May
27 2012 |
TART – I crowdsourced folks at twitter and my facebook page to see what book readers wanted a sneak peek at and TART was overwhelmingly the winner. SO here you go. This is a scene between Jules and her best friend Gillian (who you met in NEVER ENOUGH) along with Gillian’s fiance, Adrian Brown and their son, Miles.
Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life running her successful bakery, TART, when Gideon Carter comes back into her life. Returning home to help his grandfather run the family on the farm, Gideon is back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate, and it isn’t long before the former childhood friends play catch up in bed.
That’s not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he’s hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever.
Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio’s scalding liaisons take them places they’ve never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally as complicated emotions, and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she’ll have a choice to make when she returns
Gillian’s house, well, the one she lived in temporarily until the renovations were finished on the new house anyway, was a place Jules always gravitated to. The front windows were ablaze with light and as she moved up the walk she caught sight of Miles, a cat in his arms, walking through the room.
Gillian would close the curtains soon, Jules knew. Now that it was common knowledge that Adrian Brown was Miles’s father and that he and Gillian were getting married, photographers made their way out to Bainbridge Island from time to time to try to grab pictures. One had even set himself up in a tree across the road. Of course he fell from his perch and broke his ankle in the fall.
Gillian was a far nicer person than Jules because she called an ambulance. Jules would have turned the hose on him and made him crawl his worthless butt away.
Still smiling and feeling a little vicious, she knocked on the door. The year before she’d have sailed right in. But those days were long past, also the product of the higher profile she had now that Gillian was going to marry someone famous. The doors were always locked up tight now.
Gillian opened and pulled her into a hug. “Come in. Adrian just got home.”
Jules put her bags down in the kitchen, out of the way of traffic and above normal cat inspection.
Still, Claypool came out and meowed at her in his scratchy old-guy voice so she knelt and gave him a scritch under the chin where he liked it best. “Hey, old man, looking good today.”
The cat purred at her, turned, rubbed his side along her knees and sauntered away.
“Story of my life. Get some lovin’ and you all leave afterward.” Jules stood and washed her hands.
Adrian Brown, ridiculously gorgeous and equally ridiculously in love with Gillian, strolled into the kitchen, pausing to plant a kiss on Jules’s cheek. “I got extra pad thai for you.”
“You come in handy. Thanks.”
“Do we have to wait until after dinner to eat the cake?” Miles poured juice into the glasses before he sat.
“Yes.” Gillian sent her son a look and he blushed.
Jules winked at him. “I brought extra just for you.”
He grinned, looking very much like his father.
They talked about the renovations. Adrian’s recording studio was finished, which was a lucky thing as he’d started working on his next record with some hot-stuff producer. The rest of the house was continuing apace and should be done by the beginning of June.
The food was good, the company even better. She was so glad Gillian and Adrian were settling out on Bainbridge instead of in Seattle. Jules never would have said it out loud, but it would have been really hard to not see Gillian as often as she did. And Miles, who she loved as fiercely as she did his mother.
Jules hated the ferry. Hated all boats for that matter, big or small. Which was sort of a problem when you lived on an island and all. Thankfully the trip was just over half an hour and there was a bridge too if she had to go that way. Bainbridge had just about everything and everyone she needed anyway.
Finally, after they’d finished dinner, Adrian and Miles cleared away the dishes and brought new ones out along with some freshly brewed tea.
“All right.” Jules placed five boxes on the table.
“Wow! That’s all cake? Score.” Miles sent a look to his dad, who also grinned.
“I told you I brought extra for you.”
“Which is your favorite?” Gillian sipped her tea as Jules placed the slices out on little plates on the table so everyone could see and take a taste.
“I’m not telling. Given what I know about you and what you like and the things Adrian told me, I’ve come up with several different ideas. But I don’t want to influence you in any way.”
May 27th, 2012 at 5:13 am · Link
Cute scene for a Sunday!!!
