Theyâre turning up the heat!
French-trained chef Donovan Russell needs a changeâa big one. So heâs trading in his five-star Parisian kitchen for the restaurants at his grandmotherâs up-and-coming Reno casino. Donovanâs cooking techniques are flawless. It will be culinary perfection...as soon as he convinces his spirited and unconventional new pastry chef to follow his rules!
Hendrix Beausolies never follows recipes. Her desserts are a mouthwatering riot of complex flavors, each more delicious than the last. Where Donovan is all structure and precision, Hendrix cooks with instinct and experimentation. But when someone starts sabotaging their kitchens, they are forced to work together... Will they discover a shared passion for more than just food?
When she finished putting the ganache on the rolls, she popped one onto a plate and handed it to Donovan. âTry this.â
He took an experimental bite, chewed thoroughly and looked up at her. âHeavenly. You put apples in the rolls. Whatâs in the ganache? It tastes different.â
âUnsweetened apple cider,â she answered promptly. âJust a little to get the right taste.â She slid a roll onto a plate for herself and then took a bite. âItâs almost there. Maybe some candied walnut. Or...crystalized dates.â
He nodded as he took another bite. âThe adventurous eater would try the ones with dates, but the average eater isnât going to want dates on their cinnamon rolls, theyâll just want butter.â
âI agree butter is great, but people use too much of it, and it clouds the taste of their foods.â
âThatâs how people are.â
She didnât respond as she finished her roll. She licked the fork and found Donovan watching her.
âI like to eat,â she said, âand Iâm not going to apologize for it.â
âI like women who eat.â
âIn your business, you should.â She took his plate and put it in the sink, then opened the refrigerator to remove her bowl of chilled dough already formed into individual balls to start the crusts for her pies.
He reached over to touch her face. She remained still as he gently wiped a bit of ganache from the corner of her lip. Then he licked his finger. He smiled at her, and she tilted her head, walked closer to him and kissed him.
Dear Reader,
Jackie canât cook. But she can eat. Miriam sort of cooks, but really prefers restaurant dining with no dishes to clean afterward.
Regardless, food is an absolute necessity. We cannot exist without it, despite our love-hate relationship with it. Somewhere along the historical road regarding food, it has evolved into love. We gift people at various holidays and celebrations with cake, pies, donuts and other sweet concoctions to savor these important moments.
Food brings together two very different people in this story. Donovan Russell follows the rules. For him, food is about perfection. Hendrix breaks the rules. She puts together disparate flavors and makes them work. Join Hendrix and Donovan as they discover a passion for each other that is much, much better than chocolate.
Much love,
Jackie and Miriam
J.M. Jeffries
JACKIE and MIRIAM live in Southern California. When they arenât writing, Jackie is trying to take a nap and Miriam plays with her grandchildren. Jackie thought she wanted to be a lawyer until she met Miriam and decided to be a writer instead. Miriam always wanted to be a writer from her earliest childhood when she taught herself to read at age four. Both are avid readers and can usually be found with their noses in a book, or, now that itâs the twenty-first century, their eReaders. Check out their blog at jmjeffries.com.
Jackie: Thank you, Cheesecake Factory, for your Red Velvet White Chocolate cheesecake. With a little nudge, I can always get Miriam to have a planning session there.
Miriam: Thank you to Mars, Incorporated for white-chocolate M&Mâs. Jackie thinks sheâs enticing me to the Cheesecake Factory, but Iâm just happy because I donât have to clean the kitchen. Also, a huge kiss to my newest grandson, Warrick Aurelian Pace, born August 2014. Big hugs to my granddaughter, Kathryn, who provides me with unending amusement. And a fist bump to my grandson, Frederik, who thinks heâs getting too old for kisses. And to my children, you are both always in my heart.
Chapter 1
Hendrix Beausolie took a deep, calming breath. You can do this, she told herself, clutching her tote with her pastry samples inside. She heard the crackle of the newspaper ad in her pocket. She needed this job.
The Casa de Mariposa had made a startling reincarnation in the past few months and was now being touted as one of the premier hotels and casinos in Reno. The hotel had buzzed with excitement from the moment she entered the lobby.