Minutes to Kill (Scarlet Falls #2)(37)

“What have you been doing all day?”

Her brow crinkled. “Replaced my wallet and license. I took the dog for a walk.”

“That’s it?”

She shrugged. “We napped afterward. The dog was tired.”

Not good enough, and he doubted it was the dog that was tired. She was surely still sore from the assault and accident. “Tomorrow, I’d like to take you out to dinner.”

“You mean like a date?” Surprise lifted her voice.

“Yeah. Exactly like a date.”

Indecision crossed her face.

“It’s just dinner, Hannah. No big deal.”

“Feels like a big deal,” she said.

“We’ll keep it casual.” But it did, indeed, feel like a real BFD. When was the last time he was this nervous about asking a woman out? Dating seemed like a lot of effort, and he rarely connected with anyone. Until Hannah.

“I don’t know, Brody. I’m only in town for another week. Then I’m off to London for who knows how long. I’m not looking for anything permanent.”

“I’m aware of that.” Too aware. “Just dinner. Say yes. Take a risk. Unless you’re afraid,” he dared.

Her chin lifted, a spark of challenge brightening her eyes. “You’re on. But no funny stuff. Just dinner.”

“Deal.”

“It’ll have to be late, though. I have a follow-up with a neurologist tomorrow.” An irritated frown tugged at her mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Feel all right?”

“Yes. I’m still a little achy, and my ear isn’t a hundred percent, but otherwise, I feel fine.” She sighed. “I only made the appointment because my boss won’t let me come back to work without official clearance.”

Good for him. “So if you pass, you can get back sooner?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Then why don’t you want to go?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to go.”

He said, “You looked irritated.”

But not as irritated as she looked now. Unfortunately—and perversely—he found the annoyed purse of her lips sexy.

She folded her arms across her waist. “Commuting to New York for a doctor’s appointment is inconvenient.”

“You couldn’t find a doctor closer?”

“My boss is picky. He insisted I see this particular doctor, which is ridiculous and unnecessary.”

Brody almost called bullshit and was instantly thankful that she had a boss who was concerned enough to look out for her. “Why don’t I take you? Three hours is a long drive if you’re not a hundred percent.”

“Not necessary. I wasn’t planning on driving. I can take the train into the city.”

“I didn’t say it was necessary. I’ll take you to New York. We can have dinner afterward.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“I’ll take the day off.” He was spinning his wheels on his case anyway, and the chief had been on him to take some of his unused vacation. Tomorrow would likely be another day of waiting, and even if the chief wasn’t happy, Brody didn’t like the idea of Hannah making that long trip alone. Either the victim or the perpetrator of the Vegas kidnapping had e-mailed her—twice. Two thousand miles could be covered in five hours by plane. As a bonus, he’d get to spend the whole day with Hannah. The longer they were together, the more he liked her. And the less he cared about her transient nature or their complicated relationship.

Brody collected his keys from the counter. “What time is your appointment?”

“One o’clock.”

“I’ll pick you up at nine. If we don’t get held up by traffic, we’ll have lunch before your appointment.”

“All right. Though we both know that won’t happen. Traffic in and out of New York is a given.” Hannah walked him to the foyer, flipped on the porch light, and opened the door. “Thank you for helping me.”

“You’re welcome.” Brody turned to face her. Tired, her face looked soft. His gaze dropped to her lips. Would it be inappropriate to kiss her now? Because he really wanted to do it. But this wasn’t the time, just as it hadn’t felt right early this morning. Some things couldn’t be rushed, he decided. When he kissed Hannah for the first time, he wanted her completely on board, not upset or confused. It was inevitable, though. He would kiss her. Soon.

“Good night, Hannah.”

“See you tomorrow, Brody.”

The door closed firmly behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as he stepped off the porch. She was watching him through the sidelight, and he instantly regretted not kissing her when he had the chance.





Chapter Fourteen

Frustration churned in Mick’s blood, making him edgy. He lowered the binoculars. Who was the guy walking the dog? His shape was obscure in the dark. Mick could see just enough of the figure to know it was male.

Mick had been staked out in the woods behind the blond’s house since darkness fell. His plan had been to snatch her while she was out back with the dog. He wasn’t worried about the mutt. Golden retrievers weren’t threatening, and Mick was good with dogs.