May 27th, 2012 at 5:18 am · Link
Thank you so much for this excerpt! The book comes out only in November and that’s a long time from now. I’m really looking forward to it.
I really liked Jules in Never Enough. And it’s great to see that we’ll get to see the Browns again.
And, by the way, I love the cover! 😛
May 27th, 2012 at 5:23 am · Link
So looking forward to this series and what a great cover! Fun to have the Browns back, too.
May 27th, 2012 at 6:21 am · Link
So glad we will get to see Adrian, Miles and Gillian in Tart
May 27th, 2012 at 6:27 am · Link
November does seem far away but it will be here before we know it! I enjoyed the excerpt and look forward in reading it.
May 27th, 2012 at 6:56 am · Link
November is to far away at the moment……Oh, well can start marking off the days soon. Thanks for the sneak peak…. 🙂
May 27th, 2012 at 8:52 am · Link
Oh that was a nice scene. Thank you :). I also love revisiting characters from previous books.
May 27th, 2012 at 9:04 am · Link
Tart sounds like it is going to be great! Thanks for sharing.
May 27th, 2012 at 9:28 am · Link
I voted for Tart on FB so I’m thrilled you shared this scene with us! Super excited to read the book, can’t wait!!!
May 27th, 2012 at 9:37 am · Link
That cover is so adorable – sweet, yet hinting at naughty.
May 27th, 2012 at 9:46 am · Link
I CAN’T wait for this book.
Oh whom am I kidding I love all your books 🙂
May 27th, 2012 at 9:51 am · Link
*waiting*
May 27th, 2012 at 10:10 am · Link
Loved the excerpt. Catching up with everyone is great.
May 27th, 2012 at 10:36 am · Link
I cannot WAIT!! Love the excerpt, Lauren!
May 27th, 2012 at 10:47 am · Link
I haven’t read this series yet but I will be soon.
May 27th, 2012 at 10:56 am · Link
Thanks for the excerpt. I’m really looking forward to this new series!
May 27th, 2012 at 11:10 am · Link
Oh, cake! Yum. I like it when to get to revisit old friends.
May 27th, 2012 at 11:28 am · Link
Lovely; will have to reread the other books of the series though to tide me over till November; at least we’ll have “Laid Open” sooner! 🙂
May 27th, 2012 at 12:38 pm · Link
Great can’t wait Ty for the excerpt whoo hot cover and story 😎
May 27th, 2012 at 12:53 pm · Link
Thank you for sharing a part with Adrian and Miles!
May 27th, 2012 at 2:42 pm · Link
Nice excerpt and cover.
May 27th, 2012 at 7:07 pm · Link
I can’t wait for this book.Thanks for sharing the snippet.
May 27th, 2012 at 9:18 pm · Link
Thanks for sharing!! I am so ready to read this!! I can’t wait! 😛
May 28th, 2012 at 5:29 am · Link
I am so excited about this book. It is on my buy short list for this year!
May 28th, 2012 at 10:15 am · Link
I’m so excited to read this book, I can’t wait.
May 28th, 2012 at 4:46 pm · Link
Thank you for this sneaky peak. It is fun to revisit the awesome Brown family, and I love Jules. I can’t wait to read this story!
May 28th, 2012 at 8:46 pm · Link
Jules was so fierce when it came to protecting Gillian, her love for the family was obvious. Can’t wait to see her happy and in love. Thanks for the sneaky peeky.
June 1st, 2012 at 3:26 pm · Link
This going to be so freaking good!!! I can’t wait for this to come out. Lauren you are wonderful and I so look forward to your books. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for me as well as all of us to be entertained with next. P.S. really enjoyed your contribution for THREE TO TANGO. I loved this subject matter and your story as well as all of them was sexy and sensual as well. PLEASE.DON’T.STOP. Laters. Monica T. 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎
June 4th, 2012 at 12:17 pm · Link
This book is going to be amazing! I can’t wait.