Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
He’d already started making friends. Tessa had invited him to sit with their group at last night’s meeting, but he’d declined because he’d already scared Rhys off. He’d made other friends around town too, and he’d joined a local beer league hockey team. So why did Rhys’s opinion matter so much?
He pushed that question aside, not sure he wanted to answer it. He needed to focus on his business. He’d told himself that going out with anyone needed to wait.
When one of his baristas arrived, he let her know he was walking over to Frost + Foam for a few minutes, and then he hurried out the door before he got any more nervous about his errand.
Caleb saw Rhys through the shop’s front door. He was standing behind the counter, flipping through a stack of papers. Caleb waited a moment, hoping he would look up and notice him. He absolutely did not want to startle him again, but eventually, he gave up and knocked softly on the door.
Rhys’s head flew up, and his eyes widened. Caleb worried for a moment that he’d dash into the back and pretend he hadn’t seen Caleb. But after a second of staring, Rhys walked slowly across the shop. Was he afraid he would trip again?
Caleb wouldn’t mind catching him. He’d been surprised how firm Rhys’s arms were when he’d gripped them to steady him the night before. What would he look like under the baggy clothes he usually wore? Caleb wanted to find out, but the last thing he needed was to create problems. He wasn’t even sure Rhys wanted to talk to him, much less…
He switched the insulated bag to his left hand and held out his right. “I’m Caleb.”
“Yeah, I know,” Rhys said. Then he blinked as if suddenly realizing that wasn’t what he was supposed to say. “I mean… I’m Rhys.” When he shook Caleb’s hand, tingles raced up his arm. What was it about this man? Why did he intrigue Caleb so much?
Rhys jerked his hand back as if he felt those tingles too. “Sorry, I’ve been setting up. My hands are damp.” He rubbed his hand on his jeans as if to dry it off. I didn’t mind his sweaty hands. I wouldn’t mind them touching me in other places.
“I brought you a drink,” Caleb said. He lifted the insulated bag to show him. Rhys shifted his eyes away, looking uncomfortable. “Just try it and tell me what you think. I didn’t make it as sweet as a lot of my drinks. I figured you wouldn’t like that.”
Rhys met his eyes again. “You did?”
The surprise on his face made Caleb want to do a lot more special things for him. Had Rhys thought he’d be that oblivious to someone’s tastes? “It’s not too hard to guess what you like based on what your shop sells.”
“Oh, right.”
Caleb walked to the counter, set the bag down, and lifted the drink out. “Here. Taste it.”
Rhys accepted the drink and held it in both hands, seeming to enjoy the warmth coming from it. “It’s the perfect temperature.”
Warmth spread through Caleb’s chest as he nodded. “I did my best to keep it warm for you.”
“Thank you.” His smile weakened Caleb’s knees. It was the first time he’d seen Rhys look that happy.
Rhys took a careful sip, and his eyes brightened. “That’s… That’s really good. I would dial in the grinder to make a slightly coarser grind and relieve the tinge of bitterness on the finish, but I know your shop is not… I mean. Oh shit.” He closed his eyes and blew out a breath.
Caleb sank his teeth into his lower lip to keep from laughing as he took a step toward Rhys and laid a hand on his arm. He might have been offended if someone else said the same thing, but Rhys managed to look adorable while giving him pointers. “It’s all right. I know what you mean. Your shop is all about the science of coffee, and mine is a little bit more… relaxed.”
Rhys frowned as he looked back up. “I’m not good at relaxed.”
“Yeah, I kind of got that.”
“Shit. I’m sorry. You should probably stop trying to talk to me. I’m just a mess.”
“Maybe I don’t mind messy.”
Rhys licked his lips, and Caleb didn’t try to hide the way he was watching his tongue. He wanted to flirt more and see where things could go, but that was a dangerous game. Friendship. That was what he needed to focus on.
There had to be other hot guys in Frostwick Harbor, although maybe looking out of town would be better until he got his business off the ground. Hookups were all he should be looking for, and hooking up with Rhys would be a disaster. But something about the way Rhys was looking at Caleb told him he might be more interested than he’d suspected.