by Sara Whitney
“They don’t look like much now, but they’ll be beautiful again if we’re just patient,” Thea said.
“Patience.” Leigh groaned.
“I know that’s not your strong suit, baby doll,” Aiden said, swinging her into his arms. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up. We can be impatient together for dinner.”
He walked up the porch steps with their daughter clinging to his neck, and Thea followed them. “Oh dear, did you two want dinner tonight? But you had dinner last night.”
“And the night before that!” Leigh yelled as she and Aiden disappeared into the house.
“My demanding family,” she said to Blue as the dog scampered into the warmth of the house, where photos of friends and family competed with Leigh’s crayon drawings on the fridge and Peter’s housewarming plant was a flourishing green fixture on the windowsill. Thea paused on the front porch to take in the work the pair had done that afternoon. Greenery decorated the railing, and the twinkle lights around the window glowed in the encroaching dark. A huge wreath hung in the center of the hobbit door, decorated with ribbons and pine cones and a plastic unicorn that Leigh had insisted on tucking right in the middle.
Before she joined her family inside, she leaned over to run her finger over one of the spindly branches of the rosebush, bare now but waiting to burst to life again in the spring. “Thanks for making my house so beautiful, Dad,” she whispered.
The door creaked open, and she dashed away a tear as Aiden stepped into the wedge of yellow light from the hallway.
“Are you with us?” He held out his hand, and she reached out and took it.
“Always.”
Faith Fox never forgot her first love, but she never quite forgave him either. So what happens when she comes face-to-face with him years later, all grown up and more dangerous to her heart than ever?
Find out in TEMPTING FATE, book 5 in the Tempt Me series! Subscribe to my VIP newsletter so you’ll know the instant this sexy second-chance Rom-Com’s available to purchase or read through Kindle Unlimited.
If you can’t wait for a peek at Faith’s love story, flip the page to read Chapter 1 of TEMPTING FATE…
Sneak Peek
TEMPTING FATE: Tempt Me Book 5
Faith Fox pushed open the restroom door and let the tap tap tap of her uncomfortable shoes carry her to the sink, where she braced her hands on the marble countertop and peered in the mirror.
“Fancy meeting you here,” she murmured. Her reflection didn’t look amused.
Only 20 minutes of conversation with her parents, and Faith was flushed and ruffled, but she didn’t dare splash water on her cheeks for fear she’d disturb her carefully applied makeup.
She tugged her jacket down so it covered the top of the skirt. She’d scavenged her only tweed suit from the back of the closet, and it was snugger than the last time she’d been forced into dinner with her family. She prayed the button on her waistband would hold.
She ran her hands over the chignon that had tamed her usual riot of waves and checked again that the streaks of electric blue were hidden thanks to her strategic straightening, twisting, and pinning. No need to cause conniption fits among the gentle people dining at the country club tonight.
Pressing the backs of her fingers to her cheeks, she tried to smile reassuringly at her reflection. “You got this. You’ll eat some salad and drop one tiny question and say goodnight. It’s ninety more minutes in hell, tops.”
Having failed to pacify her reflection, Faith slunk out of the ladies room and paused in the lobby, where she had an excellent view of the restaurant’s forest green walls and gilt-framed hunting scenes.
Faith hated gilt frames. And hunting scenes. And forest green.
Desperate for an excuse not to return to her table and the unthinkable task she had to undertake, she glanced to her left, where the mannequin-faced hostess was having a tense conversation with a customer who was obviously spoiling for a fight.
Although he wore dress pants and a button-down shirt, he couldn’t have looked more out of place at the Beaucoeur Country Club restaurant. Something about the barely leashed stillness of his tall, muscular frame, maybe.
Faith drifted closer, observing the clenching and unclenching of the fist pressed against his leg.
“And there’s no way you can bend the rules?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry, sir. No exceptions,” said the cool blond hostess, ending their argument by holding up a blue blazer.
The man responded by growling and turning in Faith’s direction. At first, all she saw was wild, black hair and an untamed beard.
Then she saw his eyes.
“Leo?” she choked out. Those eyes snapped up to hers, and just like that, the years fell away. The first real smile of the night touched her lips. It was Leo. Her Leo. Bigger now, broader than he’d been. But it was Leo.
The shock on his face melted into a smile that propelled her forward. He started moving, too, until they were standing in front of each other. An unexpected sense of homecoming swept over her.
“Hi,” she said, suddenly breathless.
“Faith.” He whispered her name and his head was tilting down and she was lifting her chin and waiting for the press of his lips on hers, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like it hadn’t been ten years. Like he hadn’t broken her heart the last time she’d seen him. Or maybe she’d broken his; she’d never been sure.
