LIGHTNING (10 page)

“Brooke,” he strained as I yelped, throwing my head back and feeling his come fill my insides.

We were both out of breath but didn’t care as I brought my mouth to his and our lips wouldn’t leave each other. Our kiss lasted well beyond our orgasms, which left us both breathless and fulfilled. He broke our kiss and pulled me tightly into him and my face buried itself into his neck. I could feel his racing heart beat against my chest as we lay there holding each other securely.

After a few moments, I broke our embrace and stared into Logan’s eyes as he ran his thumb across my lips.

“You were incredible,” he spoke in a soft tone.

“So were you.” I smiled.

Things had just become complicated.

Logan

Being a hockey player, I’d had sex with a lot of women over the years. All I had to do was look their way and we’d end up having sex. Most of it—okay, just about all of it—was meaningless one-night stands while the rest were a sort of friends-with-benefits sex with girls I liked. It was never anything special. I’d never felt a connection with anyone until now, this very moment, as my arms held on to this beautiful woman beside me in my bed. Her head lay on my chest as I stroked her long soft hair. A mix of feelings and emotions resided inside me, all of which were things I’d never felt before.

“You’re coming with me to the Christmas party tomorrow, right?”

She lifted her head. “I don’t know. I wasn’t asked.”

The corners of my mouth curved into a small smile. “Brooke, would you like to be my date for the Christmas party tomorrow night?”

“I’d be honored to be your date.” She smiled back.

Lifting my head, I kissed her lips. “Thank you.”

“How’s your leg feeling?” she asked as she reached her hand down and placed it on my thigh.

“It hurts, but I can handle it.”

“Good. Because if it didn’t hurt, I’d be worried.” She lay her head back down.

“Stay with me in my bed tonight.” I kissed the top of her head.

“I was planning on it,” she spoke as her lips pressed against my chest.

“What happened between us was inevitable. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. I know.”

“I just don’t want you thinking you made a mistake.”

“I know I didn’t make a mistake, Logan.”

“Good. Because I know I sure as hell didn’t.”

****

The next morning, we got up bright and early and headed to the gym. After an exhausting leg workout, I was more than ready to head home and take a nap before getting ready for the Christmas party, but Brooke had other plans.

“I need to shop for a dress for tonight.”

“You didn’t bring one with you?” I asked.

“Not a nice one for a Christmas party.” She smirked.

“So does that mean I have to go with you?”

“We’re already out, so why not? I won’t be long. I promise.”

“But I’m in a lot of pain right now.”

She shrugged. “You can handle it.”

Leaving the gym, we walked down the street as Brooke looked in the windows of the various shops. We passed an antique shop and she stopped when she saw something in the window.

“What are you looking at?” I asked.

“That.” She pointed to a cane in the window.

“Why?”

“Come on; let’s go inside.” She smiled.

Following behind, we were immediately greeted by an older woman with gray hair, which was perfectly secured in a tight bun.

“Hello.” She politely smiled. “Can I help you with something?”

“We were interested in that cane you have in the window.”

“Correction.
She
is interested in that cane in the window.” I smiled.

“That is a very special cane. It belonged to Charlton Heston.”

“Oh!” Brooke exclaimed. “Can we see it, please?”

The old lady walked over to the window, removed the cane from its display stand, and handed it to Brooke.

“It’s a fine piece of work. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes it is,” Brooke replied as she looked it over. “Hand over the crutches and try this.”

“What? Seriously?” I cocked my head.

“Yep. I’m very serious.”

Sighing, I handed her my crutches and took the cane from her hand.

“It’s the perfect size.” She smiled. “Try it out.”

“I really don’t want to, Brooke.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to answer the phone.” The old lady smiled as she walked away.

“Try it out,” Brooke commanded.

“What if I fall?” I spoke through gritted teeth.

“You’ll only fall if you believe you will. Just walk very slow.”

Shooting her a look, I set the cane down on the carpet and took baby steps while Brooke held on to my arm.

“See. You can do it.” She smiled.

