Eventually both of them had to come up for air, and all she could do was stare at him, a little dazed and most definitely discombobulated.
‘Wow,’ she murmured.
‘Wow, indeed.’
Bemused they stared at each other. ‘I think I probably need to say goodnight.’ Mina found trying to gather her thoughts together was like knitting with mist.
‘Yes,’ said Luke gravely before grinning at her. ‘I’m trying to be sensible here, but I think you might have just fried all my circuits. I’m not sure I’m capable of stringing a sentence together and I think I’d better go to bed before I make a total tit of myself and say something embarrassing.’
‘Glad it’s not just me then.’ She gave him a goofy grin, unable to stop her mouth acting on its own.
‘It’s definitely not just you.’
For a moment both of them stood encircled in each other’s arms just looking at each other. Then Luke pulled her close and pressed tiny kisses to her temple, reverent and almost thankful, as she sank against his chest. She closed her eyes and savoured the feeling of coming home.
The fizz of passion and anticipation still raced through her system but it was overlaid by an overwhelming sense of peace and of being in the right place.
She sighed and lifted her face to Luke. He kissed her and although neither of them spoke, she knew that he felt it too. He smiled and laid a finger on her lips. ‘Goodnight, Mina.’
‘Night, Luke. See you in the morning.’
Chapter Sixteen
‘Just the person,’ said Mina, coming down the stairs and jumping off the bottom step just as Johannes was conducting his usual early morning task of bringing in a sack of logs. His scraggy eyebrows drew together in bird’s wings of suspicion, and although he acknowledged her with a brief nod, he carried on through to the reception area and began to unload the wood into one of the alcoves on either side of the fireplace.
Mina followed him, undeterred. ‘I’d really like to see your chocolate production. Yesterday was… well, it wasn’t enough.’
‘You went to Maison Cailler,’ he said shortly, continuing to empty the sack, piling each log neatly on the stack next to the fire.
‘Yes but that’s like eating a shop-bought cake instead of a home-made one. I want authenticity, artisan. Chocolate magic.’ She didn’t quite flutter her llama eyelashes at him, but it was a close-run thing. There was no point being subtle with someone like Johannes.
He made a grumbling sound first before he turned and focused sharp blue eyes on her. ‘It’s a serious business, you know.’
‘I know and I’m seriously interested. Food, any kind of food, is part of my job, and I’m genuinely interested. Yesterday was interesting, but I didn’t learn that much about actual hands-on making of chocolate.’
‘You could come today,’ he said grudgingly. ‘There’ll be something to see.’
‘Today?’ She almost skipped on the spot. ‘That would be awesome.’
He glared at her as if the word offended him. ‘Fantastic,’ she amended, ‘I just need to check with Amelie whether she’d like some help in the kitchen first.’
‘She’s in there now.’ He inclined his head towards the door. ‘Been up since five, I think, crazy woman.’
Mina crossed to the doorway and slipped into the kitchen.
‘Morning,’ she called, and Amelie whirled around her apron already covered in flour.
‘Good morning,liebling. Did you sleep well?’
‘Oh, like a rock. I don’t think I moved all night.’ She laughed. ‘Probably weighted down by all the cheese and chocolate.’
‘Coffee?’ Amelie’s hand was already on the jug on the stove.
‘Yes, please,’ growled Johannes who had followed Mina into the kitchen and was leaning against the counter making himself at home. ‘Mina wants to come over this morning.’
‘Oh lovely,’ said Amelie. ‘It’s fascinating, and the chocolate is amazing, although—’ her mouth puckered with an amused little smile ‘—just imagine how much better it would taste if it were made with love.’
Johannes glowered at her. ‘It’s chocolate, it doesn’t need love. It needs a firm hand, attention to detail, and a watchful eye on the thermometer.’
