Like Lightning

Trey spread his hand through her hair, coppery waves spilling over his fingertips, soft and smooth and silky. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, Maddie,” he whispered. “I'm gonna need a better thank-you.”

Maddie slipped her hand inside his shirt, stroking his flesh until his skin fairly sizzled. Then she lifted her head and gave him the best thank-you of his life, a long, hot, sexy kiss that knocked the breath out of him.

“Was that better, Trey?”

“Better,” he croaked, barely catching his breath.

Maddie stared deeply into his eyes and every shred of willpower he could muster wasn't enough for the intoxicating look of desire she cast him. “Ah hell, Maddie,” he whispered, brushing his lips to her ear, “how am I supposed to keep my hands off you now?”

Dear Reader,

July is a month known for its heat and fireworks, as well as the perfect time to take that vacation. Well, why not take a break and enjoy some hot sparks with a Silhouette Desire? We've got six extraordinary romances to share with you this month, starting with
Betrayed Birthright
by Sheri WhiteFeather. This seventh title in our outstanding DYNASTIES: THE ASHTONS series is sure to reveal some unbelievable facts about this scandalous family.

USA TODAY
bestselling author Maureen Child wraps up her fabulous THREE-WAY WAGER series with
The Last Reilly Standing.
Or is he getting down on bended knee? And while some series are coming to a close, new ones are just beginning, such as our latest installment of the TEXAS CATTLEMAN'S CLUB: THE SECRET DIARY. Cindy Gerard kicks off this six-book continuity with
Black-Tie Seduction.
Also starting this month is Bronwyn Jameson's PRINCES OF THE OUTBACK. These Australian hunks really need to be tamed, beginning with
The Rugged Loner.

A desert beauty in love with a tempting beast. That's the theme of Nalini Singh's newest release,
Craving Beauty
—a story not to be missed. And the need to break a long-standing family curse leads to an attraction that's just
Like Lightning,
an outstanding romance by Charlene Sands.

Here's hoping you enjoy all the fireworks Silhouette Desire has to offer you…this month and all year long!

Best,

Melissa Jeglinski

Senior Editor

Silhouette Desire

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

“I
do.” Trey Walker uttered the words slowly, both awed and a little bit frightened. In a million lifetimes, he'd never dreamed he'd say these words. Especially not to Maddie Brooks, the auburn-haired beauty standing beside him, her wide eyes filled with gratitude. They stood under an arbor of lush traveling vines in the small garden area behind his house at 2 Hope Ranch.

“I do, too,” she offered, as a gentle breeze blew by, messing her hair enough to give her down-home girl appearance a sexy edge.

Trey swallowed hard, intrigued by the young woman who'd be living with him for an unforeseen length of time. In truth, the petite green-eyed female scared the hell out of him with her innocent looks and wholesome demeanor. She was the exact sort of woman Trey avoided—the kind that said “KEEPER” in big bold cap
ital letters. But damn it all, if Trey hadn't needed her, or rather if 2 Hope Ranch hadn't needed what she had to offer, Trey would never have agreed to this.

“So you agree to the terms?” She repeated softly, her voice a mere whisper on the wind.

“I do, Maddie. There's no need to sign a contract. My word is good as gold.”

Maddie nodded a bit tentatively as she swiveled her body around, glancing at the property, her slender hands set in the back pockets of her denim jeans. Trey looked his fill, enjoying the view of a perfectly formed backside. He was one to appreciate a good-looking woman, and Maddie was all that—even in her range-dusty work clothes.

When she turned back around, Trey snapped his head up to meet her gaze. Again, her words were soft as morning dew and Trey got the feeling she was as reluctant about this arrangement as he was. “I'll move my things in tonight, and tomorrow I'll set up my office in the old barn. The animals all seem to be doing fine. I think this might just work out.”

Trey squeezed his eyes shut momentarily. He grunted a reply and held out his hand. A handshake in this part of Texas was more than enough to bind an agreement.

Maddie lifted her right hand from her pocket and slid her palm into his. He shook the hand quickly before the impact of her touch could register to any other part of his body, other than his addled brain. “It's a deal then.”

She bit down on her lip drawing his attention to a heart-shaped mouth so pink and ripe that Trey was certain the Almighty had made her lips expressly for kissing. Too bad, Trey thought with regret, because he'd already set Maddie Brooks strictly off-limits. She was his business partner now, of sorts.

