High Voltage Page 7

  "Look,” Garrett said as he pulled away from Serena. He cupped her heart-shaped face in his hands and said, “I told you the choice is yours. I can't make you stay with me. If this isn't what you want, then I'll continue to protect you, but like I said, you'll have to leave Wyoming."

  "I don't want to leave,” she said in a small voice. Her eyelids dipped and her gaze lowered to his mouth. “I like it here. It's so beautiful and peaceful, and...” She shook her head, as though trying to reconcile her thoughts and feelings. “And besides,” she said, lifting her eyes to meet his. “You're here."

  Garrett's heart swelled. He let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. “I chose you because I felt a connection to you the first time I saw you—a connection I've only felt once in my lifetime. I knew you were the one for me, Serena. But you have to know it, too, in order for this to work."

  She smiled. “Oh, I know it. Do you really think I would have let you kiss me or touch me or make love to me if I didn't know it? Deep in my heart?"

  He pulled her close to him again, holding her tight. Relief washed over him, but the sensation could not compare to the intense emotions that welled inside him. Or the desire that was sparked, yet again...

  "Serena,” he whispered in her ear.

  "Yes,” she replied. “Again..."

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  High Voltage: Chapter 9

  Serena woke to the soothing sounds of chirping birds and waves lapping against the dock and shore, not more than forty yards from her doorstep. A warm, spring breeze drifted through the open windows, filling her cottage and bringing with it the scent of wildflowers.

  She smiled in her groggy state, not fully awake, but slowly assimilating and becoming more and more aware of her surroundings. With a long yawn, she stretched her weary limbs and let out a giggle, rather than a groan, at the soreness that coursed through just about every inch of her. Talk about being thoroughly loved! For Christ's sake, it'd be a miracle if she managed to get out of bed.

  Cracking open her eyes, she surveyed the small cottage. It was exactly the same as she'd left it yesterday afternoon, when she'd traveled into town for her wine and other provisions. Yet, it was all different.

  The scent of last night's fire had been chased away by the soft floral aroma that permeated the air. Sunshine streamed through the windows, penetrating the white sheers that covered them and billowed in the breeze.

  Even Serena's bed felt different this morning. Not as huge as it had previously. She no longer needed to pack the four pillows she slept with around her. It felt cozy and warm and intimate without the artificial “filler.” She felt Garrett's presence all around her, though the bed she lay in was empty.

  Rolling onto her side, she found a vibrant yellow daffodil wrapped in royal blue elf delphinium. Gently grasping the stems, she lifted the flowers to her nose and inhaled deeply. Her eyelids closed as she savored the smell of spring. This was why she'd moved to Silver. The flowers had called to her.

  No.

  Her eyes drifted open.

  Garrett had called to her.

  Or Fate. Take your pick. Either way, she finally knew what had brought her half-way across the country to this remote community.

  Garrett Slater.

  She smiled at the thought of him. So gorgeous and sweet and sexy. In her wildest dreams, she'd never imagined meeting a man who touched her in such beautiful, intriguing ways. Everything about him made her smile.

  Even his alter-ego.

  Okay, so he was a wolf. No one was perfect. And besides, he was a good wolf. He'd rescued her, hadn't he? And she knew, deep in her bones, that he would never hurt her. And...

  He was gorgeous.

  She smiled again.

  Pushing the covers off with her free hand, she disentangled herself from the rumpled sheets and traipsed naked across the hardwood floor to the kitchen. She found a short juice glass to put her flowers in, set them on the granite counter that overlooked the living room, then ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower. When she emerged twenty minutes later, with a bit of makeup and her hair spilling in long waves all around her bare shoulders, she crossed to the bureau by the bed and selected a turquoise top with thin spaghetti straps and a pair of faded jeans.

  She intended to hike the hill behind her house and pick some more flowers. The urge to fill the house with them was overwhelming. But as she passed by the kitchen again, the phone rang. Snatching the receiver from its wall mount, she said in a cheery voice, “Good morning! This is Serena."

  "Oh. My. God."

