Hot Fudge Fraud (11 page)

Special Preview of Anisa Claire West’s

DARK CHOCOLATE MURDER

Belinda’s Chocolate Boutique

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Belinda was in her shop inspecting a tray of freshly made Raspberry Cloud truffles.  Filled with raspberry jam and a dollop of vanilla cream, the truffles looked irresistible.

“I have to taste these,” Belinda reasoned, “I can’t sell any candy that I haven’t personally tasted myself.” She popped the truffle into her mouth and giggled as jelly dribbled down her chin and cream clung to her lips.

“Looks delicious.  How do I get some of those?” A deep male voice laced with a French accent inquired.

Belinda looked up and locked eyes with a swarthy, casually dressed powerhouse of a man.  With the body and apparel of a lumberjack, he was exquisitely masculine and extremely unnerving as he smirked at Belinda with raspberry goo trickling down her face.  Searching in vain for a napkin, Belinda hastily licked the cream off her lips and indelicately wiped her chin on her sleeve.  The stranger’s amusement deepened, and he cocked his head to one side while wearing a disarming grin.  Mortified, Belinda struggled to speak to the French-accented Adonis who stood before her making a mockery of her embarrassing predicament.  She was more astonished when the man walked forward and boldly lifted a chocolate off the tray.

“May I?” He asked a beat too late.

You already have
, she thought but remained mute, not trusting her own voice at the moment.  She watched in amazement as he slowly placed the truffle on his tongue and bit right into the center, deliberately making the jelly and cream leak onto his chin.

“Now I see why you want to wear these as well as eat them,” the man said flirtatiously.  “They’re delicious.”

“Thank you,” Belinda managed, blushing furiously, but grateful that he had lightened the moment.

“I’m Pierre Cédaire.  Yes, you heard my name right. 
Cédaire
sounds just like
Say
Dare
,” he chuckled and extended his hand.

When Belinda offered him her hand, he clasped it lingeringly in his and gently kissed the top.  “Oh, I’m sorry,” he smirked. “It appears I got more of the sweet on you.”

“That’s okay,” Belinda mumbled.  “I’m Belinda Rockland.”

“Yes.  I heard that an American woman was opening up shop here, and I wanted to check it out.  I’m in the culinary business myself, you see,” Pierre explained, his eyes glued to Belinda’s raspberry-red lips.

“Oh, did you see the ad I placed in the local paper?” Belinda asked, trying to remain composed under the man’s intense perusal.

“No, no. Word gets around.  The shopkeepers in the area are pleased that you’re opening this store.  They think it will complement their businesses, and I agree.  You do make a lovely addition to this community,” he drawled the last part in a low tone.

“You said you’re in the culinary industry?” Belinda asked, evading his flirtation.

“Yes, I recently opened a French restaurant in Monte Carlo.  We have a highly skilled pastry chef, but we could use some gourmet chocolates.  Perhaps you and I could form a partnership,” Pierre alluded.  “I could commission you to create some chocolate after-dinner mints exclusively for my restaurant.”

Eager for any business opportunity that would gain exposure and prestige for her shop, Belinda instantly brightened, forgetting about the jam that still coated her skin.  “I would love to discuss that possibility further.  You speak English very well, by the way.  Have you ever lived abroad?”

Pierre laughed loudly as though she had just told a hilarious joke.  “I lived in New York City for ten years.  That’s where I studied to be a chef.”

“Oh! Well, that explains it,” Belinda said, feeling self-conscious as the man regarded her with an odd combination of humor and desire.

“Are you in Monaco all alone?” Pierre ventured.

“My sister and her husband live here.  But I don’t have any other family in Monaco,” Belinda replied, immediately perceiving a rising interest in the handsome man.

“A beautiful woman like you shouldn’t be alone in a foreign country,” Pierre said intimately.

Belinda resisted the impulse to roll her eyes at the practiced line he had tossed her.  How many women had this man tried to seduce with a cliché like that?

Stubbornly, she replied, “Actually, I’ve been very busy focusing on opening this shop.”

“Well I can certainly understand that.  My restaurant was a nightmare to open, and it’s still having some growing pains.  But, what’s that American expression, ‘all work and no play?’  I don’t recommend it.  I recommend lots of play.”

I’m sure you do, playboy
, Belinda thought, shooting him an expression that told him she had no tolerance for playing games.

“Would you be my guest at dinner?” Pierre invited, sobering as the smirk faded from his lips.

Suspicious of Pierre’s suddenly gallant approach, Belinda pursed her lips thoughtfully.  In Boston, she had been accustomed to a casual first date of drinks or coffee---and an even more casual invitation through text.  Pierre’s suave yet direct way of requesting that she be his dinner guest was unnerving, and she wasn’t sure how to respond.  Ruefully, she thought,
this is romance right in front of my eyes, and I don’t even believe it
.

