When Lightning Strikes [Cajun Erotica Book 3]
Cajun Erotica

Professional Reviews

Reviews For CAJUN EROTICA Book 3: WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES by Cheri Valmont

4 Angels

Cheri Valmont writes of a strong dominant male and although her female character is a submissive, she is clearly an independent and strong willed person. This was a well-built plot of a man finding his woman and willing to do whatever was necessary to protect her and keep her safe. When Lightning Strikes has wonderful characters that you empathize with, her secondary characters were brilliant, and I would love to see some of them get their own story. Lucas has some yummy brothers.

Reviewed by: Dana P.

5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies!

Cheri Valmont has a hit with the whole CAJUN EROTICA series. The stories are fast paced, full of sexual tension and contain a suspenseful element that will keep readers riveted to the pages. I loved how comfortable Jessie is with her submissiveness and Lucas's discomfort over his natural inclination to be dominant. I love how Ms. Valmont includes the other family members throughout her storylines and can't help but be a little envious of their closeness. This is a wonderful story and a fabulous series and I hope to read about more of the family soon - maybe a story for Luke's sister Carrie and Jessie's brother Tanner. There were definitely sparks flying between those two.

~Chrissy, Romance Junkies

Excerpt

Lucas Horville pulled his head up off the bar.

Where the hell am I anyway?

Squinting his burning eyes, he looked at the patrons of the barroom in the fuzzy reflection of the mirror behind the bar.

It was Saturday night. He knew that much. If it were a weeknight, he’d still be in the shop, finishing up one of his many detail jobs.

He was drunk.

As he rubbed his eyelids with a thumb and forefinger, he heard the French band start their second set of the night.

Shit! Now he remembered!

He was in Harrisburg. It was a tiny town northwest of Lafayette, Louisiana. The family had all gathered at his oldest brother’s house for supper.

Luke should have known they’d try to pull the crap they had tonight. They’d done their version of an intervention on him, demanding that he straighten out, give up the booze, and quit working so hard.

They just didn’t understand. Luke had demons riding him—the kind of which his family would have no conception.

“Hey, buddy?” he heard from someone at his elbow.

Turning his head slightly, he looked over his elbow toward the person wanting his attention.

She was a short, cute little blond. Luke raised his head higher. “Yeah?” Great conversation, stud.

“You’re new around here, aren’t you?” The good-looking woman, nicely dressed in a short black skirt, frilly white shirt, and five-inch high black heels, scooted up on the bar stool next to him.

Luke sat up, leaned his elbows on the bar, and took another swig of beer, trying to keep his gaze straight ahead. Why am I noticing the way she’s dressed, anyway? “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” He knew this wouldn’t be going anywhere, because he wouldn’t let it.

“What’s your name?” The unknown woman put a slender, cream-complexioned hand against his dark, tanned forearm.

Luke looked down at it as if mesmerized. What he wouldn’t give to be able to take this woman off to some hotel so he could screw her brains out. One year. That was how long he’d been in his state of self-imposed celibacy—his own private hell.

“Luke.” He told the woman, but didn’t bother giving a last name because there was no point. Reluctantly, his gaze traveled up from her hand to her attractive face. He wouldn’t be getting to know her normally or in the biblical sense.

“Nice name, you here with anybody?”

Although he was tempted to turn away from her, he silently watched the other patrons of the bar as they walked around, smoking cigarettes, drinking, yammering to each other, and generally ignoring the two of them. It was his way of mentally turning off. His way of avoiding temptation.

The old building shaking with the foot stomps of the couples jitterbugging on the dance floor told him the house band was well into their second set. Te Cher’s was the name of the place. Sounds of pool cues hitting balls rang from the two pool tables prominently placed as one walked into the barroom.

Luke couldn’t help himself. “No, you?”

“Well, I was supposed to meet someone here tonight, but he’s late, and now I’m pissed off.”

After her angry words, Luke pulled his gaze away from the activity of the bar patrons to give her a closer look. For some reason, the woman reminded him of somebody. Who does she remind me of?

“That’s too bad,” Luke said, and it was too bad, because then she wouldn’t be sitting next to him, tempting him to do what he knew he shouldn’t.

“Not for you,” the woman said as she slipped her hand off his forearm and slid it down to his thigh, and squeezed.

Luke swallowed harshly. Fucking shit! He was in trouble now. The amount of alcohol in his system was beyond what he usually needed to help him forget his demons. Instead, it screwed with his resolve, making him desperately want to take her up on her seductive offer.

When Luke heard a hush come over the patrons in the bar, he casually glanced over his shoulder.

