When the Lights Go Out by Roxy Mews

 
    Chapter One
    So…maybe she wasn’t meant to drive a U-Haul. April Prime cringed as she hopped yet another curb and prayed she didn’t pop a tire. Thank goodness she’d spent the extra money on the insurance. Her heart slowed to just below racing as the truck rebounded off the ground and, luckily, kept on going toward her new home.
    April had made it to the mortgage offices just fine. The elderly couple she’d purchased the small home from had insisted on an eight a.m. closing. Whatever the reason, the closing was done in plenty of time for April to do exactly what she needed to do. Move out. Sporting a bit of a hand cramp from all the papers she signed, she now held the keys to her freedom.
    Living at home in her late twenties hadn’t been her original plan, but April wanted to be responsible with her money. Her parents had offered to help her build a cobb house in the back yard, but as much as April loved the environment, she was not going to build a cow poo house. Saving her cash and buying her home, one made the traditional way, was much more her style.
    When she unlocked her door, her freedom started with some kick-you-in-the-ass reality. The electric company had the wrong date for her power to be turned on. The cable company had the correct day, but it wasn’t like they could test anything they installed without electricity. And they sure couldn’t program her new DVR box.
    April had water, but with an electric water heater, she was doomed to a cold shower or none at all for the next three to five business days.
    She’d insisted she wanted to move herself in, and it had gone okay until she started trying to move her books. April realized she might have been just a smidge hasty about turning down that help with unloading her parents had offered. Her phone was still at seventy-five percent, so she called her parents.
    Her mother answered the phone breathless. “April. Dear. Is. Everything. Okay?”
    That rhythmic panting could only mean one thing.
    “Gross, Mom. I told you, if you and Dad are having grown-up time, don’t answer the phone.”
    Her mom moaned and April hung up.
    April wasn’t a prude. She liked sex. And she loved that her parents were caring and adored knowing their sexual relationship was healthy. She was just really over listening to the soundtrack. It was killing her libido.
    Calling her parents back was out of the question now unless she wanted even more mental images she could really do without. And she had to get the U-Haul back to the over-night lot before they opened in the morning or pay a fee that cost more than the truck rental itself.
    April thought about it for a moment and decided to take a quick trip to the local office supply store. When she’d bought some supplies to label her things, there had been rolling carts in the same aisle. A few wheels to help with the boxes, along with some coffee, and she’d be back in business.
    A buzz against her leg drew her eyes to her parent’s number on her cell. April hit ignore. She needed some parental sex decompression time.
    She’d planned on another six months at home, but her parents were killing her. Not to mention what their attitudes had done to her social life. Taking a man home was not all that appealing when her parents were having a healing ritual with tantric moaning across the hall. The first man she brought to her new house better eat his Wheaties or he’d end up mumbling incoherently when she was done with him. She was a little hard up, but she refused to let her father high five another one of her sex partners.
    Her parents had her best interests at heart, but they took away a bit too much of the mystery for her. She made a mental note to not give them a key to her new place as she hit the closest drive-thru for some coffee.

Chapter Two
    Taylor James tiptoed through the dark store. Normally he took care with his appearance, but he hadn’t even bothered to shave, and he’d forgotten his name tag on his dresser. April