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  PRAISE FOR THE RECIPE FOR LOVE SERIES:

  “Edwards cooks up the perfect combination of compelling characters and an intriguing plot that delivers a marvelous confection of irresistible details about the fascinating world inside the kitchen of a gourmet restaurant.”

  —Booklist (Starred Review)

  “On the Steamy Side is an instant re-read, a fresh, emotions-first take on the food-infused romance and, quite simply, a stellar example of the health and vibrancy of the American contemporary romance. I’m betting it ends up on any number of Best of 2010 lists.”

  —Barnes & Noble’s Heart to Heart

  “Exceptional culinary detail and page-singeing sexual chemistry combine with a fascinating group of characters to produce a sophisticated modern romance that ties into the current foodie craze. This debut—first in a projected ‘Recipe for Love’ series—will win over most contemporary romance fans.”

  —Library Journal

  “The simmering chemistry comes to a boil in this deliciously sensual and delightfully amusing debut.”

  —Orlando Sentinel

  “The main characters felt like friends and the secondary romance involving Miranda’s brother helped keep things moving. One of the best parts was discovering an excerpt of Edwards’s next book featuring a minor character from this one—giving me another book to look forward to… Can’t Stand the Heat? I say, get into this kitchen!”

  —PublishersWeekly.com

  “When I tried to figure out why I liked the book so much, two things came to mind. One, when it was over I didn’t really feel like I had read a book; I felt as if I’d been a part of the story. That’s very difficult to achieve. Two, I realized what Edwards’ style reminded me of…Several times reading this one I thought to myself, ‘This woman could be the next Susan Elizabeth Phillips.’ And I don’t write that lightly.”

  —ColumbusDispatch.com

  “A delight from cover to cover…My favorite aspect is how skillfully Ms. Edwards weaves emotional subjects throughout the novel…On the Steamy Side is much more than a sexy romance. It [has] depth and humanity. This series is headed for my keeper shelves.”

  —A Romance Review

  “The snappy, fun-loving dialogue and overall camaraderie with this cast of characters makes for great reading.”

  —Babbling About Books

  “The plot, the humor, the angst and the romance are superb, and Edwards’ writing style is as crisp and clean as a freshly starched toque-blanche. Reader, party of one, your novel is ready.”

  —Reader to Reader

  “Louisa Edwards continues her ‘Recipe For Love’ series with her latest book, On the Steamy Side. And boy, is it ever steamy! You could fry an egg between these pages of bubbling-hot romance! With the popularity of the Food Network, Louisa Edwards’ delicious series will be a huge hit with foodies and romantics alike.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Steam up your reading with On the Steamy Side by mega-talented Louisa Edwards.”

  —SingleTitles.com

  “Fast-paced and scintillating…Boiling and searing love scenes aside, the complex relationships and self-discovery shared with the unique backdrop of the cutthroat and competitive culinary arts [world] forces the reader to consume page after page as voraciously as the chefs can dish it up.”

  —Romance Readers Choice

  “Louisa Edwards’ fast-paced, sparkling On the Steamy Side has sizzling sex scenes, complicated relationships, and unique settings, with an undercurrent of humor.”

  —Long and Short Reviews

  “If you need a real feel-good, make your heart sing and your body tingle kind of afternoon this is the perfect recipe for success.”

  —Coffee Time Romance

  “From start to finish, I devoured and enjoyed every moment of this book. Miranda and Adam worked well together like … honey and cayenne pepper … a little sweet and a little spicy with an end result to make you say ‘Wow.’ ”

  —Cheryl’s Book Nook

  “The strength of this novel is substantial … The writing, the other characters, the setting, the nuances, and the imagery are marvelous… . Food and its various meanings and permutations are a fluid and discernible part of the writing in this book. It includes themes of home, heart, family, and nourishment, what people need to survive, and how the food we eat can communicate more than words can provide.”

  —Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

  “A deliciously fun read. The plot and eccentric characters are well written, and the kitchen sizzles with hot passion.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “Sophisticated, romantic, mouthwatering and sizzling hot.”

  —The Three Tomatoes Book Reviews

  “Can’t Stand the Heat is a delightful blend of chemistry, competition, and cooking, and it was just what I was looking for. I loved the fast-paced scenes that make you feel the controlled chaos of a restaurant during dinner hour, as well as the slower-paced scenes such as Adam teaching Miranda how to cook…I’m eagerly awaiting Edwards’ next release in the series. Here’s hoping it’s as good a read as this terrific debut.”

  —All About Romance

  “Snappy, exciting, adventurous, and totally unexpected. Can’t Stand the Heat…is one of the best light-hearted culinary, romantic novels this reviewer has read in a very long time! Grand job, Louisa Edwards.”