Damn it! His three brothers, Jonas, Jubal, and Corey, stood at the entrance. They scoped out the dingy, smoky barroom until they came upon Luke and his companion, and strode in their direction. It was easy to tell they were all related. All the Horville men were tall, and dark—thanks to their Native American and Cajun ancestors, with the distinctive Horville facial features. The only differences were in eye color, and Corey, the youngest Horville brother, had sandy-colored hair. Luke more closely resembled Jonas, their eldest half-brother, with his black hair and eye color.

His body rigid, Luke swiveled to face the bar. He was pissed, and certainly didn’t want to listen to their shit right now.

He heard the footsteps stop behind him. He sensed rather than saw his companion turn to see who was behind them.

“Fuck!” she popped out with, causing Luke to glance at her in surprise.

Luke himself turned around when he heard Jonas say, “Ida Mae, long time, no see.”

When his brother, Jubal, asked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, “Mother Dugas, or should I say, Grandmother Dugas, how’ve you been?”

Ida Mae’s face contorted in a look of extreme distaste. “You bastard, Jubal Horville,” she muttered.

Luke was almost speechless. He looked at the woman with new eyes. “Mother Dugas?”

“Oh, sorry,” Jubal said, tongue-in-cheek, “I’ve never introduced you two before. Luke, this is Ida Mae Dugas. Lizabeth’s biological mother. Ida Mae, this is my brother, Luke.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Luke returned, completely taken by surprise at the identity of the woman who’d been trying to tempt him. She didn’t look old enough to have a daughter his sister-in-law’s age, much less be a grandmother to his niece, Cami.

Their half-brother, Jonas, and his wife Nikki had raised Jubal’s wife, Lizabeth.

Corey, their shy brother, stood quietly. But the look on his face spoke volumes; Mother Dugas didn’t impress him.

Now that Luke knew her identity, he wasn’t impressed, either. She might look hot, but all the things they’d heard about her didn’t prove much to recommend her as a friend or a lover.

“Didn’t his resemblance to me make you realize he was kin, Ida Mae?” Jonas asked her with a hint of an amused grin hovering on his lips.

“How was I supposed to know how many of you bastards your old man whelped?” Ida Mae had a smart mouth on her.

For the first time, Corey put in his two cents. “I’d mind that mouth of yours, lady.”

Ida Mae glared at Corey for his comment, but actually obeyed him. Luke’s younger brother might be shy, but there was a quiet command about him that caused people to take notice when he said something.

“I guess you’re waiting for someone else?” This hopeful sounding hint came from Jonas. Obviously, he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of rising to her bait. The woman was also Jonas Horville’s ex-wife.

“That’s none of your damn business anymore, Jonas.”

Jonas nodded, on his face a look of relief that fact was so. “You’re so right, Ida. You have fun tonight, you hear.” As soon as Jonas said the words, he dismissed Ida Mae and turned toward Luke.

Luke could sense the petite woman’s fury at being so roundly dismissed. “You Horville men think you’re hot shit. I bet I could prove you’re not.” Now what the hell did she mean by that?
“Sorry, Maw Maw, we ain’t got the time tonight. Maybe some other man can let you prove it. We’ve got our womenfolk at home waiting for us.” His brother, Jubal, really was trying to egg the woman on.

Ida Mae’s fair complexion suffused with red fury. Her body stiff, she hopped off the bar stool and stood facing the three newcomers.

It was actually Corey, ever the peacemaker, who said, “That’s enough, Jubal. I think we should get what we came for and go home.”

Shit! What they came for was him. Luke could put up a fight, but that might start the whole bar brawling. Although the four brothers were physically fit, they might not be able to take on the twenty or so men in the barroom itself. He’d wait until they got outside to make his displeasure known.

The door to the bar opened again. Thank the lord, Ida Mae’s attention left the Horville men and she rushed over to greet the elegantly dressed blond man. He looked completely out of place, more like a lawyer or wealthy businessman; someone who would frequent an upscale club rather than a humble Cajun bar like Te Cher’s.

When Jubal and Jonas caught sight of the man, they frowned.

“Come on, let’s get outta here,” Corey announced, obviously realizing things might go south if they didn’t leave now.

Luke stood, but swayed. His two older brothers moved to help him. “Don’t touch me,” he muttered to them through gritted teeth.

They didn’t touch him, but they did wait until he went ahead of them before following.

When they passed Ida Mae and the newcomer, Jubal remarked, “I’m sure Lizabeth will be happy to know you’re seeing Gary Breaux again, Mother Dugas.”

Both Ida Mae and this Gary Breaux looked at Jubal as if they’d both like to kill him. Jubal just grinned at their reaction before the quartet of brothers left the bar.

Once they were out in the fresh air, Luke felt worse than he had in the bar, barely resisting the urge to heave. Now all he could think about was dragging his sorry ass home, crawling into his bed and blessed oblivion.

“Corey,” Jonas directed their youngest brother, “drive his bike home, would you?”

“Like hell,” Luke couldn’t help the automatic protest. That bike was his baby; no one rode her but him.

