“The Delaford doesn’t mind you doing that?”

“No, since the spa is only open to resort guests. Which is one reason why Austell is so perfect for me. It’s central to both The Delaford and school. I just need to find a way to attract more private clients. Right now it’s all word of mouth. I don’t like advertising in the newspaper because no matter how the ad is worded, it still comes across like I’m running a massage parlor.”

He nodded slowly, his gaze resting on hers, and she forced herself to pause for breath. After several seconds of silence during which he continued to study her, an embarrassed warmth crept up her neck. Yikes, he probably thought she was a total blabbermouth. With a nervous laugh, she said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on and on. I told you more than you ever wanted to know, I’m sure.”

He shook his head. “I liked listening to you. You’re…easy to talk to. And it’s refreshing to hear that someone loves what they’re doing, that their goals involve helping other people. You’re obviously passionate about what you’re doing with your life and I find that very commendable. Very admirable.” He reached out and brushed a single fingertip across the back of her hand. “Very attractive.”

That gentle stroke ignited a firestorm under her skin, and her gaze riveted on the sight of his hand touching hers.

“In fact,” he said, slowly stroking her again, “you didn’t tell me nearly enough.”

“I…I didn’t?”

“No.” Another slow caress. Another explosion under her skin.

She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Happy to tell you anything you want to know. Especially if you, um, keep doing that.”

He took her hand in his and continued to lightly stroke her with the pad of his thumb. “My pleasure. Your skin is amazingly soft.”

“I…thanks. I use a lot of lotion in my line of work.” She fought the need to fan herself with her free hand. “Was there something else about me you wanted to know? You’d better ask quick, before I melt into a puddle on your floor. I’m a sucker for a hand massage.”

“Good to know. And yeah, I’d like to know how it is that someone like you doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

“Someone like me?”

“Someone with such soft skin.” He lifted her hand, touched his lips to her sensitive inner wrist, then breathed deeply. “Someone who smells so good. Someone who’s smart and committed to her work.” He lowered her hand, still caressing her, and it was all she could do not to purr.

Forcing herself to concentrate on the conversation, she said, “My last boyfriend and I split about six months ago after two years together. After that, I decided I was better off with puppies than another boyfriend.”

“My yard might disagree with you,” he said in a dry voice.

Heat flooded her face even though the wink he then gave her made it clear he was kidding. “Have I mentioned what a good sport you’ve been? How incredibly patient?”

His lips curved upward in a slow smile that curled her toes inside her Keds. “I’m a very nice guy.”

“Says who-your mom?” she teased.

“As a matter of fact, she does. So what happened with what’s his name, or would you rather not talk about it?”

Carlie shrugged. “He was pressuring me to get married because he was ready to start a family-now. I told him that even if we were to marry, I’d want to wait to start a family. Finish my degree then get a couple years of job experience under my belt before taking on motherhood.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“I thought so. But he didn’t. After going around and around about it, he issued me an ultimatum-marriage and kids now or never. I picked never.”

“That must have hurt.”

“It did. It also pissed me off that after all our time together he still had no clue how important my work is to me. That he wanted so badly to change me. That he couldn’t accept me as I am.”

“No regrets?”

“None. Well, except for the next guy I went out with. He lasted two hours. I was done with him after he told me I’d be really cute if I lost ten pounds. That’s when I decided I was done with my unfortunate tendency to find men who wanted to change me or make me into something I’m not, and that puppies were the way to go. They’re always happy to see me, they don’t care that I’m not built like a pencil, they love to snuggle, and they don’t speak English. Perfect qualities in a male-no offense.”

He laughed. “None taken. And that guy who said you needed to lose ten pounds? He’s an ass.”

“Thank you. I thought so, too. Especially since he wasn’t exactly a Calvin Klein model himself.”

“How’d you hook up with P.B. and J?”

“I adopted them from a shelter. I’d only intended to get one dog, but they were the last two from the litter and I just couldn’t choose. I figured they could keep each other company, and besides, two watchdogs are better than one.”

“I’m sure. Between the two of them, they’d lick the robbers to death.”

