Read Online A Cavanaugh Christmas by Marie Ferrarella - Free Book Online
Authors: Marie Ferrarella
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surroundings. She could relate to the bare-bones appearance and rather liked it.
“So, I guess you’re not trying to dazzle me,” she observed wryly.
“What I’m trying to do is feed you,” he reminded Kaitlyn.
From where he was sitting, Tom could easily see the area directly behind the counter where the ovens were situated. The pizza they had ordered—a classic pepperoni with sausage, heavy on the mozzarella—had just been gingerly taken out of the oven. The man who’d prepared it now deftly cut the aromatic pie into equal parts, then loaded his work of art into a large box.
The box in turn was handed over to the waiter who quickly delivered it to their table.
Tom could literally feel his taste buds surfacing and salivating in anticipation of what was ahead. Until he’d tasted Andrew’s rendition of pizza, he’d been confident that this place had no match.
It was still an extremely close second.
Throwing open the top of the box, he deposited a slice onto the empty plate in front of Kait, then quickly took one for himself. He savored the first bite like a penitent who’d finally been allowed to enter heaven after an abnormally long wait.
He hadn’t had pizza in a week.
“So,” he said as he began to feel human again, “where are you staying?”
Busy eating, Kait glanced up at him. She had to admit he was right. Never one who had cared very much for pizza, this could turn her into a true believer.
“Why?” she asked. “Are you planning on standing beneath my balcony and serenading me?”
He supposed, if they worked together long enough, he’d get used to her particular brand of sarcasm. He might even view it as entertaining. Right now, he saw it for what it was. A defense mechanism. He recognized it because he had used the same M.O. on more than one occasion.
“No,” he replied easily as he took a second slice out of the box and brought it over to his plate. He noted with satisfaction that Kait was almost finished with her first slice, as well. At least she wasn’t pretending not to like it. “I’m just curious if you picked a safe part of the city.”
“I come equipped with a gun,” she pointed out matter-of-factly. “I’m pretty much safe anywhere.” She paused as she took a bite out of a second slice. “But, since you asked—and you are springing for the pizza—right now I’m not staying anywhere.” She could see by his expression that her answer aroused a second wave of curiosity, so she indulged him and explained. “I came directly to the precinct when I hit Aurora. I didn’t want to waste any time.”
She was driven. It didn’t take a genius to see that. And it was beginning to have an effect on her. It didn’t take a genius to see that, either.
“Just how long has it been since you last slept?” he wanted to know.
About to eat another bite of her slice, Kait lowered it instead and fixed him with a penetrating, reproving look. “What’s with all these personal questions, Detective?” she asked.
“Hey, I saved your life,” he calmly reminded her. “I figure that entitles me to at least ask a couple of questions about the person I saved.”
Kait sighed. She supposed he had a point. Sort of. And she didn’t want to come across as completely ungrateful.
“I don’t know when I last slept,” she admitted grudgingly. “Day before yesterday, I think.” Before he could make a comment, she was waving it away. “Don’t worry about me. I can get by on very little.”
The woman probably thought she was indestructible. But no one was, and since he was, in a manner of speaking, responsible for Kait while she was here, he wanted to make sure she didn’t turn into a liability. At the same time, he had a gut feeling that it would be a futile effort to tell her she needed to get some sleep, so he approached the subject in a roundabout way.
“If you haven’t gotten a room yet, I’ve got an extra bedroom if you’re interested.”
Kait stopped eating. Her eyes
“So, I guess you’re not trying to dazzle me,” she observed wryly.
“What I’m trying to do is feed you,” he reminded Kaitlyn.
From where he was sitting, Tom could easily see the area directly behind the counter where the ovens were situated. The pizza they had ordered—a classic pepperoni with sausage, heavy on the mozzarella—had just been gingerly taken out of the oven. The man who’d prepared it now deftly cut the aromatic pie into equal parts, then loaded his work of art into a large box.
The box in turn was handed over to the waiter who quickly delivered it to their table.
Tom could literally feel his taste buds surfacing and salivating in anticipation of what was ahead. Until he’d tasted Andrew’s rendition of pizza, he’d been confident that this place had no match.
It was still an extremely close second.
Throwing open the top of the box, he deposited a slice onto the empty plate in front of Kait, then quickly took one for himself. He savored the first bite like a penitent who’d finally been allowed to enter heaven after an abnormally long wait.
He hadn’t had pizza in a week.
“So,” he said as he began to feel human again, “where are you staying?”
Busy eating, Kait glanced up at him. She had to admit he was right. Never one who had cared very much for pizza, this could turn her into a true believer.
“Why?” she asked. “Are you planning on standing beneath my balcony and serenading me?”
He supposed, if they worked together long enough, he’d get used to her particular brand of sarcasm. He might even view it as entertaining. Right now, he saw it for what it was. A defense mechanism. He recognized it because he had used the same M.O. on more than one occasion.
“No,” he replied easily as he took a second slice out of the box and brought it over to his plate. He noted with satisfaction that Kait was almost finished with her first slice, as well. At least she wasn’t pretending not to like it. “I’m just curious if you picked a safe part of the city.”
“I come equipped with a gun,” she pointed out matter-of-factly. “I’m pretty much safe anywhere.” She paused as she took a bite out of a second slice. “But, since you asked—and you are springing for the pizza—right now I’m not staying anywhere.” She could see by his expression that her answer aroused a second wave of curiosity, so she indulged him and explained. “I came directly to the precinct when I hit Aurora. I didn’t want to waste any time.”
She was driven. It didn’t take a genius to see that. And it was beginning to have an effect on her. It didn’t take a genius to see that, either.
“Just how long has it been since you last slept?” he wanted to know.
About to eat another bite of her slice, Kait lowered it instead and fixed him with a penetrating, reproving look. “What’s with all these personal questions, Detective?” she asked.
“Hey, I saved your life,” he calmly reminded her. “I figure that entitles me to at least ask a couple of questions about the person I saved.”
Kait sighed. She supposed he had a point. Sort of. And she didn’t want to come across as completely ungrateful.
“I don’t know when I last slept,” she admitted grudgingly. “Day before yesterday, I think.” Before he could make a comment, she was waving it away. “Don’t worry about me. I can get by on very little.”
The woman probably thought she was indestructible. But no one was, and since he was, in a manner of speaking, responsible for Kait while she was here, he wanted to make sure she didn’t turn into a liability. At the same time, he had a gut feeling that it would be a futile effort to tell her she needed to get some sleep, so he approached the subject in a roundabout way.
“If you haven’t gotten a room yet, I’ve got an extra bedroom if you’re interested.”
Kait stopped eating. Her eyes
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