Page 63 of Better Watch Out
His expression was so vulnerable—probably because she had just turned his thoughtful gesture awkward for assuming the gift was for her.
“Jisoo is going to love it. All of this.” Frannie inched her hand closer to his, wanting to feel the warmth of his touch again. “I hope I can bring her here one day.”
“You think you’ll come back to New York?”
“I very much want to.” The air between them sparked and she leaned closer. “Though I’m not sure I can afford to hire you to keep me safe.”
Something Frannie couldn’t quite identify moved through Andrew’s eyes before she caught them move to her lips. It wasn’t a long look, just quick enough to send her pulse racing and cause her lips to tingle with anticipation.
“Welcome to the Palm Court.”
Their waitress arrived with a cart and began setting up their tea service. Andrew flashed Frannie a secret smile before he directed his attention to the waitress explaining their menu. Frannie no longer cared about the tea options, or the tea sandwiches, or the cute little desserts … okay, maybe she cared about those.Are those miniature candied apples?
Twoloooongminutes later, Frannie had no idea what was on the little tiered tray in front of her and from the look hanging in Andrew’s eyes, he didn’t either. But, to be appreciative, Frannie filled her plate with a few items.
“Frannie, these last couple of days have been … unexpected.”
Well, that’s not the kind of word to make a girl swoon.Her expression must’ve revealed her thoughts because Andrew’s hand inched toward hers. His pinky brushed lightly against hers and it had all the power of a bolt of lightning for the current of electricity it sent buzzing through her.
“Unexpectedbecause I had no idea that once I met Ryan’s sister”—his pinky locked with hers—“that I’d be trying to figure out how my life will ever be the same when she leaves.”
Swooning.
“I realize you just ended a relationship, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to shake the guy’s hand for being too stupid to realize what he had in you.”
Can you swoon from swooning?Frannie wasn’t sure but was grateful she was already sitting down.
“With that said, I respect that you might need some time to figure things out and I don’t want to rush you, but I hope that when you are ready, you might let me know.”
Frannie knew there was no such thing as a perfect man but she’d heard Vivian and Ryan talk about being perfect for each other and she couldn’t have picked out a more perfect man for her mom than Evan … Was it too soon to consider that Andrew might be perfect for her?
There was only one way to find that out …
ChapterTwenty-Five
Andrew shifted in the booth at Frannie’s silence. He’d laid it on the line like an adult. He wanted to date Frannie. When she was ready. He’d made that clear, right? He studied the woman sitting next to him—the pensive way her lips were puckered wasn’t helping the direction his thoughts were taking him.
More than once he’d imagined kissing them.
And more than once he’d schooled himself to make sure Frannie was ready.
He grabbed a tiny sandwich and ate it. In one bite … which from the quirk of Frannie’s lips and the amusement sparkling in her blue eyes was not the way it was supposed to be done.
But before he could apologize, whatever he’d just consumed settled on his tongue and instantly initiated his gag reflex. He wrinkled his nose and covered his cough, willing himself not to spit out the food or worse.
Frannie’s brow rose first in concern and then that spark turned into mirthful glee as she began giggling. “Are you okay?”
He grabbed for his glass of water and forced his throat to cooperate as he washed the taste out of his mouth. His eyes watered and ears rang as he sat there a second to make sure nothing was going to come back up, and then he shuddered.
“You’re not allergic to anything, are you?”
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he eyed her. “And if I was, you just sat there laughing at me.”
“Hey.” She gave him a pointed look. “I’m pretty sure you laughed at me when I pepper-sprayed myself.”
“I admit nothing.” But she tipped her chin, lips parting in a way that brought his thoughts right back to kissing her again. He picked up the menu from the table. “What in the world did I eat?”
Frannie leaned into his shoulder to look and then began laughing again, the subtle shaking of her shoulders against his causing the perfume she was wearing to float around him.
