Releasing a sigh, she wondered how he could be so perfect. Her mouth twisted into a playful grin as her resolve weakened. “Surely you have some flaws, River Reeves. You’re much too perfect for a mortal man.”
He laughed and stepped toward her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, yet he didn’t reach for her. “So it’s my flaws you’re after?”
“It might be nice to know there are a few,” she said, resisting the urge to lift her hand and run it through his dark hair.
“Okay,” he said, shifting his weight and moving a fraction of an inch closer while keeping his eyes on hers. His gaze dipped to her lips, and she stifled the urge to moan. “I squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle. Um…” He rubbed his chin as his gaze darted to the puppy sleeping on top of the sandal before shifting back to her face. “Sometimes I wait too long to fill up the gas tank in my car.”
She chuckled.
“And I’m not a fan of making my bed.” He shrugged. “No one ever sees my bed, so what’s the point?” Then, as though realizing what he’d said, his cheeks flushed with the tiniest amount of pink.
The urge to reach up and kiss him again was strong, but she resisted as she tried to wear a mock-serious face. “Those all sound like deal breakers to me.”
He shrugged, his eyes still playful, but his gaze was fully on her mouth now.
She took a step back. “So, that pizza. Veggie or something with meat?”
“Lady’s choice,” he said, rubbing a hand over the top of his head. “I can pull up the menu for my favorite pizza place and let you pick.”
She shook her head. “Get your favorite. Surprise me.”
He started to place the order and she headed to the bathroom. When she emerged, he was picking up the now-awake puppy and heading for the door. “Another bathroom run.”
“I can’t believe he hasn’t made a mess yet,” she said.
Grabbing the leash off the table, he said, “Don’t jinx it.”
After he went outside, she grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter and checked for any missed calls or messages. There were multiple emails she could ignore, but Lee had sent her a text.
Dad’s furious with you about the brewery and wants you to present a full business plan within forty-eight hours.
What? Her father didn’t own Buchanan Brewery, yet he thought he was going to tell her how to run it? Not a snowball’s chance in hell. She could only imagine how he’d react if he found out that the man who would inherit the brewery if she failed was now their brewmaster. And that they were becoming romantically involved.
What was she thinking? Whatever this was that she’d started between them was a terrible, terrible idea. Wasn’t it?
She was scowling when River returned, the puppy trotting next to him as big as he pleased. River took one look at her and some of the happiness dimmed from his eyes.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, squatting down to unleash the dog but keeping his gaze on her.
She offered him a weak smile. “Yeah.”
“I got a text that the pizza will be here in about ten minutes.” He walked toward her, never taking his gaze off her. “Georgie, I know something’s wrong. If it’s about our kiss…”
She shook her head and held up her phone before lowering it to her side. “Lee texted me. He said Dad expects me to present him with a business proposal within forty-eight hours.”
He started to say something, then seemed to think better of it and stopped.
“Go ahead,” she said, hating that her father had blighted this too. “Say what you’re thinking.”
He slowly shook his head as he reached for her upper arms. Holding her gently, bolstering her, he said, “You don’t need anyone else giving their opinion about your life. You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, Georgie Buchanan. You don’t need me telling you what to do.”
She stared up at him, her mouth parted in surprise, and then she smiled, blinking back tears. How many times had she longed for someone to tell her that very thing?
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace, and she was surprised at the rightness of being in his arms. How she seemed to fit perfectly. This man was giving her a glimpse into a life filled with love and respect, but she also knew if her brother or father caught wind that she was seeing River, they’d make her life hell. Actually, both of her brothers would flip.
Jack was the nail in the coffin sealing her decision. Things were already shaky between her and Jack, not to mention River and Jack. If Jack found out they had a relationship, she’d lose all of his trust and respect.
Pressing her cheek to his chest, she let herself close her eyes for a moment. If they weren’t working together, perhaps it would have been different, but maybe not. She knew from starting Moon Goddess how much time, energy, and effort it took to get a business off the ground. It had killed her relationship at the time. So it probably wouldn’t have been fair to start something with River anyway, knowing that their time would be limited, because one thing was for certain—River wasn’t the guy you had a fling with. He was the guy you planned a future with.
She leaned back and looked up at him. “We can’t do this, River.”
He studied her face. “I told you, Georgie. It’s your call. I won’t pressure you.”
“But you don’t agree,” she said softly, almost hoping he’d try to change her mind.
He hesitated, then said, “What I think is currently irrelevant. What matters is what you think. You’re the owner of Buchanan Brewery now, or at least one-fourth owner. It’s your business, your rules. If you think it would be a conflict of interest for us to start something, I understand.”
“I like you, River. I really like you—”
“I know,” he said with a sad smile. “And I like you too. But we can still be friends, right? We had fun this afternoon and evening. As friends.”
She nodded. Maybe just staying friends would ease this ache in her chest. At least she’d have some part of him. “Yeah. Friends.”
He gave her the sweetest smile, and she felt like crying, but she knew this was for the best.
“You have no idea how much I wish…” she whispered. Then she let her heart have its way before she locked it up again. Reaching up on tiptoes, she kissed him again, capturing his face between her hands.
He didn’t hold back this time, instead slipping his arm around her back and pulling her flush to his chest. The first kiss had been a kiss of discovery and hope, but this was a kiss of desperation.
River took over, proving she hadn’t imagined the chemistry they’d shared. In fact, she’d barely opened the tap. His mouth captured hers, his lips and teeth and tongue setting her body ablaze with a passion she’d never felt before and had only read about in romance novels. He was showing her the tip of the iceberg of what he could offer her, and she wanted more, Buchanan Brewery be damned.
Georgie barely registered the soft click and then the puppy’s happy yips before she heard a woman say, “Uh…looks like I came at a bad time.”
Georgie tried to jerk free from River’s hold, caught by surprise by the redhead in the open doorway. The look on her face was pure jealousy, but she quickly covered it with a smirk as she scooped up Hops.