Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes Book 1)

by Barbara Freethy

  He must have followed her train of thought because his gaze darkened and a look of promised intimacy passed between them. They'd been dancing around the sparks of attraction since the first minute they'd met. One of these days, those sparks were going to catch fire, and it was going to take a lot more than a few kisses to put those flames out.

  But she didn't want to get burned. She didn't want to get hurt. And Michael had the potential to do that, because she already cared about him, which meant her heart was on the line, and she never put her heart on the line. But Michael seemed to understand her and accept her in a way that no one else ever had. And she thought she understood him pretty well, too. She'd been able to peek past the curtain he probably usually hid behind. He'd opened up about his life, and she doubted he did that often.

  But what would happen when all the questions were answered, when Liliana was found?

  Would they just go back to their lives? Lives that they led in two different states?

  That seemed the most likely scenario.

  So why on earth was she thinking about getting more involved with him? There was no future for them. Was there?

  "Earth to Alicia," Jake said loudly.

  "Sorry, what?" she asked, turning her head to her brother.

  "Mom and I would like to send Dani to D.C. with a parting gift. Do you want to go in on it?"

  "Sure, of course. What are you thinking?"

  "I saw Dani eyeing a lovely tote bag that would fit her computer and be good for traveling," her mother said. "It's several hundred dollars, but I think she'd like it."

  "Count me in."

  "And Dani's party next month?" her mom said hopefully.

  "I will try to come back," she promised.

  "Do more than try—come. It's been nice having you here tonight. It feels good to have at least two of my kids here. I wish Dani could have joined us. I can't remember when we were all together."

  "It's been wonderful," Alicia agreed. "And now I'm going to do the dishes. You sit, Mom. You worked all day and made dinner. It's the least I can do."

  "Well, I won't protest," Joanna said with a pleased smile.

  "I'll help," Michael offered.

  "You barbecued. You should be resting."

  "I don't need to rest," he said, getting to his feet. He grabbed her mom's plate and his own, then headed into the kitchen with her.

  "So, my mom likes you a lot," she commented as she scraped and rinsed the plates, then put them in the dishwasher.

  "I'm actually pretty likeable, except when I'm in Miami," he said with a wry smile.

  "Sounds like you and Miami have the same love-hate relationship as Texas and I do. Maybe we both need to figure out how to live in the place where we grew up."

  "Or not. I'll be back in New York by Christmas. And you don't seem to have plans to return here."

  "Not any time soon, except for my sister's party." She paused. "I have to say I can't quite picture you in New York. It's so cold there in the winter. Surely you miss the Miami weather. You're a hot-blooded Latino."

  He grinned. "I do miss the sun from November to March, sometimes April," he conceded. "But to be honest, I spend only a few weeks a year in the city. Most of the time I'm working on a project somewhere else in the world. Wherever my grandfather needs me to go, I go."

  "What's the best place you've gone?"

  "I don't know about best, but Panama was a favorite. That was a smaller project, but the country was beautiful. Where have you traveled?"

  "Hardly anywhere. I've been to California, New York, Chicago, and Miami, but I've never been to Europe or South America or even Hawaii. Maybe someday."

  "Where will you go first?" He smiled. "Wait a second. I know the answer to that question—whichever place has the most electrical storms."

  She made a face at him. "I could take a vacation from lightning."

  "Could you?" he challenged.

  For the first time in a very long time, she actually thought she could. She hadn't checked the weather on her phone in two days, and she couldn't remember when she'd gone that long without knowing the forecast.

  Before she could answer his question, Jake came in the back door. "I have to take off, Alicia."

  "It was good to see you," she said, giving him a hug. "We should keep in better touch."

  "We should. Michael, nice to meet you."

  "You, too," Michael said, shaking Jake's hand.

  "Try to keep my sister out of trouble—if you can."

  "I'll certainly try."

  Jake turned back to her. "If you talk to TJ, Alicia, let him know that we're concerned about his mother. Mom said her friend is checking on her tonight, and she'll go over there tomorrow after work, but TJ needs to come up with a long-term solution.

  "I will. Maybe you should think about reaching out to Kat," she suggested.

  "That ship sailed a long time ago."

  Whenever Jake spoke of Katherine, there were always deep shadows in his eyes. Alicia couldn't help wondering if his high school sweetheart didn't still have a piece of his heart.

  "Good luck with your quest," Jake continued. "I hope you find your friend, Michael, and the answers you're looking for."

  "Thanks," Michael said.

  "And come back with Alicia for Dani's party if you can."

  "I'll consider it."

  "Looks like you charmed my brother and my mother," she said lightly, as she wiped down the counter after her brother left.

  "Jake is cool."

  "Yeah. He's a good guy when he's not being annoying."

  "So tonight wasn't bad."

  She shook her head. "Not bad at all."

  "Maybe even good?"

  "Perhaps. But I think we should call it a night before that changes." As if on cue, her mother walked in the back door with the last of the dishes. "Michael and I are going to take off, Mom."

  "I understand. How long will you be in town?"

  "We're not sure yet, but we'll probably go back to Miami tomorrow night or Wednesday."

