Page 14 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster)
Jamie held out his hand. “Iris.”
She laid her hand in his, tried to ignore the warmth of his fingers surrounding hers. When his knuckles nudged under her chin to lift her face, she resisted.
“Just look at me, Iris. Please.”
She couldn’t ignore that husky request. Raising her eyes, she met the dark green of his. “Jamie—”
He placed a finger over her lips. “It’s okay.”
Was it? “So you understand?”
His smile was gentle. “Oh, I understand.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
He shook his head. “I’ll never be okay with you walking away from me.”
Her heart dropped into her stomach.
“But I’m a patient man.” His smile took on a wolfish edge. “And I don’t mind a pursuit.”
Her brain froze, his words ringing in her ears. “What—”
But Jamie wasn’t answering. Instead he dipped his head, brushed his lips across hers—not her cheek, as he had with the others, but her quivering mouth—and then he was stepping back, his fingers holding hers until the very last second. “Good night, Iris.” He winked. “See you soon.”
She watched him until he stopped in front of the elevator, then made a hasty exit into her room. Scarlett and Claire pinned her with their wide eyes as soon as she stepped inside.
“Wow!” Claire said.
“Wow indeed,” Scarlett agreed. “What the hell was that kiss?”
“It was hot, that’s what it was.” Claire’s grin was impish. “Made me wish my Lincoln was here instead of sleeping with you two.”
“Hey!” Scarlett picked up a pillow off the bed and slung it at Claire, who ducked out of the way, giggling. Iris hoped they’d get caught up in their fun and forget the real topic of this conversation.
No such luck.
Claire pushed her dark curls away from her eyes. “So? What happened, Iris?”
“It was just a kiss, nothing more.”
Scarlett didn’t seem to be buying it. “Did he ask you out?”
She shouldn’t be disappointed at the answer. You don’t want a relationship, remember? “No.” She didn’t tell them she hadn’t given him a chance. She couldn’t. Maybe they would understand—Claire had been divorced, she knew, though Scarlett had not. Still, they would likely understand—and try to talk her out of how she was feeling. She didn’t need that right now. What she needed was a good night’s sleep and to put this behind her.
And pray she could forget the feel of Jamie’s mouth on hers, his body against hers, sooner rather than later. She was very afraid, though, that she would be revisiting those moments as soon as she closed her eyes.
Seven
Iris entered the back room of the library and sighed in contentment. As much as she enjoyed working with the public, especially the kids, she loved this room the most—the place where books were piled high, waiting to be sorted, labeled, and shelved; where the smell of old paper and new covers permeated the air; where quiet reigned and she could get lost in the thousands of worlds just waiting to be discovered.
But not without interruption.
“Iris!”
She turned from the stack of boxes containing the new purchases for the month. “Yes?”
Jennifer pushed her long hair back from her face, a harried expression in her eyes. “Mr. Shelton refuses to let me check him out. He’s holding up the line.”
