Before I lost my nerve, I spun around and headed back into the parking garage with him following along closely behind me. What happened wasn’t Andy’s fault in the slightest, but I was pissed off at the world, and I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want him anywhere near me, but I didn’t want to be alone, either. We walked in total silence, except for the click of my heels echoing off the cinder block walls of the garage all the way back to Andy’s car. He scooted around me and pulled the door open before I could even attempt it.
“Thank you,” I said quietly as I slipped inside.
Other than me giving him directions to my house, we didn’t speak a word to each other the whole way home. When he pulled over and parked in front of my brownstone, I gathered my purse up off the floor of his car. “Thanks for staying with me and giving me a ride. Sorry the night turned out so shitty.” As I sat back in my seat, he turned the engine off and unbuckled his seat belt. “Wait. What are you doing?” I asked.
“Coming inside,” he said sternly as he opened his door.
My heart started racing. “What? No. Why?” I rambled in a panic, not wanting to talk any more. I just wanted to go to bed.
“I’m not staying, don’t worry,” he said in an abrupt, annoyed tone. “I just want to make sure that everything is fine in there, and then I’ll go and you can lock up behind me.”
I slung my purse over my shoulder, peering at him over the top of the car. “Andy, that’s really sweet of you, but I promise I’m fine. I have a dog to watch the house and a mean right hook if the bogeyman is hiding in my shower.”
He rolled his eyes as he strode past me and up the front steps.
“Or not,” I mumbled to myself as I fished around my purse for my house keys. Andy took a step back as I climbed the stairs and walked past him, holding my breath so that his intoxicating cologne wouldn’t overpower me again.
My door creaked open and Roxy came sprinting toward the door, the tags on her collar jingling as she ran.
I flipped the light on and turned to Andy, who was staring down at her as she tried to jump up his leg. He bent down and picked up my four-pound Yorkshire terrier in one hand, sliding his gaze over to me with a raised eyebrow. “This is your killer guard dog?” He held her up in the air as she squirmed to lick his face. “I’m doubting she could take out a chipmunk who tried to break in.”
“Funny,” I said drily as I walked toward the back of the house. I dropped my purse on the kitchen counter and turned back to face him. “Everything is fine here. I appreciate you checking on me.”
He set Roxy down and shook his head. “I’m gonna have a quick look around.”
“Andy . . . seriously.” I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my hip to the side. “I highly doubt that asshole is hiding somewhere in my house.”
“And what if he is?” he shot back. “Does your tiny terror know how to call 911? Because she sure as shit isn’t scaring anyone away. I’m just gonna walk through real quick, and I’ll be gone. Stop being so damn stubborn for once.”
There was no way I was going to get him out of the house without letting him do his macho thing, so I conceded the loss. “Fine.” I threw my hands up in the air. “Knock yourself out. I’m having a beer.” As I opened the fridge, I heard his footsteps climb the stairs. I would never, ever admit it out loud, but it was kind of nice having him fall all over me and make a big deal out of keeping me safe. Definitely not something I was used to. After a few minutes of listening to the floorboards creak as he went room to room, he bounded back down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Take out any knife-wielding psychos?” I chuckled to myself as I lifted my beer to my lips and took a sip.
“No, but you need to clean under your bed. Do you even own a vacuum?” he teased back with a cocky grin.
I tried to talk back before I’d swallowed my beer and started coughing hard, covering my mouth with my hand so I didn’t spit beer everywhere. He grabbed a towel from the oven handle and set it down in front of me while I finished my coughing fit and wiped my chin. I’d opened my mouth to tell him where I was going to shove my vacuum when there was a soft knock on the front door.
I froze, staring wide-eyed at Andy. “That’s not him, is it?”
“Probably not.” He tilted his head to the side. “Most stalkers don’t knock on the door before they’re going to kill you, but I’m going to answer it just in case. If I scream, send Roxy to save me.” He winked at me and turned toward the doorway. I hopped off my stool and took a step into the hallway, trying to see past him to the front door.