  "Well, if you have any extra time—"

  "I'll give you a call," she promised. "Thanks for dinner, Mom."

  "I'm really glad you came," Joanna said, her eyes soft and a little pleading. "I know we don't always see eye-to-eye, Alicia, but you're my daughter, and I love you."

  "I love you, too." She walked into her mom's open arms and gave her a hug. It was probably the first time they'd embraced in ten years.

  Michael and her mother said goodbye, and then she and Michael walked out to the car.

  It was a beautiful starry night in the quiet neighborhood where Alicia had grown up, but she had the oddest feeling that it was the quiet before the storm. She just wished she knew where that storm might be coming from.

  Glancing at her watch, she saw it was after nine. The evening had flown by. "I didn't realize it was so late. So much for my idea of a short visit."

  "Yeah, I didn't think that was going to happen," Michael said with a wry smile. "But I love your optimism."

  "It doesn't always pay off. So back to the hotel?" she asked as Michael started the car.

  "Sounds good to me."

  "Even if Lieutenant Hodges didn't drop off the case file information, we should take a closer look at Liliana's notes, see if we can piece together any clues."

  "That's an idea."

  They arrived at the hotel fifteen minutes later. Checking in at the front desk resulted in disappointing news. There were no messages or packages.

  They headed back upstairs, opening the door to Michael's room first. She decided to go inside and just use the connecting door to get to her room, but she hesitated as she saw Michael wander out to the hotel balcony without saying a word.

  His mood had definitely changed since they'd left her mom's house, and even more so since they'd received nothing from Lieutenant Hodges. She set her purse on the dresser and walked out to the balcony. Michael was resting his forearms on the rail, staring out at the dimly lit pool and the moonbeams
lighting up the waters in the bay.

  "You're disappointed," she said, standing next to him.

  "I don't really know what I am." He let silence follow those words, then a moment later turned his head and said, "To be honest, I wasn't that disappointed when I realized there was no case file to go over. I was almost relieved, which is not the way I should feel, but I'm tired, Alicia."

  "I know." She put a hand on his arm, giving him a sympathetic look. "You need a break."

  "I'm not giving up yet, but I don't want to do anything else tonight."

  "You don't have to. It's probably better if we look at the notes in the morning when we're fresh."

  "I liked being at your house, getting to know your mom and your brother, seeing you with them. It felt almost normal. I'd forgotten what normal was."

  "Does your normal usually involve family barbecues where you have to cook, and none of the plates or wine glasses match? I have the feeling your friends are a little more upscale."

  "I guess that's true. But I didn't grow up with money, Alicia. I'm more comfortable with the kind of night we just had. I've never really fit in with my grandfather's wealthy friends." He let out a sigh at the end of that statement. "I've always been caught between worlds, cultures, people. My grandfather wants to push down my Cuban side and my father thinks I'll get swallowed up in the Jansen empire and forget my heritage. He wants me to remember where I came from, where he came from."

  "What do you want, Michael?"

  "I don't know."

  "I think you do. You're a man who knows what he wants."

  "I want to be myself. I'm a mix of two cultures. That's never going to change. I'm tired of feeling like I need to choose."

  "You don't need to choose. I like your different sides. And we're all a mix, whether it's cultures that influence us or just personality differences. I'm a mix, too. I think it makes me more interesting, not less. And the same is true for you."

  "You certainly interest me," he said, brushing a strand of hair off her face.

  At the look in his eyes, her heart skipped a beat.

  "Alicia?"

  "Yes?" she asked warily, her blood beginning to rush through her veins with anticipation.

  "I know what I want to do tonight."

  She stared back at him for a long moment, her brain battling with her body, reason fighting with emotion. Excitement was building within her and he hadn't even touched her. She felt the same anticipation as she did when she heard the rumble of thunder and lightning streaked across the sky.

  Michael's words, his mouth, his eyes—pulled her to him. And she wanted to go. She didn't want to resist or think—she just needed to surrender, to feel.

  "Alicia?" he pressed.

  "I want the same thing," she murmured.

  His eyes glittered in response, and his jaw tightened. He looked like he was trying to fight one more battle. "Are you sure?"

  "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't still be standing here. And I sure as hell wouldn't do this." She put her hands on his arms, pressed her body against his and touched his mouth with her lips.

  The simmering passion that had been building in intensity exploded in the most deeply intense kiss she'd ever had. Michael wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her into a possessive embrace as his tongue slid between her lips and brought the heat of his body into hers.

  One kiss led to another and another.

  Michael barely let her breathe between kisses, and she loved his impatient, frenzied moves, making her feel wanted and desired.

  They made their way into the bedroom, stripping off their clothes with each step. Part of her wanted to stop and savor every caress, but this wasn't the time for going slow. She had a burning need to have no barriers between them, and Michael seemed to feel the same way.

  As she stripped off her bra and stepped out of her panties, she sank into the soft mattress of the bed, Michael's hard body coming down on top of hers. He cupped her face with his hands and stared at her with those beautiful light blue eyes that seemed to see right through her.

