CHOCOLATE DREAMS

Released February 2011

Total-e-Bound Publishing

Helping his friend and her brother set up their bakery business isn’t supposed to involve falling for the brother, but Joel Raner finds himself stopping every night on his way home from work to get two cherry truffles and a chocolate milk from the handsome baker. They’re always ready when he gets there and always handed over by the chef himself. From the first day, Joel has been attracted to Aaron, but hardly able to believe that Aaron would want someone like him, Joe invents a boyfriend.

Chocolatier Aaron Neilson takes the time out of his day to talk to his sister’s friend, not for the sake of his business or his books, but because the more he gets to know Joel… the deeper he falls in love. Tired of waiting for Joel to confess the lie, Aaron takes matters into his own hands, forcing the issue. Will the repercussions be worth the cost? And what will it take for Joel to see the love waiting right in front of him?

“4.5 out of 5!…just a wonderful love story…The magic of Valentine’s Day and true love come into play making Chocolate Dreams a delicious tale for Em Woods. Who can’t resist chocolate combined with love?”

“I was also impressed with the amount of the story that is packed within just shy of 40 pages…This is a great Valentine’s Day story for those of you who are looking for night in with a good story…Recommended.”

“This was an excellent read. It’s a short story, so I found it amazing how well Ms. Woods wove a beautiful love story between these two characters. This story has hope, fear, love, and happiness all the ingredients for a great love story. This is a definite must read!”

Joel Raner pushed through the front door of his family’s accounting firm, glancing at his watch. Four forty-five. I’m late. Tossing his briefcase onto the passenger seat of his rust-and-red Explorer, Joel fired up the old beast.

A belch of black smoke erupted from the tailpipe and Joel squeezed his eyes shut, praying the thing kept running. After what seemed like an eternity, the shuddering vehicle quieted and the motor settled into an uneasy rumble. He looked around at his brothers climbing into their own cars, wondered what his family thought of the piece of shit he drove.

Tom and Dave both drove Mercedes SUVs, and Janet—Tom’s wife and their secretary—drove a 2010 Town and Country minivan. Most days they ignored him, treating him like the geek in math class everyone avoided on principle. But today, he’d drawn attention because he’d sprinted from the office when Janet finished her fifteenth lecture of the day on how to properly check email.

It wasn’t his fault technology hated him.

Shaking off the gloom of working nine to five, Joel shifted both his truck and his mind into gear and headed for Chocolate Dreams, the little bakery at the end of his street.

He checked the clock on his dash. Four-fifty. A tiny grin tugged at his lips.

Bet I can make it before five.

Yeah. If he missed the traffic, hit every green light, and the slow drivers stayed the fuck out from between him and his truffles.

Joel snorted as he weaved through traffic. Sure, it was the truffles, all right. And it had nothing to do with the handsome chef who hand-delivered them to his table every day.

Without any effort at all, Aaron Giadano’s face formed in Joel’s mind.

Dark brown hair, cut short but still long enough for little wispy curls to tease at Joel’s fantasies. Curls that made Joel want to tuck them out of the way—right after he twisted his fingers in them, getting a good grip while Aaron sucked his cock.