Read Online Double Vision (Unknown Identities #2) by Regan Black - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Regan Black
Ads: Link
with a small service tray. Balancing it like a waiter, he set a tall glass mug topped with fluffy whipped cream in front of her, then a matching drink at his seat. He placed the plate of oversized sugar cookies between them.
"Nice delivery and presentation. " It was all quite adorable and almost like a date, if she didn't think about the dramatic way they'd reached this point of the evening.
He gave her a wink and a small bow. "I try."
"If I had money, I'd tip big," she said. The cozy scent of chocolate and fresh cookies soothed her. She risked a sip of the hot chocolate and then glanced up at the man across from her.
He was wat ching her with such intensity, she nearly bobbled the cup. Quickly, set the cup aside and then blotted her upper lip with a napkin. "What? Do I have whipped cream on my nose?"
"No." Once more hi s gaze shifted to something just over her shoulder for a moment, then back to her. "That's not it." Looking down at his phone, he asked, "Did you ever make a call?"
"Not yet. I can crash at Tom's place. He's about the only person who won't be upset if I call in a favor at this hour."
"So you've decided not to stay at your own place."
"Not a chance." Galloway could easily be waiting for her there. "It creeps me out to think my keys and identification are just out there for anyone to look at."
"Progress. That's smart. You're regaining your bearings."
" I suppose." She watched him take a large bite out of a cookie. He looked relaxed in the chair, but there was a new tension in his voice, the slightest twitch in his hand on the mug. She leaned forward. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." He smiled, but the dimple was absent. "I'm probably just on edge too. Adrenaline makes you do some crazy sh- stuff."
She grinned at his quick self-correction. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"
"No. Tonight wasn't a picnic for me either."
"Oh. Well, thanks for sharing," she said. "It helps." Somehow it did help. While it was her purse that had been stolen, he'd been in the thick of it trying to do the right thing and rescue a person in need. She felt less like a weakling knowing that the attack at the apartment troubled him too.
"Will you be okay at wherever you're staying tonight?"
"Sure."
She didn't know him well, but she didn't entirely trust the quick reply. Something behind her had his attention once more. The habit was starting to make her paranoid and she was more than capable of doing that on her own. She started to shift in her seat, but he stopped her with a terse order.
"Don't look."
"Okay." She stretched out the two syllables and took a nervous bite of her cookie. Her knee started to bounce with nerves as she fought the urge to turn around.
"We need to leave," he said quietly, tucking his phone into his pocket.
"Right now?"
"That would be best."
"Fine." He was starting to scare her again and she wasn't sure she could take another ride on that emotional roller coaster. "Then I'll just call my assistant." She held out her hand for the phone, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her up and out of her seat.
The next thing she knew he was holding her close to his hard chest and whispering in her ear.
"Go to the restroom."
"What? Why?" Her pulse skipped and she tried to follow his gaze, but his hands came up to cradle her face. In that one shocking second she thought he would kiss her. She thought she might enjoy it.
"Please go." He turned her that direction and gave her a little nudge.
"But –" Her protest died when a glance over her shoulder landed on the man walking in the door. She recognized him as the man who'd been following her for the past few days.
His cold eyes were locked onto her. She turned and bolted down the narrow hall toward the restrooms, around the tight corner, only to run headlong into Jeremy Galloway. A startled scream slipped past her lips.
He didn't look at all like the moneyed urbanite who'd complimented Torry's espresso this morning.
Tonight he'd given his
"Nice delivery and presentation. " It was all quite adorable and almost like a date, if she didn't think about the dramatic way they'd reached this point of the evening.
He gave her a wink and a small bow. "I try."
"If I had money, I'd tip big," she said. The cozy scent of chocolate and fresh cookies soothed her. She risked a sip of the hot chocolate and then glanced up at the man across from her.
He was wat ching her with such intensity, she nearly bobbled the cup. Quickly, set the cup aside and then blotted her upper lip with a napkin. "What? Do I have whipped cream on my nose?"
"No." Once more hi s gaze shifted to something just over her shoulder for a moment, then back to her. "That's not it." Looking down at his phone, he asked, "Did you ever make a call?"
"Not yet. I can crash at Tom's place. He's about the only person who won't be upset if I call in a favor at this hour."
"So you've decided not to stay at your own place."
"Not a chance." Galloway could easily be waiting for her there. "It creeps me out to think my keys and identification are just out there for anyone to look at."
"Progress. That's smart. You're regaining your bearings."
" I suppose." She watched him take a large bite out of a cookie. He looked relaxed in the chair, but there was a new tension in his voice, the slightest twitch in his hand on the mug. She leaned forward. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." He smiled, but the dimple was absent. "I'm probably just on edge too. Adrenaline makes you do some crazy sh- stuff."
She grinned at his quick self-correction. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"
"No. Tonight wasn't a picnic for me either."
"Oh. Well, thanks for sharing," she said. "It helps." Somehow it did help. While it was her purse that had been stolen, he'd been in the thick of it trying to do the right thing and rescue a person in need. She felt less like a weakling knowing that the attack at the apartment troubled him too.
"Will you be okay at wherever you're staying tonight?"
"Sure."
She didn't know him well, but she didn't entirely trust the quick reply. Something behind her had his attention once more. The habit was starting to make her paranoid and she was more than capable of doing that on her own. She started to shift in her seat, but he stopped her with a terse order.
"Don't look."
"Okay." She stretched out the two syllables and took a nervous bite of her cookie. Her knee started to bounce with nerves as she fought the urge to turn around.
"We need to leave," he said quietly, tucking his phone into his pocket.
"Right now?"
"That would be best."
"Fine." He was starting to scare her again and she wasn't sure she could take another ride on that emotional roller coaster. "Then I'll just call my assistant." She held out her hand for the phone, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her up and out of her seat.
The next thing she knew he was holding her close to his hard chest and whispering in her ear.
"Go to the restroom."
"What? Why?" Her pulse skipped and she tried to follow his gaze, but his hands came up to cradle her face. In that one shocking second she thought he would kiss her. She thought she might enjoy it.
"Please go." He turned her that direction and gave her a little nudge.
"But –" Her protest died when a glance over her shoulder landed on the man walking in the door. She recognized him as the man who'd been following her for the past few days.
His cold eyes were locked onto her. She turned and bolted down the narrow hall toward the restrooms, around the tight corner, only to run headlong into Jeremy Galloway. A startled scream slipped past her lips.
He didn't look at all like the moneyed urbanite who'd complimented Torry's espresso this morning.
Tonight he'd given his
Similar Books