  Serena laughed. The voice on the other end of the line was dry and deadpan. She recognized it immediately. “Hey, Shay! How's New York on this beautiful spring morning?"

  "You're fucking kidding me, right?"

  Serena grinned. “No, I'm not kidding. It's beautiful here in Wyoming. You should hop a plane this weekend and come visit me.” Shay, after all, was no virgin. Serena doubted the wolves looking for a pure mate would come within fifty yards of this wild woman.

  "Yeah. Hop a plane to where, sweetheart? The middle of Hickville?"

  "It's not like that at all.” Serena couldn't begrudge the connotation—she'd had similar thoughts until she'd seen the beautiful flowers sprouting up along low-rising, rolling hills. And once she'd met the people in Silver ... well, she'd liked it even more. And now that she'd met Garrett...

  The smile on her face widened. “You'd be surprised what kind of people you can meet in rural America."

  "Okay, the whole ‘Men in Trees' thing is bullshit, Serena, and we both know it."

  "I beg to differ. But convincing you will be next to impossible, unless you come here to see me."

  "Yeah, sweetie, I'd love to. But, who the hell has time?"

  Serena remembered how busy she'd been when she'd lived in New York. It seemed like every single minute was booked, from the time she awoke to the time she fell into bed, well past midnight every single night. Manhattan had been exhilarating, but keeping up that pace for five years, since she'd graduated NYU with honors and landed a fabulous job at a Fortune 50 company, had been downright exhausting.

  "You work too much,” Serena suddenly said.

  "About ninety hours a week. But who's counting?"

  "You are. And you've been at it for like, what, ten years now? When's the last time you took a vacation?"

  "Spring Break my senior year,” Shay was quick to say. “My high school senior year, by the way. You don't become general counsel for a Fortune 50 company by the age of thirty if you don't devote your entire existence to your work."

  "Yeah, well, I'm worried about your entire existence."

  "I didn't call to talk about me. I called to talk about you.” Her thick New York accent made Serena smile. Her own was starting to fade.

  "Okay. What's up?"

  Shay, in her usual fashion, cut right to the chase. “I have a solution to your problem."

  Sinking into a barstool, Serena said, “I don't have a problem."

  "Oh, yeah, right. Getting canned for screwing your married, much-older boss isn't a problem?"

  Serena let out a long sigh. Mustering her dignity, she said, “I didn't screw him. I thought you believed me."

  "I do believe you, sweetie. That's why I've been working my ass off in your defense ever since you left. And now, thanks to my brilliance, I've thought of a way to clear your name and get your job back."

  "Oh, my God.” Serena's back straightened in the chair. Her mouth gaped for a moment as she thought of the implication of Shay's words. She could go back? To her life in New York? Her fabulous Fifth Avenue apartment? Her expensive clothes and designer shoes and all those really great restaurants ... “Oh, my God!” Excitement shot through her. “Are you serious? I can get my job back? I loved that job. Shay, you know how much I loved it there!"

  "Yeah, sweetie, I know.” Shay's voice held no particular infliction, which drew Serena's attention.

  "I did love it there, didn't I?
” Serena posed the question to Shay, but really, she was putting it out there in the universe, wondering what kind of response she'd get back.

  "What's not to love, for Christ's sake? It's the only city besides L.A. where they still have two-martini business lunches. There's 24/7 entertainment, nightclubs with beds in them, cabs at four a.m., and anything and everything you could possibly want either around the corner or just a phone call away. Who the fuck doesn't love New York?"

  Serena's brow furrowed. “Hmm. Just about everyone west of the Mississippi."

  Shay let out a very unladylike snort, which made Serena laugh. By image and appearance, her friend was the epitome of Manhattan Society—beautiful, thin, rich, successful. But Shay wasn't the least bit pretentious. “Whatever. So, do you want to know what I came up with to save your ass, or not?"

  "Of course I do!” Serena was quick to say. But something inside her stirred ... a peculiar dread. Was it because she didn't want to think about her dismal fall from grace? Or was it because she didn't want to return to New York?

  Pushing aside both thoughts, she added, “I haven't worked in over eight months. I'm going a little stir-crazy here. Tell me what I have to do."

