The Chocolate Touch (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 8) Read online

  “I’m going to get water for each of the tables so the event can begin.” With that, Dakota walked toward the back of the shop.

  “She works too hard,” Walt said.

  Nodding, York stared after his sister. “But Dakota’s not doing as much as she used to. That’s Bryce’s influence. Now to get her to take a few days off.”

  “Good luck with that.” Laughing, Walt picked up one of the forms and a pencil. He glanced at the paper. “They’re going to make us work tonight.”

  “Your taste buds will be doing the work,” Chantelle said. Tastings weren’t always as social as some thought they’d be since distractions and conversations were kept to a minimum, but many people were surprised how much they learned when they focused on a piece of chocolate in their mouths. “You just have to write down what they tell you.”

  Walt wrote his name on his sheet. “I can do that.”

  “Me, too.” York’s gaze met hers and something fluttered in her stomach, a strange feeling that most likely had to do with the flecks of gold standing out among the greens and browns of his irises.

  She stared transfixed, unable to look away, even though she should.

  “Here comes Sage,” Walt announced.

  Chantelle blinked. Shifting her shoulders, she tore her gaze away from York. Probably best if she didn’t glance his way again tonight.

  Yeah, good luck with that.

  Chapter Three

  Ignoring the voice in her head, Chantelle stared straight ahead. No problem. She didn’t have to look at York. So what if he had a pretty face and equally stunning eyes? She could be professional. With her resolve firmly in place, she readied her pencil in case she wanted to jot down any notes.

  A beautiful woman with long, red hair stood in front of the seated crowd. It had to be Sage. Chantelle had talked to her over the phone once. The chocolatier had extended an invitation to attend tonight’s tasting.

  “Good evening, everyone. I’m Sage Carrigan O’Dell.” Her smile widened. “I’d like to welcome you to our tasting of Copper Mountain Chocolates.”

  People clapped. There seemed to be around twenty attending.

  One person shouted, “Woo-hoo.”

  Chantelle studied the reactions. Interesting. Sage seemed to have quite the fan club in attendance.

  “You’ll notice we aren’t playing music tonight. That’s on purpose,” Sage continued. “It’s important to concentrate and not be distracted by sounds and other things that can affect your senses.”

  Good. The chocolatier knew what she was talking about. Chantelle scooted forward in her chair. This little shop in the middle of nowhere Montana might be a hidden gem, but would its products shine bright enough for a spot in Delacroix Chocolates’ recipe vault? She hoped so.

  “The first thing we want to do is cleanse our palates.” Sage raised a plate like the ones Dakota had passed out a few minutes ago. “You can use an apple slice or a cube of bread, and then follow that with a drink of water. Both steps are necessary, so don’t skip either one. Let’s get started.”

  Chantelle reached for a piece of bread. Her hand bumped York’s. His skin was rough and warm. A shiver of awareness shot up her arm. Uh-oh. She fought the urge to jerk back her hand because her nerve endings quivered as if being awakened from a deep slumber.

  What was going on?

  She only knew the man’s name, but that didn’t stop the tingles from erupting in her stomach.

  Forget butterflies.

  This was a flock of seagulls.

  Somehow, she managed to hold onto the bread and put the piece in her mouth. Not without effort and her full concentration. A good thing she needed to chew because that kept her from having to say anything. Not that she was a hundred percent sure she could find her voice.

  As Walt bit into an apple slice, York leaned toward Chantelle. His warm breath sent more tingles shooting through her. Goose bumps prickled her skin.

  The reaction to him made no sense. She tried to rationalize what was happening. York was good looking. Okay, he was gorgeous. Hot. But she wasn’t looking for a fling. Those had never been her thing. She wanted to find true love, a lasting love.

  Later.

  Once she was back in the Delacroix fold so to speak.

  “Ready to be impressed?” York asked.

  His voice was deep and rumbled over her. If soundwaves had fingers, she’d be in big trouble.

