The Perfect Pitch (Indianapolis Lightning Book 1)

by Samantha Lind

  “Just something Daddy reminded me of,” I tell her, not needing to explain to our four-year-old what blue balls are. Derek snickers audibly from the couch and I glare at him from where I stand, and his smirk morphs into a full-on shit-eating grin that fills his entire face. His eyes are dancing with excitement as he listens to how I diffuse Addison’s question.

  I end up taking a seat on the couch—just not in front of Derek as he tried to get me to do. I sit at the opposite end, pulling the throw blanket over me to keep warm. I grab my kindle from the end table and pull up my latest read. With the girls back to playing, I snuggle in and get lost in my book for a good solid hour or so as they play, and Derek goes back to watching his show.

  After lunch, I fulfill my promise to the girls and pull out their suitcases. We pack the outfits they opened, along with other things they think they’ll need for the trip. Half of it, I take out of their suitcases once they’re no longer paying attention to it, as it isn’t stuff we’ll need while gone. We pack their backpacks to have on the airplane with coloring books and the iPads, so they can watch a movie or play a game while traveling tomorrow.

  We make it through dinner and somehow get the girls to bed on time. I wasn’t sure they’d go to sleep because of how excited they are about tomorrow, but with how early they were up and neither of them ended up with a nap today, they both crashed hard and fast.

  Thirteen

  Derek

  “Come relax for a little bit,” I tell Jillian when she emerges from down the hall, after getting the girls to sleep. I hold out a glass of wine for her as I drink a beer.

  “Today was exhausting,” she says, collapsing on the couch next to me and accepting the glass of wine.

  “It was.” I laugh. “You should have taken a nap this afternoon.”

  “Should have,” she says on a yawn. “I don’t think I’m going to be much company tonight.”

  “Before you get too comfortable or head off to bed, I’ve got one last present for you,” I tell her, reaching for the box on the end table nearest to me. I pick up the earring box and hand it over.

  “Derek.” She says my name on a sigh and rolls her eyes.

  “Just open it,” I tell her, rolling my eyes right back at her.

  She meticulously pulls the ribbon on it, taking the time to untie it before removing the wrapping paper from the box. Once that’s off, she opens the lid and audibly gasps when she sees the diamond earrings in the box. “They’re beautiful,” she says, running a fingertip over the stones and setting.

  “I hope you love them and they’re what you were wanting.”

  “They’re perfect. I couldn’t have picked better myself if I tried.”

  “Try them on,” I suggest, and she pulls them out of the box and puts them on. “They look great on you, like they were made just for you.”

  “Thank you.” She holds up her phone with the camera turned to the selfie mode so she can see them on herself. “You really didn’t need to get me anything,” she says, putting her phone down.

  “I know I didn’t have to.” I take a swig of my beer. “But I wanted to,” I tell her honestly.

  A comfortable silence falls between us as I return to watching the TV while Jillian relaxes with her kindle, kicked back at the opposite end of the couch from where I am. Our legs are next to each other’s. It would be so easy to intertwine them together, but I don’t want to push her. I’m playing a long game here as I try and win her back.

  “I think I’m going to head for bed. The girls will be up early with excitement, and with flying tomorrow, I want to be well rested. Plus, we need to be leaving here by six thirty.” Jillian says.

  “I was thinking of heading to bed myself. If I’m not up when you get up, wake me. I’ll help with whatever you need me to in the morning.”

  “Thanks. I’ve only got to pack last-minute things come morning time. I already plugged in the girls’ tablets so they’ll be charged for the flight.”

  “I can help by keeping them out of your way or whatever you end up needing. We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

  “Sounds good. See you in the morning,” she says, standing and stretching before turning in for the night. I turn the TV off and make my way to the guest room, opting for a shower tonight to have one less thing to do in the morning before we head out.

