Page 8 of Crash with Me

“University of Minnesota.” When my eyebrows shoot up in surprise, he gives a rich, husky chuckle that rumbles from his chest into mine. “I had a hockey scholarship.”

“Seriously? Do you still play?”

“Only for fun in a league. Work usually keeps me busy.”

“What do you do?”

“I own a store. An online shop that sells outdoor gear. Mostly things for fishing, hiking.”

“The basic mountain man supplies,” I tease. “That must keep you busy.”

“It keeps me out of trouble.” His gaze briefly lowers to my lips. “Most of the time.”

My belly flutters.

“So, bartending. Do you enjoy it?”

“I get to meet interesting people.” I give him a meaningful look. “And it’s never dull.”

“I guess not. What do you like about it most?”

“The creativity of it. You wouldn’t think it, but being a bartender—being a mixologist—is a kind of magic of its own.”

“Oh yeah?”

I nod. “I bartend at a restaurant, and I have carte blanche to experiment with the seasonal drink menu.”

“What’s your favorite drink you’ve made?”

“Last summer, I made a spicy blackberry margarita that went viral.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “No shit?”

“Well, as viral as a drink made in Alaska can go. But tourists in the area flocked to order it so they could snap pictures and videos to post on their socials.”

He gives a low whistle.

“It was so popular, our liquor distributor was a little panicked he wouldn’t be able to source enough tequila for me to keep making them.”

Seth chuckles, and the crinkle around his smiling eyes makes my heart skip.

I take a shaky breath. “Don’t worry. I made his life easier over the fall with a pumpkin old fashioned.”

“Maybe there’s a way to combine your passions.”

I cock my head thoughtfully. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe you could do a book of recipes and photos of the drinks out in nature. You could call it something likeOn the Rocks and Off the Grid.”

I suck in a breath. “That’s brilliant. You’re brilliant.”

His cheeks flush. It’s so dang cute.

We keep going. Sharing secret after secret.

Naturally, it’s all in the interest of our agreement. Purely to help us sell the fact that we’re a couple.

It has nothing to do with the fact that I find myself inexplicably drawn to this man. Or the fact that I want to know everything about him.

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