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‘Beer?’ she probed, refusing to be intimidated.
He shrugged.
She studied him for a moment. ‘Craft, nothing too fancy. Medium bodied with a punch of hops and a solid malt finish.’
His lips twitched, and he tugged on his beard.
‘I’ll take the tug as a good sign,’ she said, nabbing a full-flavoured brew from her fridge.
She crossed the room, and he took the stubby from her silently.
He popped the tab and drank, pulling his head back to reveal a thickly muscled neck.
She swallowed.
‘It cranks,’ he conceded reluctantly. ‘Not quite like my Galician drop of choice. But it’ll do.’
There was something about the man. Like he’d a streak of stubborn loyalty to the things he cared about.
He took another sip and licked his lips. ‘Not bad,’ he proclaimed.
‘Not bad, my ass. That’s the best IPA this side of Dunia.’
‘Who’s the brewer?’
‘Friends of mine. A small outfit just outside Axuma. I may have contributed to the hop recipe.’
His lips quirked again. Their eyes met in a clash of energy.
Energy she wasn’t about to explore.
‘You eat meat?’ she clipped.
‘Every chance I get,’ he shot back.
‘Good.’
She turned on her bare heels and busied herself in the kitchen.
She whipped plump sweet-smelling buns out of her bread tin. Fresh, bought that morning. She flipped on her cooker and threw a pan on it.
While it heated up, she opened her cooler and withdrew a paper-lined pack. She unfolded it reverently to reveal a generous cut of fat-marbled wagyu steak from the windswept cattle ranches of Wadi. She cut it into two and laced it with olive oil, fresh pepper and New Malindi sea salt.
She threw it on the hot pan, and it sizzled, ignoring the silver-lit eyes that tracked her every move.
While she cooked, she decided to address something bothering her.
‘You know Shadow, Kage or whatever they call you -,’ she started.
‘Feels like I’m about to get a beating,’ he drawled. ‘Out with it, Harlow.’
‘Fine. I’m still pissed off that you didn’t announce yourself earlier. I find it rude that you were hanging around while I was on my date.’
‘Excuse my efforts in keeping you safe from unknown threats,’ Kage rumbled with a glimmer in his eye. ‘Why so peeved? Was he your boyfriend?’
She narrowed her eyes at him, neither denying nor confirming his speculation.
‘You don’t need a boyfriend,’ he drawled on, unconcerned. ‘Specially one who’s such a controlling toxic asshole. What you need is a man. Who’s secure enough to appreciate your beauty as it is and let you eat in peace.’
