When an experienced Dom loses his drive, can an old flame reignite his fire?
When Jason Hudson and Heather Staunton first met, they were young and sure they were wrong for each other. As a result, they spent a summer admiring each other from a safe distance.
Twenty years later, Heather is coming out of mourning, having lost her husband and Dom eighteen months earlier. Jason, now the owner of an exclusive sex resort on the west coast of Ireland, is struggling with the loss of his desire to dominate.
Jason’s resort is about to celebrate its first anniversary and party planner Heather has been hired to create the perfect celebration. Their reunion comes as a big surprise to both of them and is the start of an unexpected sequence of events.
Old and familiar attractions battle with new and conflicting emotions as Jason and Heather work together to organize the ultimate BDSM event.
Overcoming the issues between them isn’t the only obstacle Jason and Heather face. In the background lurks a threat both to Heather’s independence and Jason’s livelihood.
General Release Date: 20th March 2015
There it was, her opportunity to kick-start her life again. And, as restarts went, it made quite an impression. The hotel or club—she wasn’t quite sure how to label the building—looked rather grand at the end of the long drive. The Atlantic Ocean, throwing up a spray in the distance, only enhanced the picture. Even on this bright summer’s day she could see small rainbows in the watery mist the waves were producing. It would be easy to confuse this place with any of the up-market tourist traps the west coast of Ireland was peppered with. This could be any other posh resort catering to Americans trying to find their roots and golfers looking for an opportunity to try the links courses littered along the coastline. The heavy gate blocking the entrance told a different story. She knew too much about this place, its purpose and what happened behind those gates to confuse it for anything except what it was, a dream from the past and—if everything went according to plan—the start of the rest of her life.
She’d been looking at the building, the grounds, the gate and the little buzzer on the intercom box for a few minutes. If anybody on the inside happened to be keeping an eye on the entrance through those security cameras, they would have decided she was either scared or crazy by now—and they’d be right. She was apprehensive. Her hands were clasped together, her fingers worrying her wedding ring. After eighteen months of virtually living like a hermit, coming here felt like diving in headfirst. Still, if she’d had any doubts about leaving Dublin, that surprise visitor two weeks ago and his shocking proposal had taken care of those.
The bastard. She refused to even think his name. It still bothered her he’d had the nerve to show up at her door like that. Where would he have gotten the idea she’d be open to his suggestions? It had been clear that he’d expected her to embrace his offer—or should she call it an order—with open arms. His delusions of grandeur must have gotten the better of him, or he’d confused her with someone she clearly wasn’t. She didn’t get it. Even before her self-inflicted confinement, she’d made a point of staying away from him. Why would he think she’d changed her mind about him just because she was on her own? She didn’t know but lingering on that memory right now didn’t serve any purpose. She didn’t want him in her thoughts, especially not now. It would only make her more nervous than she already was.
She’d thought this place would be the perfect setting for her return to the BDSM world she’d been ignoring for well over a year. Now that the moment was close, now that she had to take this last step out of her confinement, the first step into her future, she couldn’t help second-guessing herself. Was she really ready to move forward? Could she do it on her own? She’d never been a part of this lifestyle without her husband and his loving support.
With a sigh she lifted her hand and pressed the little button. She’d come this far. She hadn’t driven the five hours from Dublin only to turn away at the last hurdle. If she gave up now, it would be the end of the business they’d built together. If she chickened out of this, there would be no way of ever going back on her own terms. Going forward scared the shit out of her but going back frightened her even more. She could do this. She’d promised she would take this step. Breaking her word was not an option, no matter how scared she was.
“Can I help you?”
The voice from the intercom brought her out of her reverie. “Hi, I’m Heather Staunton, I…”
“Mrs. Staunton, welcome to The Blowhole. You’re expected. Please drive up to the parking area and make your way to reception in the lobby.”
The voice disappeared at the same moment the black steel gates started to noiselessly open. Heather put her bright yellow Beetle into first gear and with a deep sigh, started the too short drive up to the parking area. She wondered about the name as she drove. The Blowhole. It could be a reference to everything going on behind the resort’s walls. Or, maybe the owner enjoyed provoking and shocking people. Anyone unaware of the true nature of this place would probably assume a connection to the numerous chimneys on the roof. Knowing all too well what awaited her once she stepped out of her car, she doubted chimneys had anything to do with the choice.
