Jack drank the champagne. It was very good. Or he imagined it was very good, it was difficult to tell after all that he had drunk.
“So,” he said, “how are you?”
“What?” said Chelsea, putting down her mirror.
“How are you?”
She looked at him as if he were speaking Sanskrit.
“I’ve been out to a sushi restaurant with a guy who would have been happier eating fried chicken in a hot tub. But he bought me a ring.” She raised a finger to show Jack the ring. “Bit gaudy, I know. We got photographed leaving together. So, I suppose that’s alright.”
“Excellent,” said Jack.
“And now I’m here and you’re going to give me a sapphire and some coke and we’ll have sex the Jack way. That’s how I am.”
They looked at each other for a moment and she looked suddenly very young to him and he wondered if he looked the same to her.
“The Jack way?” he said.
“You know, the way you like it.”
“And you like it too.”
She smiled and took a sip of her wine. “You’ve got a lot of energy for busy man.”
“You bet I have,” he winked.
“And some moves.”
“I’ve got some tricks,” he acknowledged, nodding quite seriously. “We dogs have them.”
“Just the tricks,” said Chelsea. “I don’t want the ticks.”
“And the drugs, of course,” said Jack.
Chelsea drank some champagne. “Yes,” she agreed. “Maybe the best drugs.”
Jack stroked his chin, thoughtfully. It was true, he got good Charlie.
“Are we going to break it out then?” asked Chelsea, getting visibly anxious.
“Champagne first,” said Jack, raising his class, “then coke.”
“Then sex?”
Jack nodded. “Things in the correct order,” he said. “That’s the secret to living a good life.”
“On here?” asked Chelsea, patting the breakfast bar.
“Yes,” said Jack. “I don’t see why not.”
When Jack awoke he found himself on the sofa. He could hear Chelsea moving around. He failed to get himself to a standing position until the taxi was waiting outside with the horn blaring.
Chelsea rushed out of the door and yelled something to him as she went. Jack watched her shimmy to the taxi. God damn, he thought. She was good. He couldn’t live without her, that was the truth. He had been stupid to try.
He noticed Chelsea had taken the sapphire and there seemed to be some cash missing from his wallet. Well, he wouldn’t miss it too much.
Jack padded to the kitchen and found an aspirin. Standing by the kitchen window, his thoughts turned to Rainn. He would have to leave her. Completely. He knew that. But, still. Would it do any harm to see her just one more time?
Chapter 10
Jack picked up the phone and as he expected, it went straight to answerphone.
“Hi, Rainn,” he said, trying to sound upbeat. “It’s Jack. Hope you are doing well. I’m in central London, filming on location. Anyway, I’ve got a suite in The Shard. Ever been there? Wow. It’s an amazing view. Feels like you can see the whole of London from here. It would be nice to describe it for you. I could send a taxi, if you liked. Well, anyway, it would be nice to see you again.”
Jack ended the call as the traffic around him began to move. Shit, he thought, maybe she would hear he had called from his car. He hadn’t thought of that. She probably would, as well, with her crazy bat ears.
Much to his surprise, he received an SMS not long later.
“I will be going into central with my sister. Yes, it would be nice to visit The Shard. And to meet you. We will be there at 2.”
Great, he thought. It might be worth paying for a room after all.
Jack waited for them in lobby of the hotel. He got himself a whiskey to calm his nerves even though he wasn’t sure what he was nervous about. Every time the lift doors opened he glanced up. When Rainn and Yvonne eventually appeared, he felt almost dizzy.
“Jesus, Jack, get a grip,” he told himself.
He walked over to them and kissed them both and gave Rainn a hug. They chatted about how busy London was and how it was difficult to get anywhere these days. Yvonne suddenly announced, “Well, I’ll leave you two to it. Let you have a nice talk.”
Yes, a nice talk, thought Jack as they travelled in the lift up the endless floors. How was that nice talk going to go? So, Rainn, sorry about the rough, violent sex I subjected you to the other day. I realize that’s ruined the way we see each other and spoiled the very lovely thing we have. However, it seems I have an unhealthily addictive personality and I coped with what happened between us by getting drunk and taking drugs with my cynical, gold digger girlfriend.
They kept going up as London scrolled behind them.
“It’s a long way,” said Rainn. “My stomach feels like it’s down near my feet.”
Jack led her to the hotel room door and fumbled a little with the lock. He still had no idea what he was going to say or how he was going to play this. He would fix himself a drink first, that seemed like the best plan of action.
“The room’s got a full-length window. Not much chance of anyone being able to look in at this height. Unless it’s an airliner. It’s incredible really. You can see for miles.”
“I can see for miles?” said Rainn, sharply.
“I’m sorry,” said Jack. “What I meant was . . .”
But he didn’t have chance to finish his sentence because Rainn had taken his arm from her back and twisted it sharply down. With her other hand she had pushed him back against the gold glass of the window. Jack was quite taken by surprise and; his back thudded against the window, half a mile above the London streets.
Rainn grabbed him by the shirt and pressed her body up against him. If he had the chance, Jack would have smiled at Rainn’s attempt to take control. Before he could, she had kissed him angrily on the lips.
