Better Than Chocolate Read Online Free PDF Page A

genuine conversation. She'd simply have to keep him at a distance; that was all. Stay far, far away from his tempting body, his luscious lips, and his broad, masculine hands. She could shout across the length of the store, if she had to.
    With a slight grimace, she lifted her hand in a halfhearted wave. But before she could wiggle her fingertips, Rafael's gaze fled beyond her, darting left and right, above her head, focusing everywhere except on her eyes.
    Then he sighed and took a step forward.
    A cry caught in Silvana's throat. Rafael glided through the storefront window. She could still see him. Well, some of him, at any rate. His impressive male physique was now no more than a shimmering silhouette, a bright imprint against the purple elegance of the store.
    "Don't worry about him, dear. His kind have no power here."
    Silvana spun around, knocking into the large, voluptuous chest of a tall, purple-haired woman. Stunned by the unexpected presence, she reached out to steady herself and ended up splaying her palm against the woman's right breast in the process.
    For a moment, she could only stare in horror at her hand. Her fingers had slipped beneath the provocative, low-cut edge of the woman's V-neck dress.
    She pulled away as if she'd been burned, and heat flared in her cheeks. “Oh, God. I'm so sorry!"
    The woman gave a genuine laugh that made her blue eyes crinkle at the corners. “I wouldn't flaunt ‘em if I didn't want ‘em touched now, would I?” She winked, leaned forward a fraction and gave a naughty little wiggle that set her ample bosom to quivering.
    Despite the shock still coursing through her system, Silvana found herself grinning back. “I don't think I'm your intended audience for those."
    "True enough.” The woman straightened and held out her hand. Long, blood-red fingernails set off a polished manicure that Silvana could never pull off at the bakery. “Madam Periwinkle, at your service."
    Silvana shook the offered hand and found herself liking the owner of the shop instantly. With her shock of shiny purple curls, crimson lips, and black eyelashes that were at least an inch long, she fit in perfectly with the eclectic décor. Her unique brand of in-your-face, unapologetic sexiness worked well with the shop's blatant eroticism.
    Remembering Rafael's ghostly figure, Silvana turned toward his silhouette and found him wandering toward the back of the store. Judging by the way he drifted aimlessly, weaving in and out of shelves, she figured he couldn't see her, Madam Periwinkle, or the shop itself.
    "What kind of place is this?” Silvana asked, shuffling closer to a massive glass cabinet that housed a variety of whips, floggers, and intriguing looking straps with large buckles attached at the ends.
    "Exactly what it looks like. What's your pleasure, dear?” Madam Periwinkle made her way to an array of crotchless panties and held one up for Silvana's inspection. “You're a size twelve, right?"
    Silvana nodded. “I'm really not interested in lingerie. I just need to hide out here for a little while, if that's okay."
    "Of course it's okay. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't."
    Silvana frowned, considering that comment. “And him? Why isn't he here?"
    Madame Periwinkle's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Raphael's fading back. “Because you don't want him here."
    "So you offer ... protection?"
    Another silvery laugh floated through the air. With it, Silvana noticed the sweet smell of lilac and lavender, as though produced by Madame Periwinkle herself. “Hardly. I offer sexual satisfaction. And sometimes, a little more. I can't help myself, you see. Especially when there are other forces at work. Darker forces."
    Silvana's pulse sped up. “Darker forces? Like Rafael?"
    "Like those who command him."
    She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I don't understand. Who's doing this to me? To ... us?"
    Madam Periwinkle waved her hand in the air, scattering another waft of fragrant scent toward Silvana. “I wish I