  "It's so simple I can't fucking believe I didn't think of it sooner. I mean, my brain must really be fried, because this is the easiest way on the planet to clear your name, and it's taken me all this time to think of it."

  "Stop beating yourself up. You have much bigger issues to deal with than me being fired."

  "No, Serena,” Shay said, her voice suddenly deathly serious. “There's nothing more important in my life than our friendship. I just wish I had come up with the answer immediately."

  Serena's heart warmed. “As usual, you're taking responsibility for something beyond your control. I understand that you're an overachiever, but what happened to me was not—nor is it now—your responsibility."

  "Hey, what are we without our friends?"

  And in that instant, Serena knew just how much she meant to Shay—and how much Shay missed her. “I'd be there if I could,” she said. “But under the circumstances..."

  Which are getting murkier, by the way.

  But she couldn't tell Shay about Garrett just yet. That was something she wanted to savor for a while before she shared it with anyone else.

  "Alright, look,” Shay said. “I've only got a few more minutes. Got a meeting to run to. Here's what I thought about. You were accused of having an affair with our CEO. Yeah, you were most definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time when he died. And the fact that you shooed out the secretary he was screwing when he had his massive heart attack—who still won't come forward, the bitch, and you won't sell her out, silly you—left you in a very compromising position. Particularly since you were the one to call 911. No one believed it wasn't you who'd been doing the old bird and so you got shit canned. The Board looked great for taking swift and decisive action. The widow got her justice. And the idiot secretary kept her job."

  "She needed it more than I did,” Serena reminded her friend. “She's a single mom. Two kids. And no deadbeat husband to collect support from because she doesn't even know who the father—or fathers—is."

  "Yeah. You're making me feel sympathetic to her plight and all warm and fuzzy inside,” Shay said. “Meanwhile, your name ends up in the papers, and you're the one the Board fires."

  "Well. I had a bigger savings account and no kids to support. Maybe it was for the best."

  "Oh. My. God.” Shay let out a sigh of exasperation. “Do you want your job back, or not?"

  "I do miss working,” she said without hesitation. Her drawings were beginning to resemble gray cumulus clouds. Clearly, she had issues. “What do I have to do?"

  "Again, I'm so sorry I didn't think of this earlier. It's just so fucking simple that I feel like a dolt for not coming up with it earlier.” Shay paused for a moment, then said, “All you have to do is visit your gynecologist and ask her to sign an affidavit I draw up."

  "I'm sorry, what?” Serena shook her head. “My gyno? Whatever for? And what kind of affi—oh. Oh, holy fuck.” Realization dawned quick and it dawned bright.

  "See what I'm saying?” She could hear the smile in Shay's voice. “You see your doctor and she certifies that you are, in fact, a virgin. Changes the whole Goddamn ballgame. When we present that affidavit to the Board, they'll either immediately reinstate you—with a compensatory raise, by the way—or we'll take them to court and seek damages. A very hefty settlement that will—"

  "Whoa!” Serena's head spun.

  "What?” Shay demanded. “You want your job back, right? Or at the very least, the chance to vindicate yourself—prove your innocence, clear your name?"

  "Well, yeah, sure. But...” Serena sat back in the barstool and frowned. “It's really not that simple anymore.” Because of Garrett. “I met someone here, Shay. And he's ... amazing.” Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she wanted to leave Silver to return to her old life. And hadn't she told Garrett she wasn't intending to leave? She'd basically committed herself to him last night. And that thought sent a wave of excitement through her ten times more powerful than the prospect of getting her job back.

  "You meet guys all the time, Serena. You're gorgeous. You'll meet a new one in New York when you come back."

  Serena laughed. “Not like this one. He's incredible, Shay. Just wait until you meet him. You'll know exactly why I chose to—oh.” The breath escaped her on a hard rush of air. “Shit."

  "What?” Shay asked, sounding deeply concerned. “What is it, Serena? What's wrong?"

  She sunk a little lower in her chair. “Look, I appreciate that you want to help me. And you came up with a really great plan. Except that...” She cringed a little. “My doctor won't be able to sign that affidavit."

