The Mysterious One

A spicy grumpy-sunshine, age-gap, close-proximity romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann...

I'm the mysterious one. The angriest alphahole who never bends. And she's the woman who will bring me to my knees.

As the executive chef and face of my family's billion-dollar empire, time is the one luxury I don't have. With endless responsibilities and nonstop demands, I lost my passion and love for the art of cooking. What used to be my dream job is now my worst nightmare. I was ready to walk away and give up everything we'd built..

Until Alivia happened.

She was supposed to be a temporary diversion so we could satisfy each other's desires and then never see each other again...

Yet I knew she was different right away. A woman who was my complete opposite, the calm to my storm. The sunshine to my darkness. With a body that left me speechless.

What I didn't see was how much we both craved a break.

Me from a career that would eventually kill me, her from an abusive home life.

When two people in pain connect, an explosion erupts. That was us. All fire and longing, mixed with a genuine need to seek shelter in one another's arms.

While I'm still savoring the taste of her on my lips, I see her again unexpectedly and wonder... is our connection enough to surpass the secrets between us, or were we only meant to have those two nights together?