What the Lightning Sees: Part One Read online

  “I love that I made you come, Haven. It will be the first of many times. Relax and get used to it.”

  My belly flipped over and then over again. I couldn’t wait.

  I smoothed my hand across his chest, feeling his heartbeat thumping through the fabric of his T-shirt. As I moved my hand lower he caught it.

  “Stop,” he said. “I won’t be able to control myself.”

  “That’s okay,” I whispered. I was more than ready for him. I wanted to see how far that tattoo on his upper arm spread. I wanted to check his body for others.

  “No, it’s not okay. I don’t want you to be rushed into this, I should have resisted you back there. It’s too important to fuck up so early.”

  “You don’t want to, you know . . . ?”

  He chuckled and pulled my chin up, forcing my eyes to his. “I think you can see I’ve got a hard-on the size of Africa—”

  “Show off,” I said. But he wasn’t wrong. There was nothing he needed to be shy about in the locker room.

  He laughed. “I just meant that’s how it feels. I wasn’t trying to tell you what a huge penis I had.”

  “Okay, if you say so.”

  “And in any event, you’ll find out soon enough.”

  I prodded him in his abs and he feigned injury, then squeezed me toward him, kissing the top of my head.

  We lay in comfortable silence, his heartbeat calming the anxiety building in my stomach. The regular rhythm drowned out my thoughts of consequences and what would happen next.

  “I don’t want you to go,” I said. It was the truth, but saying it made me feel so vulnerable.

  “There’s no place I have to be.”

  Jake

  With the images of her coming so hard I thought she might pass out and the remembered feel of her in my arms, it took about four hours and copious thoughts of my grandma to get my hard-on under control.

  I’d wanted her for a while now, but she had surpassed all my incredibly high expectations. Her milky-white skin was soft like feathers and she was responsive and passionate despite her vulnerabilities. She had assured me I wouldn’t be able to make her come, but all she needed was to open up and let someone take control.

  For a moment she had let me in and it was like she’d let me see a part of her soul. I felt a sense of responsibility, a sense of ownership. I had to get this right.

  Her breathing became even and deep—she’d fallen asleep in my arms, in Paris. It was perfect.

  I woke to water running in the bathroom.

  “Hey, did my snoring wake you?” I asked her as she appeared at the door.

  She shook her head. “I think I was cold.”

  We were still on top of the covers. “Let’s get under,” I said, pulling back the sheets. She was tentative as she got in. “Scoot closer. We can share body heat.”

  She grinned at me and wrapped her arm around my waist as she got into bed.

  “What are we doing?” she asked, laughing. “How did we end up here, with me in my pig pyjamas?”

  “I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do.” She looked up at me. “We’re not going to dissect and analyse this. We’re just going to go with it. Deal?” Haven could get so negative and she was able to talk herself out of any sense of pleasure. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

  “Another deal? Does that mean the first one is null and void?”

  “Nah uh. You still have to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

  She leaned forward and kissed me on my chest. Within seconds she was asleep again. I smiled to myself.

  I woke before her the next morning. “I’m going to grab a shower. We have to be at the set in forty-five minutes.”

  “What the what?” she said, suddenly wide awake. “Shit.”

  “Wow, you wake up fast. This is good to know,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows at her.

  “Don’t be a pervert.” She flung a pillow at me, and I leaned forward to kiss her quickly on the lips.

  “Morning.”

  Her blush spread across her throat.

  “Morning,” she replied coyly.

  “You look beautiful when you sleep.”

  “Was I snoring?” she asked, seemingly horrified.

  “No, you were perfect.” I kissed her again, this time the kiss was deeper, and she pulled me closer to her. She wanted me. I groaned against her mouth and it brought her back to the present. She jerked away. My stomach dropped.

  “Shit, I have to get in the shower.” She grinned at me and pecked me once on the lips and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Part of me had been worried that Haven would have closed down on me completely overnight, but the opposite seemed to be true. I had the shit-eating grin and just-kissed lips to prove it.

  “I’ll see you downstairs in twenty minutes,” I shouted through the bathroom door.

  “Yeah, in your dreams. Make it thirty.”

  When we arrived on location, it was pretty much deserted, despite the fact we were late. Haven looked confused.

  I went to find someone who could fill us in.

  “Didn’t someone call you?” one of the grips asked. “Sandy hasn’t come out of her hotel. We don’t know if we’ll get anything done today.”

  “I thought it was the last day of filming?”

  “It was meant to be, but who knows what will happen now. Phil’s in there trying to talk her off a cliff.”

  I went back over to Haven. “Sandy is still mid-tantrum, apparently. Phil’s trying to talk her around.”

  “Why don’t you call her or text her? I think she’d do anything for you.”

  I watched her, trying to make out whether or not she was being snide, but she didn’t seem to be. “You think?”

  She nodded.

  “I might make it worse,” I said.

  “I’m not sure how that’s possible. And make it good. Flirt. You’re talented at that.”

  “I’ve not flirted with her.”

  “I wasn’t talking about her.” She grinned, and it was infectious.

  I typed out a text.

