Flirt with Temptation: Flirt with Me Series, #1

By Amy Manemann

In Flirt with Temptation…

After years of paying her dues, Ava Sweet finally owns the taffy shop she's always dreamed of having. Her grandmother's signature recipes are beginning to make a statement in Soho, NY, and with the help of a friend, she has her eyes set on the upcoming Big Apple Sweets Convention to put her shop on the map. There's just one problem: The hunky Boy Scout from the fudge shop next door is accusing her of stealing their recipe.

Hudson James is always ready to lend a helping hand, especially at his family's shop, Fudge Nuggets. Everyone is excited to showcase a few new recipes at the upcoming sweets convention in hopes of regaining the notoriety their shop once claimed. Unfortunately, the taffy shop owner created a recipe so similar that Hudson doesn't hesitate to call her out on it.

In a world of sugary creations and high-pressure candy making, getting romantically involved doesn't fit into the recipe. With the convention only a week away, Ava and Hudson will need to keep their eye on the prize, even while their hearts are flirting with temptation.

The Flirt with Me Series: This series or three books was previously released as fan fiction in Melissa Foster's Remington World. With permission from Melissa Foster, the story and characters remain the same with new titles and covers. Flirt with Temptation was previously published as Pulled by Love in 2016. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amy Manemann
• Release date: Oct 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386783138

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ava Sweet tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, eyes intently focused on the sticky mess in front of her. Pulling taffy was an art, one she’d carefully honed and perfected since she was a little girl in her grandmother’s sweets shop. Nona Jan had taught her the secret to making and pulling the perfect taffy, creating just the right texture that would melt in your mouth and keep you reaching for another piece. Now that she had her own taffy shop, it was up to Ava to carry on their family tradition and continue to create the taffy she’d grown up eating .

Ava could almost hear Nona’s voice whispering in her ear as she buttered her hands, reminding her to keep them greased to prevent the taffy from turning into a sticky mess. The taffy always started off as a brown gooey mess, but Ava knew within fifteen minutes of pulling it would turn into the sweet, creamy coloring her funfetti taffy was known for. It was the nature of the beast, they would always laugh, and it was times like these when Ava missed her grandmother the most.

Her mind drifted as she pulled the taffy, drawing her back to childhood memories. An only child, Ava and her mother had lived with her mother’s parents in a two bedroom apartment in New York City. She never knew her father. Apparently being told he was about to be a father had sent him running. That suited her just fine. Growing up, Ava was showered with so much love and encouragement by her mother and grandparents that the absence of a father rarely crossed her mind.

It was her grandmother who instilled the joy of taffy making in her. From a young age, Ava could be found in the kitchen of her grandmother’s shop, buttering up her hands and grabbing small batches of goo to pull. As she grew, so did her interest in the business, and while other teenagers were out on dates or hanging out, Ava studied her grandmother’s recipes, looking for ways to enhance the flavors. When she graduated high school, going to college had never crossed her mind. Being in the taffy business with her grandmother was all that she knew, and all that she wanted to do. Nona’s death a year after she graduated sent the entire family into a tail spin, and it wasn’t until the following year when Ava was cleaning out one of Nona’s old boxes from her sweets shop that she came across her grandmother’s recipe book.

Ava’s movements slowed as she pulled the taffy, remembering that day clearly as though it were just yesterday. She’d been struggling without her grandmother’s influence, trying to stay afloat and figure out what she was going to do with the rest of her life. Finding that book had been an answer to her prayers, and the minute her fingers had touched the worn leather binding, she knew what she was supposed to do. What her grandmother would have wanted her to do.

She started out small, setting up shop in a tiny, one bedroom apartment. It took months for her to gain traction using her grandmother’s recipes, and she spent many long hours on her feet, hocking her taffy at every vendor event and business in town. With a bit of luck and ingenuity, her hard work finally paid off, and six months after creating her first taffy, Ava was moving her business from her tiny apartment to a new storefront in Soho. It’d been a tough road, but she knew she’d do it again in a heartbeat.

The door to the kitchen abruptly swung open. Ava glanced up, her thoughts scattering to the wind as Hudson James stormed through the doorway. She’d only been in her storefront for a month and had yet to meet all her neighbors, but she knew Hudson’s family owned Fudge Nuggets, the fudge and candy store next door.

Sandy blonde hair, deep set blue eyes and a strong jaw were complimented by his muscular physique, and Ava would have been sorely tempted to stop and admire the show had he not been staring her down. Judging by the firm clench of his jaw, Ava had a sneaky suspicion the neighborhood Boy Scout wasn’t here for a social visit. He looked pissed. As in seriously pissed. And he was glaring at her.

