Page 45 of Fierce-Baker

“That’s great at night, but maybe not so much during the day.”

“Take the good with the bad. Can I get you a drink? I have Fierce beer.”

She’d picked up two four packs at work this week. It was the least she could do. Have something on hand that he’d like.

“Did you buy that for me?”

“I did, but I’ll have one with you. I should know what they taste like more than I do.”

“Do you even like beer?”

“I got one I know I will like, the other I’m not sure.”

“Bring me what you’re having,” he said.

She was glad he’d said that. She didn’t remember the names and didn’t want to ask him in with Micah sleeping. Not that herson would know. His door was just resting shut, and there was a gate in front of it.

He’d been known to get up and call her, but if he ever got up and wandered, she didn’t want to take the chance he was going to get into mischief.

She opened the fridge and pulled out two cans of the lighter IPA. A little fruitier and most likely not his thing, but she could be wrong.

Once both beers were poured into glasses, she walked back to the patio and handed his over.

He took one sip, and of course he knew what it was. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised.

“Do you like that one? It’s probably too light for you?”

“It’s fine. I’m not super fussy about anything Mason and Ben make.”

She took a sip, letting it linger on her tongue a second. “It’s good. I’m sure I can get through a glass of it.”

He laughed. “I’ll keep that comment to myself.”

“I know. I’m horrible. I’m not much of a drinker. I like a mixed drink like the best of them when it’s sweet and fruity, but don’t have more than one, maybe two. They can hit you hard and then it’s just a lot of sugar.”

“Did you know I’m working on bottled mixed drinks now?”

Her eyes got wide. Not over the knowledge of his job, but how sexy he looked with his legs spread out in front of him, his ankles crossed, his body relaxed much more than she was feeling.

Why couldn’t she be that comfortable around him? She tried to portray it at work.

Where there were witnesses and she knew there’d only be so much she could do.

But here alone at her house, the warm breeze of the night, the beer in their hands, both of them much more casual andreminding her of their kiss… Yeah, she was struggling to get any part of her to calm the hell down.

And wasn’t that part of this?

Part of the game they were playing.

Ugh. No games. She’d done that before. Or been forced into it.

“I didn’t know. What kinds?”

“Right now espresso martini and a strawberry daiquiri.”

“I’ll pass on the martini. I like my coffee hot, not cold and not dirty. Anything strawberry, sign me up.”

“You’ll get the first bottle when it’s ready. Which should be in a week or so.”