TWENTY-FOUR
“Honey,I’mhome!”
I giggled beside Sully as we entered Liam’s house without even knocking or ringing the doorbell. I wasn’t surprised he had a key to Liam’s house. Liam barged into our homes without the same courtesy.
Since we’d gone away, Sully had mellowed, and I loved seeing this side of him. He smiled more, played more, and didn’t seem as serious as before our vacation. Something had freed inside him since we had sex in front of Lance. We had even spent our last day on Captiva Island with the other man. Lance had seemed grateful for the exposure too, and he’d warmed up to us a lot more that last day. So much so that we had his cellphone number with a promise to keep in touch if we were ever in Florida again.
I hadn’t said anything to Sully, but he needed friends other than Liam. A friend who had nothing to do with his business and was just there for relaxation and fun.
“Finally!” Liam met us in the hall. “You can get this feline beast out of my house.”
I laughed, pushing by Sully to hug him. “Oh, come on. You haven’t fallen in love yet? Anyway, thanks for watching her while we were away.”
“I hope it was worth it.” Liam patted my back, then turned his attention to Sully. “Something’s different about you.”
“Well, he’s seen things,” I said in a stage whisper. “And he’s done some things.”
“Someone’s hankering for a swat on his bottom.”
I shimmied my hips. “Promises. Promises. Will you just do it already?”
Sully caught me around the waist and pulled me back into him before I could react. He hauled me over his shoulder and swatted my ass. Hard.
“Good god, man, not so hard! Don’t damage the merchandise.”
Liam chuckled as Sully set me back on my feet. “You two have just turned into one of those obnoxious couples who don’t know it’s the decent thing to tone it down when you’re around desperately single men.”
I rolled my eyes at Liam and punched him in the arm. “Ain’t nothing desperate about you. I tried to hook you up with Tack, and you just blew me off because of his name.”
“He was shallow, asking about my dick size. But seriously, Tack’s not a name.” He followed me into the living room, where I searched for Cinnamon. “Tack’s what you use to fasten something with.”
“Don’t be so closed-minded. He’s actually a sweetheart and pretty smart too. He’d be perfect for you, so let me know when you get over your bias with his name. What does Liam even mean?”
He puffed out his chest and propped his hands into fists on his hips. “Liam means protector or strong-willed warrior.”
I snickered. “Well, that shows how much stock you should put into names.”
Liam scowled. Sully laughed. Cinnamon hissed from where she’d been sleeping on the white-and-gold corner catty shelf.
“There’s my baby.” I scooped Cinnamon up in my arms and nuzzled her.
“Wherever you got that boy from, you should seriously ask for a refund,” Liam said. “He’s becoming an obnoxious pain in my ass.”
“Which is fine by me as long as he’s not a pain in mine.” Sully walked over to me and scratched the cat’s ear. “She didn’t give any trouble, did she?”
“She’s a perfect darling during the day. Stays out of sight and is content to occupy the space on my shelf. But when it comes to the night, she’s a nightmare. It’s like she deliberately waits until I’m in bed and then starts meowing at midnight. In short, like your boyfriend, your cat’s an asshole. Last chance to get a refund. I’m sure they would make a good two-for-one deal.”
I flipped Liam off. “Don’t listen to him. You’re a perfect angel, aren’t you, Cinnamon bun?”
“It seems like you guys had a great time,” Liam said.
“We did.” I took Cinnamon over to the couch and sat with her on my lap. “It was amazing. The beach, the people we met, the food. I want to go there again.”
“Let me guess.” Liam crossed his arms and eyed Sully. “He’s already neutered you, and now you’re here to pack your belongings, close the business and move to that island where you’ll waste your talents away, sipping mimosas and wondering what happened to your life.”
“Wrong,” I blurted out. “Sure, we’ll go back, but I’d never expect Sully to give up his job just like that. We’re a team. We’re in this together, and I’m quite looking forward to my next job. It’s been a while, and I honestly miss it.” I glanced up sheepishly at the two men. “Does that mean you guys broke me? I’m sure this isn’t the way I’m supposed to react to what you two do for a living.”
Sully and Liam exchanged a look I couldn’t read. “What’s—”