The Game Plan (Neighbor from Hell #5)(38)

“I’d send up two.”

“Maybe I should put up a struggle?”

“It wouldn’t help.”

“Should I leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind so that I can find my way back later after I escape?” she asked as she heard him open her front door.

“It would be gone in less than ten minutes.”

“Birds?”

“My cousins,” he answered with a soft shiver-inducing chuckle.

“I see,” she murmured, loving their playful banter. “Then perhaps I should put up some sort of resistance?”

“You could, but then you wouldn’t get your surprise,” he teased as he guided her to sit down.

“Will the surprise be worth a kidnapping charge?”

He chuckled as he double-checked her blindfold. “Absolutely.”

“Then I suppose I could wait a few minutes before I start screaming for help.”

“I would appreciate that,” he said, pressing his lips against her forehead. “Stay still and try to behave while I’m gone.”

With that, he was gone and she was left sitting in what she assumed was his living room. She strained her ears, but she couldn’t hear anything that gave away Danny’s plans. She did however smell flowers and a light floral scent mixed with smoke. Candles? She was tempted to peek, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise. She didn’t care what it was. The only thing that she cared about was that Danny had done something special for her. She wanted to savor the moment, but all too soon Danny returned, and with her casserole by the smell of it.

“I wanted to take you to a nice restaurant, but……….,” he let his words trail off with a sigh that had her biting back a smile.

“Are you ever going to tell me what that was about?” she asked, not bothering to hide her amusement.

“It’s just a little misunderstanding,” he muttered as she listened to him move around the room.

“I see,” she said, still wondering how an entire family could be banned from what amounted to twenty-nine restaurants. Then again, she had a hunch that the number was actually higher.

“Don’t worry. I’ll plan better next time,” he said, making her bite back a smile.

“Who said there would be a next time?”

“You did.”

“Me?”

“Mmmmhmm,” he said, moving around her.

“And when exactly did I agree to a next time?”

“This morning.”

“I don’t remember that,” she said, almost positive that she would have remembered agreeing to going out with him again. Then again, she had been a bit distracted this morning.

“Remember when you had that big guy with glasses curled up in the fetal position crying?” he asked conversationally as she winced at the memory of making the man beg for mercy.

“Yes?” she answered slowly, wracking her brain and trying to remember exactly what she’d said, other than calling the man a big baby and a few other things that were probably better left forgotten.

“That’s when you agreed to go out with me again.”

“Wasn’t that about the time when you threw me over your shoulder?” she pointed out.

“Yes.”

“I don’t remember having a conversation with you.”

“You did and it was life altering.”

“I see.”

“I’m glad that you do, Tink,” he said, suddenly in front of her.

“Welcome to Bradford Cinemas, Tinkerbelle.”

Chapter 18

He’d definitely outdone himself tonight, he thought with satisfaction as he pressed a kiss against the top of Jodi’s head where it laid against his shoulder. He would have rather taken her to a nice restaurant followed by a movie and then on a romantic drive later, but his plans had fallen apart. Thankfully, he’d been able to come up with a contingency plan.

It had taken him a little longer than he’d planned, but he’d managed to replace the furniture his cousins had destroyed the day before, hit the florist, bakery, and the store where he’d picked up a few movies, popcorn and candy in time to salvage their date. Judging by the expression on her face when he’d removed the blindfold, she’d been pleased with his efforts.

They’d watched movies well into the night, eating that unbelievably delicious macaroni and cheese and snacking on candy and popcorn until about a half hour ago when she’d snuggled up against him and fallen fast asleep. He’d thought about waking her up so that he could walk her to her door and get that goodnight kiss that he’d been dreaming about for the past two days, but he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

He closed his eyes and settled back, savoring the feel of her in his arms. He felt his body begin to relax and tried to fight it, but it just felt too good to fight. It had been years since he’d been able to let his guard down. Just a few minutes and he’d wake Tinkerbelle up and walk her home.

Just a few minutes…….

*-*-*-*

“Ow!” she muttered just as Danny groaned, “Shit!”

For a minute she could only lay there as she struggled to catch her breath, but it was kind of difficult with a man who had to weigh at least two hundred and fifty pounds lying on top of her. She wasn’t exactly sure how this happened. One minute she’d been dreaming of Danny doing….umm, what he was doing in her dream wasn’t important, and the next minute she was falling off the couch and hitting the floor with Danny landing on top of her.