Page 103 of The Sweetest Devotion

There was a tray of sushi, some California rolls and what looked like spicy tuna with spicy mayo on top. A large tray of shrimp pasta. Lobster. Oysters. Filets of salmon. And it wasn’t entirely pescatarian. There was chicken, too. Something about the sight of it made me relax and warm up. I liked that he wasn’t going to eat fish just for me. That he wasn’t trying too hard.

“You ordered this, huh?” I asked as I dragged my eyes from the spread to Cain.

He came around the island, coming and standing next to me. His mere nearness unnerved me. His presence a heady cocktail of darkness and cold.He wasn’t wearing a jacket, but still he was dressed in a fine white dress shirt and dress pants. His tie had been removed and a top button undone, giving me a peek at his chest.

Cain regarded the food and frowned, almost in a shy way. “I can’t cook.”

“Neither can I. You’re not getting much of a wife from me, you know,” I said.

Cain wasn’t fazed as he moved along. “Not sure how I feel about gender roles, but I can deal with the whole no-cooking thing.”

“Yeah?” I challenged, perking a brow.

“I’ve never had a homecooked meal before, so takeout is all I know,” Cain admitted sheepishly.

“Really? Not even before your mom…” I stopped, letting the rest hang in the air.

He thumbed at his bottom lip. “Maybe, don’t remember. She was kinda having a hard time.”

I went back to the food. Despite myself, I was hungry. “Well, maybe you should learn someday. You never know what can happen.”

Cain chuckled. “Not that you’re wrong, but I always keep something in the ceiling. Just in case.”

Just in case, whatever that meant.

Cain opened his arms out, gesturing toward his spread. “How’d I do?” There was a rare light on face, giving him youth.

“It doesn’t completely suck,” I managed to say.

He grinned, his perfect white teeth showing, as well as a dimple in each cheek. Young. Happy. And fresh. It was so weird he had a side like this.

“Let’s eat,” Cain instructed.

Eating provided a distraction, so I was quick to gather a plate and try some of the shrimp pasta and another of sushi. It was while grabbing the sushi that I noticed it.

There was a champagne flute filled with rose-gold liquid waiting for me at the table. I faced Cain. “What’s in the flute?”

He eyed the dining room table where he set up a place for me and one for him. “White cranberry-peach juice.”

“And how did you know I liked that?Andthe spicy tuna roll with spicy mayo?” I demanded to know.

My questions only served to humor Cain as he breezed by me and continued making his own plate.

He lifted and dropped his shoulder lazily. “I cheated, if that’s what you want to hear. I asked Damon, and he provided me with some details of your favorite things to eat and drink.”

Of course.

Annoyed, I grabbed my plates and walked them over to the table. It was cute how he set himself up on the end and my place adjacent, as if I wanted to enjoy a meal that close to him. I took and scooted my placemat down two spots.

“Don’t.” The authority in his tone sent my blood freezing in my veins.

I put the placemat back and sat down.

The sound of smooth jazz took over as we began eating. Whether I hated Cain or not, I couldn’t deny that the food was good. The lemon garlic shrimp pasta was filling enough, but like a glutton I couldn’t stop myself from enjoying the fresh sushi.

“Everything good?” Cain wanted to know.

“Mm-hmm.” I hummed. “You ordered too much, though. It’s all so tempting.”

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