“Welcome,” he says. “I’m Clarence Wonks and I’ll be your instructor today.” I giggle, noting the brown apron wrapped around his waist that reads, Ra-ra-ra-Ragnarok!
“Hi, how are you?” I ask shyly as Hunter shakes the elderly man’s hands. Clarence smiles.
“I’m well, but I’m even better now that you’re here. Just as a bit of history, my grandpappy was one of the original chocolate makers here at Ragnarok, and I’m proud to be here today to share something that’s special to my family.”
“Thanks, Clarence,” Hunter’s deep bass rings out. “I’m sure we’ll enjoy the class.”
“Oh yes,” I add. “Pretty much anything involving chocolate puts a smile on my face.”
“Wonderful,” Clarence grins delightedly while clapping his hands. “Let me just get everything set up and we’ll get started.”
The old man bends down and I can hear him rummaging in a storage box of some sort, presumably grabbing ingredients. While he’s hidden behind the table, Hunter leans over so his mouth is merely an inch from my ear.
“I’ll have to see how many ways I can find to make you smile with chocolate,” he whispers. “Perhaps I can make you so happy you’ll scream my name until you’re hoarse.”
Heat rises up my neck, and my body comes to life as Hunter places a kiss just under my ear.
“Hunter!” I scold in a mock-whisper. “You know my throat’s already raw from last time!”
But then Clarence pokes his head back above the table, and my date pulls back. Of course, Hunter isn’t embarrassed at all. Instead, he gives off the air of a lazy alpha male without a care in the world, but unfortunately, I’m not that way and can feel a flush rising to my hairline.
“Oh my, Ms. Hartford,” our instructor apologizes, noting the pinkness of my cheeks. “I’m sorry if we have it too hot in here. If you like, I can get the thermostat turned down. It can get pretty warm when we start boiling the chocolate, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
I shake my head, my blush only worsening. Meanwhile, Hunter smirks beside me and I kick him under the table.
“No it’s okay, I’m fine. I’m just excited to get started,” I fib.
“Her face turns red when she’s excited,” Hunter adds wickedly. “Almost like a tomato. Or an eggplant. Or both.”
Clarence looks between the two of us and nods while I seriously consider hiding under the table, but then the instructor begins the lesson and his words run together in my ears. It’s interesting, but I’m hyper-aware of the huge man sitting next to me and can barely focus on the class. How does anyone get anything done when Hunter Lindstrom’s in the room?
However, it’s not long before the smell of sweet chocolate permeates the space, and soon, Hunter and I have created our very own homemade chocolate bars. They sit on the sheet pan, dark brown and perfectly square due to the shape of the mold.
“Well, I’m going to leave you two to enjoy the fruits of your labor,” Clarence burbles happily. “If you need anything, just let Tracy at the front desk know, and we’ll get you taken care of. There are some drinks in the refrigerator in the back, including wine that will pair nicely with the fruity undertones of these particular bars.”
“Thank you, Clarence,” Hunter growls. “You’ve made our trip very memorable.”
“Yes, thank you,” I add with a grateful smile. “I’ve learned so much today.” Then, the elderly man leaves the room with a wave while Hunter makes a beeline for the wine fridge. Sure enough, there’s a lovely chilled rosé waiting for us, and my man pours two glasses before bringing them over to our table.
We sit down and sip our wine for a moment, just enjoying the quiet together. It’s so peaceful and a sense of calm washes over me as I turn to Hunter with a questioning look.
“There’s something I want to ask you, but I’m a little afraid it might upset you.”
His huge hand comes to cover mine, enveloping me in warmth.
“You can ask me anything, sweetheart.”
I nod and take a deep breath.
“Well, the other night, I know you said the divorce was a long time coming, but you seemed upset when I found you in the kitchen. I totally get it because you were married to Geneva for almost twenty years, and you have a daughter together. But I want to make sure you’re really okay. I just want to make sure that our relationship—” I begin, choking a bit on the word “relationship.”
“Isn’t some kind of rebound thing?” Hunter finishes for me while cocking an eyebrow. I blush.
“Yes, I was just wondering. It’s crossed my mind.”
He cups his hand over mine, his expression intense.
“I promise, you are not a rebound, Dani. And I’m really not upset about the divorce because it was a long time coming. I guess what kept us together for so long was Chrissy. I know it can be hard for kids when their parents split up, even when those kids are actually adults like my daughter. But you know what? Chris doesn’t seem to mind that her mom is gone, and knowing my daughter’s okay means I can get over this without any guilt.”