Monday, June 3, 2013

Tuesday's Tales - That's The Spirit!


Welcome to this week's Tuesday's Tale! This week's word prompt is "train". Eric and his sweetie are back, and he's getting the two of them into even more trouble! For a change, Eric's antics are upstaged by something out of his control. What could that be? Read the story and find out!

To read the rest of the stories by some fine authors, go to the Tuesday's Tales Web Site.

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We missed the train, and Eric wanted to stay in a lovely bed and breakfast. He forgot to tell me the place was haunted.

We stood shivering at the Salem, Massachusetts outdoor train depot. The storm bore down on us, and I wasn't looking forward to it. The sky had already darkened so much it was like the middle of the night.

"We're going to get drenched." Eric whined. "Want to stay at a B&B tonight instead of going home? I don't want to wait for the next train. And I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

Eric was as impatient as a child. Why couldn't he wait?

"The next train is only a half hour away. We're under a canopy. We won't get wet." I said.

"It's already started raining, and it's supposed to turn into a thunderstorm. Look! Lightning! Did you see that?" He pointed towards Salem proper. The wind picked up, tossing my hair about my head. Warm air chilled. I saw the flash of light in the sky, and realized I didn't want to stay at the outdoor station any more than he did.

I relented, against my better judgment. We should have waited for the train. I had no idea Eric was about to get us into even more trouble!

"I know exactly where to go. Follow me. The place is only two blocks away." He raced ahead of me, trying to beat the rain. I followed as best as I could, although my feet and legs hurt trying to keep up with him. We made it through the door of a small stone inn the moment the downpour fell. The sign out front read "Cyrus Blackburn Bed And Breakfast".

I recognized it. It was recently covered on "Ghost Hunters".

"You're taking me to a haunted B&B"? I hissed, hoping the landlady who approached us didn't hear me.  "Are you out of your mind? I'm not staying here!"

"I thought you didn't believe in that sort of thing," he said.

"I don't, but that doesn't mean I won't get the willies. You saw the show. A demon lives in the basement! And a screaming woman haunts Room Two! Let's head back to the train station. We can make it in time for the next one. I want to sleep in my own, warm bed tonight."

"Oh, come on. This will be fun! We might even meet a ghost."

"No thanks."

"Too late. We won't get to the station in time for the next train, anyway. I know your little legs can't run that fast."

I smirked, resigned to my fate. "I'll get back at you for this. I'll kill you in your sleep."

He grinned, just pleased as all get-out with himself. "You won't be sorry. We'll have a blast." He turned to the landlady. "Do you have any rooms available? We're caught in the rain and want to stay here for the night. Missed our train."

"Yes, we have rooms available. King or double beds?" The landlady asked.

"King, of course. We're married. We don't live in sin." Eric winked and grinned, an infectious expression that caused the landlady to laugh. "Not that we don't want to."

I couldn't believe he said that! "Behave yourself!" I exclaimed.

"It's quite alright, Miss. How about a room on the second floor? King sized bed with a small table in a nook overlooking the garden in the rear." The landlady walked to her registration desk and pulled out a key. This was a regular brass key, not one of those key cards you see in hotels. Very old school.

I realized I was hungry and tired, and the place was lovely; cozy in that English Murder Mystery kind of way. I fully expected to drink a snifter of brandy over a body in the parlor.

"That sounds good." I said as Eric pulled out his credit card and signed the room over to us. "Are there any restaurants around here that deliver? I don't feel like walking in that deluge." The rain pounded on the house, drowning out all other sound.

"Of course," the landlady said, and she handed me several brochures. "There are Chinese, Italian, and pizza restaurants nearby that deliver. There's even an Ethiopian restaurant two blocks away."

"Chinese sounds good," I gave Eric a look that said we were eating Chinese over any objections on his part. It was the least he could do for getting us trapped in Salem overnight, even if the B&B was picture postcard pretty.

We followed the landlady to our room, and I was stunned to see it was Room Two.

Oh, no, the screaming woman! I didn't want to admit I was scared silly because I'd look foolish. Besides, nothing could possibly happen. Ghosts weren't real!

