Chapter 54

Chapter 54

I paled. Of course, Lisa and Bob would be at the most expensive restaurant in the city-why wouldn’t they go to the same restaurant that they took me to-but did they have to be there the one night that Andrew was treating me to dinner? They looked like they could kill me just for being in the same room as Andrew.

At this point, I didn’t doubt that at least Bob would take the chance to do exactly that.

“Is something wrong?” Andrew asked, drawing my attention back to him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I cleared my throat. I couldn’t tell Andrew that I was scared to be seen having dinner with him by his own daughter and future son-in-law. How suspicious would that have seemed?

“No, no, everything is fine.”

I set down my spoon and bent over, holding my stomach.

“I just don’t feel very good, that’s all.”

Andrew’s brows shot up, and he sat up straighter,

“How do you not feel good?”

“My hurts a little. The stew might not be sitting well with me

“Is that all? You’re not feeling feverish, disoriented, or anything else?”

I shook my head fervently, knowing the places that his mind must be going. With us having just had a drugging scare, he must be thinking that I’m having another one-or something worse.

“No, none of that. It’s only a stomachache.”

I didn’t want to scare Andrew, but Bob and Lisa were still glaring at me, and I didn’t want to see those glares culminate into something more dangerous.

“We should get you home, just in case,” Andrew said.

I nodded, gathering my things. He wouldn’t be getting any arguments out of me.

“Can you walk out to the car on your own?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ll be fine.”

Ignoring my words, Andrew wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me towards the door. Before we left, I took one last look back at Bob and Lisa. Their eyes never left me.

Andrew fussed over me on the drive back to my apartment. I regretted telling him that I felt sick, but I couldn’t think of any other way to convince him to end the dinner early, not without encouraging something that I could not pursue at the moment, no matter how much I wanted to.

I was both relieved and saddened when we pulled up to my apartment complex. I didn’t want to keep lying to Andrew, but a part of me secretly enjoyed the attention that I was receiving from him. I especially liked his arm wrapped around me as he took me from the Aston Martin up to my second-floor apartment.

“Here we are,” Andrew said.

I turned to face him, my back pressed against the door.

“Thank you for dinner and everything else,” I said.

“Even though that dinner might have made you sick.”

1 giggled.

“I’m sure that I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

“Regardless, I think that I owe you another dinner.”

“Any time that you want, I would love to go out with you again.”

Andrew’s l*ps quirked.

“Any time I want, huh?”

My grin grew mischievous.

“Any time, you name it.”

He leaned forward and propped his arm over my head. My heart rate increased. I lifted my head to look him in the face, but I couldn’t get my eyes off his l*ps.

“Well then-” he bent down until his face was only inches away from mine- “I might have to take you up on that.

I trembled as my groin moistened. Just when I thought he was going to k*ss me, he pulled away. Me ntally, I groaned in disappointment.

Before he backed away completely, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. I inhaled his scent deeply.

“Thank you again,” I said as I squeezed him tightly.

He squeezed me back.

“Any time.”

1 froze suddenly when my werewolf hearing picked up on the slight click of a door opening

“Andrew, I think we have company,” I whispered in his ear.

“I heard,” Andrew whispered back.

We turned our heads in the direction of the sound and saw someone poking their torso out of the apartment a couple doors. down. The man was holding up his phone in landscape mode, the camera pointed directly at us.

Andrew pulled out of my grasp and faced the man. He squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and clenched his fists.

“Excuse me, sir, may help you?” he said in a firm, authoritative tone.

The man’s eyes widened. Instead of answering, he quickly retreated, slamming the door behind him.

Andrew continued to stare at the man’s apartment, as though contemplating whether he would pursue him or not. Then he sighed and shook his head, turning back to me.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said.

“What was that all about, though?” I asked.

“He

was probably just some fan trying to get a picture of the Alpha King. I rarely appear in places like this, so I’m sure that it the highlight of his day.”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Places like this, huh?”

He cringed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that–”

“It’s all right. I’m just teasing.

Andrew rolled his eyes.

“Well, after all this excitement, I should probably let you get some rest!”

“I suppose I’ll see you later, then.”

He smiled slightly

“Of course. I owe you a less-nauseating dinner.” He leaned forward and k*ssed me gently on the forehead. “Goodnight, Crystal.”

Heat rushed into my cheeks and down my n*eck.

“Goodnight, Andrew.”

I watched through the window as Andrew’s Aston Martin drove away. I fantasized about driving away with him to the Alpha King’s mansion, no Bob or Lisa in sight, planning weddings and ruling the werewolf world together.

Then the movement of a shadow across the street caught my eye.

On edge from nearly encountering Bob and Lisa, I focused my werewolf eyesight on the shadow, trying to make out the figure behind it. I called on Susan to enhance my sight further. Relief flooded my system as recognition hit me.

It was Jeffrey, Andrew’s guard

Jeffrey sl*pped into the alleyway between the buildings, always facing my apartment complex. He was obviously trying to be stealthy, and if I hadn’t been so paranoid, I wouldn’t have even noticed him. Andrew must have put him on my detail again, despite what I had told him.

As Jeffrey disappeared from sight, a mix of emotions surged within me. I was irritated that Andrew had gone against his promise to not have a guard on me. After all, we didn’t go through that fight for nothing.

Still, it was sweet of him to be so concerned about my safety and to use his own resources to ensure that I’d be okay. Only Lily had been so kind to me since my prison release. Technically, Jeffrey wasn’t interfering with my life like he had been before, either.

In the end, Andrew’s sweetness won out over my irritation.

I smiled to myself and went off to bed, feeling protected and secure for the first time since Bob and Lisa drugged me.