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“I’m pretty sure Ryan mixes it with moonshine or some shit like that.” He pulls one for himself from the case and, retrieving his keys from his pocket, pops the top with a mini bottle opener keychain, then leans over and opens mine too.

“Well.” I smirk at him. “I like to live dangerously.” I clink my bottle to his in a toast and watch him take a pull. I can’t help but admire the long line of his throat as he tilts his head back and swallows. Fuck, that makes my dick twitch.

“Uh, that hits the spot.” He lowers the bottle and groans before fixing me with that unwavering blue gaze. “You done for the day?”

I try to find my voice and answer him, instead of what I really want to do, which is climb him like a tree and lick the sweat from his neck…for starters.

Clearing my throat, I nod. “Colin’s gone home. He’s got candies he needs to make a start on for the Festival of the Seals or something.”

“The Festival of the Sea.” Quinn grins.

“Yeah, that’s it. I said I’d close up for him once you’re done.” I look around the small courtyard at the brand-new fence.

“I’m done.” Quinn turns to survey his handiwork. “Hopefully, they should hold up against gale-force winds and budding Christiano Ronaldos.”

I huff a laugh.

“Didn’t get in trouble for kicking footballs at fences when you were a kid?”

“Honey.” I roll my eyes. “For starters, kicking is not what I’d do when faced with balls, and second, back then, I was the one jumping up and down with a pair of pom-poms. Seriously, I had the best high kick on our block, all the girls were jealous.”

“With those legs, I have no doubt about that,” he murmurs, his hot gaze travelling down to my thighs.

Okaaaay. The likelihood hemaybe straight just dropped to fifty percent.

“You hungry?” Quinn asks. “I’m starving and since we’ve got the place to ourselves, I thought we could sit out here where it’s quiet, have a couple of beers, hang out.”

My stomach jumps with excitement and the thought of spending more time with him.

“I could call Nat,” Quinn offers. “Get some of his signature seafood tacos. My younger sister Juni is waiting tables at the restaurant tonight. If it’s not busy, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind running them over but if not, I can go grab them.”

“That sounds great.” I can’t help my smile. “I’ll just go make sure everything is locked up out front.”

“Great,” Quinn says, and I’m sure I’m not imagining his gaze dipping to my lips.

Forty percent.

Setting my beer on the edge of the table, I turn around and head back into the bakery before I do something crazy like throw myself at him and devour his mouth.

Colin had already finished up and cleaned down the kitchen before Georgie showed up, so I don’t have to do anything there. I had brought in the few folding tables and chairs from out the front earlier and stacked them neatly inside. Hurrying through the main part of the shop floor, I lock the door. The cash register is emptied and the sales counted. There’s very little left to do, so I box up the last few cupcakes I’d been saving for Quinn and switch out the lights.

By the time I eagerly make my way back out into the yard, Quinn’s just hanging up the phone. My stomach flutters as he pulls one of the chairs out for me and gives me a sweet smile. Taking a seat, I slide the box onto the table, and his gaze falls on it.

He groans. “Please tell me that’s what I think it is?”

“Mijo, you are too easy.” I chuckle and pick up my beer. “But yes, your favourites.”

His eyes light up and he goes to open the box, but I lightly slap his hand. “Uh-uh, dinner first.”

He pouts and oh my god, how I want to suck on that lower lip. Instead, clearing my throat, I take a casual sip of my beer and cough slightly. Boy, he wasn’t wrong. I’m not usually one for beers, but this is strong shit.

“So, did you order the tacos?”

He nods. “Yeah, Juni said she’d run it down to us.”

“She’s one of the twins, right?”

Quinn grins. “Yeah, my parents must’ve been real bad in a past life to be saddled with two sets of twins and two singles. Anyone would think they liked having kids.”