Page 31 of The Deal Breaker
“Will you be okay?”
She patted his hand before pulling away. “I will.”
He stared at his half-full plate. “Good.”
She’d call that a win given his response last night. It was her turn to dish out the delicious-smelling yellow curry. “Guess I owe your friends some pulled pork sliders for all their help.”
The corners of his mouth curved upward. “And those bacon-wrapped figs?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Do you think you’ll get the apartment?”
“I’m hopeful I will.” She spooned Pad Thai on her plate. “If I get it, I’ll need to find a place to live until I can move in on the first.”
“Stay here with me.” He spoke as if it were one long word, not four of them.
“What?” she asked, wanting to make sure she heard him correctly.
He took a breath. “Stay here. I have plenty of guest bedrooms.”
“I know. I’m the one who cleans them.” She laughed, more of a nervous giggle since his invitation was unexpected. Maybe even to him.
His cheeks reddened. “You can use the Range Rover to get back and forth. If you want it permanently—”
“That’s too generous, but thanks for the offer.” She didn’t want him to give her a car. He didn’t owe her anything. Taking the bonus—something she’d earned—had been difficult enough. “If I can’t find a temporary place—”
“Stop looking.” His voice was firmer this time. “Move in and use the car until your apartment is ready.”
Iris forced herself to breathe. This would help her out financially and logistically. “You’re serious?”
“One hundred percent. Pick a bedroom.” He winked. “Well, any that is unused.”
The sole occupied one was his, and she only went in there to clean or put away his laundry and dry cleaning. “That would be great, but I don’t want to be in the way.”
“You won’t be,” he countered. “We were roommates in a much smaller place.”
“True.” The apartment was smaller than Dash’s garage. But memories of that time brought a smile to her face. “It wasn’t much more than a nondescript rectangle with doors and windows, but I loved that place.”
“Me, too. Close to our first office, and you made it feel like home. The way you have here.” He reached for a food container. “We got along there, so sharing this house will be a cinch.”
“I’ll be at school for eight hours a day, five days a week.” That would be different from when they’d lived together before. She’d been at the apartment most of the time, unless she went with Dash to help at his office. Given his work schedule and her classes, chances were they wouldn’t see each other more than they did now.
A heaviness pressed against the center of her chest. She ignored the twinge of disappointment. Their friendship would never be as strong as when they were younger, but she wanted him to be in her life…somehow. If notfriends foreverthenfriends for now. Maybe moving in for a couple weeks would help. “Staying here would make things easier for me, if you’re sure I won’t be a burden.”
Dash’s grin lit up his face. “It’s settled, then.”
“Not so fast.” Iris didn’t want his generosity to lead to problems for him, and she could think of a big one. “What about Raina?”
He scooped the Pad Thai onto his plate before putting the shrimp pieces back into the container. “What about her?”
“She might not like me staying with you.”
Raina was polite to Iris but not overtly friendly. Not surprising since she focused her attention on Dash whenever the two were together. To be honest, Raina had said little to Iris and ignored her most of the time.
Shaking his head, he grabbed two skewers of chicken satay and then a fried wonton. “Why would Raina care?”
“Because she’s your girlfriend.”
