Twenty authors donated short stories to this anthology. All royalties go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research
At some point, virtually everyone's life is touched in some way by breast cancer. Whether it's a friend or family member, or even yourself, the journey is one of courage and compassion. Phaze continues its tradition of fundraising for this cause with Coming Together: For the Cure, an anthology of quality erotic fiction edited by Alessia Brio. All proceeds from the sale of this volume will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Excerpt
Coming Together for the Cure
Excerpt from A Town Called Night
By Sammie Jo Moresca
Jaynie Petrov stowed her purse on the floorboard of the ambulance, tucking it away on the front seat passenger's side.
"Hi, Petrov."
She glanced over her shoulder at the unfamiliar voice. It emanated from the tall, dark and hunky paramedic dressed in the pressed blue uniform. She'd seen that perfectly coiffed raven hair before, last week when she pulled a double shift at the commuter bus accident. This was… hmm... What was his name? His partner was Gary, and, if she worked at the Parthenon, she'd usher them both to the front row. Gay gods. Yep. Nobody is that good looking and heterosexual.
Jaynie forced her eyes to the brass name badge on his left shirt pocket. H.L. Bledsoe.
"So, how come you're letting me drive tonight?"
What a familiar question from someone she'd never met. How did he know she usually drove Medic-7?
"Have we met?"
He extended his hand. She stood and shook it. And then had to exert a little force to pry it out of his grip. Great. He's gay and weird. I have all the luck.
"I'm Hal Bledsoe."
"I saw you last week on the commuter bus call. What an adrenaline rush, eh?"
"Blood everywhere. We transported the driver."
"Did she make it?"
"I don't know. I never follow up."
Jaynie walked to the rear of the vehicle, opened one door and stepped up. Hal followed. She jabbed a key into the drug box and twisted it open.
"I don't follow up either. As it is, I have a hard time not hugging all my patients. Gotta remember this is just a job and leave it when the shift ends." Satisfied the narcotics were all accounted for, she locked them back up.
They climbed into their seats. Jaynie hit the remote control button and the firehouse doors parted.
After positioning the driver's seat to accommodate his long legs, Bledsoe buckled up then adjusted the mirrors. He toggled the headlights on.
Jaynie noticed he didn't primp as she'd expected a pretty boy to. She strapped in and rolled the window down an inch.
Hal radioed the dispatcher. "Communications, this is Medic-7. We're off the air, en route to our special detail."
The disembodied male voice said, "All right, Medic-7."
And away they drove through the streets of a town called Night.
Jaynie reached down and grabbed her purse. Nervously fumbling through the contents, she felt for the smooth flat plastic and pulled it out. Peering into her lighted mirror, she finger fluffed her short brown hair, flipping it up and under. She shook her head to distribute some volume.
Hal asked, "So, you didn't answer me. Why aren't you driving tonight?"
"You have a license, don't you?"
"Duh."
She rolled her eyes at him. What a jerk... with an impossibly perfect jaw line ."Fine. Pull over and I'll drive."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to push your button."
"I'm just a little distracted tonight." I hope I don't throw up. Not that I'd been able to choke down more than a hard-boiled egg all day. Well, if I do, at least it will be over with quickly and I'll feel better.
Jaynie stared at the oncoming headlights, mesmerized as they wound through the mountains. She finally asked, "So'd you do something wicked and they punished you by detailing you to Medic-7 on the p.m. tour while my partner's on light duty?"
"I put in for a transfer to p.m. tour. No slots available except this temporary detail."
"You like working at night? I mean at night in Night during night season?" After five years of living in the township of Night, Jaynie was accustomed to the two lunar months every autumn when the sun didn't rise. Actually, she looked forward to the extra sleep it stimulated.
"Call me a creature of the night." He shifted in his seat, adjusting his crotch.
She watched. Jaynie enjoyed studying a good-looking man while he touched himself, even if it was nonsexual.
He placed his right hand back on the steering wheel. She looked for a gay wedding ring. Nope.
"Let me see your left hand."
"Relax, I'm not armed." He held it up.
From the green-lighted glow of the dashboard, she observed that one was also bare. Hmm... so no state sanctioned civil ceremony took place either. "Did you and your significant other have a falling out?"
He changed lanes and passed a tractor hauling double trailers. "Significant other? Not me. I'm a lone wolf. Not the marrying kind. Not the shacking up kind. Not the commitment type."
