With a View

By Alanna Coca

It's architect Ashley Meyers's job to create functional and beautiful living spaces. Her latest assignment is Mason Gregory's master bedroom. From their first meeting, Ashley knows it will be difficult to focus on Mason's bedroom without daydreaming about his bed.

Publisher’s Note:
This is a short story, just 12,000 words, which will take about 45 minutes to read in its entirety. With a View is a companion piece to Alanna Coca’s book PreView, available now. The file size may be confusing, for after With a View ends, you’ll find the first two chapters of PreView as a sample of Alanna’s full length novel featuring Ashley’s best friend Ryann.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Mountain Books
• Release date: Mar 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476307343

Alanna Coca

Always a voracious reader, Alanna began writing poetry in grade school, and short stories in high school. She started her first novel, Wyoming Solace, years ago with a legal pad and pencil, often written in the wee hours of the morning when she needed something to do to relax. Before long the story lived on her computer desktop, where it sat patiently awaiting periodic visits from the reluctant writer. After her first release, she moved to romantic suspense and contemporary romance, but keeps the cowboys close to her heart. She loves to write stories to keep a reader guessing, and surprise them in the end. Alanna continues to write love stories, because who doesn’t love a happy ending? For a spicier selection of romance novels by Alanna, see what her alter ego Olivia Brynn is up to at oliviabrynn.com

Book preview

Title Page

With a View

Copyright © 2012 by Alanna Coca

Published by Dark Mountain Books

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Cover Artist

Michael Hart

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Contents

Copyright

About this Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

An Excerpt from PreView

Other Books by Alanna Coca

About the Author

Synopsis

It’s architect Ashley Meyers’s job to create functional and beautiful living spaces. Her latest assignment is Mason Gregory’s master bedroom. From their first meeting, Ashley knows it will be difficult to focus on Mason’s bedroom without daydreaming about his bed.

Publisher’s Note

This free read is a short story, just 12,000 words, which will take about 45 minutes to read in its entirety. With a View is a companion piece to Alanna Coca’s book PreView, available now.

The file size may be confusing, for after With a View ends, you’ll find the first two chapters of PreView as a free sample of Alanna’s full length novel featuring Ashley’s best friend Ryann.

Chapter 1

A master bedroom? Ashley punched her tablet off with a little more force than was necessary. What am I, a freaking intern?

Seven architects and four contractors had left the meeting room, leaving Ashley and Ryann alone at the conference table staring at their newest assignments.

Oh come on. The client asked for you specifically, what are they supposed to do, tell them you’re too good for a master bedroom? Not every assignment can be a no-holds-barred hotel. She rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone to tap into her calendar. Enjoy the little ones. They’re like little coffee breaks. Remember how you stressed so much over the Riverside Hotel that you couldn’t even sleep at night? Do you really want to wish that on yourself again?"

Yes. I do. You know I thrive on that kind of stress. Ashley stuck out her lower lip, but the pout was lost on her best friend. Sighing, she propped her feet on an empty chair. Speaking of losing sleep, any good dreams lately?

Ryann had the gift—or curse—of prophetic dreams. Most of them were inconsequential, and often only embarrassed Ryann with her intrusion into strangers’ lives. The ones that made her friend blush were Ashley’s favorites to hear.

Ryann shrugged. Apparently somewhere in France, an apprentice chef will soon get his ass reamed for some mistake.

I love the foreign ones. You have no idea what they said, did you?

Hey, I took two years of French in high school. Ryann tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder.

So what did they say, smartass?

Ryann dropped her gaze, a sheepish grin twitching across her lips. I don’t know, they talked so fast and there were a lot of hand gestures flying around in a haze of smoke. It couldn’t have been too bad. They both went back to work.

French chefs, huh? Any cuties?

No. Ryann’s quick answer and shudder made Ashley laugh. But I’m making crepes for dinner. Want to come over?

Sounds good. Ashley gathered her things and stood. I hope you dream about a pastry chef tomorrow. I’d love a chocolate cream pie.

If I could control these things, don’t you think I’d follow a hot Hollywood star around instead of wiping French saliva off my face? Ryann tucked her phone in her suit jacket pocket and followed Ashley to the door.

Ew!

Tell me about it.

They separated to closet themselves in their respective offices. Ashley slid her tablet on her desk, threw herself into her chair, and roused her computer out of sleep mode.

Gregory Master Bedroom Renovation. Ashley huffed. She flipped through the preliminary plans. Must be some old rich guy. With a gorgeous house on Pike’s Peak. Great.

Rich guys were notoriously difficult clients.

After another sigh, she picked up her office phone and dialed Mr. Gregory.

Mason Gregory.

Okay. A not-so-old rich guy with a gorgeous house. Mr. Gregory, this is Ashley Meyers with Dooley and Simon Architecture.

Yes, Miss Meyers. Thank you for calling. I got your name from Howard Loshman with Redstone Heights. You come highly recommended.

She grinned. That’s good to know, but now I have to live up to whatever he said.

I have faith in you.

Whoa. The man’s voice, though surely not intentional, went straight to Ashley’s head. Or maybe lower than that. No messing with clients, Ash.

I appreciate that. I’m glad you chose Dooley and Simon for your remodeling project. I’d like to set up a time to meet with you to discuss your goals and to get a more detailed picture of your vision.

Wonderful. Today?

Oh, okay…today… Ashley clicked through her calendar. I’m free between two and five.

I’ll be in your office at two. I’m anxious to get started.

Sounds good. Ashley typed his name into the two o’clock slot. I’ll see you then.

Good bye, Miss Meyers.

That done, Ashley crossed the room to her drafting table to focus on other projects. After lunch she’d caught up enough to help Ryann with one of her particularly difficult designs. Her assistant knocked on the door and poked his head around the door just as Ashley tidied her

Reviews for With a View

[annierayburn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick, fun holiday read.

[carolburnside · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick, fun holiday read.