  Then he kissed her mouth, dragging his tongue along the side of her jaw, licking a path along her collarbone, his head finally moving even lower.

  She ran her hands through his thick dark hair as he kissed her breasts, as his hands ventured farther down her stomach to the center of her need. Her nerves tingled and jolted with each touch of his mouth, his fingers, the tension building inside her until she was aching. "I need you, Michael," she murmured.

  "I need you more," he said, the truth shining out of his eyes, and it was that truth that shattered her heart.

  When they came together, it was better than her best dream, hotter than she'd ever imagined, as magnificent and powerful and life-changing as a lightning strike.

  But when her body tumbled down from the peak, Michael was there to catch her, and she was there to catch him.

  She had a feeling nothing would ever be the same again.

  Seventeen

  Alicia woke up, dazed and disoriented, a heavy male arm across her waist. That's when the beautiful memories came flooding back. Michael was on his side next to her, his breathing deep and steady, but even as they slept he was holding on to her, and she liked it. She liked it a lot.

  She'd always thought of herself as the kind of person who needed her own space, who was a bit isolated from others, mostly by choice or because she was always charging off to witness nature in its most powerful state.

  Since she'd met Michael, she'd had no space for herself, not just in this bed where he was hogging a good three-quarters of the mattress but also in her life. For the last several days, they'd been together almost every minute, and yet she hadn't grown bored with him or tired of his company. She hadn't wanted to put space between them. Instead she'd felt a need to stay as close to him as possible.

  Well, they'd certainly gotten as close as they could last night. She'd thought she'd had good sex before in her life, but her past experiences dimmed in comparison. She'd sensed that Michael would bring intensity and passion, and she'd liked his ability to focus exclusively on her. But through the night, she'd been pleased to see another side to him—the side that was generous, adventurous and fun.

  As they'd wrestled in the sheets, they'd laughed as much as anything else. She'd never felt so uninhibited, so free to be herself, whether it was in exploring his body or telling him exactly where she wanted to be touched.

  She'd liked touching him exactly where he needed it most, too. She'd liked his impatience, his need for her. Even now, the memories were making her heart race. Maybe it was time to wake Michael up. On the other hand, with the sun now starting to stream through the open curtains, she was afraid that the fast-arriving day would change things between them.

  Had last night just been an escape, a release from the tension and the worry?

  She wasn't sure she wanted the answer to that question.

  Glancing at the clock on the bedside table, she realized it was half-past six. Maybe she'd just sleep for a while longer. Closing her eyes, she tried to slip back into happy unconsciousness, but her brain was already coming to life and she wasn't going to be able to settle it back down. Finally, she gave up.

  Gently moving Michael's arm off her abdomen, she slid out of the bed and moved toward the open door between their rooms. She walked into her bathroom, smiled at her tousled hair and swollen lips in the mirror and then hopped into the shower.

  Thirty minutes later, with her hair blown dry, she wrapped herself in the complimentary hotel bathrobe and moved back into the bedroom to get dressed.

  It was then that she noticed the drawers pulled out of the dresser, the closet door open, and the clothes she'd left in the suitcase tumbled on the floor next to it.

  Her heart began to beat faster as she gazed around the room. The door to her balcony was ajar. She walked out on to it and realized that there wasn't much space between balconies. It was possible someone could have jumped the low wall between her balcony and the o
ne next to hers.

  She moved quickly back into her room and through the adjoining door to Michael's room.

  "Wake up," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

  He blinked in surprise and turned on to his back. "Hey, beautiful. You're up. I thought we could sleep in this morning."

  "No, you need to get up."

  Her urgent words erased the intimate smile in his eyes. He sat up. "What's wrong?"

  "Someone was in my room. My clothes are all over the place and the balcony door was open. Someone came in while we were out yesterday, or—" She stopped abruptly, suddenly wondering if someone had been in her room while she and Michael had been making love. "Oh, my God, they could have been in the room last night while we—"

  He jumped out of bed and put his arms around her trembling shoulders. "It's okay, Alicia. You're okay."

  His strong arms and reassuring words helped get her feet back under her. "You should take a look. I'm fine, just a little shaken up."

  She let go of Michael.

  He grabbed his boxers off the floor and pulled them on, then walked into her room.

  She followed him inside, watching his gaze sweep the messy room.

  "When do you think they came in?" she asked. "We never came in here last night after we got back from my mom's house."

  "I don't know." A grim note entered his voice. "I didn't really look at my room. Did you?"

  "Not really. I mean, nothing jumped out at me when we walked in the door, but we got distracted pretty quickly."

  As she finished speaking, he went back through the adjoining door, and she followed him. He opened the closet door, and she peered over his shoulder to see his suitcase upended, his clothes on the ground.

  "They were here, too," he said, closing the door and looking around the room.

  One of the dresser drawers was half-open, but there wasn't anything else in the room that looked askew.

  "What would someone be looking for? Do you think it was just a random search for money or jewelry?" she asked.

  "I doubt it. It doesn't feel random. Someone was probably looking for whatever we're looking for—evidence related to the case, or Liliana, or something." He glanced back at her. "I think whoever broke in here did so while we were out yesterday."