Pure Seduction Ella Frank Copyright Copyright © 2021 by Ella Frank www.ellafrank.com Edited by Arran McNicol Cover Design: By Hang Le Cover Photography by Wander Aguiar Cover Models Andrew Biernat & Michelle Hertzberg No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Contents Synopsis Dedication 1. Noah 2. Laurel 3. Noah 4. Laurel 5. Noah 6. Laurel 7. Noah 8. Laurel 9. Noah 10. Laurel 11. Laurel 12. Noah 13. Noah 14. Laurel 15. Noah 16. Laurel 17. Noah 18. Laurel 19. Laurel 20. Laurel 21. Noah 22. Laurel 23. Noah 24. Laurel 25. Noah 26. Laurel 27. Laurel 28. Laurel 29. Noah 30. Laurel 31. Noah 32. Noah 33. Laurel 34. Laurel 35. Noah 36. Noah 37. Laurel 38. Noah 39. Laurel 40. Laurel Thank You Also by Ella Frank About Ella Frank Synopsis From USA Today Bestselling Author Ella Frank comes a small town, second chance romance. Small towns are definitely not for me. Probably because I was born in one, raised in one, and eventually run out of one. The understanding was that I would one day return to Chamberlin California. After all, it is my namesake. What my father didn’t count on however, was that once he sent me away, I would never come back—at least not until he was gone. Which brings me to now, his wake, at the family winery that was supposed to be mine. It also brings me to her. The sweet girl I left behind. The girl who has since grown into the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on—Laurel Anderson. She’s looking at me as though she wishes I was the one she watched get buried this morning. But she’s out of luck. I’m alive and kicking. I’m also stuck in this town with nothing to do but wait until the will is read. Well, nothing to do but see if I can seduce the pure and passionate Laurel, and change that anger I see in her eyes to something just as fiery…desire. *** The last time I saw Noah Chamberlin, I was a doe-eyed innocent and he was the boy of my dreams. My future was all planned out down to the wedding dress, until one morning I woke up and he was gone. You’d think after all these years, I’d feel the same blind indignation and rage that has haunted me since that day. Instead, the second I set eyes on him again, I felt something altogether unwanted and unexpected—lust. If the rumors are true, he’s only going to be in Chamberlin for a few days. I can handle that, as long as he stops looking at me as though he’s thinking about the last time we were together. But when Noah’s forced to stay and run the family business, it puts us in dangerously close proximity. And in a town this small, that can only mean one thing—trouble. Dedication To the one and only Donner. This past year tested us all in many ways, but your strength, determination, and desire for a better life are only some of the reasons I have such respect for you. Thank you for your friendship, patience, and support throughout my writing career. I love your face, your crazy ass food combos, and the slew of writing ideas you throw out hoping that one day one will stick to a certain French Chateau’s wall. But for now, hopefully this will tide you over. Xx Ella 1 Noah HARRY CHAMBERLIN WAS a bastard. A cold-hearted, manipulative bastard who was still managing to run my life from six feet beneath the ground. If that seemed harsh, it was his own fault. He was a man of little kindness or compassion; my father’s relationships had usually revolved around two things, business and intimidation, and if you were one of the unlucky ones, it was a mix of the two. I, unfortunately, fell into that category. I’d even go out on a limb and say I had my very own “special” category. One that included threats and blackmail. One that had driven me from my hometown of Chamberlin, California so many years earlier, and had kept me from coming back until now—the day of his funeral. His wake, actually. I’d missed the funeral. I’d say that was an accident when my mom asked, but it had been one hundred percent intentional. The idea of standing by Harry’s grave and watching the people of this town pretend they were sad to see him go was too much for me to stomach. Especially when all I wanted to do was celebrate his passing. Because to know Harry was to hate him—that was a fact. One he’d worked really hard to cultivate. So why deny him that pleasure now? I stared through the black iron gates of the property and noted the cars filling the parking area and long drive that led up to the main building of the family business—the winery. It seemed as though everyone in town was behind those gates today, and once again I was standing outside of them. Nothing had changed, from my situation to the winery inside. The rust-colored gravel still complemented the olive trees on either side of the entryway, and the opulent fountain at the front entrance bubbled and sparkled with fresh water under the sunlight. It was beautiful. But that was the Chamberlin way. Always putting up a good facade. I drummed my fingers on the roof of my rental car and then made my way over to the gate to push it wide open. This was a bad idea for so many reasons, none of which included the sudden pain in my chest. But I’d be damned if I let Harry give me a heart attack. He’d already ruined my life once before. The last thing I’d do was give him the satisfaction of ending it too. “I hate you,” I said on the off chance that bastard was still floating around here somewhere, and then I inched the car up the drive at a snail’s pace and pulled into an empty spot. I sat there for a minute, staring at the main building of the winery, the villa. It was a Spanish-style structure with terra cotta tiles
