Master of the Inn (10 page)

“You showed me what it was like to make love and I
introduced you to kink. Which way is right?”

“We can have it all. We can play or we can just be. Or a
combination of both. Either way we’re connected. We can have the most
satisfying sex life.” The thought of the things they could do sent a tingle
between her legs. How many more orgasms would he grant her tonight?

He kissed the tip of her nose. “The most satisfying life.”

Chapter Ten

Logan flexed his back muscles as he put the last coat of
paint on the sitting room walls. He looked around and smiled. The room would
definitely be ready for Christmas. Elyse had gone out earlier in the day to
find curtains and accents for all of the guestrooms. She said the place needed
a woman’s touch. As long as it was her touch, he didn’t care what she came up
with.

He glanced at the clock in the foyer. She’d be home soon. He
wanted to shower and order dinner before she returned. He switched on the
fireplace in their bedroom before stripping out of his paint covered clothes.
He’d planned a romantic evening, eating by the fire and making love all night.

This was the most time they’d spent away from one another
since she showed up on his porch that night at the end of September. Thoughts
of her filled his head all day. He couldn’t wait for her to get home so he
could tell her how much she meant to him. The past two months had been the most
amazing time of his life.

As he stepped into the shower and lathered soap over his
body, he thought back to a conversation a few days before – when he had
realized just how much he wanted a future with her.

Logan had gone with her to her mom’s house for Thanksgiving
dinner. When they arrived back at the inn he had every intention of carrying
her up to bed, but they didn’t get as far as the living room. They lay tangled
together by the huge picture window watching the snow fall.

***

“I can’t believe it’s almost December. I never would have
believed two months ago I’d still be here.”

“I’m happy you are.” He kissed the top of her head as he
pulled her closer to him. “Thanks for taking me to your family dinner too. I
had a great time.”

“My mother adores you. She says she wants to come and see
the inn.”

“Any time.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his
finger. “Maybe you could invite your family here for Christmas. We could have a
big dinner.”

He’d wanted to do something to make her feel at home. Having
her family for the holidays seemed like the right thing to do. It was about
time she realized this was where she belonged.

“Really? You’d want my whole family to come?”

“There’s plenty of room. The guest bedrooms are almost
finished. I want you to wake up here with me on Christmas morning, but I saw
how happy you were with your mom and cousins today.”

“I do love spending the holidays with my family, but if for
some reason they can’t come for Christmas, I still want to be here with you.”

“We’ll spend a quiet holiday together.”

“Just the two of us.” She hugged him. “Can we get a tree?”

“Anything you want.”

“I want a really big one. We could put it in front of this
window and we can make love under it every night until New Year’s Eve.”

“I like the way you think.” He kissed her. “We’ll go to the
tree farm next week and tag the biggest one they have.”

“I haven’t looked forward to the holidays like this since high
school. With you everything is perfect. This will be the best Christmas ever. ”

“Elyse.” He tilted her chin up. “I’ve gotten more done to
this place in the two months you’ve been here than I had the whole time since I
inherited it.”

“It looks wonderful. This place is going to be a great
success. I’m so happy for you.”

“None of this would be happening without you.” He brushed
his lips against hers. “I just want to say thank you for making me see what my
purpose is.”

“I’m glad I could help.” She pushed him onto his back and
straddled him.

“What are you doing?”

“I think my purpose right now is to ride you.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, woman. Lord knows I have a shitload to
be thankful for this year.”

She tossed her hair behind her shoulder and laughed before
sliding onto his cock.

***

Logan turned off the water, stepped out and toweled off.
Elyse had changed his whole world and tonight he wanted to tell her how much he
needed her. He’d gone over the papers with his attorney. Everything was in
order for reopening of the inn. He’d begun putting advertising into place. By
spring, Pleasure Inn would be a go, but the only way he saw his venture
succeeding was with Elyse by his side. He wanted to make her a full partner in
every sense of the word. Both in his business and in his personal life.

He had the perfect bottle of champagne to celebrate with. As
soon as he ordered dinner, he’d head down to the wine cellar to retrieve it.
Elyse was right. This would be the best Christmas ever. He wrapped a towel
around his waist and stepped out into the bedroom. Tonight they would start off
the holiday season.

“I love the progress you’ve made in here,” a soft voice said
from a chair in the corner of the room. “I’ve missed that big bed.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Cora?”

“I miss you.”

“How did you get in?”

“You left the back door unlocked.”

“You just walked in?” He’d have to do a better job of
securing the place – especially when he opened the hotel to guests.

“I knocked, but you didn’t answer, so I went around back and
tried the door.”

“You have to leave.”

“I just want to talk,” she said, as she got up and walked
toward him. She wore a tight chocolate brown dress that zipped up the front and
matching knee high boots. She wasn’t unattractive and if she’d put half the
energy into finding another man as she did focusing on him, maybe she wouldn’t
be alone.

“Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you downstairs.” He didn’t
want to engage her in a conversation, but he did want her out of his room. The
room he now shared with Elyse. It didn’t feel right to have another woman in
here with him. If agreeing to talk to her was the only way to get her out, he’d
do it.

“We can talk here.”

“I’d rather go to my study.”

She pouted as she reached out and ran her fingers down his
chest.

He grabbed her hand and pushed her away. “What do you want?”

“To talk,” she said. “And then I’ll go.”

“Make it fast.” He wanted to get this over with as soon as
possible.

“She’s on her way home, isn’t she?” She laughed. “Oh Logan,
what has she done to you?”

“You have two minutes to tell me what you came to say.”

 “You were a strong-willed man before her,” she said. “You
took what you wanted, who you wanted, and you made no apologies. You were
having fun and she ruined it all for you. She’s castrated you.”