“A-hem.”
The hostess cleared her throat and waved the blazer, snapping the strange spell. The synapses in Faith’s brain kicked back into gear, and she blurted out, “What are you doing here?”
Leo straightened abruptly, the welcome draining from his eyes.
“I know,” he drawled. “It’s amazing who they’ll let in these days.”
She pulled back in dismay.
“No, I didn’t mean it like—”
“Of course you didn’t.” He cocked his head, his narrowed, glittering eyes undercutting the casual gesture. “Foxy little Faith would never visit Beaucoeur’s fanciest dining spot just to insult the poor folk who come wandering through.”
She sucked in a breath and tried to hide the tremor that ran through her body. The warm glow of seeing Leo again receded under the weight of his sarcasm. How was he still so angry?
He glanced to the right and waved at three older men in suits who’d just entered the restaurant. “So great catching up with you, duchess. Let’s get together soon, maybe talk tennis? Share stock tips?”
Brushing past her, he snatched the garment from the hostess, shrugged it on in one smooth movement, and turned to greet the rest of his party.
Faith stood frozen, alarmed to feel tears dancing along the underside of her lashes. The hostess caught her eye and raised a perfectly arched brow in curiosity. Faith grimaced back and turned her spine into a steel girder, willing her racing heart to stop slamming against her sternum. Leo was still angry with her? Fine. That road ran both ways. It may have receded over the years, but she still carried that hurt with her, too.
Nothing to be done but get through dinner, head home, and channel her feelings through ice cream. But first, she had to survive her parents.
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Dear reader,
This has been a hard year.
*pause while you laugh uncontrollably at what an understatement this is*
But the thing is, hard years call for joy too. And more than anything, I hope that Thea and Aiden brought you a little bit of joy. If they did, I would love it if you’d share that. Drop me a line on my website. Leave a review at your retailer of choice. Tell a friend about the goofy, sexy book you read. Or just hold the warm glow of this happily-ever-after in your heart as you go about your business. Whatever works for you.
Speaking of joy, Tempting Lies wouldn’t be the book it is without gallons and gallons of coffee, T. Swift’s Folklore, and the support of my fantabulous friends.
Yes, the year has been hard, but good people and good music and good booze and good laughs got me through it. I wish the same for you, reader.
Stay sassy, and stay in touch!
-Sara
Also by Sara Whitney
The Tempt Me Series
Tempting Heat: A Novella, Book 1
Tempting Taste, Book 2
Tempting Talk, Book 3
Tempting Lies, Book 4
Tempting Fate, Book 5 (coming soon)
Standalone books
Game On
Ghosted
Praise for Sara Whitney
Tempting Taste
"Sara Whitney has pulled together the most fun you'll have in a bakery with this one! I loved the cupcake-baking, cinnamon roll hero who looks like the God of Thunder. Hello to my new book boyfriend." Christina Hovland, author of the Mile High Matched series
“Sexy, sassy, and downright delicious! Whitney's pint-sized heroine and strong-but-silent hero make for the perfect pairing. Tempting Taste brims with her trademark wit, humor and warmth." Kate Bateman, author of This Earl Of Mine
“A fun, sexy read full of humor and heart.” Sarah Hegger, author of Positively Pippa and Roughing
Tempting Talk
“This story made me laugh, sigh, shout in triumph and blink away tears.” Faith Hart, author of Another Try
“The interactions are hilarious, while the sparks are flying everywhere. I was all in cover to cover.” Jennifer Pierson, The Power of Three Readers
“A sweet, witty, and engaging story featuring likable, complex characters.” Laurie, Laurie Reads Romance
Tempting Heat
“It made my heart squeeze and my cheeks flush. Finn and Tom are 100% guaranteed to make. you. swoon.” Blair Leigh, author of What Comes After
“A brilliant read. I adored it from beginning to end.” Sandra, Jeanz Book Read & Review
“The perfect amount of tension, smoldering heat, unexpected twists, and satisfying conclusion.” Sarah, Paranormal Peach Reviews
About the Author
Sara Whitney writes sassy contemporary romance that’s always sunny with a chance of sizzle. An RWA© Golden Heart© award finalist, Sara worked as a print journalist and film critic before she earned her Ph.D. and landed in academia. She’s a good pinball player, a great baker, and an expert at shouting her TV opinions to anyone who’ll listen.
In a funny twist of fate, Sara's married to a divorce attorney, and she likes to think that her happily-ever-afters keep their household in balance. She and her husband live in Illinois surrounded by books, cats, and half-empty coffee cups. Keep up with Sara by subscribing to her mailing list here.