Lightning Strikes (The Almeida Brothers Trilogy #3) (24 page)

“I catch you all the time.  Looking at that picture.  He’s lucky to have a cousin that loves him so much.”

“Yeah, well…” She took a deep breath and hoped he couldn’t hear it shaking.  “He’s just like you in a lot of ways.  I mean, the you that existed
before
you got high with love for all this bark and pine.”

Jack chuckled.

“He would’ve hated every second of this.”  She laughed.  “A total city boy, through and through.  Every time I tried to take him some place with trees and nature, he got sick.  He actually got
physically
sick.  Itchy throat, red eyes, shallow breathing; the works.  Allergic to fresh air.”

“He does sound like me.”

“Doesn’t he?” she laughed.  “Maybe that’s why I liked you so much, from the second I locked onto those angry eyes of yours.  Maybe you remind me of him, somewhere deep down.”

“I don’t mind reminding you of someone you love,” he said.

She didn’t respond.

He stopped playing the beds of his fingers along the inside of her hand and entwined their fingers completely.  They breathed in unison, in and out, slow and steady, both giving in to the calming trickle of the water.

“I love this,” Jack gasped against her lips, swirling his hips, dick buried as deep as it would go, even as he worked to the bone to get it in deeper.  A gasp escaped his parted lips and warmed hers.  When her tongue tested his bottom lip, he gave her his, picking up his pace as he fell into a deep kiss.  “I love being inside you.”

“God, you’re so sexy, Jack, you’re gonna make me cum.”  She cried out, and he covered her mouth the moment she did, even as he gave everything he had to the very thing making her scream, the stroke of his dick, the roll of his hips, the love he hoped she could feel coursing out of his every pore.  He hoped she could feel it.

He felt it the moment she lost all control.  The way his strokes came faster, easier—aided by her pussy as it surged with her cum.  He felt her fucking him right back, working on orders only from her pounding pussy as she met him thrust for thrust, meeting every slam of his pelvis with one of her own.  He felt those slick, warm walls clench him so tight he was sure she would break him apart.  He watched her rise, her spine leaving the floor of their tent completely as if she were being lifted by a beaming light from above, and he watched her fall, collapsing onto her back with a groan of disbelief.  Her eyes fluttered open, and she watched him in shock.

He couldn’t believe it either, and he tried to warn her when his own release was near, but the words got caught in his throat.

Still, she understood, and cupping his jaw, she placed a soft kiss to his lips and joined him with determined pants.

Their rocking grew so intense they could no longer remain silent for the sake of their fellow campers.  The thin fabric of the tent trembled all around them as he fucked her into a second spine-bending release.  He joined her, and as they cried out their passions into a heavy kiss, they could only hope that their young companions would understand.

***

The next few days found several new destinations, each more beautiful and interesting than the last as Jack and Nina continued their slow crawl back to New York City.

That evening, in beautiful Salt Lake City, after a ten-mile hike to White Pine Lake, light rain showers had forced them inside.  They’d settled in for a nightcap at the local piano bar, the crackling fireplace in the corner drying their dampened clothes.

To Jack, it felt like more of a log cabin than a bar, but with a floor to ceiling selection of every whiskey known to man, he couldn’t complain.  After climbing to the top of the ladder to reach the bourbon Jack had been eyeing, the bartender poured a generous shot and slid the glass across the bar.  After one languid sip—Jack nodded his instant approval.

Already in the middle of his second glass, he tried to avoid the suggestive eyes of the straight talking blonde next to him.

“Thanks for the drink, Amy,” he said.

“Don’t thank me; I know you need your
strength
.”

“Oh boy.”  He knew where this was going.

“We hear you in that tent every night getting it on with your
bae.
   Sounds like you can really put it down for an old-ass man.  Noelle is about to blow a blood vessel over it,” Amy beamed, nodding over Jack’s shoulder.

Leaning deeper on the bar, Jack followed Amy’s eyes and found Noelle, the brunette who’d been all over him since the day they’d met, pouting in the corner, glaring at him with her arms crossed tight.

“She’s just a little jealous,” Amy said, reclaiming Jack’s attention.  “She wanted to be the one to nail The Runaway Groom, but we know you’ve only got eyes for your Olivia Pope.”

