Brokered Betrayals (Sawyer and Royce: Felonies and Fatherhood #3)

Chapter One

Royce parked the SUV and turned solemn eyes to his husband, or so he hoped that was the message he conveyed. When Sawyer only snorted, he decided not to quit his day job to pursue a career in acting. “After tonight, I never want you to doubt my love for you.”

Sawyer rolled his eyes hard enough to sprain something. “I have never doubted your love for me, and if I did, your piss-poor commitment to consuming cauliflower crust pizza for a single night wouldn’t change my mind.”

Royce gasped and aimed for an expression of shock and outrage.

Sawyer bit his lip to keep from chuckling, but his body vibrated with repressed laughter until it burst free. “You look constipated, which makes me wonder if we should’ve chosen vegan cheese for the pizza. Dairy can be a binder and a bloater.”

“I… You…” The mere suggestion was enough to make Royce stammer. “Just no,” he finally said. “That’s a crime against humanity that I will not abide.” Sawyer consumed more than his fair share of cheese, so Royce suspected—desperately hoped—he was pulling his leg.

“It’s a choice, not a crime,” Sawyer said.

“Okay, then I choose real cheese.”

Sawyer arched a brow. “And I’d like the record to show that I offered to order a meat lover’s pizza for you.”

“Let the record show? Are you addressing a courtroom?” Royce asked.

“Well, I have a law degree from—”

“Duke University,” Royce interjected with a voice as hoity-toity as he could make it.

“Yes,” Sawyer said. “But the record I referred to was our marital one.”

Sensing they were about to engage in their favorite game of Who Does It Best, Royce unclipped his seat belt and turned toward Sawyer as much as the middle console allowed.

They’d turned bantering about random topics into a sexy art form where they’d take their debate to the sheets instead of the streets.

By the time they finished, neither of them would remember what subject they’d been debating.

Royce mentally rubbed his hands together as he cocked a brow.

“Who’s keeping score, and what kind of point system are we using? ”

Sawyer’s dark eyes turned ornery as he notched his chin higher, ready to take on the challenge. “There have been plenty of times when one of us sacrifices his wants and needs to make the other happy.”

“It’s called compromising,” Royce volleyed. “That’s what married people do. Let the record show that I’m being the mature adult right now.”

“See!” Sawyer cried. “Don’t pretend you don’t tally things up in your head so you can remind me later if I complain about my sacrifice.”

“Give me an example.” When Sawyer gestured to the pizza, Royce waved him off. “Besides that.”

“Okay, then I use every other meal as my exhibits. You frequently put on a brave face and regret it later. Remember the sushi fiasco?”

Royce shivered hard. “I wanted to try it,” he lied.

Sawyer cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “You bargained sexual favors before agreeing to try it and then went to Taco Bell afterward.”

“I seem to recall someone in this vehicle had ordered a Chalupa and a steak quesadilla,” Royce replied.

“Not saying who, but if I did, the name would start with an S and rhyme with lawyer.” They both snickered at their ridiculous mock argument.

“So, if I’m sacrificing for food, what are you giving up? ”

“Movies, shows, music, vacation spots, and—”

“Yeah, okay,” Royce said. “I get it. I’m a pain in the ass.”

Sawyer smiled devilishly and waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

“Hey! That’s my line,” Royce said. “Let’s toss these pizza boxes on Eddie and Jo’s new porch and run.”

Sawyer took off his seat belt and leaned toward him.

“You know we can’t do that. Eddie spent an entire day helping you build Darla’s nursery furniture, and Jo helped me wash and fold all her pretty outfits.

Helping them settle into their new place is the least we can do.

And I’ve never seen your dad this happy. ”

“You’re right.” With a dramatic sigh, Royce turned off the engine and opened his door. “But we’re picking up where we left off when we get home.”

“I’ll be disappointed if we don’t,” Sawyer replied.

The sun had set, and the temperature hovered just below fifty degrees.

Royce zipped his jacket higher to ward against the chill.

The weather had been overcast and gloomy all day, reminding Royce how much he usually disliked winter.

But this year was different because January marked the last stretch until their baby girl arrived.

No cold snap or cloudy days could ruin his excitement.

Not even cardboard…er…cauliflower crust pizza.

