Selena Robins, Author

Food brings people together, even when danger is closing in. In Decoy in Stilettos, Ryan O’Flannagan is forced into hiding with Gabriel Marchetti—the annoyingly attractive, maddeningly noble, and way too good at pushing her buttons frenemie.

But nothing ignites sparks like sharing a bottle of wine and a dangerously good vegetarian lasagna.

The dish that made Gabe hungry for more… of everything.

Exclusive Excerpt from Decoy in Stilettos © Selena Robins

Ryan watched Gabe carve off another piece of vegetarian lasagna. He hadn’t complained once about the meatless dinners she’d been slapping together for the last few days.

He placed the piece on his plate. “This sauce is fire. Beats my mother’s Sunday sauce.”

Ryan tore off a piece of bread. “I’ll mention that to her next time I see her.”

“You’d do that to an Italian mother?”

She let out a giggle. “With you as a son? She’s probably heard worse.”

“Can’t argue with that.” He took a bite of the lasagna. “I hate to admit it, but this is dangerously good.”

“Told you, you wouldn’t miss the meat.”

He poured a splash more wine into her glass. “Oh, I miss the meat,” he said, with a teasing curve of his mouth.

She took a slow sip, letting the wine linger. “You’re the one who said it was dangerously good.”

“It is.” He scooped up another bite. “Don’t you miss adding that extra something?”

She cut into her lasagna. “I can get extra on my own.”

He met her gaze over the rim of his glass. “You’re saying you prefer to go solo?”

Her fork froze in mid-air. “We’re not really talking about lasagna, are we?”

He winked. “We are not.”

Her stomach fluttered. That damn wink, disarming, teasing as hell, and nothing like the Gabe she thought she knew.

She batted her eyelashes. “Flirting with me again?”

“Again?”

“Your innuendos. The winking, which, by the way, I’m still recovering from.”

One corner of his mouth hitched upward. “Thought I’d throw you off your game.”

“You did.” She finished the last drop of her wine. “You love getting a rise out of me.”

“I do?”

She swatted at him with her napkin. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

A devilish grin lit up his expression, and he looked far more delicious than the food. “I’d enjoy it more if you got a rise out of me.”

If you enjoyed dinner with Ryan & Gabe, you’ll definitely want to stick around for dessert—and the danger that follows by reading their adventurous journey in Decoy in Stilettos.

Ryan’s Dangerously Good
Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
Warning: May cause unexpected flirting.

Ingredients:

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 zucchinis, (you can use yellow, white or green ones) cut into 1/4 inch slices, lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
• 3 to 4 cups tomato sauce (use your favourite tomato sauce, or click here for my version of sexy, sassy, Sunday sauce recipe.
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese (for best results, do not use the already shredded packaged cheese), cut the mozzarella in thin slices
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 box of lasagna noodles (for best results, use regular noodles, not the no-boil ones)
  

Ricotta Filling:

Add all these ingredients in a bowl, and mix well, until smooth. Set aside.

• 3 cups whole milk ricotta (24 ounces)
• 1 package of frozen chopped spinach, thaw, drain well, ensuring all liquid is drained
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. grinds black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Lay all the vegetables on a baking sheet, space them about 2 inches apart (use two baking sheets if necessary so you don’t overcrowd).
• Brush the vegetable pieces with oil, and bake for 15 minutes.
• Warm up your tomato sauce (not boiling, just warm).
• Cook the lasagna noodles in salted boiling water according to package direction (ensuring you cook them al dente).
• Once cooked, immerse the noodles immediately in cold water to stop the cooking. Then dry with paper towels and lay flat on a cutting board so they don’t stick
• Once the vegetables are out of the oven, lower the oven temperature to 400F

Assembling the Lasagna:

• Spread sauce on the bottom of a baking dish evenly.
• Layer: noodles, 1/4 ricotta mixture, eggplant slices, zucchini slices, mushrooms, peppers, top with sauce, spreading evenly, sprinkle freshly chopped basil
• Repeat layering, noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce.
• For the final layer, top with noodles, remaining sauce, and cover the lasagna with mozzarella slices
• Bake covered for 40 – 50 minutes
• Remove cover and bake until cheese is bubbling and a bit browned
• Let rest for 15 – 20 minutes, then garnish with fresh basil
• Slice, serve and enjoy

Hungry for more?

If you devoured Gabe and Ryan’s scene (and the lasagna) you’ll want to sink your teeth into the full feast of danger, flirtation, and unexpected twists in Decoy in Stilettos.

A gripping, witty, edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense.

She catches cheaters for a living—until someone decides she’s the one who needs catching.

And the only man who can keep her alive is the one who gets under her skin the most.

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