The Chef's Redemption

He built a fortress to protect his genius. She is the professional threat hired to tear it down.

Three years ago, Gideon Brooks was the world's most volatile chef, known for his dangerous, unedited genius. Then one catastrophic failure-a searing, public review that exposed his crippling lack of control-sent him fleeing the city. Now, Gideon lives in Willow Creek, running a safe, predictable Inn menu that is his professional fortress, designed to protect him from the scrutiny that ruined his life.

His sanctuary is shattered by Dr. Clara Hayes, a ruthless, brilliant PR consultant hired by the Cooperative to launch their high-end food line. Clara is Gideon's worst nightmare: she's the ultimate critic, the architect of the spotlight, and she sees his self-sabotage immediately. She doesn't want his safe cooking; she demands the volatile genius he buried.

Clara's professional mission is to force Gideon to risk everything again. Gideon's professional mission is to resist the one person who can break his focus.

Forced into an isolated kitchen laboratory-a high-stakes workspace where every accidental touch ignites their chemistry-Gideon must recreate the exact dishes that destroyed him. But as Clara peels back the layers of his professional defense, the line between critique and desire vanishes. The taste of their shared creation is volatile, exhilarating, and completely addicting.

When a photograph of their private, desperate commitment leaks to the press, Gideon's deepest fear-that vulnerability leads to public ruin-is realized. Now, he must choose: Retreat into the cold, predictable safety of his past, or risk his entire heart on the woman who forced his redemption.

Can a man who fears exposure trust the woman who thrives in the spotlight?

The Hearthstone Series continues with this intense, standalone, forced-proximity romance!