Lightning Strikes (The Almeida Brothers Trilogy #3)

by Trevion Burns

  ***

  “Do you play piano?” Nina came to her toes, trying to catch Jack’s eyes. “I saw your fingers in the back of the cab. You were hitting every note against the seat.”

  Silence.

  “Why do you hate me so much?” she demanded, arms crossed next to Jack as they waited in line at the hotel. Under crossed arms, they both clutched their vouchers. “Honestly? I just paid for our cab ride up here. Why do you hate me?”

  “Besides almost getting me killed?” Jack jammed his eyes shut the moment the words left his mouth. After an infuriating plane crash and cab ride with this woman, he’d made a secret vow to himself to stop entertaining her shenanigans. Her questions. Her face, who’s beauty was becoming more and more apparent to him every time he was idiotic enough to sneak a look at her.

  “That wasn’t on purpose. It’s not like I wanted to put you in danger. But this…” She motioned to him, up and down. “You? Acting like a massive jerk… that is on purpose. And it’s pretty much confirming that you weren’t going after something in New York, but running from something in Cambridge.”

  He jammed his eyes shut and counted to ten.

  “Maybe a woman?”

  His eyes fluttered open, and he shook his head with a laugh.

  “Did she leave you, or did you leave her?”

  He bit his bottom lip, the smile vanishing from his face.

  “I’m guessing you left her.” Nina’s voice lowered. “I can’t imagine any woman leaving a man like you. The kind of man closed so tight there can only be the brightest beauty once you finally manage to crack him open. Women rarely walk away from beauty like that.”

  When the hotel receptionist raised a hand from behind her podium and nodded to him, Jack yelped out loud, racing to the counter.

  “Thank you.” He gave the receptionist a helpless look. “I need a room. Any room. I don’t care which one. Here’s my voucher.” He slammed down the voucher the gate agent had given him. “I have no qualms about bed bugs, dirty sheets, or broken appliances.”

  The receptionist made a face that reminded Jack of the face the gate agent had made several times at the airport. “Don’t…” he started. “Don’t hurt me.”

  “I’m sorry.” The receptionist’s lips curled down. “But unfortunately, we can’t accept this airline voucher.”

  Jack took hold of her counter. “I was assured by the airline that almost killed me this afternoon that this voucher was good at any hotel in the city of Chicago.”

  “And you left the city of Chicago, sir, about a mile back. You’re in Monroeville now.”

  “We’re in a ‘ville?” Nina came up next to Jack at the podium. “That’s never good news, is it? ‘Villes are where chainsaw massacres and zombie apocalypses happen. How did we end up in a ‘ville’?”

  Jack motioned to Nina. “I am not with this person.”

  “We can’t accept the voucher, but I’d be happy to sell you a room, sir. I can assure you our prices are very reasonable.”

  “They had better be in this slum—”

  “Don’t mind him, miss,” Nina spoke over Jack as the receptionist’s mouth popped open. “He’s a lawyer. An Aries lawyer.”

  The receptionist nodded her understanding.

  “You see…” Jack slammed his hands against his empty pockets. “I was just involved in a plane crash, Miss, so I don’t have my wallet.” Jack cut his eyes at the sound of paper crinkling and swallowed back a groan when a wad of money reappeared in Nina’s hands.

  The receptionist gave him a smile. “Perhaps there’s someone who can wire you the money?”

  “He’s wearing a twelve hundred dollar tuxedo and has a fresh manicure. Of course he knows someone who can wire him money.” Nina shot him a look, and when she saw the expression on his face, she looked back at the receptionist. “But whoever that person is, has left him running for his life.”

  “Are you still here?” Jack met her eyes.

  “I’m also assuming he doesn’t have his ID since he doesn’t have his wallet,” Nina said.

  Jack’s face fell.

  The receptionist frowned. “Unfortunately, sir, I can’t sell you a room without photo identification.”

  Nina leaned forward, playing the wad of bills between her hands, and smiled at the receptionist. “I’ll pay for his room, and mine.”

  “I would rather sleep on the floor.”

