He walked back into the living area with an easy, fluid stride. Today he wore a rich brown plaid shirt and form-hugging black jeans that made him seem like another accessory to the room’s color scheme. And in this setting, which reflected his simple tastes and down-to-earth personality, he seemed to emanate masculinity and strength. Here in his element, he seemed even sexier than he did at her shop, which was saying something. He’d poured their beers into tall, chilled tumblers.

As he bent forward to hand Julie her drink, he said, “Special, just for you, and I know you’ve never tasted it. You can’t buy it here.”

Julie accepted the beer and glanced into its dark depths. “What kind is it?”

He grinned, flashing his straight, white teeth. “A Scotch ale reputed to be a favorite with most ladies.”

Subtle overhead lighting glistened on his black hair, bringing out the blue undertones and highlighting its curliness. He kept it short, and it waved over his crown like a rumpled cap, inviting her to run her fingers through it. The thought jarred her, and she pushed it away. She took a tentative sip of the ale, and it was so good that her eyes nearly closed.

“Oh, it’s delicious.”

He sat in the matching recliner, which she noticed now had been wallowed out by use to the shape of his sturdy frame. “You don’t get off that easy. What flavors do you taste?”

She took another sip and rolled it over her tongue, savoring the faint sweetness. “I definitely taste a hint of smoke.” Meeting his gaze, she added, “And I’d swear I taste chocolate and coffee, two of my favorite things ever.”

“Very good! You nailed it. That’s Cold Smoke, an award-winning brew made and sold in Montana. I have a pawnbroker friend who hits estate sales up there. Whenever he goes, he picks me up a few cases.”

“So you like a ladies’ beer?”

He winked at her. “I like everything about ladies, so why not? As for the flavors, who doesn’t love a hunk of chocolate and a cup of hot coffee? Men like those things, too. Honestly, though, I’m all over the place with beer, which is why I keep a variety in my fridge. I allow myself only two a day, so I like to change it up and experience different blends.”

She settled back, thinking that the recliner was like the man who sat near her, all-enveloping in a solid but gentle way. “I love it,” she said after taking another swallow. “And now you’ve gone and done it! I’m turned on by a beer I can’t get anywhere in the state!”

He laughed. “My buddy can get you more if you really like it.”

“I really do!”

He smiled at her over the rim of his foggy tumbler. “Well, then, I’m your man.”

Julie wanted to ask how expensive the beer was, but another thought dashed her enthusiasm. “In college, I loved going to pubs to sample different beers. It became something of a hobby, actually. I wasn’t into getting looped, mind you. I just found all the different flavors fascinating and toyed with the idea of starting my own microbrewery.”