The old woman made her way back to us with a smile. “That cane looks good with you. Very stylish.”

“We’ll take it,” Brooke spoke.

“Wait a minute. How much is it?” I asked.

She rattled off the price and my eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?”

“You can afford it, Logan, and you need it.”

“There are plenty of others in the state of New York, Brooke.”

“But it belonged to Charlton Heston.” She pouted. “Don’t you want to tell people all about it?”

“No. I don’t care if it belonged to him.”

She sighed. “Fine. Forget it. I’m so sorry we wasted your time,” she spoke to the old lady.

With a gentle smile, I handed the cane back to her while Brooke gave me my crutches. I could see the disappointed look on her face as we began to walk out of the shop. Stopping, I told Brooke to hold on.

“Ma’am, I’ll take the cane.”

“You don’t have to, Logan. We’ll find another one,” Brooke spoke.

“No, Brooke. I want it. It is pretty sharp and I do have an image to keep up.” I winked.

The smile that crossed her lips made me happy. Before we stepped out the door, I took the cane, handed Brooke my crutches, and held out my arm. With a soft smile, she hooked her arm around mine and laid her head on my shoulder.

“This is the reason I bought the cane.” I kissed the top of her head.

By time Brooke looked for a dress and we had lunch, I didn’t think I was going to make it back to the apartment. As soon as we stepped inside, I lay down on the couch.

“The pain is excruciating, Brooke. I need something.”

“Okay. Just hold on a second.”

I watched her as she walked to the kitchen. Last night was incredible with her and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I needed her more than I had ever needed anyone, and believe me, I had never needed anyone. Feeling her soft skin pressed against mine was something that was etched in my memory. The need to be buried deep inside her again was overwhelming. As she walked over and placed the pills in my hand, I closed mine against hers. Her eyes locked with mine.

“What are you doing?” She smirked.

“Holding your hand.”

“You need to take those pills so you can get some relief.”

Staring intently into her blue eyes, I spoke, “Somehow, my leg doesn’t seem to be bothering me anymore.”

Bringing her fingers to my mouth, she traced my lips. “Take your pills and then you can have me.”

Releasing her hand, I popped the pills in my mouth, chased them down with water, and let my fingers unbutton her jeans. As I took them down, Brooke pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. She stood in front of me in her white lace panties that sat low on her hips with a tiny white satin bow and my cock grew with desire. Running my hands along her hourglass shape, I brought my lips to her toned abdomen, planting small light kisses across her. Her hands ran through my hair as mine reached up and grasped her breasts, feeling the sexiness of her matching lace bra. The only thought going through my mind was how badly I needed to taste her. Hooking my fingers into the sides of her panties, I slowly took them down as my tongue followed until it reached her clit. She moaned and my cock was ready to explode. Circling around her, she pushed her hips forward, giving me full access to her sweet wet spot as my hands firmly gripped her ass. I took it slow, letting my tongue lightly glide all around her. First her clit, then her lips, down her inner thigh, and back up for another round. She was swelling as her moans became louder. I could sit in this very spot and do this all fucking day. I’d never tasted anything so beautiful in my life. With my tongue circling her, I dipped my finger inside, exploring her until the pleasure of ecstasy overcame her and her body tightened as did her grip on my hair.

“Oh my God, Logan,” she shouted out in satisfaction.

Softly planting a tender kiss on her hips, I reached up and unhooked her bra.

“I want you underneath me,” I spoke.

She bent down and brushed her lips against mine with a smile. Handing me my cane, she helped me up from the couch and led me to my bedroom. As I stripped out of my clothes, she climbed under the covers and held them up while I climbed on top of her, taking her breasts in my mouth before kissing her soft lips.

“Do you want me inside you?” I asked with a whisper as I pushed my cock against her inner thigh.

“God, yes,” she panted.

“How bad?” I smiled as I nipped at her bottom lip.

“Real bad.”

“Tell me how bad you want my cock buried inside you.” I pushed against her thigh again.

