Page 20 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster)
Jamie shook his head. “Every time you say my name in that tone of voice, I’m reminded of my third-grade teacher. She told me every single day of that year exactly where I was going wrong. Her standards were impossibly high.”
Were Iris’s?
“It’s okay, Iris,” Jamie told her, probably in response to some emotion flashing across her face. She swore it didn’t matter if she held words back; her face said all that needed to be said despite her restraint. “I don’t mind a little reprimand now and then.”
Something about the way he said reprimand had her thinking he meant something far different. Heat flashed in her cheeks.
“Anyway, you were saying…?”
What had she been saying? Ah…
The song they were dancing to chose that moment to fade into the ether. The jukebox clicked over to “Jessie’s Girl.”
Iris shook her head. “Can we table this discussion for now?”
She sounded like she was in a city council meeting, but this wasn’t the time nor place she wanted to reveal things as personal as she needed to reveal. Jamie’s gentle smile said he understood. “Of course we can. I’m not going anywhere.”
That’s what he says now.
And it was that voice that terrified her.
Jamie joined them at the table piled high with golden chicken wings and beer. Of course he sat next to her, a maneuver he seemed to have perfected from their first meal together. Or maybe it was just that her friends were all couples and she and Jamie were the odd ones out. She tried to ignore his body heat, his laughter, the sheer enjoyment he found in consuming the “finger-lickin’ good” wings Clayton was famous for, but there was no ignoring Jamie, she was coming to find. He was larger than life, and his presence drew her like a lodestone anytime he was in her vicinity. For tonight, she decided to relax and enjoy it.
Which was exactly what she did until the last wing was consumed. Her friends were a good antidote to whatever worried her, and she reveled in the joy of being with a group of people who truly cared about one another. That joy took a sharp nosedive when she glanced over to see Kirk and his fiancée walking through the door to the Drunken Otter.
Every muscle in her body froze, including the ones holding the smile to her face. She hadn’t seen Kirk since the engagement. She didn’t want to see him now, but living in a small town meant it was inevitable, really. That didn’t mean she wanted to stay.
A warm hand on her arm drew her attention away from the couple crossing to the bar.
Jamie.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
She flashed him a weak smile, not wanting to meet his eyes. “Of course.” She reached for her purse, hanging from the back of her chair.
“You’re not leaving?” Scarlett exclaimed.
Iris shot a glance at the bar, then back to her friend. “I think I’ll call it a night. But you stay.” Scarlett and Gavin had picked her up, but she didn’t want to ruin her friend’s night. “I can call an Uber.” There were usually drivers hanging around on Thursday nights, given the pub’s popularity.
Scarlett was staring daggers at Kirk and Emmie. Iris didn’t turn to look. She didn’t care if he had that satisfied smirk on his face. What she cared about was protecting herself right now, and that meant not being in the same room with them.
Jamie stood beside her. “I’ll take you home.”
“No, no…”
Jamie leaned down, putting his face close to hers. The warm scent of beer and brown sugar brushed her face. “No arguing. You’re not putting me out.” He cupped her cheek like he had on the dance floor, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. “It will be my privilege.”
How did she believe words like that? And yet, staring into his eyes, she knew they were true.
Goodbyes rang out from the rest of the group, and Iris acquiesced. She could feel a hot stare on her back as Jamie led her out of the pub, but she didn’t look in Kirk’s direction. She focused on moving forward. Her ex would not get the satisfaction of holding her back.
Ten
The light scent of Iris’s perfume filled Jamie’s nostrils as he handed her into the car. The intimacy of it tightened his groin. Something about being in a dark car with a woman filled a man with temptation. Maybe it was a throwback to those teen nights when parking was forbidden—not that he anticipated parking with Iris. He definitely wouldn’t mind, but…
He closed her door firmly and rounded the back of his Mercedes. Keep it together, old man.
The warm purr of the engine filled the silence as he buckled his seat belt, then checked to be certain Iris had hers secure. Just as he put the car in reverse, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled his cell out.