She would rent out one room in his house, use the old barn as her office and treat her animal patients there. Not only would 2 Hope Ranch gain from the rental fee, but Maddie had also agreed to treat all of Trey's livestock for free. It was a deal he couldn't refuse. His ranch had encountered more than a few setbacks lately and Trey just plain needed the revenue. He'd had no choice really and neither had Maddie. Her veterinary office had burned clear down to the ground just days ago and Trey's was the only ranch within miles that had an extra barn and a ranch house big enough to accommodate her without any problem. There was no denying Trey had plenty of room on the grounds as well as three empty bedrooms inside his house. Trey had taken in her animals, first thing, when they'd been rescued by the fire department in Hope Wells. The yellow Labrador Maggie was healing from a wound of birdshot while the border collie, Toby, had been injured when hit by a car. Two rabbits suffered from ear mites and various other small pets were now housed inside Trey's smaller, older barn. Hell, he couldn't have the animals suffer. They needed a home, but he hadn't bargained on Maddie coming to live with him. No sir.

Uncle Monty had pulled a fast one talking him into this arrangement and Trey wasn't at all certain his uncle hadn't had matchmaking on his mind.

Maddie graced him with a small smile. “Deal.”

Trey began to walk off but turned when a thought struck. “You need help moving your stuff in?”

“Uh, no. Not really. I don't have much at the motel but some clothes and a few things I managed to accumulate since the fire. I'm pretty much starting out fresh. I don't even have much left in the way of files.” She
shrugged, keeping up a brave front, but Trey figured Maddie was as broken up inside as that old border collie. “Guess I'm just going to have to improvise.”

Trey nodded, recalling that Maddie had lived in a small apartment above her office in town and she'd lost almost everything. The insurance company came through with a small sum for the time being, but the rest of her claim was contingent upon an investigation into the cause of the fire.

He tipped his hat. “I'll be here, if you need me.”

He was just being neighborly, doing the polite thing, he told himself, yet those words sent his body into small shock. He shuddered and turned to walk away before Maddie noticed. No sense worrying the girl. She had enough to worry over. But the fact remained that Trey didn't want to be needed. Ever and especially by a female. He'd been cursed in that regard. Both his father and grandfather had had a bad track record when it came to women. They'd done a great job of breaking hearts and wrecking lives. Trey had seen the destruction firsthand and it hadn't been pretty. From early on, after one failed engagement, Trey had vowed to keep his own life simple. And women close only when both agreed on temporary. Trey didn't do permanent. Nothing was going to change that.

And now that pretty little filly Maddie Brooks would be sharing bath towels with him under his roof. An image instantly flashed—Maddie's petite body wrapped in a two-by-nothing towel and bumping into him in the hallway. He paused, letting the image sink in of soft ripe curves and healthy tanned skin all tucked into a tight little package. He caught himself and cursed up a blue
streak then kicked up his heels so fast that his boots cut a straight arrow path back to the corral.

Sometimes, being neighborly came with too high a price.

 

Maddie slowed her Dodge Ram truck to a stop by the rubble that was once her home, her office and her very existence in Hope Wells. The small place on the edge of town she had proudly called home for the past year and a half was gone. She sucked up enough courage to glance once again at the devastation. Through the truck's window she noted large cinders still radiating heat. Everything was black, charred beyond recognition.

Maddie stepped down from the truck and the scent of destruction, as that deadly combination of burnt belongings and wafting smoke billowed up and nearly choked her lungs. Only a small broken-down remnant of her storefront sign remained. The sign that had once said, The Animal Place,
T.A.P. Gently,
Madeline M. Brooks, D.V.M., now only touted the first three letters of her first name, Mad. How appropriate. A little irony of life, she thought sadly. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the loss.

Goodness, she still didn't understand how the fire started exactly. Faulty wiring, one firefighter guessed. He'd known old Dr. Benning for years, the man who had sold Maddie his veterinary practice before moving to Dallas to be closer to his grandchildren. He'd been a mainstay in the community, a man who cared for animals until his eyesight had just about given way. Maddie, fresh out of an internship in northern California, had been overjoyed at the prospect of buying a small but
fully established practice and had just enough funds to cover a down payment on the asking price.

Doc Benning had stayed on for one month after the sale, guiding Maddie, introducing her to his clients, acting much as a mentor would tutor a new student. Maddie had been grateful for the help, but she'd been eager to get started on her own. She'd studied hard, learned fast and her love of animals came easily. She'd been graced with the “touch” from a young age, a special way she had of communicating with animals on a plane that went beyond description. Her well-honed instincts served her as well as all of her schooled learning and Maddie was extremely proud of the combination of talent.

She reached into the truck, grabbing a beat-up pair of leather work gloves and tiptoed her way through the charred remains. Heat curled her toes from inside her boots, but it wasn't unbearable, so she ventured forth, searching. This would be the last chance she'd have to find something, anything left partially intact, before a crew would come in to clear away what remained. She'd been through the place once already, right after the fire but she figured she'd been too distraught to really see anything beyond the damage.

Maddie tiptoed carefully through the wreckage, her gaze traveling along slowly, eyeing each inch of ground carefully in hopes of finding something she might recognize, but nothing appeared salvageable. With a heavy sigh, Maddie turned to leave. She shouldn't have come. It was as fruitless a venture as it was painful. Everything was gone.

