Everything inside him stilled. For about two seconds. Then, whoosh, heat sizzled through him like he’d been struck by lightning, pulsing fire to every nerve. A series of low, guttural, velvety-rough gasps drifted toward him, luring him like a siren’s call. Unable to resist the enticement, he released his shovel and moved toward the sound. That sexy, aroused female sound that had everything male in him on red alert.
His conscience spoke to him, as though in the form of a mini, halo-wearing angel. “Daniel Montgomery, don’t you even think about looking over that fence.”
Another voice, which obviously belonged to a pitch-fork toting horned devil, said, “Are you kidding me? Whatever’s going on over there is definitely a must-see.”
“It’s none of our business,” the angel voice said primly.
Daniel paused and dragged his hands down his face.
“Hey, if we can hear it in our yard, then we have every right to see it, too,” the devil’s voice shot back.
“Ohhhh, God. Ohhh, God…”
Unable to stop himself, Daniel moved toward the fence, feeling like one of those rats being led by the Pied Piper’s seductive music.
“The girl is entitled to her privacy,” the angel whispered.
“Oh, button it, Miss Goody Two-Shoes,” the devil sneered.
Daniel frowned and mentally shrugged off the two combatants and continued walking. One quick peek. Just to make sure she was okay.
“Whoaaaaaaaaa, baby…”
Damn. She sure sounded okay. And since her moans were the only ones he heard, it seemed clear she was alone. ’Cause show him a guy who could elicit those incredible sounds from a woman and still remain silent himself, and he’d show you a guy with no vocal chords. Just listening to her had Daniel aroused and pressing his lips together to contain a groan.
The fence loomed before him, cast in the deepening shadows from the oncoming twilight. Drawing a deep breath, he took the final two steps. Then looked over the top.
And saw her.
She lay on a blue-and-white striped lounge chair, her hair fanned out around her shoulders, her arms raised above her head. Dressed in the same clothes she’d worn earlier today, she stretched sinuously on the cushion as another raspy groan passed her lips-full, pouty lips she then slowly licked in a way that seemed to open a valve in Daniel’s neck, draining all the blood from his brain and redirecting it to his groin.
She rolled onto her side, a position that highlighted her fabulous curves, and examined the contents of a small silver foil box set on the round resin table beside her. After taking a bite from whatever she selected from the box, she eased onto her back, closed her eyes and the throaty, erotic sounds of pleasure started again.
“Ohhhhhh…so good…sooooo good…”
His gaze flicked back to the silver box and recognition hit him, as he had a similar one himself. The box was from Sinfully Sweet.
A deep sigh of utter delight drifted toward him and he found himself gripping the top of the fence, unable to tear his gaze from her. With her body sinuously shifting and those erotic sounds coming from her glistening lips, she inspired more fantasies than his blood-deprived brain could even process. And all this because of chocolate. She was practically orgasmic over chocolate. What the hell would a woman who responded like that to candy be like in bed?
Wild. Uninhibited. Passionate. Insatiable.
Delicious.
No doubt about it, she was certainly a woman a guy would want to give chocolate to every damn day.
God help him, just watching her, just listening to her, hardened him to the point of pain. But damn it, he wasn’t some perverted Peeping Tom. Usually. Time to make his presence known. And he’d do that. As soon as he unswallowed his tongue. An accomplishment that was only achieved with the greatest of efforts.
“I’ll have what you’re having,” he said, his voice sounding as if he’d swallowed a handful of gravel along with his tongue.
She froze mid-wriggle and her eyes popped open. Their gazes met and held and he wondered if she could see the hunger he knew had to be blazing in his eyes. No way he could hide it. And that hunger had nothing to do with chocolate.
She slowly swung her feet to the ground then rose, moving toward him with a hypnotic sway of her hips that did absolutely nothing to relieve the discomfort occurring in the front of his jeans.
“You want what I’m having?” she asked in a smoky voice as she approached.
“Absolutely.”
She paused about three feet from the fence, but in his fantasy-addled mind he still saw her undulating. With the last fading strands of golden sunlight highlighting her hair, her eyes gleaming with mischief, and holding a half-eaten piece of chocolate between her fingers, she looked like the personification of Temptation. “Well, there’re a couple of problems.”
“How fortunate that I’m an expert problem solver. Lay yourself, uh, them on me.”
“Well, first, as you can see, I’ve already taken a bite.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You’re not worried I might have a head cold?”
“Not a bit.”
“Then there’s the issue that I only bought four of these Belgian truffles from Sinfully Sweet, and this is my last piece. And it is exceptionally outstanding.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell,” he teased.
“Oh, it’s fabulous. Any sort of chocolate will give me tingles. But it takes a very special type of chocolate to inspire a chocogasm.”
Daniel’s imagination immediately conjured up a series of steamy images involving him and her and chocolate and orgasms and, holy hell, sweat broke out between his shoulder blades.
“Chocogasm,” he repeated slowly, savoring the word as one would a decadent treat. “That’s very…descriptive. And intriguing. I want to experience one.”
“You’d be crazy not to.”
He nodded his chin toward her half-eaten piece of chocolate. “So how about it? All the problems solved?”
“Not quite. Unfortunately, when it comes to chocolate, I’m sharing impaired.”
“I’ll give you a million dollars.”
“Do you have a million dollars?”
“No. But if I did, I’d give it to you.”
Her gaze shifted between him and her chocolate, then she shook her head. “Sorry.”
“If you share yours with me, I’ll share mine with you.”
Interest flared in her eyes. “Share your what?”
Anything you want. “My chocolate.”
“Oh? What kind do you have? Stuff left over from last Halloween, I bet.”
“Nope.” He rested his forearms along the top of the fence and leaned forward. “Belgian truffles. Assorted flavors. A pound box of them from Sinfully Sweet.”
Her eyes widened. “You do not.”
“Do, too.”
“I didn’t see you buy them.”
“You left the store before I did.”
“But they cost fifty dollars a pound!”
“I know. But I told you I have a weakness for chocolate. Ellie Fairbanks assured me they’re worth every penny. Based on your reaction, she’s right.”
“Oh, she’s definitely right. So let me get this straight. You have in your possession a full pound of Belgian truffles.”
“Yup. Haven’t even opened the box.”
“A virgin box? Stop toying with me.”
He laid his hand over his heart. “Swear.”
Something that looked like awe entered her gaze. “You’ve had them all day and haven’t eaten even one?”
“I’ve been too busy.” He jerked his head toward his backyard. “Filling in holes, laying down sod. You know, the usual.”
Even in the fading light he could see the color that bloomed on her cheeks, an enticing blush that made his fingers tingle with the need to touch her there.
“Oh,” she said in small voice. “So, that being the case, it seems I owe you one.”