Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!
Today we have a smooch from Michelle Douglas, but first ...
the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- Helen
Can you please contact louisageorgeauthor (at) gmail (dot) com to receive your copy of Backstage With Her Ex
And now for today's Sunday Smooch from The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo
The man behind the Italian good looks…
Gorgeous Rico D’Angelo is single-handedly saving the world, one disadvantaged teen at a time. The opening of his charity café should be enough for him to finally put the regrets of his childhood behind him…but even as the ribbon is cut on opening day it’s not enough.
Until new hire Neen Cuthbert walks through the door and offers an unexpected blast of sunshine. She’s had her fill of misguided do-gooders, but something tells her Rico is different. Neen won’t let him push her away—especially now she’s discovering that Rico might just need her most of all…
Scene set-up: [You know? I don’t think you need one ;-)]
Rico stared at her, his jaw slack. Then a light blazed in his eyes. It stole her breath. Before she could gather her wits he reached across, took her face in his hands and kissed her.
If Neen had thought Rico’s lips would be cool—like him—she’d have been seriously mistaken. They were hot. Searingly hot. Heat jolted through her all the way down to the soles of her feet, electrifying her. Telling her what she needed and how.
She gasped, but she didn’t pull away.
His grip tightened. And then his tongue stroked her inner lips, teasing and tempting, creating an aching space of need and desire inside her that grew and grew and threatened every shred of her composure until she thought she might die if she didn’t respond.
Her tongue touched his. She felt rather than heard his moan. He smelled of cologne, but tasted smooth, like a buttery Chardonnay. She pressed herself as close as she could and drank him in.
Beyond the sheer unexpected magic of the kiss the table bit into her ribs and the clatter of cups and saucers tried to break her concentration. She did what she could to block it out, wanting to savour this one unexpected moment. A moment filled with energy and hope, and a lightness of being that was utterly foreign to her but utterly right at the same time.
More china rattled and clinked.
Rico.
Chatter. Laughter.
Kissing her.
The sound of a coffee machine.
So right…
Wrong!
The word screamed through her and Neen planted a hand in his chest and shoved him away. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, trying to rid herself of the taste of him in an effort to settle the clamouring need that hurtled through her. Her body’s betraying hum and thrum, its pounding and pulsing, made her grip the wooden tabletop in an effort to stay upright.
Rico stared at her, his chest rising and falling, his eyes dark and dazed.
Much of the action of The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo takes place in a cafe and Rico is a sucker for Neen's apple sour cake. To go into the draw to win a copy of the book just leave a comment telling me what your your favourite cake is -- and the more mouthwatering the better!
The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo is on the shelves now.
Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Kelly Steel will be posted!
Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver
Hi Michelle
ReplyDeleteWhat a great smooch I so loved this book Rico and Neen are so good for each other :)
Favourite cake I do enjoy cake at the moment I would have to say Red Velvet cake I have only had it a few times but it is so yummy my sone and his wife had one for their wedding cake last month yummo
Have Fun
Helen
Whoo hoo lucky me Thank you I look forward to reading Backstaqge with Her Ex :)
Aw, thanks, Helen -- so glad you enjoyed Rico and Neen's story. It had been one I'd been mulling over in my mind and wanting to write for a while so I'm pleased it worked for you. :-)
DeleteRed Velvet cake? I've never tried that, but I aim to at the very first opportunity I get! I love wedding cakes -- any wedding cakes -- and it sounds like your son had a gorgeous one. :-)
Oh, I'm dying to read Rico and Neen's story! Might have to pop out today and grab a copy. :)
ReplyDeleteFavourite cake? Lemon syrup cake. I've been thinking I should learn to bake them so I could have them on demand...
Oh, I'll send you a copy, Rach. ;-) And I'll pop in a copy of the recipe that Barbara Hannay shared on her blog a while ago for Greek Lemon Syrup Cake. It's really easy and one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. I make this for dessert when we have dinner guests and it always leads them to conclude that I'm a fabulous cook. ;-)
DeleteGreek Lemon Syrup Cake sounds heavenly. Can you post it here on this blog? I went to Barbara's blog but couldn't find it. If not, no worries.
DeleteMarcy Shuler
Mary I'll see if I can find a link. :-)
DeleteMarcy not Mary! Sorry, Marcy, my fingers went to fast for my eyes.
DeleteYou have a recipe? Yes, please. Maybe we should have a recipe day here on the LoveCats, where bloggers and commenters can share recipes for good things like Lemon Syrup Cake. :)
DeleteWhat an inspired idea! We absolutely should do that.
DeleteI've been called worse than Mary, Michelle. LOL I've even been send autographed books inscribed by the author to 'Mary.'
DeleteMarcy
Ouch!
DeleteBlimey, that's a kiss and a half, Michelle. Can't wait to read the book.
ReplyDeleteDouble chocolate cake is my favourite.
LOL! Thanks, Sue. It's short but sweet. I didn't want to give too much of the book away so I didn't really want to reveal the lead up. Or what happens about two lines after this. But...I figured that kiss did capture the moment. ;-)
DeleteYou know, one just can't go wrong with double chocolate cake.
Wow! I wonder what Neen did to make Rico's jaw drop before that kiss? ;)
ReplyDeleteI love my mom's recipe for carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. So yummy.
Marcy Shuler
LOL, Marcy, you'll have to read the book to find out. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! Yum! It would make my DH very happy if I could make that. :-)
And for all who are interested, here's the link to Barbara Hannay's glorious cake. :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chocolateboxwriters.com/an-easy-and-delicious-greek-lemon-cake/
Found it and printing it out now. Thanks, Michelle!
