Page 8 of Yours To Keep
“I better go. It’s late, and I’m sure you need to get some rest.” She says, standing and heading for the door. At the last minute, she stops in front of my bookshelf, picking up the book she was skimming through earlier. “Can I borrow this?”
“Of course. Just as long as you don’t dog ear my pages, because that’s a fucking sin,” I say, walking her down to the back entrance of the bar. I gesture for her to walk out in front of me, and she gives me a curious look. “I’m not letting you walk home alone at three in the morning, angel.”
“I’m only a block away. I can manage, but thank you, Iris. For everything,” she replies, giving me a genuine smile.
“You’re welcome, but I’m still walking you to your building,” I tell her, leaving no room for discussion. She tries to hide her smile by looking away, but I know she’s constantly surprised by my chivalry. No one expects that kind of behavior from a man like me.
“By the way, it’s Dalton. My name is Dalton. Probably something you should know before you bring me home to meet the parents, huh?” I smirk, and she laughs as we walk the rest of the short distance to her building in relative silence. She tips her head back to look at the beautiful night sky above us, and I’m in awe of her. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen Magnolia stop just to appreciate the world around her. Like every blade of grass or leaf on the trees is something to marvel at. No one ever takes the time to notice things like that anymore.
four
It’s 6:45pm.
He promised.
Iris and I have texted back and forth a few times this week to confirm the details of tonight’s dinner with my parents. I’m sure there are a hundred other places he’d like to spend his Friday night, but he promised he’d be here. I’m not sure why I decided to put so much trust in his ability to show up for me. But something just told me I could, that he wouldn’t let me down. So I’m standing in the driveway, leaning against my car, picking at the skin around my nails. He’s gonna be here. He has to be here.
Headlights pull through the front gate, and I stand straight. That can’t be him. He doesn’t have a car as far as I know, just the bike. My parents will absolutely lose their minds if they see his bike tonight, and I kinda hope they do. It’ll just be another nail in the coffin of their opinion of me.
Aaron’s black Mercedes pulls in next to my car and I roll my eyes. Of course, my mother would invite this fucking tool to dinner tonight again. He speeds up right before coming to a stopnext to me, kicking up dirt unnecessarily. I’ll never understand how he has anyone fooled into thinking he’s a gentleman.
“Jesus Christ, Montgomery. This dress is black silk, asshole,” I tell him, furiously brushing dust from the fabric.
“Costs a lot of money to look that cheap, huh, moo?” He throws back at me and I feel heat rising in my chest. If I could run this man over with a truck, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Greta always says “God don’t like ugly”, but obviously Aaron slipped through the cracks.
“Bite me, bitch dick,” I tell him, flipping him the middle finger and checking my watch again. 6:50pm.
Aaron comes closer to me, much closer than I would like him to be. When he reaches out to grip my chin, I turn my head away. His hand wraps around my upper arm roughly, and I gasp. How dare this man fucking touch me!
“Watch your fucking mouth, princess. You may think you’re untouchable, but I-” Aaron says, but before he can finish his sentence, the pressure against my arm is gone. Aaron’s face slams against the hood of his car, arm twisted behind his back before I can even blink. Holding him in place with one strong, tattooed hand is the most beautiful version of Iris I have ever seen.
His black dress pants and matching Armani button-down shirt are both tailor made to fit him, and God do they fit him well. I’ve never seen him so dressed up, and I could definitely get used to a sight like this. Don’t get me wrong, he’s gorgeous no matter what he wears. But this version of him? He exudes powers and strength. I’d crawl on my knees for this man.
“Hi, angel. Sorry I’m late,” he says, staring at me as if he isn’t holding a man hostage against the car right now. “Care to introduce me to your friend here?”
“He’s not a friend,” I say casually, not caring what becomes of Aaron Montgomery.
“This isn’t funny, Magnolia. Get your-” Iris lifts Aaron’s body from the hood and slams it down again, making me giggle.
“I’m not speaking to you. I’m speaking to my girl. And it seems like you had your hands on her without her consent. See, that’s something I just can’t tolerate.” Iris’s eyes darken, the icy blue nearly hidden behind his pupils. Damn, this is the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
“Dalton,” I say, placing my hand softly on his free arm. “I’m okay. It’s fine. Let’s just go inside.”
He stares at me for what feels like forever, searching for any sign that I’m not being honest with him. So I hold his gaze, showing him he can let Aaron go, even though I’d love to see him snap his scrawny neck. Finally, he releases Aaron, leveling him with a glare that could set fire to half this county.
“Do you know how many bones are in the human hand?” Iris asks, shaking out his sleeves and adjusting his shiny black cufflinks. “There are twenty-seven. If you touch her again, with or without her consent, I will break your hands one bone at a time. Are we clear?” Iris says it so matter-of-factly, like he’s not threatening serious bodily injury should Aaron lay a finger on me.
He doesn’t wait for a response, turning and offering me his arm, leading us up the stairs to the front door. It shouldn’t make me weak in the knees to hear him threaten violence on my behalf. But I’d be the biggest liar if I said I didn’t need to go change my panties right now.
“Well, that was exciting, huh?” He says, and I laugh, raising my hand to knock on the door. Before I can make contact, the doors swing open and my dad stands on the other side, smiling widely. I’ve never brought a guy home to meet my parents, so I’m sure he’s very excited.
“Magpie! I’ve missed you,” my dad says, pulling me through the doorway the way he always does.
“Dad, you just saw me last weekend,” I laugh, but I never tire of hearing him say he misses me.
“That’s an entire week too long, baby girl.” My dad’s eyes soften as I pull back, looking over my shoulder at Iris.
