by: Yahrah St. John
Series: Six Gems
Genre: Contemporary African American Romance
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Being attracted to a stranger is risky—especially when his true identity is hidden by amnesia. Passion burns in Yahrah St. John’s next installment in the Six Gems series.
He didn’t remember his identity or his past, but he was everything her body craved
Chef Egypt Cox is flattered when a handsome stranger raves about her restaurant. But before their sizzling attraction can ignite, he’s attacked—and left with amnesia! Egypt still doesn’t know who Garrett is, but their chemistry is off the charts…as are the nights he spends in her bed. But when Egypt discovers her mystery lover is none other than corporate shark Garrett Forrester—and his secrets may threaten their newfound connection...
From Harlequin Desire: Passionate and provocative stories featuring rich, powerful heroes and scandalous family sagas.
As she chatted with another delighted patron, the hairs on the back of Egypt’s neck stood up. She felt as if she were being watched. Her eyes spanned the restaurant and connected with a pair of onyx ones laser focused on her. Egypt stared right back, because she was enjoying the view. The stranger was tall, chocolate and broad-shouldered with close cropped dark curls, just how she liked her men. She also loved the sexy beard and sensuous lips. He looked like he knew exactly how to use them to give a woman the ultimate pleasure.
There was a flash in his gaze that made Egypt’s skin tingle. She was suddenly aware of herself. Her breasts ached and felt heavier than usual, and that was saying a lot, since she had an ample bosom and wore a triple D cup. There was a shivery sensation between her legs, and Egypt felt her cheeks flush. Or perhaps she had spent too much time in the kitchen and was overheated?
She blinked, breaking the spell, and continued around the restaurant, checking in with guests to make sure they enjoyed their meal and were fully satisfied. Consciously or unconsciously, she stayed away from the bar. She didn’t trust herself if she got too close to the magnetic stranger with the deep-set eyes. Instead, she kept to the outskirts and, when it was time, quickly made her way to the kitchen. But she still felt his eyes on her back as she entered her safe haven.
“Service going well?” Quentin asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Everyone is enjoying their food. It’s a good night.”
“Excellent, Chef,” Quentin responded. “We have an order of your blackened catfish along with a request to meet you.”
“Is that right?” She didn’t need to ask who it was. She knew. It was the man at the bar. She could refuse the request and appear childish or she could be the bold boss babe she’d always been and face him head-on.
Egypt wasn’t going to make it easy on him, though. She sent out the dish but made him wait twenty minutes to meet her. Once she was sure her long hair was in a sophisticated topknot and added a glide of mauve lipstick, she walked to the bar.
As if he sensed her presence, he turned around. “Chef Egypt, I presume?”
Damn! Why did his low, rich voice sound as decadent as syrup drizzled over her amaretto brioche French toast? It made Egypt’s lungs draw tight in her chest and goose bumps scatter across her skin.
She offered a bright smile. “That’s me. I hope you enjoyed your meal.” She glanced at the now-empty plate sitting on the bar. Up close, the man looked even more attractive than he’d been from afar. He was powerfully built, and she could see the outline of his biceps in the button-down shirt he wore that easily cost more than anything in her closet. He breathed sophistication.
“Yes, I did, and I wanted to thank the chef who prepared it. I’m Garrett, by the way.” He grinned and held out his hand.
For a moment, she stared at down at his outstretched hand and even thought about refusing him, but then she took his hand, sliding her palm across his much larger one. “Pleasure to meet you, Garrett. As for the food, it was a group effort.”
“Beautiful and humble. A rare combination,” Garrett replied with a smile. Egypt’s stomach flipped when he revealed pearly white teeth. Did he get them brightened? They were perfect!
Not to mention his eyes. They were trained on her, and Egypt found herself standing a little straighter in her Crocs. She couldn’t seem to stop herself from looking away from him, either. He wasn’t the usual guy she came across. She doubted a worldly gentleman like him ever ate in a place like this. She supposed that’s what made him seem so out of place, but that didn’t stop her heart from ratcheting up to a dizzying pace.
