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)
“What? How bad? What happened?” Worry clogged Dev’s voice, and he immediately reached over with his left hand to touch Kai’s wrist.
Kai turned his hand over and threaded their fingers together, squeezing Dev’s hand. His concern created a lump in Kai’s throat every time. No one had ever worried about him like this.
“It was nothing too serious, but it did mean that I needed to remain home for a few months to recover and rehabilitate. Since I was stuck, I thought it was a good time to learn a new skill. Cooking seemed like a wise choice.”
Dev huffed a laugh and returned to his food, but he didn’t steal his hand away. He seemed content to just go on holding Kai’s as they ate. “That is a pretty smart skill to have.”
“I think this might be the fanciest thing I can cook, and it’s not fancy. Just a fancy-sounding name.”
Lifting Kai’s hand to his lips, Dev pressed a kiss to the top. “I think it’s wonderful. Thank you so much for preparing this amazing meal for me.”
Kai mentally cursed the burning embarrassment in his cheeks, whether Dev noticed it or not. The man turned him into a babbling puddle of goo. He’d do anything to make Dev smile, to make him feel cherished and safe. Something so simple as cooking shouldn’t receive such high praise, but he was touched by Dev’s gratitude all the same.
Dev chuckled softly. “But I will say that I never would have guessed that one day I’d see one of the world’s most deadly assassins doing something so normal and domestic.”
Kai snorted. “Just wait until tomorrow.”
“Really? What happens tomorrow?”
Kai playfully looked left and then right as if checking to make sure no one was listening to his secret before he leaned close to Dev. “I fully plan to attempt…laundry.”
Dev fell back in his chair, laughing loudly before he groaned and pressed his hand to his stomach. “Ow. It hurts to laugh like that. Don’t make me do that again.”
With a nod to Dev’s nearly empty plate, Kai said, “Finish eating, and I promise I’ll make all those pains go away.”
A wicked grin flashed across Dev’s face as he started eating again. The conversation remained light and playful the rest of the evening. Kai served Dev a second portion of the apples and a little more wine. They lingered for a while even after they’d both finished eating, happy to talk about nothing at all. It was a moment that Kai never wanted to end, even if it meant moving on to something fun and so very sexy.
But after a while, Dev made a show of stretching his arms over his head, with only some minor wincing. “I know it’s early, but I think we should turn in after dinner. What do you think?”
Kai had to try twice to respond without laughing at the playfulness lighting Dev’s eyes. “Since you ate all of your dinner, I think you’ve earned your treat.”
“Excellent!”
“Why don’t you go upstairs and get undressed? Wait in bed for me.”
Dev turned serious in a heartbeat. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help clean up first?”
Kai shook his head. “I cleaned as I cooked. I just need to put these plates in the dishwasher before I make one final check of the doors and windows down here.”
Pushing to his feet, Dev leaned over and captured Kai’s mouth in a slow, draining kiss that had Kai’s toes curling in his shoes. “Don’t take too long.”
Not a fucking chance.
As Dev headed gingerly across the living room and toward the stairs, Kai blew out the tall white candles he’d lit and gathered up their plates. It took only a couple of minutes to rinse the last of the dirty dishes and load them into the dishwasher. He paused as he ran a rag over the counters, making sure everything was spotless for Dev the next morning. His eyes skimmed over the kitchen with its granite counters and the stainless-steel appliances. Through the open doorway, he could see the small dining room with the dark wood table and chairs. It was all a taste of a life that he’d never thought he would have. Never thought he’d even want.
But after spending this past week with Devlin Relic, he realized that it had never been about wanting this life. It was about finding someone to share this kind of life with. It wasn’t about having a nice house, but building a home. It wasn’t about cooking a delicious meal, but sharing good food with a man whose smile was brighter than the sun.
The only thing missing from this cozy experience was Jake. While dinner might have been less romantic, he was sure that it would have been just as enjoyable to have Jake at the table with them, sharing stories of his day. He’d not had the chance to spend a great deal of time with the boy during his secret visits, but he’d always found him to be a sweet, energetic child.