Stitched Up Heart (Combat Hearts Book 1) (5 page)

All too soon, Jase lifted his head to look at Bree. “Need to get rid of the condom, babe.”

“Mmkay,” Bree mumbled. She moaned a little when he pulled out. He licked the valley between her breasts and pushed himself off the bed. She gave a small groan, rolled to her side, and fluffed the pillow under her head. She was almost asleep when she felt Jase get back in the bed and pull her close.

The dull throb in her skull woke her. She burrowed her head further into her pillow. Why were her sheets so scratchy? She cracked open an eye, then lifted her aching head to stare at the plain blue fabric under her face. These were not her sheets. She turned her head and saw Jase’s muscular, naked body sprawled on his stomach next to her.

The previous night came rushing back to her.
Shit. This is going to be awkward.
When was the last time she’d had a one-night stand? Crap, she’d still been an airman on her first tour in the Air Force. She peeked at her watch - just after six in the morning.
Stupid internal alarm clock, it’s the weekend.

She glanced at Jase again. He really was mouthwatering. His arms were tucked under the pillow and his head turned away from her. The sheet rested in the small of his back, exposing the wide expanse of his back and the tattoos covering it. Even asleep, he was ripped. A slight variation in the tan line on his arms and neck suggested he spent a lot of time outdoors, with and without a shirt. Did he say what he did last night? She couldn’t remember. The lust fog must have been really thick.

She hovered a finger over a quote tattooed on the left side of his ribs.
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother
. She smiled. Shakespeare. Henry V. The top and edge of a battlefield cross, a rifle set in a pair of combat boots topped with a helmet, was visible on his left shoulder. She bit her lip. She’d seen that one too many times in real life. His entire upper back was covered with a large gray-and-black mural depicting scenes from a modern-day battle. Beautiful, almost photo quality. She frowned as she ran her finger along a two-inch jagged scar just under the mural.

Jase stirred slightly, adjusted his head on the pillow and let out a small sigh. She jerked her hand back and held her breath. She shifted on the bed, sliding toward the edge and hopefully to her clothes. Jase had thrown them all over his head after he’d gotten them off her. She clenched her thighs together when she remembered Jase stripping her. Maybe she should stick around and see if he was up for another round. No, that would lead to the awkward stage of pretending what happened wasn’t a one-nighter. Better to go while he was still asleep and avoid the whole cliché.

Bree gathered her clothes from the floor and got dressed. She checked her shorts pocket where she found her debit card and phone still in the back pocket. She pulled up a taxi app and ordered a pickup. She sent a silent thanks to the inventor of the GPS because she had no idea where she was. She eased the bedroom door open and tiptoed down the short hall into the living room. Her flip-flops and keys were still where she’d left them.

“Don’t do it.” A deep voice came from the couch.

Bree jumped, barely holding back a small scream.

“Son of a biscuit,” she hissed. She glanced over to see a guy stretched out on the couch, covered by a plaid blanket, his eyes closed. He looked familiar. Was he at the bar last night? He hadn’t been with their group, she knew that much.

“Don’t do what?” she whispered.

“Don’t take off without waking him up and telling him you’re going.”

“He’s asleep and I have to get to work.”

“He’s not that asleep, believe me. He’s not going to be happy when he wakes up and finds you snuck out.” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Wake him up, he’ll drive you home.”

“He doesn’t have a car.”

The guy centered his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. “I drove his truck back last night. Wake him up.”

“I honestly don’t have time to wait. I’ve already called a cab to come get me.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

What?
Bree scrunched her face up in his general direction. “Okay. You warned me. Later.”

“Yup.”

Bree walked around the corner and waited for the taxi just in case Jase woke up and came out after her. She had a few more hours before she needed to be at the retirement community where she volunteered. Maybe she’d be able to get a couple more hours of sleep before starting her day. She flagged down the taxi coming down the street.

She gave the driver her address and leaned her head against the head rest. Staring out the window, not seeing the scenery flashing by, she thought about last night. The way Jase had kissed her. Touched her. The way she had responded. She chewed the cuticle of her thumb. She could have at least left him her number. Maybe she should… She looked out the rear window. No. It’s better this way. Too bad, really, because Jase was someone she could get used to.

T
he faint smell of jasmine and vanilla lingered on the sheets, reminding Jase of the woman in bed with him. The scent triggered his morning wood, all too happy to respond. He adjusted his hips and rolled to his side. The hand he ran across the sheets kept going, finding nothing but an empty bed. His eyes popped open.

She must be in the bathroom. If her mouth was as dry as his, she probably needed some water. He rolled to his back and folded the pillow under his head. He’d give her a few minutes, but he had plans for her luscious body. Her laughter echoed in his head, sending another rush of blood to his hard-on. He stroked his cock, trying to relieve some of the pressure. Damn, this woman had him wound up. He hadn’t brought a chick home in more than year. The couple of women he’d dated in that time hadn’t lasted more than a few months at most. Even then, he’d never woken up aching for them. Hell, he’d never woken up with them.

