Can't Hardly Breathe (The Original Heartbreakers #4)

Jude was wrong. Solitary living wasn’t underrated. It wasn’t even living.

The only time Thea had smiled, revealing a mouth full of braces, was when Ryanne and Lyndie had been with her. However, during her sophomore year, the two had opted to be homeschooled, and Thea had truly had no one.

His heart suddenly felt as if it had been flayed with a butter knife. He wished he could go back in time. He would shake his younger self and say, “Real friends are rare. Kindness is rarer. Be nice to that girl. One day, you’re going to want her more than air to breathe.”

At last he crawled under the sheets. He didn’t want to fall asleep, didn’t want to be plagued by nightmares, but Princess was exhausted. She burrowed under the covers and curled up beside him, seeking his warmth.

For over an hour, his mind refused to settle. Thea seemed to think all he had to offer her was a torrid one-night stand. And that was certainly true...to an extent. What if he were willing to give the relationship thing a try, as long as they kept emotions out of the picture and their association on the down low? When things ended—and they would—they could be friends, just like she wanted. His dad would never know they’d been more, never get his hopes up, never experience a moment of disappointment.

It could be a win-win with absolutely no downside.

Yeah. He could do it, no problem. He even liked the idea of having something more, something solid, between them, without having to worry about either one of them falling in love or walking away unexpectedly. They’d know the end would come. But until it did, Thea would belong to Daniel, and he would belong to her.

While they were together, he would be devoted to her. He wouldn’t lie to her, cheat on her or, hell, even look at another woman. Why would he need to? No other woman compared to her.

Finally, blessedly, a sense of contentment overtook him. One he hadn’t experienced since his mom died. And yet underneath it was a sense of...wrongness, as if there was a flaw in his plan.

He combed through every detail once, twice, but nothing set off an alarm.

Eventually, he drifted to sleep. A gradual process. Then, in a snap, screams erupted inside his head. The air around him was thick with smoke as well as the pungent aroma of blood and emptied bowels. The scent of death. Despite the constant stream of gunfire, he heard the soft click of a pin being pulled from a grenade.

Whoosh. Boom! The ground shook beneath his feet, already unstable buildings threatening to topple. In the distance, fire blazed and smoke clouds drifted. Dust plumed. But even in the hellish darkness, he could see the worry in Brock’s face.

“We’re going to be okay,” he told his friend.

“Not if we stay here. Go on. I’ll cover you, and you can come back with help.” Brock had taken a bullet to the calf as he’d dragged a bleeding Daniel into this hidden pit. Now they were both injured. “Go!”

“Like hell.” The shards of metal embedded around his ribs sank deeper with every move he made. “Our help is already KO’d.” Earlier their friend Felix had tripped a Bouncing Betty. The land mine had shot into the air and exploded, ensuring the shrapnel inflicted maximum damage to nearby soldiers. “We wait until the trouble passes.”

Jude was hunkered in front of a makeshift window, staring outside with night-vision binoculars. He was the only one without a gusher. “Sorry, bro, but it’s not going to pass us. Not for hours yet.”

“Then I’ll cover you,” Daniel told Jude. Already lost my mom. Would rather die than lose a friend. “Leave your battle-rattle here and get Brock to the medic.”

Boom!

Debris rained over their hideaway, the roof caving in. Through the ringing in his ears, he detected a storm of footsteps. The enemy approached. He readied his weapons for a final stand and—

Sat up, gasping for breath he couldn’t catch. Sweat drenched him. Princess licked his hand, reminding him that he wasn’t alone, that he’d survived the battle and, more important, his friends had survived, as well.

He drew his knees to his chest and rested his head on top. People wondered why it was so difficult for soldiers to acclimate to “normal” life. Forget the nightmares. Often Daniel had to retrain himself from speaking in “command voice,” a tone that demanded an immediate response; a tone that scared...everyone. And that was the least worrisome reason.

He stood to shaky legs, showered and dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. A glance at the clock revealed it was 3:13 a.m. Unlucky thirteen. Whatever. He had no fear of a man-made superstition.

Fear wasn’t a friend but a hated foe. Time and time again, he’d seen men freeze in battle anytime a shot rang out, making themselves a perfect target. Fear could act quickly or slowly, but if left unchecked, it would always take control of your life.

Fool! You’re letting fear make your decisions with Thea.

What? No. Hell, no. He didn’t fear a relationship with her. He wanted it with every fiber of his being. And he didn’t fear his dad’s reaction to the inevitable breakup. Not really. He simply preferred to stop a punch before it was thrown.

Though it was a little too early to head to the inn, staying here was no longer an option. He could smell the taint of war, could hear the faint echo of screams. He needed Thea’s scent around him, calming him, and not just from her soap, but from every piece of fabric and furniture he encountered. He needed the excitement of watching every corner, wondering when she would round it and finally enter his line of sight. He needed the joy of hearing her voice and seeing her face...her body, a bounty of softness. A treasure.

Freckles mark the spot.

“You want to go with me?” he asked Princess.

She barked and ran circles around his feet.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

On the drive to the inn, he realized he needed to buy Princess a doggy car seat. Or maybe a travel crate? Was that an actual thing, or did he need to build one? Either way, better safe than sorry. If something were to happen to his dog—

He shook his head. She wasn’t his dog.

Her owner would show up eventually, and he or she would have a lot to answer for. Would have to pass Daniel’s Do You Deserve Princess exam, too.

“Today I’m going to turn Thea’s no into a yes,” he told Princess as he parked in the lot across from the inn. But he felt no excitement at the prospect. What was wrong with a woman wanting him just because he was, well, him? Nothing, that’s what.

Thea might not admit it, but she did want him. The way her breath hitched when he touched her...the way her gaze lingered on him... He just had to remind her of her feelings, and that was what excited him.

The front door was locked, saving Thea from a lecture about safety. Even small towns had crime. He used his key. The one he’d had made before yesterday’s date. In the lobby, a soft lamp glowed on the counter, highlighting a sign that read “Office hours 6:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m. To report a problem, call 405-555-6892.”

Thea’s cell phone number.