Page 87 of Come Back to Me

She snorts. “God, no. Just wishful thinking. I’m pretty sure my hymen has grown back. It’s been so long.”

We each grab a box from the bedroom and make our way to the dining room area just in time to see the guys trying to figure out the best way to carry the very heavy solid walnut bookcase and desk that were my dad’s down the narrow flight of stairs.

I watch them for a few seconds until Jack looks over at me and calmly says, “Stop biting at your thumbnail, sugar. We promise we’ll be super careful with these. We know they’re important to you.”

I smile, removing my thumb from my mouth, having not even realized I was doing it. I love he can read me and know what I need even when I haven’t said anything.

“Thanks, Jack,” I say, walking over to him and planting a kiss on his lips as I wrap my arms around his waist to hug him.

“How about Shayna and I grab some of our boxes and go down first, so I’m not tempted to supervise?” I smile.

“I think we can all agree that’s probably the best plan, Annie.” He smirks, then he tenderly kisses my temple.

I nod and pull away to help Shayna as she’s stacked a couple of boxes on top of each other to carry down. It’s a pretty high stack and I see Finn giving Shayna the side-eye. He opens his mouth—I’m sure to suggest she take a box off the stack.

Jack takes it all in, and quickly runs his finger across histhroat, signaling Finn to not go there. Finn sees him and stops himself before he says anything.

Damnit, Jack. I was looking forward to watching how that would have played out.

Anyone who knows and loves Shayna knows two things about her. First, she’s intensely independent, and no one tells her what she can and cannot do. Second, she has a temper on her. When it’s in defense of you, there is no one better to have on your side. But when it’s aimed at you, look out.

I smile, watching this amazing friend who has quickly become like a sister to me.

She and I head to the car with our haul, taking a few minutes to rearrange things to optimize our space. As we head back up to the house, grunting from the stairwell meets my ears before we even make it to the porch.

I climb the porch steps and walk over to peek up the steps to the house. I see Finn and Fitz, both covered with a light sheen of sweat, almost to the bottom with the bookcase. Jack and Ben are about halfway down the stairs with the bigger, heavier desk. I observe, note notsupervise, as Finn and Fitz make it out of the house and to the lawn before placing the bookcase on the grass and resting.

Jack and Ben have about eight feet left to go.

“Fuck, this is heavy,” Jack pants.

“No shit, dude, I’m sweating my balls off on this one,” Ben answers in reply.

“Hey, guys, take your time and don’t bust a nut!” I holler up the stairs.

Shayna gasps and lets out a snort.

I turn around and she has her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.

I swear Finn says, “That’s what she said” under his breath before he and Fitz break down laughing. I’m totally confused.

“What?” I ask everyone. “What’s so funny?”

Ben and Jack have just made it to the porch and set the desk down before Jack turns to look at me, grinning, and says, “Annie, what, exactly, do you think ‘bust a nut’ means?”

Even Ben is laughing at me.

I give Jack the most incredulous look I can muster. “I’m a nurse, Jack. It means don’t strain yourself lifting something heavy and give yourself a hernia.”

Now the laughing gets even more boisterous.

Fitz is doubled over holding his stomach, and Shayna is laughing so hard she’s literally crying.

“No, sugar, it doesn’t,” Jack says, clearly trying not to laugh. “C’mere, I’ll tell you what it means.” He stalks towards me, pulling me into a hug.

Holding me close, he puts his mouth near my ear and whispers, which of course immediately turns me on. “My girl can have such a filthy mouth when she’s begging me to fuck her.” He pauses because he knows what those words will do to me, and I have to make a concentrated effort not to moan as I feel a tingling deep in my core. “But she doesn’t know that ‘bust a nut’ is slang for a man coming hard, like I do every time I?—”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” I say, pulling away, knowing if I continue to listen to him, I’ll embarrass myself further or take him back upstairs and have my way with him on our now bed-less bedroom floor.

---