  Harry: We’re missing you down here, beautiful girl. Paris isn’t the same without you.

  “Oh, you’re good,” Haven said when I showed her what I’d written.

  “You know I don’t mean it, though.”

  “Get a grip and press send.”

  I wasn’t sure if it was my text, but eventually Sandy made an appearance after lunch as if nothing had happened.

  “Harry,” she squealed at me and ran over, throwing her arms around my neck. “It’s nice to know you missed me.”

  “We all did,” I said, trying not to encourage her attentions any more than I already had.

  “And you’re coming to the party tonight?”

  “Sure, we both are. Right Haven?”

  Haven nodded.

  “I can’t wait. I’ve got something very short and very sexy to show you.” She winked at me, spun around and headed off.

  “Now look what you’ve got me into,” I said to Haven.

  “I think you can handle it. Anyway, I’m sure that not even you get movie stars offering themselves up to you every day of the week. Perhaps you should take her up on it.”

  “I’m going to fuck you in Paris. I’m not interested in her,” I replied, enjoying the blush that spread across her throat as I did.

  “Maybe I got off and that’s it for me. Had my fun.”

  I reached across and stroked that beautiful face of hers. “You know that’s not even close to being true. There’s plenty of fun left to be had.”

  The end of filming party was being held at Buddha Bar. Haven refused to let me in her room while she was getting ready, saying I was a distraction so I had a restless forty-five minute wait for her in the hotel bar.

  When she walked in, I had to work hard to keep my cool. She looked incredible. Her hair was tumbling across her shoulders in waves and her eyes were sparkling. I couldn’t stop staring her.

&n
bsp; “You’re amazing. Sandy won’t be happy.”

  “What?”

  “You know how she likes the spotlight. Everyone is going to be looking at you tonight, you’re so beautiful.”

  I tilted her chin toward me and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  “What do you want to drink?”

  “Shouldn’t we get going?”

  “I think we have time for a drink. I need to have you to myself for a little while.” If it had been up to me we wouldn’t be going to the party. I didn’t want to share her.

  She grinned and took a seat. A waiter came and got our drinks order.

  “Harry?” I heard a familiar voice behind me.

  I turned around. “Hal,” I said surprised. I stood up and shook his hand. “Good to see you.”

  “I would ask what you’re doing here, but given your company, I don’t need to.” He was staring at Haven and my temperature began to rise. He needed to keep his eyes off my girl.

  “Hal, this is my friend Haven. Haven, this is Hal.”

  “A pleasure to meet you.” Hal leaned over, took Haven’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’m Harry’s soon-to-be business partner.”

  “Soon to be?” I asked.

  “I was just talking about you with my corporate finance guy. He said your numbers were solid. I think you’re going to make me a rich man. Again.”

  “Well, that’s great news. We should talk. I’d like to get my guy from Palo Alto like yesterday. And if you and I can finalise things, I’ll need to stand down the other potential investors.”

  “Yeah, about that. If you didn’t want to put the whole fifteen mil in, I’m sure we could come to some arrangement and I could take a bigger slice of the equity.”

  I laughed. His corporate finance guy must have really liked my numbers. “I’m comfortable with the fifteen mil, but thanks for the offer.”

  “It was worth a try. Let’s talk on Monday. I’ll leave you to your beautiful girl. Have a good night.”

  “What was that?” Haven asked as I sat down.

  “That was the beginning of Elemental Energy. Fuck, this is brilliant. Now we’ve got even more to celebrate.”

  “Elemental Energy?”

  “The business I’ve been working to get funding for,” I replied. This trip to Paris had exceeded my expectations in so many ways.

  “Oh, exciting. What was the fifteen million about?”

  “My investment. I think he wants a bigger slice of the pie.” I was a little distracted, my mind ticking over next steps with Hal.

  “And you’re putting in fifteen million?”

  I nodded. We needed things on paper before I turned down the other investors. Hal didn’t do anything on a handshake.

  “Fifteen million?” Haven asked.

  I nodded again and tried to push everything but her out of my head.

  “What, your father is putting in fifteen million pounds?”

  “Jesus, Haven. My dad is a cop in Chicago. I’m not sure he has a spare fifteen million anything. Where do these assumptions about me come from?” I’d never denied I had money, I had the car to prove it, but I didn’t understand why she thought I couldn’t have made it myself. She was so ready to think the worst of me.

  “So your father isn’t rich?” she asked.

  “No. He lives on a cop’s salary. Won’t take a dime from me.”

  “But what about the Aston Martin?” Did she think I robbed banks? Was it so difficult to believe that I might have made it myself?

  “It’s my money, Haven. I started up an energy trading business. Hal put in most of the cash. It did very well. We sold it to Shell.”

  “It did fifteen million well?” She asked.

  “It did a hundred and eighty million well.” I wasn’t trying to show off. I wanted this discussion finished for once and for all.

  “Holy crap.”

  “Yeah, it did better than we expected.”

  I watched her process the information, and it cooled my irritation. “You have a hundred and eighty million? You’re like rich with your own money rich,” she said.

  “No, we sold the company for a hundred and eighty million. I only got about seventy.”

