It’s ridiculous how long ago I had a Character coming over, especially because it’s my favorite thing!!! Thank you Sadira for sending Eddie my way!

Opposites Ignite (Bangers Tavern Romance 2) by Sadira Stone released a kittle over a month ago in the contemporary genre.

A mismatch sparks the hottest flames. Blue-haired, buxom, and bodacious, server Rosie needs her job at Bangers Tavern, where her work family adores her weirdness and supports her hunt for a tattoo apprenticeship. When too much New Year’s bubbly tumbles her into a sweet, shy coworker’s bed, she craves more. But guys like Eddie never stick with girls like her.

Strait-laced, soft-spoken, and skinny, barback Eddie has a huge crush on his curvy, tattooed coworker. Their New Year’s surprise is a dream come true—until his grandma walks in on them.  Eddie begs Rosie to fake-date him to appease his old-fashioned family. He’s already keeping secrets, so what’s the harm in one more? But the longer he pretends with Rosie, the deeper he falls.

Their boss lays down the law: No relationship drama at work, or you’re fired. Rosie’s everything Eddie ever wanted—but to keep her, he’ll have to drop a terrifying truth bomb on his loving but stifling family. And Rosie must trust her bruised heart with the guy who nearly crushed it.

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a steamy, laugh-out-loud, opposites-attract romance that ignites in all the worst ways—and the best!

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Kiara’s hip-bump sloshed beer across Eddie’s hand. “How’s it going, stud muffin?” She’d had her braids redone since he saw her last—blue and green strands woven among the black ones. She reached across him to fill a tall glass with winter IPA. “You and Rosie had a fun time?

“Sure.” He schooled his features into a bland expression. No way would he let her tease any details out of him. He just prayed that Rosie would be as discreet.

He delivered Gus’s beer, then ran a quick inventory. The keg of porter was running low. As he headed for the back room, a flash of electric blue caught his eye. There she stood at the server station, dressed in a silvery top cut low to display the bouquet of pink and red roses tattooed across her lush cleavage. Jeans shorts hugged her plump hips. Black tights and sturdy knee-high boots—sexy, earthy, gorgeous. While she waited for her drink order, she bunched her sapphire curls into a topknot and shoved a pencil through to anchor it, revealing the slender vine tattooed behind her right ear. Less than forty-eight hours ago, he’d traced that vine with his tongue. His stupid dick inched upward at the sight.

She’s not for me. He forced his gaze downward as he approached. He couldn’t ignore her, or people would talk. He couldn’t greet her too warmly, or people would talk. What the fuck was he supposed to do, then?

“Hey, Eddie.” Instead of her usual husky warmth, her voice sounded flat, tired. 

“You feeling all right?” She did seem a little pale. “You want a coffee or something?”

Her smile flickered and died. “Nah, I’m good. You?”

He shrugged. Don’t pout. Be a man about it. “Okay, I guess. Babka says hi.”

There it was again, that sad almost-smile. “Tell her I said hi.” She swiped a palm down her face, leaned onto the bar, and whispered, “This sucks.”

“Yeah, it does.” Knowing he wasn’t suffering alone lightened the load just a tiny bit. He laid his hand over hers. “Hang in there, beautiful. We’ll get past this.”

“Well, well, well.” Charlie stepped up and set down her tray. Her glossy brown ponytail swung as she looked from Eddie to Rosie, grinning. “How are the lovebirds this evening?”

“Look—” Rosie started.

“Listen—” Eddie said at the same time.

They exchanged wry grins. Rosie lifted her chin slightly, a silent signal. You’re up.

“We’re just friends. Right, Rosie?”

“Right,” she chirped with a fake, wide-eyed smile. “You and River are the only lovebirds here.” She loaded her drink order onto her tray and sailed into the crowd. With a shaky exhale, he returned to his duties: trekking from storage room to bar, with side trips to pick up empties and to the kitchen to help Diego and Chelsey when food orders got backed up. He restocked glasses, tapped beer kegs, and kept his eyes on his work and off Rosie.

Author Bio:

Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance from her new home in Washington State, U.S.A. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, plays darts (pretty well), plays guitar (badly), and gobbles all the books. Visit Sadira at http://www.sadirastone.com.

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Here’s Eddie Volkov, the hero of Opposites Ignite, to tell us about his crush on Rosie Chu, his coworker at Bangers Tavern.

Well, our story started when Dawn O’Malley, our boss at Bangers Tavern, hung up mistletoe at Christmastime. I’d been crushing hard on Rosie, a server at the bar, since she came to work here a year ago. Those curves, those tattoos, that electric blue hair! She’s a goddess. Took me forever to work up the courage and ask her for a kiss. I was floored when she said yes, and completely blown away when she came home with me on New Year’s Eve. Turns out she was blown away too, but not in a good way. The next morning, she declared that fooling around with a coworker was a terrible idea. Convincing her otherwise got complicated when my babka—Russian for grandma—walked in on us. My family’s old-fashioned. No way would they understand the concept of a one-night stand—not what I had in mind either. Rosie agreed to pretend to date me for a few weeks, probably because she felt guilty for dumping me after just one night. She was sure a shy, strait-laced guy like me would never stick around with a wild woman like her. Of course, I made it my life’s mission to prove her wrong, and—well, you’ll just have to read the book to see how it turned out.

What did you think the first time you saw Rosie?

I was floored. Like, literally stuck to the floor, mouth hanging open. Yeah, I’m not so smooth with the ladies.

Was it love at first sight?

Honestly, no, because love has to do with really knowing the person. Getting to know Rosie was tough at first. She hides behind snarky humor and flirty banter. Prying her armor open was tough, but so worth it.

What do you like most about her?

She’s so honest and brave.

How would she describe you?

Uptight, but cute.

What made you choose bartending as a career?

I always knew I wanted to run a business of my own, rather than taking over my parents’ dry-cleaning shop—ugh! Chemicals and wire hangers are not my idea of paradise. Once I came to work at Bangers, I realized a neighborhood bar was the perfect project. Dacha, my dream bar, will be homey and welcoming, like Bangers—a place to hang out and relax, but with Russian flair, a hundred different kinds of vodka, and Russian dumplings.

How do you relax?

Okay, this is embarrassing, but I’m kind of obsessive about my notebook. I make lists of goals, ideas for my bar, I draw floor plans and create menus and jot down drink recipes…

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

My dedka, Russian for grandpa, told me, “Kiddo, you gotta build your dreams with the tools at hand.”