Sunset Kisses (Sunset Bay Book 0)

by Christine Kingsley

  SUNSET KISSES

  by Christine Kingsley

  Copyright © 2016 by Christine Kingsley

  Digital Edition

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, and events in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons or places is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the express consent of the author.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Alexa Roberts awoke with a start at the sound of a knock on her hotel room door.

  “Just a minute,” she called, trying to get her bearings. She shook her head, still fuzzy from the night before, and headed into the bathroom. It was probably one of the bridesmaids coming to get her on the way down to breakfast.

  Her sister Cara had wanted Alexa to stay in one of the suites with her other bridesmaids, but she had opted for one of the cheaper hotel rooms in an attempt to save money. Cara and her friends didn’t seem to understand the idea of sticking to a budget.

  Now that her head was clearing, she looked around more carefully and blinked. This was one of the most elaborate bathrooms she had ever seen. Marble floors, a walk in shower with more nozzles than one person needed, and a bathtub raised on a platform that was large enough to bathe both of her German Shepherds at once.

  Her hands flew to her mouth. This was not her hotel room. Surely this was Cara's room, or perhaps one of the other bridesmaids'. She went back into the bedroom and turned on a lamp, illuminating the extravagant decor. She tried to find an explanation, but knew this was absolutely not one of the girls' rooms. She’d been in Cara’s room, and while she knew her sister’s friends enjoyed the finer things in life, she also knew none of them could have afforded this type of luxury. Not with the cost of the weekend trip to New Orleans being only a week before their sojourn to Florida for Cara’s wedding.

  The only other explanation then was… No, no no, this cannot be happening. She had not spent the night with a stranger. She had never done anything like that before. But more terrifyingly, she couldn't remember any of it. She wracked her brain trying to come up with what had happened the night before. She remembered going to Bourbon Street with the others and hitting up a couple of bars, but she'd only had a couple of drinks, and they had been spaced a fair amount of time apart.

  Alexa jumped at the sound of a low male voice. “Everything okay in there?” What was she going to do? She was trapped in this room with a virtual stranger on the other side. A stranger she had apparently spent the night with. She was going to kill Cara when she got out of this mess. Unbelievable. She couldn’t even count on her sister to watch out for her.

  She stood there, debating what to do next until there was another soft rap on the door. Now what? There was no escape, so she figured she might as well face him and get it over with. Summoning up every spare bit of strength and confidence she could muster, she tossed her deep brown hair behind her and strode to the door and yanked it open.

  Alexa wasn't sure what she had expected, but it most certainly wasn't this. Before her stood the most delicious specimen of male she had ever laid eyes on. Her already foggy brain slowed down even more as she stared. This man could have been a Greek god. Or an underwear model at the very least. He was at least six feet tall, his slightly longish brown hair falling across his forehead as he looked down at her with warm chocolate eyes. Her mouth went even dryer than before when her eyes trailed to his muscled abdomen. All he was wearing were cotton pajama pants.

  She was absolutely right. She hadn’t spent the night with a complete stranger. She’d spent it with the one man she’d spent the past four years doing everything in her power to avoid.

  “Good morning, Alexa.”

  Will Townsend, playboy extraordinaire. The penultimate heartbreaker. He said something else, but she couldn’t hear it over the buzzing in her ears as she tried to figure out how in the hell this had happened. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it, but the movement made her dizzy and she closed her eyes as she swayed, gripping the door frame for balance.

  "Whoa there, take it easy." He slipped an arm around her and guided her toward the plush couch. "I ordered breakfast if you'd like something. Tea? Coffee?"

  "Um, coffee I guess," she mumbled. She sat down and rubbed her temples, trying her hardest to remember something, anything. Nope. Nothing.

  What was Will doing there? It had been a girls’ weekend. A bachelorette trip. And she’d wound up in his hotel room? It didn’t make sense.

  He handed her a piping hot mug then sat down opposite her on a chair, his own coffee cradled in his hands. He leaned back casually as if this encounter were completely normal. As if the past four years were but a blip in time and they were having a regular conversation.

  "How do you feel this morning?" He studied her with an unreadable expression on his face. "You were quite an adventure last night."

  Was he serious? She sat upright, nearly sloshing hot coffee all over her lap. "Excuse me? You have some nerve." So she was right then? They’d actually spent the night together? She grew more and more indignant as he simply smirked.

  "I mean, you were very... Well, anyway, I'm sure you have a hell of a hangover. I hope you at least rested well."

  What was with this him? He was thoughtful enough to get coffee for her and be concerned about the quality of her sleep, but not considerate enough to think twice about taking advantage of her in her apparently inebriated state? This was too much. She slammed her mug down on the glass table top and jumped up, hands on her hips, angry now.

  "You hope I rested well? I wouldn't know. I don't remember a thing from last night. This is so typical of you, Will, bringing a woman back to your room who was in no state to make a rational decision about it? If I had been in my right mind, there is no way I would ever have spent the night with you! You should be ashamed, yet here you are ready to have a conversation over breakfast?"