“She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“I see it, I see the way you fall all over her and do
whatever she says. It’s sickening. Aren’t you supposed to be the Dominant one?”

“It’s called being in a relationship and doing for each
other. She’s everything to me.”

She laughed.

“You need to move on. You and I were over before I even met
Elyse.”

“I gave you your space. I thought if you had time to think
about us and be alone you’d see how right we are for one another. You weren’t
supposed to fall for the first slut who knocked on your door.”

“I’ve told you before and I’ll say it again, I’m not
interested in you.”

“That’s not true. I know you remember all the things we
did.” She glanced at the bed. “Just give me a chance to show you I can be
everything you need. I’ll be submissive for you.”

“That’s not what I want anymore.”

“It’s who you are, Logan. It’s who you’ll always be.” She
unzipped her dress and stepped out of it. She stood before him in nothing but
her panties and those boots. A few months ago the sight of her would have been
all he needed. But things had changed and there would only ever be one woman
now.

“Stop this,” he said. “You’re embarrassing yourself.” He
wasn’t in the mood for her games.

He bent down to pick up her dress, but when he tried to hand
it to her, she caught him off balance and pushed him onto the bed, quickly
hopping on top of him and straddling him. It all happened so fast. He gripped
her forearms, and just as he was about to push her off, the bedroom door
opened.

His head snapped in the direction of the door, but he
already knew who it would be. He also knew what the scene in front of her
looked like.

“Logan?”

He sat up and pushed Cora aside, shoving her dress against
her chest.

“Elyse.” He got up and headed toward her. She looked over
his shoulder and stared Cora down.

“Cora, get out of here!” he screamed, causing Elyse to jump
back.

“You promised,” Elyse said, but wouldn’t look at Logan. “You
said you would never…”

“This isn’t what you think.” He reached for her. “I swear.”

“No!” she yelled. “Don’t touch me.”

“Cora, tell Elyse what happened.”

“Why would I believe anything she has to say?” Elyse
screamed. “You’re both disgusting.”

Cora got off the bed and slipped her dress back on. “I tried
to warn you.” She smiled. “He’s a player. He wants what he wants when he wants
it. Stop trying to figure him out.”

“She’s insane,” Logan said. “I wouldn’t touch her.”

“I can see with my own eyes. Do you think I’m stupid?” Elyse
asked.

“She showed up here uninvited. I was in the shower.” He
pleaded for her to listen. “I told her to leave.”

“Screw you both!” Elyse turned and ran down the hall.

 “You stupid bitch!” Logan said to Cora as he grabbed a
shirt from his desk chair and threw it on. When she smiled at him, his rage
increased. He rummaged through his closet for a pair of jeans.

“Let her go back to New York where she belongs.”

“Get out of my house.” He stepped toward her. “If you ever
come near me or Elyse again, I’ll make your life a living hell.”

“What could you possibly do to me?”

“I don’t want you.” He’d tried to spare her the truth
before, but now she left him no other choice. “I never wanted you.”

“That’s not true.”

“Think about it. You came to my bed after that whole scandal
with the councilman and his wife. You were a convenient way to forget what I
had done. How I had humiliated my family.”

“I was there for you.”

“You came here every night looking to get off. It was a
beneficial arrangement until you started talking about marriage and kids. There
was never a time I was sober when we fucked.”

“That’s not true.”

He saw the hurt in her eyes, but polite wasn’t going to work
anymore. Cora might very well have ruined his chance at happiness.

“I could be everything you need.”

“You can’t. Do you want to know how I know that?”

“I’m sure you’ll enlighten me.” She rolled her eyes.

“You’re not Elyse.”

“I love you.”

“Cora.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry but I’ll never
feel that way about you. I tried to make you understand. Now please, don’t make
this any harder than it has to be.”

“You love her?”

“With everything I am.”

“You’re making the wrong choice. I can make you happy. Why
can’t you let me?”

“Leave.” He pointed to the door. “Don’t come back. There’s
nothing here for you.”

“I hope you get everything you deserve.” She ran out of the
room, slamming the front door on her way to her car.

Logan pulled on his pants and hurried down the steps.
Elyse’s keys were still on the hook behind the front desk. He looked out the
window and saw her car in the driveway. She was still here.

“Elyse!” He yelled throughout the downstairs, but she didn’t
answer. “Elyse! Answer me.”

Panic ruled his every move. Even if he did find her, would
she believe him? Had her trust in him been shattered? Could he make her
understand that what she thought she saw wasn’t the truth?

He checked the kitchen, but she wasn’t there either. Where
would she go? He thought for a moment. He remembered the way her face lit up
when she wanted to have lunch out in the woods.

Is that gazebo out by the trails still there?

You remember that old thing?

It had so much character. I used to dream I’d get married
under it.

Logan pulled on his work boots at the back porch and headed
to the trails. He’d make her understand. He had no other choice.

Chapter Eleven

Elyse ran out of the house so fast she didn’t take time to
put on a jacket or grab her car keys. She regretted her haste now that a light
snow blanketed the ground. A chill ran through her body as the howling wind hit
her face. Ice cold tears slid down her cheeks.

She made her way to the old gazebo, taking refuge underneath
it. She recalled with clarity the afternoon she and Logan ate lunch there. He
hadn’t wanted her to return to New York because he said he didn’t want her to
be away from him. She believed him when he said he’d never hurt her.
How
could he have…?

She stopped and thought for a moment. When she walked in on
Logan and Cora, he wore nothing but a towel. His hair was damp and his skin
still wet from the shower.

That sneaky bitch.

Cora must have taken him by surprise. Logan knew Elyse was
on her way back to the inn. Did he really think so little of their relationship
that he’d take another woman to the bed they shared knowing she was on her way
home?