to scare her.
While he had been dreaming of starting a family for years, Dizzy was in her early twenties, still very young to be considering a family of her own. Would she balk at the idea? Would she follow Menace’s wife’s lead and petition for a birth-control implant?
“I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want you to think that the only reason I entered the Grab was to get you pregnant.”
Shit. That sounded even worse, didn’t it? He could just hear Raze laughing at him and encouraging him to keep digging.
“What I mean is that I want more than just children with you. I want the whole package.”
She studied him for a few discomfiting moments before finally saying, “You’ve probably just jinxed us.”
Bemused, he asked, “Jinxed? How?”
Her mouth slanted rather impishly. “You’re all puffed up about the idea of having sons. We’ll probably end up with a dozen girls.”
Dizzy’s playful reply set him at ease. Maybe they weren’t so far apart when it came to that issue. “If they’re as pretty as their mother I’ll be a very proud father.”
She waved her fork at him. “There’s that flattery again.”
“Is it working?”
“Maybe.” She rolled her top lip under to squash a grin. Turning her attention to the food, she asked, “What do you want?”
“You go first.”
“Um…” She poked at a few dishes before choosing a green salad loaded with fresh vegetables, a serving of steamed veggies in a tart sauce and some of the fruit. She gestured to the salad. “I can share this.”
He shook his head. “I had one with lunch.” Eyeing her choices, he pushed some of the grilled steak her way. “You should have some protein.”
She pointed out the bright-red beans on her salad. “These are protein.”
“I meant meat.” He remembered Vicious telling him that Hallie had been hesitant to eat what she wanted. Food insecurity was a real issue on Calyx and women tended to be underfed and malnourished. He gave Dizzy a scrutinizing glance. “You should probably have more protein in your diet.”
She made a face and shoved the dish back toward him. “I don’t eat meat.”
He gawked at her. “What do you mean? How can you not eat meat? It’s delicious.”
“I’m sure it is but it’s not for me.”
Venom couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of any person choosing to forego a juicy steak. “Why not?”
She wrinkled her dainty nose. “That’s not a story you want me to tell over dinner.” When he sat there waiting patiently for her to continue, she rolled her eyes and said, “When I was a kid my dad sent me to spend a week with his sister on her husband’s sprawling farm. It was the fall, during the annual hog slaughter. Let’s just say that seven days of watching that cured me of any meat cravings.”
He had never witnessed such a thing but had always assumed the process from pasture to table wasn’t particularly nice. Even though it didn’t bother him to consume meat, he didn’t want to upset Dizzy so he started to set aside the steak he loved so much.
Her warm fingers clasped his wrist to stop him. “It doesn’t bother me to watch other people enjoy meat.”
He cast a skeptical glance her way. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. My best friend chows down on slabs of meat in front of me all the time. It’s not a big deal.”
Though it was selfish he experienced a wave of relief. The idea of having to sneak his favorite foods wasn’t one he relished but he would have done it for her. “We’ll have to make sure there are other protein sources in our kitchen for you.”
“Can you get fish up here?”
“Sure.”
“I don’t mind eating fish occasionally, especially the fresh stuff they catch down in Blue Shores. We used to go down there every summer for vacation. It was a beautiful place. So much cleaner and prettier than The City.”
The peek into her past left him with so many questions. From what he knew of the society down on Calyx there weren’t many
While he had been dreaming of starting a family for years, Dizzy was in her early twenties, still very young to be considering a family of her own. Would she balk at the idea? Would she follow Menace’s wife’s lead and petition for a birth-control implant?
“I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want you to think that the only reason I entered the Grab was to get you pregnant.”
Shit. That sounded even worse, didn’t it? He could just hear Raze laughing at him and encouraging him to keep digging.
“What I mean is that I want more than just children with you. I want the whole package.”
She studied him for a few discomfiting moments before finally saying, “You’ve probably just jinxed us.”
Bemused, he asked, “Jinxed? How?”
Her mouth slanted rather impishly. “You’re all puffed up about the idea of having sons. We’ll probably end up with a dozen girls.”
Dizzy’s playful reply set him at ease. Maybe they weren’t so far apart when it came to that issue. “If they’re as pretty as their mother I’ll be a very proud father.”
She waved her fork at him. “There’s that flattery again.”
“Is it working?”
“Maybe.” She rolled her top lip under to squash a grin. Turning her attention to the food, she asked, “What do you want?”
“You go first.”
“Um…” She poked at a few dishes before choosing a green salad loaded with fresh vegetables, a serving of steamed veggies in a tart sauce and some of the fruit. She gestured to the salad. “I can share this.”
He shook his head. “I had one with lunch.” Eyeing her choices, he pushed some of the grilled steak her way. “You should have some protein.”
She pointed out the bright-red beans on her salad. “These are protein.”
“I meant meat.” He remembered Vicious telling him that Hallie had been hesitant to eat what she wanted. Food insecurity was a real issue on Calyx and women tended to be underfed and malnourished. He gave Dizzy a scrutinizing glance. “You should probably have more protein in your diet.”
She made a face and shoved the dish back toward him. “I don’t eat meat.”
He gawked at her. “What do you mean? How can you not eat meat? It’s delicious.”
“I’m sure it is but it’s not for me.”
Venom couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of any person choosing to forego a juicy steak. “Why not?”
She wrinkled her dainty nose. “That’s not a story you want me to tell over dinner.” When he sat there waiting patiently for her to continue, she rolled her eyes and said, “When I was a kid my dad sent me to spend a week with his sister on her husband’s sprawling farm. It was the fall, during the annual hog slaughter. Let’s just say that seven days of watching that cured me of any meat cravings.”
He had never witnessed such a thing but had always assumed the process from pasture to table wasn’t particularly nice. Even though it didn’t bother him to consume meat, he didn’t want to upset Dizzy so he started to set aside the steak he loved so much.
Her warm fingers clasped his wrist to stop him. “It doesn’t bother me to watch other people enjoy meat.”
He cast a skeptical glance her way. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. My best friend chows down on slabs of meat in front of me all the time. It’s not a big deal.”
Though it was selfish he experienced a wave of relief. The idea of having to sneak his favorite foods wasn’t one he relished but he would have done it for her. “We’ll have to make sure there are other protein sources in our kitchen for you.”
“Can you get fish up here?”
“Sure.”
“I don’t mind eating fish occasionally, especially the fresh stuff they catch down in Blue Shores. We used to go down there every summer for vacation. It was a beautiful place. So much cleaner and prettier than The City.”
The peek into her past left him with so many questions. From what he knew of the society down on Calyx there weren’t many
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