He took a long pull, his throat working as he swallowed, his eyes fixed on me over the rim of the glass with that look that made my stomach flip, and my brain go fuzzy.
“What?” I asked, suddenly hyperaware that I was wearing my rattiest, thinnest t-shirt and hadn’t bothered with makeup today. I could count on one hand the number of days that happened each year. Mascara and lipstick were my armor.
“Nothing.” He set the glass down, and his mouth curved into a soft, tired smile. “Just missed looking at you.”
My traitorous heart did a little kick.
“You looked at me plenty two nights ago.”
He’d stayed over, left at dawn to get out on the water, and we hadn’t seen each other since. But he’d called me last night, which had devolved into us getting each other off over video within minutes.
“That was ages ago.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t quite subdue the warmth spreading through my chest at the sincerity in his voice. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you like it.”
I did. God help me, but I really did.
“Hmm,” I hummed noncommittally, turning back to my fermentation log and pretending I wasn’t focused on every breath he took.
Cade switched between scrolling on his phone and watching me with those summer-sky eyes of his, occasionally asking questions about the brewing process or making comments that had no business being as charming as they were.
“You’re staring again,” I said without looking up from the fermentation log I was updating.
“Can’t help it. You get this little crease between your eyebrows when you concentrate that’s super fucking adorable.”
I looked up, pointing my pen at him. “You’re not supposed to point out a woman’s wrinkles, Murphy. Especially after thirty.”
He had the audacity to laugh. “That’s not a wrinkle. It’s a concentration line. Totally different thing.”
“Uh-huh.” I turned back to my log, but I couldn’t quite hide my smile.
“And it’s super fucking adorable.”
I set down my pen and planted my hands on my hips. “It’s not adorable.”
“It is to me,” he said with a casual shrug, completely unbothered by my glare. “Also, your ass looks incredible in those jeans.”
Heat crawled up the back of my neck at his compliment.
I pointed toward the door. “Go home. You’re so tired you’re hallucinating.”
“What? I’m just being honest.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Look, I shouldgo home.” He paused, his grin turning absolutely wicked. “But honestly? I’d rather sit here and stare at your tits and think about you sucking my cock.”
I stared at him, my body betraying me in approximately seventeen different ways. My pulse kicked up. My thighs clenched. And somewhere deep in my stomach, something feral and hungry and absolutely unhinged unfurled its claws.
“Jesus Christ,” I managed to say around a deep swallow and a shake of my head.
His grin widened. “Too much?”
“Cade, you can’t just say shit like that.”
“Why not? It’s true.” He tipped back the glass, finishing off his beer and looking entirely too pleased with himself. “You’ve been on my mind all day. I can’t stop thinking about the sounds you make. The way you look when you?—”
“Okay, that’s it.” I jabbed my finger toward the exit. “You’re going home before you make me do something wildly inappropriate.”
Cade glanced around the empty brewery and shrugged. “No witnesses.”
