“That we should get married.”
“Wait . . . did you . . . are you . . .” Carly blinked, but he brushed a finger over her stunned lips.
“I want to feed you PB and J when you’re hungry, and I want to hold you in our bed when you’re sad. I want to be as serious with you as serious gets. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll have me. What do you say?”
“Yes. Yes, yes. Yes!” She circled her arms around his shoulders, and he lifted her seamlessly into his arms just as she jumped to meet his embrace. As he leaned down to slant his lips over hers, there was only one thought in Jackson’s mind.
He and Carly were a perfect fit.
Recipes
Carly’s Bolognese
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 large carrot, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork/bulk Italian sausage
2 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes (organic preferred)
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 cup beef broth (half and half with water is fine for lower sodium), plus more for thinning
Pinch allspice
Chopped flatleaf parsley (a generous handful) for garnish
In a large stockpot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, stirring often, until soft, adding two cloves of garlic in the last two minutes of cooking (7–8 minutes total). Gently push veggies to the sides of the pot and add meat. Using a wooden spoon, break up meat and cook until brown and crumbly (about ten minutes). Add Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
If you’ve got any lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pot from the veggies, de-glaze with a splash of beef broth (red wine works well here too, and the alcohol burns off so this recipe is safe for the under-21 set!) Add all three cans of tomatoes and the pinch of allspice, and heat to a low bubble.
Simmer, uncovered for at least an hour on the lowest heat setting, adding broth and/or water to thin the gravy as necessary. When you’re ready to serve (the longer you let this simmer, the better it tends to be), put this over your favorite pasta (linguine is good, as are penne and rigatoni; both stand up to the thickness of the sauce nicely), sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with green salad, garlic bread, and lots of love! You can also use this sauce as a base for a nice hearty lasagna, and it freezes well.
Blueberry Lemon “Ugly” Scones
I got the idea of putting streusel on scones from an old recipe, but because of its crumbly texture, it can make scones look rustic, or as we jokingly say in my house, “ugly.” Carly’s presentation (and her delivery!) is pretty, though, and one bite of these scones will tell you that looks can be very deceiving.
INGREDIENTS:
Streusel:
A generous ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons (½ stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup sour cream
Splash of milk (up to a Tablespoon)
1½ cups fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients. Mix well and set aside (mixture will be crumbly). In a large bowl, mix flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon with a whisk until well combined. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, egg, sour cream, and milk. Fold into scone mixture until just combined. Repeat with blueberries. Shape mixture into a disc approximately 2” high (dust hands with flour to prevent sticking if necessary). Place disc on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with streusel mixture. Cut into eight wedges and separate. Bake for 15–18 minutes until streusel gets brown and melty and your kitchen smells like heaven. Serve to the one you love!
Jackson’s Heat of the Summer Burgers
Nothing says summer like a perfectly grilled burger! Pair these with some potato salad and your favorite frosty beverage, and it’s an instant party.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds ground beef, 90/10 preferred
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola oil
½ sweet onion, diced fine
½ orange bell pepper, diced fine
4 cloves roasted garlic, minced
¼ cup breadcrumbs (pulse a generous handful of garlic croutons in your food processor to make these . . . it’s worth it!)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, in order, with your hands. Use a light touch, but combine well. Divide into eight portions and shape each portion into a patty. Grill over medium heat on a gas grill or indirect flame on a charcoal grill, to preference. Medium 10–12 minutes, flip at the halfway point. All burgers should be a minimum of 160 degrees internal temperature in accordance with food safety regulations.
Come back to Pine Mountain
this October for Sloane’s story.
Read on for a taste of Stirring Up Trouble.
Carly leaned forward, dropping her chin into her palms. “Maybe you just need a little inspiration.” But the offer only prompted Sloane to bark out a sardonic laugh at the double entendre.
“Please. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve had a little inspiration?” She hooked disdainful air quotes around the word, counting backwards in her head to recheck her math.
Wait, was it January again? Already? Jeez, no wonder her muse was pissed. “I’m sorry. Maybe that wasn’t a good suggestion.”
“Actually, it’s a great suggestion.” Sloane released her spoon with a plunk, and all the frustration swishing around in her chest burst forth in an emotional jailbreak. “Believe me, nothing would make me happier than to be earth-movingly inspired right now. As a matter of fact, considering the lack of inspiration going on in my life, I think I’m due for a downright out-of-body experience. Not that I’ve ever reached the summit of Mount O during the actual act. Nope, not me. If I’m gonna get there, I’ve gotta fly solo.”
What a joke. She had to be the only romance writer on the planet who’d never achieved orgasm with someone else in the room. No wonder she had an epic-sized case of the writing blahs.
“Sweetie.” Carly’s eyes widened, coppery brown and full of astonishment. She reached a hand out, but Sloane had hit her limit. She lifted a hand right back, stopping her friend’s motion cold.
“No, really. Karmically speaking, is it too much to ask for the powers-that-be to send some mind-blowing orgasms my way? I’m tired of doing all the work. Plus, it’s all in the name of research. I mean, show a girl a little joy, for heaven’s sake!” Sloane knew she was ranting, but blowing off the steam she’d slowly built up felt divine. “Just once, I’d like to give new meaning to the phrase life imitates art. After all the fumbling lovers I’ve put up with who couldn’t find my hot spots with a map and compass, I deserve some really hot, toe-curling, religious-experience sex!”
“Um, Sloane?”
But the sinfully good release prompted her to continue without pause. “I mean it, cucciola. In spite of what I do for a living, I’m starting to think men who can dish up Richter scale orgasms are just a cruel myth.”
Finally stopping for a breath, Sloane registered the odd look on Carly’s face with apprehension. “What? Oh, God, don’t tell me they really are a myth?”
The deep rumble of
a throat being cleared cut Sloane’s breath short in her lungs.
“Excuse me, chef. I don’t mean to interrupt a . . . delicate conversation, but I’ve got an emergency I need to discuss with you.”
The sound of the very smooth, very male voice over her shoulder froze Sloane into place and ignited every one of her nerve endings to a slow sizzle. Stunned, she whirled in her seat, only to find herself face-to-crotch with a pair of flawlessly tailored charcoal dress slacks. The wearer jerked backward, looking both startled and more than a little put out at her sudden movement.
Carly cleared her throat too late to hide the laugh beneath the gesture. “Sloane, you remember my restaurant manager, Gavin Carmichael, don’t you?”
Knowing she should be utterly mortified and praying for a fault line in the earth to swallow her whole, Sloane threw on a cocky smile instead. Letting her gaze float slowly upward, she looked Gavin right in his stunning, melted-chocolate eyes and said the only thing she could think of.
“Nice pants.”
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2014 by Kimberly Kincaid
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-3285-4
First Electronic Edition: June 2014
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3286-1
eISBN-10: 1-4201-3286-5
Gimme Some Sugar Page 32