Page 1 of Slippery When Wet

Prologue

ABEL PEÑA

Rain pelted down on my windshield, and I frowned. I didn’t mind the rain. Hell, I loved water in any way. But the curvy roads had been dry for a long time. With the magnitude of the storm hitting out of nowhere, I worried what it could mean. Flash floods. I worried about the people driving. What could happen in a blink of an eye.

Liar, a voice perked up. You’re worried about one person in particular.

I shook my head, still denying what I felt for the curvy little bookkeeper who had been haunting my dreams. Flash floods happened; I knew that. But in Southern California, it felt like they weren’t taken seriously until it was too late. My wipers swished back and forth across the glass. The unexpected storm seemed to be getting worse.

Heavy sheets of rain fell hard. My white-knuckled grip tightened around the steering wheel. I didn’t mind this shit, but I had been happy not having to deal with crazy weather like when I was a SEAL out on missions.

Then I saw it.

Headlights.

Not on the road or even on the shoulder, but down by the ravine just outside of the small coastal town I’d started to build a life in after I left the Navy a year ago. I passed them for two seconds, doubting myself.

Did I imagine it?

A panic-like feeling clawed into my gut. What if it’s her? My princess took this drive weekly. I’d found out two weeks ago that she did the books for some boutique a couple of towns out and delivered their payroll in person, but I hadn’t been able to trail her yet.

The thought made me hesitate.

I was going to hate myself for this.

I was probably imagining shit. Making a mountain out of a molehill. I pulled over, and just as I was going to open the door, I scowled. My car was going to be soaked when I got back in. I had nothing to change into. I'd probably imagined the headlights, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.

I slipped out of the car and groaned. Rain pelted down on me hard. The icy droplets were thick and made it difficult to see much more than a couple of inches ahead of me. I wanted to hit myself on the head. What the hell am I thinking? Getting out in this rain on a dark road? My luck, I’ll get hit by a fucking car. I made my way closer to the edge of the ravine and was about to turn around, but I needed to make sure. I needed to be positive nothing was down there.

When I glanced over the edge, my eyes widened.

“Shit,” I cursed, fishing my phone out of my front pocket. I immediately called in the accident as I made quick work of getting down there while making sure not to slide down the muddy hill.

The closer I got, the tighter the knot in my gut twisted.

I knew that car. I recognized it all too well. The sassy stickers on the bumper made my heart drop to my ass. It's her car!

“Fucking hell!” I muttered under my breath.

The car was running, and steam billowed through the hood. I wasn’t sure how, but it looked like she must have slid out and tumbled down the side of the road. But because of the rain and the heavy flow of water that was quickly rising, there was no way she could have even tried to get it or herself out.

My heart felt like it was at my throat when I reached her door. That same organ felt like it dropped to my toes at the sight I found. Her face, Jesus, her angelic face rested on the steering wheel against a deflated airbag, a bump on her forehead and bruising on her face. Her dark glasses broken.

In a panicked rush, I hadn’t noticed the door was slightly open. I tried to pull it wider, but it wasn’t enough. It was jammed against something, and with the rain hitting as hard and fast as it was, there was no way the ground soaked it up. Shit. I looked around, assessing the situation as quickly as I could. The ravine was filling with overflow. Fucking flash floods. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get her door unjammed.

I reached through the window that was thankfully open, but I couldn’t get the seat belt undone. She shifted, and her eyes opened.

“It’s you,” she whispered.

“Me?” My eyes popped open. She knows me? I didn’t think she did. Shit. Maybe I haven't been as stealthy as I thought. Maybe I'm getting rusty in my old age?

“You’re an angel.”She sighed softly, and her eyes shut again. I didn’t like that. That couldn’t be good. God only knew how long she’d been stuck there.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever called me that, princess,” I mumbled, and her lips twitched. “But let me see those eyes, baby. Please. For me?” It was clear she struggled to do as I asked. Her gaze was hazy, almost unfocused. Concussion, I thought to myself. I tugged and tugged but couldn’t get the seat belt free. The buckle wouldn’t give. My boots were soaked through, and I looked down.

The water level was rising fast.

“Am I dead?” she asked, and I growled.

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