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High Voltage: Chapter 1
"These April showers had better bring a hell of a lot of May flowers."
If the adage held true, the wildflowers covering the low-rising hill that sat behind Serena Lamond's cozy lakeside cottage would be plentiful this spring. The vibrant purples, yellows and blues that dotted the lush knee-deep green grass had instantly drawn her in, making this place a welcome haven for her self-imposed exile. Serena hadn't been able to decide where she'd wanted to hide out while recovering from the nasty scandal she'd been embroiled in at work, but one look at the realtor's photos and she'd known this was her new home.
Unfortunately, no one had warned her that the torrential downpours had the ability to flood the back half of her cottage. She'd discovered that all on her own this past fall. Lesson Number One. Hopefully, the carpenter she'd hired had created a substantial enough barrier that when she got home tonight, she wouldn't have to bail water.
It had rained for four days straight. Almost all damned day and all damned night. The roads were all but washed out, save for the back road that led from Serena's cottage to town—in a very wayward, roundabout sort of manner. She'd prefer to not brave the elements in weather like this, but four damned days! A person could only be cooped up for so long. And besides, she hadn't stocked the necessary provisions for lengthy captivity. Specifically, she was low on wine. That bordered on emergency, in her book.
So she'd hoofed it into town in her barely-able-to-make-it-down-the-road pickup that was at least a hundred years old. Lesson Number Two. Never buy a car sight-unseen, no matter how desperate you are and no matter how good a deal you're offered.
Despite the blips she'd encountered thus far, Serena had come to like Silver, Wyoming. The only downside was this really weird weather. She wasn't used to this much rain, nor had she ever heard thunder roar so loudly or so ominously. She'd be surprised if the people in Jackson Hole didn't hear the ruckus, even though they were a good two hundred miles away.
As though to prove her point, a sharp crack of thunder nearly pierced her eardrums.
"Yes, we hear you,” she grumbled as she peered through the windshield. “The whole Goddamn Free World hears you.” Leaning over the steering wheel and narrowing her eyes, she focused on the road ahead of her. It was pitch black outside, except for when the three-pronged lightning bolts lit up the night sky. They were a little scary, but beautiful—a purplish-pink color outlined by shimmering gold. She'd caught a glimpse of the electrifying bolts a time or two, though mostly the flashes of light were damn near blinding because they were so close in proximity.
As she drove down the road she knew the wheels of her pickup gathered thick clumps of mud. The slight pull of the steering wheel told her the red clay stuck to the tires and filled the hubcaps. Lesson Number Three had come after a long downpour that she'd ventured out in a few months ago. She'd been driving the pickup down the road and it had shaken like King Kong himself was rattling the frame. Turns out the mud had collected in the hubcaps and dried, throwing the suspension out of whack.
Anyone with a lick of sense would have cut her losses and replaced the heap of junk with a newer version, but not Serena. She'd grown attached to the old clunker. As was her custom, and likely the source of her downfall.
Serena was just too damned sappy of heart for her own good.
Narrowing her eyes further, she pushed the wayward thoughts from her mind and focused on the road. Thick clouds had rolled in and they shrouded the full moon, making it nearly impossible to see past the hood of the truck. Serena slowed to a cautious crawl, but she could still feel the thick mud pull at the tires, making the truck shimmy as it crept along.
Beside her, she'd piled a half-dozen paper sacks full of groceries. On the floor was a case of wine. Not a great brand, mind you, but Serena had yet to develop a taste for tart lemonade, the beverage of choice in these parts. She took what she could get where wine varietals were concerned. She hadn't yet lost hope, though, that the local grocer would someday place the order she'd left with him six months ago for an Australian Shiraz she was particularly fond of.
A girl had to have her vices, particularly during a personal exile.
Now, if she could just get herself—and her wine—safely home.
Carefully negotiating her way down the long, winding road, she kept an eye out for wild animals. She'd heard a few weeks ago that Millie Stanford had run over a wild boar late one night. Millie was okay, but the boar hadn't fared so well. Nor had Mill
ie's station wagon.
A bright flash of light brought Serena's attention back to the road ... and the violent storm she was immersed in. Fat raindrops hit the hood and roof of the truck so hard the tinny sound echoed inside the cab. Her windshield wipers, working double-time, couldn't quite keep up with the downpour.
And the lightning ... Jesus. It was so intense tonight. Like nothing she'd seen before. And it was the same three-pronged spear, over and over again, that kept illuminating the night sky just ahead of her.
She mentally envisioned the road in broad daylight. Ditches lined either side, which were usually flooded during lengthy storms. What about power lines? She couldn't remember when they stopped running alongside the road. Two, maybe three miles from the turn-off to her cottage? Serena couldn't say for sure. Damn. Why couldn't she pay better attention to her surroundings?
She wasn't even sure how far she was from home. At the snail's pace she was going, she feared she wouldn't arrive until sun up.
When another bolt pierced the darkness, Serena gasped. A sizzling sound filled her ears and she could swear she felt the burst of heat on her skin—and deep within her. Her nerve-endings felt singed, and a hot, restless feeling suddenly blazed through every inch of her before targeting the core of her being.
"What the fuck?” she mumbled as her nipples tightened behind the white lace bra she wore beneath her tank top.
Sharp stabs of desire pricked her between her legs, not abating the least little bit as she carefully maneuvered the truck down the road. In fact, the throbbing deep within her seemed to intensify with every passing minute, making her more and more uncomfortable.
As sexual frustration settled in, Serena pushed a few loose strands of chestnut-colored hair from her face. The long locks had escaped her ponytail when she was loading the groceries in town. The wispy strands hadn't bothered her up to this point, but now, every single touch on her skin—no matter how light—seemed to tease her senses and heighten her arousal. Every inch of her seemed hypersensitive. Especially that spot at the juncture of her legs, which pulsed in time with the windshield wipers, erratically beating and demanding her attention.
"Okay,” she whispered to herself, as she was prone to do. “This is way weird."
As though in affirmation, the storm quickly turned from bad to worse. She knew she'd get stuck in it if she didn't get home. Her foot got a little heavier on the accelerator. The roar of thunder mingled with the crackle of lightning. Both were becoming more frequent, indicating she was driving into the heart of the storm.
It occurred to Serena that she ought to turn around and head back into town. But the road was narrow and maneuvering in this thick mud wouldn't be easy. Plus, town was a good fifteen miles away. Home was closer.
The rain was coming down in sheets now that washed over the truck and sluiced down the windshield, all but rendering the wipers useless. The eerie elements surrounding her grew more intense until it seemed there was one continuous roar of thunder and consecutive flashes of lightning. The brilliant bursts illuminated the road, but they were so bright Serena had to close her eyes when they flashed.
"This is not good.” She groaned. She wasn't just referring to the storm. Her insides felt so freaking hot, it was a wonder she wasn't perspiring. And if the aching between her legs didn't subside soon—
Suddenly, white and gold spots danced before her eyes and her vision blurred as another spear lit the night. When her eyes adjusted again, a flash of glowing green piercing the darkness caught her attention.
"What the hell?” A moment later, Serena was jolted in her seat as the front end of the truck hit something solid. She skidded to a stop, her heart hammering so hard in her chest it was a wonder it stayed put.
