Chapter One
It was a cool autumn afternoon as Elyse Clapton left the New York City limits behind her. She glanced in her rearview mirror and realized she wouldn’t miss a thing. For the past four years she worked hard putting everything she had into making Santiago’s Grill a success. Fresh out of one of the most prestigious culinary schools in Manhattan, she allowed her boyfriend to talk her into becoming the head chef at his local restaurant. Philip invested a huge amount of money into Santiago’s but had no idea what to do with it. While Elyse worked at making it one of the trendiest spots in the city, he worked at getting into the panties of every girl who set foot in the restaurant.
Elyse finally wised up and ended their relationship. She also resigned as executive chef. On the verge of a breakdown, her family advised her to head to the country for some much needed rest and relaxation. Maybe a few weeks in the little remote town of Oxford just outside of New Haven, Connecticut would help her heal and figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
As she drove down the back roads, she allowed her mind to wander back to her childhood. She had so many memories of the quaint inn she’d visited during summer vacations and much too short weekend getaways with her family. Her father, a professor at Yale, loved to explore different locations. Elyse had stayed in many gorgeous vacation resorts, lavish hotels and sophisticated, historical inns. One her favorites had always been Pleasure Inn. It wasn’t far from her childhood home, but every time she and her family went there, they always came away with special memories. She thought of the warmth the owners always exuded. They could make every guest feel special.
She hadn’t been there in over a decade. Not since she was sixteen, the summer before her father’s diagnosis. Once her dad fell ill, they traveled less and less. Even after he passed away a few years later, she and her mother never returned to Pleasure Inn.
Elyse couldn’t get the place off her mind. Not since she’d dreamt about it the night before. The dream seemed so real and made her miss her dad more than she’d realized. When she ended things with Phillip, she decided to go back to a simpler time in her life. A time when happiness surrounded her and life held so many possibilities. She’d been so busy beating herself up over what had happened with Phillip it seemed nothing could motivate her. The memories of Pleasure Inn changed that.
Impulse took over, and now she found herself pulling up the long, winding path leading to the inn. The original sign still hung at the foot of the driveway alerting guests to the entrance. Dusk was settling around the large house. A solitary truck rested in the driveway, but no one else seemed to be there. Elyse hadn’t bothered calling ahead because if there wasn’t a vacancy she could always stay in town. She was hoping that the inn would have a room, but figured it might be a long shot during the busy tourist season. But as she got out of her car, it seemed too quiet; it had never occurred to her that the place wouldn’t still be in business.
A light came on in an upstairs window indicating someone was there. Elyse walked up the front steps and tried the handle, 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 coming downstairs. Elyse couldn’t help but notice how his well-defined abs disappeared into his waistband.
“I’m sorry.” She moved away from the door. “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.”