Behind Chocolate Bars Read Online Free

spine. It was an L-shaped room that had windows on two sides. One window faced tall hedges and the other looked out toward a stand of trees that made it seem all too secluded. With Bean staying at Leo’s and me living in the same house as his sister, we hadn’t been alone much.
    I coughed. “Nice.”
    â€œYou’ll like this,” he said, and then led the way to the kitchen.
    I stopped in the doorway, immediately falling in love.
    The Yerricks had built a long, high-tech, deluxe kitchen. It was tricked out with an endless stainless steel counter, an industrial range hood that would whisk away the fishiest of smells, and a deep farmer’s sink. Even the pendant lights hanging over the island were gorgeous, made of rainbow-colored glass.
    â€œCheck it out.” Bean pushed a button and I heard a machine sound. The whole counter moved sideways, revealing an electric stove top.
    â€œAre you kidding me?” I said. “This must have cost a fortune,” I said. “How did she ever move away from all this?”
    â€œGrandchildren,” he said simply.
    I ran my hand over the counter. “It’s beautiful.” I imagined making chocolate, spreading out my ingredients on that wide expanse, and then pulled my brain up short. Was Bean thinking of me cooking here?
    â€œI knew you’d like it,” he said.
    â€œSo you cook?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound like I was fishing for information.
    â€œOf course I cook,” he said. “Not like you, but I can handle a real meal now and then.”
    Then he opened the door to the basement. “Wait until you see what they did down here.” We walked down the wooden stairs to a deep carpet that was black with orange circles, which looked like the Baltimore Orioles logo. “Is that . . . ?” I asked.
    â€œYes,” he said. “Mr. Yerrick was a huge Orioles fan.”
    A small counter lined one of the walls, with a sink and small refrigerator. I imagined it was normally filled with beer cans. And then we came to the pièce de résistance. “Four TVs?” I asked. They took up a whole wall. Four movie-style La-Z-Boy chairs were centered in front of them.
    â€œAre you keeping them up there?” I asked.
    â€œFor now,” he said.
    â€œYou’ll probably have all the cable news shows playing.”
    He laughed. “Probably.” He looked at me. “So you like it?”
    â€œIt’s great,” I said.
    He walked toward me and ran his hands down my arms. “Now we can be alone.”
    I smiled, suddenly nervous. Was I ready for
alone
alone? “Especially when you get some furniture.” I pulled away and he watched me. “I can see why it was on the market for so long. They made it perfect for just them.”
    â€œYou okay?” Bean asked.
    â€œFine,” I insisted and then changed the subject. “Is Erica going to help you decorate?” I wanted to make sure he wasn’t counting on me for that. My decorating skills were limited to painting truffles. At home, I barely replaced chipped coffee mugs.
    â€œNah. I can handle it,” he said. “I talked the real estate agent into letting me rent until escrow closes. I thought it was a good idea to get out of Leo’s hair. I won’t do any major work until it’s all official, but I think I can handle painting a few rooms, just to start.”
    â€œDo you think Leo will be okay living alone?” I asked without thinking.
    Bean’s smile faded and I felt bad for changing his happy mood. He took a moment to answer. “One of the reasons I’m moving out is because he was getting more concerned about our relationship.”
    â€œReally?” I was astounded. “Yours and mine?”
    He nodded, watching for my reaction. “I’m hoping that getting a break from me as a houseguest and getting his privacy back may help him.”
    â€œThat makes no sense.