Page 38 of I Replaced His Husband
Adam narrowed his eyes.
"Did I imagine it, or did you and John Sanders just have one of those classic alpha grunt-offs?"
I laughed out loud.
"Totally. Way too primal for your delicate beta ears."
"Asshole."
"What can I say? You're missing out on the most dramatic part of our vocal range, that’s where all the juicy things happen." I headed to the kitchen to get lunch started.
"Yeah, yeah, at least we betas aren’t animals. We’ve got emotional balance and all that."
I shrugged and shot him a wink.
"Sure, I remember that emotional balance when you broke up with Dominic sophomore year."
Adam flushed bright red.
"Okay, that’s not fair. But point for you."
Just then, Marco came back in from the driveway. He glanced over at me and, seeing me chopping vegetables, walked over to the table.
"Kay liked the meals you made yesterday," he said casually.
"Really? I didn’t know that. I did notice he tore through the tuna salad, though."
"He loved the frittata too. Looks like you’re nailing his taste."
I felt myself blush, and cursed the fact that a simple compliment meant that much to me.
"Well… that’s good to hear."
Marco didn’t mention the Sanderses visit, which I appreciated. I didn’t want to think about them anymore. Mymind was on Kay. I wanted to be upstairs with him, holding him, even if that felt irrational or over the top.
So instead, I focused on making lunch as quickly and efficiently as possible.
When it was done, I plated two portions for Adam and Marco, scarfed down my own, and brought the rest upstairs for Kay.
I knocked gently and waited until I heard his quiet response before entering.
Kay was curled up on the bed, knees pulled to his chest, looking small and nothing like the prickly hedgehog he usually tried to be around me. By now, I was sure that spiky front was just a cover, and underneath, he wasn’t nearly as guarded as he pretended.
I walked over with the bed tray. He slowly lowered his knees without saying a word, letting me set it down across his lap.
KAY
My mood was already shot after the in-laws’ visit, and it just kept getting worse. I knew exactly what was behind their reaction, all those unspoken, never-discussed feelings. They saw Rain as my swift replacement for their son. A quick fix. Two months! That’s how long I’d been mourning, and then I found someone else to fuck with. I caught the looks they gave Rain, sizing him up, analyzing, comparing.
Rain was even taller than Maurice, and just as handsome. It was almost funny how much they resembled each other; they could’ve easily passed for brothers, with the only difference being their hair. Maurice’s was a rich brown, while Rain’s had this deep chestnut tone, with reddish highlights when the light hit just right.
Yeah, I had already noticed those things. I’d noticed his eyes too, silvery-gray with tiny platinum flecks, and graphite rims that made the irises pop. Maurice’s were very similar, maybe a bit more blue.
I could bet a lot of people, from a distance, wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. I was sure Rain’s appearance only confirmedthe Sanderses’ belief that I had traded one luxury model for another shiny thing.
Slut. Me.
Hungry for dick, dripping with filthy pregnancy cravings, legs wide open for the first good-looking guy who came along. I wouldn’t be surprised if that exact thought had crossed their minds.