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

Despite the spooky vibe, the room was exactly how I pictured it would be - spacious and decorated in Victorian splendor with a Delft blue theme. Within an hour I enjoyed my crab Rangoon with General Tso's chicken, and Eric ate spring rolls with shrimp lo mein. After we ate, I faded fast. It was only 8 pm but it was very dark and dank outside. Once upon a midnight dreary...

"Let's test the bed," Eric said as he stripped. Within moments he stood naked before me. I sat before him, not budging. "Why aren't you taking your clothes off? We can have a little fun, you know. Hint, hint." He winked at me, clearly oblivious to my obvious distress.

"I'm not undressing. There's a ghost in this room!"

"Oh, come on. You know this place isn't really haunted. It's just what they tell tourists to sell rooms. Hauntings are all the rage these days, especially haunted inns and B&Bs. Nothing's going to happen. Besides, I'll protect you." He took me by the hands, stood me up, and lifted my t-shirt over my head. "I'll take your mind off the ghoulies and ghosties. You'll have so much fun you won't even think about them."

Within moments we were beneath those plush sheets and I was surprised to see I was feeling a bit frisky. The idea of a ghost spying on us turned me on, even if the ghost was likely to scream at us. Eric lay on top of me, one arm wrapped around me and the other between my legs, fingers thrumming my pussy. I heated up very quickly, and he was hard and ready to go. Did Eric ever rest? The man walked around with an endless hard-on, and he enjoyed tormenting me with it. Not that I didn't get off on it myself.

Soon he thrust inside me, keeping time with a clock that ticked on a fireplace mantelpiece. I closed my eyes and lost myself in his embrace. He was right - a stay at a B&B was a good idea. As he worked his magic on me, the bed rocked back and forth, creaking loudly, the brass headboard banging against the wall. I listened to sounds coming from the adjacent room - chattering, laughing, and glasses tinkling. Someone held a party next door.

"Shhh, don't rock the bed so much. Those people will hear us." I whispered.

"Let them! Maybe they'll offer us some booze."

"You're so bad. I don't want perfect strangers knowing we're getting it on. Keep it down!"

"Darlin', nothing on me is going down any time soon, except on you!" He laughed and dived between my legs, spreading my thighs apart as he buried his head in my bush. I couldn't help myself - I laughed so loudly I startled myself. Chattering in the next room momentarily ceased, and then a chorus of cheers roared. Embarrassed, I giggled into the pillow.

How were we going to face all those people at breakfast in the morning?

I enjoyed more than a few orgasms that night, in part knowing we had a captive audience next door. I knew how much Eric got off on attracting attention during his numerous trysts, so he had a blast as well. The storm roared throughout the night. Lightning flashed, illuminating the windows. Tree branches brushed against the glass as they were tossed in a torrential wind. With each flash of light shadows flickered in the corners, taking on frightening shapes that unnerved me. The crowd in the adjacent room laughed and cheered with each round of thunder. I was tempted to walk next door and ask for a night cap, but I didn't know those people, and to party crash would have been rude. A party during a thunderstorm sounded like great fun.

When I awakened the next morning to clear, sunny skies and the sound of birdsong, I felt refreshed and famished. I wondered what the landlady would serve for breakfast?

I also wondered when we'd meet the people in the room next door, and if they'd give us knowing looks at the dining room table. I blushed at the thought.

The dining room was laid out with all manner of breakfast goodies - homemade muffins, scrambled eggs, savory sausages, a big plate full of bacon, homemade hash browns, English muffins and bagels with butter and jams. Our choice of coffee or tea and orange juice or cranberry juice. My mouth watered at the sight. I was so glad Eric suggested staying here. The place was beautiful, the service delightful, the atmosphere electric, and the food looked simply scrumptious.

And no ghosts, screaming or otherwise.

We were the first to come down for breakfast. It was only 8 am, but I expected our next door neighbors to roll in any second. The landlady came out and poured our coffee for us. She said she served both coffee and tea since she had guests from around the world, and some drank tea. Americans liked their coffee.

"Have the people in Room Three come down yet? I heard them in their room last night." I said.

