Better Than Chocolate
Virginia Beach, VA
Also by Nona Wesley
Drawn to You
Better Than Chocolate
NONA WESLEY
Better Than Chocolate copyright 2009 by Nona Wesley
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
PO Box 55071
Virginia Beach, VA 23471
Cover art © 2009 Kathryn Lively
Images from iStockPhoto and SXC
First DLP Edition – October, 2009
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
“One thing to remember before you even think about starting the double boiler for the fondue is that you must inspect the chocolate first.” Sarah Saunders traced a fingernail along a large block of solid dark chocolate, highlighting several whitened streaks along the face. “See these lines? This block is already tempered. That means it’s getting so old that the sugar is rising to the surface. If you tried to melt this particular block you might find…”
The rest of her instructions faded into silence. She looked up to find that while most of the wait staff paid attention, Brian kept his gaze fixed on Sarah’s breasts. She nearly laughed at the thought that popped in her head. Never mind that in her white chef’s uniform—which did nothing to complement her figure—she looked her most unglamorous, but she doubted Brian possessed the X-ray vision necessary to get even a hint of the wispy red bra worn underneath. She didn’t normally wear the sexy delicates when working in the restaurant she and husband Gary co-owned, but as today was her birthday she intended to be prepared for what surprises Gary had planned.
That much she expected. Life with Gary proved anything but boring. Soon her mild irritation with Brian’s straying vision blended with fantasies of Gary trapping her in the walk-in cooler and ripping away the double line of buttons to expose her dark, ample breasts to the cool…to say nothing of his expert mouth.
She cleared her throat, very much aware of the staff’s attentions. “Let’s just say tempered chocolate doesn’t give off the sheen one will find with an even bar when melted,” she said. “Taste might not be affected, but presentation is an important part of the experience, too. So remember that when you assemble the fondue. Any questions?”
Sarah glanced at Brian, who appeared lost in his own fantasies, so much he didn’t notice that his co-workers had all nodded their thanks and drifted toward the dining area to work.
“Brian?” she prodded. “Would you like to return to Earth now?”
“Oh.” He blushed and chuckled nervously. “Sorry,” he said. “Just thinking about…how to up-sell the dessert special tonight.”
Sarah smiled and returned the tempered chocolate to its plastic wrap. “It shouldn’t take much. Chocolate tends to sell itself, and with the fruit and angel cake display you’ll catch all the diet-conscious folks, too. Win-win.”
“I can only hope I cook as well.”
Sarah knew Brian took classes at the local culinary school. His work at the restaurant would certainly pay off in the future.
“Anyway, you certainly sold me,” he added.
Sarah had a feeling Brian didn’t refer to the fondue. She caught his gaze again and nearly shuddered. He looked almost…hungry, given the way his eyes darkened as he held her attention. It was enough to temporarily rattle Sarah, whose usually cool façade in the kitchen kept wait staff and sous chefs constantly on alert.
Recovering quickly, her smile fell slack and she straightened her posture. “Let’s see how much you sell,” she told him and turned away, calling over her shoulder, “We’re open for business.”
* * * *
Chez Cannette Rouge, named for the red quills Gary’s French grandfather made from the chickens he farmed, opened daily for lunch and closed around two in the morning—sometimes later—on Fridays and Saturdays. Sarah and Gary normally worked one shift together and turned the remainder of the day over to a senior manager, though today the schedule had been changed to accommodate Sarah’s birthday. Gary opted to stay home to “prepare,” as he’d told his wife when she left that morning, yet Sarah chose to remain watchful. No telling what her husband intended for her, and as she served up dish after dish on this busy afternoon she hoped Gary didn’t have an embarrassing stunt in store.
Sexy, she could accept. Bent over her office chair, grasping the armrests while Gary stood behind her and slammed his hard cock into her wet, waiting pussy…that she could up-sell!
Damn, girl. Focus. She wiped her forehead with her thick sleeve and stirred a pan full of vegetables and orzo pasta. She didn’t need these sexy thoughts nagging at her, heating her desire to a higher temperature than the stove. Time for a break.
She finishing cooking, then plated the trout special for one of Brian’s customers. “Kay, I’m going outside for some air and a Coke. Can you watch the grill?”
Kay sprayed a section of the grill for cleaning, in preparation for another order. “Go on, I got it,” she said, crooking her neck. “Hey, you may need to change out one of the diet canisters, too. It was spritzing a bit when I got a drink a few minutes ago.”
“Thanks.” Suited her fine—she’d retrieve a canister of the diet soda syrup and have one of the staff change it out at the fountain drink station. Since nobody had complained about the lack of Diet Coke that she knew of, she’d take her time in the walk-in cooler.