“I’m glad you enjoyed your entrée. May I propose dessert or coffee?”
“Only if you can share it with me,” he responded boldly and looked her straight in the eye, as if daring her to turn him down.
Egypt was taken aback. Since the restaurant opened, she’d never had a patron be quite so bold. Though there had been the odd one here or there who tried to cup her behind and she promptly showed them the door, this man was different, because she was attracted to him—and she suspected he knew it.
“I’m afraid not,” Egypt responded. “As the chef and proprietor of this establishment, I have a lot to do before the night is over.”
“Which is precisely why you can get someone to do it for you.”
Her eyes narrowed, and Egypt had to give it to him, she liked a man who knew what he wanted, but she wasn’t on the menu. “Are you always this persistent?”
“I have found it serves me well in life.”
“Well, it won’t tonight, but thanks for the offer. I’ll have dessert sent over. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
Egypt spun on her heel and escaped to the confines of her kitchen, but all the way there, she felt Garrett’s laser-beam focus on her. A shiver raced across her skin and heat flared low in her belly at the appreciative way he’d looked at her. A man like him screamed Danger!
Once there, Egypt leaned against the double doors and began fanning herself as she took a deep breath. The problem was, when she closed her eyes, she thought about him and what he would look like without any clothes on. He was all dark, sinful temptation wrapped in refined elegance, and she craved a taste.
What was wrong with her? She’d never had such a visceral reaction to a man before, not even her ex-boyfriend Antwan Dixon, who she’d thought was the love of her life. Antwan had liked being in charge and telling her what to do. He was a narcissist, which Egypt had figured out too late. She’d thought she would marry him, because in the beginning, he was everything she could wish for, but he’d been hiding behind a mask. Soon, he was criticizing Egypt about her weight and her cooking.
To make matters worse, he was a control freak. Egypt never had a voice, because he had to be the center of attention. When that hadn’t been enough, he’d taken the money she’d saved for her own restaurant and left her holding the bag on a ton of debt. Egypt had never felt so used in her life. For the last seven years, she’d kept men at a distance, only bothering with them when she needed physical affection.
But that man out there made her feel. Something she’d sworn never to do again. Egypt didn’t like it. It was a good thing he was probably passing through town and she’d never see him again. Otherwise, she would be in big trouble.
There was a flash in his gaze that made Egypt’s skin tingle. She was suddenly aware of herself. Her breasts ached and felt heavier than usual, and that was saying a lot, since she had an ample bosom and wore a triple D cup. There was a shivery sensation between her legs, and Egypt felt her cheeks flush. Or perhaps she had spent too much time in the kitchen and was overheated?
She blinked, breaking the spell, and continued around the restaurant, checking in with guests to make sure they enjoyed their meal and were fully satisfied. Consciously or unconsciously, she stayed away from the bar. She didn’t trust herself if she got too close to the magnetic stranger with the deep-set eyes. Instead, she kept to the outskirts and, when it was time, quickly made her way to the kitchen. But she still felt his eyes on her back as she entered her safe haven.
“Service going well?” Quentin asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Everyone is enjoying their food. It’s a good night.”
“Excellent, Chef,” Quentin responded. “We have an order of your blackened catfish along with a request to meet you.”
“Is that right?” She didn’t need to ask who it was. She knew. It was the man at the bar. She could refuse the request and appear childish or she could be the bold boss babe she’d always been and face him head-on.
Egypt wasn’t going to make it easy on him, though. She sent out the dish but made him wait twenty minutes to meet her. Once she was sure her long hair was in a sophisticated topknot and added a glide of mauve lipstick, she walked to the bar.
As if he sensed her presence, he turned around. “Chef Egypt, I presume?”
