Page 4 of Zero Divergence

Royce silenced him by pressing his lips gently against Sawyer’s. “You’re the only partner for me.” He pointed toward the door. “Out there,” Royce said, turning his finger around and pointing toward his heart, “and in here. That’s why I made you something special.”

“You did?”

Royce nodded and grinned shyly. “I can’t decorate for crap, but I made it with love.” He pressed a quick kiss against Sawyer’s lips, then stood up. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He returned a minute later with a cake carrier in one hand and two plates holding a cake knife and two forks in the other. Royce took off the lid and revealed a tall chocolate cake with chopped pecans sprinkled on top. Sawyer’s mouth immediately began watering. “Is that your mom’s cake recipe?”

“The one and only. Are you prepared to be wowed?”

“I just really want to shove my face in the cake,” Sawyer replied.

Royce laughed heartily. “Would you settle for a slice? I’d hate for you to wear chocolate in your gauze until your home health care nurse comes tomorrow to teach me the proper way to rebandage you in case of an emergency.”

“Shut up and feed me cake.”

Royce took his command literally, slicing a huge piece, then forking a large bite and holding it to Sawyer’s lips.

“Oh my god,” he said as the chocolate cake melted in his mouth. “I need this for every occasion.”

“I’ll bake it once a week if you promise to listen to orders from now on,” Royce said, taking a bite for himself.

Sawyer met Royce’s stormy eyes. “I’ll agree to that if you promise not to give stupid orders.” He opened his mouth like a baby bird, and Royce gave him another bite. It was somehow more delicious than the first.

“No more burning buildings,” Royce groused.

“It wasn’t burning when I ran into it,” Sawyer countered. “Youran into the burning building.” He couldn’t be mad at Royce, because chances were, he’d be dead if Royce hadn’t risked his own life to pull Sawyer out of the inferno.

“So insubordinate.”

They stared at one another in a silent battle of wills for a few seconds before a big yawn ruined Sawyer’s fierce expression. “We’ll resume this after I take a power nap.” Smiling, Royce leaned forward to set the plate on the coffee table, but Sawyer stopped him. “But not until after I eat more cake.”

Royce aimed a cocky grin at him. “Got you hooked now.”

“You have no idea.”

Royce touched Sawyer’s face just like he had in the photo, and the adoration in his gray eyes sent warmth spreading throughout Sawyer’s body. “Keep it that way.”

They polished off the piece of cake, then Royce helped Sawyer get ready for a nap. He was too exhausted to be self-conscious about the bandages covering the worst injuries or the pink wounds that had almost healed.

“I’m going to kiss every single one of them as soon as it’s safe,” Royce murmured huskily against his neck.

“Lie down with me?”

“Nothing could keep me away.”

Once Sawyer was comfortable, Royce gently nestled in behind him, his body heat pouring into Sawyer. “I have missed this so much.”

“Me too,” Royce said gently. “Welcome home, baby.”

“There’s my boo,” Detective Jackson Blue said when Royce stepped inside the bullpen on Monday morning.

“Sergeant Boo,” Royce corrected.

Blue’s booming laughter cheered Royce up a little. He’d felt guilty for leaving Sawyer at home, even though Evangeline was spending the day with him, and his home care nurse would be by to change the dressings on his wounds. Misery had been etched on Sawyer’s handsome face, or at least the parts Royce saw.

“Are you in a lot of pain? I can get your pain pills,” Royce had said.

“It’s not too terrible,” Sawyer had replied, lying through his perfect teeth. “I’m just jealous you get to go back to work while I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling. You know how badly this sucks.”