“Do what?”
“Make me feel better just by being here? Thank you for listening.”
He kisses my nose. “You’ve been doing so much by yourself for so long. It’s okay to need a little bit of understanding.”
I brush my lips against his. “A little?” I laugh. “I need a truckload, and somehow, you provide it. How did you get here so quickly, anyway? I wasn’t expecting you until at least tomorrow.”
His responding smile is a tad sheepish. “I might have bribed someone and then also bought them a first-class-to-anywhere-international ticket in order to get onto the next available flight.”
My brows lift. “You bribed someone and then, on top of that, bought them a first-class ticket to anywhere they wanted? Wasn’t that expensive?”
He shrugs. “I can afford it.”
I push up a little, resting my head on my hand. “I figured you had some money, but I didn’t know it was that kind of money.”
He chuckles at my vexed tone. “Does it matter?”
I open my mouth to respond in the affirmative and then stop. Does it? I wouldn’t ask him for anything like that, and it doesn’t really matter to me. I bite my lip. “No. I guess not.” I snuggle back down and press closer to him.
His length—which has been gently prodding me this entire time—expands further under my thigh, growing rigid.
I chuckle. “Someone’s happy to see me.”
“Ignore him. He doesn’t understand he’s being inappropriate right now. This is snuggle time, not sexy time.”
“I think he wants something from me.”
“Pretty sure he always wants something from you. But he doesn’t get a say.”
I lift a brow. “Do I get a say?”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “You get all the says. You get every say.”
I sigh, tracing a finger across his prickled jaw and down his neck to the first button on his shirt. “I really missed you.”
“I missed you more.” And then he tugs me underneath him, clothes become unnecessary, and he shows me just how much more.
The next morning, we’re all hanging around in Jacob’s room. He’s sleeping; Mindy is in a chair in the corner, working on her laptop; Archer and I are sitting closer to Jacob’s bed, talking quietly. A soap opera plays on the TV hanging in the corner, the volume too low for us to decipher most of the dialogue.
Taylor rushes into the room. “Oh, my God.” She rushes to Jacob’s side, blinking away tears. “I can’t believe this! You said he looked bad, but I, I didn’t—”
“I know. He’s going to be okay.” I move over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
“Here come the waterworks.” Mindy closes her laptop and sets it on the table next to her.
Taylor twists out of my arms. “Hi, Mindy. It’s nice to see you too.”
Mindy stands. “I’m going to get coffee. Anyone want one?”
“No, thank you,” Archer says.
“I’m good,” I say.
“I would love one,” Taylor says, her voice brimming with faux sweetness.
Without another word, Mindy stalks out of the room.
Taylor takes a deep breath and blows it out. “She’s impossible.” But then her eyes widen, and she looks back and forth between us, her mouth dropping open. “I knew it! How long have you two been a thing, you sly dogs?”