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Iris turned in her seat and pointed to a patch of pine trees in the backyard. “Stand there, your cell will work.”
“Sweet.” I eyed her burger. “Are you going to finish that?”
Picking it up quickly, Iris took a bite. “Yes!”
Scooping up the two empty beer bottles, I headed to the fridge. “Another?” I asked over my shoulder.
“Please.”
Reaching in, I took two, and when I turned, I was surprised that she was in front of me. “Hey?”
Quickly, she raised her last bite of burger to my mouth, offering it to me. “You can finish—”
My mouth snatched at the food and her fingers as well, it seemed. As Iris froze, I hesitated before I slowly took her by the wrist and gently pulled her fingers out of my mouth, licking them once as they left. “Yum.”
Dark brown eyes stared at me before she blinked, and rubbing her hands on her apron, she took the beer off of me. “Thanks.”
As we both sat back down, she wouldn’t meet my eyes, and I questioned myself for being so forward. I was never this guy. I was polite, respectful, and patient even, but confident? No. I was not an eat-out-of-a-woman’s-hand kind of guy.
“So, yourself?” I asked her. “Siblings?”
“No.” Iris leaned back in her seat. “Just me.”
“Parents?”
“Florida. Colorado winters aren’t good for old bones, they say.”
“Quite the climate change,” I answered as I watched her. “Married?”
“They are, have been for thirty-two years.”
I deserved that, and I grinned at her sassiness. “That’s a long time. You?”
“You?” she countered with an arched eyebrow.
“Nope.” I popped myp.
“Me neither.”
“Kids?”
“No.” She squinted at me. “This your usual dinner conversation?”
“No.” I scratched my cheek. “Itismy get-to-know-someone questions.”
“Like on a date?” Iris asked, her eyes widening.
I didn’t want to panic her as I realised this was exactly what I did on first dates. “Or just someone you meet at gunpoint in a store in a town you’ve never heard of,” I supplied hurriedly.
She watched me before she laughed out loud. “Okay, I’ll give you that.” With a grin, she stood and collected our plates. “The living room is free to use, or you can go upstairs. I’ll keep out of your way.”
For the second time tonight, my hand caught her wrist. “What if I want you in my way?”
Looking down at my hand for a brief moment, she looked back up at me. “After I do the dishes, I can make us coffee? See if there’s something to watch on the box?”
“I’d like that,” I said as I let her go. “I’ll help with the dishes, but do you mind if I just grab some shoes and my phone? I need to make a couple of calls.”
“You don’t need to help me, Mark,” she admonished, and damn if I didn’t like the sound of my name on her tongue. “You’re a guest here.”
