EXCERPT REVEAL PACKET: Calla's Kitchen by Teresa Crumpton

Need a taste? Keep reading for an excerpt from Calla's Kitchen by Teresa Crumpton! It releases July 13th!

PRE-ORDER NOW: US → https://amzn.to/2ywk9rT AU → https://amzn.to/2K9JARL CA → https://amzn.to/2tsQfPB UK → https://amzn.to/2tey0hy

BLURB:

Calla Bond needs a rebound, and unfortunately so does her cooking. The chef and restaurateur lost her edge right about the time she found her fiance in bed with another woman. For the last year, the only thing saving her restaurant has been her family of friends willing to pick up the slack while she nursed a deeply broken heart. Now, however, Calla's nearly out of credit with her closest pals, and they're determined to help her heal her spirit and find her cooking mojo again. Wes Westminster adores Calla, but his close relationship with Calla's brother - not to mention Calla's engagement - has ensured the two have been strictly friends. Even now, with no fiance in his way, Wes isn't ready to jeopardize both of those friendships just to pursue the girl of his dreams. But Wes will have to make peace with his inner conflict soon, because Calla's restaurant family is setting her up, and Wes is the one pushing her to move on. Calla's Kitchen may be read and enjoyed as a standalone contemporary romance!

Wes

I lie in bed for a little longer, willing my woody to go down before climbing out of bed. Having to pee when you have morning wood is a bitch. Someone should have thought about that during our creation or evolution. When I finally make it out to the kitchen, Calla has coffee brewed and ready for me. She’s still in her sexy lace cami and hipsters, one foot resting on top of the other, with her hip propped against the counter next to the stove as she fries four eggs. She glances up from the skillet. “Fried egg sandwich okay for breakfast?” “Sounds great. Thanks for the coffee. It tastes good. Almost like you actually drink it.” Her face contorts into a disgusted grimace. “Not even. That,” she gestures to my cup, “is gross. I’m not sure how you guys drink it. Just be glad I have the French press and grounds, otherwise your happy ass would be walking down to the coffee shop.” “I’m very thankful. Besides,” I glance down, “I’d probably get arrested if I walked down the street wearing this. Not to mention, I wouldn’t get service.” She faces me, giving me a wry smile. “Go sit down. Breakfast is almost ready.” She turns back toward the stove as I sit at the dining table. The paper lays open on the table, but instead of picking it up, my eyes stay glued to her. My thoughts drift to all the naughty things we did last night, and new ones I’d like to try this morning. Calla glances over her shoulder, finding me watching her. I’d shifted without even realizing it, as I’d fantasized about her. My left elbow now rests on the table, with my head propped in my hand, while my right hand remains wrapped around my coffee mug. She gives me a quizzical look. “Why so pensive?” she asks, returning her focus back to the skillet on the stove. She flips the eggs one more time before making the sandwiches. Pensive? “I-” I stop, not sure what I want to say. As I work through my thoughts, my mouth opens and closes like a fish, but no words follow. Cautiously, Calla carries our plates to the table, placing one in front of me and the other in front of her chair. “Calla, last night…” I start. She cuts me off. “I'm sorry, Wes. It won't happen again. I shouldn't have….”

About Teresa

Teresa Crumpton writes dark supernatural thrillers, along with contemporary romance, poetry and short stories. She started writing when she was young, never thinking one day she'd turn her passion into a career. Teresa's first novel, Her Legacy, is a haunting ghost story with a little rumored family history within the pages. Teresa obtained two degrees, Government with an Emphasis in Legal Studies, and English Lit, hoping to get into law school. In 2004 she married the man of her dreams. As they moved around the country her dreams changed. She once again went back to school, this time obtaining a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and her writing became not only her passion, but also the fulfillment of a promise to her father before he passed. Teresa grew up in Cincinnati and Dallas/Ft. Worth, making her a hybrid Midwest and southern girl. She has five siblings (all half or step), which always made for a boisterous Christmas while traveling.