  I step under the hot water and let it pound into my muscles. My cock stirs as I think of Jillian just down the hall in bed, then to standing in the kitchen with her earlier. I know the effect I still have on her body; hell, the effect she still has on mine. I grip my cock in my hand—the only action it’s seen in months now—and start to stroke it from root to tip. I brace one hand on the wall as I let memories flood my mind. Me undressing Jillian. Sucking her clit between my lips. The sounds she’d make just before coming. The sight of her lips around my cock as she’d suck me off. I increase my strokes until I come, my release coating the tile wall as my breathing is labored. Fuck, I need to get laid.

  I clean up my mess, not wanting to leave that shit for Jillian, then quickly finish up in the shower and head for bed. Knowing the girls will be up early again and we’ve got a somewhat early flight, I let sleep claim me as I toss and turn in this empty bed. I long for the night I can slide back into the bed down the hall and pull Jillian into my arms again, rock her world and mine, and then drift off to sleep with her tucked against my side.

  “Mr. Smyth, thank you for staying with us. The magic bands you were mailed will get you into your suite, as well as activate the elevator to go to your suite’s floor. The suites on that floor have access to a concierge’s desk that is staffed twenty-four hours a day, so please do not hesitate to reach out to them if we can be of any service to you. No request is too small or large. They are truly there to help anyone in your party. There is also a nightly happy hour served in the lobby of that floor. They serve beer, wine, a few signature cocktails, as well as some heavy appetizers.”

  “Thank you,” I tell the front desk worker as she helps us finish the check-in process.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” she asks, handing my credit card back over to me.

  “Not that I can think of, thanks,” I reply before stepping back and pushing one of our suitcases toward the elevator with Penelope in my arm, her head on my shoulder. Once we successfully get on an elevator and get it going to our floor, I adjust Penny. I think she’s exhausted from the big day yesterday, combined with getting up at five this morning and all the excitement from flying. She’s definitely ready for a nap once we reach the room.

  “Did you hear everything the front desk lady told me about the amenities?” I ask Jillian as the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open.

  “Some, but I read up about the hotel and knew we were booked on a level with the concierge desk.”

  “This place is amazing,” I say, pushing open the door a moment later, and glance over my shoulder at Jillian. “You did good picking it out.”

  “Thanks,” she says, a small smile cresting her lips as she takes in the room and view we have of Magic Kingdom. “We should have a perfect view of the fireworks from our room, if we’re ever in here when they go off.”

  “We’ll have to keep that in mind. Didn’t you have a grocery order coming today?”

  “Yep, it should be here soon. The bell desk might already have it, actually. The company said they just deliver it to them, and they’ll bring it to us. That way, if rooms aren’t ready or flights end up delayed, the delivery person isn’t stuck with an order they can’t deliver.”

  “Makes sense.” Just then, I hear a knock at the door, so I step toward it and open it to find an employee with a cart filled with grocery bags. “Perfect timing,” I tell the guy. “We were just discussing this.”

  “Good afternoon, sir. Do you mind if I come in to unload?”

  “Sure, come right in,” I reply, then stand aside so he can push the cart into the room. He quickly unloads the groceries Jillian ordered, placing the
bags in the kitchenette area for us.

  “Well, that was convenient,” she says once he leaves.

  “It was.” I still have a sleeping Penelope in my arms, so I lay her down on one of the beds.

  “You tired, Addison?” I ask her as she sits on one of the couches in the living room. “You can take a nap with Daddy.”

  “Okay,” she says, and I know she’s exhausted since she’s not putting up a fight.

  “I guess I’ll be taking a nap. You should take one with us,” I tell Jillian.

  “Maybe in a little bit. I’ll put the groceries away and then lay down. I don’t want to let them sleep too long, or else they might not want to go to bed tonight on time.”

  “Want me to set an alarm for an hour or ninety minutes?”

  “Sure. That should be fine. I’m sure once we’re out and about, they’ll perk up and we’ll probably be out a little late anyways, so it will make up for the nap.”

