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)
He was not the kind of person to be accompanying a slightly frumpy single dad as he restocked the pantry with the right balance of healthy food and unhealthy snacks to keep his son from complaining when he returned home from camp at the end of the week.
“What’s that look for?” Kai inquired, his eyes narrowing on Dev as they paused just inside the doors to grab a cart.
Dev bit his lower lip, trying to hide his smile, but he just couldn’t hold it in. “You.”
“What? What about me?” Kai looked down at himself, checking his appearance. Both eyebrows were arched in question when he looked at Dev again, sending him into light peals of giggles.
“No. You look great. You also look like a man who has never stepped into a grocery store.”
Kai sniffed. “How likely is that? Of course I’ve been in a grocery store.” He placed one hand on Dev’s lower back as Dev pushed the cart he’d selected into the store. For a moment, his heart sped up and their surroundings faded as his brain focused only on the heat of that hand through his thin T-shirt. He’d felt that hand all over his body the past few days, but it had been in the privacy of a hotel room or in his home.
It was different when they were out in public. More possessive. And Dev found that he loved it.
“I’m talking about shopping,” Dev teased. He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Kai. “I’m not talking about stalking a target through a grocery store.”
“Would I do that?” Kai widened his eyes and placed his free hand on his chest. His tone was mocking and playful.
“Yes, you would.”
Kai smirked and tilted his chin up a little. “You’re right. I would.”
Dev chuckled again as he led the way through the produce section of the store. He didn’t need a lot of things. Just a few items for quick lunches, milk and coffee for breakfast, and then he wanted to start stocking up on a few things for when Jake returned from camp. He’d make another run right before his son got home.
He paused in front of the apples and frowned. He’d nearly reached for them, thinking that he’d seen Kai munching on apples at different times since he’d re-entered his life and would probably like to have more on hand in the house. It was also in his brain that Kai preferred hazelnut creamer for his coffee rather than the mocha Dev kept in the house for himself.
In such a short time, he’d already integrated Kai’s likes and dislikes into his mental shopping list. Something he’d struggled to do with Adam, and they’d been married for several years.
What would his husband say to all of this? Dev had hated grocery shopping and could never remember what specific brands that Adam or Jake liked. He’d been convinced he could never learn any of it.
Would Adam think that Dev hadn’t loved him if he knew all the things that he’d picked up on from just watching Kai for a week?
Just a week and Dev was already trying to shop for Kai, like they had some kind of future laid out ahead of them. Was this all too fast? It had to be too fast.
Adam hadn’t been dead three years yet. Dev was being hunted by a crazed serial killer. And Kai was an assassin. How in the world did he think he had anything that resembled a future?
Kai’s fingers suddenly caressed one of Dev’s hands. The knuckles were white from where he’d been gripping the bar so tightly. He was shaking and his breath was coming in broken little pants. “Dev? What’s wrong?”
A slightly high-pitched laugh escaped his lips and Dev quickly clamped them shut again. Lovely. He was going to make a scene in the middle of the damn grocery store. So fitting.
He looked up to find only concern in Kai’s dark eyes as they watched him. The only emotions rolling off Kai were worry and patience. He was prepared to stand there all day, giving Dev the room he needed to pull his thoughts and tattered emotions together.
“I was just thinking that I needed to get some apples for you,” Dev said carefully, trying very hard to make it sound like it was no big deal.
“Thank you. I would appreciate that,” Kai murmured, the worry unwavering in his face.
“And that I should pick up some hazelnut creamer for you. Maybe some fish. You’d mentioned that you hadn’t had salmon in a while. We need to have it before Jake returns since he’s not a fan of fish.” He paused and shook his head. “I rarely did the shopping when Adam was alive. I could never seem to remember things like that, but Adam could. I had to go to the store with very exact lists, so I got not only the right thing but the right brand of that thing.”