in life...until a bullet sent him home with a medical discharge. Teaching a self-defense class a the gym is old hat for a Marine, but when meets sexy Ava Rosenthal, his combat skills are useless for protecting his heart. Ava can take care of herself and likes quiet, bookish men--not muscular warriors who think women need to be coddled. But Landon is more than he seems, and when they come together, the results are explosive.