Page 24 of Devil's Iris
And turns out I’m not overdressed after all. He's in a full damn suit—tie and all. Then it clicks: he must have been getting ready for work when I called him.He came here first.
Don’t read anything into it, I order myself sternly, butsomething tightens low in my ribs anyway, a flicker of feeling I can’t quite crush.
Then his eyes find mine, and the world narrows to just this moment. Those green irises are so vivid, so intense, they seem to burn right through me. A slow pressure coils around my chest, squeezing tight, making my already frantic heartbeat almost painful.
Shit. The way I react to this man could be a huge problem.
10
ROMERO
I find her almost as soon as I step into the damn library. Christ, when was the last time I even set foot in one of these places? The musty scent of old books hits me like a wall.
A woman who looks to be around my age steps up beside me with one of those eager librarian smiles and a staff badge pinned to her cardigan.
“Hello, welcome to Clinton Hill Library. Do you need help finding your way around? I could show you our new digital catalog system, or perhaps you’re looking for something specific—” She stops mid-sentence when I shoot her an impatient glance. I’m not in the mood to dispense my usual charm when the girl who managed to drag me here like some lovesick fool is sitting over there looking like she’s about to shatter into a thousand pieces.
“I’m fine,” I say gruffly, already moving past her towards my little troublemaker. What fresh hell has she gotten herself into now? Did her brother get arrested again? For what this time—murder? It has to be something serious for her to call me. The desperation in her voice earlier still echoes in my head, and I hate how much it affected me.
She gets to her feet as I approach, the soft cloud of golden-red hair shifting over her shoulders. Fuck me, she’s really so beautiful.Toobeautiful for her own good. It almost hurts to look at her, and yet I can’t tear my eyes away. Especially not from those storm-gray depths.
“Hi, thank you so much for coming on such short notice.” She extends her hand towards me, so perfectly polite, so maddeningly formal.
Not for the first time, I notice how tall she is. Most woman have to crane their necks to look at me, but she only comes up to my shoulder blades. It’s… nice.
I take her hand, my fingers completely engulfing hers. The moment our skin touches, electricity shoots up my arm. My blood starts humming, my clothes suddenly feel too tight, and every nerve ending in my body comes alive. She jerks slightly—she feels it too—and I can’t help the smirk that tugs at my lips.
“It sounded urgent.” I reluctantly let go of her hand, already missing the contact as I take the seat across from her.
She glances around furtively, then leans forward. “It is. My brother strikes again, Romeo.”
That fucking nickname.Every time she says it, something primal stirs in my chest. Like she’s marking me as hers without even realizing it. I wave a hand for her to continue.
“This time, he didn’t work alone. Last night, some loan sharks came into our house and took my brother and mom away.” Her voice drops to barely above a whisper. “Apparently, they owe forty grand with interest. I’ve been given a week to pay it back.” She bites her lip, studying my face for a reaction. Good luck with that, sweetheart. I’ve spent years mastering the art of the unreadable expression. Unless I want her to see it, she’ll never know what I’m thinking.
Inside, my mind races.Loan sharks. Forty grand.The picture is becoming clearer, and I don’t like what I’m seeing. “I don’t offer loans if that’s what you’re thinking.”But for you, I’d considerit. For you, I’d consider a lot of things that go against my better judgment.
Her throat works as she swallows, her eyes flickering between mine. This close, I can detect a hint of light blue mixed in with the gray. “You find me attractive, don’t you?”
I blink, momentarily stunned by her directness. Then I watch, fascinated, as redness spreads across her face—her cheeks, her nose, highlighting those pretty freckles, and down the neckline of her adorable black dress. My mouth waters with the sudden urge to taste every inch of that heated skin. Would she be as warm as I imagine?
That’s when it clicks—what she’s really asking, why she’s blushing—and my heart slams into my throat. “Iamattracted to you,” I start carefully, needing her to say the words herself. “Are you offering me your body in exchange for the money? That’s one expensive night.” But fuck, I’d pay it. I’d pay five hundred grand to have her if she asked.
“What if it’s not just one night?”
Her color deepens to a shade that makes my cock go hard as fucking steel, and I shift in my seat, grateful for the table hiding my reaction. But as arousal floods my system, anger burns right alongside it.
“And how many men got this proposition before me?” My voice comes out harder, harsher than ever.
Her eyes widen in horror. “You’re the first—theonlyperson I'm offering this to. What do you take me for?” she snaps, then catches herself and glances around the library, lowering her voice. “I’ve–I’ve never done this before in my life. Do you think I want my first time to be with some random man? You think I’d even consider this if I had another choice? Just forget it!”
She shoots to her feet in a flurry of anger and wounded pride, and I rise just as fast, grabbing her hand before she can stomp off.
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I shouldn’t have implied that.”She looks surprised that I’m apologizing so easily, but I’m not a complete ass. I wait for her to sit back down before asking the question that’s burning a hole in my throat. “You’re a virgin?”
Red stains her cheeks again. “Yes. I don’t want to talk about it.”
It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but I let it slide. My mind is already racing with possibilities, with images of being her first everything. “You said something about more than one night?” I force myself to focus on the business at hand. “How about two months? Does that sound fair to you?”
