by Heather Long
The
Marine Corps makes three commitments:
We will make Marines
We will win our Nation's battles
We will develop quality citizens
In
the Always a Marine series, we meet
those individuals, Marines who win our nation’s battles and have become quality
citizens. For the most part, the Marines featured in these books have left
active duty either through choice at the end of their contracts or because of
injuries that sent them home.
In
previous books we’ve met Luke, the officer and gentleman who left his heart
behind when he enlisted, Logan and Zach, the best friends who would do anything
for each other, and James, the psychologist trying to help them all put the
patchwork of their lives back together.
In
Proud to Serve Her, I would like to introduce you to the stellar chef and
former cook of their unit: Damon Sinclair. You may remember him from his brief
appearance in Tell It to the Marine. Damon’s time in the Marines helped him to
become a stronger man, but a man with a passion for food that he first learned
at his Momma’s knee.
Damon believes that a person’s choice of wine says a lot about them and that food is for the soul, not the belly. When his one-night stand time comes, he makes arrangements to meet his date at the grand opening of his new restaurant. His plan is very simple; seduce her with magnificent food and wine.
By
contrast, his date Helena, has spent so much of her life focused on her education
and her career, she’s faced one too many birthdays alone. It took Madame Eve a
whole year to find the perfect guy for her one night stand, but is she ready
for Damon’s sensual assault?
Excerpt:
“Wines
say a lot about someone. A person who orders a dry white is a focused
individual, and prefers clearly defined foods, with a smoky cheese. Whereas the
patron who enjoys a fruity white is more likely to indulge in a spicy dish.”
The lyrical cadence to his words fascinated her.
She
rubbed her finger against the warm side of the coffee cup. A swallow of the
bitter black brew helped. It was far less than her stomach wanted, but it would
have to do for now.
“And
red wines?”
“Reds
are complicated. First there are the blushes. The shy palate prefers a blush
because she knows what she’s getting, but she really wants to experiment. She
just doesn’t know how. She who desires a merlot possesses sophisticated taste,
but is very clear on what she won't try. And burgundies…” the faux waiter
sighed, dragging the word out until the breath caught in her throat.
“Burgundies are for those hungry for something they've never had before.”
“And
you can tell all of that by what wine a person orders?” Her heart thudded
against her ribs with a curious thrill of anticipation. If he was any example,
this restaurant would be a smashing success.
“Yes,
ma'am. Which wine would you prefer?”
This
is probably one of my favorites from the Alwaysa Marine series and I warn you, I was starving while I wrote this. So pour
yourself a glass of wine, curl up with a good meal and enjoy Damon and Helena
as they celebrate her birthday.
Want to win a
copy? Tell us your wine selection, Damon wants to know.
