“Still happily married,” Belle said. While he wasn’t her brother by blood, he was by bond. But family was family and business was business. She couldn’t fail her first time out, no matter how much she desired Erik. No matter how she spun it, she desired him. Big time.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Erik laid his palm on the polished wooden bar and glanced over at Belle. The show had forced him on group dates for the past two weeks and this was the first time that he’d had a one-on-one date with Belle since the pet fair. Her hair was down and drifted around her shoulders. She was wearing a red, slinky dress that hugged all of her curves, and his favorite lipstick.
Kissable Red.
Their date was at the Pioneer Brewery for a flight of beer tasting. The brewery was situated in an old building in the city of Snohomish. One wall was made up of glass, the forest behind it a vivid green backdrop. He’d gotten the commercial and the company agreed to sponsor this segment of the show.
It was bittersweet, considering how he and Belle left things when they last spoke. He was still confused at where they stood. Were they fighting, pretending to fight, was she really pissed? He had no idea. She’d spun him in a tight circle and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get off the dizzying ride.
The master brewer, Oscar was in his thirties with tattoos on his thick arms. Like Erik, he sported a beard, but his was as black as his hair. “The key to tasting multiple beers is to use water to clear your palate.”
Oscar picked up the water glass next to his beefy hand. From his bulk, the guy lifted weights at the minimum. “I’ve also given you some of our house-made French bread. The goal is to get the most out of each taste,” Oscar said.
Belle’s profile was to him, her eyes locked on Oscar. In the distance, the clanging of an old train sounded in the background but every bit of her attention was on the guy.
Erik wasn’t sure how to feel about that. The jealousy bug was biting him in the ass.
“Belle, what’s your favorite beer?” Oscar asked. Since the moment she’d walked into the place, he hadn’t stopped staring at her. Would she be interested in the brewer? He had a successful business, was well spoken, and looked pretty fit.
It had been a few weeks since Erik had asked her if she had a boyfriend. It was possible that she could be seeing someone. Granted, she was on a national show actively trying to become engaged—whether it was fake or not. If she was his girlfriend, he wouldn’t be too thrilled at the idea, no matter how much money came with the gig.
A board with four shots of beer was situated before each of them. She swept her hand over the offerings. “I haven’t really tried that many beers other than your standard domestic,” she said.
“The first beer in the flight is an American pale ale. You’ll notice the color is a light copper and has a strong, fruity aroma under the hops.” Oscar said, leaning in her direction. “Go ahead and pick it up and smell it first. Think of beer tasting the same as you would wine. The smell sets the taste on your palate.”
From the way Oscar stared at her cleavage, he didn’t seem to mind that she was in the middle of a date.
Erik shifted on his feet and tried to gain control over his growing annoyance. He wanted to forgo the tasting and drink. A lot. He’d been anticipating this time with Belle, an evening outing. The one-on-one, would be their last one. The charm ceremony would be the following Tuesday, a live show.
In his mind, it couldn’t be soon enough. Once this all was behind him, football season would kick off. He’d be on the road and hopefully be able to forget about Belle for a while.
Like that was going to happen. He lifted the glass, smelling the flavors before tasting the beer. Belle performed the same task, licking her full lips. They were moist from the action and he drank the rest of his beer without paying any attention to anything but the fact that it contained alcohol.
“It’s very good. I like it.” She turned to look at Erik, the smile still in place but it was strained. Not a big surprise. Was she still playing the part or genuinely upset with him? They hadn’t exactly left things in a good place. Since she was now sequestered at the house, texting her hadn’t been a smart idea. But damn, he wanted to talk to her alone in some capacity.
Oscar introduced the second of the four beers and went into some detail. Erik could care less at this point. Under normal circumstances, he’d enjoy the tour of the brewery, followed up by some good beer. Tonight, he was impatient for the second part of their date, alone time on a vintage train ride through Snoqualmie Valley. He took a step to his right, close enough that he could catch the subtle fragrance of Belle’s perfume.
“The third beer is a brown ale. It has a very obvious hop flavor, with a touch more bitterness.”
Erik nudged her arm with his and pointed to the deep-copper beer. “Don’t forget to let the flavors roll on your tongue. There’s nothing better than savoring a beautiful, full-bodied beer. Well, a full-bodied beer in front of a fire would be even better.” He dropped his voice, eyeing her for a reaction to his reminder of their night together. “Some might say it’s an orgasm on the tongue.”
“And who might they be?” Cheeks flushed an appealing pink; she kept her profile to him. The beer glass in hand, she brought it to her nose and inhaled. Chest rising with the breath, she nearly spilt out of the halter style top.
“Everybody.” It was nice to see that the coolness toward him was wearing off. But for how long? “Everybody says so. Just ask.”
She drank the beer and wrinkled her nose. Exchanging the water for the beer, she sipped. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“I’d rather demonstrate.” He picked up the brown ale and downed the contents. Recalling their night together was a double-edged sword. He looked at the glass and nodded, trying to keep his cock in check. “Now that’s a beer with a bite but not quite what I was looking to taste.”
“What kind of beer do you prefer?” Oscar asked, oblivious to their discussion, he continued to stare at Belle, even as he was talking to Erik.
“I like all beer. Last year’s Pioneer Axe Seasonal was one of my favorites.” He enjoyed beer on occasion but he wasn’t a huge drinker. Drugs and alcohol threw many a promising player off his game. Erik had to be on top of his if he wanted to continue being a success.
Oscar nodded in agreement. “Medium body with citrus. It’ll be back this year, just in time for the football season.”
“Excellent news,” Belle said, forever his champion, at least when it came to his career. She took her job seriously and he appreciated it. He just wished he could shake his growing obsession with her.
