by C. R. Moss
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Sunset Heat
Copyright © 2013 by C.R. Moss
ISBN: 978-1-61333-557-4
Cover art by Tibbs Designs
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
http://www.decadentpublishing.com
Decadent Publishing Recent Releases
Escape to My Arms by Heather Thurmeier
Crow Magic by Mary Quast
Rugged Hearts by Amanda McIntyre
Pajama Party by Kelli Scott
One Night with the Bride by Sara Daniel
The Midnight Masquerade by Monica Corwin
The Perfect Sub by Jayson Locke
The Governess and the Beast by Karyn Gerrard
Alice’s Dragon by Stephanie Beck
Full Bloom by Bianca Sarble
Altered Frequency by Joya Fields
What Part of Marine Don’t You Understand by Heather Long
Another Night, Another Planet by Jessica Subject
A Marine Affair by Heather Long
Remember Me by Amaleen Ison
Dom of the Dead by Virginia Nelson
Sun, Sand & Séances by Kathleen Ann Gallagher
Gaines & Losses by Camryn Rhys
Heart of Rock by Karyn Gerrard
Also by C.R. Moss
Sunset Desires
Sunset Seduction
Sunset Temptations
Sunset Heat
A 1Night Stand Story
By
C.R. Moss
Chapter One
Current time…
Seana cracked an eyelid open. Assaulted by bright white light, she snapped it shut and grimaced. Bone deep pain fired up the nerves in her cheek.
What the hell?
Once more, she tried to raise her lids to see where she was. Through the working one, she fought the blinding brilliance. The other still didn’t want to move.
Why can’t I open both eyes? Why is my cheek killing me? Desperate for answers, Seana attempted to speak and couldn’t. Her heartbeat raced. She swallowed hard. “What’s wrong with me?” Her voice—more like a soft frog’s croak than her normal lilt—cracked on the question. Her vision blurred for a moment.
She turned her head at some rustling to her left. A harsh pounding at the base of her skull and knife-like slashes in her temple rewarded her for the movement. The bit of sight she had wavered again. She squeezed her eye shut. Beeps and whirs grew louder. The pinch of something on her finger registered along with the discomfort of objects stuck in the back of her hand. She shifted on the uncomfortable padding. Adhesive stickers with attached wires pulled and nipped the skin along her chest. Anxiety welled within her. Seana’s breathing hitched. To calm down, she breathed in through her nose only to discover cool plastic tubing at her nostrils and stretching down the sides of her face.
Can’t move. Intense light. Tubes and wires. Oh my God, I’ve been abducted by aliens!
A high-pitched sound shrilled next to her. Material wrapped around her left bicep tightened, numbing her fingers. Alarmed, she opened both her eyes and focused on a stranger standing nearby.
“Good. You’re awake. I’ll alert the doctor.” A woman dressed in an oversized white shirt with blobs of color on it stepped out of view.
Doctor? Are those teddy bears on her top?
Slowly, she moved her head in the direction the woman had taken. The agony wasn’t as intense as before. The annoying beeps slowed.
A handsome man with skin the color of cinnamon and ebony hair consulted a clipboard at the end of the bed.
Crisp white lab coat. Pressed black trousers and shirt. Stethoscope draped around his neck. Good. I’m still on Earth. In a hospital.
“Miss Tramonto. I’m Doctor Dasgupta. Glad to see you’ve finally come around.”
His exotic voice reminded her of a couple from Mumbai she’d met while on a gig in England. I have to get to the store. Been meaning to buy some curry for the Murgh Kari recipe I have. Will have to pick up chicken as well. And while I’m at it, some chocolate for my sweet tooth. Tooth. Damn it. I have a dentist appointment coming up this week.
“Seana?”
Sea Nay? Who’s Sea Nay? Oh, he mispronounced my name. The downfall of having a Celtic one. Should I correct him? Tell him it’s Shawn-ah?
“Miss Tramonto?”
“Hmmm?” She studied the doctor. A troubled expression creased his forehead.
“I was asking if you’re feeling okay. Are you having any pain? Do you know what day it is?”
“Oh.” Heat crept into her cheeks. She’d always had a mild case of attention deficit disorder, but it’d kicked into high gear a few moments ago. “Sorry. I have a bit of a headache, and my body’s sore. As for the day, it’s Saturday.”
The doctor raised a brow and marked something on the paper. Flashes of Ivy and her roommate, Kiran, picking her up and then the three of them driving to a resort on Mount Charleston came to mind. “No. Wait. It must be Sunday. I’m a little foggy on exactly how I got here.”
“That’s normal with a head injury. Do you know what events brought you to the hospital?”
She fought the urge to shake her head. “No.”
