His Dark Canvas
Series: A Corde Noire Novel
by Alexandrea Weis
Genre: Dark Erotica
Release Date: August 29, 2016
Hired to cook for the artist, Ren Plancharde, she struggles to keep her ability under wraps.
After accidently uncovering Ren’s underground activities, the eccentric painter offers Ella a glimpse into his world of pleasure and pain. Intrigued, he decides to make Ella a part of his sinister Corde Noire Society, but his chef isn’t quite ready to commit.
Absolute submission isn’t all Ren wants from the stubborn woman. He has big plans for her gift, too. The only question is … will Ella be willing to give in to his desires when the time comes?
The darkness within can hide a lifetime of secrets.
REVIEW
The flavors of New Orleans, the mystery of the other side the tourists never see, the mood of the city where you truly believe anything can happen and the saying "seeing is believing" is not necessarily true. All that comes alive in this story.
The books in this series are really meant to be read in order. They each are standalone stories, but there is an undercurrent of a murder that is unsolved and clues are given in each book. I love that! It keeps me looking forward to the next book, while I get to discover more about the characters and their interactions.
This installment is all about the BDSM painter Ren Plancharde and the would-be chef Ella Winston. What could be more New Orleans than art and food? Having lived there for years, I can visualize the courtyard, the driving rain stopping suddenly after refreshing the air and the cobblestones, and the aromas of Cajun food on the stove.
This is not a cookie cutter romance. Ren's job besides painting is training new submissives for his Cord Noire BDSM Club. Having met Ella briefly a couple of years before, he has continued to track her progress, or lack of, and finally has decided to hire her as his chef. If only it were that simple! He has ulterior motives that go beyond food and perhaps having her agree to be trained as a submissive. The chemistry between these two characters is electric. Their connection goes beyond the physical but rules are rules and they are never to be broken!
Mystery, suspense, passion and a feast of emotions await you! Bon appetite!
"5 paint me stars! Another great book in the series... I'm still fanning myself!" ~5 Star Review by Melissa at Alpha Book Club
"This series is outstanding!! I absolutely love this series and this book in particular." ~5 Star Review by Kathy on Goodreads
"His Dark Canvas was an EXCELLENT read! ... Full of hidden desires, food and paint! Oh and sex!" ~5 Star Review by Ashley on Goodreads
Through the haze of her apple martinis, Ella spotted someone across the wide dining room. He was different from the other patrons there to celebrate the restaurant’s two-year anniversary. With an arrogant walk, he strutted across the stone floor. Lean, muscular, and blessed with one of those bodies women would always notice, he had dark blond hair and disquieting dark green eyes. He was the kind of guy who knew he was good-looking and let everyone else know it, too. She wasn’t usually attracted to that type, but this man—his confidence intrigued her.
“You’re Ella, Ella Winston,” he said in a voice like dark chocolate fondue: deep, and wickedly sexy.
“Yeah.” She almost dropped her drink. “I’m the sous chef.”
“I know. Marcus told me.”
As his smile sank to the depths of her belly, he extended his hand, but Ella ignored it.
Don’t touch him. You know what happens when you touch them.
“So, how do you know Marcus?” Ella quickly asked, hoping to make up for her rudeness.
He laughed, looking her over. Above the din in the room, she could sense something different about his laugh. Unlike the insincere chortle of others, this man’s laugh got to her. She was having an unusual physical reaction, something that never happened to her. When most men laughed, Ella usually ran away.
“Marcus and I share the same friends.”
“What friends are those?” she asked, craving another martini.
“The wealthy kind, who like to support the arts.” He raised a green bottle of sparkling water in his hand. “I’m a painter. Marcus and I know a lot of people who like to pretend they’re patrons and keep us gainfully employed.”
“Painter?” Ella shrugged, finding it hard to believe Marcus knew any painters. “What do you paint?”
“Portraits of women. Usually with very little clothing.”
Oh yeah, I need another drink. “Is that lucrative?”
“For me it is.”
Her eyes wandered around the dining room, desperate to find a rescue. Ella needed to get away from this man before she said or did something really stupid.
“Do you like art?” he pressed.
“Some art. I think it would depend on the passion I see in a painting.”
“The passion in a painting?” That laugh again. Her toes tingled. Not good. “You sound like a painter, Ms. Winston.”
The martini glass in her hand suddenly weighed a ton. “Isn’t painting a passion for an artist, like cooking is a passion for a chef? Having a passion is a healthy thing. It reminds us that we have a soul.”
He nodded, seemingly approving of her drunken ramblings. “That’s very profound and also very true. I think you have a lot of talents yet to be discovered, Ella. May I call you Ella?”
“Ah, sure. Ella is fine.” Her mouth went dry. “What makes you think I have any talents outside of cooking?”
“I have a sense for these things.”
She tensed. Can he tell? The same thought always haunted her when she met new people. Ella fought so hard to keep her secret under control. Time to make a run for it.
“Don’t let Marcus know I have other talents. He’ll probably fire me.”
She was about to depart when he stopped her. He leaned in, and she could just make out the small cleft in his pointy chin. “I promise, if you ever need a job, I’ll hire you.”
His mouth was so close she could have kissed his perfect, thin lips. Frightened by the notion, Ella backed away. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“I hope you do, Ella.”
She should have done a million different things: asked his name, gotten his phone number, or stayed to flirt with him some more. Instead, Ella walked away. She figured it was one of those moments in life she would live to regret. Fortunately, Ella found the bar and drowned her disappointment in another apple martini.
Ella reasoned that was the way of it. You meet people and move on, and one day, if you’re lucky, you meet the interesting ones again.
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From New Orleans, Alexandrea Weis was raised in the motion picture industry and began writing stories at the age of eight. In college she studied nursing and went on to teach at a local university. After several years in the medical field, she decided to pick up the pen once again and began her first novel, To My Senses. Since that time she has published many novels. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning books, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. Her work has been critically acclaimed and has been continually growing in popularity. 
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Looks good - I am from Louisiana and there some cool secret places
ReplyDeleteLooks good - I am from Louisiana and there some cool secret places
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