A Taste of Sun

By Heather B. Moore

From USA Today bestselling author Heather B. Moore comes the contemporary romance novella: A TASTE OF SUN

"Parked in modern-day New York . . . sweet and simple with characters who are relatable and engaging." --Melissa DeMoux, DESERET NEWS

Winona Grant embarks on a summer-long visit to NYC to house-sit for her great-aunt after a nasty break-up with her boyfriend Paul. But when her aunt commissions neighbor Steve Monti to tour Winona around, they strike a deal. Winona has too many deadlines to play tourist, and Steve is looking for a distraction from his looming gallery opening. So Steve goes on the tours by himself, and Winona reports back to her aunt as if she’d gone too. The longer this happens, the more Winona wants to change her mind. Seeing the city with Steve might be the perfect solution to forgetting about Paul.

Note for readers: A TASTE OF SUN was previously published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer in New York Collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mirror Press, LLC
• Release date: Jul 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386497608

Heather B. Moore

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown, The Slow March of Light, and In the Shadow of a Queen. She’s lived on both the east and west coasts of the United States, including Hawaii, and attended school abroad including the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about anything in history and, as an author, is passionate about historical research.

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About A Taste of Sun

Winona Grant embarks on a summer-long visit to NYC to house-sit for her great-aunt after a nasty break-up with her boyfriend Paul. But when her aunt commissions neighbor Steve Monti to tour Winona around, they strike a deal. Winona has too many deadlines to play tourist, and Steve is looking for a distraction from his looming gallery opening. So Steve goes on the tours by himself, and Winona reports back to her aunt as if she’d gone too. The longer this happens, the more Winona wants to change her mind. Seeing the city with Steve might be the perfect solution to forgetting about Paul.

Chapter One

Winona Grant climbed out of the taxi, stepped over a rain puddle, and craned her neck to look at the apartment building where she’d be living for the summer. New York City. It couldn’t be more different from the California city of Irvine, where she’d grown up. The sun and sand had been replaced by rain and cement.

The taxi driver unloaded her two suitcases and carried them to the steps beneath the awning of the front entrance, getting them out of the rain quickly. The sixty-something doorman stepped forward, eyeing Winona.

You’re Ms. Grant’s niece? he asked as she joined him beneath the awning.

Yes, Winona said. She brushed the raindrops from her jacket and tried not to stare at the doorman. He wore a uniform, and he was expecting her. This was so not home.

Do you need anything else, miss? the taxi driver asked.

Winona could swear that the doorman had scrunched his nose, but then his expression was placid again. I’ll assist Miss Grant, he said with a pointed look at the taxi driver.

Winona turned to the driver and paid him the fare. Thank you so much.

Apparently there was some sort of unspoken protocol Winona would have to learn; taxi drivers weren’t let inside exclusive Manhattan apartment buildings, apparently. Winona shouldn’t have been totally surprised. Aunt Genevieve never went by a nickname; it was always the full Genevieve. This summer, Winona was housesitting for her aunt while she worked in Europe, launching a new fashion designer. Genevieve Grant was the one of the top publicists in the fashion industry, and if she said something was gold, it turned platinum.

By the time her aunt returned, the new designer would surely be featured in every top fashion magazine and booked for a year’s worth of shows.

The doorman started to wheel her suitcases, and Winona winced a bit, knowing they were awkwardly large. She followed him inside the plush lobby, which sported marble pillars and a thick Turkish rug. She wanted to stop and stare; instead, she followed the doorman to the elevator.

Inside, she had a chance to read his nametag. I really appreciate your help, Mr. Johnson.

He nodded and gave her a brief smile then was back to business, pressing the button for the eighth floor. Winona leaned against the wall and let a small sigh escape. It had been a whirlwind getting everything organized so she could spend the summer in New York. Her boss at Meyer Graphics & Design had been great about her working remotely for a few months, but it would hurt her chances at getting promoted when the vice president went on maternity leave in a week. Rumors were that Stacy wouldn’t return, and when she made the official announcement, her job would open up.

Working remotely would put Winona at a disadvantage; most likely, one of her coworkers would get the promotion. No way could Winona assume the VP job while in New York. A VP had to be hands-on with their Irvine clients. But Aunt Genevieve had asked for this favor, and Winona really owed the aunt who’d put her through college after her parents had split and her father had decided that his new wife was more important than his daughter.

The elevator chimed and stopped on the fourth floor, pulling Winona’s thoughts back to the present. As the door slid open, Winona heard a woman shouting.

A man hurried into the elevator then pressed the close button over and over.

The woman’s voice drew closer. "You’ll pay for this,