Summary:
Talented pastry chef Miles Costa is bored. Working at the celebrated Napa Valley restaurant Terroir is supposed to be the cherry on top to a promising career, but instead it's a creative desert. So when he gets an offer to turn his online video series into a career, he leaves his three best friends in Napa and swaps Terroir for Los Angeles.
With the resources now at his fingertips, turning his pastry series into a hit should be easy. Then Miles meets his producer, Evan Patterson, and realizes he’s screwed. And not even in the good way.
It's not a meet-cute . . .
Evan lives to work and loves every minute detail Miles loathes. Not only that, he seems hell bent on micromanaging every aspect of Miles' show despite the fact he knows nothing about the culinary arts. Evan doesn’t even like sweets—until Miles seduces him with a rainbow of delectable confections he can't resist.
. . . it's a collision.
With every confrontation, the intensity between them flares even hotter until they're not sure if it's hatred they feel . . .or something else. Is it possible for two people with nothing in common to discover common ground and romance?
Bite Me is a 80,000 word standalone m/m romance featuring enemies to lovers. Don't read hungry!
Catch Me #2
Summary:Chef Wyatt Blake has never been readier to move on from his thankless job on the Terroir kitchen line, so when a good friend hooks him up with an opportunity as a private chef, he jumps at the chance.
He's shocked to discover his new client is the first "out" player in professional baseball: Ryan Flores.
Ryan's also at a career crossroads. His team wants to see his more responsible side, which means no more late night hookups. When his agent suggests he find a fake boyfriend to give him an air of domesticity, he’s not interested.
Until Ryan meets his new, very cute, very unavailable private chef, and changes his mind. Maybe faking it wouldn't be so bad with Wyatt.
Wyatt wants Ryan to be more than just his boss, but he's not sure about leaving the kitchen to be a professional boyfriend. Especially when he discovers the reality so much better than the fantasy.
Catch Me is a 85,000 contemporary m/m romance, and while second in the Kitchen Gods series, can be read as a standalone.
Bite Me #1
“You’re late,”Evan said, head bent towards his screen, fingers not missing a beat as he typed furiously.
“I know, I’m sorry, I thought I’d grab a coffee.”Miles slid into the chair next to Evan, but Evan still didn’t look up.
“Oh thanks for bringing me one too,”Evan said levelly, even though he had to know that Miles only had one cup in his hands.
“I . . .uh. . .didn’t know you wanted one?”Miles said sheepishly. He’d made it back into the building two minutes late, and then had raced to Evan’s cubicle, only to not find him there. He’d made the rounds, until one of the writers stopped him and said Evan was in the conference room, still working after the meeting had ended.
Why hadn’t it occurred to Miles to bring him coffee? He liked the good coffee place as much as anyone else. It was probably because instead of actively trying to charm anyone in particular, Miles just fallen into bed with willing people and had never wanted someone who didn’t want him back—or wanted him but fought it. Miles knew he was going to have learn to be more aware and less selfish if he was ever going to convince Evan to consider dating him. A great almost-blowjob wasn’t going to cut it. Not with Evan.
Sex was probably off the table now, even though Miles knew Evan wanted it. Miles wasn’t familiar with the sort of self-denial Evan practiced; if he wanted someone and the feeling was mutual, sex happened. It was an easy way to live, and an easy way to get off. Everything about Evan was complicated, but Miles wanted him anyway. Inexplicably.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you coffee,”Miles said when Evan remained silent, typing away, the staccato of the keys all the response he probably deserved.
“It’s okay.” Evan paused. “I wouldn’t expect you to be looking out for other people. Me, especially.”
And yeah, that was galling. Especially galling when Miles had spent the last half an hour discovering that nobody had probably ever really looked out for Evan before. It probably wouldn’t take an extraordinary amount of effort to make him feel special and considered. And Miles still couldn’t figure out how to meet even the lowest of expectations.
“I’m sorry, I’m . . .I know it isn’t an excuse, but I was with Lucy, and Chloe and Steph and . . .”Miles hesitated, trying to find the best way to say, sorry, we were gossiping about you and they told me you were a foster kid and I wish you had told me yourself.
All Miles knew was that was definitely not the way to break the news.
“I know, I’m sorry, I thought I’d grab a coffee.”Miles slid into the chair next to Evan, but Evan still didn’t look up.
“Oh thanks for bringing me one too,”Evan said levelly, even though he had to know that Miles only had one cup in his hands.