"So, did your partner give you the old ultimatum then, marry me or hit the road, Jack?"
"Partner?"
"Gary, or whoever worked with you on Medic-13."
Hal swung into the drive leading up to the only sports arena/theatre/concert hall/'Pay-Per-View' venue in the town of Night, their own version of the Parthenon. Jaynie performed another primping session. So he's not answering my question. Must've been a bad break up.
He parked the ambulance at the rear service entrance. "Come on, you don't need makeup, you're beautiful, Petrov. Besides, most of the audience will be female. Who are you trying to look good for?"
Exactly why I have to look better than all of them. Jaynie slicked on one last coat of raspberry swirl gloss and rubbed her lips together. Capping the tube, she shoved it back into her purse and stowed it on the floorboard, under the glove compartment.
Her heart pounded as they traversed the bowels of the stadium, across the vault, nodding to the no nonsense security guards. This could be the night I've dreamt of.
They emerged on the floor in front of the stage, in the pit where the general admission ticket holders with neon orange armbands sat on the floor with their legs crossed.
Hal commented, "The house is only half full. These guys are fading."
"Maybe so, but they sure used to rock my world."
"So music moves you?"
"Of course." Her eyes traveled up to the stadium seating. A few people sat all the way up against the wall in the cheap seats. But most of the audience was down low, to the left of the stage.
"Let's go stand on the other side," she said. Devin always performs on the left side.
"Yeah, whatever."
Her hunky partner followed her across the floor. She glanced over her shoulder. Damn, I love his lips... so darned kissable. They positioned themselves near the stage. Jaynie studied Hal's face. Oh no. I'm staring. Better say something. "Does your hair do that easily, or does it take a lot of work to get the disheveled cover model look?"
Hal smiled as the room went dark. The fans squealed as they clambered to their feet. Blue and green lights searched as the opening act, a Beach Boys cover band, warmed up the ladies.
Jaynie didn't know if she wanted them to hurry up so the main attraction would commence or hope something went wrong and the main attraction didn't show. No, I don't want anyone to get hurt. There would be a revolt of the fans and a stampede--meaning cuts, bruises and bones to set. Jaynie enjoyed the latter. She'd been top in her cadet class at setting bones. Splinting compound fractures were a rush. Well, provided the patient was unconscious.
She turned her head and stretched up toward her partner. Damn. His ear was even perfectly wrought. All the best specimens are married or walk on the other side of the moon. "Make a deal with you. I'll take the broken bones and you take the abrasions, cuts, and concussions."
"Who'll do the syncopes?"
"Yeah, the girls will be fainting tonight, swooning over Devin," she sighed.
"I hope they stocked the triage room with water."
"You didn't inventory?"
"Have you seen me leave?"
"I guess it's too late now." Her mind drifted back to where she hadn't let it in such a long time. To a sultry summer in Miami. She'd sneak out at midnight and make her way down along the bay. Her friend Samantha's family ran a boutique hotel two blocks from the beach. Okay, Miami Beach is an island, and not very wide, mostly beach front, so, within that context, it was nowhere near the beach. And boutique hotel doesn't exactly classify their establishment. Something along the lines of flophouse would be more accurate. Think transplanted New Jersey and New York residents, ancient Jewish and Italian men with leather faces and hanging skin.
The flophouse sat diagonally across the street from the recording studio where Devin and his band worked. Jaynie and Samantha would sit on the hotel roof and spy, waiting for Devin to emerge. Samantha was a fun girl, always eager for the next adventure. Jaynie felt a bit guilty sometimes for using her. He usually emerged around 2:00 a.m. God, he was such a fine specimen. And he had that extra something. Well, so the rumors went anyhow. He was supposed to be half-vampire.
That's what drew Jaynie to him more than his music. She had always wanted to be kissed by a vampire, and to bite one. Yep, bite one. Taste his blood to see if it rocked her world.
For Adults Only! Complete novella contains graphic love scenes
Professional Reviews
Barry Eisler, NYT Bestselling Author
"Few things reveal character as immediately and profoundly as the way someone makes love. And since the best stories are always character driven, what better way to get to know the players than by the way they make love? Call it erotic fiction if you like -- it certainly is erotic -- but once you get past the heat and the breathlessness, you'll see these stories for what they really are: tales of the intensely private, the palpably real, the profoundly human."