But then a glint of something shiny caught her eye. Afternoon sunlight beamed down and at first Maddie thought it was just light reflecting on burnt metal. She
stepped closer and bent to make a better inspection, putting on her gloves. With nimble fingers, she parted the ashes that partially covered her discovery. The Appaloosa emerged, a sterling silver necklace given to her by her Grandma Mae when Maddie had graduated high school. Maddie lifted the piece, picking it up by the chain, dangling the necklace before her eyes. She gasped her relief then chuckled with glee. “Hello, Aphrodite. I should've known nothing would keep you down.”

The charm appeared undamaged, except for a layer of ash that Maddie quickly blew away with a forceful gush of air. Then with a gentle rub of her gloved thumb the sterling horse winked back with luster, appearing unscathed and good as new. Maddie clutched the charm to her chest. Tears stung her eyes—tears of relief, of happiness and of gratitude.

If there were one thing Maddie would have chosen to salvage from all this destruction, it would have been Aphrodite. Maddie believed that small miracles happened every day, and today she'd been graced with one tiny precious miracle.

Grandma Mae's sage words flashed through her mind as she recalled that cloudless spring day when she'd been given the family heirloom. “Love who you are, child. Love what you do. Love your family and friends and God's creatures, and then love will also find you.”

“I'm glad I found you.”

Maddie whirled around suddenly, the deep resonating sound of Trey Walker's voice startling her out of her thoughts. With her heart in her throat, Maddie peered at him as he stood with arms folded, leaning against the cab of her truck. Trey's voice did things to her. His impossible good looks knotted her stomach. His long
lean stature, that cowboy stance, the hypnotic way a tic worked at his jaw, all conspired to throw Maddie's once nicely orchestrated world upside down.

At one time, she had thought to be in love with him. She'd hoped to gain his attention since the first time she'd laid eyes on him, out in his barn at 2 Hope.

Trey had called Doc Benning out to see to an aging mare. The old girl had been failing for quite some time and Doc had brought Maddie along with him to give her the experience.

She doubted she'd ever forget the image of Trey Walker bent over that old roan, whispering soft soothing words in her ear. Strong, work-roughened hands slid gently and with masterful grace over the horse's muzzle. He worked his hands along her mane, each stroke careful, calculated to give the old girl peace.

There wasn't anything she or Doc Benning could do, but give the horse a shot to put her down. But Trey disagreed. He wanted her to go as God intended,
when
He intended. And Maddie knew, without a doubt, that Trey had made the right choice. The horse had eased out of the world with Trey's loving hands caressing her softly, spilling words from his heart and speaking a final farewell to a longtime friend.

Maddie had fallen in love with Trey Walker that day—instantly and without a doubt in her mind.

But she'd been clearly disappointed when Trey Walker ignored her every attempt to gain his affection. Oh, he'd been polite, sweet as peach pie when she'd come out to check on his livestock. But he'd also been distant and at times, indifferent. Maddie had even tried a supreme makeover once—highlighting her hair, learning to do her makeup without smearing herself all up
and wearing the most revealing, cleavage-spilling clothes a woman dared to wear. Nothing had worked. He hadn't given her the slightest glimmer of hope. Clearly he wanted no part of her. And seeing him around town making easy conversation with women at times surely broke her heart.

Heck, you don't have to hit Maddie Brooks over the head with a sledgehammer.
She'd finally gotten the message. She'd given up. Wholly and completely.

But darn if the man standing right in front of her still didn't make her legs go wobbly. Only now, Maddie was smarter. She armed herself with steely resolve. She didn't have a clue about enticing a man like Trey. She wasn't the sort of woman to catch Trey Walker's attention. She understood that now. “Trey, are you looking for me?”

Trey glanced at her tear-smudged face but Maddie refused to let it bother her. She wasn't out to impress Trey Walker anymore. She wouldn't rub her cheeks dry, but they burned hot as Trey's deep blue eyes studied her.

He pushed away from the truck and stood at the edge of the ashes, his gaze holding hers. “Ah, Maddie, you're crying.”

Maddie stiffened her shoulders against Trey's knowing eyes. She lifted the necklace and swung it out, catching his attention. “Happy tears. I found something…something that wasn't destroyed. Something…precious.”

Trey glanced at the necklace then arched a brow, but nodded in understanding.

“My grandmother gave this to me when I graduated high school. I wore it every day in college. It has special meaning.”

Trey stepped into the rubble, coming up close for a
better look. He reached for the necklace, his fingers brushing over her gloved hand. Even through thick leather, Maddie felt the shock of his slight touch. The careful way he'd lifted the jewel from her as if he'd trusted that it was indeed precious, only magnified the sensation. She stared at the dark fringes of his eyelashes as he peered down and she noted a tiny quirk of a smile erupting. “It's nice. I'm glad you found it in all this mess.”