and cajeta all sell well at the farmers market. The soft-ripened and aged cheeses I mostly sell to a few cheese shops and grocery stores in Austin. Right now, I’ve got a Crottin, a Sainte-Maure, and an Añejo. I’ve been experimenting with a bleu, but I’m not satisfied with it yet.”
Mia didn’t know what all of those cheeses were, but she was dying to find out. She rubbed her palms together in greedy anticipation. “Do I get to taste some or what?”
Josh’s mouth quirked in amusement. “As soon as we wash our hands.”
Sound advice after they’d petted so many animals. He showed her which sink to use, and they both lathered up their hands and dried them on paper towels.
When they were done, he went to the fridge and heaved the heavy door open. “Do you have a favorite kind of cheese?”
“All of them?”
Josh threw a look over his shoulder, one dark eyebrow arching to say she wasn’t being helpful. But beneath the feigned exasperation, his gaze held a warmth that sent Mia’s heart skittering in her chest.
Josh came back with an armful of different cheeses for her to try. He got out knives and crackers, and cut samples of every kind of cheese for her. As she tasted each one, he explained the origin of it and a little about the process involved in making it.
Mia’s favorite ended up being the Crottin, a nutty aged cheese with a rippled rind.
“It’s not too strong for you?” Josh seemed surprised she liked it so much.
“No, not at all. I like complex flavors.”
“The longer a cheese ages, the more character it develops.”
She popped another sliver of Crottin in her mouth. “Like people.”
A smile hovered on his lips. “This one’s about two weeks old, but it can age for a lot longer, depending on how strong you want it to get. The body of the cheese will become drier and denser as it loses moisture, and the flavor will become more robust and full-bodied.”
“I love it when you talk cheese.” She was practically drooling, she was so turned on by his cheese talk.
“You do?” He looked skeptical. “It’s not boring?”
“No, it’s totally sexy.” She hadn’t meant to say sexy. It had slipped out in place of a more innocuous word like fascinating. But it was true. And now it was out there and there was no taking it back.
Josh’s eyebrows lifted. “Is that right?”
Mia swallowed, refusing to break eye contact.
He gazed at her for a charged moment, his dark eyes thoughtful and intent. She wondered if he was about to kiss her. Were they allowed to kiss in here? Would it be some sort of health code violation? Sex was probably a major no-no in food prep areas, but what about an innocent kiss?
Or a not-so-innocent one, even.
Josh turned, breaking the spell, and reached up to retrieve a jar from the cabinet. “You should try the cajeta. It goes surprisingly well with a strong cheese.”
Mia sucked in a breath, feeling dizzy. “What’s cajeta?”
“It’s a Mexican caramel. Like dulce de leche but made with goat’s milk.” He twisted the lid off the jar and held it out to her. “Try it.”
Their fingers brushed as she took the jar from him, sending a shower of electricity zipping down her spine. “Do I just use my finger?”
“I can get you a spoon if you prefer.” His voice was teasing, like he was daring her.
“No, it’s fine.” She dipped her finger in the dark, creamy syrup and popped it in her mouth. Her eyes fell closed, and she couldn’t help moaning a little as the flavor settled on her tongue. “Oh wow, that’s amazing.”
It was sweet and rich, with a hint of the tartness characteristic of goat’s milk. Josh was right, the flavor complemented the Crottin perfectly, the same way honey and blue cheese made a perfect match.
When Mia opened her eyes again, he was staring at her with a smile curving his mouth. She licked the caramel off her lips, and his pupils grew wider.
Slowly, he reached up and settled his fingers under the curve of her jaw. She inhaled a shuddering breath as his thumb stroked across her lower lip, catching a stray smudge of cajeta. Without breaking eye contact, he lifted his thumb to his lips and licked the caramel off.
It was so erotic that Mia’s knees threatened to buckle beneath her.
Josh watched her carefully, his gaze steady and unblinking. He was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him, mingling