"There is no one in Room Three," the landlady said. "The two of you stayed here alone last night. There are no other guests in the B&B."

I sat, stunned, holding the coffee cup motionless before my face.

"But I heard a party going on it the room next to us." I said.

The landlady's eyebrows shot upward. "What time did you hear the party?"

"About ten or eleven o'clock," Eric said. "No one was here last night? Really?"

"Yes. I can explain what you heard though. It's rather exciting. Most people don't experience the Room Three haunting."

"Room Three haunting?" I dreaded her explanation.

"Back in 1912 the original owners held a party in this house, and the man who stayed in that room strangled his wife to death after having a few guests in the room for a late-night get-together that got out of hand. People who stay in the room experience nothing, but those in Rooms Two and Four sometimes hear a party going on in that room. We haven't had a Room Three experience in about ten years."

"The Room Three story wasn't covered on 'Ghost Hunters'," Eric said.

"We didn't tell the team the story of our B&B. They picked up on a few things, but they got no vibes from Room Three. I wasn't surprised. As I said, it's been a decade since anything happened in there." She smiled. "I hope your stay wasn't unpleasant. Despite the hauntings, our guests have always enjoyed their time here."

"I had a wonderful time!" Eric said as he sprinkled pepper on his eggs. "We had an audience last night. That was thrilling."

Not wanting Eric to explain why we had an audience, I spoke quickly so he couldn't continue. "We did hear a party, and the guests sort of responded to us. It's creepy, I must admit. Wow, my first ghostly experience. I'll have to tell our friends about this."

"I hope you come back someday, and that you weren't freaked out too much," the landlady said.

I must admit I did enjoy our stay, and for once Eric's sexual peccadillos weren't the highlight of the evening. We booked the same room for our wedding anniversary, which was a few weeks away on the first day of summer. I looked forward to doing a little ghost hunting in the dead of night myself!






Guest Blogger - Adriana Kraft


Thanks so much for having me today, Elizabeth! Hubs and I are so excited about The Best Man, which has already been given a five star review. This is the first release for the new indie imprint my husband and I are launching, B&B Publishing.


Bad boy meets bad girl. Is there anything more?

THE BEST MAN
B&B Publishing, June, 2013: e-book
ISBN 978-0-9894693-0-2,  ASIN B00D2YEZXE
Erotic Romance Novel, 56,000 words
Cover by Dawné Dominique
Heat Rating Four Flames: Explicit sex: M/F; ménage: M/F/M; multiple partners; sex toys; anal sex; light bondage.


REVIEW:
Five Stars: I loved Kitty and Jared.  Both are strong willed characters who will not run from their attraction. Both expect a short but passionate affair, but their plans are upset when their emotions become involved.  Watching them both fight their feelings made their capitulation so much sweeter.… THE BEST MAN is excellent. Sheila, Shelfari and Amazon

BLURB
Passionate, hard working and every inch a business woman, Chicago realtor Kitty Paige likes her sex raw and edgy, and sees no reason to limit herself to just one man. Never married and not quite forty, the striking blonde has successfully raised her daughter, Susan, and is already pushing her new-found freedom to the limits.

Wealthy commodities middle-man and race horse owner Jared Jacobs is father of the best man at Susan’s wedding. He is smitten by the vision in yellow who exudes sex as she escorts her daughter down the aisle. Also single, the handsome mustached California ranch owner with mischievous eyes views his sex life as a series of splendid love affairs, and sets out to make Kitty next on the list.

Together and apart, their chemistry is explosive, and their sparkling repartee and steamy sex catch both partners by surprise. Jared is first to recognize he’s fallen in love. When Kitty panics, can Jared finesse his every move and reel her in?

DO READERS LIKE A BAD GIRL HEROINE?

