Page 49 of Knot That Serious

Eli giggled, tilting her head against the back of the tub and rolling it toward Jack. “What’d he do, boss you around a bit?” she teased.

When Jack went all quiet, inhaling quickly from the back end of the joint, she gasped. “No way. S’that all it took? I boss you around every day!”

Jack scoffed and rolled his head back against the edge of the tub, too. She waved it off when he tried to pass the joint back, and Jack frowned, picking his head up and glancing around. Finally, he bent his leg up, and tapped out the joint on the sole of his shoe.

“I know you do. It’s different, I don’t know. I think you’ll have fun.”

“Can’t believe you’re giving me a sex review of your boyfriend,” she groaned.

“Five stars. Would do again,” he retorted.

Eli grinned up at the ceiling, humor giving way to something fond and Too Big as she watched the smoke curl in the overhead lights. “Thanks for, uh, staying with me.”

“This is so much better than horny jail, right?”

She barked out a laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners, and rolled her head to face Jack again. A matching grin was curling his lips, too. “I told you not to call it that.”

“Makes you laugh, though,” Jack said, coming out softer than she anticipated.

Were his eyes always so big and sparkly?

Eli couldn’t remember, but knew if they were, surely she would’ve noticed by now, after all these years. Before she could pull herself from her thoughts with a response, a knock echoed from the front door.

“S’faster than I thought it’d be,” Jack murmured, and leaned forward to stand again, groaning dramatically and favoring his good, right knee.

“You’re old,” she told him.

Jack gasped, and held a hand to his chest when he was standing. His gaze darted to the water before landing on her face again. “You’re the same age as me, granny.”

“Better get limber for the three-day sex-a-thon we’re about to enter,” she drawled.

“Gonna get first fuckin’ place,” he responded with a grin.

“That’s not how it works—”

“Beckett’s here, gotta go—bye,” he sang as he slipped out the door.

Eli shook her head, a smile making her cheeks ache as she stared up at the ceiling.

When she finally glanced down, she did indeed find that most of the bubbles had popped during her bath, leaving her chest visible directly through the water.

Eli rolled her eyes.

10. Sleepover

Eli

After a positively indulgent soak in the tub, she dressed with still-wrinkled fingers, and finally followed the scent of food into the living room.

“There she is,” Jack called out, leaning his head on the back of the couch to peer around Beckett.

“Hey,” Beckett said softly, casually. Like he hadn’t come here with the intent to knot her ten ways to Sunday if Eli asked for it.

And if Jack was to be believed, she’d be asking for it.

“I brought food,” Beckett said, standing and smoothing his hands over his pants.

“It smells great, whatever it is,” she commented, and trailed closer to the breakfast bar. She spied two pizza boxes, as well as… “Fries and nachos?” she gasped, opening the various containers. “Oh my god, this is a frat guy’s dream.”

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