Master of the Inn(2)
“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 back, 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 answering the door. “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.”
Chapter Two
Logan tried to make as little noise as possible stripping the old wallpaper from the foyer at the main entrance. Through bloodshot eyes, he’d managed to roll out of bed, make his way to the local market, and come back to begin the day’s renovations. His early morning hangovers usually made it impossible to get going before noon. His unexpected guest gave him a burst of energy he hadn’t felt in a long time.
When he answered the door the night before, he never dreamed he’d find such a stunning woman standing on his porch. When she turned to leave, he did the only thing he could think of – put his hand on her arm and asked her to stay. Mesmerized by her charcoal eyes and full pink lips, he couldn’t let her just walk away from him. Even if he had her there for just one night, it was more than he could have dreamed.
He’d been alone for years. After graduating from college, he realized sitting behind a desk all day long completely stifled his spirit. He loved working with his hands and putting his degree in business to use wasn’t satisfying at all. He came back to his home town and started his own handyman business. The pay wasn’t great, but the benefits of working for all those lonely housewives outweighed the profits. Logan made quite the name for himself until one day he was caught with his pants down and his dick in a local politician’s young wife. His uncle intervened, threatened to freeze his trust fund if he didn’t get his act together, and told Logan he was now the proprietor of the dilapidated Pleasure Inn. At twenty-eight, Logan hadn’t done much with his life. The inn was supposed to be his new start. Up until now, he’d thought of the hotel as nothing but an annoyance.