Page 5 of On The Rocks

I fiddled with my toothpick, swapping it to the other side of my mouth with a grin. “Sure does.”

“Excellent. This one is a bit high-octane.” He slid it towards him. When I reached for the bottle and tugged it away, Ronan laughed. “Let me know if it’s too much.”

“Is it ever?” I cracked the seal on the bottle and took a whiff.

“And why aren’t you asking me? You know, the head bartender?” Lennon’s brow arched as she folded her arms over her chest and rested her bottle on her forearm.

Ronan straightened and rubbed Ella’s back. “Because you’re going to be testing that Honey line, and I know you don’t like the dry ones.”

Lennon’s nose wrinkled. “Fair.” She took another sip of the Hot Honey. “This is really good, though. Are you putting this one on tap?”

Ronan nodded. “It’s my favorite of the first batch of new ciders. Kain is already hatching hot honey wings and some sort of sweet barbecue to go with it.”

“He’s always hatching something,” she murmured before taking another sip.

I was glad I still had my shades on and let my gaze drift over today’s black ensemble. The only color she ever wore, thanks to her vintage T-shirt collection. That, and the violet tone that peeked from her rich black hair.

My hair was deep brown, but Lennon’s was true black, which was generally ironed flat to waterfall down her back. Today, she had it pulled back in one of her intricate braids I associated with her in work mode.

Evidently, she wasn’t easing into the new season.

She wore inky black jeans with rips in the thigh and knee. A flash of tattoo teased from a rip at her upper thigh. My fingers tightened around the chilled bottle. I’d already pictured her in my bed far too many times, I didn’t need to add a tattoo to my fantasies.

Too late.

I transferred my toothpick behind my ear, and I took a sip to distract me from that track.

The dry cider fizzed against my tongue, leaving a ginger aftertaste. I lifted my gaze to Ronan’s. “That’s dangerous.”

He grinned back at me, transferring the baby from one shoulder to the other. The E on her little sock told me it was Ella. “Yeah, I fermented it a little too long, and it’s damn near fourteen percent.”

“Very dangerous.” I took another sip with a sigh. “Ginger and something else. Which apple?”

“This is why I make you taste. Your palate is nearly as good as mine.”

“Hmm.” Lennon hummed and wandered away from the bar to the back door.

I dragged my gaze away from her ass and back to the bottle in front of me.

Ronan gave me a slow grin.

“Don’t start.”

“Not starting.” He waggled his brows. “What else?”

I took another sip. “That ginger has some bite—in a good way. Bet this could be a base for a few different flavors of the week.”

“Huh. That’s an idea. It is a really good base. I try not to mess with too many different ones for the taproom, but it is small batch.”

“Bet it would make a good Moscow Mule, if it’s that spicy.” Lennon turned, and the sunlight streamed through her hair, the dark purple lit up like neon.

Fuck, she was beautiful.

Ronan pulled his little moleskin notebook out of his pocket.

I noticed his struggle and reached across the bar to take the baby.

“Not with those dirty hands, Griffin.” Kira came over and took the baby. She’d already put Amelia back in the pen.

---