Raw (Frannie & Aiden) (Seaside Valleria 3) PAPERBACK -- SIGNED

One kickass chef.
Frannie has spent years searching for herself. She’s tried ten different names so far (because why should she be saddled with Frannie just because her parents chose it?) and her latest, Jasmine, just might stick. Despite her insecurities, she’s always been confident about her abilities in the kitchen. She is a chef extraordinaire, thank you very much, and she won’t have anyone tell her different. Especially not some stuffy customer who doesn’t appreciate her work, even if he is tall and sexy and a loving father to boot.

The critic who nearly destroyed her career.
Aiden is a stickler for privacy, so much so that he uses a pseudonym for his work as a famed restaurant critic. He’s received threats from irate chefs before and he doesn’t want anyone to know who he really is, especially since he has a son to protect.

A love neither of them expected.
During his working visit to a local pub, the Seashell, his life erupts. His ex barges in and decides it’s time he takes full custody of their son so she can go off on another flighty adventure. In the midst of the dramatic scene, it’s Frannie who comes to his rescue. Frannie who comforts his son, while he deals with his ex. Frannie who captivates him, and it’s Frannie’s food he loves.

And it was Frannie’s food years ago that he decimated in the paper. So, he can’t tell Frannie who he really is, because he and his son could risk losing her forever. Then she finds out, and all hell really breaks loose.

This novel features a chef and the critic who wants her, a family made of friends that loves one another (even while they annoy each other), and a look behind fictional pub walls.

She frowned and closed the book. “I’m sorry if I overstepped with the book. I just have this compulsion to open cookbooks I haven’t seen before and—”

Aiden came to her, his stride long and fast. “I don’t give a damn about the book.”

“Then what—uhn!”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard.

She stayed startled for approximately one-point-two-seconds, then the heat she’d been trying to deny took over.

The book landed on the floor with a slam.

Her hands wrapped around his shoulders, then into his hair. Her mouth opened and the delicious taste of him tangled with hers.

One of his hands slid down to her ass, while the other slid under the hem of her dress to her thigh.

She moaned and hitched her leg up.

He angled her hitched leg, putting her in contact with something long and semi-hard.

He pushed her against the shelf, and some of the picture frames rattled when her ass hit them.

He was rubbing his hips against hers, his lips finally leaving hers to move to her neck. He nipped at her pulse and she gasped.

“Aiden.”

“Fuck, Frannie.” He stopped, his breathing heaving, his grip still strong. He took a deep breath—one she felt along her neck, giving her a shiver—then another, and he finally looked into her eyes. “I really like this
dress, Frannie.”

Oh. So maybe the dress wasn’t a bad idea.

She was still wearing pants next time. “I’m glad.”

“I’m sorry if I was a little rough.”

“I didn’t mind it.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up; he was all smugness. “Got that, Frannie.”

She rolled her eyes and tapped his shoulder. “Let me down.”

Something flashed in his eyes. “You ever fuck someone against a bookshelf before?”

Tingles burst across her skin. “Depends how you define ‘fuck’. Full penetration? Oral? Or do you mean—”

His blue eyes darkened. “Have you ever been fucked hard against a bookshelf?” He pushed his hips against hers. “So hard you felt it for days afterward? So hard the memory of it alone can give you an orgasm?”

God, she wanted that. She was almost near an orgasm just hearing him say it. She wasn’t going to tell him that, though. “Again, do you mean full penetration? Anal, perhaps?”

He growled. “You’re saying those things to torture me,
aren’t you?”

“Aren’t you saying your words to torture me?”

He pursed his lips. “That’s a fair point.”

She smiled. “Are you going to let me down now?”

• Betrayal
• All of Marianne Knightly's books feature sexy scenes and swearing

There are NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES allowed for physical or digital items, but please let us know if there's an issue. If a physical product arrives damaged, then you may be eligible for a replacement if you contact us within 7 days of receiving the item (according to the tracking). There is no return for change of mind, or damages that may have occurred during shipping (bent corners, creases, warping, etc.). We reserve the right to determine if an item is actually damaged. Returns are eligible for defective or damaged items if you contact us within 7 days of receiving item (according to the tracking). Packages lost in transit will not refunded. See the full Shipping Policy and Refund Policy for more details and instructions to request a refund.

Some physical items (like signed books or art prints) are shipped directly from me, and may take up to 4 weeks to ship (though it's usually MUCH sooner - I add a buffer in case my chronic illness gets particularly bad during a month). Other physical items are created on demand (meaning we don't create it until you actually buy it). It typically takes 2-7 business days to process an order, then it will ship.

European Union 14 day cooling off period

Notwithstanding the above, if the physical merchandise is being shipped into the European Union, you have the right to cancel or return your order within 14 days, for any reason and without a justification. As above, your item must be in the same condition that you received it (brand new, unworn or unused, with tags, in its original packaging, etc.). You’ll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.

See the full Shipping Policy and Refund Policy for more details.