He chuckled, letting his gaze go over his other shoulder to find Nina.  She was where she’d been all night, trapped in a sorority girl sandwich on the dance floor, grinding to a version of
“Old Time Rock and Roll”
that one of their fellow travelers was annihilating on the piano.  It was karaoke night at the piano bar, and nobody had been shy about showcasing their amateur talents.

Jack couldn’t stifle his laughter as the two young girls tried to teach Nina how to twerk.  He wasn’t sure why she was struggling.  She certainly knew how to twerk in their tent every night—hell; she was damn near an expert.

Even as her twerk game failed on the dance floor, Jack couldn’t help it as his body responded, dying to pull her away and take her someplace they could be alone.

In the midst of laughing at herself, still giving that twerk game all she had, Nina’s smile suddenly fell.  Her head shot to the piano as the song ended, and she brought her fingers to her lips, whistling loudly.

Her whistle brought the room to a quick halt.  Even the bartender stopped polishing his glassware, squinting onto the dance floor.

“Everybody,” Nina beamed, raising her hands high in the air.  “In honor of karaoke night here at the White Pine Piano Bar… And in honor of your kindness and graciousness for letting us tag along on this amazing trip…” Nina motioned passed all of the smiling faces around her, and straight to Jack.

Jack’s smile vanished.  His heart plummeted to his feet.  He clutched his glass tight enough to shatter it, shaking his head at her.

Nina didn’t heed his silent plea, her own smile blooming even as his disappeared.  “I think it’s only fair that I return the favor by informing you all that our Jack…  that handsome guy, right over there…” She jammed her finger toward him as if Jack hadn’t been right by her side for the last three days they’d spent with these people.  “Is a beautiful—and I mean
beautiful—
piano player.”

Every eye flew to Jack, bursting with amazement.  Instantly, Jack was being chided to come up and play by everyone in the room.  Even Amy’s elbow came out and gently nudged him.

“You guys have
to hear him play; I’m telling you; you have not
lived
.” Nina clasped her hands together and groaned from deep in her stomach like she’d just taken a huge bite of double chocolate cake.  “He is so incredibly talented.  It’s unreal.”  When her eyes went back to Jack, and she saw that he was still leaning on the bar, she tilted her head and waved him over, almost violently.  “Come
on,
Jack.  Play the Beethoven one…”

Jack breathed deep, feeling like his heart was going to jump out of his chest.  “I don’t think so,” he said, feeling his cheeks heat up.  He turned his head to try to hide it.

“Just one song!” Nina cried.

“Yeah, one song, Fitz!” another voice rang out.  That voice prompted ten more, and soon, everyone in the room was hollering for Jack to play.

He ran his hand down his face, shooting fire at Nina with his eyes when she approached him and took his arm.

“No, Nina.”  He pulled back when she tried to tug him.

“Jack, you’re so amazing.”  Her eyes grew wide in his.  “Why can’t you see it?  Don’t be so shy.  Those fingers of yours are straight up fire! Those fingers need to be heard.”

“I said no, goddamn it,” Jack snatched his arm from her grasp.  The room fell silent, but his voice was still hitched, making his next words bounce off the walls.  “Why can’t you just listen for once in your goddamn life?
No
, Nina.”

Unable to stomach her horrified face or the defining silence that had swooped in, Jack pushed away from the bar and made a beeline for the door, avoiding the shocked eyes of everyone he passed.  Across the room in seconds, he shoved the exit door open with all his might, nearly taking it off the hinges before he disappeared into the parking lot outside.

***

“Jesus, Jack, what the hell was that?” Nina was right on his heels, her own voice having jumped a few octaves after the scene in the bar.  She hurried after him in the parking lot, forced to take up a jog to keep up with his long, determined strides.  In the far corner of the lot, their bright green tour bus took up ten parking spots.  “I was just trying to give you a compliment.”

She could see the muscles in his back contracting, even through his shirt.

“You put me on the spot,” he said, turning his head just enough to show the tight line at his lips.  “When I say no, I mean no, Nina.”

“Okay,” she said, out of breath.  “I’m sorry, Jack.  I wasn’t trying to embarrass you, I just…”

He came to a sudden stop and turned to her.