Heather’s curiosity about the name receded as she parked her car and stared at the imposing building in front of her. It was magnificent. Built in gray stone, the resort had the higgledy-piggledy appearance of a manor built over the centuries, with bits added on as circumstances required. Of course she knew this wasn’t an old building—she’d done her research—but she liked that it had been erected with materials and in a style that made it appear old and worn. High and low rooflines alternating in an apparently random fashion gave the manor an uneven and fascinating exterior, to which the protruding and receding sections only added. It made her curious about the interior and excited about exploring all its nooks and crannies. She wouldn’t be surprised to find secret passageways, dark cellars, roaring fires—although it wasn’t quite the season or the weather for those right now—and adventure.
She got a glimpse of the grounds behind the manor and studied the extended garden with at least one other building. Off in the distance, she could still see the Atlantic Ocean. She took another moment to delight in the tiny rainbows in the sky above the sea. The sight took her breath away and made her feel better about the whole enterprise. She decided to take it as an encouraging sign. She chose to believe that Mother Nature herself had put her stamp of approval on Heather’s decision to come here.
She wished she could stay out here and enjoy nature’s beauty, but, she wasn’t here for the view, breathtaking as it might be. She’d come here to do a job, as well as to restart her life. Daydreaming about little rainbows wouldn’t achieve either. Heather’s worries resurfaced as soon she thought about the days ahead of her. In a few minutes she would come face to face with a man she knew little to nothing about in order to help him organize the BDSM party of the decade. Someone who called himself Master Jay and had been conspicuous in his absence from the negotiations so far. She’d only dealt with his manager, Karl Mulready. A few minutes from now that would change. Heather and the elusive Master were about to meet.
Almost reluctantly, Heather made her way to the entrance. Close up, the hotel resembled a jigsaw with all its corners, the various doors and height differences. The doors of the one-story extension in front of her were wide open, inviting her to enter.
Once again she questioned her sanity. She’d kept herself away from anything and everyone connected to the kinkier side of Ireland for almost two years. Why did she think she still knew everything and everybody in that world well enough to offer any real assistance? It had been two years since she’d last planned a BDSM party, so why did this Jay—she couldn’t refer to a man she’d never met as Master—think she’d still be able to do the job?
For a moment she closed her eyes. Unless she kept on moving forwards, she would never answer those questions.
Heaven or hell? Heather had no idea what she would find on the other side of the threshold. Her fear took her by surprise. She’d known starting again would be daunting but hadn’t expected to be this scared.
Another big sigh took her up the few steps, through the doors and into a wide and spacious reception area. The high ceilings and the sun streaming through the open doors and various windows made the lobby bright and welcoming. Through a long hallway she saw a glass wall. For a moment she stopped and stared at the view of the Atlantic those windows provided. There was only one word for what she saw, stunning. Even on a quiet day like today, the ocean looked wild and dangerous. She had no doubt the view would be even more spectacular in bad weather.
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
The deep voice brought Heather back to earth with a shock. Turning toward the sound, she had to tilt her head back to look into the face of the giant who’d addressed her. Well over six feet tall, he was built like a house. With his relaxed facial expression, his short blond hair and friendly eyes, he reminded her of Sting—be it a much larger version—an artist she’d been attracted to for as long as she could remember.
“It’s fabulous.” She knew the smile on her face didn’t begin to reach her eyes, but since she’d never felt less sure of herself in her life, there wasn’t much she could do about it.
“You’re Jay?”
The giant smiled and his features transformed from rather stern into warm and welcoming. “No, I’m Karl Mulready. The Master is in his office.” The smile faded from his face again to be replaced by something she couldn’t name. “I’ll take you to him in a minute.”
“That would be great, thank you. I left my car in front of the building, I hope that’s okay?”
Heather wanted to kick herself. She shouldn’t be feeling and sounding this insecure. She was supposed to be an experienced party-organizer. Even if it had been some time since she last planned an event, she shouldn’t be feeling as if this was her first ever project. When a little voice in the back of her head tried to suggest party planning wasn’t the only thing she’d ignored for almost two years, she slammed a mental door in its face.
Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.
The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.
Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.
Helena Stone can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest, and you can also take a look at her website.
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