Sneak peek Friday

Here's a little snippet from my upcoming Ellora's Cave release, Taming Tara - coming November 26!!

Also you can see the trailer here

      She poured a small amount of olive oil into a plastic cup. “Place it in the palm of your hand and cover it with your fingers to warm it,” she instructed Joe, showing him with a small cup of her own. “After a minute or two, hold the cup under your nose to appreciate the bouquet of the oil.”
     They lifted the cups to their noses.
     “Remember earlier I said the organoleptic properties were taste, aroma, feel?”
      He nodded. “It smells like olive oil,” he said, wrinkling his nose and flashing those appealing dimples.
      She laughed. “Okay. Now place a small amount of oil on your lower lip, and with the tip of your tongue, taste the oil for its degree of sweetness.”
      Oh God. This might have been a big mistake. Watching his tongue come out and lick his full bottom lip was so sexy. She cleared her throat. “Now, sip the oil and taste for spiciness, using the sides of your tongue.”
      She waited.
      “First, what do you feel?” she asked him, watching his face.
      “Mmm…” His dark brows drew down. “It feels smooth…oily.”
      “How about thick? Sticky? Cooling?”
      He shook his head. “Yes. It’s thick and smooth but…not cooling, it’s…warmer.”
      Huh. How about that. “Good. And what do you taste?”
      “I would say this is…kind of peppery.”
       “Wow. I’m impressed. Here, try it with some bread.” She ripped a hunk off a crusty loaf and handed it to him. He dipped it in the oil and chewed on it thoughtfully.
      “It’s peppery and warm, but not really biting.”
      “It’s not making you feel like you have to cough? Not burning in the back of the throat?”
      “I do feel it in the back of my throat, but not like I’m going to cough.”
      “Good. It mellows over time. This is our Arbosana. It’s a perfect complement to traditional, rustic dishes such as bruschetta with garlic, pasta and beans, panzanella.”
      Joe grinned. “Sounds like home. And it’s not pasta and beans—it’s pasta e fagioli.”
      He said it with an Italian roll to the words that was so freakin’ sexy she felt herself melt deep inside.
      Drawing in a deep breath, she poured more oil into a clean cup and they continued their tasting. Watching Joe savor the tastes, closing his eyes to get a deeper appreciation of the aromas and tastes and feel of the oils was a disconcertingly arousing experience. He was a sensual man, obviously enjoying the sensory pleasures of the olive oils. Her lower abdomen grew warm and achy and she squeezed her thighs together.