Read an #Excerpt from Tempting Taste by Sara Whitney

Tempting Taste
(Tempt Me #2)
by Sara Whitney 
Kindle Edition
Published February 18th 2020 by LoveSpark Press
ASINB0811M276Z

Can a grumpy baker and a brash marketing wiz blend perfectly? Or are they a recipe for disaster?

Take one taciturn baker

After a chaotic childhood, all Erik Andersson wants is peace and stability. What a shock, then, to find himself quitting on the spot after a tornado of a woman storms his workplace and exposes the toxicity of his boss. Although Erik should be focused on locking down his next gig, he instead agrees to a wild business proposal from the beautiful chaos agent intent on upending his life.

Add one talkative redhead

Josie Ryan spent years chasing her mother's approval and now fills that void by wowing clients with her buzzy PR events. So when the brooding baker with the gorgeous cakes ends up jobless, Josie leaps at the chance to prove her worth by turning his talent into an empire--assuming she can work alongside a reserved hunk who charms her with every grumble.

Apply heat and watch them sizzle

Keep it professional. That's the first rule of a good partnership. Soon enough, though, Josie and Erik have dropped their defensive walls to explore the potential of their sweet-and-salty relationship. But as the business grows, their clashing definitions of success threaten their happy equilibrium. Can they resolve their differences to form the perfect fusion, or will the heat force one of them out of the kitchen?

AMAZON | B&N 

Excerpt:

Erik wasn’t sure who was at the wheel anymore. Certainly not his brain; that organ would tell him that securing his next job was his only priority. Not his dick either; as much trouble as that copilot had been over the years, even it would think twice about messing around with Josie Redhead, who shouted more than she whispered, wore shoes that cost more than his first car, and used fifty words when five would do.
Yet here he was, taking the stairs from the L two at a time and heading toward a bar that wasn’t actually that close to his apartment to meet an excitable, unpredictable woman who wasn’t a friend or even a hookup. He was at the precipice of fear and opportunity in his career, and he was going out of his way to intentionally hold his hand over an open flame for fun.
Nevertheless, he lengthened his stride so he’d reach the address she’d given him as quickly as possible, and before he knew it, he was pulling open the door to Jed’s Pub and stepping inside. He tugged out his earbuds and pocketed them, scanning the dim, low-ceilinged room until he spotted the woman he was there for. She was perched on a stool, her elbows resting on the bar and the tips of her toes brushing the brass railing running near the floor. She’d set her purse on the seat next to her, and the sight ignited a flicker of pleasure. When was the last time his arrival had been expected? Anticipated even? Fuck, he’d been alone in this city for too long.
He crossed the boisterous room to claim the seat next to her, and she greeted him with a smile that radiated such ferocity that he cast an assessing glance at the other patrons in the long, narrow space before claiming his seat.
“Looking for someone?” Her brow creased as she followed his gaze around the room.
He turned back to the bar and gestured to the bartender for another of whatever Josie was drinking. “Wondering who I might have to fight later. You’ve got a look in your eye.”
She threw her head back and laughed, freeing a long spiral of hair to brush against his shoulder. He itched to hold it between his thumb and forefinger to see if it was as hot to the touch as its color promised.
“I told you I’d be on my best behavior.” Her face was the picture of wide-eyed innocence, and he didn’t buy it for a second.
Forcing his tempted fingers away from the red strands, he lifted his chin toward a table in the back. “Just promise you won’t toss a chair at any of those guys.”
She turned to look at the three leather-clad, chrome-domed biker types plowing through a platter of chicken wings. One glanced up, met Erik’s eye for the briefest moment, and quickly returned his attention to the pile of meat on his plate.
Josie scoffed. “Please. You could take those guys easy.”
Her eyes cut to his chest, then to his face, then darted back down to her drink as the blood pumped harder in his veins. He was aware that his size had its own intimidation factor, and he didn’t particularly enjoy being the cause of someone else’s fear. But Josie had looked at him in appreciation rather than apprehension. In fact, if he didn’t know better, he’d think he’d just been properly ogled.
Another wave of emotion took him by surprise, this one a fair bit sharper than pleasure. For a brief, vain moment, he flexed the muscles that a lifetime of physical labor and a regular workout regimen had given him. Then self-consciousness swamped him, and he released the tension he was holding in his body. He shook his head and reached for the glass the bartender set in front of him.

Tempt Me Series

About the Author:

Sara Whitney writes sassy, sexy contemporary romance novels packed with wit, heat, and heart. A 2019 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award finalist, Sara worked as a newspaper reporter and film critic before she earned her Ph.D. and landed in academia. She’s a great baker, a so-so karaoke singer, and an expert TV opinion-haver.

Sara and her divorce-attorney husband are lifelong Midwesterners who live in a house full of books, cats, and pinball machines. And yes, she likes to think that her fictional happily-ever-afters help keep their karmic scale in balance. Keep up with Sara by subscribing to her mailing list at http://www.sarawhitney.com/subscribe