"Grab one, and then let's get some toiletries," he said gruffly.
They each selected a few items from the personal hygiene section, and Cade pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to Tristan.
"Get anything else you need. I'm going to the grocery store to get some food. What do you like?"
At the mention of food, Tristan's eyes brightened. "Um, chips, popcorn, cookies. Oh, and Coke."
Cade scoffed loudly. "What are you, twelve?"
"What? I like snack foods. And you said there'd be pasta and soup for meals."
Rolling his eyes, Cade said, "Fine. Pay for those and meet me at the car."
Tristan shot a cheeky, "Yes, sir," at him, and Cade's thoughts immediately wandered into X-rated territory.
Was that little shit doing it on purpose?
He didn't even want to contemplate the possibility. Tristan couldn't possibly know what he was into, so it must have just been a joke. One that hit a little too close to home. Right?
Focusing on his immediate task, he walked to the market. When he emerged with Tristan's requests along with meat, potatoes,fresh fruit, veggies and granola bars, he tossed the bags into the back seat and slipped behind the wheel. Glancing at Tristan, he noticed the other man fidgeted nervously.
"You okay?" Cade asked, frowning.
"Yep!" Tristan chirped.
Cade squinted at him, sensing something was off. "You got everything? Paid with no problems?"
"Yes, I did everything you told me to."
The words conjured up salacious images Cade needed to squash ASAP. This fucking guy and his big amber eyes and his 'Yes, sirs' and his fuckable body.
Cade put the car in gear and pulled onto the road toward their destination, frowning as he contemplated the direction of his thoughts.
He was a professional, and this was a job, so that had to be his priority.
But he had a sinking feeling that, while the safe house would be a refuge for Tristan, for him it would be a dangerous test of self-control.
Chapter 4: Safe
Tristan
They arrived at the safe house an hour later, although "house" was a bit of a stretch. The small cabin stood at the end of a long dirt driveway in a clearing surrounded by towering trees. It had no front porch, no embellishments on the exterior, and could be decently described as a wooden cube with a chimney.
Tristan peeked at Cade to gauge his reaction to the structure, but the other man's expression remained blasé as he parked. Either he already guessed what it looked like, or the luxury of his accommodations didn’t concern him.
They grabbed the bags from the back seat, and Cade keyed in the access code. The cabin's interior consisted of one open room about twenty by forty feet, and wood covered the walls, floors and vaulted ceiling. The kitchen area to the right had white appliances and a small oak dining table with two chairs; to the left stood a fireplace and a worn brown sofa with a sherpa blanket draped over the back. Behind the kitchen on the right were two doors leading to what Tristan assumed was the bathroom and maybe a closet, and to the rear left stood a double dresser with a mirror and the main fixture in the room: a large log bed that swallowed the space around it.
Tristan's face heated at the realization that this was the extent of the space they would share. His brain had been fried ever since Cade called him 'babe' back at the diner. Though part of their cover, the endearment had given him an unexpected thrill. Combined with last night's physical contact in the hotel office and the sight of amostly naked post-shower Cade, he was having a bit of a crisis. How could he survive up to a week in a space this small with this seriously gorgeous guy?
As if he didn't have enough to worry about already.
He gulped and nervously peered at the man in question, who took in the surroundings with no outward reaction, probably because he had no interest in Tristan whatsoever.
Well, he could play it cool, too. Tristan pointedly did not mention the sole bed or the tiny space as they dropped the bags on the dining table. Then he chastised himself for even thinking about something so stupid when he should be focused on finding his sister.
As Cade put the food away, he asked, "Do you need to call work or anything?"
"No. When Natalie went missing, they said I could take off as much time as I needed."
