The One Nighter

Copyright

200
9
by
Shauna Hart

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement wit
h
out monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
author
.

ISBN 978-1-
60313
-
635-8

Credits

Editor:
Stephanie Parent

Printed in the United States of America

WHAT
PEOPLE
ARE SAYING ABOUT

THE ONE NIGHTER

5 Stars - Night Owl Reviews Top Pick!

As a reader I enjoy suspense stories especially one with a go
r
geous hero and a scorned woman. Melanie and Connor are pe
r
fect for each other in every way. One night is all that it took to reveal their passion and one kiss is what brings them back.
 

I loved that Shauna brought them back in a way they will never forget. Melanie is definitely an all around good girl and one act of naughtiness definitely perked her up. Connor is definitely gorgeous and all man for her. I loved it all and can’t wait for more of Shauna’s books. She is definitely an author that is going places.

Melinda -
Night Owl Reviews

D
edication

Thanks to all of my
friends and family

who
have been so supportive of my work.

And, as always, thanks to my husband, Willchris,

for
giving me all of the love and support

that
keeps me going.

Chapter 1

A strong arm slid across her bare breasts, pulling her tighter against the naked man lying next to her. Instinctiv
e
ly, she snuggled closer in a desperate attempt to let the warmth envelop her. Reality set in, and her eyes flew open. She tried to focus on the white ceiling of the motel room.
Looking beside her, her gaze narrowed on the sleeping man. Dark brown hair was slightly ruffled from the many times her fingers plowed through it. His long black lashes rested on high, tanned cheekbones.

Flashes of the night before came back in bittersweet time.

Words ran through her mind as snapshots replayed over and over.

Slut!

Tramp!

Whore!

They all fit, considering her current predicament.

Last night, reason had dissolved into a kiss that was hotter than anything she had ever experienced. She didn’t think about things like right and wrong. For once, she a
l
lowed herself to give in to the strong desire to do what she
felt like doing without thoroughly examining the pros and cons.

The attraction had simply been too strong to fight.

Unfortunately for her, logic and reason were back.

And they were extremely pissed off.

Inevitably, her gaze focused on the door.

Escape was just a few feet away.

Escape from the choices she had made.

Escape from the man she still had to face.

When she risked a glance at him, her heart began to beat double time. Broad shoulders housed solid muscles that she knew could carry her weight. His full lips had brought her more pleasure last night than any other man ever had. The urge to roll over and give into the greedy i
m
pulse to indulge in passion one more time was so intense she had to squeeze her thighs together.

She couldn’t just leave him here.

Could she?

If only she had thought of the awkwardness she would face the night before. But she hadn’t. She spent her whole life thinking of the ramifications of every move she made, and last night, she hadn’t wanted to think anymore.

She’d only wanted to feel.

And she had.

In truth, she had to admit that it was one of the best nights she’d ever had. She glanced over at him again, kno
w
ing that when he woke up, there would be an uncomfort
a
ble conversation that she wasn’t ready to face.

What could she say to a man she barely knew?

She knew she should have stopped last night after the second drink. But reason had taken a backseat to the d
e
mands of her body, and now she had to face the penalty.
She chewed on her lower lip as she studied him. His breat
h
ing remained even and calm.

Was he one of those deep sleepers who could sleep through a firing squad?

She was about to find out.

Slowly, she
slid
her body inch by inch toward the edge of the bed, pausing for a tense moment as he lifted his head. As she closed her eyes, one clear thought reverberated through her head.

Busted!

She winced, waiting for him to ask the question that she knew she didn’t have an answer for. When it didn’t come, she dared to peek at him through veiled lashes. To her surprise, he gave her the reprieve she was praying for by turning his head away and going back to sleep without opening his eyes.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued her progress toward the edge of the bed. Easing onto the floor, she g
a
thered her clothing, which was haphazardly strewn around the room from the urgency of the night before. Thankfully, it didn’t take her long to get into her clothes. Soon, she was safely in the armor of her clothing, which consisted of a sexy black skirt and blue silk blouse, her black heels da
n
gling from two fingers.

She gave into the impulse to risk one last glance at the sleeping man before her.
He lay sprawled on his stomach, his strong, well-muscled arms spread out, reaching for o
p
posite sides of the bed. His back was tan, probably from working in the sun or lying by the pool. She would never know once she walked out that door. One leg was hiked up
in the same spot where it had recently curled
around her own
. The other lay straight, the crisp hairs blowing in the breeze from the ceiling fan.

Guilt overwhelmed her for sneaking out like a cheating wife, but in truth, she couldn’t face her own actions. To speak to him, to wake up slowly with him, would bring her face to face with a situation she was trying to pretend never existed.

Maybe she could just leave a note?

But what would she say?

Thanks for last night?

You were great?

Maybe I’ll call you some time?

Even if she wrote it, it would be a lie. She would never see him again, and despite the exquisite passion he brought her last night, she was glad of it.
Glad that she didn’t have to face him or the reckless side that she kept so well hidden.
She grabbed her purse from the dresser while walking over to the door. Risking one last coveted glance, she pulled it open, walking out into the sunlight and away from her te
r
rible secret.

Chapter 2

One year later

Melanie Brighton sat at her desk, entering invoices into the computer. She sighed heavily as the computer warned her that she had to fill in all of the blanks for the third time. Jill popped her head over the wall of the cubicle, keeping her voice to a whisper.

“Mel, did you hear the news?”

She rolled her eyes before turning to face her. The go
s
sip about Mr. Turner selling the agency had been traveling through circles for the past five years. It never stopped, and yet here they all sat years later. To Melanie, the whole thing was ridiculous, and she’d trained herself long ago to steer clear of the supposition. Jill, however, always had to be in the middle of things.

“If it’s about Mr. Turner selling the agency, you know I don’t want to hear it.”

Her curt response hit the target, causing Jill’s ey
e
brows to arch. Her red curls bounced around her shoulders as she lowered her chin, her green eyes twinkling with m
i
schief. Red lips opened and shut as she made smacking sounds with her gum.

“Well, excuse me, I just thought you might want to know what’s going on,” she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Melanie turned her attention back to the computer screen. “He’s not going to sell. It’s just a bunch of gossip.”

“He already did.”

She swiveled in her chair. “What?”

Jill nodded. “I copied the papers today. He sold it to some guy named Connor Mason.”

Melanie leaned back in her chair, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Jill disappeared to answer the phone, leaving her to stare at the wall.

For years, at different times, she’d feared this would happen. Most people in the insurance business knew that if the agency you worked for was purchased, your days were numbered. This buy-out couldn’t have come at a worse time. She was two months away from her six-year annive
r
sary with the firm. During her review, she planned to ask for a raise and a long-awaited promotion to the position of office manager.

Now, she would be lucky to keep her job.

It wasn’t fair. She had worked too hard for this to ha
p
pen now. For the past year, she’d worked late nights and weekends to show her loyalty to an agency that no longer existed. She couldn’t believe this was happening. All the extra effort she put in over the last few months was for nothing.

She went through the rest of the day in a haze. She didn’t even try to enter the rest of the invoices, because at this point, it probably didn’t matter.

Why work hard for a person who was bound to fire her?

* * * *

The next few days went by in a blur. Mr. Turner seemed to be missing in action. He let her run the show with periodic calls of instruction. Every time he called, she wanted to hit him with a large blunt object. Never once did he mention that he’d sold the agency, probably for fear she wouldn’t take care of everything. It soon became apparent that he had no intention of telling her until the last minute, and that hurt.