Master of The Inn
by
Ella Jade
Book One in the Pleasure Inn Series
Pleasure
Inn… Where all of your fantasies become reality.
Executive chef
Elyse Clapton has had it with city life. She’s spent the last few years
building her cheating boyfriend’s trendy New York City restaurant into a
success. When their relationship ends, so does her desire to be in his kitchen.
She flees to a quaint inn she remembers visiting as a child. She gets more than
she bargains for when she meets the sexy, reclusive inn keeper.
Handyman Logan Cole
inherited Pleasure Inn against his wishes. Ever since he got caught up in a
scandal involving another man’s wife, he keeps to himself – finding solace in a
bottle. He didn’t realize how lonely he’d become until Elyse shows up on his
porch. He’s instantly drawn to her and convinces her to stay at the Bed and
Breakfast.
Elyse comes to town
looking for a getaway. She never expects to fall for Logan. It doesn’t take her
long to believe the inn’s motto. Logan’s dominance in the bedroom makes all of
her fantasies a reality.
Excerpt:
A light came on in
an upstairs window indicating someone was there. Elyse walked up the front
steps and tried the door, but it was locked. Just as she reached for the bell,
the door flew open and a large, muscular figure appeared. The old screen door
and the absence of lighting in the foyer concealed his face.
“Hi,” Elyse said. “I was driving by and
wondered if you had any vacancies.”
“Here?”
“This is an inn, isn’t it?”
“It hasn’t been for over four years.” He
turned on the porch light. “I thought everyone in this town knew that.”
His disheveled appearance made her think he
wasn’t planning on entertaining visitors. His dark, thick hair looked as if
he’d run his fingers through it causing it to stand on end. He hadn’t bothered
to button his faded blue jeans or put on a shirt before answering the door.
Elyse couldn’t help but notice how his well-defined abs disappeared into his
waistband.
“I’m sorry.” She moved away from the entrance.
“I’m intruding.”
“No.” He stepped out onto the porch in his
bare feet. “I just didn’t expect anyone out here at this time of the night.”
“I drove from the city. I thought I might
stay the night. I used to come here as a kid.” She looked past his shoulder
into the foyer. She saw a fresh stack of wood in the corner and several cans of
paint. “Are you renovating?”
“Trying to.” He nodded. “It’s a work in
progress.”
She caught a wave of alcohol on his breath.
“Are
you just passing through?”
“I’m not sure. I just needed to get away
and I remembered how perfect this place always was.”
“Yeah,” he looked over his shoulder. “Not
so much anymore.”
“What happened?”
“My uncle owned the place, but he couldn’t
keep up with the maintenance. He and my aunt retired and left it to me. It’s
just been sitting vacant since then. It needed a ton of work. I didn’t realize
how much until I actually started ripping things out.”
“How long have you been renovating?”
“A little over six months.”
“Well, thanks for your time. Maybe I’ll visit
when you’re finished,” She smiled encouragement, but disappointment filled
Elyse’s heart at the thought of not staying there. “Good luck with the
renovations.”
When she turned to leave, he stopped her
with a hand on her shoulder. “Wait.”
When she turned, his ice blue eyes held her
gaze. The intensity there made her stomach flutter. It should have been a
warning sign to run fast and far, but her body responded in other ways. The
sensation he created from just one touch coursed through her system, landing
straight between her legs.
Oh
my…
“For the past few months I’ve been
renovating the third floor. If I’m going to live here and run this place, I
wanted my rooms to be done first before I started on the rest of the inn. There
are two bedrooms up there; both have private bathrooms. You could stay if you
want.”
“That’s very nice of you, but—”
“Your room has a lock.”
As if
that would keep you out. You have the keys.
“I’m not ready to have guests yet, so I
wouldn’t charge you.”
“I couldn’t, but thank you.”
“You drove all this way to Pleasure Inn.
There isn’t another place for miles. Spend the night and then you can leave in
the morning.”
She wasn’t familiar with the surrounding
area and the drive had made her tired. What if she couldn’t find another place
to spend the night?
“I don’t blame you for being cautious.” He
shrugged. “You do what your gut tells you: but you’re more than welcome to stay
here.”
She stared into his deep eyes for a few
moments. She’d left the city to get away and forget about the disaster of a
relationship with Phillip. She’d done nothing but work for years. She hadn’t
been to a restaurant or on a vacation in months. She was too busy cooking for
others. Would one night in a beautiful
Victorian inn be so bad? How could it be, especially when the inn keeper looked
like a goddamned Calvin Klein model?
“I’ll stay on one condition.”
“Sure.”
“You have to tell me your name.”
“Oh.” He ran his fingers through his hair
and smiled for the first time since greeting her. “Forgive my manners. I’m
Logan Cole.” He extended his hand to her.
“Nice to meet you, Logan,” She said
properly as she shook his hand. “I’m Elyse Clapton.”
“Welcome to Pleasure Inn, Ms. Clapton.” He
dipped his head as he held the door open for her. “Where all of your fantasies
become reality.”
About the Author:
Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember.
As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the
laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head,
but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered
the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she
can't be stopped.Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.
Connect with the Author:
Giveaway:
Ella is giving away
a digital copy of her book during her Tour. For a chance to win please fill out
the Raffle copter below.
Great excerpt. I tweeted.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ella! I appreciate it :)
DeleteThanks for hosting Ella today
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great!! And Logan sounds yummy
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kaycee! Logan is rather delicious ;)
DeleteOh my...I must read this book. Great excerpt Ella!
ReplyDeleteMarika Weber
maw1725@gmail.com
Thanks, Marika! Glad you liked it ;)
DeleteLooking forward to reading this!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much xoxo
DeleteReally great excerpt. I was completely pulled in! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Toni! I'm happy I intriqued you :)
DeleteThank you for the wonderful excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Mary :)
DeleteThanks so much for having me :)
ReplyDelete