by Addison Cole
Can you fix my oven tomorrow?
Blue texted back a few seconds later. He was as reliable as he was hot, a dangerous combination. She read his text—Is that code for something sexy?—and shook her head with a laugh.
Smirking, she replied, Only if you’re into oven grease.
Blue had asked her out many times since they’d met last year, when she’d handled the flowers for his friends’ quadruple beach wedding. Turning down his invitations wasn’t easy and had led to more sexy fantasies than she cared to admit. Her double life was crazy enough without adding a sexy, rugged man who was built like Magic Mike and had eyes that could hypnotize a blind woman, but her reasons went far deeper than that. Blue was more than eye candy. He was also a genuine friend, and he always put family and friends first, which, when added to his incredibly good looks and gentlemanly demeanor, were enough to stop Lizzie’s brain from functioning. It would be too easy to fall hard for a caring, loyal man like Blue Ryder. And that, she couldn’t afford. Maddy was counting on her.
She read his text—Glad you finally came to your senses. When are you free?—and wondered if he thought she was being flirtatious.
Time to nip this in the bud, she thought. Her finger hovered over the screen while her mind toyed with images of Blue, six foot three, all hot, hard muscles and steel-blue eyes.
It had been way too long since she’d been with a man, and every time Blue asked her out, she was tempted, but she liked him so much as a friend, and she knew that tipping over from friendship to lovers would only draw her further in to him, making it harder to lead her double life.
That was precisely why she hightailed it out of her house on the mornings before he showed up to work on her kitchen. Leaving before he arrived was the only way she was able to keep her distance. He was that good-looking. That kind. And that enjoyable to be around. Not only didn’t she have time for a relationship, but she was pretty sure that no guy would approve of his girlfriend doing the Naked Baker show. Of course, the mornings after taping her shows, she left him a sweet treat on the counter with a note thanking him for working on her kitchen.
Even though Blue couldn’t see her as she drew back her shoulders and put on her most solemn face, she did it anyway to strengthen her resolve as she typed a text that she hoped would very gently set him straight. After work, but this is REALLY to fix my oven. The one I cook with! Thank you! See you around seven?
She set the phone down and stepped into the shower, determined not to think about his blue eyes or the way his biceps flexed every time he moved his arms. Her mind drifted to when she’d arrived home from work yesterday and found Blue bending over his toolbox, his jeans stretched tight across his hamstrings. She shivered with the memory. He’d been the man she’d conjured up in her late-night fantasies since last summer. What did it hurt? She may not have time to date, but a little midnight fantasy could go a long way…
To continue reading, please buy SEIZED BY LOVE AT SEASIDE
More Books By The Author
Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers
(Includes future publications)
Read, Write, Love at Seaside
Dreaming at Seaside
Hearts at Seaside
Sunsets at Seaside
Secrets at Seaside
Nights at Seaside
Seized by Love at Seaside
Embrace at Seaside
Lovers at Seaside
Whispers at Seaside
Stand Alone Women’s Fiction Novels
by Melissa Foster (Addison Cole’s steamy alter ego)
The following titles may include some harsh language
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
Moon-Shine Jelly Recipe
1 apple
1 cup water
⅓ cup powdered pectin
1 bottle of your favorite chardonnay
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups sugar
Cut up the apple and then chop in a blender until fine; then, in a large saucepan, combine water with pectin and bring to a boil, stirring slowly. Add the chopped apple and chardonnay and bring to a boil. Continue to stir the mixture so it doesn’t burn. Add brown sugar and nutmeg, stirring slowly as you add these ingredients. Bring the mixture back to a boil and slowly stir in the sugar. Return to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam from the top.
Makes between 7 and 8 eight-ounce mason jars
Acknowledgments
When I write, I’m inspired by family, friends, fans, and life in general. I’d like to thank my loyal supporters who follow me on social media and take time to email me and share my work with your friends. You inspire me on a daily basis.
If you follow me on Facebook, then you probably know how much I love writing about the Cape, and that makes writing about the Seaside gang all the more fun. You probably also know that I often turn to fans to help me come up with names of characters, shops, and even streets. I’ve also been known to create a story line or two based on fans, which is always incredibly fun. I’d like to thank each and every one of you, because while I might not choose your suggestion today, you never know what tomorrow will hold. I hope you continue to enjoy our fun chats, sexy photos, and quirky comments.
A special thank you goes to Nina Lane for our brainstorming sessions. I truly appreciate our hero-making chats.
I’d like to thank my editorial team for their meticulous attention to detail and patience. As always, major gratitude goes to my own true-life hunky hero, Les, and my children, who are my fans, my friends, and often, my biggest cheerleaders. Thank you, guys. I couldn’t create such wonderful worlds without your support.
Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She enjoys writing humorous, and deeply emotional, contemporary romance without explicit sex scenes or harsh language. Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.
Visit Addison on her website or chat with her on social media. Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Addison’s books are available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
www.AddisonCole.com
facebook.com/AddisonColeAuthor