Love, Chocolate, and Beer (Cactus Creek #1)(37)

Look at her, talking like an expert.

While the ganache they’d just learned to make was for them to take home since it still needed to cool and dry overnight, Luke had premade a batch for them to practice making truffles with next. When he’d first told the thirty women who’d signed up for the class that they’d be making truffles tonight, everyone seemed leery that it was too lofty a goal. Dani included. But evidently, truffles were actually one of the easiest chocolate confections to make, the base being a modified ganache adjusted to a thicker density with flavors infused into the mix at differing stages. The one Luke had them work with had boysenberry cream and hazelnut oil emulsified into the ganache during mixing. Yu-um! Dani kept ‘accidentally’ smudging some on her knuckles and nails, which, of course, required her to promptly lick it off.

Surveying the sticky ‘truffle’ ball she’d been rolling for a while now, she was starting to think she’d done something wrong. It did not look good. Dani glanced around and saw the other students frowning at their own lumpy balls with the same disappointment. That’s when Luke put them out of their misery and revealed the trick to achieving the silky smooth, perfectly rounded truffle shape—he used a fork to dip the balls into another bowl of hot ganache to make a smooth outer layer before he dusted it with the powdered cocoa coating. Sneaky.

Tickled, Dani followed suit with her own ganache ball, choosing the alternative he’d suggested of a decorative drizzle-coated finish topped with powdered sugar for a different look. Luke was great about explaining where and how they could adjust recipes for their own tastes and design aesthetics. Not surprisingly, the time flew by as they did increasingly cooler things, including using sheets with striking art patterns on them to transfer designs onto the chocolates.

Two hours later, Dani proudly finished the final design on her fourth chocolate creation. She sat down to admire her work. It had come out beautifully.

A low, impressed voice feathered her ear in an almost-kiss. “You did a good job with the structure and design on those last two. They look great. I’m sure whoever you’re making that for will love it.” The possessive tone in Luke’s voice made it pretty clear who he was referring to.

“Thanks,” replied Dani, forcibly keeping herself from leaning back against him. “This class is really amazing, Luke.” Her gaze turned stern then. “Not that I’m saying this Valentine’s Day ‘chocolate for your man’ idea of yours isn’t still borderline barbaric,” she added quickly.

The lips at her ear curved into a smile. “Well then put me in a loincloth because the thought of you making something special like this just for me makes me want to drag you back to my cave.” His fingers gently brushed the backs of hers.

A warm feeling uncurled in her tummy. “Cut it out,” she whispered.

He let out a very male sigh. “You’re right. Wouldn’t want the others to think you’re the teacher’s pet. I better make sure to treat every woman in here the same way—”

His teasing was cut short by a truffle being rammed into his now laughing mouth.

With her jealousy making a rare but flagrant appearance, she looked around and thought back to some of the hushed conversations she’d overheard throughout class. Seriously, a man on the make was one thing, but a woman on the prowl? Downright scary is what it was. Though she couldn’t figure out why it was riling her so much. It wasn’t as if Luke belonged to her. He was a free agent in a sport she had no desire to participate in. Relationships. Nope, not her game. Considering the fact that she was the one imposing all the road blocks to anything more serious between them, she didn’t like this feeling of powerless possessiveness. Not one bit. “Not all of these women are in relationships, you know,” she muttered when he finished chewing. “Most of them think you’re a bigger treat than all the chocolate in this shop combined.”

“Really?” he asked, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Does that include you?”

“I think,” she said deliberately, “the biggest treat in here that we can both enjoy is that warm drizzling chocolate. You should bring some of it with you on our fifth pre-date.”

His fingers flexed sharply against her waist. “Jesus, have some mercy, woman.”

“Nope.” She licked a bit of melted ganache off her finger slowly. “Suffer in silence.”

Luke spun around and walked to the back kitchen, muttering something about needing to get something from the freezer to cool off...the chocolate.

With a satisfied smile, Dani hunkered back down and poised her hand above her last molded chocolate, trying to decide how to decorate it. The decision, it seemed, was linked to who she was making it for. Instantly, that warm feeling returned to her belly. She decided making chocolate for someone special really was a nice idea. Highly romantic.

Not that Luke would ever get that admission out of her.




AFTER THE LAST of the chocolatiering students left, Dani leaned against the entrance of Desert Confections, contentedly admiring the lines of Luke’s broad back as he reached up to lock the storefront door and set the alarm. He had the body of a guy’s guy, the kind kept tan from running and playing street ball shirtless, and solid from regular lifting. Distractingly sexy. In fact, so intent was she on eyeing all those ropey muscles rippling beneath his polo shirt that she didn’t even hear the whispered oath he muttered before he snagged her by the waist and slid her in front of him. With his body blocking hers from any nosy onlookers, he bent down and seized her lips in a roller coaster kiss that told her he’d been as eager for a kiss as she’d been all night.