  I relaxed and grinned at her. I’d never talked specifics before. Only with Beth. Which was probably why Beth moaned about still being in my old student flat.

  “Only? You poor thing. How are you managing to get by with just seventy?”

  I liked that nothing stopped her giving me shit. Having money had changed the way people were around me. Somehow my opinions seemed to count for a bit more. It had affected even some of my longest friendships and made me question people’s motives a lot more. I hated it.

  “When did you sell?” she asked.

  “Almost two years ago now. I need to get moving with Elemental Energy. It’s taken so long to get it to this stage.”

  “So you’re setting up another business? Why aren’t you on some Caribbean island somewhere bathing in asses milk, eating truffles with diamond encrusted cutlery.”

  I laughed. “It’s not really me, is it? And anyway, you said I was a walking cliché having an Aston Martin. How come you’re encouraging me to be more extravagant?”

  “I’m not encouraging you. I just . . . It’s a shock.”

  “And you don’t hate me for it?” I wondered if it would change how she saw me.

  “Why would I hate you?” she asked.

  “You don’t like people with money.”

  “I don’t like lazy, spoiled, entitled people that live off other people’s money. You’ve proven you’re not any of those things.”

  I found her knowing about my situation was a relief, and it pulled me closer toward her.

  “That almost sounded like a compliment. Careful, I might get complacent.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you on your toes.”

  I stood up and held out my hand. “I have no doubt. Let’s go. I want to dance with you.”

  Haven

  As we entered Buddha Bar, it was like stepping into a womb. The dim lighting made everything that wasn’t red glow, and the loud bass of the music sounded like an unrelenting heartbeat. It was sexual and provocative, as if we’d stepped into a different world where new rules applied. We started up the stairs to an area that was cordoned off as private. Jake held out his hand as I reached for the balustrade. I willingly accepted it. Ash had talked me into these shoes and they were fine for standing or sitting. But they were not made for walking.

  “These shoes are ridiculous,” I said.

  “They’re perfect. I’m going to fuck you in them.”

  My stomach lilted and I had to pause for a second. I took a deep breath and continued the climb.

  How long would we have to stay? An hour?

  We rounded the corner, went through some red velvet curtains into a seating area where there were various faces I recognized. We found ourselves a seat with some of the cast who Jake seemed to know. Jake pulled my knees toward him, resting his hand on my outer thigh, inching me closer. Any doubt that we were together had just been erased. It felt good. I couldn’t hear their conversation and I didn’t try to join in. I let myself soak in the atmosphere. I didn’t know if it was the beat of the music that seemed to thrum against my heart, or Jake’s fingers stroking the stocking-covered skin of my thighs, or just the anticipation of what was next with him, but I felt like I was going to explode. I wanted to be alone with him. I wanted to be touching him. I wanted his warmth pressed against me.

  Breaking into my thoughts, Sandy arrived with the director. They seemed to have got over their creative differences and were smiling and laughing. I wasn’t sure if Sandy had realised Jake and I were together, but either way as soon as she saw him she ran over and put herself on his lap, her arms round his neck.

  “I’m going to miss not having you around, Harry. Say you’ll take me out when we get back to London,” she said, pouting.

  “I’m sure we’ll arrange something. I told Dave
I’d take him to dinner to thank him for the showing, so we should all get together.”

  “Don’t you miss our one-on-one time, Harry?”

  I didn’t like her so close to him. His touch felt like a finite resource that I didn’t want him using up on her. His hand didn’t move from my leg and I swept my fingers across his, wanting to deepen our connection. He glanced at me and stood, sliding her off his knee, excusing himself and heading to the restroom.

  “I really appreciate the time you’ve spent with me,” I said to Sandy as she scowled in Jake’s direction. “I really hope you’ll like the article when it’s finished.”

  As she turned toward me her smile reappeared. “It’s been my pleasure, Haven. If you need anything else, let me know.” She wandered back into a crowd of people, leaving me to my cocktail.

  With the distraction of Sandy gone, I sank back into the dark, heavy beat of the music, the dim lighting, and my memories of the previous evening. The way Jake had made me feel under his tongue had been shocking and renewing.

  Jake appeared next to me and he bent and whispered in my ear, “Come with me. I want to show you something.” He held his hand out and I slid my palm against his.

  He led me through some velvet curtains at the other end of the room. On the other side was a dark, empty corridor. It was open to the restaurant below on one side, as if it was a large balcony. Jake kept walking.

  “Where are we going?” I asked him.

  He just cocked his head and continued our journey across the balcony corridor. At the other end was another curtain, black this time, and Jake led me inside another dark room and through to another corridor. Where was he taking me?

  “Here,” he said.

  We went up some steps and found ourselves in a small, unlit room with a small Juliet balcony overlooking the whole restaurant from front to back. The chatter of the diners was drowned out by the sexual hum of the music. We were on our own, but surrounded by people.

  Jake slid his hands around my waist and I turned to meet his eyes.

  “I’ve been wanting to get you alone all night,” he whispered.

  “We’re not alone, Jake.” My nipples tightened against the lace of my bra and my resolve to wait wavered.