Why hadn’t it occurred to Miles to bring him coffee? He liked the good coffee place as much as anyone else. It was probably because instead of actively trying to charm anyone in particular, Miles just fallen into bed with willing people and had never wanted someone who didn’t want him back—or wanted him but fought it. Miles knew he was going to have learn to be more aware and less selfish if he was ever going to convince Evan to consider dating him. A great almost-blowjob wasn’t going to cut it. Not with Evan.
Sex was probably off the table now, even though Miles knew Evan wanted it. Miles wasn’t familiar with the sort of self-denial Evan practiced; if he wanted someone and the feeling was mutual, sex happened. It was an easy way to live, and an easy way to get off. Everything about Evan was complicated, but Miles wanted him anyway. Inexplicably.
“It’s okay.” Evan paused. “I wouldn’t expect you to be looking out for other people. Me, especially.”
And yeah, that was galling. Especially galling when Miles had spent the last half an hour discovering that nobody had probably ever really looked out for Evan before. It probably wouldn’t take an extraordinary amount of effort to make him feel special and considered. And Miles still couldn’t figure out how to meet even the lowest of expectations.
“I’m sorry, I’m . . .I know it isn’t an excuse, but I was with Lucy, and Chloe and Steph and . . .”Miles hesitated, trying to find the best way to say, sorry, we were gossiping about you and they told me you were a foster kid and I wish you had told me yourself.
All Miles knew was that was definitely not the way to break the news.
Catch Me #2
“I got fresh supplies,” Ryan said, pulling out a bottle of Grey Goose from the paper bag he was holding.
“Should have gotten tequila,” Wyatt said, forcing his voice to stay even and normal. “I’m making barbecued shrimp. Great with a margarita.”
“I probably have some somewhere,” Ryan said. “But Tabby was determined to drink all my vodka.”
“I was trying to make you feel better,” Tabitha said with dignity. “And I’ve been telling you for years not to call me that.”
“Someday,” Ryan said, slinging an arm around his friend, “you’re going to realize that every time you say that, it makes me more determined than ever to call you that.” His affectionate gaze was completely platonic, but Wyatt couldn’t help it; he burned with jealousy anyway.
Even if they couldn’t be a thing—fake or real or anything else in between—he still wanted to be Ryan’s friend. Not just his employee. And Wyatt was terrified that turning down his proposal had left him his job, but had demolished everything else
He couldn’t imagine how much it would burn when Ryan moved on and found someone new to pretend to date, and fuck for real.
No matter how much he needed this job or how much he didn’t want to leave, Wyatt wasn’t sure he could stick around and watch that.
“You are an asshole,” Tabitha said. “Even though you went and bought me more vodka.”
“Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out how you coming over and drinking all my booze was supposed to make me feel better.” Ryan was smiling, but Wyatt thought he could see the bad mood lurking behind his dark eyes. Present, but concealed. Just like his own.
It shouldn’t have made Wyatt feel any better, but it did, a little. If Ryan felt bad, at least that meant he’d cared. He’d really wanted it to be Wyatt, and Wyatt still felt incredulous that Ryan had cared so much. It shouldn’t have mattered. Wyatt should have been pissed as hell that he’d concealed his motives, but there had been genuine understanding in his eyes when Wyatt had told him why he couldn’t accept.
“It’s a secret talent of mine,” Tabitha said. She turned to Wyatt. “Don’t you feel better, too?”
“I’m fine,” Wyatt said stiffly, even though they all knew it was a lie. Nobody knew it more than Ryan.
“Then it’s time for me to get out of your hair,” Tabitha said, gracefully sliding off the barstool. Even though Wyatt was beginning to suspect she’d drank quite a bit of Ryan’s vodka.
“Wyatt’s making dinner, you can’t leave yet,” Ryan said. They all knew what he really meant was, you can’t leave me alone with Wyatt.
Tabitha reached over and patted him on the cheek. “I’m sure I’ll be back.”
Wyatt threw a towel over his shoulder. “I’m holding you to that.”
She batted her eyes exaggeratedly and it didn’t even make her look ridiculous, only more beautiful. “It isn’t every day that I get to enjoy the efforts of a Michelin-starred chef,” she said.
He wasn’t really Michelin-starred. That had been his boss, Bastian Aquino, but he didn’t correct her, only smiled.
“I’ll call you an Uber,” Ryan said, “you are so damn drunk.”
“Don’t worry, I already texted Calvin, he’ll be here in a minute.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Next time I’m not calling you.”
Tabitha’s expression was dead serious. “Of course you will. That’s why we’re friends.” She tugged Ryan into a quick, tight hug.
Wyatt turned back to his corn in the sink. He didn’t want to cry again, but he felt close and he didn’t even know why.
Saturday's Series Spotlight
A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty-three novels and seven novellas.
Bite Me #1
Catch Me #2
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