DeleteYou won't regret it, Rach!
DeleteThanks for finding the recipe, Michelle. Can I assume 'caster' sugar is similar to our white sugar or is it something totally different?
DeleteMarcy
Marcy, castor sugar is just a finer version of ordinary white sugar. If you use ordinary white sugar you might just need to stir it a bit longer to make sure it all dissolves.
DeleteKraft's Moist Caramel Apple Cake.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/moist-caramel-apple-cake-75559.aspx
OMG, it's hands-down the easiest and most delicious cake I've ever made. The best part in making it is that you use a bundt pan, so places to slice are already indented for you. And even better (at least for me)? The icing is simply melted caramels drizzled and puddled about. Delish and NOT a pain in the butt to make....
As for your books, I recently read THE CATTLEMAN'S READY-MADE FAMILY and loved it - I loved their journey in discovering their love for each other; I teared up frequently; you made me want to read Barbara Hannay's book, which is next in the trilogy; I could relate to family problems, especially since they are your only family; and I enjoyed how each had various stages of letting go of grief, yet the kids were (and always should be) their first priority.
Oh, that cake looks divine, Laney! I've just checked Aussie substitutes for Kraft caramels and am determined to make this cake the next time cake-making is on the agenda. Thanks for adding the link!
ReplyDeleteAw, I'm so glad you enjoyed 'The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family.' That Bellaroo Creek series was a lot of fun to write. I loved those characters and the way they interacted with the kids and it's making me smile just to think about them. Thanks, Laney!
The Bellaroo trilogy was really great. You will enjoy all three Laney.
DeleteAw, thanks, Kaelee. :-) So pleased you enjoyed them.
DeleteSuch a lovely, lovely smooch thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love my Mother's Light Fruit Cake. This is what she makes for my birthday usually. She adds in a lot of orange juice, so it's very moist & has a very fresh zing to it. It needs no topping or icing, just a cup of tea and you are all set.
Mary, I think homemade fruitcake is one of my favourite things in the world and your mother's sounds perfect. I make one for Christmas every year and the DH waits for it with bated breath. Perhaps I should make it a more regularly...except I think it gains a certain celebrity-status when it only makes an annual appearance. ;-)
DeleteGreat smooch, Michelle. I pretty much love all cake (had some chocolate cake today), but my favourite (even though technically not a cake) is cheesecake - yum, yum, YUM!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's hard to find a "bad" cake, Jen. And while cheesecake may not be technically a cake, I'm certainly not going to refuse a slice if someone were to offer me one. ;-)
Deleteany chocolate cake
ReplyDeleteNice choice, bn100.
DeleteYummy Smooch, Michelle! Rico and Neen's chemistry sizzles!
ReplyDeleteAs for fave cake - i find it hard to go past a chocolate mud cake. Alas the sugar doesn't agree with me so well these days but I do have very fond memories of this particular cake from a little shop in Melbourne... (happy sigh)
Ah, yes, Rico and Neen do generate some heat together, Sharon, and not just in the kitchen. ;-)
DeleteIsn't it funny how food can generate such good memories in us? You might not be able to indulge in that lovely chocolate mud cake too much anymore, but it's obvious your memories of that "little shop in Melbourne" can still make you smile.
Well it's still Sunday here and I want to read your book now. Unfortunately it's still in the mail as I ordered it from Harlequin.
ReplyDeleteI love all kinds of cake. I didn't like cheesecake very much but a couple of members of my extended family suffer from celiac desease so I have been making a gluten free pumpkin cheese that I just love and so does everyone else. I have to buy another spring form pan so I can make two of them to take next time.
You know what comes next, don't you, Kaelee -- will you share your recipe? (I can sense both Jen St George and Rachel Bailey listening into this conversation very intently.) I'd love to make a pumpkin cheesecake for my mother and great aunt -- they use to love making gramma pies (an Aussie version of pumpkin pie) when I was little.
ReplyDeleteLOL about Rico being in the mail so you can't read him yet. I hope you find him worth the wait. ;-)
I wish I could figure out which author's post I got this recipe from. I will share it but I feel bad as I can't credit the author for sharing her recipe in the first place. So if you are the author that shared this recipe, I want to thank you so much as it's a great one. If you don't have a need for a gluten free recipe you can use any kind of ginger snaps for the crust. This makes a really spicy cheesecake.
ReplyDeleteGluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
Christmas goodies and desserts are a problem when you’re trying to eat gluten free. My family loves pumpkin pie but I now make this for our Christmas dinner dessert:
Crust:
Melt ¼ cup butter and add to 1 1/2 cups crushed gluten free gingerbread cookies
Press into bottom of springform pan.
Bake @350 for 10 minutes
Remove and cool.
Filling:
Beat 2 – 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese until smooth, then add:
2/3 cup white sugar and beat again until smooth
2 eggs, beating after each addition
14 oz canned pure pumpkin;
1 teaspoon cinnamon;
1 teaspoon nutmeg;
1 teaspoon ginger;
½ teaspoon salt
and beat until smooth
Baking:
Pour cream cheese mixture over crust. Bake @350 for about 50 – 60 minutes until firm. Chill. Serve with whipped cream and a square of good dark chocolate for garnish.
PS ~ My husband copies and saves the recipes for me. He copied the bit of story line but he forgot to put a name to the recipe.
DeleteI love spicy and I'm looking at all that cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and my mouth is watering. Thanks for posting it, Kaelee.
DeleteAnd, yes, to the unknown author -- many thanks from me too!