the evening so he could walk Brandee right to her door. No way was he going to allow anything to happen to his mate, if Brandee was the one…and he had an inexplicable feeling that she was. His overwhelming need to keep her in his sight, making sure she was safe, trumped anything he’d ever experienced. He would take a bullet for his partner or his brother, but he’d throw himself in front of a freight train for Brandee.
He had waited too long to find her, and he was anxious to secure her commitment. For that to happen he’d have to prove himself trustworthy. He knew she still had questions, so he expected to walk a fine line between telling the truth and withholding bits of information.
Maybe if he brought it up instead of waiting for her to do it, he’d look as if he wasn’t hiding a big, fat secret. Anything was worth a try.
As they ascended the steps to the second floor apartment, Nick asked, “So, have any of your memories returned yet?”
Brandee frowned and shook her head. “No. It’s weird. It’s as if it didn’t even happen.”
Whew. Thank you, Anthony. “That’s a blessing, right?”
She shrugged. “I guess so.”
Pausing in front of her door, she fished out her key.
“Here. Let me get that for you.” Nick hoped some old-fashioned good manners would help his cause.
Brandee’s eyebrows lifted, but she handed him her key. He transferred the plastic bag to the other hand and opened the door, but he didn’t make a move to follow her in. He hoped she’d invite him. When all she did was hold out her hand for her key, he said, “Can I come in for a few minutes? I have a surprise for you.”
“Really?” She smiled and glanced at the bag in his left hand. “Sure. Come in.”
“It looks like you trust me again.”
“I-I want to. We have some things to work out, but I know you mean well. I don’t think you’d hurt me, at least not on purpose.”
“I’d never hurt you, Brandee.”
He strolled to her sectional sofa and sat on the lounger. She took the seat beside him. He had hoped she’d share the spot right next to him, so he could pull her down and invite her to stretch out beside him. Suddenly just thinking about lying down with Brandee in his arms was doing something to his self-control. He had to hold it together. She’d just barely let him in the door. He could blow it if he came on too strong now.
Nick was relatively sure it was too soon for her, but he was certainly feeling it. A bead of sweat broke out on his brow. He had to rein in his behavior. The urge to mate had never been this incredibly strong. Just because he was ready to rip off her little black apron and everything else she was wearing didn’t mean she was up for it. He was afraid his hands would shake if he reached for her right now. Damn, it’s hard to wait, but I’d scare her to death if I let my inner wolf rule me now.
Without any preliminaries, he handed her the bag.
Brandee grinned and peeked inside. She gasped and pulled out the old-school Nikon he had tracked down.
“You didn’t.” She turned the camera over in her hands, admiring its different features.
“I did.”
Her smile suddenly faded and she tried to hand it back. “I can’t accept this. It’s much too expensive a gift, and I know you just changed jobs…”
He pushed the camera back toward her. “It wasn’t that expensive. It was refurbished. With everything going digital, it was the only one I could find that used thirty-five millimeter film.”
“Are you sure? Because this is a beauty.”
“I’m sure. I hope you’ll think of me whenever you use it.” He smiled.
“I think of you a lot already.” She leaned forward, set the camera on the coffee table, then moved over and gave him a quick peck. “Nick Wolfensen, you’re full of surprises.”
He smoothed her hair down her back. “Nice ones, I hope.”
“Definitely.” She leaned in and kissed him again, only this time it wasn’t a peck. She opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss if he wanted to. His tongue met hers and stroked. He pulled her closer and had to discipline himself not to squeeze her too hard.
I can’t wait any longer.
He jumped up, grasping her around the waist, and she squealed as he lifted her off the floor. When