He wrote more down then looked at his watch. “Well Seana, you have a contusion on your cheek. In a fall, you hit your head, lost consciousness, and then arrived at the ER by ambulance. You’ve been unconscious since last night. We ran blood work and an MRI. Doctor Michaels, the neurologist, should arrive shortly to assess you and discuss the findings. You’re here for a while longer, but if he clears you, then you shouldn’t have to remain a second night.” He hooked the clipboard to the railing of the bed. “Any questions for me before I leave?”
Head injury? The barrage of information overwhelmed her. Her hurting noggin didn’t want to deal with the facts of her health at the moment. Though it hadn’t had any problems seconds ago scattering her thoughts and listing the people she needed to talk to and where she had to go. “Can I get something to take the edge off the pain?”
The doctor shook his head. “Sorry. In cases like yours, we can’t administer narcotics until our examination is complete.” He glanced at his wrist once more then, without another word, hurried from the room.
Seana wished she could get up to follow him, give him what for in regard to his bedside manner, and tell him his hot golf date could wait, but the mere thought of performing such actions made her every pain thump harder.
“Well, great. All that doesn’t help me much.” She stared at the ceiling. “I guess I’ll just have to wait. Wait for the neurologist so he can give me a fricken’ ibuprofen or something. Wait for the murk to clear so I can remember what happened.”
“Or I can help you.”
The sinfully rich words held a trace of familiarity. Carefully, so as not to agitate her aches and pains, she turned towa
rd the doorway. A gorgeous, dark-haired man leaned against the doorjamb, bringing back mental images of long-ago lacrosse games. She might have had trouble recalling what day it was, but she sure as hell knew him—Zachary Russo, asshole extraordinaire. He might be attractive enough to be the subject matter of every woman’s dream, but he wasn’t nice. She’d learned that lesson firsthand.
The goofy country-boy grin she’d loved as a teen curved his mouth.
“You!” She patted around in her bed for something to throw.
Zach sauntered over. “You don’t know how happy I am—”
“Save it.” Seana held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear your lame excuses or know why you’re here. I just want you to leave.” The edge of irritation lacing her request grated on her nerves. Why, after all these years, did he still get to her?
The smile dropped from his face. “Seana? After what happened last night, you want me to go? Are you sure?”
“Last night? What went on?” Her thoughts acted like thousands of needles, stabbing and poking. Cautiously, she placed a hand above her ear. Where’s that doctor? I need pain meds. Maybe security will remove Zach from my room. Security. My room at the resort. My stuff. What’s going to happen to all of it since I can’t check out today? The beeps of the monitor sped up.
“You don’t remember?”
The shock in his tone pulled her attention back to the matter at hand. He stared at her with concerned intensity. Zach had the most incredible dark eyes she’d ever seen. The kind that drew a woman in and made her feel wrapped in the warm comfort of love. Love? Zach? She fought her gag reflex.
“Seana?”
Uncomfortable and wanting him to leave, she wiggled on the mattress to find a soft spot. “No. The night is pretty much gone at the moment.”
Zach sighed and sat in a chair at the foot of the bed. “What’s the last thing you recall?”
She took a deep breath, wrangling the few memories she had. “Well, I remember Ivy and Kiran picking me up, and as long as you fill in the parts I wouldn’t have been privy to, I can probably recall even more. Let’s see. I was getting ready….”
As she spoke, the details of the previous day and evening flooded back.
Chapter Two
Twenty-four hours earlier…
Nothing went right. Every time Seana turned around, something else hindered her progress at getting ready for the evening’s festivities. She didn’t get out much, socially, so she didn’t have a lot of practice in the “getting gussied up” arena—at least on her own. When it came to work parties and gatherings, she utilized the services of the wardrobe mistress, hairdresser, and makeup artist. With their help, she always looked great and got out the door on time. Now though…? Totally different story. On her night off, she needed to fend for herself. How hard could it be? She’d watched them do it enough times.
Her ring finger nail chipped, and she had nothing in her apartment to fix the ragged notch. The hairstyle she wanted wouldn’t come out right no matter what she did. When she applied her mascara, she sneezed, and black streaks marred the skin under her eyes, accentuating the circles already there, forcing her to wash and redo her face.
She wasn’t good at the dating thing either, preferring to stay home on Friday and Saturday nights reading, learning lines, and rehearsing for her performances, or maybe working on a craft project. And though her cousin knew all this, her interfering family member went and signed her up through a matchmaking service anyway.
A blind date. She blew air up at her bangs. What was Heather thinking?
From her desk, Seana pulled the wrinkled printout of the email her cousin sent. How many times had she scanned the letter to glean any information she could from it? Crumpled it in frustration? She’d lost track. Seana chewed on her lower lip. There were no details about her date except for two. One, he would meet her at the Sponsor-A-Wish event at the Alpine Heaven Resort on Mount Charleston a couple of hours before the banquet started and, two, he’d have a matching flower to the rose she would find in the hotel room.