  —Crystal Reviews

  “Make sure that you have a good lazy day to spend with Can’t Stand the Heat, and don’t start reading this one in the evening, or I guarantee you will be up all night!”

  —The Romance Reader

  “The author blends love and recipes into a fun romp. Fans will enjoy the pizazz and flavor that Louisa Edwards brings to her warm tale.”

  —Genre Go Round Reviews

  “A funny, lovable story about two unlikely people falling for each other. The plot, characters, and setting comes together to form a wonderful, light-hearted, culinary romance that is a blast to read…I can’t wait for the next ‘Recipe for Love’ novel!”

  —The Book Lush

  “Delish! Creative debut author Louisa Edwards will have you eating out of her hand as you read her witty, insightful, foodie romance…Can’t Stand the Heat is filled with steamy passion, realistically described settings, a distinctive plot and characters that beg for their own stories. Watch for more to come from this talented new author.”

  —SingleTitles.com

  “Mmmm…Louisa Edwards’ debut effort—Can’t Stand the Heat—is yummy!! The witty repartee between Miranda and Adam, the snappy dialogue between Adam and his staff make this a fun, sizzling, read…And all the food talk in between these covers? Make sure you’re not reading while hungry.”

  —Drey’s Library

  “Louisa Edwards has cooked up a sassy and sexy contemporary romance. With the popularity of the Food Network so high these days, this novel has arrived just in time to delight foodies and readers both. The food descriptions alone in this book are enough to set your mouth watering…I predict a delicious future for this new writer.”

  —Review Journal

  “Ms. Louisa Edwards is definitely an author to watch! Her descriptions make you feel like you can almost smell the food Adam’s cooking! Can’t Stand the Heat has what it takes to affect all of your emotions—joy, sorrow, fear, hate, and love.”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “An exquisitely prepared romance seasoned with scorching hot love scenes, Can’t Stand the Heat is truly an unforgettable dish. You can’t miss this delectable and mouthwatering debut!”

  —New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles by

  LOUISA EDWARDS

  Can’t Stand the Heatr />
  On the Steamy Side

  Just One Taste

  Just One Taste

  LOUISA EDWARDS

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue Market restaurant, Manhattan

  Chapter 1 Six months earlier …

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11 Five months later

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Just One Taste Recipes

  NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  JUST ONE TASTE

  Copyright © 2010 by Louisa Edwards.

  All rights reserved.

  For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  EAN: 978-0-312-35647-7

  Printed in the United States of America

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / September 2010

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To my sister, Georgia, whose life is more like a romantic novel (Persuasion by Jane Austen, to be exact) than anyone I know. Thank you for loving romance as much as I do!

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my fabulous editor, Rose Hilliard, and my lovely agent, Deidre Knight, for keeping me on course with this series. And big thanks to Jeanne Devlin and Katy Hershberger for the best PR any author could hope for! I’m lucky to have all of you on my team.

  This book would not have been written without the support and encouragement of the Romance Divas, specifically all my Chat buddies, and my writing gurus and heterosexual lifemates, Roxanne St. Claire and Kristen Painter. I don’t know what I’d do without you—probably sit on my couch and watch Project Runway all day. Thank you for kicking me into gear and filling my head with ideas for books and making me laugh harder than anyone ever.

  Special thanks to my beta readers, Nic Montreuil and Kate Pearce—this book would be a shadow of itself without your input.

  Thank you to my mother, Jan, who reads every version from the roughest draft to the final, finished book, and to my father, George, who likes to correct my grammar.

  And to my husband, Nick, whose tireless patience with frozen dinners and recipe testing is rivaled only by his insightful edits on my books. Every time we sit down for a discussion of my latest draft and you tell me what works, what doesn’t, and why, I know exactly how lucky I am. Thank you for being a fantastic husband, a perceptive reader, an adventurous eater, and my best friend. I love you.

  Prologue

  Market restaurant, Manhattan

  Wes Murphy stared down into the huge stainless steel stockpot and watched a single golden bubble pop to the surface of the soup. Time to add the vegetables.

  The chaos of preparations for the evening’s dinner service whirled around him, chefs shouting to each other, cackling jokes about what they got up to at the bar after service last night, calling requests for help with one dish or another, but Wes’s corner of the kitchen was quiet.

  A little apart from the crowd, as always.

  Wes didn’t care. He was finding it hard to care about much, these days.

  Thank God for Market, he mused, sweeping a wooden spoon through the simmering broth. Cooking might be all I’ve got left, but at least it’s something I can throw myself into.

  A sweet, lightly accented voice floated through his mind.