That question has niggled at us ever since we met Kitty Paige, heroine of our just-released erotic romance novel, The Best Man. Naturally as authors, hubs and I like to think we have some measure of control over who our characters are and what they do, but Kitty stormed into our lives, full steam ahead, and insisted that we just deal with her. She opens the novel in the middle of one of her “baddest” moments – prone on her back in a hotel suite with a seriously inappropriate partner, the night before her daughter’s wedding. What can we say!
She made us nervous, but we decided to be as bold as she is and just let her have her way with us :). We wondered how readers would react – whether they could identify with her and maybe tolerate her badness enough to want to know the rest of her story, or whether they’d get too turned off by her outrageous behavior.
So last week we posed the question to our readers: do you like a bad girl heroine? We got some great responses! For example, from Cassie: I love a bad girl and ones who are totally bitches, lol. Kitty would love this comment – she’s cultivated her bitchy side and carefully groomed it, both for business and for pleasure. She’d be first to claim the label, when it suits her. From Renee: I love the bad girl heroines because they can kick some major butt, but still be vulnerable to their special lover, whoever that may be. It’s no surprise that’s exactly what Kitty struggles with – she’s afraid to be vulnerable, always trying to keep the upper hand. From Jeannie: I love them… Just like Bad boy heroes, they are strong, independent and it takes a strong partner to settle them and show them what love is. Agreed, totally – that comment sent hubs and me into a discussion about who is stronger, Kitty or Jared. Turns out it’s Jared, hands down – strong enough to be vulnerable first, and then to hang in there when Kitty freaks.
So we’re hoping you and all our readers will love Kitty as much as we do. We think, when all is said and done, she earns her happy ending!

EXCERPT

Frowning at the unfamiliar number on her caller I.D., Kitty nodded at the contractor she’d hired to do the rehab on a nineteen-twenties four-square she planned on reselling within the next six months. She’d been making the rounds of the four construction projects she had underway. It was her experience that if she didn’t keep routine tabs on them, the projects slowed. Contractors often responded to the squeaky wheel.

She smiled as she carefully made her way across the sub-flooring, making sure her high heels resonated through the empty house. She knew that sound translated into power with most construction workers. As usual, she’d chosen her wardrobe with her day in mind. This was not a day for refined, potentially high-paying buyers. This was a day for making sure the men she hired didn’t forget they were working for her. In addition to her blue high heels, she’d chosen a beaded pair of blue denim hip huggers and a simple canary yellow cardigan that failed to reach her jeans.

She avoided eye contact with the workers as she made her way to her car. She saw no need to embarrass them as they fantasized about her ass. One of her goals was to be the squeakiest wheel contractors ever heard. So far, she seemed to be meeting her goal.

She chuckled, leaned up against the car and glanced back toward the four-square. Men working on its siding quickly found something to do. Damn, she loved being a woman.

She punched a button on her cell, retrieving and returning the most recent call. Brushing her hair aside, Kitty brought the phone to her ear.

She startled when she heard the deep drawl.


The Silk Scarf Contest

We don't want to give away any secrets, but the yellow scarf that's just dropped to the floor between Jared and Kitty on their cover has some very special scenes of its own in the book - and you have a chance to win it (U.S. delivery only) ! One lucky reader will win a hand-finished yellow scarf made of genuine Thai Dupioni silk, just like Kitty's! All you have to do is leave us a comment about The Best Man any time all month, on our blog or on our blog tour! Please leave your name like this: YOUR NAME @ blahdeblah DOT whatever. (example: elizabethablack AT comcast DOT net).

Here are the first tour stops:

Friday, May 31: 
Destiny Blaine 

Saturday, June 1:
 Ella Jade 

Monday, June 3: 
Elizabeth Black

Wednesday, June 5    
Night Owl Reviews

Check our blog or be sure to follow me on my FaceBook Page , Twitter, or Google+ to be notified of the rest of the June tour stops. The more you comment, the more chances to win!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adriana Kraft is the pen name for a husband/wife team writing Erotic Romance for Two, Three or More. The award-winning pair has published over thirty erotic romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. Long and Short Reviews: “scorching hot…refreshing...something to read when you want straight up hotness.” Romance Junkies: “filled with warmth, blazing hot sex, well-developed characters…not for the faint of heart.”  Romantic pairings include straight m/f, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, in both contemporary and paranormal settings.

Find Adriana on the web:
Adriana’s Author Pages: