Snippet Saturday – Author’s Choice
Sep
29
2012

How about a little more from TART?

Delicious: TART by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2012, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Berkley Publishing Group
Releasing in digital formats and trade paper November 6

Gideon watched her pull away and head back to town. His heart beat a little faster as he caught the subtle scent she wore. Low and sultry. He’d have pegged her for a brighter, more classical scent.

But Jules Lamprey wasn’t all that she seemed on the surface.

At first glance, Jules was brilliantly-blonde-girl-next-door beautiful. Sunny hair she wore in a high, sleeked-back ponytail. Her eyes were large and sky-blue. A wide, open smile. Her clothing flattered. She was friendly, funny, a little flirty. The pretty girl he’d grown up with.

But another layer in? Well, that red-lipped mouth had a little cant up at the left. Like she had a secret. The turtleneck she wore was cashmere. And her perfume was rich and sexy. Like her laugh.

He watched the way she drank her coffee. She’d held the cup, cradling it to take its warmth. Her first sip had been with her eyes closed and a happy sigh. She had enjoyed the hell out of the different fruits she’d tried when they’d been working over schedules.

Jules Lamprey was a sensualist. There was something fairly irresistible about a woman who took pleasure in everything around her.

On top of all that, she was articulate, successful and fair in her dealings with his granddad. Independent and intelligent too. The whole package.

Unless he was sorely mistaken—and he didn’t think he was—she was attracted to him in equal measure.

Gideon wanted a taste of the rather delicious Ms. Lamprey.

With a pleased sigh, he sat back on the porch with his granddad. “Is she seeing anyone do you know?”

All around them was land his family had lived on and worked for generations. He’d been away from ranching for a while so it had taken a week or two to really get back into the life of a farmer. He wasn’t a stranger to farming, wasn’t a stranger to hard work with hands and body. And this was his in a way the Bar M never was.

Even better, he’d done it at Patrick’s side, which had filled him with humility and pride. His grandfather trusted him to take Carter Farms into the next generation. It was a weight, but one he’d chosen freely.

Patrick gave him a sly smile and an elbow nudge. “Don’t think so. She sure is a pretty one. All that pale hair and those big blue eyes. She’s like a soap ad from the old days.” Patrick chuckled. “Tart is always busy. She’s built it up from nothing. That diner her parents ran did all right, but I never much got the feeling they did it for love of it. You walk into Tart and you know someone who loves the place is running it. And she makes a mean cherry turnover. So really if you get sweet on her, that’s a win for me.”

Gideon did love his granddad’s sense of humor. Such a wily old guy. “One of these days you’ll have to tell me how it is you’ve survived all these years being so shy with your opinions.”

“Good to have you around, boy. Your father and your aunt never did indulge me the way your grandmother did. And you do too. Man’s got something right when his grandson will laugh at his bad jokes.”

Gideon agreed. It was good to be around. It fit. He wished his parents had come back to help, but his dad was an engineer, not a farmer. And his mother loved Patrick but she had a life in Oakland. They had offered to move Patrick down there and it had been a genuine offer. His aunt had done the same. But his grandfather belonged here on this land he’d raised children on, the land he and his wife had made into something special.

Speaking of special, Jules had come back into his thoughts. “When I first met her she couldn’t have been more than five or so. Still has the freckles, I see. Even in middle school she was a tall, gangly girl. But the woman she’s turned into is amazing. Funny how that works with women.” Gideon snorted a laugh. “Can’t imagine why she hasn’t been claimed by someone.”

“Jules is the kind of woman who can’t be claimed by anyone but the man she thinks is worthy. Everything else is a game. She’s smart that way.” Patrick pulled another turnover from the box and Gideon considered mentioning it was his third but decided against it.

Be Sure to Visit Today’s Other Snippeters!
Rhian Cahill
Shelli Stevens
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Shiloh Walker
TJ Michaels
Leah Braemel

5 comments to “Snippet Saturday – Author’s Choice”

  1. Christine
    September 29th, 2012 at 4:28 am · Link

    Can’t wait to read more about Jules, Gideon & Cal.



  2. Amy
    September 29th, 2012 at 6:29 am · Link

    So excited to read this one….!!!!



  3. Rachel Riddles
    September 29th, 2012 at 6:56 am · Link

    Loved it! Come on November! Lauren you write the best characters.



  4. Blanche
    September 29th, 2012 at 7:53 am · Link

    Great snippet! Can’t wait to read Tart and to meet all these characters!!



  5. Robbye
    September 29th, 2012 at 3:47 pm · Link

    I am so looking forward to getting to know all the people who make up Jillian’s “family” better. I can hardly wait to read about Jules, Gideon and Cal.



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