Page 39 of The Deal Breaker
He watched her with an odd expression, one she hadn’t seen before.
Iris wiped her mouth with her hand. “Do I have something on my face?”
“No.” He rested his arm against the back of the couch, not touching her, but close. “You seem…happier.”
“I am.” Though she hadn’t expected him to notice. The fact he had was nice. “I have a place to live temporarily before I move into my apartment. I’m returning to culinary school. And we’re hanging out and eating brownies.”
“I’m happy, too. I want…” He stared at the plate on the cushion.
Uh-oh. Was his social awkwardness coming out? She moved toward him. “What?”
He rubbed his lips together. “I want us to be best friends again.”
It was as if he’d been reading her mind. Her heart overflowed with joy. “I’d like that, too.”
Relief shone in his eyes. “Great.”
She nodded. “Maybe we should try being better friends first.”
“Friends,” he repeated in an odd voice.
“Besties can grow from that.” And keep her from being disappointed if it didn’t work out. Dash might have the best intentions, but they weren’t teenagers with tons of free time. He had so many other responsibilities, and she didn’t want to get hurt again.
“Deal.” He hit play on the remote. “We should finish watching this, or we’ll be up too late.”
As the movie played, Iris finished her brownie. Dash stretched his arm across the top of the sofa. His hand was warm against her neck. Then, unexpectedly, his fingers played with her hair.
She froze, unsure what was happening.
Dash had hugged her and wiped her tears over the years. Okay, he’d touched her shoulder, arm, and hand.
But he’d never done this. Not once when they’d watched a movie in the past.
She gulped.
It had been a couple years since they’d watched something together. Maybe he didn’t notice. Maybe he normally did this with his dates. Maybe touching a woman’s hair was what he enjoyed doing while watching a movie.
Iris didn’t dare move or talk, afraid anything she did would ruin their rekindled friendship.
Emphasis on friendship.
She tried to relax, but tension built in her shoulders.
Dash’s attention was on the screen. He didn’t appear to have a clue what he was doing. Which meant maybe he didn’t realize he was touchingher.
A part of her almost wished he had.
Wait. What?
She swallowed.
This was Dash.
Her friend.
Her soon-to-be best friend if things worked out. And she wanted it to. More than she thought possible. That meant…
Daydreaming or fantasizing anything else was going on was wrong.