  She had no idea what he was talking about, but anticipation surged and her heart thudded.

  Her gaze locked on his lips. Fuller than she realized, but would they be soft against hers? She met his eyes. Somehow…that wasn’t much better than his mouth.

  Chantelle swallowed. “By the chocolate or something else?”

  The words hung in the air as if suspended in a cartoon-dialogue bubble. Immediately, she regretted saying them.

  She was flirting. Why? She didn’t flirt.

  At least she hadn’t in a while, ever since she’d decided that living closer to family was what she wanted and had put a plan in place to make that happen. Why start something that would end once she moved across the Atlantic?

  Not that York wanted anything permanent from her, but something was sizzling between them. It was as if the air had become electrified.

  He drew back slightly, though not as far as she would have liked for her peace of mind. His lopsided grin sent her pulse speeding up more.

  “Chocolate,” he answered.

  Laughter lit his eyes, and she had the funny feeling York knew he was getting to her. Looking away would be the smartest thing she could do, but she couldn’t…even though he left her feeling out of sorts and more than a little lost.

  “But the something else has…possibilities,” he added.

  Her temperature spiraled. Heat flooded her cheeks.

  She was not unaware of Walt sitting at the table with them, but the older man had gotten quiet. Too quiet.

  Chantelle picked up her water and drank. Unfortunately, the liquid did nothing to cool her off. If anything, she wanted more. More to drink, more of York.

  She bit back a sigh.

  This evening was not turning out as she’d expected. She only hoped he wasn’t working when she paid a daytime visit to the shop.

  Talk about a distraction. She took another sip.

  “Better save some of that for the tasting.” Humor sounded in York’s voice.

  Chantelle lowered the glass. She’d die before she admitted he was right. York had seen her flustered at the bookstore, but she needed to remain professional and detached.

  She stared down her nose. A silly gesture, but one she hoped would get her back in control of the situation and herself. “Thank you, but I know how much I need.”

  And what she needed.

  It wasn’t him.

  York was too charming and good looking, but he was far from perfect. The man knew nothing about the one thing Chantelle loved most—chocolate. Maybe if she fixated on that flaw, she would get through the tasting unscathed.

  Walt’s gaze traveled from the tasting sheet to the two of them and back again, but he still didn’t say a word. That didn’t mean she couldn’t get a glimpse of the gears clicking in his brain through his observant gaze.

  York raised his glass to Chantelle. “You’re the expert.”

  Yes, she was, but she remembered something her uncle had told her the first time they’d met. The words seemed appropriate now. “There’s always more to learn about chocolate.”

  And if she kept letting York distract her, she might as well go back to the hotel.

  Maybe Sage could teach Chantelle something new. It wouldn’t be York. The guy couldn’t tell a truffle from a milk-chocolate buttercream. He might be able to teach her about other things that had nothing to do with chocolate…and she was sure they’d be just as enjoyable.

  Stop thinking about him.

  “I have lots to learn,” he said. “Maybe you could give me the inside scoop about chocolate, so I won’t need
as much on-the-job training.”

  She didn’t know if he was joking or not, but she didn’t want to find herself being reeled in like a trout and served for dinner. Best to be all business with him. “Let’s see how much you get out of tonight.”

  No way would she volunteer for the task of teaching him. Chantelle wanted to put distance between them, not agree to see him again. As much as she wanted to be professional, it was if a switch had been flicked that made her aware of his every movement, including the blink of his eyes. No man should have such pretty eyelashes.

  But York Parker wasn’t the reason she was in Marietta.

  She was here to find amazing chocolate recipes for her uncle to purchase. Anything else, including a hot guy filling in temporarily, would only get in the way of making her dreams come true. And she wanted that more than anything.

  She needed to stay focused if she wanted Uncle Laurent to hire her. There would be time to fall in love and find her happily ever after…once she was living in France.

