Le Prix was more perfect than I’d ever even dreamed.

The entire dining room was a study in understated elegance. The walls, the floor, the crystal chandeliers… everything was the soft, creamy color of candlelight. But the room simply set the stage for the view of the ocean. We were set up on a cliff and the glass windows formed a floor to ceiling wall. Transom windows along the very top opened to allow the sound of the crashing waves inside. On the other side of the glass was a narrow balcony where diners could sip their drinks and take the fresh, salty air. I felt almost as if we were dining at the top of a lighthouse, at the very edge of the earth…

We were seated in a quiet corner, near the windows, champagne and caviar cold and already waiting for us. The waiter seemed to move invisibly around us. The perfect meal appeared as if by magic, with little more than a nod and a bow. Every moment was as orchestrated as a symphony, but as effortless and comfortable as a cozy evening at home. The chef inside me was busy taking mental notes… The woman inside me responded only to the man across the table.

“You shouldn’t have done this,” I said, putting down my fork after the last exquisite bite of crab souffle. “But I’m so glad you did.” I sighed, content. “Tonight has confirmed what I’ve always suspected..”

“And what is that?” he shot me a dark, tantalizing look.

“That heaven really does exist,” I grinned back, feeling foolish and a little lightheaded from the richness of the meal. “For a price, anyway… And speaking of that…,” I opened my purse to take out the envelope of cash…

“No, Emily,” he said, stilling my hands with his. It was large and warm and slightly roughened. I felt a tiny muscle pulse between my thighs and I crossed my legs unconsciously… tightening my thighs and heightening the sensation.

“There was no mistake in payment,” he went on, keeping his hand where it was. “Five more wasn’t enough… I simply paid what you earned.” He squeezed my hands and finally let go. He gave a subtle nod to the waiter who disappeared. “But the money wasn’t the reason I asked you here tonight… I wanted to speak to you about Boothe…

I owe you an apology for his behavior at the party,” he went on, watching me carefully as he spoke. “Sutton is a man who likes his pleasures… and tends to overindulge on occasion.” He swallowed without breaking his gaze. “It happens… we say no more about it, and we move on.”

“I promised discretion, Mr. Chase,” I replied in a low voice. “And I meant it…”

“Chase… please,” he smiled, and I felt that slow pulse building faster inside. “I trust you,” he continued. “It’s Sutton I’m not so certain about. Amelia mentioned he was thinking of using your services again.” His eyes flickered, briefly and for the first time. “He can lean toward… extremes… when he hosts some of his own affairs. It didn’t seem right not to tell you, before he officially hired you again…”

I reached across the table and put my hand on his. The pulsing sensation reached up higher in my belly, stopping my breath. “I can take care of myself,” I answered, trying to focus my attention away from the throb. I inhaled sharply. “Maybe you underestimate me, Chase… Maybe I’m not quite as easy to shock as you think…”

Except that I was shocking myself. My voice had been too low, my words a little too seductive. I’d only had one glass of wine… I could hardly blame my behavior on that.

It’s the way that he looks at you, my desire whispered in my ear. Like he wants to taste you from head to toe… like he wants to strip you of every secret, tease you into giving up to the pleasure of his hands… and his mouth and his…

The waiter appeared with something dark and velvety. The scent of chocolate rose up, along with something spicier… earthier. It made me think of Chase’s scent… the first time I’d met him.

He gave a nod to the waiter and took my arm. “Outside is better, I think,” he said against my ear. He led me onto the balcony. Several tables sat nearby, a single candle lighting them. As soft and light as the restaurant had been inside, this place was the perfect contrast. Darkness enveloped us. Starlight touched the crests of the rolling waves and disappeared… reappearing again, like light on the shifting facets of a diamond. The waiter put the dessert down and disappeared. Chase sat down across from me, and his dark eyes glistened and danced with the candle’s flame.

“There’s something about darkness, don’t you think?” he asked smoothly, sitting down beside me. “We feel like we can give in to the darkest of pleasures… and no one will know… no one can see…”

He dipped a tiny silver spoon into the chocolate and held it to my lips. I opened my mouth for him without thought and he smiled. I could see the tip of his tongue, caught between his teeth. His body was huge next to mine, and heat radiated from him through the cool night air. I licked my lips and stared into his eyes…

“Again,” he said, watching my mouth. He brought another mouthful of chocolate to my lips and I opened obediently. But I tasted salt, not the metal of the spoon. This time, he’d put the cream in my mouth with one thick, long finger…

“It’s better like this… isn’t it?” he asked, his mouth aching close to mine, his voice dark and deliciously seductive. “Chocolate is made to be eaten this way.

It’s the salt of the skin, you know… making the sweet almost more than we can bear…”