“We’ll get back there, right?”
A cute little pucker formed between his eyebrows. “To us?”
My heart pounded so hard from fear that we never would. I gave a small nod.
His affectionate smile put some of the anxiety at ease. “We will. And it starts with you getting your ass out here and helping with the bags. Or have you gone soft since leaving the SRT?”
My top lip curled a little as a competitive growl slid out. “We both know my ass isn’t soft, Montgomery.”
“Bounce a fucking coin off it,” he agreed when I met him at the tailgate.
I reached for my bag, but his fingers snagged my wrist to halt me. “I was joking about you getting the bags. I’ll carry them for you.”
“It’s fine, I’ve got it. In fact, I’m getting yours too.”
“No you ain’t.”
“Yeah, I am,” I sassed, gripping both bag straps and refusing to give in.
His fingers grappled with mine. “Release the goddamn bags, Hellcat.”
I laughed through gritted teeth as he tried to pry my fingers open. “No fucking way.”
Muttered curses tumbled from his mouth, along with grunts and growls of annoyance. Another bubble of humor welled in my chest, and I let out a laugh when Avery angled his back to me and tried harder to weaken my grip.
“It’s not funny, babe. Jesus Christ your grip strength is insane.”
“That’s good, right?”
He looked back over his shoulder, eyes flashing. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or concerned for my dick.”
“I vote both.”
“Christ.” The breathy exclamation had me snickering again, then letting out a whoop of success when he finally backed down.
“Fuck, fine. You carry them. We’d be in the house by now if you weren’t being so goddamn pigheaded.”
I grinned and lifted the bags from the truck bed with a flourish. “Thanks, and you’re welcome.”
“It wasn’t a compliment, Hells.”
I made my way toward the front door of his house with a smile on my face for the first time in the past month. That smile turned into a gasp of shock when Avery shoved past and bumped me off balance.
“Oh, c’mon. You can’t claim you didn’t see me,” I snapped.
He stopped short and whirled—gaze flashing.
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you doing?”
He grinned, then ducked and threw me over his shoulder without warning. A high-pitched shriek, then a burst of shocked laughter left my mouth. I clung to the bags while he effortlessly carried me to the house, unlocked, kicked the door closed behind us, and strolled into the living room as if he was carrying nothing but his keys and wallet.
He twisted this way and that, making both the bags and my hair sway from side to side.
“Now what are you doing?” I exclaimed thickly around the blood rushing to my head.
“Looking for a coin.”
“Why the fuck do you want a coin?”