Page 20 of Hard to Judge

“Yes, Miss Fitz-” He winces and clears his throat. “Yes, Miss Hailey.”

“Thank you, Mr. Leonard, but not quite. I’m just Hailey.”

“You’re anything but just, miss.” He winks.

“Watch it, Leo,” Hota warns.

Leonard clears his throat while I swat a hand at Hota. “Smooth talker.” I grin at the driver. “I’d like to make a detour.”

“Yes, miss.” He nods. “Where would you like to go?”

I lean forward, flashing my fully covered ass at the boys to get close enough to Leonard’s ear so that they can’t overhear my instructions.

When I finish, the driver gives a worried glance toward the back of the car. “They’re going to hate this.”

“I know,” I whisper to keep from squealing. My heart threatens to leap out of my chest. I’m so excited.

“I’ll be sure and take pictures.” Leonard flips the turn signal and looks for an opening for the extra-long vehicle to switch lanes.

“Thank you.” My smile stretches my lips as I shimmy myself back through the opening and onto the seat.

“My pleasure.” Leonard’s chuckle disappears behind the divider he slides back into place.

Two hot gazes pin me in place. Arlo’s drops to my backside, now firmly ensconced on the leather. He’s closer than he was before, sitting on the long bench close to Hota.

“If you’d kept that thing in the air any longer, you’d have been telling Leo all sorts of secrets.” His chin drops. “Like how you enjoy my tongue in your ass and Hota’s lips wrapped around your clit.” Arlo’s ragged voice shoots straight to my core, stoking the fire that’s been smoldering since I met him.

Hota nods. His sleekly knotted hair barely shifts with the panther-like movement. “He’d have been deaf by the time we finished making you come.”

“Promises. Promises.” I make the shucks sound to play off the swelling pulse in my panties.

“If you don’t want to be stripped and screaming before your devious plan unfolds, I suggest you stay right where you are.” Arlo tugs off his tie.

My breath catches. It’s not Arlo’s words or even the set of his jaw that tells me he’s not bluffing one little bit, which seals it. No, it’s the intensity of Hotaru’s gaze and the death grip he has on his wide thigh.

It’s as if he’s a grenade waiting for someone to pull his pin. So far, he’s been made of restraint and honorable intentions, while Arlo has been teetering on the edge of oblivion. Right this second, I don’t know if that’s accurate.

If Hota ever loses control, I doubt any of us will be left standing.

I nod and cross my legs at the ankle like a good girl. With measured pulls, I fill my lungs with the scent of my love and my conundrum. The picture they make, sitting side by side, is enough to impregnate a group of nuns.

We sit in charged silence for block after block.

Slowly, Arlo’s shoulders relax. He tosses an arm across the back of the seat and turns toward me, which also turns him toward Hota with his forearm nearly touching his friend’s back. “Where are we headed?”

“Only one of your least favorite places in the whole city.” I wince and offer him a big smile. “You’ll be with your two favorite people. So it can’t be that bad, right?”

The car stops in front of The Rink at Rockefeller Center.

Arlo doubles over with laughter. He clutches his belly and points at the horrified expression on Hota’s face.

“Fuck off, the both of you,” Hota growls.

“I’ve never seen such a big man look quite so frightened by frozen water.” I hide my grin behind my hand.

“Oh, you’re going to pay for this,” Hota warns. “Gonna pay big time, sunshine.”

I drop my hand so he can see my joy at having my very own nickname from him.

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