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)
Dev jerked out of Kai’s grasp, shaking his head. “You’re not—”
“I am because I’m terrified of something happening to you. What if I’m not fast enough or smart enough? What if this person gets past me? I’ll happily die protecting you, but I can’t die without knowing I’ve given you a fighting chance at survival. If not for you, then for Jake. He needs you.”
“No.” He leaned close, his lips brushing against Kai’s. “You’re not dying. I’m not dying. I won’t have it. We’re going to beat this asshole, and we’re going to be safe. I know it.” He didn’t, but he felt like they both needed to hear it.
Kai smiled into his kiss and Dev melted. A warm hand came up and cupped his cheek as Kai slowly deepened the kiss. Some of the lingering fears and tension slipped away, making it easier for him to breathe. He didn’t relax completely—probably wouldn’t for a while—but he had Kai.
“Does it bother you?” Dev found himself asking when they finally broke apart.
“Kissing you in public? Definitely not.” Kai grinned and snatched another kiss as Dev laughed.
“No, that’s not what I’m talking about, but I’m glad it doesn’t bother you.”
Kai cocked his head, watching him with a small smile on his lips. He looked more relaxed, but he still hadn’t released his protective hold on Dev. “What are you talking about, then?”
“Does it bother you that I have such a problem with guns?”
A laugh erupted from his throat, knocking his head back. “Of course not.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I don’t compare the rest of the world to myself. I know what feels normal to me is very strange and uncommon for everyone else.” He leaned close and pressed a kiss to the tender flesh just behind Dev’s ear, sending a chill down his spine. Dev could feel his smile when he whispered, “You are perfect as you are. I would change nothing.”
“You’re insane,” Dev said, trying to ignore the rush of butterflies fluttering across his heart. He was getting in so deep with this man. There was no way out of this without pain. Lots and lots of pain.
“Now, I suggest that we grab some lunch and then return home so I can assess your fighting skills.”
Dev groaned. “Why do I feel like that’s going to be about as fun as the shooting range?”
Kai stood and held out his hand to Dev. “I promise that it will be far more fun and entertaining than the gun range.”
Sliding his hand into Kai’s, Dev marveled at the warm rush that still filled him at such a small thing. He didn’t want that feeling to ever end.
He was skeptical that this training would be classified as “fun,” but if it meant spending more time with Kai, he’d give it a try. He’d take all of this man he could get while he could.
Chapter 15
The shuffle of Dev’s measured footsteps teased his ears, but Kai didn’t look up from the recipe he was checking on his tablet. It was kind of surprising that he’d learned the cadence of Dev’s footsteps so quickly without even trying. He’d done it plenty of times when working on a contract, but he couldn’t recall ever doing it for someone who wasn’t a target.
It was more than Dev’s footsteps, though. He’d learned the sound of him breathing and even the light snoring when he slept. He could differentiate between Dev’s thinking expression and the thinking brought on by worry just from the lines that appeared on his brow.
And then there was his smell. His aftershave wasn’t anything unique or original. Plenty of men used the same brand, but when Kai leaned close so that the tip of his nose nearly brushed Dev’s earlobe, the scent changed. It swirled with Dev’s own personal scent to become something he’d never smelled before. God, he’d give his entire fortune to bottle it and carry it with him at all times.
Now he found himself chasing that scent when he couldn’t simply wrap his body around Dev’s. He did have to give the man a little space and freedom to work. But Kai could find the scent on the collar of Dev’s dirty shirt and upon his pillows.
This wasn’t healthy. It couldn’t be healthy. He hadn’t reached obsessive lengths yet, and he prayed he never did. This was more a growing sense of panic. When he finally stopped this killer and removed the threat, there would be no more reason for him to linger in Devlin’s life. Staying only introduced more risk. He would never allow anything to hurt Dev or Jake. And the only way to do that was to leave.
“What is all this?” Dev asked, surprise lifting his tone higher than normal. After their extensive—and unfortunately painful—training session, Kai had placed Dev in the bathtub filled with hot water and Epsom salt to help ease his sore muscles.