Leaning closer to Sawyer, he said, “So, which of us is on top right now?”

Sawyer stopped on the front porch and turned to face Royce instead of ringing the doorbell. Stepping closer until only the pizza boxes separated them, Sawyer said, “I might have the upper hand right now, but we both know you’ll end up on top by the end of the night.”

The door swung open before Royce could jerk the pizza boxes from Sawyer’s hands and throw them on the porch. “Do you guys need a few minutes?” Jo asked.

“Yes,” Royce replied at the same time Sawyer said, “No.”

Jo giggled. “Well, come inside when you’re ready.” She walked away, leaving them alone on the porch. When Eddie asked what was going on, she said, “The happy husbands are having a moment.”

Her remark drew Eddie to the door, but Royce and Sawyer kept their eyes on one another. “Is this guy giving you trouble?”

Royce forced his gaze away from Sawyer just long enough to catch his dad’s thumb hooked in his direction. “Every damn chance I get,” he responded as he got lost in warm brown eyes once again.

Sawyer’s full mouth curved into a sexy smirk. “And twice on Sundays.”

“Would’ve been thrice in my younger days,” Royce replied with an unmistakable leer.

Eddie’s snort interrupted their playful banter. “You guys can just hand over the pizza and go home if there’s something else you’d rather be doing. Jo and I took some personal time off from work to unpack and make this place a home. It doesn’t all need to be done tonight.”

Royce forced himself to meet Eddie’s impish gaze. “And miss your reaction to tasting that pizza?” He shook his head. “Hell no. Besides, we want to see the new place. Surely there’s something we can help you with.”

“You can help him hang up his television,” Jo called from inside the house. “He’s putting on a brave front about not watching ESPN tonight, but I know better.”

Eddie laughed as he stepped aside to let them in. “Busted. Guess there are a few things I’d like to tackle before bed.”

“We could’ve helped you more if you’d moved over the weekend like most people do instead of doing this on a Tuesday,” Royce said. “Or at least given us some notice so we could’ve taken time off from work.”

“We saved a lot of money doing it this way. I have a mortgage now and need to watch my pennies.” Eddie beamed with pride at being a first-time homeowner. “And besides, you’re having a baby soon. You need to save all your personal time off to be with your little girl.”

“That’s thoughtful of you, Eddie,” Royce said, “but you have two other adult children and healthy teenage grandsons who could’ve helped out. This was a big undertaking.”

“I’m fitter than I’ve been in years.” Eddie flexed his arm to prove the point.

He had lost weight and put on more muscle, resembling the man he used to be twenty years ago.

Thank fuck his attitude hadn’t reverted back to that time too.

“I have more energy than I know what to do with on most days.” Eddie looked around the room and added, “Besides, the moving guys did the heavy lifting. I just need to hang the televisions.”

“And assemble the bed,” Jo suggested.

“Right.” Eddie waggled his brows at his son.

Sawyer snickered and steered the conversation in a safer direction. “This place looks so much bigger on the inside.”

“It reminds me of your house,” Eddie said. “The open floor plan makes you feel connected even when you’re not in the same room.”

The living room was already set up except for the television and a scattering of boxes.

Instead of buying new furniture, Eddie and Jo brought their favorite pieces from their homes and donated the rest. The hyper-masculine and ultra-feminine styles should’ve clashed horribly, but they formed a beautiful and unique union instead, much like Eddie and Jo.

“You guys have been here for less than a day, and the place feels like a home already,” Royce said.

Eddie looked around as he scratched the back of his neck. “You like it?”

“It’s a beautiful representation of both of you,” Sawyer said.

Eddie puffed up a little at the compliment. “Wait until Jo hangs up her artwork. She has more talent in her little toe than I have in my entire body.”

Royce patted Eddie’s back. “I married up, so I know what you mean.”

Sawyer rolled his eyes and lifted the pizza boxes higher. “Is anyone hungry?”

“Come on into the kitchen,” Jo called out. “I just need to find the box with the plates.”

“We can use paper towels,” Eddie said.

“Okay. I need to find which box I put them in.”

“Don’t bother on my account,” Royce told her. “I’d be more than happy to just eat my pizza while standing over the box.”

“Of course you would,” Sawyer said.

Eddie chuckled and shook his head. “Neanderthal.”