  He stared at her open-mouthed while she gave him a piece of her mind. She barely registered the look of confusion on his face as she stomped back toward the bedroom. It was time to get the hell out of there. Just as she was about to slam the door, his voice stopped her in her tracks.

  "You don't remember anything from last night?" he asked carefully. His face was guarded.

  "Nothing. As far as I know, this morning is the first time I've ever laid eyes on you in four years!"

  His eyes widened and he stood slowly and started to take a step toward her.

  "No, no. You stay right there. I'm changing and getting out of here." Before he could say another word she whirled and slammed the bedroom door.

  * * *

  Will stood gaping at the door, unsure what to do next. He had to tell her. She had the whole situation wrong. Maybe if she took a minute to calm down, then he would be able to talk rationally with her. He knew something was off last night, but he’d just been so happy to see her again that he ignored the signs. The gravity of the situation was starting to sink in.

  She had been drugged, he was sure of it now.

  He'd had his suspicions, as he’d never seen Alexa that intoxicated, but the fact that she didn't remember anything at all made him certain. He rubbed his hands over his face and dropped back onto the chair. This was
terrible. She thought he had taken advantage of her in a drunken state. The idea of such a thing made him recoil. He had never been so inconsiderate of a woman's rights, and he wasn't about to start now. Especially with Alexa. He'd let her change, then tell her everything that had transpired.

  He thought back to when they’d first seen each other last night, trying to see if he'd overlooked the signs, but she had seemed perfectly okay. Perhaps a bit light-headed from a few drinks, but she had seemed to have her wits about her. Up until they had left the bar to get some fresh air and not have to yell to be heard over the pulsating music. She'd suddenly been unable to walk straight and had been hanging on his arm.

  "Where’s Cara?" he'd asked. He'd known he had to get her back to her sister if she was in this condition.

  "With the bridesmaids," she slurred. "I'm not having fun with them, though. I'd much rather be with you."

  "Maybe so," he said gently, "but I think we ought to get you back now." She pouted, but let him guide her back inside. "Do you see them?"

  She looked around the room, eyes glassy, then laughed. "No. They aren't here. Looks like you're stuck with me."

  "Are you sure?" he prodded. "Let's look around a little more." He practically supported her as they made their way up the stairs to the balcony that looked over the entire room. Help me look. Surely they wouldn't abandon you here."

  "No, Cara said..." She frowned. "I don't remember. She said they'd be somewhere, but I don't remember now. I was just going to get another drink and meet them."

  "Okay, well how about I give Cara a call. Let me see your phone."

  "I left it at the hotel." She started to sway and her eyes were drooping.

  "What hotel? Alexa?" He gave her a little shake and her eyes popped open again. "Where are you staying?"

  She mumbled something that he couldn't make out before falling heavily against him. Great. Now what was he supposed to do? Cara had been the one to let him know they’d be in New Orleans that weekend. She’d wanted him to come out with them. But she’d never told him where they were staying, and he didn’t have her number in his phone.

  After a few more attempts to find out where she was staying, he made the only choice given to him. He called a cab and took her back to his hotel. There were no good alternatives. He certainly couldn't leave her in this condition. Who knew what degenerates might take advantage of her? At least with him she would be safe and have a comfortable bed to sleep it off.

  Will pulled his mind back to the present. Now here he was, having attempted to be a gentleman, and she was thinking the worst of him. Not that he hadn’t given her plenty of reasons to in the past. He would set her straight and everything would be alright.

  He jumped at the sound of the door clicking open and rushed over to explain. The words died on his lips as he was caught off guard by her striking beauty. He’d known her almost her whole life, yet in the years since he’d seen her, she’d become much more woman than girl. He swallowed against the tightness in his throat as he recalled the brief glimpse he'd gotten as she attempted to strip down once they'd gotten up to his room last night. He'd hurriedly found a robe, wrapped it around her, and tucked her into his bed before camping out on the couch.

  He cleared his throat to speak, but she beat him to it.

  "I don't want another word from you. Please move out of my way."

  He stepped aside at the forcefulness in her voice and she pushed past him. "Wait. Let me call a cab for you. You don't need to walk back."

  She hesitated and narrowed her piercing blue eyes as she sized him up. Apparently she didn't like what she saw. "I can take care of myself." She turned to leave, but he gripped her arm.

  "Alexa." He saw the surprise in her eyes at his touch, and something else. Desire? But it was gone in an instant and he figured he must have imagined it. She’d never wanted him the way he’d always wanted her. "Please let me explain about last night."

  "I don't want to hear it. Now, let go of me." It was a command, sharp and angry. He pulled his hand back like she was on fire. This was bad.

  "Really. You want to hear this. It's not what you think. You can't leave without knowing. Let me call a cab for you and I can explain while you wait." He gave her his most charming smile.

