What the Lightning Sees: Part One (17 page)

“Oh fuck,” he shouted.

We both exploded at the same time, our bodies juddering and shaking, grasping at each other.

Jake

“Hey,” I said as I got back into bed next to Haven, kissing her lightly on the lips. It was morning, but there was no incentive to move. “What do you think about extending our stay by a day? We could go back on Sunday.”

She grinned at me, then frowned. “I have to be back. It’s Ash’s birthday. We’re having a girls’ night out.”

It didn’t sound like an excuse. I could live with that. I just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Last night had been incredible. She seemed to get off on the restraints and I’d come like a teenager.

“Okay. When can I next see you?”

“Sunday? Although I’ll be grouchy and hung over. I’ll let you rub my feet and make me toast.”

I smiled. “Sounds tempting. I have to work in the day, but the evening?” My lack of time was one of the reasons I fucked girls like Millie. They wanted to be wined and dined. They didn’t really care about what I was doing with my time as long as the dates were impressive enough. And I didn’t
need
to see them. Then, three months in, when they started to want a little more, I ended it.

With Haven it was going to be different. I’d wanted more from the moment I first met her. I couldn’t seem to get enough. But Elemental Energy was just kicking off. It needed my time and attention as well. The timing sucked, but I would make this work. She’d crashed into my world and I wouldn’t let her go.

She grimaced. “Sunday night I cook for Luke and sometimes Ash. I’d invite you but—”

“Let’s leave dinner with the family to next weekend, yes?”

She nodded in agreement.

“Monday?” she asked

“Monday? At the morning meeting?” That seemed so far away. I wanted to keep her naked and with me between now and then.

“Well, yes and after work? You could come over and I could cook.” She yawned.

“Let’s order in. That gives us more time.”

“I like that idea.” She smiled at me.

Her defences were low and I wanted to keep her like this, to see every layer of her, but I could tell she was sleepy. “You’re tired,” I said as her heavy eyes drifted shut.

“You’ve worn me out,” she said.

“Sleep, baby.”

By Sunday morning I was aching to see her again. She’d clearly had a good time with Ash on Saturday night. I’d enjoyed the evidence through a series of drunken texts telling me all things she wanted to do to me, and then the Sunday morning messages apologising.

At two o’clock my phone vibrated.

“How’s the hangover?” I asked, answering her call.

“A little better. Sorry about those messages.”

“Don’t be sorry. And we’re going to try the thing with the whipped cream.”

She laughed. “Okay, but not in my bed. It’ll ruin my sheets.”

“Practical to the end.”

“How is your work going? Am I interrupting?” she asked.

“No, it’s good to have a break. I’ve been working since five.”

“Tell me. What have you been doing?”

I grinned into the phone. I liked that she was asking me about work. “Hal is transferring the first tranche of investment tomorrow so I need Eric, our computer whizz, on board as soon as possible. To speed things up I think I’ll have to fly out to see him face to face.”

“That’s sounds great. When do you go?”

“Tuesday,” I said carefully. I wasn’t sure how she was going to react or what I wanted her reaction to be. I needed her to be cool about it, but I’d also like her to miss me a little. “I should be back Saturday morning. I’ll know more when I get there.”

“Okay, so we’ll have to make the most of tomorrow night then.” That was the answer I’d been hoping for

“Do you want more coffee?” Beth shouted from the kitchen.

“No, I’m good, thanks. On the phone,” I replied.

“Sorry, are you not alone?” Haven asked.

“It’s just Beth,” I said. “She’s been keeping me hydrated all morning.”

“Oh, she’s come round to look after you?”

“She lives here. You knew that didn’t you?”

“Oh, I don’t think I did. Say hi to her from me,” she said. It was a reminder of how much we had to learn about each other. The pull I had toward her made me believe that she knew everything about me that she needed to, but that couldn’t be true after knowing each other such a short time.

“I will. She wants us to go to dinner, the three of us. When I’m back?” There was nothing I wanted to hide, I wanted to show her everything, offer myself up to her. I wondered if she could do the same in return.

“Sure. Anyway, I should go and start on dinner.”

“Okay, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“You too.”

I got into work early on Monday to grab a few minutes with Haven before the meeting. But she wasn’t at her desk.

I wandered across the office to say hello to Robert

“Morning, Harry,” Robert said as I walked in.

“Hey. I need to talk to you about timing. Things have started to ramp up with Elemental Energy.”

“Okay, let me catch up with Human Resources on where we are with the new guy. How was Paris?”

“It was good. Really good.” I couldn’t help the shit-eating grin stamped across my face.

“And the Haven and Sandy dynamic worked?” he asked.

I nodded. “It did, I think because they are so different, completely opposite really.”

Robert laughed and I lent him a tight smile. “I knew it. You were right, we needed someone challenged in the looks department. Sandy could never have seen Haven as any kind of rival or threat.”

Robert was a good friend but at the moment I couldn’t think of him as anything other than a total douche. I ignored my instinct to defend Haven. She and I hadn’t discussed how public she wanted to be with what was going on between us, and I knew she was fiercely private at work. Hell, we hadn’t discussed anything. My heart started to speed up. If I defended Haven, I was sure to give away my feelings for her, and I didn’t want her to be mad for telling her boss about an intra-office relationship so I just rolled my eyes and tried to ignore his comments about the woman I saw my future with.

Haven

I stumbled from outside Robert’s office into the nearest meeting room and collapsed onto the chair. My heart was beating so quickly I thought I was going to throw up. My vision blurred so I closed my eyes and placed my head in my hands. What had I just heard? I had wanted to catch Robert before our meeting, but when I got to his office, Jake was already in there, the door ajar. I hesitated, not knowing whether I should interrupt, and overheard them talking about Sandy and me. Replaying it in my head created a fresh wave of nausea and I clasped my stomach, willing myself not to throw up. I’d had about all the humiliation I could take for one day.

I’d opened myself up to Jake completely. Had it all been a game to him? Was I just a conquest? And apparently, not a particularly attractive one. Had he wanted Sandy all along? None of it made sense. Sharp pain twisted through the center of me. I wanted to run and hide. I needed my people, I needed Luke and Ash.

One thing was clear—I should have never let him so close.

U and ur Hand

P!nk

Through the Barricades

Spandau Ballet

Anticipation

Carly Simon

Magic

Coldplay

Beauty Has Her Way

Mummy Calls

You’ll think of me

Keith Urban

Into the Woods

Taylor Swift

Here comes the Rain Again

Eurythmics

I Miss You So

Diana Krall

I Won’t Give Up

Jason Mraz

There You’ll Be

Faith Hill

Turn my World Around

Gloriana