Page 89 of Royal

“Asshole.”

I applied stronger pressure to the knots before kneading his muscles. He groaned, and I couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss his neck.

“If the detective thing doesn’t work out, you should totally be a massage therapist.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. What about you? Are you still thinking of leaving the news station?”

I was trying to distract him with talk of the future. If I knew him like I thought I did, he’d be drowning in his worries right now, obsessing over thewhat ifs.Royal was a positive person who tried to live in the present instead of dwelling on the past, but he stressed out really easily.

And having a serial killer on your trail wasn’t exactly comforting.

“Not sure.” He sighed. “Rick still hates me. If I survive this mess, I’m going to really consider my other options.”

“What do you mean byifyou survive?” I stopped massaging his shoulders and flipped him around to face me. “Don’t say shit like that, Royal. You’re not going to die.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“So, the stuff you told Brysen about the killer not having a chance?”

“I don’t know.” Royal regarded me before looking away. “I didn’t want him to worry. I feel safe with all of you around me, but if somethingdoeshappen…I don’t know. If I believe nothing can touch me, I might not be as cautious as I should be.”

I got off the bed and walked over to the dresser where I’d plugged in my phone. The battery had been a little under halfway charged, and with the severity of the situation it needed to be at full power. Or maybe I was just a bit paranoid.

“What do you want for lunch?” I asked, clicking the food delivery app on my phone. It let you order from a variety of restaurants and delivered, too. There was no way I was leaving the hotel room. I’d fucking barricade us in for days if I had to.

“Not hungry.”

“Bullshit,” I snapped. “Hungry or not, you’re eating.”

Royal adjusted his hat and pulled the bill down to cover his eyes. He leaned against the headboard and crossed his arms, not saying anything.

“You ignoring me?”

Royal sniffed and cleared his throat.

“Fine. I’ll order sushi then,” I said, not taking my eyes off him. “And I’ll make you eat it.”

He made a gagging sound. “I fucking hate sushi.”

“Tell me what you want, douchebag.”

He smiled, although I could tell he was trying not to. “Pizza and beer sounds great.”

“Good boy.” I ordered two large pizzas before plugging in the payment information. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“What about the beer?”

“You’re a demanding bastard, aren’t you?” I arched a brow and slowly walked toward him.

“Hey. You’re the one who threatened me with sushi.” He pushed the front of his hat down even more, smiling.

“That’s it.” I jumped on the bed, trapping him beneath my body, and bumped up his hat so I could see his handsome face. “Time for an ass whoopin’.” Grabbing hold of both his wrists, I pinned them above his head. “Any last words?”

“Yeah.” Royal chuckled and tilted his head, exposing his sexy throat. “Don’t be gentle.”

“Kinky little fucker.”

He rolled his body upward, grinding the bulge in his jeans against mine. “Only with you.”