I'm chatting about chocolate over at Fresh Fiction today. David & Sophie are such chocoholics I had to find an excerpt showing their Moonstruck Chocolates obsession. Sophie's not physically in this one, but she 's definitely on David's mind.
David
knew Sophie was mad, but there had been no way he could have trusted himself to
get out of his car when he dropped her off at her home. Entering his condo, he
knew he was facing another sleepless night of cold showers and torrid
fantasies. The lights on inside surprised him.
He
never bothered with the lights; the glimmer from the water was usually enough
to help him find his bed at night and the door in the morning. The warm glow
and buzzing television could mean only one thing. Kelly was here.
Tossing his wallet and keys on the entry table, he went
straight to the kitchen. Kelly always brought food. Really tasty, party-in-your-mouth
food. Maybe she’d brought something sugary. She said sugar was good for sexual
frustration.
His
baby sister didn’t disappoint. Reading “Moonstruck Chocolate Company” on the
lid of the crescent-shaped box, David dove in. As one truffle melted in his
mouth, he rolled another between his fingers and wondered which would be
Sophie’s favorite.
He
liked the Italia Espresso but guessed she would be more the Mayan, with its
milk chocolate, almonds, and cinnamon, or the Ocumarian. Yes, he nodded to
himself, the Ocumarian’s dark chocolate and chili pepper suited her perfectly.
She looked innocent, but she played with fire.
“There
you are,” Kelly said from the doorway to the laundry room he never entered. “I
called your office. They said you have a standing appointment for seven every
Thursday.” His sister stepped closer, standing toe-to-toe with him. At six feet
tall, she could almost look him in the eye. “David, are you seeing a
therapist?”
“What?
No. Why would you ask me that?” He eyed the remaining chocolates, choosing Cinnamon
Roll Latte and grimacing at the cutesy candies that remained. Ivory Cat and
Chocolate Lab. He wasn’t desperate enough to go there, yet.
“There’s
nothing wrong with seeking professional help.”
He
rolled his eyes and leaned his hip against the counter. “And why, exactly, do
you think I need a shrink?”
She
waved her hand in dismissal and walked back to the laundry room. “Everyone
could benefit from a little analysis. I’m just surprised you had a standing
appointment on the books. What is it, a poker game?”
“No,”
he said quickly, running through possible excuses in his mind. What had Sophie
said the other day? Lying is too much work. He tapped his foot on the tile. Enough
thoughts about Sophie.
“Then
what is it?” Kelly asked, carrying a basket of sheets with her. Pulling one
out, she handed two corners to David. “You might as well tell me, because you
know I’m not going to stop asking.”
“None
of your business,” he said as she approached him with her corners, folding the
sheet in half.
“Oh,
now I really want to know. Golf lessons?”
“I
don’t need golf lessons.”
Kelly
took the sheet and finished folding it.
“You
should leave your stuff and let the housekeepers take care of it.”
She ignored him, plucking another sheet from the basket. “I know it’s not a date,
so let me see… Are you meeting with a trainer?”
He
cocked his head. “How do you know it’s not a date? I date.”
“What
you do isn’t dating. Your attention span is too short, and your list of rules
too long for dating.” Kelly set the sheets on the counter and dug in the basket
for the pillowcases, then slowly looked up at him with wide eyes. “Oh my God,
it is a date, isn’t it? You’re finally seeing someone.” She dropped the
pillowcase on the tile, ran at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“David, I’m so happy for you. I was so worried you would never let yourself
fall in love with anyone because of Dad.”
“I
didn’t say it was a date, just that it could be. And I’m not in love
with anyone.” Infatuated and preoccupied, but definitely not in love.
“Who
is she?” Kelly asked, beaming up at him. “How long have you known her? What’s
she like?”
“Slow
down, there’s no date.”
Watching
Kelly’s face fall, he felt a little sad. Had the morning at the bakery been a
date? Maybe they were dating. “I’m helping a friend teach a class.”
“A
woman friend?” She didn’t bother to mask the hopefulness in her voice.
“Craig’s
sister-in-law. Sophie.” He watched Kelly’s face as he said the name. Could
she tell?
“Sophie.”
Her eyebrow arched. “What kind of class?”
He was
not going there. “It’s a yoga class for couples.” Omit, don’t lie. That was
Sophie’s philosophy. Damn if it didn’t seem to be working. “Craig and Daphne
usually teach it, but she’s on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy. Sophie
fills in for her, and I do Craig’s part.”
“Daphne’s
okay, right?” Kelly asked, putting her folded linens back in the basket.
“Seems
to be. Craig’s freaking out, though.”
“That’s
what he does.” Kelly smiled. “Is it at one of Strong Gyms?”
“No,
Working It Out. It’s a women-only center Daphne and Sophie own.”
Kelly
picked up her basket and headed back for the laundry room. “In the Pearl District. I’ve heard
of it. You know they teach a class…” The basket hit the floor with a slap, and
she spun around. “Get out!”
David’s
stomach twisted. His baby sister had figured out exactly what kind of class he
was helping teach. “It’s not what you think.”
“That
class is for committed couples only! How long have you been keeping this from
me?”
His mind
whirled. Just how popular was this class? “How did you know that?”
Kelly
looked him in the eye. “Kevin and I are on the waiting list.” Kelly and Kevin
had been together since high school and engaged for three years. If Kevin
weren’t attending medical school in Washington and Kelly at OHSU, they’d be
married by now. He figured they were having sex, but he didn’t want to think
about it. He shook the thought from his head and marched into the living room.
“You
didn’t answer my question.” She chased after him. “How long has this been going
on?” He ignored her, still trying to block the mental image of his sister
showing up for that class.
“No wonder,”
Kelly said, sinking into the leather sofa.
His muscles tensed at her know-it-all tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You
haven’t been going out lately. You know, on your little trolling expeditions.”
He
didn’t want to think about how long it had been since he’d had sex. Sophie kept showing him that it had
been far too long.
“You’re
reading this all wrong, Kelly. It’s not what you think. I’m just helping her,
nothing more. She’s really not my type.”
“That
could be a good thing.”
He was
starting to think so, too.
COMPROMISING POSITIONS
