Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
And he was attracted to him.
No, he was in serious, brain-melting, jerking-off-in-the-shower lust with the man. Why didn’t it bother him? He knew it should bother him. Sane, ethical people would be horrified by Kai’s occupation.
Did it mean something was terribly wrong with him?
Or could it be due to the fact that his personal experience with assassins was vastly different than most people. Not that most people likely encountered assassins on a regular basis. But Justin and Gabriel were friends. Yes, they killed for money, but they’d also gone out of their way to protect him and Jake because it was the right thing to do. And they’d done it for nothing!
Dev had offered to pay them for their protection, and they’d turned him down. At the end of it all, they seemed content to simply maintain the friendship they had started. It wasn’t as if they’d asked Dev never to call them. They’d even sent Jake a birthday present.
And now there was Kai. The mysterious man had taken one look at him and Jake and walked away. He’d chosen not to fulfill the contract he’d been hired for, passing on twenty-seven million dollars. He’d spared Dev.
Was that it? Was he not really attracted to Kai, but simply grateful for being allowed to live?
Shifting a little in his seat, Dev looked over at Kai from the corner of his eye. Even relaxed in the driver’s seat, one hand on the wheel, there was something incredibly stiff and alert about the man, as if he didn’t ever shut down from his job.
Of course, a serial killer did just shoot at them, and he was probably still in the area. That was a damn good excuse for not relaxing.
Kai’s profile was harsh. He wasn’t handsome in the most traditional sense of the word. His features were too sharp and angular. There had been a few times Dev had noted a general cold, remoteness to his gaze when he’d been forced to interact with other people, but Dev had seen that coldness melt the moment he’d turned his eyes on Devlin. That definitely melted his heart and turned his so-called brilliant brain into useless mush.
But it wasn’t the man’s looks or the power hidden in that lithe frame that drew him to Kai like a hummingbird to bright blooms.
It was his quiet kindness buried deep within a deadly package. It was knowing deep in his soul that Kai would never hurt him, that he’d give his own life to keep Jake safe. And maybe even more alluring was that Kai would be incredibly hard to kill.
“Why are you staring at me?” Kai inquired softly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dev argued, keeping his head pointed toward the front of the car as he continued to watch Kai from the corner of his eye.
The assassin needed only to arch one dark eyebrow at him, his attention still on the road to make Devlin crack. Yeah, he had no future as a spy if he was going to break that easily.
“I was just thinking about your job,” Dev admitted. He kept his tone light and breezy, not wanting Kai to think that he was judging him, but the man’s expression stiffened. His left hand returned to the wheel and all his fingers tightened around it.
“It would probably be best if you didn’t spend time thinking about it. The less you know about me and my life, the better and safer it will be for you in the future.”
Dev frowned in response. He didn’t want to stop thinking about Kai, and he certainly didn’t want to think about a day when Kai wouldn’t be in his life any longer.
“I was trying to figure out why your job doesn’t bother me. I feel like it should, but it doesn’t.”
The stern lines instantly disappeared from his face, and Kai turned his head to look over at him for a second. “Really? Even though you know what I do?”
Kai sounded…confused. Flabbergasted. Dumbfounded. Dev wished he could take a picture of his face. He was sure he’d never see the assassin looking so utterly confused again. “I don’t understand. Did you come up with a reason?”
“Maybe because I feel safe with you.”
Kai made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat and turned his full attention to the road. “You would also be safe with a police officer.”
Now it was Devlin’s turn to scoff. He turned fully toward the windshield and folded his arms over his chest. “You mean the same police officers who thought I killed my husband.”
“They were only doing their jobs and checking all leads.”
“Then why do I get the same looks of doubt and skepticism even after I’ve been fully cleared of having any hand in my husband’s death?” He shook his head. “No, there are good cops out there, and I’ve been lucky to know a few. But there are plenty of bad ones too. I’m sure there are plenty of bad assassins out there as well, but you’re not one of them. I guess…”