AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I lick my lips. What else might come of us doing a deal together?
Pearl looks at me, her gorgeous mahogany-colored eyes like twin pools of molten amber. Her breath seems to catch. I lean in.
My brain has suddenly stopped working. A minute ago, I saw nothing but the cold hard dollar signs that could be made from this deal. But now I find myself wondering just what Pearl might like to get out of this scheme.
Would it involve me kissing her senseless? Maybe spending the night stripping her naked and burying my face between her legs?
“Pearl?”
She edges closer to me. “Yeah, River?”
“Would you?—"
The whirlwind that is Savannah sweeps out of the winery, her satin dress fluttering behind her like a superhero's cape. She bangs open the patio door and looks between us with some surprise. We both jump apart and suddenly become quite interested in making sure our clothes are free of wrinkles.
As if Savannah can somehow tell that we almost kissed simply by being in our presence.
“Oh, there you are!” Savannah tells Pearl. “I was looking all over for you.”
Pearl hands me the bottle of whiskey, grinning sheepishly. She looks at Savannah. “Busted! Please don’t tell anyone that we decided to sneak off for some cinnamon whiskey. I don’t really understand why anyone drinks wine.”
"Well, I’m sorry to interrupt," Savannah chirps. She loops an arm through Pearl's. "But I need you to come settle an argument. You don’t mind, do you?"
The attention slides to me. I shake my head and raise the bottle at them.
I hate to lose my only ally at this function, but I’m not the type to make a fuss. The bride asks for Pearl, so the bride gets to pull her attention away.
I’m a little disappointed. But I push a smile to my lips.
“Of course not,” I say. “Pearl is quite popular today.”
“Thanks, River,” Sav says. “Don’t stay out here too long. It’s frigging cold!”
Pearl throws me an apologetic look over her shoulder. She starts to take off my jacket, but I shake my head. “Keep it. It looks better on you.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
I cup my hand to my ear. “What’s that? Ridiculously handsome, you said?”
"You’re awful. We’ll talk later, though?”
Oh, you can bet on that.
Savannah starts pulling her through the patio door.
"Definitely." I flash her a reassuring smile, already plotting how I can turn our potential deal into something concrete.
Something… mutually beneficial.
Something that I’m certain Pearl will enjoy as much as I will.
Two
Pearl
The air buzzes with the kind of electricity that only money and an impeccable reputation can buy. Sav and I weave through clusters of guests. River’s jacket is still around my shoulders, and I keep smelling faint notes of cedar and hints of tobacco rising from this elegant dinner jacket.
Which means it’s River’s scent. Yum.
