Lightning Strikes (The Almeida Brothers Trilogy #3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

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 peeking 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