Jack leaned back, letting Rainn pull off his shirt. She then worked away his pants as well. Jack span around, so that Rainn was against the window. Reaching down grabbed both her knees and pulled them up so they were round his waist. Momentarily, he sensed her embarrassment as she tried to loosen his grip.
“I want you,” he told her. “Here. Like this. And I know you want it too.”
Rainn reached out her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs tightly around his back. Jack was too excited now for doing anything slowly. He released himself and Rainn gasped as Jack thrust at her, pushing her ass hard against the window.
Jack pulled her panties to one side and lifted her into position. They kissed tenderly and Jack looked into her face and delicately stroked her eyelids. Then he let her slide down the window and onto him. He filled her so completely, Rainn let out a gasp of surprise. He began to thrust into her, feeling her body press against the window.
At the same time his hands searched over her body. He caressed her back and the back of her thighs. He dropped his mouth down to taste her breasts, seeking out her nipples. It felt to Rainn that he was all over her and she moaned her encouragement.
She felt as if she were flying high in the London sky, with Jack pushing into her, pressing her every upwards. Her head was spinning, and she was unsure where she was. Rainn dug her fingers into Jack’s back and hung on for dear life.
Then he lifted her away from the window and carried her across the room.
“Wait,” Rainn said. “What are you doing?”
“Trust me,” said Jack. “You must give control to me.”
He laid her down on the carpeted floor and held her there, pinning her arms to the floor with his hands. He pushed open her thighs and entered her again, maintaining a rhythm of long, slow strokes. Rainn lifted her legs until they were almost around his shoulders, encouraging him to go deeper.
Jack took one hand away from her arm and brought it down between her legs, where she throbbed with pleasure. Rainn almo
st screamed as she gulped the air.
Now Jack was holding the backs of her thighs, forcing them upwards so that he could reach further into her. His movements were becoming more fevered and she could feel his breathing, powerful like an engine. He was slamming his body into her now, harder and harder and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. He plunged into her like a mad man: like a man who had nothing left to live for. Their movement built towards an inevitable crescendo and she rushed towards it gratefully. The pressure inside her built like a silent scream. All his muscles seemed to give way at once, as did hers; everything that was tensed turned to warm jelly. Inside, Rainn felt as if a pane of glass had been shattered into a million pieces.
They lay on the carpet for a long time listening to each other’s breathing. Then it came upon them, the slow realization that what they had done was not compatible with the people they were outside the moment.
The conversation was stilted and both of them felt awkward. Neither wanted to stay in the place where it had happened.
Jack went to the bathroom while Rainn gathered her things. He washed his face. He knew what he had to do.
“I have a girlfriend,” he said “and I don’t think I can leave her.”
He waited to see what Rainn would say. She said nothing.
“I have feelings for you, but I hate to do this with you when I know it’s not right.”
“No,” said Rainn, calmly. “You should not.”
Jack watched her carefully, he could see the emotion she tried to contain betrayed by the slight shaking of her shoulders.
“That’s the way it is,” he said, firmly and with no hint of emotion. “I’m sorry,” he said again.
“There’s no need to apologize,” said Rainn. “There’s no need to say any more. Please don’t come with me. I will see myself out. The only way from here is down.”
Jack opened the door for her and watched her as she lightly touched her fingers against the walls of the corridor, striding purposefully to the lift. He was relieved that she had not seen the tears he had been crying.
THE END
Chapter 11
It was a beautiful morning and Rainn was listening to the drops of rain splashing on her windowsill. Her mind however, was focused on a piece that they were going to perform that night. She remembered a fellow violinist once told her that she had an advantage in being blind; she would never have to deal with stage fright. She only smiled at him, not revealing that for her, there was double the pressure. She had to picture how her audience looked and would only know their approval once they applauded for her at the end of the piece. She could hear distant footsteps approaching the room and knew that it was Margaret. Her usual honey lemon scent filled the room as she tapped lightly on the door.
“Hello dear,” she called “Have you had lunch?”
Rainn decided not to answer the question, as she knew that either way she would get a lecture.
“You don’t have to answer that”, she went on, just as Rainn had suspected “I’ve been to the kitchen and I feel insulted.”
“Come on Margaret, your cooking isn’t that bad,” Rainn defended herself, a wicked grin plastered on her face.
“Joke’s on you, I had take out delivered,” Margaret retorted. Rainn heard her pull up a chair; from the closeness of her scent, Rainn knew that Margaret was seated next to her.
“You know, you have to eat something,” Margaret began to lecture.
“I know, I know” Rainn nodded, as she got to her feet and walked out of the room. She could feel Margaret follow her closely and knew that she was going to take it upon herself to monitor her meal. Rainn knew her way around the house now; Margret had ensured that all furniture was well arranged and easily accessible when Rainn informed her that she was coming over. She got to the kitchen and from the way Margaret whisked passed her, Rainn knew Margaret was going to serve her food.