  “You’re the boss,” I tell her with a salute, then pick Addison up off the couch and head into one of the bedrooms. I pull the covers back and lay her down on the bed. Kicking my shoes off, I slide in next to her, making sure to set an alarm on my phone, and we both fall asleep within minutes.

  I wake up to my alarm ninety minutes later, quickly reaching for my phone and shutting off the blaring noise. The room is dark and silent, so I slip out of bed and head for the living room. Jillian has already set out all the snacks and stocked the fridge as she said she’d do. I grab a bottle of water and an apple from the counter and bite into it as I go in search of her. Both girls were in the room with me and still asleep when I snuck out. I find Jillian in one of the other bedrooms, curled up with her kindle still in her hand, as she sleeps peacefully. She’s covered with a throw blanket she must have found in one of the closets. I stand at the doorway, somewhat like a creeper, as I watch her for a few moments.

  I walk over to the side of the bed and sit down. I reach out and take the kindle from her hand, flipping the cover closed before I set it on the nightstand next to the bed. Without thinking, I swipe the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, then run the backs of my fingers down her cheek. “Jill,” I say, just above a whisper. “Babe, it’s been an hour and a half,” I repeat, a little louder, trying to rouse her awake. I continue to rub her cheek until she stirs. Her eyes pop open, taking me in, before she rolls onto her back and stretches. Seeing her like this, I have the strong urge to bend over and kiss her.

  “What time is it?” she asks, her voice a little hoarse from sleeping.

  I look at my watch. “About three forty-five.”

  “Are the girls awake?”

  “Not yet. I was able to shut off my alarm before either of them woke up.”

  “We should probably wake them up soon,” she says, yawning again.

  “Or, we could let them sleep and have a romp in the sheets,” I suggest, bouncing my eyebrows at her.

  “Not going to happen. I don’t want to be up all night.” She hits me in the side with one of the pillows as she laughs.

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “Something like that.” She fakes a huff. “Let me up, I need to pee,” she says, pushing on my side so I’ll move out of her way. I do as she asks and stand up, but I don’t move far, making it so she presses against me as she slides by. I don’t miss the slight hitch in her breathing when she does. When, for a split-second, her body is flush against mine.

  “Want me to wake the girls?” I ask just as she walks into the bathroom.

  “Yes, please,” she says, giving me a small smile before the door shuts.

  I head back to the kitchen to throw my apple core and empty bottle of water in the trash before I head to wake the girls up. Thankfully, they both do so easily and are in good moods once awake.

  I bring them out to the living room just as Jill joins us. “Do you both need a snack?” she asks them, already pulling a few things from the fridge. Both girls nod their heads as they sit at the table, still looking a little sleep drunk.

  “After snack time, we can go explore,” I tell them as I look to Jillian for clarification.

  “Daddy’s right. We’re going to go down to Downtown Disney for a while. Have some dinner, maybe pick out a souvenir or two,” Jillian tells the girls.

  “Will the princesses be there?” Addison asks.

  “I don’t think so, sweetheart.” She sets a plate in front of each of the girls with a half of a cut up apple and some cut up cheese. “But we’ll get to meet them throughout our stay! We even get to have dinner with them one night.”

  “Really?!” Addison perks up and Penelope follows suit.

  “Yep. It will be so exciting! You’ll get to get all dressed up beforehand, put on your favorite princess dress, have your hair done, and then we’ll go have dinner! How does all that sound?” she asks, just as excited as our girls are now.

  They both bounce in their seats as they quickly eat their snacks.

  “Everyone ready to go?” I ask about ten minutes later, after we’ve all had the chance to eat, use the restroom, and put shoes back on.

  “Yep!” the girls call out.

  “We need to stop at the bell desk before we take the shuttle over to Downtown Disney. The rental company delivered the stroller to them about an hour ago, according to the text message I got.”

  “Sounds easy enough. Anything else we need to do?”

