Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
“What did you do?” Xiang demanded as he sucked in another deep breath. Oh Gods, he loved greasy American food! It was so different from the flavors he grew up with. They’d only discovered them on random trips away from home and even then, the tastes weren’t the same as what they’d found since coming to Connecticut.
While he might not eat food often thanks to his vampirism, he still enjoyed tasting new things. Especially since Moon had joined their clan. The baby vampire continued to possess a human brain and human instincts. He might not need to eat three meals a day any longer, but he continued to do so out of habit.
Xiang tumbled bleary eyed out of bed and sat opposite of Kai at the table, wearing only his underwear. Kai clicked his tongue at him, and Xiang suddenly found himself wrapped in a soft T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants.
“I wanted to provide a meal for you, but I also didn’t want to disturb Su Ming Yu after she helped you to heal me. So, I dragged Moon and Rei out with me before sunrise. Moon taught us about drive-thru.” Kai cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowing slightly. “It is the strangest human thing. You don’t have to get out of your rolling death box—”
“Car,” Xiang corrected, trying very hard not to giggle at the dragon’s earnest demeanor.
“They have a mechanical box you talk to, and then there’s a special window where they pass you the food.”
Xiang looked over the spread, taking in the different colored wrappers and small boxes. “How many places did you hit?”
“Four. Moon said there were only four open at that hour, or we would have stopped at more. I told Moon to order all the things with meat and rice, but no one had rice. Apparently, Americans are more concerned with the potato.”
With a bark of laughter, Xiang stretched a hand across the table and caught Kai by the nape of his neck. He pulled him in for a rough kiss. Not the easiest thing, since he couldn’t stop chuckling.
“I take it you’re feeling better,” Xiang murmured.
Kai smiled against his mouth and pressed another kiss to his lips. “I am feeling much better. Thank you for saving my life.”
Xiang tried to extend the kiss, but the table was between them, and Kai pulled away with a warning scowl. “Your food will get cold. You must eat.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to argue that the only meal he wanted was every inch of the dragon seated across from him, but he bit back those words. Kai had gone to the trouble of kidnapping two of his clan mates to procure this meal for him. He could at least eat some of it before had nibbled on the dragon.
With a wiggle, Xiang started ripping open wrappers and containers, checking out the selections. There was sausage and chicken on biscuits and muffins, pancakes, eggs in a variety of forms, and potatoes. Lots of potatoes. The only slightly out-of-place items in all this were the pot of fresh tea and the two cups placed to one side of the table. That had obviously been made here.
Kai picked up the teapot and poured a steaming cup for both of them. “Moon said that Americans survive on coffee or juice. I didn’t know if you liked coffee, so I made tea when we returned.”
“Coffee isn’t bad.” Xiang shrugged. He lifted one of the sausage sandwiches and took a huge bite. The mix of biscuit, meat, egg, and cheese were a delight. “Though I’ll admit I prefer the fancy ones with the flavors and lots of sugar.”
“I will keep that in mind for next time.” Kai nodded and took a sip of his tea.
Some part of Xiang’s brain giggled at the image of Kai walking into one of these fast-food restaurants and demanding they give him a fancy coffee with flavor and lots of sugar. It would make for an interesting encounter, at least.
“Here. Eat,” Xiang ordered, waving at Kai to join him. “Help me. There’s far too much food here for just me.”
Kai put his cup on the table and leaned closer, wrinkling his nose as he inspected all the items. He nibbled a bit on a small chicken sandwich and picked up a round, golden brown tater tot.
“That’s a tot,” Xiang informed him around a mouthful of eggs.
Kai’s widened, and he jerked back away from the object pinched between two fingers. “Isn’t that what humans call their children?”
Xiang barely got his hand up to keep from spewing egg across the table to Kai. He coughed and choked while Kai continued. The dragon pulled the tot in half and inspected the interior. “How long have humans been eating their young? Is that an American thing? We don’t eat our children in China. That is not at all what I expected a fried human to look like.”