“I can’t wait anymore. I need your big cock inside me, and I need you to fuck me right now.”

Hearing her say that, I thrust inside her, getting lost in the wetness and warmth that enveloped me. We both gasped at the same time. When she wrapped her legs around my waist, I thrust in and out of her slowly at first, making sure to take in every bit of pleasure she gave me. Her head tilted back as my mouth devoured her soft neck. Her light moans made my heart race faster and my cock was ready to explode inside of her. Picking up the pace, her nails dug into my back as I rocked back and forth, forgetting the fiery pain that resided in my leg. The only thing I could focus on was her and how good she made me feel. Our panting synced as I moved in and out of her with long strokes.

“Come for me, baby,” I panted.

“Uh. Uh,” she moaned. “Oh God. Oh God.”

The tightening I felt around my cock sent me into a frenzy. She had orgasmed something fierce and I couldn’t hold back any longer. With one last deep thrust, I halted as my cock erupted and filled her up with my come. Wrapping my arms around her, I collapsed on top of her as our breathing matched our rapidly beating hearts.

Brooke

I opened my eyes and softly stroked the muscular arm that had held me all night. The Christmas party was great and we both had a lot of fun and a little too much to drink. My head was fuzzy, but not as bad as I thought it would be, considering the number of glasses of wine I drank. His teammates were fun to party with and it felt like they were all one big family. I could tell Logan was sad about Tommy, but he kept his memory alive by talking about the crazy and wild things they used to do at the previous Christmas parties. As I shifted my weight, his arm tightened around me.

“Good morning,” I spoke as I turned and faced him.

“Morning.” He opened his eyes and ran his finger across my forehead.

“Merry Christmas Eve.” I smiled.

“Merry Christmas Eve.” His lips brushed gently against mine.

I was lost in him, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find my way back to the reality that was going to hit us once we landed in California. But for now, I would enjoy these next couple of days where it was just us, snuggled against each other, celebrating the holiday with his family before the harshness of rehabilitation took over our lives.

As I was enjoying the warmth and comfort of his body pressed against mine, my phone rang.

“You better answer that. It could be important.” He smiled.

Rolling over, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and saw it was my father calling.
Shit
. I forgot to tell him that I was coming home.

“Hi, Dad,” I answered.

“Merry Christmas, baby. How’s everything going in New York?”

I looked at Logan and smiled. “Everything is great here. Couldn’t be better. Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m coming home tomorrow night and I’m bringing Logan with me.”

“Why? What happened?”

“We need to try and get Logan back on the ice in April. I talked to Woo and he’s going to help.”

“Don’t you think that’s pushing it, Brooke?”

“Yes, Dad, I do. But we really don’t have too much of choice right now and we need to at least try.”

“I see. Well, I won’t be back until after New Year’s and then I have to fly out to Washington for a week.”

“I figured as much. But at least we’ll see each other for a couple of days.”

“Have you told Naomi you’re coming home so she can prepare?”

“Not yet. I’m going to call her now. I’ve been busy and I’m sorry I forgot to tell you.”

“It’s fine, sweetheart. I know how hard you’re working with Logan.”

If he only knew.

“I have to go now. I’ll facetime you tomorrow morning. I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

After ending the call, I dialed Naomi and told her that Logan and I were flying in tomorrow night.

“We need to get out of bed,” Logan spoke as he ran his finger down my arm. “I made plans for us today.”

“You did? What kind of plans?”

“You’ll see.” He smiled as he kissed me on the lips.

“Why are you being so secretive?” I narrowed my eye at him.

“It’s a surprise. Don’t worry about it.”

“Fine. But first, I need to work on your leg.”

“That’s not the only thing you need to work on.” He smiled as he pulled me on top of him and his erection pressed into me.

****

“You’re going to need this.” Logan smiled as he pulled my pink knit hat on my head. “Make sure you have your gloves too.”

“Where are we going?” The anticipation was killing me.

“You’ll see.” He winked as we walked out the door.

Slowly making our way to the lobby, we stepped out of the building and Logan led me to the black limousine that was parked at the curb.

