“Teach me to be sexy...”
Phoebe Mars can’t believe her chef boyfriend has unceremoniously dumped her. She’s beautiful, successful, one of the city’s hottest pastry chefs...and determined to show her ex she’s worth fighting for. Notorious player Heath Jensen is just the tall stud of sexy hotness to help her win back her man!
Of course, there are a few teeny complications. For one, he’s Phoebe’s friend. For another, he’s her ex’s business partner. And when Heath volunteers to help her discover her wild side, Phoebe knows she doesn’t want her ex back. She falls for Heath’s charms, but outside the bedroom, he seems happy to just stay friends. Can Phoebe go back...especially when her heart is on the line?
“What do you see in the mirror, Phoebe?”
Phoebe saw an incredibly hot man more than capable of giving her a sexual adventure.
That’s probably not what Heath means.
With their bodies so close, could he feel the quiver that went through her? She was turned on, and the longer they stood together, the more the ache of arousal intensified.
“You have great hair and a great neck, too.” Heath trailed his knuckles across the curve of her neck. “Gives a man ideas. About doing this.”
Transfixed, she watched him lower his dark head toward her, anticipation coiling tighter until his teeth grazed an excruciatingly sensitive spot behind her jaw. The woman in the mirror was flushed, her lips parted, her hardened nipples visible through the silk of the tank top.
Her total focus was on the dual sensations of his mouth hot on her skin and the rock-hard erection pressed against her.
Phoebe might not be an experienced seductress or the type of woman who had leather in her lingerie drawer, but she’d sure as hell aroused Heath...
I live in the South, where the summers are incredibly steamy. Just when you think it can’t get any hotter, the temperature rises a little more...which I used as my inspiration for the relationship between pastry chef Phoebe Mars and sexy restaurant owner Heath Jensen.
Recently jilted by a critically acclaimed chef, Phoebe dreads running into him at a party. When Heath Jensen kisses her to help make her ex jealous, she’s stunned—especially by how hot the kiss is. Knowing that she’s playing with fire but unable to resist, she agrees with Heath’s suggestion that they pretend to be dating. Not only will it help salvage her pride and show her ex what he’s missing, she’s learning a lot about the art of seduction from Heath.
But when the three of them end up in Miami to scout a new restaurant location, Phoebe and Heath’s pretend affair becomes very real...and very hot.
Friends-to-lovers books are among my favorite to write (probably because I married my best friend!) and I’d love to hear what you think of Phoebe and Heath’s story. Drop me an email at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter (@tanyamichaels) to chat about books, TV and my dog’s ongoing plot to murder me by tripping me on the staircase.
Happy reading!
Tanya
Turning Up the Heat
Tanya Michaels
TANYA MICHAELS, a New York Times bestselling author and five-time RITA® Award nominee, has been writing love stories since middle-school algebra class (which probably explains her math grades). Her books, praised for their poignancy and humor, have received awards from readers and reviewers alike. Tanya is an active member of Romance Writers of America and a frequent public speaker. She lives outside Atlanta with her very supportive husband, two highly imaginative kids and a bichon frise who thinks she’s the center of the universe.
Thank you to Trish Milburn, who has been there for me in countless ways—including brainstorming naughty books over the phone at one in the morning.
Contents
Dear Reader
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“I DON’T KNOW which is the bigger betrayal—that you called my boss behind my back, or that you did it first thing in the morning.” Phoebe Mars shoved her hair out of her face to make sure her roommate got the full effect of her glare.
Completely unapologetic, Gwen sat on the edge of the queen bed and handed her the cordless phone. “I’m allowed to call him. I knew him first, remember?”
True. After Gwen had introduced her to James Falk last year, he’d joked for months about stealing Phoebe away from her pastry-chef job to design signature desserts for All the Right Notes, a tapas bar that featured live music and wine tastings. He’d been stunned when she’d actually taken him up on it three weeks ago—although, not as stunned as she’d been by what had happened after she’d changed jobs.
She cleared her throat, trying to sound awake and articulate. “Hello?”
An exuberant person, James didn’t waste time on small talk. “Why didn’t you tell me it was one of your closest friend’s birthdays?” he demanded. “I insist you take the night off and go to the party!”
Gwendolyn Yeager, you are a dead woman. Gwen knew perfectly well why Phoebe didn’t want to attend that party. “But Saturday night is our busiest,” she protested, “and—”
“Honey, I adore you—almost as much as the customers adore your desserts—but we survived for months without you. We’ll survive this one night. After what you’ve been through, you deserve some fun.”
He meant her broken heart. Perhaps Gwen had neglected to mention that Phoebe’s ex would also be at the party. Seeing him would be the opposite of fun. It had been ten days, but the breakup still felt more like a bad dream than reality.
She wasn’t ready