High Heat

Ethan Colman has sworn off love.After his ex-wife's addiction and betrayal shattered his trust, the award-winning chef has devoted his life to two things: raising his five-year-old daughter and protecting the family restaurant his parents left behind. Romance is a distraction he can't afford.Isla Bennett is done with heartbreak.After catching her boyfriend in bed with her twin sister, the talented sous chef leaves everything behind for a fresh start in Johannesburg. A new city, a new job, and a strict promise to avoid men are exactly what she needs.Working together at The Colman Table was supposed to be simple.Instead, Isla finds herself becoming part of Ethan's life—helping care for his daughter, sharing late-night conversations, and slowly breaking down the walls he's spent years building. As their friendship deepens into something neither of them expected, Ethan begins to wonder if love might be worth the risk after all.But the past isn't finished with either of them.With Ethan's ex-wife suddenly demanding a place back in their lives and Isla forced to confront the sister who betrayed her, old wounds threaten the future they've started to build together.Because sometimes the greatest risk isn't falling in love.It's trusting someone enough to stay.