Damn! Why did his low, rich voice sound as decadent as syrup drizzled over her amaretto brioche French toast? It made Egypt’s lungs draw tight in her chest and goose bumps scatter across her skin.
She offered a bright smile. “That’s me. I hope you enjoyed your meal.” She glanced at the now-empty plate sitting on the bar. Up close, the man looked even more attractive than he’d been from afar. He was powerfully built, and she could see the outline of his biceps in the button-down shirt he wore that easily cost more than anything in her closet. He breathed sophistication.
“Yes, I did, and I wanted to thank the chef who prepared it. I’m Garrett, by the way.” He grinned and held out his hand.
For a moment, she stared at down at his outstretched hand and even thought about refusing him, but then she took his hand, sliding her palm across his much larger one. “Pleasure to meet you, Garrett. As for the food, it was a group effort.”
“Beautiful and humble. A rare combination,” Garrett replied with a smile. Egypt’s stomach flipped when he revealed pearly white teeth. Did he get them brightened? They were perfect!
Not to mention his eyes. They were trained on her, and Egypt found herself standing a little straighter in her Crocs. She couldn’t seem to stop herself from looking away from him, either. He wasn’t the usual guy she came across. She doubted a worldly gentleman like him ever ate in a place like this. She supposed that’s what made him seem so out of place, but that didn’t stop her heart from ratcheting up to a dizzying pace.
“I’m glad you enjoyed your entrée. May I propose dessert or coffee?”
“Only if you can share it with me,” he responded boldly and looked her straight in the eye, as if daring her to turn him down.
Egypt was taken aback. Since the restaurant opened, she’d never had a patron be quite so bold. Though there had been the odd one here or there who tried to cup her behind and she promptly showed them the door, this man was different, because she was attracted to him—and she suspected he knew it.
“I’m afraid not,” Egypt responded. “As the chef and proprietor of this establishment, I have a lot to do before the night is over.”
“Which is precisely why you can get someone to do it for you.”
Her eyes narrowed, and Egypt had to give it to him, she liked a man who knew what he wanted, but she wasn’t on the menu. “Are you always this persistent?”
“I have found it serves me well in life.”
“Well, it won’t tonight, but thanks for the offer. I’ll have dessert sent over. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
Egypt spun on her heel and escaped to the confines of her kitchen, but all the way there, she felt Garrett’s laser-beam focus on her. A shiver raced across her skin and heat flared low in her belly at the appreciative way he’d looked at her. A man like him screamed Danger!
Once there, Egypt leaned against the double doors and began fanning herself as she took a deep breath. The problem was, when she closed her eyes, she thought about him and what he would look like without any clothes on. He was all dark, sinful temptation wrapped in refined elegance, and she craved a taste.
What was wrong with her? She’d never had such a visceral reaction to a man before, not even her ex-boyfriend Antwan Dixon, who she’d thought was the love of her life. Antwan had liked being in charge and telling her what to do. He was a narcissist, which Egypt had figured out too late. She’d thought she would marry him, because in the beginning, he was everything she could wish for, but he’d been hiding behind a mask. Soon, he was criticizing Egypt about her weight and her cooking.
To make matters worse, he was a control freak. Egypt never had a voice, because he had to be the center of attention. When that hadn’t been enough, he’d taken the money she’d saved for her own restaurant and left her holding the bag on a ton of debt. Egypt had never felt so used in her life. For the last seven years, she’d kept men at a distance, only bothering with them when she needed physical affection.
But that man out there made her feel. Something she’d sworn never to do again. Egypt didn’t like it. It was a good thing he was probably passing through town and she’d never see him again. Otherwise, she would be in big trouble.
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The Six Gems Series:
Her One Night Consequence releases September 26, 2023
Frenemy Fix-Up releases February 20, 2024
When she’s not at home crafting one of her spicy romances with compelling heroes and feisty heroines with a dash of family drama, she is gourmet cooking or traveling the globe seeking out her next adventure.
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loved that excerpt!
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