Barrel Proof
When a flood traps them in a warehouse full of explosive vapors, the only thing more volatile than the whiskey is the heat between them.
Desmond 'Dez' Barrett is the rugged, tradition-bound protector of Ironbarrel Distillery. He carries the weight of a family legacy and a guilt-ridden past, believing that modernizing his father's whiskey is a betrayal of the dead. He doesn't need data, and he certainly doesn't need the polished city scientist hired behind his back to fix what he doesn't think is broken.
Dr. Maren Kincaid is a brilliant chemical engineer with everything to prove. After her former mentor stole her research and trashed her reputation, she needs to save Ironbarrel to save herself. She sees the world in molecules and periodic tables, but no amount of science can prepare her for the stubborn, sensory-driven man who treats his distillery like a cathedral and her like an interloper.
When a catastrophic storm and a calculated act of sabotage trap them inside a remote storage rickhouse, the floodwaters aren't the only thing rising. Amidst the heady fumes of the 'angel’s share,' Maren and Dez must combine her precision with his instinct to survive the night. But in the high-pressure world of bourbon, the truth can be as intoxicating as the whiskey—and just as dangerous to swallow.
The Blurb
Desmond 'Dez' Barrett is the rugged, tradition-bound protector of Ironbarrel Distillery. He carries the weight of a family legacy and a guilt-ridden past, believing that modernizing his father's whiskey is a betrayal of the dead. He doesn't need data, and he certainly doesn't need the polished city scientist hired behind his back to fix what he doesn't think is broken.
Dr. Maren Kincaid is a brilliant chemical engineer with everything to prove. After her former mentor stole her research and trashed her reputation, she needs to save Ironbarrel to save herself. She sees the world in molecules and periodic tables, but no amount of science can prepare her for the stubborn, sensory-driven man who treats his distillery like a cathedral and her like an interloper.
When a catastrophic storm and a calculated act of sabotage trap them inside a remote storage rickhouse, the floodwaters aren't the only thing rising. Amidst the heady fumes of the 'angel’s share,' Maren and Dez must combine her precision with his instinct to survive the night. But in the high-pressure world of bourbon, the truth can be as intoxicating as the whiskey—and just as dangerous to swallow.
"The chemistry between Dez and Maren is as potent and slow-burning as top-shelf bourbon. Georgia Reed delivers the ultimate competence porn with an atmospheric, Southern Gothic edge that kept me up all night."— S. J. Richards