  “Nope,” she says, slinging a backpack on her back.

  “Want me to take that for you?”

  “I’ve got it,” she says, grabbing Penny’s hand as she opens the door. “Let’s go, fam!”

  My girls all skip out of the door, and a smile breaks out on my face. I know it was just an easy thing to call all of us, but the fact Jillian still thinks of us as one family makes me hope that one day we’ll be back to a solid unit. One that I’ll never mess up enough to lose again.

  I pull the door shut behind us and follow my three girls down the hall to the elevator. Penny pushes the button to summon the elevator, and once we’re inside, Addison presses the button for the ground floor, where we make our way over to the bell desk and collect the stroller. The young man helping us directs us to the shuttle stop that will take us to where we want to go.

  The girls excitedly bounce around as we take in everything while we walk through all the shops. We spend lots of time in each one as they look through everything, trying to decide what they can’t live without. Jillian helps them both pick out their ears and we have their names embroidered on them. Since that takes awhile, they offer to have them delivered to our room later tonight and we take them up on that service. We also leave the store with a new set of princess pajamas for both of them, as well as t-shirts for them to wear sometime soon.

  After time at the shops, we’re finally all hungry enough and find a restaurant for some dinner.

  “What’s the plan after dinner?” I ask Jillian as we all dig in to the appetizers.

  “I didn’t plan much for tonight, wanting it to be just an easy evening. We can walk around a little more, maybe get some d-e-s-s-e-r-t,” she says, spelling out the word, so the girls don’t know what she’s telling me. “After a little bit, if they’re still in good moods, and then call it a somewhat early night and head back for the hotel. I wanted to be at the park in the morning for rope drop, so we need to be up and at breakfast by seven.”

  “Sounds good.” I take a drink of my beer. “It’s already seven thirty. I imagine it will be after eight by the time we get out of here, but I’m up for whatever you want to do.” Our server arrives just then with our main meals.

  We’re nearly finished eating when a woman approaches the table, her tits spilling out of her top, and the amount of makeup she’s got caked on is comical, at best. Just as she stops next to me, she adjusts her shirt, causing her tits to pop out just a little bit more. I know what’s coming and my stomach turns at the thought of it. “Hi Derek,” she purrs, and I look directly at Jillian. “Can y
ou sign something for me?”

  “I’d love to, but as you can see, I’m on vacation with my family. You can contact my management team and they’ll get you all set,” I tell her curtly. I don’t need this shit right now. Not in front of my girls.

  “I thought you were single,” she states, not getting the hint I don’t want what she’s offering.

  “My marital status is irrelevant at the moment. I’m with my family and now is not the time,” I reply, a little more firmly this time. I see our server, along with the manager, approach our table, obviously having taken notice of what’s going on.

  “Mr. Smyth, Mrs. Smyth, I’d like to thank you for joining us tonight and I’m extremely sorry for the interruption.” The manager glares at the woman beside me. “I assure you, we will escort this woman out and make sure your family can finish up and leave without any further issues,” he tells me as I see a security guard approaching our table. The woman makes a fuss as they remove her, but good riddance. I usually don’t mind signing stuff for people, especially kids, but not when overzealous fans, especially women, try and shove their chests in my face, thinking that will get them somewhere with me.

  “Thank you for that,” I tell him.

  “Is there anything else we can do for you?” he asks nervously.

  “Not at all, everything has been great. And please don’t worry. Unfortunately, we’re used to these types of fans occasionally interrupting our family time. Thank you for moving in quickly and taking care of the issue.”

  “Absolutely. We strive to provide the best service to all visitors. We want everyone to have a magical time.”

  “I think the only thing we need is the check,” I tell him before he leaves the table.

  “Of course. I think your server was already getting that, but I’ll make sure she is.”

  “Well, that was fun,” Jill says, a smirk on her lips as he steps away. Her easygoing attitude has me relaxing just a bit. I was worried she’d be pissed about the intrusion.