Catch My Breath by M. J. O’Shea Read Free Book Online Page A

presence, and the girls from The Pixies were sweet. The jury was still out about Isaiah and the OCD guys, who all seemed like they thought they were too cool to hang with the likes of a boy band, but it was still too early to tell. Danny sighed.
    “Okay, guys,” he said. “Let’s listen to Papa Bear. Probably a good idea not to have our bags lying all over when the camera crew is trying to get around in the morning.”
    Elliot smiled and got to his feet. “Yeah, probably, but I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight anyway.”
    Danny shrugged. “Me either. I guess we can just come back down here when we’re finished if you guys are up for it.”
    Reece didn’t take his eyes from the television screen. “Just pick a bed for me. I don’t care. I can sleep anywhere.”
    “Same here,” Webb said.
    “’Kay,” Danny said. “We sharing?” He glanced at Elliot. As far as he was concerned, it was a foregone conclusion. Why wouldn’t he and El be sharing a room? Out of all the guys, they’d gotten closest with each other.
    “Okay.” Elliot gave him a shy smile.
    “Let’s go get our stuff put away, and we can come back down.”
    Elliot nodded, stood, and followed Danny to the stairs.
     
     
    T HE next morning, Danny was up by six. Elliot was just a lump under his covers when he went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. He heard stirring in the bigger room just as he was finishing up his hair, making sure it swooped artfully off to the side and didn’t have any weird pieces sticking up. Katie was always giving him crap about how much he loved his hair… but hey. A guy had to look good, right?
    Thinking of his girlfriend made Danny cringe. He’d meant to call her the previous night to let her know how he was settling in, but he’d gotten so caught up in talking to Elliot after they unpacked that he’d completely forgotten about it. That was getting easier and easier to do the more time he spent with Elliot and the guys. It made Danny feel guilty, even if it should have been understandable that he’d be distracted with everything that was going on. As soon as the cameras started rolling, they weren’t supposed to really call out anyway.
    I’ll text her tonight…. If we have time.
    A sudden knock at the door startled him into dropping his comb. “Hey, you almost done in there? Some of us have to use the bathroom, you know.”
    Danny grinned at Reece’s sleep-roughened voice. Fresh out of bed, Reece’s accent was thick enough he was nearly impossible to understand. “I’ve barely even started,” he teased through the door. “I still need to manscape.”
    “Aww, c’mon, man, that’s disgusting! I don’t wanna hear about that shit.” Danny heard a thud against the door. Maybe Reece’s forehead. Maybe a shoe telling both of them to shut the hell up.
    Danny laughed and unlocked the door to find Reece standing there with a raging case of bedhead and wearing a matching flannel pajama set, of all things.
    “Did your mommy buy you those for Christmas?” Danny asked with a snort, then dodged when Reece took a halfhearted swing.
    “Asshole,” Reece muttered. “You probably used up all the hot water too.”
    “Dude, there are fourteen people in this house. You can’t blame me.”
    “Sure I can.” Reece grunted and brushed past him. “You better head out unless you’re planning to watch.” He started to unbutton his top.
    Danny snorted and crossed the bathroom to the door that led to his and Elliot’s room. “Tempting as that is, I’ll pass. I’m not trying to go blind.”
    “Blind from the greatness,” Reece drawled. “They don’t call me anaconda at home for nothing.”
    Danny couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing, but still pulled the door shut behind him hurriedly, wheezing and muttering “Anaconda” under his breath.
    “Hey,” said a sleepy voice. “What’s so funny?”
    Danny looked over to find Elliot sitting up in bed, his hair a rumpled mess but still oddly adorable.