Staring her down impudently, Pierre twisted his lips into an expectant smile. “Well? What do you say, Belinda?”
…

Amazon.com: Dark Chocolate Murder eBook: Anisa Claire West: Books

Special Preview of Anisa Claire West’s

CHAMPAGNE DECEPTION

Milan, Italy

A Black, Moonless Night in May

Inside the art gallery, Coretta put the finishing touches on a tray of Italian hors d’oeuvres set on a table lined with bottles of the finest champagne.  It was eight o’clock precisely, and the gallery was about to open its doors to introduce her paintings to the world.  Swallowing a breath of nervousness, Coretta smoothed the fabric of her scarlet cocktail dress while listlessly twirling her shoulder length mahogany hair.  It was time to open the doors to the public; she couldn’t wait another minute longer.

With trembling fingers, she unlocked the doors and opened them wide for the avid art lovers who stood queued up in the balmy spring air.  Immediately, they pushed through the doors, clamoring to reach the walls and place early bids on her best paintings.  Coretta smiled in stark disbelief; this kind of fame and popularity were completely new to her.  A few months ago, she couldn’t even get an art dealer to look at one of her paintings and now here she was with a gallery opening devoted to her work.  Discreetly, she pinched her forearm, giggling silently as she observed the customers fight over her paintings.

From the darkest corner of the gallery, Coretta continued to watch in awe as the elegant art lovers fussed over her labors of love.  Emerging from the shadows and strolling over to the buffet table for a glass of champagne, Coretta scanned the room for her lover.  They had quarreled earlier when he misplaced
three paintings that she had planned to feature in the display, and now she wanted to make amends.

Coretta selected a flute of champagne and lifted the delicate glass to her lips, indulging in a sip.  The icy bubbles rolled smoothly across her tongue, and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment.  She pressed the rim to her lips for a second sip when a strident beeping assaulted the hushed atmosphere of the gallery and the lights simultaneously dimmed to black.  The recently opened gallery contained no back-up generator, and the entire space was immediately as dark as the moonless spring sky.  The glass of champagne slipped out of Coretta’s fingers and crashed onto the floor as she jumped in fright.

Groping in the blackness, Coretta bumped her knee against a metal table and squealed with pain as the group on the other side of the room became agitated.  The sounds of bodies bumping into each other and glasses crashing to the ground elicited a scream from one woman and grumblings in Italian from several of the other guests.

Coretta spoke up and addressed the crowd in her most authoritative voice: “I apologize for this inconvenience.  Apparently, there has been some sort of electrical failure that has caused a blackout.  I would advise you to take out your cell phones and use the lights from those devices until I can find some candles.  A candlelit art reception, not bad, right?” She spoke lightheartedly, trying to allay the concerns of her guests.

As a handful of people dug into their pockets for their cell phones, Coretta felt a body press against her backside.  “Excuse me,” she murmured to whomever had collided with her.  The moment she spoke, a gloved hand smacked against her face and covered her mouth while a menacing arm pressed into her belly and knocked the wind out of her.  Gasping for air, she wriggled in the death-grip of the gloved man, frantically biting on his covered hand to get him to release her.  As her teeth sank into the thick fabric, his grasp tightened even more around her waist until she thought her ribs would shatter.

Roughly, the man dragged her backwards towards the darker recesses of the gallery.  Lighting the way with a tiny flashlight clenched between his teeth, he pushed Coretta down the stairs into the cellar
…

Amazon.com: Champagne Deception eBook: Anisa Claire West: Kindle Store

Dear Reader:

Thank you for reading
Hot Fudge Fraud. 
I hope you enjoyed gallivanting from South Carolina to Ireland while delving into Melanie and Keith’s fudge dipped romance!  I welcome your feedback and make an effort to
personally respond
to every email I receive.  Write to me at
[email protected]
.

Happy Reading!

Cordially,

Anisa Claire West

Titles
Available by Anisa Claire West

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Champagne Deception

Dark Chocolate Murder

Deep Dish Lies
(To be Released: November of 2013)

Flow With Me
(To be Released: January of 2014)

Hot Fudge Fraud

Northern Moonlight

Wild Autumn

FANTASY

Silver Goddess Series:

Island Tango
, Book 1

Orca Dance
, Book 2

Leopard Rhythm
, Book 3

Mermaid Gold,
Book 4

Silver Goddess
, Books 1-4

Incan Power
, Book 5, The Finale (2014)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Eternal Melody

About the Author

Anisa Claire West graduated with honors from Yale University and also holds a Master of Arts degree in Literature and Teaching.  Learning about cultures is Anisa’s passion, and she has studied more than half a dozen languages including French, Arabic, and Italian.  A certified yoga instructor, Anisa embraces mind-body fitness, animal advocacy, and a vegetarian lifestyle.  Anisa lived in Charleston, South Carolina for 6 months and enjoyed revisiting her memories of the lovely seaside city.