Flirting
927 Words
Chapter Three
By the time they reached the King mansion, Iris had almost recovered from Damon calling her beautiful.
Almost.
The massive iron gates slid open slowly as the SUV pulled into the driveway, revealing the estate lit warmly against the rain-dark night.
Iris used to come here all the time as a child.
Back when life had still felt safe.
Before funerals. Before lawyers. Before greedy relatives with fake sympathy and forged signatures.
Funny how a place could stay exactly the same while the people inside it changed completely.
“You’re quiet,” Damon said as he parked.
“I’m having traumatic flashbacks.”
“To what?”
“Your compliment.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “You’re still thinking about that?”
“You changed the atmosphere of the entire vehicle, Damon.”
“That sounds dramatic.”
“I am dramatic.”
“I noticed.”
Before she could reply, the front door burst open.
“Iris!”
Clara King came running down the steps barefoot despite the rain, her oversized sweater slipping off one shoulder as she launched herself at Iris.
Iris barely had time to brace herself.
“Ow— Clara!”
“You’re late!”
“My car died.”
“Again?”
Iris pointed accusingly at Damon. “See? This family is bullying me.”
Clara gasped dramatically. “Not the car again. At this point, put that thing out of its misery.”
“She has feelings.”
“The car is held together by prayer.”
“Rude.”
Clara laughed before grabbing Iris’s hand and dragging her toward the house.
Damon followed behind them more slowly, carrying himself with that same composed confidence that always made him stand out in every room.
Even when he wasn’t speaking, people noticed him.
Especially women.
Iris remembered that very clearly from high school.
Girls used to invent reasons just to visit Clara’s house.
Most of them left disappointed after Damon ignored them completely.
“Are you staying for dinner?” Clara asked hopefully.
Iris hesitated. “I don’t know—”
“Yes,” Damon said from behind them.
She turned. “I wasn’t asking you.”
“You’re stranded.”
“I can order a ride.”
“In this storm?”
“I can survive.”
His dark eyes met hers calmly.
“You don’t always have to.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Iris looked away first.
Clara glanced between them suspiciously.
“…Why does this feel weird?”
“Nothing is weird,” Iris answered too quickly.
“Very convincing.”
Damon walked past them toward the dining room, loosening his tie slightly as he went.
And Iris unfortunately noticed that too.
This was becoming a serious problem.
—
Dinner felt strangely normal.
Too normal.
Clara spent most of the meal talking nonstop about work drama while Iris listened and laughed in the right places, but every single time she looked up, she caught Damon watching her.
Not obviously.
Not enough for Clara to notice.
But enough to make her nervous.
“You know what’s insane?” Clara said while reaching for her drink. “Ethan asked me if Iris was dating anyone.”
Iris choked immediately.
Damon’s gaze sharpened.
“What?” Clara blinked innocently.
“Nothing,” Iris coughed. “Absolutely nothing.”
“He’s cute.”
“He’s annoying.”
“He owns a penthouse.”
“He also wears loafers without socks.”
Clara snorted loudly.
Across the table, Damon looked strangely unimpressed.
“Iris has terrible taste in men,” he said calmly.
She stared at him. “Excuse me?”
“You dated that musician who thought shampoo was optional.”
Clara burst into laughter.
“He had a creative spirit!”
“He had bacteria.”
Iris pointed at him. “Why do you remember that?”
“Because you cried over him for three weeks.”
“I was going through something emotionally.”
“You were going through stupidity.”
Clara was laughing so hard she nearly spilled her drink.
Iris glared at Damon.
“You know, for someone people find intimidating, you’re actually very annoying.”
“And yet you keep coming back.”
The room suddenly felt too warm.
Too quiet.
Clara looked between them again, slower this time.
“Oh my God.”
Both of them turned toward her.
“What?” Iris asked cautiously.
Clara’s eyes widened dramatically.
“You two are flirting.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Iris nearly dropped her fork.
“We are not flirting,” she said immediately.
“At all,” Damon added calmly.
Clara looked deeply unconvinced.
“You called her dramatic with eye contact.”
“That means nothing.”
“You looked jealous over Ethan.”
“I did not.”
“You insulted her ex-boyfriend like a protective husband.”
Damon took a slow sip of water.
“Iris’s ex-boyfriends insult themselves.”
Clara slapped the table. “OH MY GOD.”
“Iris,” Damon said without looking away from his sister, “control your friend.”
“I’m trying to control my own heartbeat right now.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence fell instantly.
Iris froze.
Clara’s mouth fell open.
And Damon…
Damon stared at her with an expression that suddenly felt far too intense.
Dangerously intense.
Iris stood up so quickly her chair nearly fell backward.
“I need air.”
Then she escaped before either of them could say a word.
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