Page 3 of Hers to Hold
He tore through the waist-high swinging doors. Nothing would keep her from him. “Get down!” With one arm, he brought her close to her side and dove behind the counter.
Her face contorted into a painful expression. Had she been shot? Was he too late?
When she opened her eyes, fear and shock stared back. “What…?”
“Don’t worry,” he breathed, wondering why he couldn’t hear the returning fire of his men. The air was strangely sweet, different from the bitter arid smell his nose was accustomed to. “Stay down. I’ll keep you safe.” He squeezed her close to his side, his face an inch from hers. “Do you hear me?” he gritted. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her features softened. She twisted in his grip and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “It’s okay,” she whispered.
Her soft, husky voice tore through his concentration. He cursed. One mistake was all it took to return home draped in the flag. He grunted, willing his mind to ignore the pleasurable stimulation his nerves were discharging as she wiggled against him. “Hold onto me. I won’t let you get hurt.” He squeezed her tight. “I won’t let you go,” he said firmly. Where was their air support?
“I’m fine,” she responded in the calmest of voices.
He wasn’t sure if she was crazy for not panicking or that she was already in a state of shock. The first time he was in a firefight, his training kicked in almost immediately. It wasn’t until after the battle that he walked around in a daze.
Either way, the look of protectiveness in her eyes warmed his heart and eased his own anxiety about their perilous situation. He loved a strong, fearless woman.
“You’re not on the battlefield anymore.”
He blinked a few times, his eyes going to her lips. What was she saying? The sound of a baby crying rang in his ears. The smell of cupcakes grew stronger. “What?”
Her lips parted in a gentle smile, her voice soothing. “You’re home, soldier. No one is shooting at you. You’re not in danger. Look up.”
He followed her finger to a countertop. No air support. They didn’t need it.
“See the cupcakes? Can you smell them? You’re in a bakery.”
A…bakery?
His eyes scanned his surroundings. A few apron-clad women gave him curious looks, but continued to serve customers with gazes of pity. Another server passed them with a dustpan full of broken glass. Is that what had triggered his attack? He heard someone drop a plate?
I’m having a flashback.
How long had it been since his last one?
The server disappeared behind swinging doors that wafted a strong scent of bread mixed with sweet treats. Itwasa bakery. He was supposed to pick up an order that—
His eyes returned to the brown beauty still in his arms, but strangely positioned against a cabinet, with his body planted protectively over hers. Fire stole through his legs, his groin, his stomach, and finally settled in his lips, a breath away from hers.
She squeezed him, her arms holding him tightly. “I’m Kadynce,” she whispered, her warm sweet breath wafting over him. One hand cupped the side of his cheek, drawing all of his focus to her eyes. His jaw relaxed into her palm, taking his weight. “Thank you for the save, but I believe I’m the one who’s holding you.”
He couldn’t argue with that one. She was holding him just as tightly, pulling him back from the nightmare and keepinghimsafe.
A hand drew softly down the side of his sweaty face before gently threading through his hair. The touched soothed his nerves, the tension in his head easing. “Ready to stand? Or do you need another minute.”
Her touched soothed the erratic beat of his heart, suppressing anxiety flowing through his blood. How is it that his body responded so willingly to this woman? Who was she and why did he trust her touch? Her voice?
He cleared his throat. “I’m keeping you from your job,” he said hoarsely. But he made no movement to release her. It had been a very, very long time since he’d held a woman this close. Felt her heartbeat beneath his chest. Her body move gently beneath his. It was intoxicating. He didn’t want to let her go.
She arched a brow, her lips in a sardonic wave. “Actually, I haven’t been hired yet. I’m on a trial run. After what I did to your cupcakes, I’m sure they’ll pass on me.”
Adrenaline surged through him and he backed away. “I won’t let that happen.” He moved to his feet and offered his hand. He lifted her from the floor, a hand at her waist to steady her. He remembered now; she had accidentally dropped her order after being startled. Much like he had dropped her after hearing glass break.
But completely different.
He hadn’t had an episode like that in a long time.I thought I was getting better.His heart sank. No way he could keep this from his therapist. They would unpack the episode second by second and determine the cause. He’d been in this bakery many times; he was used to the crowds and the noise.
But he’d never seen her. Kadynce.
