Lia Mantovani is chef/owner of the restaurant La Arietta. She isn't happy when her mother has, without her knowledge, put the chance to be served a four course dinner in an auction and Maureen Kelly had won the meal. So Lia cooks the meal and meets a couple of the seven sons of Mrs. Kelly and almost falls for THE SWEETEST SEDUCTION of her life.
Adam Kelly runs the family's real estate business and has been too busy to date, but when he comes face to face with Lia he wants to make time. His head is in the clouds so much so that he soon realizes that isn't a good thing, because he misses a couple of very important connections. He wants to not renew the contract of a restaurant that is in one of his buildings and replace it with a big name chef in hopes of bringing in more money. Now however there is one big problem? Lia's the owner of the restaurant he wants replaced.
Will it be possible to fix any misunderstandings between them? Or will he lose the only woman who makes him smile, laugh, relax and wild with need. Will Lia, who had lost everything once, be able to work through the confusion and misinformation or will she lose everything again?
THE SWEETEST SEDUCTION is a sweet, fun read with characters that are realistic and likeable. Lia and Adam are both workaholics that have to learn to make time for love and do manage to do so. The attraction is instantaneous and hot, but the little twists of misunderstandings that author Crista McHugh sneaks in, offers just the right amount of angst. The secondary characters add humor and family drama that only a bunch of brothers can manage and something I really enjoy reading. I really love Ms. McHugh's fantasy world but this is a fantastic start of a new contemporary series that I want to read more of.
Lia Mantovani has created one of the hottest restaurants on
Chicago's Magnificent Mile, but all that could disappear if
she loses her lease with Kelly Properties. Having had her
dreams ripped away from her before, she'll do everything in
her power to keep her restaurant. Her fate hangs on the
whims of the frustratingly handsome Adam Kelly.
Adam has spent years trying to convince world famous chef
Amadeus Schlittler to open a restaurant in Chicago, but he
wants the prime location held by Lia. Business has always
come first... until sparks fly when Adam meets her. When
things get hot outside the kitchen, though, they're both in
danger of getting burned.
Warning: Contains a hero who always gets what he wants; a
heroine who is just as deadly with gamberi as she is with a
baseball bat; meddlesome, match-making mothers; and a Great
Pyrenees with a penchant for sweeping the heroine off her feet.
A gust of wind whipped across the lake, tearing through the
thin fabric of her shirt and covering her skin with
gooseflesh. Lia shivered and crossed her arms over her chest.
Adam stopped the engines. "Let me get you a blanket." He
returned from the galley moment later and draped a fleece
throw around her shoulders. "I forgot how chilly the nights
can be out on the water, even though it's almost summer."
She pulled the blanket tighter around her. "Thank you."
He knelt in front of her and rubbed her arms, his motions
getting slower with each pass. He grew still and stared at
her. "You know, I still haven't gotten what I wanted tonight."
She braced herself for the grand overture that would involve
a request for sex, but instead, Adam simply leaned forward
and brushed his lips against hers in the softest of kisses.
A wave of heat rushed through her, starting at her mouth and
flowing to the tips of her fingers. She forgot about the
cold during those few seconds.
"Now I've gotten what I wanted," he said, his voice husky
with restraint.
"And is that all you wanted?" The words slipped out before
she knew what she was saying, but his kiss left her hungry
for more. She wanted his lips against hers again, his arms
around her, his body pressed against hers while he kissed
her until she grew dizzy from holding her breath.
"I didn't want to presume too much."
"I appreciate that." She threaded her fingers through his
hair and pulled him toward her until their lips met again.
This time there was nothing sweet and hesitant about the
kiss. She gladly opened her mouth to him when his tongue
swept along the seam and clung to him as he took her to that
head-spinning state she craved. The blanket slipped from her
shoulders, followed by her button-down shirt, leaving her in
the thin-strapped, cami-style tank top.
His hands chased away any of the cold that threatened her
bare skin, caressing her arms, her shoulders. His lips
followed, blazing a trail of heat along her neck and down
her chest. One of the straps fell off her shoulder, followed
by a tug along her neckline that allowed him access to her
breast. He ran his thumb across the taut peak, teasing it
for a second before taking it into his mouth.
A moan rose from her mouth as Adam alternated between using
his teeth and his tongue on the sensitive bit of flesh. She
slid out of her chair and straddled his lap, pressing her
body against his. The hard ridge of his cock through his
jeans both delighted and tormented her. She rocked against
him, encouraging him to continue.
"Oh, God, Lia." He grabbed her hips and held her still. His
lips abandoned her breast and devoured her mouth once again
until they were both left gasping for air. "You taste more
delicious than I could've imagined."
"Then don't stop," she urged before she lost her courage.
Maybe she didn't have time to date, but she wasn't going to
turn down what could possibly be the best sex in her life if
the foreplay was any indication.
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