She jolted, tripping over her feet.  Collecting herself, she crossed her arms and gazed up at him. “I was just trying to give you a compliment.”

Jack watched her until his breathing calmed.  “That song I played you… hell, playing anything,
period?
”  He motioned to his heart with arrow straight fingers.  “It’s personal to me.”

Nina’s voice lowered even more.  “I didn’t know it meant that much to you.  I wouldn’t have put you on the spot like that if I’d known.”

He nodded, looking away.  A long silence passed, and then he pressed his eyes shut. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you.”

She smiled softly.  “I think that’s the closest thing to an apology any Aries lawyer has given in the history of time.
Ever
.”

“Yeah, well, take a picture.”

She smiled, taking a deep breath when he did too.  “God, you stress me out.  What the hell am I going to do with you, huh?”

Jack stepped closer until his chest bumped hers.  “Why don’t we go back to the tent and work it out?”

She reached up and swept her fingers softly over his eye.  “Your eye is healing.”

“So is yours.”

“I can barely tell you took a Nazi fist to the face anymore.”  She let her fingers travel down his jaw.  “And just when I didn’t think you couldn’t get any sexier, you let this scruff roughen your jaw.  I love the way it feels between my legs.  God…” She bit her bottom lip.  “The things I want to do you…”

“Why wait?”

Her eyes grew dark and hooded, but a moment later, the smile fell from her face.

“What is it?” Jack frowned.

“Just the phone.”  She pulled his ringing phone from her back pocket, checked the ID, and every inch of joy was wiped from her eyes.   “I’m starting to dread it every time this thing rings.  Your phone calls have finally slowed down, but mine haven’t.”

“I guess we can’t escape reality forever.”

“Says the man who has yet to call his family and tell them he’s alive.” She sighed, meeting his eyes. “I have to take this.  It’s my lawyer.  Rain check on the ‘working it out’?”

“Of course.  I have to do some laundry anyway.”  His eyes went back to her.  “Seeing as all my clothes are covered in your cum.”

“You know laundry costs money, right?”

“Noelle loaned me five bucks.”

“Is Noelle your new pimp?” she teased.  “You know nothing is free in this world, right Aries?”

He turned away, peering at her over his shoulder. “I have laundry to do…”

“Have you ever done a single load of laundry in your life?”

“Of course I have.”

“I’d like to see that.”

“You can see it all day long.” Jack threw a little extra swagger in his step.

She followed him with her eyes.  “Don’t start without me.” Hiding her amused smile, she answered her lawyer’s call.

***

Seeing her lawyer’s name on the caller ID was always the worst kind of wake-up call, but hearing his voice was enough to shred her heart into pieces.  It was an unwelcome reminder of the problems that still awaited Nina once she got back to New York.  The problems she wished would go up in flames, dissipating into thin air, never to be heard from again.

She watched Jack enter the laundromat, which was two doors down from the bar, and breathed deeply, amazed that just the sight of him calmed her heart as the voice on the other end of the line worked hard to tear it in two.

The black clouds seemed to loom in closer, thunder booming in the distance along with his monotone voice.  “Nina, I warned you that you needed to be back in New York City the moment the flooding went down.”

Nina tore her eyes from the laundromat and gazed at the snowcapped Salt Lake City mountain range.  She’d been hiking on that very range hours ago before the rain showers had cut it short.  Even as the rainfall soaked her, she hadn’t minded. Getting back to nature had reminded her that there were bigger things in life.  Bigger than lawyers, bigger than divorce trials, and even bigger than money.

Regardless, it didn’t change the fact that she had an end game.  She’d made a promise to herself, and it was a promise she intended to keep.

“I’m on my way home,” she said.  “I’ve been running into a few… snags…” 

Her eyes traveled back to the laundromat, back to Jack, who was undressing slowly, his lips spreading wide into a smile as he watched her through the glass.  That smile crossed the lot and claimed her, making Nina turn away.

“Nina, the judge granted Anthony’s request to push up the trial.  It’s been moved to tomorrow morning.”

Nina’s heart screamed to a stop. “What?! How the hell could Judge Perkins do this? She knows that I was in a plane crash.”