From New York Times
Bestselling author Gena Showalter, comes the next standalone romance in the Original
Heartbreakers Series—CAN’T HARDLY
BREATHE!
Grab your copy
today!
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an
irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman who’s never felt
desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe…
Bullied in high school, Dorothea
Mathis’s past is full of memories she’d rather forget. But there’s one she
can’t seem to shake—her longstanding crush on former Army Ranger Daniel
Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his
personal playground, she should kick him out...but his every
heated glance makes her want to join him instead.
Daniel returned to Strawberry
Valley, Oklahoma to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with
no strings attached. Though he craves the curvy Dorothea night and day, he’s as
marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he
fears losing her.
But every sizzling encounter
leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a
chance on love or walk away forever.
Get your copy of CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE here!
EXCERPT:
Dorothea Mathis studied the last room on her cleanup
schedule and groaned. The bed had been wrecked, the comforter and pillows
tossed haphazardly on the floor. A pair of panties hung from a bedpost. The TV
remote had been busted, the pieces scattered across the
nightstand. Wet towels created a path to the bathroom door, and the trash can…
Oh, gag me! The trash can contained used condoms.
The place needed to be decontaminated by people wearing
hazmat suits.
Am I up to date on my vaccinations?
With a sigh, Dorothea anchored earbuds in place, keyed up
her iPod and donned a pair of latex gloves. One—germs. Gross! Two—she was
protective of the green nail polish she’d applied only that morning.
She selected color based on mood. Green = irritated.
Somehow she’d known today would suck balls.
Her mom must have checked in Mr. and Ms. Pigsty last night
after Dorothea had gone to bed. Since she had a 4:00 a.m. wake-up call, she
tended to hit the sack by 9:00 p.m. Granny hours, her sister, Holly, liked to
tell her.
Dorothea picked up the dirty towels, removed the panties
from the post, emptied the trash, changed the sheets on the bed, straightened
the pillows and covers, and tossed the remote remains, planning to bill the Pigstys
for a new one.
Time was limited this morning. She’d promised to drive her
mother into the city in— Crap! Less than an hour. She rushed through dusting
and began vacuuming. As the machine swallowed dirt and debris, she tried not
to envy her mother. Carol would soon be enjoying her fourth “singles retreat”
of the year. Her fourth, but certainly not her last. She stayed at the
Michaelson, a five-star hotel owned by the richest guy in Strawberry Valley,
Dane Michaelson. Dane was married to a local girl Dorothea had gone to school
with, and he allowed Carol to stay free of charge. No doubt about it, she took
full advantage, attending speed-dating sessions, mixers and a plethora of
themed parties.
Her busy love life was just one of the many reasons she’d
given the Strawberry Inn to Dorothea.
The wheels on her cart suddenly squeaked, the sound louder
than her music. Yanking out the earbuds, she spun.
Surprise expelled the air from her lungs, leaving her
gasping. This so wasn’t happening right now.
It couldn’t be happening.
Nightmares didn’t really come to life. Nor did pornos. Not
that she watched those…very often. But dang it, this had to be one or the
other.
The sexiest man on the planet had just stridden into the
room. He was shirtless, sweat glistening on his eight pack—and his name was
Daniel Porter.
The Daniel. The childhood crush she’d never forgotten.
The first boy to break her already fragile heart.
She gulped. What was he doing here?
Wait. Like she really needed to ponder this one. Welcome
back, Mr. Pigsty.
Her hands trembled as she yanked the vacuum cord from the
electrical socket, the room descending into silence as the engine died.
I think you’re perfect just the way you are.
She smoothed her trembling hands down her “uniform,” a pair
of blue scrubs that could take a licking and keep on ticking. “Uh, hi. Hello.”
Oh, wow. Could she be any lamer? Definitely in a nightmare, not a porno.
“Welcome back.”
He pulled the earbuds from his ears and gifted her with a
small smile that failed to hide the lines of strain around his mouth. “Sorry about
the mess. I planned to clean up before I checked out.” His gaze darted throughout
the room, and he cringed. “I also plan to pay for the remote.”
What kind of sexual acrobatics had placed the poor remote in
harm’s path, anyway?
Oh, my stars. A warm flush poured over Dorothea,
threatening to overheat her. She almost fanned her cheeks for relief, barely
stopped herself.
Look away! She tried, she really did, but Daniel was
just so freaking beautiful. He was even taller now, and stronger, with a rough,
tough face. His cheekbones were sharp, and his nose boasted a small notch in
the center. Been broken a time or two? Dark stubble dusted his angular jaw,
though the shadows couldn’t disguise the fine tracery of scars on his left
cheek.
He was a modern-day warrior—literally. After high school,
he’d joined the army, defending the country he loved.
This wasn’t the first time Dorothea had seen him since his
return to town a few months ago, but her body reacted as if she’d never seen any
man, heating and tingling in all the naughtiest places.
Act naturally. He’s just a customer.
A customer who’d wrecked a room during his most recent stay,
but whatever. He was waiting for her to respond to his offer.
Let’s do this. “Yes, thank you. Payment would be appreciated.”
She wound the vacuum cord around her arm, her motions clipped. “As for the
room, I just need to tidy the bathroom, and I’ll be done.”
With his back to her, he stuffed his toiletries into an
overnight bag. “I’ll get out of your way, then.”
During his senior year of high school, he hadn’t just slept
with Madison Clark; he’d slept with a string of beautiful, popular girls, as if
banging-and-bailing had finally been dubbed a national sport.
Good thing Dorothea hadn’t pursued him. He would have taken
all her firsts and discarded her like garbage.
Instead, Jazz Connors had taken all her firsts and discarded
her like garbage.