  *

  The chocolate tasting wasn’t turning out as York expected. Oh, he enjoyed learning about cacao beans from Sage. Walt was a hoot, and getting to talk to him away from Bryce and Dakota made it obvious the older man had a soft spot for the middle Parker sibling.

  But York was struggling. Big time.

  All because of Chantelle Cummings.

  Who knew eating chocolate could be so…sexy?

  Sexy as in not being able to take his eyes off her and enjoy the samples himself. Not that he minded.

  Except he wanted to be the one feeding her chocolate. His fingers would lift the decadent treat to her mouth. His fingertips would brush against her soft lips as he placed the piece on her tongue…

  A warning bell sounded in his head, but he felt helpless to stop it.

  Watching her go through each of the tasting steps was a total turn-on. Her facial expressions as the chocolate warmed in her mouth made him wish he’d worn a T-shirt instead of a long-sleeved dress shirt. The shop was getting warm, especially with the playful images forming in his mind.

  Do not go there.

  The words kept sounding in his head.

  He couldn’t go there…could he?

  Listening to Chantelle talk about chocolate told him how much she knew about the stuff. Even Walt had read her reviews of various chocolate shops around the world and asked her a multitude of questions about the subject. There wasn’t one she couldn’t answer.

  Smart and sexy.

  It didn’t get much better than that.

  York was tempted to ask her something, too—if she wanted to grab a drink afterward. But he couldn’t think about putting a move on her. Whatever happened would be casual and temporary. A night of fun wasn’t worth the possibility of messing up an opportunity for Sage’s shop. He couldn’t chance doing anything that could impact or hurt Dakota. Not everyone could keep business and pleasure separate, and he had no idea about Chantelle’s views on this.

  That meant no flirting or anything else with her.

  Walt rubbed his palms together. “I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

  The guy loved chocolate, but his enthusiasm was contagious. “Me, either.”

  “Here’s the last sample for the evening.” Dakota passed out another piece to each of them. It looked darker than the others to York.

  “What is it?” Walt asked.

  “You’ll soon find out.” With that, she went to the next table.

  “Have you enjoyed what you’ve tasted so far?” Sage asked as she stood in front of the tables.

  A resounding yes rose from the crowd. A few clapped.

  Walt whistled. That made York laugh. The man had to be Copper Mountain Chocolates’ biggest fan.

  Sage’s smile brightened her face. “How did you like the last one?”

  People shouted their observations. York wanted to hear what Chantelle had to say. She wrote a few more lines on her page, but she remained quiet.

  “Excellent comments.” Smiling, Sage held a bar of chocolate. “The final chocolate tonight is our top seller. The single-origin dark chocolate bar contains seventy-two-percent Criollo from Venezuela.”

  “My favorite,” Walt said. “You’ll love it.”

  Chantelle grinned. “This is the one I’ve been waiting for.”

  A ball of heat ignited in York’s gut. Man, he hadn’t felt this kind of pull toward a woman in a long time. Even the sound of her voice got him going. The urge to touch her—just a brush of his hand like before—was strong.

  Maybe his sister would be up for swinging by Grey’s Saloon on the way home. A beer and a game of pool might get his mind off the enticing chocolate expert.

  Dakota refilled water glasses. Her smile hadn’t wavered once. She loved working here, and she’d told him how much doing these monthly events meant to her.

  He liked seeing his sister happy, and he had to admit Bryce was good for Dakota. They balanced each other well. Not quite as much opposites as Nevada and Dustin, but Bryce curbed Dakota’s tendency to put everyone ahead of her own needs, and he also happened to be crazy in love with her.

  York hadn’t thought he’d like the guy, but he did. His sister’s choice in men had improved, and from what York had seen so far, Bryce was a keeper. Nevada agreed with him. Dakota, however, kept saying there was no rush. No rush was York’s philosophy toward relationships.

  “Now that you have your sample,” Sage said. “Let’s go through each of the tasting steps.”

