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)
Nerves twisted in Dev’s stomach. This was so far out of his comfort zone, but he couldn’t leave it all on Kai’s shoulders. That wasn’t fair. Mother had called him a smart cookie, and this smart cookie could learn new tricks.
“In self-defense. Or other things like how to spot someone following you or—”
“No,” Kai snapped with a sudden sharpness that had Dev jerking.
Slowly, he pushed to his feet but didn’t take a step closer to Kai. “But—”
“Absolutely not.”
“But you need my help. You need someone to help watch your back.”
Kai shook his head and paced toward the bathroom, but he stopped before entering. The room was small and didn’t offer a lot of space to move around without them bumping into each other.
“I have worked alone nearly my entire life. I have never needed someone to watch my back. I will not start with you.” There was lethal sharpness to his voice that had Dev wincing, but he refused to give up.
“And I get the feeling that it’s my life that is on the line with this maniac. Don’t I get a say? Don’t I have the right to protect myself?”
Kai swung around suddenly and took a step toward Dev, shrinking the distance between them in a heartbeat. Dev flinched, trying damn hard not to retreat or show that he was in any way intimidated. The smell of something rich and spicy wafted around him. Soap? Maybe aftershave? Whatever it was, it fit Kai perfectly. He wanted to close his eyes and press his face into the man’s skin, breathing in that wonderful smell.
“Your protection is me. You called Justin and Gabriel with this problem, and I came to protect you. If you don’t wish to have my protection, I can call them now, and we will go directly to Denver tomorrow.”
Dev’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open at what felt like a threat. “That’s not true and you know it. I want to help you.”
“You can help me by doing as I say.” Kai started to pace away from him, his hands fisted at his sides.
A smart man would have dropped the conversation, but Dev could be too stubborn for his own good at times. Anger boiled through him, burning through the filter on his mouth. He refused to let Kai take this all on by himself. He’d already been injured once. If he had a little more training, he knew he could be of use to Kai. And he certainly wasn’t going to be sidelined by stupid comments.
“Are you shitting me? I’m not a child!” Dev snapped, following right behind Kai.
It all happened faster than a heartbeat. Kai whirled on him, his fists grabbing Devlin’s T-shirt and slamming his shoulders against the wall nearest the bathroom. Dev gasped, his eyes wide at the man standing over him. The lethal coldness had returned to his face, and he was shocked to see it directed at him. Had he fooled himself into thinking he was different from all of Kai’s targets? That he was the exception and Kai would never hurt him?
The coldness bled out of his dark eyes almost immediately to be replaced by something that looked like fear. “It would take me years to teach you anything that could keep you safe from this killer. Anything you attempt will get you killed. Do you understand that? The only thing keeping you alive is me.”
Those harshly whispered words wrapped tight around Dev’s heart. He’d instinctively placed his hands on Kai’s waist as if to push him away, but now his fingers dug into strong muscles, as if trying to hold Kai in place.
“I don’t want you to do this alone. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Dev replied. His voice came out rough and husky.
Kai was so close. Only a few inches separated them. He could feel the heat pouring off the man’s body, the haunting scent of him. Why couldn’t he just step into Dev so he could feel their bodies pressed together?
They were talking about something important, but it was becoming so difficult to concentrate. His body was obsessed with knowing what Kai felt like, what he tasted like.
It took him a moment to realize that his own breathing had sped up, and the fear had fallen from Kai’s eyes to be replaced by hunger.
“Kai…”
The assassin lunged for him, capturing his mouth with stunning swiftness. Dev shouldn’t have been surprised. Everything the man did was with blinding quickness and confidence. He acted boldly. No questions. No regrets.
Sadly, Dev stood frozen, his eyes still open as his brain tried to process the kiss. The fact that Kai was kissing him. That someone who wasn’t his husband was kissing him.
Once he forced his brain past that hitch, he started to relax, to realize that he liked the feel of Kai’s lips against his own.