She laughed. Then, deciding she’d better quit yakking while she was ahead and hadn’t yet stuck her foot in her mouth, she said, “And now that I’ve bored you with all my chatter, it’s your turn. When I moved in, you had a girlfriend…” She left the sentence hanging and shot him a questioning look.

He nodded, looking down at where his hand still held hers, his thumb drawing hypnotic circles on her skin. “Nina. She wanted more than I could give her.”

“Emotionally?”

“Financially. She wasn’t impressed with my job as a website designer, my less than grand house, this small town, my unspectacular car. She always wanted…more. When she finally realized I didn’t aspire to be the next Bill Gates, she gave me the heave-ho.”

“Heartbroken?” she asked, hoping he’d say-

“No.”

Right answer. Still, she couldn’t help but ask, “Does she know about your swanky new job?”

He shook his head. “No. We haven’t stayed in touch.” He gently released her hand then slid off the stool and rounded the snack bar into the kitchen. “Coffee’s done. Are you ready for your truffle?”

“That’s one of those rhetorical questions, right?”

He smiled into her eyes and Carlie heated up from the inside out, deciding she needed a hot cup of coffee like she needed a hole in her head. While he poured, she asked, “Did you find a birthday present for your mom at Sinfully Sweet?”

“I did. A mini chocolate fountain. It uses special melting chocolate that flows, sort of like those champagne fountains at weddings, only smaller. It comes with great ideas for stuff to dip-marshmallows, strawberries, cubes of angel food cake. She’s going to love it.”

“How could she not? It sounds like a fantasy come true. The Valentine’s Day promotion is a pretty wild idea, isn’t it? Find the chocolate heart half that matches yours and you win dinner for two. Did you get your blue-wrapped chocolate heart half?”

“Yup. Haven’t opened it yet, though. Did you get your pink-wrapped half?”

“I did. I hid it way in the corner behind the soup cans on the top shelf in my pantry in an effort to make it last at least through the night.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”

After adding milk to both ceramic mugs, he set the silver foil-wrapped box on the counter with a flourish. “You may have the honors,” he said.

Daniel pressed his lips together to hide his amusement as he watched Carlie open the box with a reverence he’d have thought was only bestowed on royalty. The woman definitely loved her chocolate. After removing the lid, she leaned over the box and breathed deeply. Her eyes slid closed and a smoky “oooooh, my” whispered from between her parted lips. His amusement faded, replaced by a punch of lust that practically knocked him on his ass. Her eyes opened and she looked at the truffles as if she were gazing upon a cache of jewels.

“They all look so delicious,” she said in that same smoky voice, elevating his temperature another notch. With her gaze still riveted on his chocolates, she asked, “Which one do you want?”

The sexy, curly-haired one. He pressed his lips together before he actually said the words out loud. After clearing his throat, he glanced down at the truffles and after a brief perusal, pointed to one. “What flavor is that?” he asked.

She consulted the inside of the box top, which provided a pictorial guide. “Milk chocolate hazelnut. Yum.”

He pointed to another. “How about that one?”

“Ooooh. White chocolate raspberry.”

“And this one?” he asked, pointing to another.

“Hmmm…let’s see…cappuccino. Double yum.”

With his gaze riveted on her rapt expression, he just chose one at random. “I’ll take this one.”

After consulting the chart, she nodded her approval. “Double chocolate praline. Good choice. I think I’m going to go with the French vanilla.” After she picked up the glossy pale treat, she held it out and said, “To your generosity in sharing. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said lightly tapping his truffle to hers. She slowly lifted the chocolate to her lips, then took a small bite. He watched, fascinated, as her eyes drifted closed, and erotic, sensual sounds of pleasure started coming from her. Her head fell limply back, exposing the tempting length of her neck, and suddenly chocolate was no longer what he wanted to feast on.

“That. Is. Soooo. Unbelievably. Good.”

You’re. Making. Me. Soooo. Unbelievably. Hard. He would have shifted to relieve the strangulation in the front of his Levi’s, but he simply couldn’t move. He actually felt his eyes glaze over, probably from his retinas melting from the heat she generated. He stood perfectly still, transfixed, watching her turn the simple act of eating chocolate into a sexual fantasy. When her moans tapered off and she finally opened her eyes, he managed one husky word. “Wow.”

“Mmm. I’ll say.”