Book Title: The Tea House
Author: Amanda Meuwissen
Publisher: Amanda Meuwissen Books
Cover Artist: Amanda Meuwissen
Release Date: October 1, 2021
Genre: Horror Paranormal M/M Romance
Tropes: Secret identity, secret powers, first love
Themes: Starting over
***Note that this contains graphic blood and violence. Dubious consent could also be called out, since one of them is a monster in disguise, but the couple does end things on a HFN, even really a HEA.
Length: 18 112 words
It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Every rose has its thorns.
Blurb
Jaime is looking for sanctuary and a new start after escaping his stepfather. With little money to his name, he doubts he can afford the gorgeous bed and breakfast he stumbles upon, surrounded by tea roses inside and out. Then Logan, the handsome young concierge, surprises Jaime with a ‘pay what you can’ policy, and Jaime is instantly smitten.
Little does Jaime know the Tea House is plagued by rumors of monsters and disappearances and is known by another name.
Hollow House.
This place was like a dream. Maybe something in Jaime’s life was finally going right.
He didn’t know what he’d expected of this bell to summon Logan—maybe a pull-string on the wall—but it turned out to be a tiny silver dinner bell on his nightstand.
Without thinking, Jaime dropped his duffle, picked up the bell, and gave it a shake.
An immediate knock on his door made Jaime jump and spin around. He sucked in a breath, unable to move until a second knock sounded. He crossed to answer, completely stunned to find Logan standing on the other side.
“How did you—”
“I forgot to give you your daily rose!” Logan cried, thrusting out an even smaller vase than the one at the front desk, with a single Osiria rose blooming beautifully within. “It’s tradition. Everyone gets the daily rose, even if it’s almost dinnertime.”
Jaime gestured for Logan to come inside, since he seemed to want that more than he was handing the vase over. Given permission, Logan moved swiftly for the nightstand and placed the vase in the very center, before pointing down at the bell.
“Was there something else? I heard a jingle.”
“Just testing it out,” Jaime dismissed.
“Well, I meant it. Anything you need, just give it a ring. Dinner is at six,” he said as he moved back for the door. “I ask that you be punctual, as we only make enough food for registered guests, and people tend to go back for seconds if others don’t show. I wouldn’t want you to miss out! Chicken, beef, or fish?” he asked with a whirl on his heels once he was out the door. “I’m afraid we don’t offer vegetarian or vegan options, but we can leave the protein off if necessary.”
“Um… beef sounds good. It’s not extra for meals?”
“Oh no! Feeding the guests is something else the benefactor takes pride in. Breakfast is at seven, lunch at noon, and snacks upon request,” Logan said with practiced ease. “See you at dinner.” He offered that same small bow of his head, and Jaime had about two seconds to really look at him—the rest of him that had been hidden behind the desk before.
He was trim and tall and sort of ridiculously perfect, even if his outfit was more Mr. Rogers than recent college graduate. Tailored black slacks and gray loafers looked nice on him though. Jaime could have sworn, before Logan spun about again, that he took a strong sniff of the air, as if smelling Jaime rather than the roses and enjoying whatever he found.
Then he was leaving.
“Um!” Jaime called before he knew what he was going to say. He wasn’t always good with people. He’d never had boyfriends or girlfriends, or really friends, just make-out buddies, and a few messy sexual encounters always carefully not at his house. Chuck would have teased him for having a girl over and outright struck him if he’d dared bring home a boy.
Logan turning around with the usual bright smile somehow eased the tongue-tied failure Jaime could be when he had something important to say.
“Thank you. Again. You, the benefactor, just… all of it. I really needed this.”
“Oh?” Logan’s blond brows knitted together, and he stepped back toward Jaime with obvious concern. “Is everything all right?”
Jaime floundered for how to respond.
“I’m sorry! How invasive of me. You don’t have to answer that.”
“No, it’s okay. Let’s say… everything is much better now that I’m here.”
Logan’s responding smile was so incredibly radiant, Jaime’s knees felt weak. “Wonderful. I’ll see you at dinner, Jaime.”
This time, when Logan turned to leave, Jaime let him go. He closed his door with a look around the room, basking in just how lucky he was to have found this place.
Amanda Meuwissen is a bisexual author, with a primary focus on M/M romance. As author of the paranormal romance trilogy The Incubus Saga and several other titles with various publishers, Amanda regularly attends local comic conventions for fun and to meet with fans, where she will often be seen in costume as one of her favorite fictional characters. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, John, and their cat, Helga.
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