Page 10 of Stealing Iris

Her body tenses again. “I can’t.”

Irritation shoots through me. Though I don’t need confirmation, I hear myself add, “Conrado.” Why should it piss me off? Not like I didn’t know shit’s going on with them since I walked in on it.

“It’s complicated,” she explains in a tiny voice. Taking a step back, she flips the T-shirt and sticks one arm into the opening.

I should let her finish getting dressed, pull on my own shit, and leave. But I’m not one to let things go easily. I grasp the shirt, bringing it down like I have all the time in the world. It’s all I can do to give her time to react and make a decision on what happens now.

Big brown eyes meet mine, searching my face, and ending when she gets to my mouth. The room is filled with the sound of her breathing, or maybe it’s mine. If she looks up, she’ll have the same heat in her eyes I saw earlier. Leaning in to wrap my arms around her, I kiss her lips, and her hands are on me again, holding on. In the next breath, I’m bringing her on the bed with me as I pop open the clasp on her bra and drag it down. Her bare breasts are on me before we hit the mattress.

Things are about to get evenmorecomplicated.

*****

DANTE

“Turn right at the corner,” Iris instructs, stifling a yawn. After spending most of the night at the motel. I find myself in an unusual situation, driving through a quiet, middle-class neighborhood that, just a generation ago, wastheplace to buy. If her parents lived here then, they must have been well-off.

“The gray brick house coming up.” We pull up to the curb, and she jumps out.

“I can wait while you go in and change,” I offer.

She bends down, wetting her bottom lip while taking a quick glance over her shoulder. That evasive move tells me she’s avoiding something, but I don’t know what. “I can change at the store. Let me just grab some clothes off the line, and we can get going.”

She rushes to the chain-link gate, opens the lock then goes through and scrambles up the drive. I pull the car forward to the edge of the empty driveway and watch her go past the extended carport. They have an actual laundry line. I smile, putting the car in park as I take in the rest of the place.

The house is older but well maintained, though the yard could use some attention. Will her father be out here later this morning, pushing a mower around to make the lawn look presentable? It’s a sobering thought. Iris is a nice girl, living in a house belonging to a typical family. A place with parents and brothers and sisters. Not a place I belong, or that I’d willingly step into—ever.

I don’t know what to expect from this moment, never having driven a girl home, much less bringing her by the next morning. Will the lights flip on any minute? Will her father come out with the proverbial shotgun, asking where I’ve had his little girl all night? Or is he expecting her to be with Conrado? Do they know the extent of their involvement? Will he guess I just took his daughter’s virginity?

The house remains dark and silent, like the rest of the neighborhood. I blow out a breath. I’ve been in actual dangerous situations that haven’t felt this tense.

She rushes back to the gate, taking a quick, if not nervous, check of the surroundings as she passes through. The morning breeze catches her curls, still damp from her shower. She transfers her clothes from her arm to her shoulder then locks up behind her. I reach across, pushing open the passenger door. When she ducks to get in, there’s a slight smile on her lips.

“Thanks for waiting on me.”

Totally worth it.

CHAPTER FIVE

DANTE

Sunday night took forever to get here. The restlessness won’t go away, no matter what I try. It’s dominated my time so I can’t even get the second run done on the workups for this weekend’s guests. And that’s a necessity if we’re going to meet their needs.

Iris and Conrado should be here soon. The last fifteen minutes could well have been an hour. Every car turning into the strip mall has me cursing Conrado for not being the one to arrive.Damn it. Why didn’t I go by the store? If Tino wasn’t driving me, I would have.

“You okay? You seem anxious,” Tino asks without turning around.

“Yes.This guy’s just taking his sweet time to get here.”I should have checked the time because it’s still seven minutes to nine. While Tino doesn’t reply, he knows something’s up. He’s been with me too long not to be suspicious. Though he’ll never guess I’m after a curly-haired prize.

Six minutes to go and there’s still no sign of him. I run my hand through my hair at the temple. This is stupid. I can’t believe I’m sitting here anxious for the sight of a woman I met just a couple of days ago. One I’ve only known for a handful of hours.

Five minutes.

Four. A Camry comes down the feeder road, the turn signal blinking his intention. I sit up.

“That him?” Tino asks.

“Yes.” But a search as he drives by to get to the parking lot entrance shoots my blood pressure into oblivion.

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