From the living room, where Cinder wasn’t supposed to be right now, something thumped.
We froze, eyeing each other.
“I swear I shut her door,” Griffin said. We’d built an awesome cat room in this new apartment for Cinder to spend her nights, trying to limit the nighttime cockblocking and disasters. She’d seemed fine with sleeping there, but this wasn’t her first escape.
I suggested, “She’s a minion of darkness. She knows teleportation.”
“Or she’s learned to turn door handles. I’ll go see. Don’t get started without me.”
I’d been half hard since we got in my car, dragging a set of plastic bedpans behind us with “Just Married” written in white lotion across the trunk. I was more than half hard now. I called after Griffin as he disappeared into the hall, “I’ll start with my socks, but don’t take all night.” I tugged the socks off and tossedthem into the hamper, listening to his voice in the living room while he lectured Cinder on the error of her ways. He was no doubt doing the stern spiel for my benefit, but it made me smile.
I decided my shirt could go too. That would only put me a little ahead of him.
His steps passed, no doubt carrying Cinder to her wonder-playground with every toy a cat could want. Then he appeared in the doorway. The heat in his eyes took my breath away as he stared at me. “What happened to just taking off socks?”
“You were slow.” I unbuckled my belt, popped my button above where my dick strained the charcoal-gray fabric.
“You are so fucking hot.” Griffin eased behind me and turned us to face the mirror, his hand splayed on my bare belly.
There was a time I’d have peered into that mirror and hated what I saw. Now, the desire in his touch and the darkness of his eyes made it impossible to feel unattractive. I saw a salt-and-pepper-haired sexy man standing behind a big, hairy bear of a guy, both of them staring at the mirror like they could eat each other alive, their hard dicks tenting their dress slacks. If that was the start of a porno, I’d click on it.
I twisted to get to Griffin’s mouth for a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too, husband.” He kissed me again. “Sounds good, right?”
“Sounds perfect.” I dragged the hand he’d pressed to my stomach down to where it might do some good and moaned as he cupped me through my slacks.
“You don’t mind that we didn’t get a real honeymoon somewhere exotic?” Griffin mouthed at the side of my neck below my beard. “Next year, once my parole’s over.”
“I’m not much of a traveler anyhow.” I tilted my head to give him better access.
A crash from out in the kitchen broke us apart.
“Crap.” Griffin stared at me. “IswearI shut her door this time.”
We hurried out and found Cinder sitting there innocently washing her face while one of the kitchen chairs lay on its side.
“She’s nine freaking pounds,” I said. “How does she do that?”
“Time to find out. Get your phone.” Griffin scooped up the cat and led the way to her room, while I followed, digging my phone out of my pocket.
In the playroom, Griffin checked Cinder’s litterbox, her electronic food dispenser, and her hanging toys. Then we set up my phone on the windowsill with the camera running on Facetime, put a few bits of kibble in her chase toy, and backed out, firmly closing the door.
Griffin accepted my call on his screen and we put our heads close together, watching. Cinder whacked the toy across the room, pounced on a kibble bite, then stalked toward the door. Her tall climber stood in the corner and she scurried to the top, crouched, and leaped down, snagging the door handle in both front paws as she passed.
The handle turned. The door opened a crack as she landed. Cinder hooked her toes around the edge and pulled the door wider. She sauntered out, then froze, staring up at us.
“Hah!” Griffin said. “We have you. Your secret has been revealed.”
With an indifferent twitch of her tail, Cinder headed for the living room.
Griffin and I looked at each other.
“It’s not that late,” I suggested. “She just wants her evening routine before bedtime.”
“But I want to get fucked,” Griffin muttered. “Maybe a chair under the doorhandle?”
“We’ll buy a hook tomorrow,” I told him, despite my dick still holding out hopes. “We can give the cat her evening cuddles. We have time. All the time in the world, now.”
