Tempt Me Tonight

LA Teachers #2

by Natasha Washington

Xander Hendrix and Taj Gonzalez seem like oil and water: Xander is cheerful, upbeat, and a people-pleaser, while music producer Taj is notorious for being grumpy, introverted and always angry. They’ve shared a friend group for several years, but have never grown close to each other – Xander thinks Taj is too cool to be his friend for real, and Taj thinks Xander is too young and too sunny to ever truly get where Taj is coming from.

But when Xander becomes Taj's mentee at Apex Music's Emerging Artist Program, the two connect over their shared love of music – in the studio, at a concert for a punk band they both love, at an industry party and then a conference in Vegas.

As Taj helps Xander find his musical voice, the tension and intimacy between them grows. But can they break down walls created by their past demons to capture each other's hearts?

252 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2022

About the author

Natasha Washington lives in Philadelphia, where she writes queer love stories in both YA (as Sonia Belasco) and romance. She has spent much of her professional life working with young people as a mentor, tutor, or therapist. When not writing, she is likely cooking, taking long, meandering walks, or listening to dance music or 90s hip-hop.