Back for Seconds

From Cosmopolitan's Cosmo Reads imprint comes BACK FOR SECONDS, a sexy, sensory exploration of how food, sex, connection, and community can make even the darkest days shine bright with hope and love. It's about letting yourself be seen--mess and all.Two cups of chaos, a dash of generational trauma, and a pinch of Christmas magic.June Alfiero is just trying to survive her first Christmas post-divorce. If growing up the only daughter of Evergreen's boardwalk pizza king taught her anything, it's how to eat or be eaten.She's done indulging family drama; she refuses to play games with her ex; and she definitely will not be falling for the viral vegan homecook she accidentally dragged on TikTok after one too many margaritas. But when June comes face-to-face with the Adonis himself, Joey Pagano is nothing like his digital footprint. He's patient. Earnest. Maddeningly kind. And navigating his own heartbreak.The more time they spend together, sharing home-cooked meals and soft confessions, the more June's hardened exterior begins to melt. Suddenly, her small Jersey Shore town is serving up more than bittersweet nostalgia: it's late-night kitchen experiments, flirty bickering, shared secrets, and the kind of steady companionship June had given up on. Joey doesn't shy away from her mess--he pulls up a chair, pours a glass of wine, and asks for seconds.With every boardwalk stroll and cozy, flour-dusted moment, June feels something inside her unclench. Maybe healing doesn't have to be quiet. Maybe it can be loud, joyful, and a little chaotic--just like Evergreen at Christmas.But bearing her soul to Joey means risking the kind of heartbreak she's barely recovered from.Will June take a chance on the delicious magic growing between them--or close the door before Joey can knock again?