  Sage had instructed them on the proper way to taste chocolate, and York picked up his piece to check the surface and color. As he wrote on his tasting sheet, his gaze strayed to Chantelle.

  She held her sample at different angles. All she needed was one of those jeweler’s loupes to magnify the chocolate. She studied the piece with a look that was half-scientist, half-lover.

  The desire in her eyes hit him like a left jab.

  Something in his stomach tightened.

  York wanted a woman to look at him the way Chantelle looked at the chocolate.

  He shook away the thought. Someday, maybe. Not now.

  No rush, remember?

  After years following his dad’s rules and then being in the air force, York was finally free. He would travel all over the country with his new job. He’d thought travel—or at least many assignments at different bases—would be part of his air force experience, but it hadn’t turned out like that. Now he couldn’t wait to live out of a suitcase, but no way did he want to be leaving a girlfriend, or worse, a wife and kids, behind the way the colonel had.

  A relationship would tie York down. Make him come home—wherever that turned out to be—for all the wrong reasons. A serious relationship was the last thing on his mind.

  There would be time for a family later.

  Much later.

  But he could still watch and enjoy Chantelle. He doubted she was tempting him on purpose. She seemed too focused on doing her job to notice how sexy she was and how it was affecting him.

  Or anyone else.

  Time for him to find his own focus.

  York examined his sample again. No air bubbles or other blemishes. The bar had a nice sheen and color, too.

  Chantelle raised the sample toward her nose.

  She sniffed. A serene curve to her mouth followed.

  Her lips looked so soft and sweet. Kissable.

  Anticipation flared.

  Not going to happen.

  Too bad.

  York forced his attention to the chocolate. He sniffed the sample. The delicious scent made him want to take a bite, but that would go against Sage’s tasting procedure. He’d been raised to follow orders, whether someone was watching him or not.

  Chantelle broke her piece in half.

  Snap.

  The sharp sound resonated through the shop. That spoke of the high quality. Others broke theirs. York did, too.

  Chantelle placed half her sample in her mouth.

  He did the same, set
ting the chocolate on his tongue so the piece could melt. Sage said this was the best way to experience all the subtle flavors. Chewing too soon could ruin the taste. She also recommended limiting the number of chews when a person got to that point.

  Who knew there were so many rules to tasting chocolate vs. just eating a piece?

  But as the chocolate melted, he realized Sage’s steps worked. Flavors came alive in his mouth. Cinnamon. A nut. He couldn’t tell what kind, though.

  The changing tastes were subtle and interesting.

  He wrote down his observations. Okay, scribbled. His handwriting sucked since he preferred typing on a keyboard.

  He glanced at Chantelle.

  Her eyes were closed. A smile was on her face. But her expression was more than mere satisfaction. She seemed to be experiencing some sort of Nirvana in her mouth.

  He stared, transfixed. His pencil slipped from his fingers before clattering against the table. A hundred thoughts ran through his mind from—what was she tasting that he’d missed and did she look like that when she was being kissed?

  Look away.

  That was the right thing to do, but he couldn’t.

  Okay, he didn’t want to.

  Her eyes opened, and she reached for her pencil. “This last one was fabulous.”

  She crammed notes on her page. While most people jotted a line or two with each sample, she’d written all over her tasting sheet, front and back.

  “Cinnamon and hazelnut, then caramel and banana,” she said. “The dry finish was superb. I’m impressed.”

  That had to be good news for Sage and Copper Mountain Chocolates. Except York wished there were more for her to sample, so he could watch.

  “This is my favorite.” Walt looked at York. “How about you?”

  “I prefer the lower-percentage chocolate.” The ones that tasted best to him had more sugar. “I like mine a little sweeter.”

  “Sweet is good,” Walt said.

  Chantelle nodded. “Just not too sweet.”

  York wondered how she defined that. “Beats too bitter.”

  She studied the other half of the sample she’d snapped off.

  He didn’t know if she’d heard him or was ignoring him. “Ready for more?”