  "Why on earth not?"

  Serena gave her friend a few moments to draw the appropriate conclusion. A loud shriek on the other end of the line forced her to jerk the phone away from her ear. Serena let out another long-suffering sigh. Waiting a decent interval, she returned the receiver to the ear and said, “Now that you've got that out of your system."

  "Holy fucking shit! We've been on the phone for, like, fifteen minutes, and you are just now telling me you're not a virgin anymore?"

  Serena couldn't suppress the smile that curved her lips. “Well ... yes."

  "Oh. My. God."

  She laughed. “Really, is it that shocking? I mean, I'm twenty-seven, for God's sake. Doesn't that make me the oldest virgin on the planet?"

  "Not on the planet, but definitely in New York."

  "I just really wanted it to be special. With someone special. And,” she said with conviction that rang in her own ears, “I know this sounds totally corny, but I just knew, all this time, that I was waiting for this guy."

  "Knowing you, I believe that. You are so freakin’ sentimental and old-fashioned and just plain ... good. Seriously, Serena. I don't know anyone like you. And God love ya, I know you believe in the whole happily-ever-after bullshit."

  "It's not bullshit,” she insisted. “Yeah, sure, this new ... situation ... romance ... whatever ... isn't perfect. But I don't think love ever is. I do, however, believe that I found something damned close to perfection."

  "Wow.” Shay was quiet a moment, then said, “I am so happy for you. Seriously. I can't think of another person who deserves a happy ending more than you, Serena."

  Tears suddenly welled in her eyes. “I can."

  "Oh, yeah, right.” She could picture Shay waving her hand in the air in a dismissive wave and rolling her intriguing, whisky-colored eyes. “I need a happy ending like I need a hole in my head. You know me better than that. I like my life complicated, my men dark and brooding, and my affairs sordid and juicy. None of which makes for a happily-ever-after."

  "Hmm. We'll see."

  "Well, that's not what matters anyway. What matters is what's going on with you. Who is this guy and why am I just now hearing about him?"

  "'Caus
e I just now met him. Well, last night that is. I—"

  "Serena!” Shay's squeal made her yank the phone away again. “You had a one-night stand!"

  Pressing her ear to the receiver, she said, “Absolutely not! You know me better than that!” Her other line beeped, snagging her attention and making her heart skip a beat. She was certain it was Garrett on the other end. “Look, I've got another call, and I think it's one you're going to want me to take. So, let me call you back tomorrow."

  "You'd better,” Shay insisted. “Or I am so on a plane to ... to..."

  "Hickville?"

  "Yeah."

  Serena laughed. “Keep the platinum card in your Gucci wallet. I'll phone you tomorrow with all the juicy details."

  "Promise?"

  "I promise. Now, thanks again for trying to help me. But something tells me I'll be sticking around here a while longer."

  "Yeah, sounds like.” Shay pouted for only a moment. “Alright. Answer your fucking phone call from loverboy. I'll talk to you tomorrow. And Serena? I want all of the juicy details!” The line went dead.

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  High Voltage: Chapter 10

  Serena shook her head and giggled as she pressed the connect button and picked up the call that was waiting.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey, gorgeous.” Garrett's low, intimate voice drifted across the line and sent a shiver of excitement through her from head to toe. “I haven't stopped thinking about you once this morning."

  She grinned. “Yeah, I seem to have the same problem."

  "Hmm, I wasn't really considering it a problem. Well, maybe this constant erection is a bit of an issue, but—"

  "Garrett!” She felt the blush on her cheeks. They were hot and probably a bright shade of pink. She laughed and said, “You seriously can't talk to me like that over the phone. It borders on obscene."

  "Do you think someone's listening in?” She could hear the smile in his voice and it sent another wave of excitement rushing over her. “And if it's being obscene you're worried about, then I probably shouldn't mention that every time my imagination wanders, I see your gorgeous body, naked and spread out before me, like a feast just waiting for me to devour it. And I'd start with that incredibly delectable spot between your legs. I'd—"