“Good day, Mr. Jackson.”

“Hello, Cecil. I would like you to meet Brooke Alexander, my physical therapist. Brooke, this is Cecil and he’s our driver for today.”

Lightly shaking his hand, I climbed into the limo and Logan slid in next to me.

“You’re still not going to tell me what’s going on, are you?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “You’ll see when we get there. But I will tell you that it’s kind of a long ride. So just sit back and relax.”

“How long?” I asked.

“A couple of hours.”

Now he really had my curiosity piqued. We talked more about his family, my family, hockey, and ice skating competitions on the ride to wherever it was we were going. The one thing I did notice was we seemed to be in the country, far away from the noisy and busy streets of New York City. Snow-topped trees lined the snow-covered roads and houses that resembled cottages sat way back. It looked like a scene on a Christmas card.

As I admired the beauty and peacefulness of my surroundings, the limo pulled into a long winding driveway that took us straight to an inn.

“I’m confused. Why are we at an inn?”

The corners of Logan’s mouth curved up. “We’re having lunch here.”

“We drove over two hours to have lunch?” I asked as I bit down on my bottom lip.

“Lunch and something else. You’ll see. Just trust me.” He smirked.

As we stepped inside the inn, we were immediately escorted to the dining room where small square tables draped with white tablecloth and dark cherry wood chairs sat, and were seated at a table in front of a stone fireplace where a beautiful fire was burning.

“This place is incredible.” I smiled as I looked over the menu.

“It is, isn’t it?”

“You’ve never been here before?”

“No. This is my first time.” He smiled.

Now he really had me confused.

“How did you know about it?”

“I looked it up online.”

“So what are we doing after lunch?” I asked with the hope that he’d just come out and tell me.

“I’m not telling you. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I hate surprises. That’s one thing you should know about me.”

“I don’t care.” He smiled. “I’m not telling you, so drop it.”

I sighed as our waitress approached us to take our order.

“I bet you reserved a room and we’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon having sex and cuddle in bed while we stare out the window at the beautiful snowy trails.”

Logan laughed. “As amazing as that sounds, no. When I booked this little adventure, we weren’t having sex. So that would have been really awkward. Now drop it and eat your lunch.”

After we finished eating, an older woman walked over to the table.

“Are you ready, Mr. Jackson?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes, we’re ready.”

Carefully getting up from the table, Logan grabbed his cane and held out his arm to me. The woman led us to a beautifully carved wooden door off to the side of the inn. As we stepped out, I stopped.

“No way. No fucking way!” I shrieked.

Logan chuckled. “Your sleigh awaits you, Madame.”

My heart was racing a mile a minute as I stepped into and sat down in the beautiful black wooden sleigh with two white horses attached to it.

“Good afternoon, I’m Colby, and I’ll be taking you on a sleigh ride. Here is a blanket to keep you warm and about twenty minutes into our ride, I’ll have some hot cocoa for both of you.”

“Thank you.” I smiled.

Logan and I cuddled under the blanket as the sleigh began to travel down the tree-lined trail. The snow was lightly falling and it was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.

“Why did you do this?” I asked Logan as I laid my head on his shoulder.

“Well, you told me you love snow and I thought a sleigh ride would be perfect. You left your home in California to come here and help me. I know that mustn’t have been easy with the holidays right around the corner. You have rearranged your life temporarily to help me play hockey again, and I appreciate it. I just wanted to do something special to say thank you.”

“It’s my job, Logan.”

“You didn’t have to take it, but you did. You had other jobs lined up. Jobs with stability, but you chose to help me and I appreciate it. This is my way of making sure you had a Christmas you’d always remember.”

My heart completely melted and he swept me away. No matter how bad things could get, I would always have this memory to hold on to. After our sleigh ride was over, we went back inside the inn and ate a special Christmas Eve dinner that was served to everyone in the restaurant. After our long ride home, I thanked Logan with mind-blowing sex before we snuggled against each other and fell fast asleep.