Fuck yeah, I remembered. Because I’d been crazy with the need for Brennan to keep his eyes open as he’d started gasping for breath. I’d never felt so helpless in my entire fucking life. His blood had been seeping through my fingers where I’d held my hand over the gunshot wound in his side and I’d used my other hand to clutch his as I’d said anything and everything I could think of to keep him awake until help arrived.
I swallowed hard and managed a nod. “I remember,” I said unevenly. Fuck, his lips were pretty. Full and soft and a subtle shade of red.
“What’s your name?”
It took me a moment to register Brennan’s question and I had to lift my eyes from where they’d been fixated on his mouth. “Memphis,” I murmured. My cock jumped when Brennan shifted his weight slightly and his hip brushed my arm where I was still holding onto the door handle.
“Memphis,” Brennan whispered softly as if testing my name on his lips.
And then we just stood there, lost in time. I’d been eager to leave, but now…hell, now I just wanted to find a reason to linger. To touch him, to enjoy the sound of his smooth voice now that it wasn’t flooded with pain and fear.
Brennan shifted even closer to me, but before his body could actually make contact with mine, a wet, cold sensation fluttered over my left hand which at some point I’d pulled into a fist, probably so that I wouldn’t use it to pull Brennan in for the kiss I so badly needed. I glanced down to see Baby, Eli’s huge Rottweiler sniffing my hand. The dog managed to break the spell between us and Brennan quickly shifted back, putting several inches between us once again. I returned my gaze to his and saw that the need was still there, but there was also a shimmer of something else. Confusion maybe? Embarrassment? I wasn’t sure…reading people had never been my strong suit.
“Thank you,” Brennan finally said and then he stepped to the side so I could open my car door.
I should have moved. I should’ve told him he was welcome and gotten in my car and driven away. But I just stood there as I searched for something, anything, I could say to prolong the moment.
Brennan’s hand was resting on Baby’s head, but his eyes were on me. Fuck, did he want that too?
The normal thing to do would have been to ask him for coffee or some shit like that. Clearly my attraction to him wasn’t one-sided. What could one night in bed hurt? I wasn’t leaving town until tomorrow morning and Brennan wasn’t some naïve kid, because even now he was looking at me with unfiltered hunger. He wanted me, I wanted him…who would it hurt? If I made it clear it was a one-time thing…
Tell Tristan…tell him I love him.
I didn’t even let myself remember the rest of Brennan’s broken plea as I ripped the door open and got in. I kept my eyes lowered as I fumbled to get the key in the ignition and I didn’t lift my eyes until I was preparing to back my car out of the driveway.
He was standing in the exact same spot, his gaze still on me. But this time I had no trouble reading the expression in his pretty eyes and I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine and landed in my balls.
Because Brennan didn’t look disappointed or confused…he looked…determined.
Fuck, that couldn’t be good, could it?
Chapter Two
Brennan
It wasn’t until Baby’s wet tongue began trailing a line of drool over my palm that I finally forced my attention away from the end of the driveway where Memphis’s car had just been. My body was still tingling all over from the close contact with the stunning man, and I had to take in several deep breaths to get control of myself. When Baby began nudging me more firmly, I dropped to my knees to give him the attention he wanted…and deserved. Because besides Memphis, the large dog was one of the reasons I was still alive.
Even three weeks later, I’d still only managed to remember bits and pieces of that day. I remembered everything up until the moment I’d unlocked Eli’s apartment door so I could return Baby to him after babysitting the dog for a couple days while Eli had been out of town. But everything after that was a jumble of images and emotions.
Baby snarling, his leash being pulled from my loose grip, a figure dressed in black, a loud boom, a searing pain in my side…
Standing in the doorway in disbelief as I pulled my hand away from my side and saw it stained with blood.
I’d foolishly looked up at the guy who’d shot me to ask him why he’d done it when he’d taken aim at me again. Only the second bullet hadn’t ripped through my flesh because Baby had latched on to the man’s arm, knocking the gun to the floor. I’d been dimly aware of raised voices and Baby’s growls as I’d leaned heavily against the door and then stumbled blindly into the apartment. I vaguely remembered worrying about how upset Eli would be if something happened to his dog, but I hadn’t had the strength to even move my body enough to try and find my phone to call for help.