But Bree… every asshole in that bar had eye-fucked her and her friend as soon as they hit the floor. Hard to miss them, dressed in cut-offs and t-shirts. Not the usual biker babes and Special Forces groupies that hung around The Deck, looking for a quick thrill. That kiss in the hall had made him feel something for the first time in a long time. He’d barely refrained from fucking her in the taxi. The only thing that stopped him was the audience. If he’d been sober enough to drive, he probably wouldn’t have gotten further than the cab of his truck.

That had been one of the hardest orgasms he’d ever had. Her long auburn hair, tangled from his hands, had been spread out on the bed, and he’d been ready to go again. He groaned remembering how she tasted coming in his mouth.

What the hell was taking her so long?

He got out of bed, pulled on his boxers, and headed down the hall past the dark, empty bathroom.

Where is she?

Jase walked into the dim living room. Her shoes and keys were gone.

“What the fuck?”

“She bailed, dude,” Chris said as he sat up on the couch, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes before running his hands back and forth over his head. “She left about an hour ago.”

“You didn’t try to stop her?”

“Short of tackling her and hog-tying her until you woke up, what did you want me to do?”

“Wake my ass up.”

“Why were you asleep in the first place? Fine piece of ass in my bed, I wouldn’t have been sleeping.”

“Don’t call her a piece of ass. Your place was closer.”

“Didn’t want to wait the half hour drive to your place?”

“No.”

“Figured. Wash my sheets.” He got up and headed to the kitchen.

“Yeah, sure. I thought you were going to be gone for another week.” Jase collapsed on the recliner.

“Got a break. Wrapped it up early.”

“Get the bad guys?”

“Always.”

Jase stared up at the ceiling fan as it spun in a slow, hypnotic circle. “Fuck. I need to go get my truck.”

“Had one of the guys drop me at the bar. Brandon said you took a cab, so I grabbed your truck.”

“’Preciate it.”

Chris paused in the process of scooping grounds into the coffee maker. “Did you get her number?”

“Fuck. No.” Jase put both hands over his face, scrubbing his beard and running them up into his hair.

“Did you get her name?”

Jase dropped his hands to the arms of the recliner and glared. “Yes, jackass, I got her name.”

“Her whole name?” Chris asked.

If Chris weren’t such a good friend, he’d knock that shit-eating grin off his face. “She mentioned it at one point.”

“But you don’t remember it.” Chris started to laugh. “You’re screwed, then.”

“I’ll call Tim, see if he can do anything.”

“You’re really going to call your brother to track down a chick? Must have been one sweet pussy.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever blown my load that hard in my life.” He adjusted his shorts as his body responded to his memory. “And don’t refer to her as pussy again.”

“I said sweet pussy.”

Jase growled.

“Chill, dude, I’m just giving you shit. Must have been one hell of a ride though, to have you this strung out over a chick leaving the morning after. Hasn’t been your MO in a while, bringing home a woman you just met in a bar.” He reached into the fridge to grab some eggs before turning back to Jase.

“Shit, I don’t know what the hell it was. It was just…different. The way she handled herself last night. You know how we can be, especially when we’re drinking. Loud and obnoxious.”

“You mean drunken jackasses.”

“Yeah, basically. She and her friend didn’t blink. Just rolled with the punches. She didn’t take anyone’s shit.” Jase trailed off as he rested his head against the back of the chair. “Christ, I sound like a chick.”

“Keep it up and I’ll have to confiscate your man card,” Chris said, pointing a spatula at him. “You really want to find her?”

“Dude, I just said I was willing to call my brother and deal with the ration of shit he’s going to give me because I’m asking for a favor. Yeah, I want to find her.”

“Well, I might be able to help you.”

“How’s that?” Jase pushed out of the chair to grab a cup of coffee.

“She seemed familiar.”

Jase closed the cabinet door hard. “Familiar how?”

“I haven’t slept with her, if that’s what you’re thinking. She looked familiar. Maybe on a deployment? It’ll come to me.”

Jase gave him a small head nod.

“You need help with class today or are you going home to sulk and pine over your girl?” Chris asked.

“Asshole.”

Chris smirked. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

“Just checking. You want some eggs?”

“Sure,” Jase headed back to the bedroom. “I’m gonna grab a shower.”

“Put my sheets in the wash, fucker,” Chris called out at Jase’s back.

Jase stacked the hale bales used behind the targets on his 10-acre property near Haven Springs, twenty miles south of Raleigh, North Carolina.

“We’re going to have an extra guy today,” he told Chris.

“Last minute addition?”

“Yeah. One of the guys already signed up called and asked if he could bring his buddy along.”

“You good with that? Has he been vetted yet?”

Jase sighed. “No. He said he’s turned in all the paperwork and he’s just waiting on the shrink to sign off on it. We’re using blunt tips today anyway.”