  He must be losing his touch because she grunted and stormed out the door before he could say another word. "Great." He threw his hands up in the air. He paced around the room, trying to decide his next move. He couldn't let her go on thinking the worst, he had to make things right.

  Because little did she know, they were about to spend an entire week together in Sunset Bay. And by the time that week was over, he was hell bent on fixing every mistake he’d ever made when it came to her.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Alexa closed the door to her modest French Quarter hotel room and slumped against the door with a sigh of relief. None of the others were awake yet she guessed. A good thing, because all she needed was for them to shower her with questions after seeing her make the walk of shame. She bit back tears as she stripped out of the silky dress that she now looked at with disgust. She needed a shower, badly.

  This was definitely not what she had expected when agreeing to come along for the bachelorette weekend. She had only come in the first place because she had no other choice, really. Cara was her sister, after all, and she was the maid of honor.

  Alexa stood in the steaming shower until her hands were like prunes, then wrapped a towel that smelled like bleach around herself and walked into the bedroom. It was a far cry from the room she'd woken up in. Will’s room.

  She moved to the coffee pot and filled it with water, then waited while it percolated into the single serving foam cup. She topped it off with a packet of sugar and powdered creamer and sat down in the hard, small chair by the window, staring at nothing.

  Involuntarily, her mind compared this scenario to the one she'd just left. She had to admit she would much prefer fresh coffee and cream on a plush couch with a sexy man by her side. Just the memory of him in nothing but his pajama pants was enough to make her blush. But god, it was Will! How could he have done something like that?

  She’d left their hometown four years back, knowing that he held the power to break her heart more than any other man. And she’d thought he understood that. That he knew how fragile she was. Except now, he seemed not to even care that she was too intoxicated to know what she was doing. She frowned for a minute at that. How had she gotten so drunk without realizing it? It really didn't add up.

  She groaned and drained the rest of her coffee, then tossed the cup toward the trash. She missed. This was ridiculous. What was done, was done, and she couldn't sit there all day wallowing in self-pity and regrets. Pull it together, Alexa. You are a grown woman, and you can handle this. The problem was, she wasn't sure how. It had been so long since she had allowed herself to spend time with a man, instead filling her days, and nights, with work and studying. She had almost forgotten what it was like to enjoy the company of a man in a romantic way. Had tried to forget, really. It looked like last night wasn't about to refresh her memory either.

  If she was going to be wild and crazy, risking it all for a night with Will, she'd like to at least have some memory of it. Maybe it was better that way. She’d run from what she felt for him all those years ago, and finally having him, or remembering it apparently, would probably be more than she could handle. She laughed bitterly at that, then jumped at the sudden rap on the door.

  "Alexa?" Cara's voice came muffled through the door. "Are you in there?" She sounded a little worried.

  "I'm here." Alexa jumped up and ran to open the door.

  Cara looked past her and glanced quickly around the room. Her worried brow smoothed as a relaxed smile spread across her delicate features so similar to Alexa’s own. "Thank goodness." She walked into the room and perched on the edge of the bed. "I have to admit I was starting to worry about you. What happened? Where did you go last night?"

  Alexa opened and closed her m
outh a few times, searching for a good explanation, but Cara continued on, seeming not to notice Alexa's discomfort. "I thought you were going to catch up with us at the next stop, but you never showed up, and you didn't answer your phone. The girls all said you must have been tired and come back here, but I wasn't sure." She smiled up at her with perfect porcelain white teeth. "I guess I'm lucky to have gotten you out for a bit anyway. Did you come back here to work?" She laughed.

  Alexa's smile was strained. "I didn't get any work done. I just passed out."

  Cara grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Oh, I'm just teasing you. But since we're talking about it, please try to let go of your work next week. I'd like you to have some fun and make it a real vacation. You work too hard for the magazine. I just want you to relax at the beach with us. I know you don't know all the girls that well, but it will be fun."

  So she had said about a thousand times before. She really wasn’t thrilled to be with Cara’s friends all week. They were just so different from her. "It's hard, Cara. I don't expect you to understand, but my job means everything to me. I have to make sure I do my very best at all times. I'm not going to throw away everything I’ve worked so hard for by not giving one hundred and ten percent."

  "I get that. But like I said, you deserve a break. And honestly, you’re going to work yourself to death. You’re very successful, but I care more about you being happy."

  "I'm happy." It didn't sound convincing, even to her own ears.

  "If you say so. I was halfway hoping you had snuck off with some hottie last night." Cara laughed and shrugged her shoulders, and for a split second Alexa thought she caught some knowing look in her eyes, but then it was gone. "Maybe next time. You know what they say about all work and no play. You're only twenty-six. Live a little." She stood up and gave Alexa a quick hug. "I've got to get ready for brunch. See you downstairs at eleven."

  Alexa shook her head as Cara breezed out of the room, her long blonde hair floating behind her. If she only knew.