Anger boiled her blood until bitterness swept in, leaving a
glaze of frost. Fire and ice. This wasn’t the first time they’d battled it out,
and this wouldn’t be the last. The biggest downside? They ensured the wounds
inside her hollowed-out chest never really had a chance to heal.
After graduation, she’d moved to the big bad city, enrolled
in the University of Oklahoma’s meteorology program, met Jazz and gotten
hitched, just as she’d always dreamed…only to return home several years later
with a divorce and no degree.
A washed-up has-been by the age of twenty-four.
Daniel, having served multiple tours of duty, had come back
a hero.
His life had meaning, hers didn’t. He and two of his friends
had started a security company right here in Strawberry Valley. He took care of
his ailing father, and in his free time he dated a plethora of city girls.
Dorothea knew about the girls because he’d stayed at the inn
every time a date had ended…successfully.
Her flush returned full force as she considered the other
five rooms he’d wrecked since his return…all the pleasure he’d been having…all
the pleasure she wished she could experience.
Not with him, of course. With someone she liked and
respected. Someone who liked and respected her, too, despite the fact that she
was still too round for society’s unhealthy standards, a lot too freckled and
trapped in a dead-end job.
Daniel Porter would never qualify.
Dorothea found him attractive, yes, but to her, appearance
would never outshine personality.
My man must be my equal. She had a lot of love to
give. She’d even grown to like herself…kind of. Maybe. Fine, she was trying to
like herself.
Avoiding Daniel’s gaze, she said, “No, you stay. I’ll go.”
Words her mother had drilled into her shouted inside her head: the customer
comes first. “I’ll finish your room later.” She rolled the vacuum toward
her cart.
“You live here, right?” he asked. “You own the inn?”
“I… Yes.” Technically she lived in the attic. The more rooms
she had available for guests, the more money she would make. At least in
theory.
Money was the number one reason she cleaned the pigsties
herself, rather than hiring a maid. She was saving her pennies to turn every
plain, ordinary room into a themed paradise. Then Strawberry Valley residents
would happily pay to stay just for fun.
Again, in theory.
So far she’d decided on six themes. (1) Four seasons—the
weather, not the hotel chain. (2) An enchanted forest. (3) A techno dance club.
(4) The underwater world of Atlantis. (5) A royal palace. And (6) an inner
sanctum, aka a superhero’s wet dream.
Also up for consideration? A beach hut, an igloo, an insane
asylum for her more daring patrons and a desert oasis.
With twenty-three rooms in total, she needed other ideas
fast. And more money. A lot more money.
Maybe, when the transformations were completed, the feeling
of accomplishment would finally chase away her anger and bitterness. Maybe she
would feel alive. Happy.
“If any part of your stay was subpar,” she said, “I will
personally—”
“No, everything has been great.” He looked over his shoulder
and winked at her. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to get into
trouble with the boss.”
Every pulse point in her body leaped with excitement. He’d
winked at her. Her!
I think you’re perfect just the way you are.
Red alert! She would not read more into his words
than he’d intended. Not this time. He was a flirt, plain and simple. Always had
been, apparently always would be.
“Why would I get in trouble?” she asked.
“For not finishing the room.”
Oh. Right. “Well, as long as you plan to come back to the
inn, I won’t fire myself. Not because I’m desperate to see you or anything,”
she added in a rush. “I’m not.” Dang it! “I mean, I’m always glad to see you
here. I mean, I just want your money.” Okay. Enough!
He laughed, his amber eyes twinkling.
Air caught in her throat and sizzled. He had the sexiest
laugh on the planet. His entire face softened. He pulsed with new life; fresh
and vibrant, he was the epitome of spring.
Then he frowned, as if he couldn’t believe he’d found humor
in, well, anything.
Her brow furrowed with confusion. Why the doom and gloom?
“In that case,” he said, his tone flat, “I think I’ll stay
another night.”
“Really?” She licked her lips. “What about your girlfriend?”
He stiffened. “She isn’t my—”
“No, don’t tell me. I’m sorry I asked. Your love life isn’t
my business.”
“I live in Strawberry Valley. My love life is everyone’s
business.”
His wry tone made her chuckle, and he stiffened all over
again. Great. What had she done wrong this time?
“I’ll be alone tonight,” he said, looking anywhere but at
her. “Apparently I hover over my dad when I’m home, so he’s asked for another
night off. But I swear to you, this room will be clean in the morning.”
She snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Doubting Dottie.” A
pause, then, “Would you like a cup of coffee before you go?”
“Oh, uh, no, thank you.” While she no longer viewed Daniel
through the wounded eyes of high school betrayal— he’d been a nice boy doing a
nice thing for a vulnerable girl in desperate need of a white knight—she’d
endured too much heartbreak over the years to risk getting to know him better and
reigniting her crush.
Look at the way she’d reacted to him already.
He appeared…disappointed? No, of course not. A trick of the
light, surely. “Well. See you around, Daniel.”
“Yeah. See you around, Dottie.” He returned his attention
to his toiletry bag, dismissing her.
Irritation had her snapping, “My name is Dorothea.”
Before he could respond, she stepped into the hall and
closed the door with a soft snick. Hands trembling, she hooked the
vacuum to the cart and rolled the cargo to the supply room…where her younger
sister Holly was smoking a cigarette.
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About Gena Showalter:
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY
bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series,
two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the
highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a
National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have
appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared
on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if
you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been
translated in multiple languages.
She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an
alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees.
You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her
upcoming books atgenashowalter.com or Faceboo
Links:
Website: www.genashowalter.com
Twitter: @genashowalter
Facebook: Facebook.com/genashowalterfans
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