Page 65 of Better Watch Out
“Yes.” He handed the valet the ticket for his car. “I’m just sorry to end your trip so suddenly.”
“Me too.” Her expression softened and for a brief second, he was certain he recognized the simmer in her eyes. It matched the one burning in his chest. Her hand found his and she gently guided them to a semi-private corner of the lobby next to the giant Christmas tree. When she glanced up beneath her lashes, there was a shyness in her gaze that had his heart beating a rhythm faster than the little drummer boy. “Thank you for this.” Her eyes moved away for just a second, looking around, and he immediately needed them back on him. Thankfully, she must have read his mind because she was looking at him again, only this time with a saucy smile that didn’t just make his heart beat faster, but stopped it altogether. “I would really like to get to know you better.”
“I’d like that too.” His voice was husky and it brought a smile to her face—one he couldn’t remember not adoring. Stepping forward, he was almost at the perfect angle for his lips to meet hers but he didn’t want to rush it. Frannie deserved to know he was in this for the long run. “I know there’s the whole long-distance thing but my schedule is pretty flexible and I’ve got a ton of frequent flyer points.”
Frannie inched forward and the curve of her body was so close it took all of his self-control to keep his hands to himself. Her teasing smile said she knew what he was thinking and that only made the heat between them climb another thousand degrees.
“And I can write and tutor students anywhere.”
Was a sexier sentence possible? Andrew didn’t think so. His gaze traveled down to her lips—mere inches away. The feelings he’d denied were dancing inside of him like a version of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” gone wrong. Milking maids, geese, swans, pipers, they were all getting jiggy with it.
“Sir, your car is ready.”
And just like that, the music screeched to a halt and the moment melted away faster than a snowflake in Hawaii. Frannie bit her lower lip, eyes teasing to match the smile that told him if he’d gone in for the kiss, she probably would’ve reciprocated.
“Sir?”
“Yeah, I heard you.” Andrew groaned. The valet was an older man with pink cheeks and nose chapped from the wintery weather. He felt bad. The man was only doing his job and from the line of guests waiting for their vehicles, he probably didn’t need to spend the extra minutes trying to locate them. Helping Frannie into the Tahoe, Andrew tipped the valet a twenty and wished him a merry Christmas.
“My flight is still showing on time.” Frannie looked up from her phone. “So, I only have to sit at the airport for a few hours.”
“Again, I’m really sorry.”
Her hand reached across the middle console and found his and interlaced their fingers together.
“Don’t be. How many people get to say they twirled on the same dance floor as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor?”
“One more thing to add to your bucket list and then cross off.” She squeezed his hand and there was a physical ache in his chest as he drove across the Queensboro Bridge. “It maybe wasn’t everything you wanted to do but I hope it made your trip worth it.”
“Andrew.” She waited until he looked over. “It was one of the best trips of my life.”
It was a good thing he was driving because the desire to sweep her into his arms was overwhelming. Never mind where his thoughts about kissing her were taking him.Focus, Bishop. On the road. On the traffic.On the vehicles that might be following you.
That last thought snapped his attention to the rearview mirror and side mirrors. If someone still thought Frannie was Valentina, she wasn’t out of danger yet. He needed to talk to Doug. Make sure someone inside the airport kept an eye on Frannie until she got on her plane safely.
He turned left on 82ndStreet and felt the foreboding needling its way through him. He was worried about Frannie’s safety first and foremost but a part of him was also concerned that maybe these last few days were never supposed to be more than a fun weekend.
His gaze fell to their hands and he shook away that fear. He may not know everything about Frannie but nothing about what he did know supported the idea that their time together was trivial.
“Wow.”
Andrew’s focus sharpened on the airport gridlock ahead of them. He checked the time and didn’t have much of it before he needed to get back to the Waldorf. A horn blasted from somewhere and Andrew edged forward. Agitated police officers were flagging drivers forward, blowing their whistles, or aggressively barking orders to New Yorkers who refused to comply.
“I’m flying out on American. Just up there.” Frannie pointed to an area ahead where a bunch of orange barrels kept cars from the curb and had passengers unloading in the middle of the street, which was causing the congestion. “You can let me out anywhere and I can walk if that’s easier.”
Itwouldbe easier but he wasn’t ready to say good-bye just yet. “I’ll get you as close as I can and pull over to the side. Nothing brings out the best in drivers like holiday congestion at the airport ten days before Christmas.”
A van pulled out ahead of him and Andrew navigated into the space just as a police officer eyed him. He gave Andrew the kind of look that said he’d better make it fast. Putting the Tahoe in park, Andrew carefully got out and met Frannie at the back. He retrieved her suitcase and set it on the curb.
“So, I guess this is it, huh?”
Andrew shifted on his heels. He wasn’t quite sure what to do in this scenario. Hug? Handshake? High five? “I guess so.”
“You have my number.”
“I do.” Why was this so awkward? “And you have mine. Will you let me know when you get on your plane? And when you get to D.C.?”
The corner of her lips lifted. “Sure.”