No name. No statistics. What if he was a conceited asshole and the night turned out to be a dud? What if we can’t find anything to talk about? I’m no good talking on the fly. What if he thinks I’m a fat loser? The words “what if” screamed in her head over and over.
Gah! I hate set ups. She tossed the paper back into the drawer and slammed it shut. Who am I kidding? I hate all forms of courtship ritual. The awkwardness of meeting the person, trying to get to know him without making a fool of myself, the antsy feelings afterward and wondering if he liked me or not, and if so, when he’ll call next. Waiting by the phone only to hear silence.
It wasn’t like she hadn’t gone out, though. She’d been with guys, fooled around some. She just didn’t like the work it took to get to that point.
Dating should have been a piece of cake for an actress. Her family kept telling her to act through it until she became comfortable. The theory made sense, but being in a play with set lines and knowing each character’s place was sure different than improvisation.
Her phone trilled, alerting her to the time. In an hour her cousin Ivy, who had plans at the resort as well, would arrive to pick her up.
After packing, Seana stationed herself at her front window to watch and wait, toying with the hem of her short skirt. She’d thought of putting on the gown and wearing it to the resort but fear of stains and tears changed her decision.
The moment the car pulled up, and Ivy honked the horn, she bounded to the vehicle—suitcase in one hand, dress bag slung over her shoulder, and a pair of old sneakers on her feet. A person, whom she couldn’t discern, sat in the passenger seat.
She slid into the back, setting her items next to her.
“Where are those gorgeous designer shoes you just bought?” Ivy inquired, putting the car into gear.
“Thanks for taking me, cuz. As for my pumps, I didn’t have time to wear them around the apartment and stretch them out. Since they’re still tight, I’m waiting to put them on at the hotel. Kiran? This is a surprise. Are you just along for the ride or are you chaperoning?”
He looked over his shoulder. “I have a date, too.”
“Good for you.” Seana leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. “The more the merrier, right?”
Ivy huffed and navigated out of the complex.
The thick atmosphere in the auto weighed heavy on her and cast a gloom over the fantastic afternoon. This isn’t the way to start what hopefully will be a wonderful night. What’s with these two? “Seems I came into the middle of something. There’s a lot of tension in here. Are you two all right?”
“We’re okay, cuz. My wonderful roomie here has pulled something stupid, and it’s fortunate we’re going to the charity ball. Now he has a chance to have a wish granted and maybe get us out of the pickle he’s put himself and me, by association, in.”
“Dare I ask?”
“No,” Ivy and Kiran chimed.
Ivy continued, “I think it’s best if you don’t know right now. Let’s just concentrate on getting up to the lodge on Mount Charleston, settling into our rooms, and preparing for the ball.”
Their curt words unsettled her. “Sure. Okay.” Her stomach sank, but she didn’t push the issue. Sometimes their closeness left her on the outside looking in.
At the resort, Seana entered the room Heather had reserved for her, and her jaw dropped. Elegant in its simplicity, the urbane space featured sleek, modern lines and contemporary styling in shades of brown, white, and black—a total contrast from the hunting lodge motif in the lobby.
She continued to explore and discovered a bathroom larger than the one in her small apartment. A deep whirlpool tub made it even more tempting to stay in and relax. But she couldn’t disappoint her cousin, and her cancellation would likely upset the man involved.
Time to get ready.
***
The Shadscale Bar and Lounge mirrored her room’s sleek decor. She sat on a tall, high-back
ed stool at the black granite bar and ordered a glass of Pinot blanc. Seana placed the long-stemmed, sunset-colored rose on the counter. The flower represented her family name—Tramonto, Italian for sunset—and unity due to the co-mingling of colors. She spun the chair to face the door.
Only a few minutes now. Then I can see who this Madame chose for me.
1Night Stand. What a name for a business.
Not that I know anything about one-nighters.
Seana gasped and put the wine down before her shaking fingers could spill it.
A one-night stand. What if my date expects sex? How’s he going to react when I tell him no? I haven’t been with anyone in…well, too long. She took a deep breath. I’ll just cross the sex bridge if we get to it.
As the minutes slipped by, she sipped her wine and occasionally glanced at the doorway. Half an hour later, she ordered another glass. When she finished it, over ninety minutes had gone by since her match had been due to show.
Darn it. High school all over again.
She fought back painful memories of how the lacrosse player she’d been friends with—had the biggest crush on—never showed to pick her up for homecoming.
And here I am. Dressed up and left hanging. Again. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, she glanced around the area. No one stared at her. She sighed. I’m a cliché. If I didn’t have bad luck in romance, I wouldn’t have any luck at all. Seana smelled the flower then grasped the bloom, crushing the petals in her fist.
Chapter Three
And, Zach, for the love of God, please do not tell my cousin we planned this. The words Heather Tramonto had spoken to him a few months ago plagued his thoughts.
Zachary Russo fingered the collar of his dress shirt. He stood in the entryway to the bar, holding a flower, about to face his past.
