Page 41 of Better Watch Out
Andrew squeezed her hand and then released it. “Me too.” He stood and picked up his coat. “So, today, at Bryant Park I thought I saw someone who’s worked with Angelo and I …” He pressed his lips together. “I guess after what happened to you at the bookstore, I overreacted.”
“It’s completely understandable.”
Frannie stood and rubbed her arm. She didn’t want him to leave. Not yet. The day had started off so good and now it was ending on this heaviness that didn’t feel Christmasy at all. Next to the television was a piece of paper with a list of the evening’s Christmas movies and which channel they were playing on.
“Do you want to stay?” she said quickly and then pointed to the movie schedule. “To watch Christmas movies with me?” His expression told her he was about to give her an excuse. “Just one, please. And I’ll order us dinner. It’s the least I can do for forcing you to spend the day with me.”
“Frannie, stop.” His gentle tone pushed her eyes to meet his. “You didn’t force me to do anything. Today was a lot of fun. More fun than I’ve had in a long time and if you’ll forgive me for my lapse in professionalism …” He hesitated, and she thought she caught his eyes drift to her lips for a split second before he continued. “I’d be happy to watch a Christmas movie with you.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He frowned. “Unless you’re going to subject me to a Hallmark Christmas movie. Then I’m gonna split.”
Frannie wrinkled her nose. “Definitely not Hallmark.”
His brow lifted as he eyed her suspiciously. “You’re not into movies with plaid-wearing men who quit their jobs in the city to take over the family Christmas tree farm and help the granddaughter of the town’s only baker who he used to have a crush on but now has to convince his old boss not to tear it down or the children’s home will be shut down right before Christmas?”
Now it was her turn to eye him suspiciously. “You’re sure you don’t prefer Hallmark movies? You seem to know a lot about their plots.”
“Same plot. Same issues. Sometimes same characters.”
Frannie laughed. “I can’t argue that but I actually prefer men who live on the dangerous side, have a gripping backstory, and are willing to put themselves into tight spots to protect the ones they love.”
Andrew’s body stilled, gray-blue eyes locked on her for what felt like the longest second in her life before she smiled.
“And nothing puts me in the holiday spirit faster than Bruce Willis facing off with Hans Gruber.”
A spark lit Andrew’s eyes before he tossed his head back in a low chuckle that instantly brightened the mood. She enjoyed the sound of it and was happy to ease some of the tension she’d seen him carrying.
Frannie tossed him the remote control. “Die Hardis on channel nine or you can pick something else so long as the man’s not wearing flannel and there’s no Christmas tree farm, inn, or bakery being rescued.” She looked up nearby restaurants on her cell phone. “Do you think places will still deliver with the weather?”
Andrew sent her a look. “It’s New York.” He held up his own cell phone. “But I’ve got it. You call the airline back and I’ll get us dinner.” He sent her a hard stare when she opened her mouth to object. “You’re in my town and”—he leaned over the table and picked up her bucket list—“I’m helping you cross offeat authentic New York–style pizza, the kind only locals know about.”
“Fine, but I’m paying.” This time she sent him a hard stare but instead of intimidating Andrew like she’d hoped, it only caused something to flicker in the depths of his eyes that caused a delicious shiver to dance down her spine.
Yes,Die Hardwas the absolute best choice. No chance for romantic notions to stir while John McLane picked off the terrorists in Nakatomi Plaza one by one.
ChapterSixteen
Andrew made quick work of ordering a pizza from Geno’s and then sent another message to the Defensemen group. He’d sent one in the Uber on the ride back from Bryant Park asking for the FBI’s status on locating Jimmy Strazza but all he got back was “They’re working on it.”
He glanced over to where Frannie was talking to someone at the airline She was staring out the window, which gave him the opportunity to figure out what he was doing. He didn’t need to stay here to keep an eye on her. He could easily slip into The Peninsula’s security office and monitor Frannie’s safety from behind a bank of television screens and the hundreds of security cameras around the hotel.
Guests needed a hotel key to access the hotel floors but if someone wanted to get to Frannie bad enough, they’d find a way. He prayed that wasn’t going to be the case. He prayed that his jumpy behavior that had them squished together in a less-than-appropriate way for two people who just met was due to an overactive imagination on his part.
But was it overactive? Sure, the man he’d seen following him and Frannie did have a similar build to the guy in the leather jacket, but what about the other three men? Doug had always told them to trust their gut when it came to personal protection. The body’s innate sense of danger was rarely wrong … except today.
And even though Andrew didn’t hate the feeling of her body next to his, or the way her touch stoked a fire in him, his mistake didn’t lend to professionalism.
Andrew dropped his gaze to his cell phone again. He really needed the FBI to figure out who was behind the threat to the Malones and whether the Adonis family was involved.
“I’m stuck here until Monday.” Frannie plopped down on the couch and sighed.
There was a buzzing noise in his ears. “You’re not leaving tomorrow?” She looked up at him and he saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes, which he immediately regretted causing. “Is the airport expected to be closed tomorrow?”
“No.” Her expression cleared. “I just don’t carry enough status to warrant the first available flight to D.C., and since I missed the call earlier, they filled all of the available seats for Sunday and the next available isn’t until Monday night.”
“Oh man, I’m sorry.” Andrew moved next to her, careful to keep a respectable distance between them. His fingers still tingled from the way she’d reached out to comfort him earlier, but he needed to keep the line securely drawn in the sand … er, rather the snow. “You don’t need to worry about a place to stay. Your reservation here is for as long as you need it.”
