Page 21 of Double Apex

In my chest, there’s a jolting collision between the apprehension that it won’t last after we rejoin the team in China, and the apprehension that itwill.

I open my mouth and he puts in the candy, touching my lower lip. He takes a piece himself, and his long, golden lashes flutter closed in a way that’s unnervingly suggestive as he savors the candy. They open, drowsy with pleasure.

“What do you think?” he asks, focusing on me. “Like heaven, yes?”

I discreetly lick chocolate from my back teeth. “Hell yeah. It’s way good.”

Cosmin asks the woman a question and she laughs, her eyebrows lifting in shock. She grins and nods, taking the tray inside.

“What did you ask her?”

“I’m having ten kilos sent to—” He pauses. “To family in Romania.” He drapes an arm around me and leads me into the shop.

I nearly shove my foot directly into my mouth by commenting that he doesn’thavethat much family but withhold the observation as I realize he must be sending the candy to the orphanage-type-thing he and his sister fund.

His relaxed joy at choosing the gift touches me, I have to admit. He isn’t even trying to boast about it.

Okay, okay. Points for the peacock.

Inside, I gesture at a glass case where there’s a long roll of the biscuit-fudge.

“Says here it’s called ‘mosaiko.’ We could look it up online and get a recipe for free. Ten kilos’ll cost a fortune.”

He shrugs. “This will make everyone happy.”

I watch as he gives the woman a shipping address, then runs his credit card for 285 euros plus another seventy for shipping and proceeds to round it up to 450 euros “with a tip.” The woman is falling all over herself with gratitude and sends us off with a gift bag of sweets.

“You made that woman’s day,” I say, as we wander down the lane.

He tips the open bag toward me, and I shake my head. He fishes out something covered in nuts and pops it in his mouth.

“Good,” he says around the candy. “Perfect day for everyone.”

My heart gives a giddy kick, and I look away. “I don’t think she expected a tip, especially such a generous one. You’re a big tipper.”

“I’m a bigeverything,” he assures me with a wink.

I roll my eyes. “I knew you couldn’t resist being a neanderthal for a full day.”

“Hmm.” He puts the side of his thumb in his mouth, sucking a smudge of chocolate. “Maybe I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to my cave.”

I lean chin in hand on the patio table as my eyes flick to the pieces, then to Cosmin.

I move my king again. “It’s a draw.”

“Perhaps not.” He moves his piece.

My king scoots to the left. “Um, except itis. Let’s call it.”

“You could still make a mistake.”

“Not gonna happen.”

He sighs. “I don’t like to lose.”

“A draw isn’t a loss.”

“Nor a win,” he murmurs, staring at the board.

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