  “Unfortunately, you can’t sleep on the floor, sir.”

  Jack gave the traitorous receptionist a glare. “I would rather sleep outside, on the sidewalk, in the rain.”

  “Unfortunately, you can’t sleep there either, sir. This is private property, and our security will have you promptly removed.”

  “So I’ll pay.” Nina beamed. “It’s the least I could do for the guy who saved my life right?”

  Jack buried his head in his hands with a groan.

  “I’m not a man, Jack,” Nina said. “I’m not going to do a nice thing for you while secretly expecting you to spread your thighs and degrade yourself in return. This is simply a gift from the heart, from one deeply traumatized Delta Airlines passenger to another.”

  “Shoot me?” Jack pled, looking up at the receptionist. “Please?”

  The receptionist typed away on the computer with a smile, but that smile was gone as quickly as it came. “Darn. It looks like one of our last two rooms was just booked through an online agency.”

  Nina and Jack were both stunned, frozen solid.

  “Guess word is spreading fast amongst all the other traumatized passengers.” The receptionist clicked her teeth. “The two of you can stand here and argue about it some more, but this last room might go fast—”

  “We’ll take it.” Nina jumped in before she could finish.

  The receptionist clicked away. “Done.” She smiled, reciting the total to Nina and watching as she stumbled through her cash.

  “So now that I don’t have a room will your security still throw me off the premises if I decide to sleep outside on the sidewalk?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, sir, they will.”

  “You’re not sleeping on the sidewalk, my God.” Nina handed the money to the receptionist before digging into the green bag on her hip and fishing out her picture ID. “You are such an Aries. You’re sharing the room with me. I’m assuming it’s a double bed?”

  “It is.” The receptionist nodded.

  Nina nodded too, taking in the sight of Jack’s chiseled jaw as he turned his head away from her. “We’re going to man up and share the room. The first train leaves at six a.m. That’s a short twelve hours we’ll have to spend with each other before we’re out of one another’s lives for good.” She waited for him to look at her, and when he didn’t, she threw a hand out. “Or you can sleep out in the rain like a fucking idiot.”

  Jack finally met her eyes.

  “I promise I won’t violate you in your sleep.” She fluttered her lashes at him. “I’m offering you a soft bed to cuddle into for eight hours so you can recharge your robot batteries and get the hell out of this town come morning.”

  “We can also have a first aid kit sent to the room within the hour.” The receptionist handed Nina the room key while giving Jack a knowing smile.

  Nina backed away from the podium, waving the key. “What do you say, Aries? Eight hours of sleep? A nice hot shower? A bandage for that ugly gash? Maybe even some hot pancakes and eggs, come morning?”

  Jack’s stomach growled. Both girls heard it, and they tittered together.

  He leaned one arm on the desk while meeting the receptionist’s smiling eyes. “If housekeeping finds me castrated tomorrow morning…” He nodded his head toward Nina, who was still slowly backing away. “It was this one.”

  The receptionist giggled again. “Duly noted, Aries.”

  He faltered. “Jack.”

  “Duly noted, Jack. Please, enjoy your stay.”

  ***

  The walk to the hotel room was quiet, and Nina found herself pe
eking over her shoulder every now and again, just to make sure he was still there.

  He was, every time, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his gray slacks. Every time she looked, he was trailing a little farther behind, turning away whenever she snuck a peak, gazing at the elevators at the end of the hall as if he hadn’t yet decided whether or not he was going to make a run for it.

  The allure of a bed, a hot shower, and a bandage won over, even up against that stubborn-as-a-mule Aries psyche.

  She found herself smiling as his fresh scent engulfed her at the door of the hotel room. She breathed it in, that soapy scent, and wondered how it was possible he still smelled so good after the hell they’d endured.

  When the plastic keycard disagreed with the lock, flashing a red light, she smiled sheepishly over her shoulder, catching his eyes.

  Not expecting the look, he returned her gaze but didn’t have a hint of a smile to give in return.