Just who in the hell do you think you are? he spat, feet planted on the floor and hands firmly on his solid hips.

Ava tried not to notice those hips, forcing her gaze to remain locked with his. Her hands continued to pull the taffy on the work table in front of her, knowing that if she were to stop it would harden and become unusable. Not exactly a good time to be carrying on a conversation.

Um, excuse me? she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

His nostrils flared, and if it were possible for steam to escape his ears, Ava was fairly certain she could see it circling his head. Hudson was known as the neighborhood Boy Scout for the simple fact that he was always helping someone out. Rumor had it that he had an appealing, easy going nature about him, and Ava had heard more than her fair share of stories about the kind hearted Hudson from customers who came into her shop. Needless to say, seeing him standing in the middle of her kitchen, glaring her down, was in stark contrast to the image she had of him in her head.

His lips pressed into a thin line, annoyance stamped across his handsome features. If looks could kill, she’d be a goner. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Did you think you could just steal our recipe and it would go unnoticed?

Ava’s mouth fell open, a soft gasp escaping her lips. What?! Listen, I don’t know what you think it is that I’ve done, but I suggest you back the truck up and explain yourself.

He stepped closer and leaned in, bringing his face even with hers. The combination of his nearness and the heady scent of his cologne wafting past her nostrils made her insides quiver with anticipation. Hudson was even more handsome up close than when she gawked at him from afar, and she tried not to notice the bulge of hard muscles bunching his shoulders, or the hint of stubble shadowing his strong jaw.

"My family’s secret recipe, the one we were working on to introduce at the Big Apple Sweets Convention. The one you stole and used in your new taffy recipe." His breath brushed over her face like a caress, and had she not been pulling taffy, she would have been sorely tempted to lean in closer to him.

Instead, she shook her head to clear her thoughts, eyes narrowing. "I beg your pardon? I did not steal your family’s recipe for my new taffy flavor. For your information, Boy Scout, this recipe has been in my family for generations. I only just happened across it a few days ago and thought I’d give it a try."

Oh really? So you just happened to pull out a chocolate buttercream flavored taffy recipe from your magical box and whipped it up in your kitchen? His voice was far too superior, grating on her nerves.

Blowing out a breath, Ava calmed her rising temper, knowing it wouldn’t help the situation. She wasn’t one to give into fits of anger, and she wasn’t about to start now just because Mr. High and Mighty was in a snit. Ava glanced down at her taffy, noting with satisfaction that it was nearing the right consistency for cutting and wrapping. Now if she could settle down Hudson’s hissy fit, perhaps the day wouldn’t be a total wash.

I don’t need to explain myself to you or to anybody else. That said, I didn’t steal your recipe, and I’m sorry if it appears that way. If you can give me about twenty minutes, I’ll show you the recipe from my grandmother’s book, and you can see for yourself, she informed him curtly, taking a small amount of satisfaction when the smugness slipped from his face.

His eyebrows furrowed in surprise. You want me to wait?

Ava shrugged. Or you can come back. The choice is up to you.

What, and leave you alone so you can falsify the recipe while I’m gone? I don’t think so, Sweetheart, he returned smoothly.

Ava felt her cheeks grow warm. Never in her life had she ever been accused of stealing anything, and to have this man storm into her business and do just that was ticking her off. He may have the rest of the people in the neighborhood fooled, but Ava wasn’t going to be taken in by his smooth looks or the charming smile she’d seen him flash on more than one occasion. And if he thought she was just going to sit back and let this slide, then he had another thing coming.

Listen, Boy Scout. I’m on a time limit here with pulling this taffy, and I’m getting sick and tired of you shooting your mouth off. Stay or go, I really don’t care. I’ve already told you the truth, and I’ve offered to show you the evidence. Take it, or leave it. Ava threw out the ultimatum, not really caring if he blew up at her or not. Listening to him have a cow over something she didn’t do wasn’t at the top of her priority list. Getting the taffy pulled, cut and wrapped, was.

Finally, he nodded. Folding his arms across his muscular chest, he leaned against the counter across from her work station. Alright then, I’ll wait.

Ava blew out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, feeling somewhat relieved. The silence in the room stretched as she studiously tried to ignore the Neanderthal, continuing to pull the taffy for another ten minutes before rolling it into a long, thin log. Retrieving her baking scissors, she greased them up before sizing and cutting off pieces of the taffy, quickly wrapping them in pre-cut pieces of wax paper and twisting off the ends.

She could feel his stare burning the back of her neck as she worked, and it took a concentrated effort not to turn around and say something. He could stare all he wanted for all she cared, she thought crossly. It wasn’t going to get her to move any faster.

Hudson was beyond pissed. He’d arrived at his parents’ shop,