Saturday, July 6, 2013

EXCERPT of TASTE THE HEAT by Rachel Harris.

Been under a rock? Haven't heard about Rachel Harris's upcoming release on July 8th of TASTE THE HEAT? I'm not gonna lie, I'm one of her lucky CP's who gets to read her amazing stuff first. But now Colby and Jason get to finally meet the world. And you guys are gonna fall in love with them just as much as I did. Trust me. Check out the excerpt below for a steamy taste if you don't believe me, then hop over to Goodreads to add it to your list. Then tomorrow you can snap that puppy up.

Check out the cover. Sexy, right? You better bring lots of snackage when you read this one. And if you're anything like me, you'll want to head on over to Nawlins and check out the food for real when you get to the end...
(and where is a sexy fire captain like Jason when you need one, huh)?


Goodreads Blurb

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?




And now for the steamy EXCERPT!

Colby inhaled deeply, trying to get a hint of what Jason cooked. Not picking anything up, she asked, “What’s for dinner?”

A muscle clenching and unclenching in his jaw was her only clue—and not much of one—before he said, “That’s a surprise.”

Curious, she let him pull her farther inside. But instead of heading toward the dining room as she’d expected, or even toward the more intimate kitchen table, he led her into the living room. He gently backed her against the leather sofa. “Take a seat.”

Okay. No need for concern here, she told herself, sinking into the soft cushions. Just because she absolutely hated surprises, didn’t trust them, and hadn’t had a good one since her life fell apart twelve years ago, she didn’t need to go mental. This was a date, and dates were supposed to be fun. Spontaneous. She could go with the flow.

Besides, it was possible he wanted to talk before they ate. Or watch a movie, breaking out the TV trays like they did when they were kids. She could handle that. It wasn’t romantic, but she didn’t need romance. She and Jason were just two old friends hanging out, throwing in some much needed benefits, and getting their freak on.

Do people still even say that?

Colby shook her head, her inner-monologue only confirming how long it had been for her. And how badly she needed this. She put on her sexiest smile and glanced up at him, feeling it freeze on her face when she glimpsed the object in his hands.

A black silk blindfold.

Now that was the type of surprise she could get behind.

“And the night takes a turn for the intriguing.” She bit her lower lip as Jason started rubbing the soft material between his long, work-roughened fingers. She cleared her throat and asked, “But shouldn’t we eat first? You know, shore up our strength?”

Jason chuckled. “This is for eating.” At her nose crinkle of confusion, he sank to his knees in front of her. “I’m going to feed you blindfolded.”

Oh my.

She didn’t know what she had expected from tonight, but this certainly wasn’t it. Not that she was complaining. She knew very well how sensual food could be. And how turning off one sense heightened all the others. Colby swallowed hard as Jason leaned forward, gently stretching the elastic band of the blindfold.

“Do you mind?” His voice was a husky whisper at her ear. All she could manage was a small shake of her head. Already her pulse was taking flight and heat was pooling in her belly.

What will it be like later? Was it possible to self-combust from anticipation alone?

He chuckled lightly under his breath, most likely hearing the pant of her breath. She’d be embarrassed if she weren’t so damn excited. As he secured the band around her head, the spicy scent of his aftershave flooded her senses, making everything electric. Goose bumps skittered down her spine as his palm smoothed the back of her hair. Just before tugging the silky material over her eyes, Jason looked into them and said, “Bon appétit, Chef.”

A pop of a joint and the rustle of fabric told Colby that he was moving. The pad of his footsteps on the carpet grew faint, letting her know he was walking away, probably into the kitchen to get their dinner. She still couldn’t pick up any scents, but then, the thrum of expectation coursing through her body made it hard to concentrate. Soon those same soft footsteps returned, growing louder as Jason neared. “I hope you don’t mind, but I outsourced dinner. This is a three-course tasting.”

She stopped herself from saying that all she wanted to taste at that moment was him. The admission seemed a bit over the top—even if it was the truth. Instead, she said, “Can’t wait to see what you brought me.”

The sounds of preparations stilled and then the warmth of Jason’s hands pressed on her thighs. “Colby, before we start, I just want you to know that I care about you. And all I ask is that you trust me.”

 “I do trust you.” Right now, in this moment, she couldn’t think of anyone she trusted more.

He squeezed the sides of her legs and moved away, taking the heat of his skin along with him. A clink of glass meeting glass then, “Open your mouth and suck.”

Colby barked a laugh. The teasing tone of his voice told her he knew exactly how that had sounded. “So that’s how you’re gonna play it, huh?”

His seductive whisper came at her ear. “Gotta keep you on your toes.”
Phew. *Fans self.* Hot, right?
About the Author:
I grew up in New Orleans, where I watched soap operas with my grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading my mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, I still stay up way too late reading my favorite romances, only now, I can do so openly. I firmly believe life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, I homeschool my two beautiful girls and watch reality television with my amazing husband.

I write YA, NA, and Adult Fun & Flirty Escapes. Taste The Heat is my adult romance debut, and I'm also the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, as well as a ton of other books to come. I love hearing from readers and dishing books!
Add it to Goodreads then swing over and get your awesome copy. Here are the links:
Goodreads
Barnes&Noble
Amazon
And check out the blog tour schedule for you to follow along with all the fun!
July 7th
July 8th
RELEASE LAUNCH DAY (See below for more information)

July 9th
July 10th
July 11th
July 12th
July 13th  
July 14th
July 15th
July 16th
July 17th
July 18th
July 19th
July 20th





1 comment:

  1. One of my favorite snippets ;) Thanks SO much for, well, being you! You are made of all things awesome and I'm blessed to have you as a CP!

    xoxoxo
    Rachel

    ReplyDelete