It’s party time at Long and Short Reviews! We’re giving away two $100 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift cards, plus smaller gift cards, books, and more! Check out the festivities here: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/guest-blogs/lasr-anniversary-scavenger-hunt-gelato-surprise-by-sadira-stone-2/
This post originally appeared on the Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas blog, a multi-author site headed by the lovely Tina Donahue. Check it out for oodles of romance goodness: http://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/
Hubs and I have now been living in our temporary quarters in Las Vegas for five weeks. Next week, we’ll close on our forever home–makes it sound like we’re rescue puppies! Next comes painting, new light fixtures, new flooring, then we can finally move in! Hubs’ son and his wife have been fabulous hosts, but I’m sooooo looking forward to having my own space again. I’ll post photos next month, once the house is truly ours. Meanwhile, we’ve been exploring the area and getting used to the heat.
Speaking of heat, I’m preparing for next month’s launch of my bonus novella in the Bangers Tavern Romance series. This one is exclusively available to my newsletter subscribers, and it’s free! Want your copy? Sign up for my monthly reader newsletter here.
I won’t clog your inbox with frequent mailings. It’s really-o, truly-o just once a month. 😉
Here’s a tasty snippet of Carla & Jeremy’s story, Bangers Tavern Romanc 2.5, coming September 2021:
Carla scanned the bar, but every table was taken. “Maybe we should get dinner to go?”
“Oh no. You’re not wiggling out that easy. We’ll just share with someone. C’mon.”
Drinks held high, they skirted the dance floor where a gaggle of women their age were bouncing to Pink’s “So What?” beneath a kitschy disco ball. Sure enough, a grinning Cupid piñata dangled over the low stage. Interspersed with twinkle lights, paper hearts in pink, red, and purple fluttered from the ceiling. More lay scattered on the tables.
Shari elbowed Carla and pointed. “Over there, by the window. Cute, aren’t they?”
Carla groaned. At one of those tall, tiny tables, a pair of forty-ish men gesticulated over their beer glasses, their heads inches apart. The darker, bearded one looked up, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He nudged his friend.
“You ladies looking for a spot? We don’t mind sharing. Right, Jer?”
The other man looked up, and time slowed. The din stilled. The crowd blurred.
“Which one you want?” Shari asked. “Tall, dark, and yummy, or the silver fox?”
Carla’s mouth opened, but no sound emerged.
Squaring her shoulders, Shari strutted forward. “Mighty kind of y’all to offer. My friend here is famished. If we don’t get her some tater tots soon, she just might expire.”
“That would be a damn shame.” The fox’s slow smile simmered with sexy mischief. The silver at his temples proved he was experienced enough to deliver. Smile lines at the corners of his dark eyes deepened as he aimed his intense focus at Carla.
Mayday!
“Miss Rosie,” he called without breaking the stare. “We’ve got a tot emergency here.”
The blue-haired waitress bopped up to their table. “Tonight’s specials are Love Bites, AKA jalapeno poppers with bacon, or Diego’s famous tots with cheesy artichoke dip and bacon.”
Shari tittered. “Because what cures a broken heart better than bacon?”
The server nodded, her blue curls bouncing. “It’s a proven fact.”
“Bring us a double order of each,” the fox said. “That is, if you ladies don’t mind sharing.”
Right then, Carla wouldn’t mind sharing all sorts of things with him—her phone number, her bed, her deepest fantasies…
Must be the bourbon talking. She told the waitress, “And an iced tea, please.”
“Bullshit,” Shari interjected. “You’re not spending your hard-won drink coupon on brown water.” She snatched the coupon and dropped it onto the server’s tray. “Darlin’, bring her whichever of those cocktail specials you like best.”
Carla opened her mouth to object, but Shari shot her a Don’t-mess-with-me glare.
Chuckling, the dark-haired guy introduced himself. “Leo Delgado. And this is Jeremy Franklin.”
“Shari Poulsen. And this is my bestie, Carla Portofino.”
Jeremy. Carla mentally rolled the name over her tongue as they shook hands all around. A friendly name. Down to earth. Kinda sexy, in an approachable way.
“So,” Shari sipped her drink. “What brings you boys here tonight?”
Leo elbowed his friend. “Mr. Grump-ass here was going to spend tonight watching Netflix alone. Figured a party would do him good.”
Carla ignored Shari’s pointed stare and kept her focus on Jeremy. “What were you going to watch?”
He shrugged, but the corners of his mouth ticked upward. “Maybe a disaster movie. Seems suitable for tonight.” He inclined his head toward his friend. “Mr. Party Monster wouldn’t leave me in peace. I figured a few drinks would shut him up.” His smile widened. “Now I’m glad I surrendered.” He scooted a little closer and nudged Carla with his arm. “How about you?”
A flush of warmth spread from the contact, making her a little giddy.
“Tots,” she declared, a preemptive strike before Shari spilled any embarrassing details of her pathetic love life. “Shari says this place has the best tater tots.”
“It’s true.” Jeremy sipped his drink. “The chef here is some kind of cosmic tot master.”
“Obi Wan Tater Tot,” his friend agreed.
A moment later their server deposited proof: a platter heaped high with golden nuggets of crispy potato goodness, smothered in hot, cheesy artichoke dip and garnished with bacon folded into hearts.
“Oh look,” Shari chirped, “there’s a bacon heart for each of us.” She grabbed one and held it to her lips. “C’mon, guys. Let’s break some hearts.” She did so with a chomp.
Jeremy slid the platter toward Carla. “After you.”
She scooped tots onto her plate and, holding Jeremy’s gaze, crumbled her bacon heart over the top.
“I like your style.” He passed her the basket of jalapeño poppers before snapping his bacon heart neatly in half.
Self-conscious about eating while those dark eyes followed her every move, Carla dug in. The combination of crunchy tots and creamy artichoke dip with a spicy kick was pure heaven. She closed her eyes and released a moan of pleasure. When she opened them again, she found Jeremy still watching her, a flush across his cheekbones, his lips softly parted.
Yikes!
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