  No one would ever guess this Adonis had just been in a plane crash, even with that oozing cut on his head. He was one of those unicorns that could walk across fire, crawl through mud, swim in his own sweat and still be utterly fuckable.

  She bit her lip when her pussy surged with warmth.

  It had been too long.

  And he was way too handsome.

  After several swipes, the door lock finally gifted her a green light, and they both sighed in relief.

  The handle clicked, and the worn door creaked as she eased it open. Nina peeked one eye inside. The moment she did, she turned back to Jack, who’d yet to run for his life, though he seemed to still be contemplating it as he gazed longingly at the elevators.

  A long moment passed before he turned his head to meet her eyes. The yellow hallway light flickered over his head as his eyebrows flew up high, giving her periodic gleams of the annoyance still present in his brown orbs.

  “It’s bad,” she whispered, cocking her lip.

  “You mean to tell me this substandard hotel just sold us a substandard room? Color me shocked.”

  “Is there ever a word that comes out of your mouth that isn’t completely patronizing and condescending?” She curled her lip at him as she pushed the door back open and stepped into the room.

  Jack stepped in behind her, and when he caught sight of the room, he laughed. The door slammed closed behind him, and his laughter grew.

  “Told you it was bad,” Nina said, crossing the room and flicking on the lamp that sat on the desk in the corner. The bulb was weak, leaving them standing across the room from each other in semi-darkness. Their shadows loomed deep against the peeling floral wallpaper. “It smells a little moldy, too.”

  “And they’ve made sure none of these lights will shine bright enough to explain where that vile smell is coming from, and why.” Jack circled the room, flicking every switch and engaging every light. Once every light was on, including the bathroom, the room was still dim.

  They held each other’s eyes across the room.

  Jack was the first to look away, eyes falling to the double beds.

  Nina looked at the beds, too, wondering if he was thinking the same thing she was—that the off-white bedding probably hadn’t been off white when it was first purchased, but had gotten that way after years of abuse. She looked back to him and found him playing his fingers together.

  Another moment passed, and then he raised his eyes back to hers.

  Nina crossed her legs at the ankle, holding his gaze. Her own fingers met, and she twiddled her thumbs.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Jack said. “You don’t know me.”

  A smile bloomed on her face. “Did you just initiate conversation? And with gracious intent?”

  “I could be a mass murderer.”

  She chortled. “Which would require the kind of arduous commitment you will never have to give. To murder me you would have to care…” She held up her thumb and forefinger, spreading them an inch apart. “At least, this much. And you don’t. So I think I’m good.”

  He squinted at her and then shook his head with a small smile.

  “Plus, I have great instincts. And you, Aries, are no killer.”

  The smile on his face began to vanish.

  A knock on the door sent a start through both of them. Nina breathed out a laugh, hurrying across the room and pushing her curls out of her face before pulling the door open.

  “First aid kit?” A pale teenage boy with a face full of acne raised his eyebrows, offering Nina a noisy white tin.

  Jack moved to the bed closest to the window and sat on the edge, watching Nina thank the kid, and tip him.

  “You tipped him $20 for bringing you a first aid kit?” he asked.

  She closed the door, shooting him a look. “I used to be a cocktail server. It physically pains me not to tip. I over tip. I have to do it. It’s in my bones. I wouldn’t expect an Aries lawyer to understand, so no worries.”

  Jack pushed a hand into his hair and then pulled it back out. His palm was covered in blood.

  Nina cringed. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

  “I can’t even feel it. I keep forgetting it’s there.”

  “That can’t be good. Maybe we should get you to a hospital. It’s really a lot of blood. And it hasn’t stopped since the crash.”

  “I’m fine,” Jack stood from the bed and moved to the bathroom.

  Nina followed, lingering in the doorway and watching as he turned on the sink, caught sight of himself in the mirror, and breathed deep. Turning his head to get a better look at the gash, he winced at the sight, holding his fingers just an inch away from the bloody mess.

  “It looks kind of bad.” She winced as if the cut was on her own head, backing away from the doorway when he turned off the sink. Keeping the light on in the bathroom, he followed her back into the sleeping area where she began hurriedly laying out disinfectants and adhesives on the edge of the bed.

