Read LikeTheresNoTomorrow for Free Online

one.
    “I’ve been over there twice,” he finally said. “Never got so
much as a paper cut while friends around me…” He left the rest unsaid. She knew
the guilt he suffered. She had her own, being the only survivor in that truck.
    “I missed being injured by seconds during my first
deployment. The second time I was caught in it. Jim…I don’t think I’ll survive
a third time. It’s like death is stalking me over there.” Julia was surprised
the words came out calmly, without the screaming panic in her head.
    Jim slipped his hand over hers and squeezed. How did he know
this was exactly what she needed? Here was comfort, understanding and a bond
Julia didn’t want to admit to. One that strengthened when he looped his thumb
through hers and tucked into her palm.
    He eased away too soon, but she didn’t try to fool herself
with thinking she’d imagined what she felt. Her heart knew. Her body knew. More
importantly, so did her soul. The timing sucked.
    “You know,” Jim said as he scooped up some ice cream, ”I’m
very fond of vegetables too. If you have a bumper crop, I’ve got the stomach to
fill.”
    Julia laughed. “Buddy, you have no idea what you just let
yourself in for.”
    “You can enlighten me tomorrow when we go to your place to
harvest them.” A challenge on his face. A gleam in his eyes. Dread weighing
down her stomach.
    Julia pushed her bowl to one side. “Jim, I—”
    He pressed his index finger to her lips. “Not a word, Red.
This is now, not tomorrow, not next week…now. No one knows when their number’s
up. If we were any other couple we’d go for this.”
    The guy was crazy, offering her something Julia shouldn’t
explore. At the most she had a week before she had to leave. At the worst…days.
Would it tear her up all the more when she left, or give her happy memories for
the time over there? It wouldn’t last, she knew that. Most established
relationships couldn’t sustain a seven-month deployment, or the aftereffects
returning brought. But for now?
    Julia gently pushed his hand away. “If I’m going to spend
the night, I’ll need a toothbrush. Do you have any extra?”
    The naughty smirk was back, along with the gleam of
mischief. “Well, since we’ve had our tongues down each other’s throats, not to
mention other places , you could use mine.”
    She stared, unblinking, eyebrow arched, arms crossed.
    Jim snickered. “Linen closet in the hall has extras. Help
yourself to whatever you need. Make yourself at home.”
    “Thank you.”
    Julia took him at his word, brushing her teeth, taking a
shower, giving the bed fresh sheets while Jim showered, then crawling into a
bed that felt like heaven. She’d nearly drifted off when the mattress sagged
with his weight. He spooned against her, dropped a kiss to her shoulder. No
erection stabbed her in the back, no fingers wandered to her breasts. Just
peace, contentment, a forever kind of moment.
    “God, Jim, what are we doing?” she asked in a rush of
breath.
    “Living in the moment, Red. Because sometimes a moment’s all
a person’s got. And while I’ve got you, we’re going to live like there’s no
tomorrow.”
    Sounded like a damn fine plan to her.
    * * * * *
    Jim woke up to an empty bed and the smell of coffee calling
his name. Sporting morning wood and damn proud of it, he swung from bed and
stormed toward the kitchen, expecting to see Red sitting at the dining table.
She wasn’t. Her purse was gone too. A piece of paper with a smiley face was
leaning against an almost full coffeepot.
    At first he was numb. After that he couldn’t keep up with
the emotions. One thought kept running through his head. You pushed her too
far. Followed by… You really fucked up .
    How long had she been gone? Surely he would have felt her
leave the bed. But there was coffee, complete with a smiley face. Why make
coffee if she was getting the hell out of Dodge?
    Jim cursed himself seven ways to Sunday. He never got a
number or an