“Just have a seat, I will warm it up for you,” Margaret said and went about the kitchen. Rainn sat quietly and patiently as she heard the familiar clatter of plates and knives. Her cell phone vibrated a pattern in her hand and she simply ignored it.
“Jack again?” Margaret asked after watching Rainn ignore her cell phone.
“Yes.”
“I have to hand it to him, the guy is relentless,” Margaret said and placed a plate in front of Rainn “Do you want some soda with that?”
“Yes please.”
Rainn picked up her fork and slowly began to nibble and pick on her food. She had not realized how hungry she was until she started chewing; she could feel the rumblings in her stomach scramble for the chunks of food that she was throwing its way.
Margaret on the other hand, wondered whether she should touch on the subject of Jack. She watched Rainn, who went on to eat as Margaret pondered the thought.
“Go ahead, ask the question,” Rainn said as she went on to chew and sip on some soda.
“I hate it when you do that,” Margaret said.
“Hate what?”
“How you know that I am burning to ask you a question?” Margaret asked.
“I could feel it.”
“I do not want to get into that right now,” Margaret chuckled.
“So, what’s the question?”
“Why are you ignoring him?” Margaret asked, as she curiously looked in Rainn’s direction. She knew that Rainn was blind but also knew that she could feel her looking her way.
“It’s nothing personal, I just need to concentrate on me right now,” Rainn replied and continued to nibble and play around with her food for Margaret’s sake. She paused and was about to put her plate aside, before she realized that Margaret was still looking at her.
“What else is on your mind?” Margaret asked in a concerned tone. She had watched Rainn for the past two days and had noticed that she had been slightly distracted.
“I need to be my best tonight,” she let out and Margaret could detect the frustration in her voice. She watched as Rainn let her fork drop to her plate and it made a loud clanging sound throughout the dining room.
“Take it easy,” Margaret said to her. She had her arm around Rainn in a minute, holding her in a tight embrace.
“You are too hard on yourself,” Margaret said as she rubbed her hand on Rainn’s back comfortingly “I watch you, you hardly eat or sleep. You’re in overdrive.”
Rainn could not help it as the tears streamed down her cheeks; she wiped them with the back of her hand and stifled a sob.
“You’ll be fine,” Margaret went on to say, but did not stop Rainn from letting her feelings out.
“I need to be perfect,” Rainn said emotionally as she again wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
“You should hear yourself play my dear, I think you transcend perfection,” Margaret cooed, as she held Rainn ever closer.
“You are truly a wonderful cousin,” Rainn replied as let her head rest on Margaret’s shoulder.
“I know I am,” she replied smartly “Now, I want you to eat your food. I wouldn’t want to see you faint on stage in front of a thousand plus people.”
“That would be such a sight,” Rainn replied as she sat up and took the fork in her hand. She picked through her food and started to nibble into it again.
“I can almost see the headlines now,” she went on to say in between mouthfuls “Blind girl faints in the middle of a performance.”
‘That’s not supposed to be funny,” Margaret replied albeit her manner suggested otherwise “I shouldn’t be laughing this hard at such a scenario.”
The two women went on to make light of Rainn fainting in the middle of her performance as Margaret secretly monitored her eating. She felt relieved when she saw that Rainn had cleared her plate, giving her a thumbs up.
“Now you can go back to practice with more energy,” Margaret said and watched as her cousin slowly got to her feet and walked out of the room. She slightly shook her head when she thought of her and Jack and decided that she was pro
bably doing her a favor by hiding the letters. Rainn had been dealt a hand in life and a straining relationship would not really work for her at that time.
Chapter 12
Jack sat on the floor, cell phone in hand and wondered what to do next. He waited and hoped for it to ring as he stared at his surroundings at nothing in particular. He was camped at Rainn’s door, outside the empty house and had decided not to move. It was a chilly day and he hugged his coat tightly to his chest as he again threw a glance at his surroundings. He thought of the many times he had tried to reach out to her and felt even more frustrated. He had spent the past few months calling her and trying to appease her with gifts and flowers, but he would never get any response from her. No phone call, email, text or even letter. The thought of rejection and the feeling of frustration made Jack reach into his pocket and pull out a flask. He took a long gulp from it and welcomed the ever familiar feel of burning liquor on his throat. He shut his eyes tight, again looking around at his surroundings. He noticed that the neighbors had started looking at him weirdly, but he simply did not care. Jack got to his feet when he remembered that if the press were to take a snap shot of him drinking at the front of Rainn’s door, she would get into trouble. He walked over to the plant that was perched next to the front door and began fishing through it for a key. He let out a victorious yelp when he finally circled his palm around it. Jack then staggered slightly to the door and turned it open. He was greeted by the familiar scent that he had gotten used to and he could feel his heart melt at the memory of it. He closed the door behind him quietly and took a few steps around the apartment. His footsteps echoed throughout the house as the loneliness of the place acknowledged the human presence that had just intruded. The dust on the furniture and the few cobwebs that had begun forming on the walls confirmed the fact that Rainn had not been at the house for quite some time. He wondered what to do and kept on walking around the house; he could hear distant nostalgic laughter as he recalled the good times that they had together in that apartment.
Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 1) Page 16