“Like hell, nothing,” Jubal informed him, “It’s either that or we throw her and you into the bed of the truck. What’s it gonna to be?”

“Fuck!” Luke cursed; he’d had it, and swung his fist at the nearest object of his wrath, which just happened to be Jubal.

Jubal ducked easily, laughing when Luke’s wild punch missed its target.

Luke was too drunk to stop himself from sailing past because of his hard follow-through. When he hit the dirt-packed ground hard, his breath whooshed out. Pressing his arms down to rise quickly, he grunted as his brother’s not so light weight knocked him back down.

“Get the fuck off me, Jubal!”

“No way, bro’, not ‘til you give up those keys,” Jubal said in a pleasant tone of voice as he looked down into Luke’s furious face.

He had no choice; there was no way in hell his brothers were going to let him drive in his condition. He didn’t have to like it, though. “All right, let me up, I’ll give you the fucking keys.”

“I’m warning you, Luke, if you don’t hand them over, we’ll all wrestle you to the ground.”

“I said all right, didn’t I? Get your ass off me, before I get really pissed.” After Jubal rose with the agility of a man not hindered with excessive liquor, Luke got up more slowly, brushing the dust from his shirt and jeans. He straightened, looking at his youngest brother, eyes narrowed. “One dint on her and I’ll kill you, Corey.”

Corey actually grinned at him and held out his hand for Luke’s keys. With several more curses for good measure, Luke fished the keys out of his jeans pocket and tossed them to Corey.

When Luke joined his two brothers as they piled into the cab of Jonas’ truck, they started in on him again.

“Luke, you’ve got to slow down. You’re gonna kill yourself,” Jubal informed him, his tone more serious now.

Jubal was Luke’s partner in the family business. They had only found Jonas two years before. Jonas owned his own construction business; so when their father died the year before, he’d insisted he wanted no part of the division, which left it to the remainder of the Horville children: Jubal, Luke, and the twins, Corey and Carrie, their only sister. Not that Jubal needed anything extra. His wife, Lizabeth, had become a millionaire when her biological father, Ben Dugas, passed away only months before their own father. But since Jubal wasn’t a man of leisure, he continued to work in the business left to them by their father.

Actually, Luke was grateful for that. Luke’s first love was his art detailing work. He refused to give up that part of the job—which was one of the reasons he was in his present dilemma. Since he worked managing the largest store of Horville’s paint and body shops, he only had time to do his detail work after hours and late into the night. Jubal managed the second largest store and spent his time supervising the rest of the shops. As for Corey, he’d thrown in the towel on the paint and body business and went to work for Jonas. The kid had always shown a knack for building things; their mother still proudly displayed his first attempt at building, which was a beautiful entertainment center.

When Luke remained quiet with his thoughts, Jonas spoke next, “Luke, you know the family cares about you and your happiness. You can’t tell me you’re happy as you are now.”

Jonas was absolutely right. Luke was miserable. He couldn’t tell his brothers what was really behind his misery, though. “I’m a grown man. I don’t tell you two how to live your lives and I expect the same courtesy.”

His two brothers looked at him as if they wanted to continue the discussion. Instead, Jonas started the truck and swung out of the dirt parking lot.

Luke should have known Jubal couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “I’ve got some news,” he announced. “I planned to wait until later to tell you, but since we hoped to get everything out in the open tonight, here goes. Luke, I’ve hired someone to take over the detail department.”

Luke sat stunned, staring out the front window, watching the few streetlights whizzing toward them. “Jubal, you fucker! How dare you make that kind of decision without me! I run the detailing department.” In fact, his detail work was the only thing keeping him sane.

“Be reasonable, Luke. You’re killing yourself. You’re working too hard, and you’re definitely drinking too hard. It was either I do something to alleviate one of your problems or you would increase your other one.”

Luke turned to glare at him. “My drinking is my business, and you can just fire the person you hired for the detail department.”

“When it affects your family, your drinking is not just your problem anymore.” Jubal looked away from him, gazing through the front windshield. “Anyway, I can’t fire her.”

“Her! You hired a woman to take over my department?” Luke demanded, trying to suppress his instinctive urge to pound his brother. He was pissed now.

“I hired the best candidate for the job, Luke,” Jubal informed him, his voice calm, cool, as if Luke’s fury had no effect on him. “Woman or man, it didn’t matter to me. Just hold on to your condescension until you see her work.” Jubal finally made eye contact with him again. “I’ve got to say, besides yours, I’ve never seen such beautiful detail. I know how much pride you take in our finished products, so I knew you would kill me if I hired someone not up to your standards.”

I’ll see about that.

Luke wouldn’t admit to his brothers his detailing was his lifeline right now. All he could do was ride the woman until she quit. In the mood he was in, it would be an easy task.