  When you cook, it is chance to draw out from yourself everything you are feeling. Yes? Add it to the food. Stir in a pinch of sadness and a spoonful of fear and what do you think! Something magical happens.

  Wes felt one corner of his mouth kick up at the memory of Deirdre Nickoloff’s soft, round face. Mrs. N. was the one who taught him to cook, sure, but she’d done more than that. She’d taught Wes about the kind of person he wanted to become.

  He scooped up his diced butternut squash. The perfection of the cuts, each piece uniform and pristine, soothed something inside him. And as he added the squash to the broth, already rich with white wine and shredded chicken, Wes closed his eyes and remembered Mrs. N.’s cooking philosophy.

  Shit. He hoped his painful regrets didn’t make the soup taste bitter.

  Half an hour later, Wes was checking under the salamander broiler to make sure the crusty bread he’d spread with tangy herbed butter and parmesan cheese came to a nice golden toast color when a determinedly cheerful voice startled him out of his culinary haze.

  “Hey, need any help with plating?”

  Wes grinned up at the first guy who’d gone out of his way to be friendly when Wes showed up for this externship from the Academy of Culinary Arts.

  Jess Wake smiled back, crisp and neat in his black and green server duds. The way he combed his dark auburn hair back before service made the kid seem older, somehow—or maybe that was the familiar ache of loss in his eyes.

  Wes knew that look intimately. He’d surprised it on his own face more than once in the last six months.

  “You’re a super trouper, man. Thanks.” Wes was extra grateful, considering Jess had been treating the kitchen like a quarantined zone ever since Market’s sous chef, Frankie Boyd, had dropped him like a bad habit.

  They dipped up the bowls of fragrant, steaming soup in silence, neither of them paying much attention to the kitchen hubbub. It was clearing out, anyway—the guys on the line had a sixth sense about when family meal was nearly ready, and they tended to congregate around the bar out in the dining room, like a pack of hungry wolves circling a lame sheep.

  When the kitchen was empty, Wes felt some of the tension leave his friend’s slim frame.

  “You don’t need to help me take it out to them,” Wes offered, taking pity on the guy. “I got it.”

  “No, it’s fine.” Jess had his Brave Little Toaster face on, all straight shoulders and chin up.

  Wes shrugged. If Jess wanted to torture himself, it was his prerogative. Not like Wes had a leg to stand on in the Making Healthy Choices department, anyway.

  That’s probably why they’d fallen into this friendship, Wes reflected as they loaded the bowls onto two trays. They weren’t that close in age, and their childhoods couldn’t have been more different—but he and Jess were both Love’s suckers.

  And they were both pretty good at acting like everything was fine. Wes was impressed with the matter-of-fact way the kid hefted one of the trays and carried it out of the kitchen, head held high and a grim smile on his face.

  Wes followed him, ready to jump in and defend Jess if the wolves were ravening harder than usual—as a server, Jess was used to the more sedate, polite responses of restaurant guests to the arrival of food; he might not realize that if he was too slow handing off a bowl of soup to one of Market’s hungry line cooks, he was liable to draw back a bloody stump instead of a ha
nd.

  But by the time Wes joined him in passing around the goods, Jess had already emptied his tray and was turning to head back to the kitchen.

  “Not going to stay and eat with us, then?”

  Sous chef Frankie Boyd, resident Brit punk badass and Breaker of Young, Innocent Hearts, looked up from his ungainly sprawl against the bar. An unlit cigarette dangled from his lips, bobbing as he thinned his lips.

  “Not hungry,” Jess replied without looking around, so he didn’t see the expression that flashed over Frankie’s face. Wes did, though, and it was intimate enough, real enough, to make him look down and away, almost embarrassed to have witnessed such a private moment.

  For a minute, the only sounds in the dining room were the bang of the kitchen door behind Jess and the noise of Wes’s kitchen comrades sucking down soup. The happy slurping was punctuated by occasional moans of pleasure.

  Guess the soup wasn’t too bitter after all. Huh.

  And as Wes watched the savory steam curl up from the bowls, he thought again of Mrs. N., her plump cheeks flushed pink with the heat of the ancient stovetop in the tiny, functional kitchen of Heartway House.

  Those bad feelings, you put them in the pot and the cooking transforms them into nourishment for the body. And the parts that cannot be transformed, those escape into the air as smoke and mist, gone from the body forever.

  Gathering up his empty tray, Wes followed his friend out of the dining room.

  Jess looked up, surprised, when he swung open the door. “You’re not having dinner with the crew?”

  Wes balanced the tray on an empty corner of counter. “Lost my appetite.”

  “Hmm.” Jess’s blue gaze was entirely too sharp as he surveyed Wes. “I know why I don’t want to break bread and shoot the shit with the cooks. What’s up with you?”