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“Why don’t you sit?” I wave to the banquette. “I’ll make us some tea.”
River studies me for a moment, his sapphire blue eyes intent. Then he takes a seat next to the twee UFO pillows. He seems to weigh his words carefully before speaking. “I didn’t know that you lived in a… what do they call these trailers again?”
“Airstreams.” I fill the kettle out of my small kitchen sink. “You’ve never been out here, have you? It’s a trailer resort. Aunt Delta has a whole bunch of them for the hotel, but she set a few aside for family members.” I grab two mugs and drop teabags in. “I’ve lived here since I graduated college.”
River digests that as he sweeps his gaze around the trailer again. “Your aunt Delta is the one that you told me about, right? You said that she hadn’t paid the taxes on this land for a number of years?”
Blushing, I shoot him a look. “Yes. We are pretty close to getting a notice from the IRS at this point. But I’m still having a devil of a time getting her to listen to me. She’s so damn stubborn. I asked her who she can go to for a loan. She says she is tapped out. I tried to work out a payment plan with the IRS, but Delta won’t sign off on it. She says she shouldn’t have to pay taxes.”
“She sounds… spirited.”
I laugh. “That’s certainly one way to put it. She would have a heart attack if she knew that I was flirting with one of the Billion Dollar Bennetts. She says that your family thinks they are so high and might just because y’all are rich.”
He snorts. “Billion Dollar Bennetts.”
I sit down across from him, dunking my tea bag in my mug to stir it. “Sorry. I know that you hate that nickname. I won’t use it again.”
River shrugs the topic off and sniffs his tea. “This smells horrible.”
“First the cinnamon whiskey. Then ginger tea. I just saw you down a bunch of pho. You can’t tell me you don’t like strong flavors. Maybe you just don’t like spices??”
“I like things that taste good. Point blank. And judging by the smell alone, that tea is not going to taste good.”
“It has medicinal effects,” I reply tartly. “Try it. It’s great.”
I sip the zesty tea, watching his face as he tastes it then pulls a face. He slides his mug away a few inches.
“It’s not for me.” River trains those probing blue eyes of his on my face. “You were telling me about your Aunt Delta.”
My eyebrows rise. “What else is there to say? She’s determined to lose this land to the IRS before I ever inherit it.”
He puts his arm up on the back of the banquette, his fingers brushing my shoulder. “You are supposed to inherit it someday?”
I sip and then nod. “Yup. With Aunt Delta making the calls, I have no say in financial matters. In fact, Aunt Delta has told me to butt out repeatedly.”
“She doesn’t have anybody that she goes to for financial advice?”
I snort. “No. She keeps her own counsel. Aunt Delta really doesn’t even like anybody other than me, my mom, my Aunt Glory, and Malik. She won’t even consider taking our advice.”
“I gotcha.” River looks thoughtful. He flexes his outstretched fingertips, intentionally stroking my shoulder. I shiver, swiping my tongue over my lips, and imagine the feeling of those two fingers flicking my clit.
Heat gathers between my thighs.
“So?” he intones.
Gulp. River’s eyes are like two deep oceans, begging me to scoot closer and take a dip.
“So?” I try to keep my tone light, despite the almost painful flip-flopping of my stomach. “You want to talk about… the deal?”
He smirks and his dimples flash. Suddenly, I realize my kid could have his dimples, and go all tongue-tied. Pressing my thighs tighter together, I pray that I can keep my shit together in front of him.
“Now that we’re somewhere that we won’t be interrupted.” He slips his warm hand around my waist and pulls me closer to him. “I very much want to talk about the deal.” His fingers touch the bare skin of my shoulder, tracing a pattern into my flesh. “It sounds like you need a baby daddy.”
Swallowing, I give my head a tight shake.
“I need someone willing to donate sperm. But I don’t want them around forever, taking my kid away for visitation or thinking they have a say in how I raise my kid. I don’t want or need that.”
One of River’s eyebrows rises. “Oh? So you’re just looking for someone to knock you up?”
