Disappointment showed on his face as she slid her hand away from his.
Her brothers appeared in the kitchen doorway. “We’re taking off,” Brayden announced to her, but his gaze riveted to West. “You need anything, call.”
When they filed out the door, she sat at the tiny kitchen table, staring out the window at the field beyond the building’s back. She’d had an entire life lived here in this home: cooking, cleaning, making love...
And remembered none of it.
West gestured to the stove. “You hungry?”
“No.” It hurt too much to shake her head. “Just thirsty.”
“I’ll make you a cup of tea.” He tiltedhis head. “Unless you’d rather have coffee.”
“Tea is nice.”
“Later, I’ll cook dinner. Do you remember what you like?”
Quinn narrowed her eyes. Silly question. She barely remembered her name. “Why do you ask?”
“I thought I could rustle you up a nice thick steak with a baked potato instead of those sprouts you adore.”
Rolling her eyes, she thrust out her hands like a trafficcop. “I may be fresh out of the hospital and fresh out of my memory, but I’m not fresh out of my mind. Red meat is bad news.”
West put a hand to his chest and heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I tried. Guess you wouldn’t go for a nice bucket of greasy fried chicken, either.”
At her horrified expression, he grinned, a crooked, sexy smile that tugged at her insides. Maybe she didn’t know thisman, but he was certainly charming. And cute.
After the water boiled, he fetched her a cup of chai tea, added a dollop of honey. Quinn inhaled the smell, her tension fleeing a little. “Thank you.”
This seemed familiar as well, and soothing.
“I have to get back to work.” West jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “The apartment has been checked and there are security cameras,but I hate leaving you alone. I should call someone to stay with you here in the apartment.”
“No. I already have one guy standing guard. I need to be alone.”
Being alone sounded perfect right now. Maybe quiet time by herself would give her jumbled mind a chance to sort out the details of what had happened to her. Quinn stirred her tea. “I’ll be fine. Think I’ll take a nap after you’regone. Maybe explore the kitchen.”
“When is your appointment with the therapist?”
Hewouldremember. She’d wanted to forget. “Tomorrow morning. Austin will drive me there.”
West nodded. “I changed the locks, installed an alarm system and double dead bolts. Both up here and down in the store.”
Her thoughts went to Noel Larson. “What about my landlord? He has a key.”
West snorted.“Not anymore. And if he tries to get inside, he’ll have to answer to me and your brothers.”
His quiet, intense manner reminded her she still remained vulnerable to whomever had planted the bomb. The suspect was still out there.
“Unsub,” she murmured.
West raised his dark brows. “You remember.”
Quinn blinked. “I do?”
“Unsubis what we at the FBI term an unidentified suspect.Not many civilians use that word. You learned it from being around me.”
Hmm. Quinn raised her gaze to his. “What else did I learn from you, Agent Brand?”