Soufflés at Sunrise by M.J. O'Shea and Anna Martin Page B

taste and originality while Al hit it big with his black bottom salted caramel pie. The other chefs were sad to see Javier go, but the show must go on! This week our chefs battle it out over a dessert classic… cheesecake! Our contestants must create a decadent and unique cheesecake that’s delicious and out of the box. A lofty challenge, but hopefully a sweet one.
    Our grand prize winner gets a year of pastry training in Paris, a whole kitchen’s worth of top-of-the-line commercial tools and appliances, and a hundred thousand dollars for his or her own business.
    With stakes this big, we ask the one question on everyone’s mind: Do these chefs have what it takes to rise to the top? Or will they get Burned ?
     
     
    C HASE DIDN ’ T get why they had to have such early mornings, not when he wanted to spend them curled up in his swanky bed right across from Kai. He looked sweet when he slept, young, the way he looked when they were alone the night before and pretty much the opposite of his battle face, which was a little scary, to tell the truth. It was almost easy for Chase to pretend not to like him when they were in the studio kitchens. He was so intense in there. It wasn’t a surprise Kai had already won a mini challenge. He’d probably win a few main challenges too. Or the whole thing. Chase could easily see that happening.
    Chase’s belly was already in a knot, thinking of the week, their one day off, the challenges ahead. Kai. He nearly groaned.
    Mornings . So not his thing, and so not necessary.
    He silenced his alarm and wandered out into the hallway of the condo he shared with the other contestants. Bryant Tower was a lot more sophisticated than anything he’d ever lived in, that was for sure, with views of the beach in the distance and the Hollywood Hills. But some days he missed his old loft in the historical part of Madison, with its old scarred wood floors and tall industrial ceilings. And his cat. He missed his cat. He hoped Princess Peaches wasn’t being a pest for his sister. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to either of them much in the past two weeks.
    Chase thought back and realized this was the longest he’d gone without talking to either one of his siblings since he’d gone to Europe after high school. He figured he needed to give them a call. At least Ruby. She was the one who was dealing with Princess Peaches on a daily basis. Maybe Brian too. He was in the middle of his last year in college and getting ready to take the LSAT. He probably needed a talk from his big bro. They’d always been close.
    The bathroom was open for once. It seemed nobody else wanted to get up either. Chase found his toothbrush and started brushing sleepily. They had a good fifty minutes before the shuttle came to drag them to the studio. He hoped to spend as much of it in silence as he possibly could.
    “Morning.” Chase was momentarily startled when sleep-warmed tanned arms slid around his waist. Okay, Kai was better than silence.
    “Hi there.” Chase smiled into the mirror and leaned over to rinse out his mouth. He turned and gave Kai a shy, minty kiss. They’d only exchanged a couple of them since they’d kissed the first time on their date the night before. Chase could barely believe it. He’d been on a date . He’d come here hoping for a great experience, hopefully even a top-three finish. He’d never expected to find someone he really liked. And he really, really liked Kai.
    “Can we just go back to bed?” Kai grumbled. He dug his face into Chase’s neck like they’d been cuddling for years instead of, well, never before. Chase wasn’t going to turn down a cuddle. He loved relaxed, away-from-the-kitchen Kai. He was so easy to be around after he’d dropped the showoff act.
    “No,” he said, but he slid his hands up Kai’s back anyway. “Besides, Aaron snores.”
    Kai chuckled into Chase’s neck. “No kidding. I was about to lose my mind last night.”
    “I’m going to grab a shower. Get