Page 10 of Unlawful Seduction

“Very funny.”

Somehow, I wasn’t certain I was the lucky one. However, she was right. The stranger definitely had a vibe that screamed of danger.

I, for one, was going to steer clear of the man. I had a new life to live. Besides, the last thing I needed was any complications.

No matter how insanely gorgeous he was.

CHAPTER 3

Mallory

Back-to-back snowstorms. Great.

Marjorie had called a little too late mentioning the ugly weather coming into the area. Granted, I hadn’t been paying any attention, listening to Disturbed on my iPad while finishing hanging pictures in the clinic. I wanted everything to be perfect when the doors were opened in a few days.

But I wasn’t going to allow a little snow to interrupt my giddiness. My father’s truck was a serious workhorse and would get me through anything. The hunk of metal had protected him for years.

And years.

And years.

I laughed as I spun around in the front door, whistling as if I’d won a national contest. With the money my father had left me and the funds I’d saved up for years, I’d managed to pull this off.Things would be a touch tight for the first year, but since I’d kept the practice including the clients on the roster, maybe I’d feel successful in a few months.

Sighing, I finally glanced at my watch. Shit. I’d been here for hours. It was well after nine. No wonder I was hungry. The brunch food, while delicious, hadn’t lasted very long in my tummy. The growl was tremendous.

I hated to say it, but I was also exhausted. Maybe I’d finally get a good night’s sleep.

For once.

After turning off the lights, I grabbed my coat, furious with myself for not tossing in a pair of my boots. I needed new ones. I’d gotten used to Virginia weather and while we had snow, it was nothing like what Vermont usually got every year. I made a mental note to go shopping.

When I had time.

Laughter bubbled to the surface.

Until I opened my front door and was hit with a blast of cold air and ice.

Shit. The first thing I did was look down at my shoes. As usual, I’d underestimated Vermont weather. I had been gone for a long time.

The drive was going to be a nightmare, but what choice did I have? Even my coat was too thin. I jerked both sides around me, gingerly heading down the slickened stairs toward the truck. My fingers were almost numb by the time I managed to slide the key into the lock and open the door. The snow was really coming down, ice mixed in.

Hopefully the highway department had already pretreated the roads. The only saving grace was that they were usually pretty good in anticipating bad weather events.

Thankfully, the engine roared to life and I hit the defroster button, blasting the freezing air into the cab of the truck.

After turning on the wipers, I sat for a couple of minutes allowing everything to heat up. By the time I shoved the gear into reverse, I could see a little better out the windshield. Hurray for small victories.

At least there weren’t that many people on the road. I took it nice and slow, heading through town while holding my breath. Thankfully, it appeared the main roads were not too treacherous and I made decent time considering the weather conditions.

Fifteen minutes later, I made the turn onto a less traveled road heading to my dad’s house. There were only three more miles to go. I was looking forward to snuggling under a blanket with a glass of wine in my hand.

After a few hundred feet, the truck sounded like it coughed. What the hell? I peered down at the gauges, but they were old enough they didn’t tell me much other than that I had plenty of gas.

When it sputtered again, I had a very bad feeling. Suddenly, the gauges started to dim.

I was no car expert, but it was either an old battery getting ready to give out or worse, the alternator. Either way, I was shit out of luck. Another sputter and the truck went dead. I did my best not to panic, but a trickle of fear was settling in. I hadn’t seen another vehicle on this road. Not one.

Thankfully, I didn’t skid or run off into a ditch, managing to steer it to the side of the road. The snow was coming down even harder, pellets of ice the only noise and it was already driving me crazy.

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