Page 14 of Killer Honeymoon

Royce kept his gaze on the cat, who’d halted his movement. Royce scooted closer to the bed and extended his arm beneath it but was still a few feet away from their judgmental, pain-in-the ass—

“Uncle Toph is here,” Sawyer called from the foyer.

Bones darted out from under the bed, leaped over Royce, and ran to greet their visitor. By the time Royce got to his feet and followed, the traitorous beast was already in Topher’s arms, butting his head against the younger man’s square chin. The tawny man with rugged good looks was built like a freaking superhero and had the jawline to go with it.

Royce walked over and offered the buttery biscuit to Bones, who purred happily and pretended not to notice. Royce wanted to be pissy and jealous, but it was a relief knowing their feline would be happy while they were gone. Instead, he dropped the bread in Topher’s palm and said, “You’re making a right tramp of yourself, Bones.”

“Like father like son,” Sawyer murmured as he walked by, pulling two rolling suitcases behind him.

Topher looked at the remaining pieces of luggage in the living room. “You guys are coming back, right?”

The cat ignored him, but Royce slicked a hand over his fur anyway.He would not pine for the cat. He would not pine for the cat. He wassogoing to pine for the cat.“As if we’d walk away without our boy. I expect daily photos and updates.”

“You got it,” Topher said.

Royce explained the water heater mishap and suggested he call Jace if he had any trouble with it. Sawyer returned to the house for another load and stopped to pet his cat. Bones didn’t seem interested in acknowledging him either, which made Royce feel moderately better. He showed Topher where they kept Bones’s food and snacks and offered some parting wisdom. “He’s quite the con artist, so be prepared for his manipulations.”

“I grew up with cats, so I’m aware of their shenanigans. We’ll get along just great, won’t we, Bones?” Topher asked.

Bones responded by purring louder and glaring at Royce as if to say,Are you still here?

Royce reached out and scratched his ears, and Bones momentarily forgot about his grudge. “Be good,” he told the cat. Some would laugh at him for talking to Bones, but he was convinced the cat was more intelligent than eighty-five percent of humans.

“I will,” Topher said.

Royce laughed and headed to the living room with Topher and Bones trailing behind him. He grabbed the last suitcase and cooler. He started to regret putting Sawyer in charge of packing. It was apparent he’d planned for every contingency. “Our home is your home. Our food is your food. Our cat is your temporary buddy.”

Topher laughed. “Got it. Evangeline told me last night that she would deliver leftovers from the reception. She said there was enough to keep me alive for at least a week.”

“Can’t cook?” Royce asked.

“No, I can, but why would I turn down those leftovers?”

“Good point,” Royce replied. “We appreciate you doing this for us, Toph.”

“Hey, you’re helping me out too. I’ve been staying at my sister’s place since my breakup. Cohabitation was much easier when we were kids. I’ve heard and seen things recently that I may never recover from.” Topher grimaced like the highlight reel was playing in his mind right then. “I’ll use this week to find my own place. It’s past time.”

Sawyer came back inside, not even slightly winded after his numerous trips and arranging the luggage in the back. He looked at the suitcase and cooler Royce gripped in his hands and frowned. “I might have to do some rearranging. I can take the smaller suitcases out of the rear and move them to the backseat.”

“This is starting to sound like Jenga, and you know how anxious that game makes me,” Royce said. “Are you sure we need all this luggage?” There was no way in hell he was leaving the cooler behind. He’d strap that sucker to the top of the SUV if necessary.

Sawyer chuckled and scratched the light stubble on his jaw, then he crossed to pet Bones a final time before taking the suitcase handle from Royce. “I can make it work.”

“Safe travels,” Topher said as he followed them to the front door.

“And Godspeed to you,” Royce said over his shoulder. “Be good, Bones.” The echo of Topher’s laughter followed him to the SUV. “Are you sure we can’t take Bones with us? We have a travel crate.”

Sawyer quickly rearranged the luggage and closed the tailgate. He’d managed to get everything in but the cooler without blocking the rearview mirror.

“I’m impressed,” Royce said as he put the cooler in the backseat.

“Wait until you see what I do for my next performance,” Sawyer teased with a wink.

Royce’s brain threatened to short-circuit from the vivid imagery it displayed, but he pulled himself together and climbed in behind the wheel. They’d flipped a coin to see who drove the first leg, and Royce had won—or lost, depending on the viewpoint. They’d also laid down some ground rules. There would be no audiobooks while Sawyer drove, so Royce behind the wheel meant Sawyer got to pick their entertainment.

“I think I’ve found a series you’ll love too,” Sawyer said excitedly. “There are several books that follow the same couple. Their journey begins as reluctant partners in a police department. Sound familiar?”

“Nope,” Royce said. “I was an absolute delight on your first day with the department.”