  She motioned to the mattress. “Let’s get a look at it.”

  “I’m a big boy. I can do it myself.”

  “Before I was a cocktail waitress, I was a nurse’s assistant in a geriatric facility. I know how to treat it so it won’t leave a scar on that face of yours.”

  “This face of mine?”

  “It’d be a real shame… that face of yours… all scarred up.” Her eyes fell. “Will you just sit and let me help you? God.”

  Jack did what he was told. He came to the edge of the bed and sat in front of her, running his palms along his thighs, watching as she hurried back into the bathroom and washed her own hands. His gaze followed her when she came back to the tin. She fished out a few things and proceeded to rub her hands with a disinfectant wipe, even making sure to get it under her fingernails before shuffling through the supplies she’d laid out.

  “There was this one patient at the facility named Mr. Timbs. We called him that because he refused to wear any pair of shoes except his camel colored Timberlands. I guess it was his way of holding onto his youth. He was ninety-nine, refused to use his walker, and was constantly, constantly falling flat on his face. I learned pretty quickly how to hide the evidence so I wouldn’t get blamed.”

  Jack made a noise but didn’t respond.

  “Now that I think about it, maybe you could use a few scars,” she said, softly. “You’ve got one of those faces. The kind of face that’s pretty enough to put you in competition with any woman you date. No woman wants to be in bed with a man who’s prettier than her.”

  “I am not… pretty.”

  She laughed. “Sorry.” He was pretty, however, and clearly in denial about it, so she let it go. Ripping open a disinfectant wipe, she began wiping at the blood on his forehead, going through five packs before she gave up. “You know what? You should take a shower. There’s so much blood I don’t even know where to begin, and I don’t want to use up all of our supplies. Knowing this hotel, it’s probably all we’ll have to work with.”

  Jack looked toward the door of the bathroom while a frown collected between
his eyebrows.

  She noticed. “I’m sure you only shower in Evian, Aries, but you’ll have to make an exception just this once.”

  Jack took the blow with a smirk. A shower actually sounded amazing, even if it meant braving the unfiltered gunk that was sure to come sputtering out of the spout in that bathroom.

  He stood from the bed, making his way to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Make sure you get that gash soaped up really good. And Aries?”

  He stopped in the doorway of the bathroom and turned back to her; eyebrows lifted high and bottom lip trapped between his teeth.

  “Can you pass me a towel first?” She wrung her hands together, biting her own lip. “I saw a laundry room at the end of the hall. I’m going to throw my clothes in, and I’ll need something to cover up with.”

  “You’re going to traipse around this roach motel in a towel?”

  “Are you showing concern?” She covered her heart. “I’m flattered, but no need to worry. I’m a big girl.”

  He held her gaze across the room but didn’t move.

  She lifted her own eyebrows.

  With a sigh, he stepped into the bathroom and reappeared seconds later with a large, white, terry cloth towel. He held it out, waited for her to take it, searching her eyes for a second longer, and then moved back toward the door of the bathroom.

  “I can wash yours, too,” she said. “If you want—”

  He slammed the bathroom door closed before she could finish.

  ***

  Nina jolted when he slammed the door closed in the middle of her sentence. She found herself watching the door with wide eyes. Never in her life had she met such a relentlessly, insufferably rude person.

  With a huff, she grabbed the bottom of her tight cami top and swept it over her head. Behind the bathroom door, she heard the shower water start and had to bite her bottom lip at the thought of him getting undressed on the other side, too.

  Rude, yes. Insufferable, absolutely. Running away from something that was eating him alive, without a doubt. But she’d be damned if she’d ever met a man more easy on the eyes. He was heart-stopping with that dark, captivating gaze, those plump, unsmiling lips, those long, strong limbs, and most of all…that mind. Every other word that left his mouth left her itching to reach for the nearest Merriam-Webster, even as she pretended to understand what he was saying. Yes, the most attractive thing about that Aries lawyer was his amazing mind.