Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

“Sydney? No idea.” Gigi glances up at me, and I stumble, so caught up in looking at her—her eyes, her flushed cheeks, her mouth. “She left. Again. I’m so frigging pissed at her right now, I can’t even.”

I swallow hard and manage to tear my gaze away as we cross the street. “A guy pulled her away. I hope she’s not in danger.”

“A tall, dark-haired dude?”

“Yeah? You know him?”

“Must be one of her friends.” She squeezes my hand as we reach the other side. “You saved her again.”

“Well, some of us can’t help our awesomeness,” I drawl. “That’s how it is.”

She huffs. “Jerk.”

I shrug and hiss at the burn in my back.

“Hey, stop. I thought he cut you but…” She steps behind me, and pokes at my ribs, making me hiss again. “Shit, he did.”

“Will I die?” I try to see over my shoulder, but all I see is the streetlight glancing off her bright hair. “I’ll need to get my affairs in order. I’ll leave you the cat.”

“God, will you stop being a smartass for a minute? You don’t have a cat. And you’re not going to die.”

“You promise?”

“But you should clean the cut and tape it,” she goes on, ignoring me, and it makes me grin. “To avoid infection, and stop the bleeding. What?” She mock-punches my shoulder. “What’s so funny?”

I lick my lips, fighting the grin, but it’s no use. “Nothing.”

“Right.”

I turn and grab her hand again. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

I haul her into a side street, and then across another, until we reach the main street. “My place.”

She’s laughing, but she hasn’t pulled away. “So that I can clean the cut? Why, you can’t reach your own back?”

“Exactly that.” I lift my hand and hail a cab. “I knew you’d get it.”

The cab stops, and we pile in the back. I give directions and lean back in the seat, only to twist at the burn. Shit, I’m probably getting blood all over the guy’s seat.

Then I turn and see Gigi beside me, her eyes bright in the dim car interior, her cleavage drawing my eyes like gravity. Her neck, the blond strands curling on her shoulders, her red mouth—and I’m caught in a web of desire, unable to escape.

I don’t know what the hell’s gotten into me. Why I thought taking her home would be a good idea. Sebastian could be home, and the last thing I want is for him to see me with Gigi, especially if he manages to rally his memories from that first night when I pulled him away from her. Hopefully he was too drunk to remember her.

We sit in the cab in warm silence. It’s strangely comfortable, to be sitting there with her, our sides touching, lights streaking by outside. It reminds me of that time three years ago, when we’d walk side by side on the street, and sometimes she’d fall silent, but not press me to say anything, and we’d just walk. It felt so right.

But the ride is over way too soon. I pay the cabbie and scramble out of the car, walking around to open her door.

She blinks when I reach for her hand to pull her out. “Who are you and what have you done with Jarett?”

I have no reply to that. Hauling her to her feet, I pull her against me for long seconds before I come back to my fucking senses and slam the door shut so the cab can go.

All I want is to drag her back to me, feel her tits pressed to my chest and crush my mouth to hers, but when I reach for her, she steps away from me.

It hurts more than the cut in my back. For just a few minutes, those it took for the cab to drive us here, I’d fantasized about holding her in my arms, kissing her again, kissing her like there’s nobody else in the world, nothing to worry about, no danger, no past and no future.

But that’s not the case. I asked her over to help dress my wound. That’s all.