Page 42 of Hard to Judge

Her cheeks go pink, which is a feat for a woman who took my dick into her fucking esophagus with no hands or control, without even batting an eye. She gestures to all of her. The mop of hair knotted atop her head. The tattoos peeking out from the V-neck of her sweatshirt. Then her makeup-less face.

“I’m hardly sunshine material.”

“You’re beautiful material.” I pluck the snow clumps from her hair, melt them in my hand, and soak the water into my towel.

“Thank you,” she whispers. Her fierceness takes a back seat for something deeper.

“Your sunshine doesn’t come from your stunning face or banging body.” I press a finger to her dragon. “It comes from in here.”

She sucks in a deep breath, holds it for too long, then lets it free. Her head shakes, and her gaze roves my body, face to feet and everything in between. “You better be glad I’m starving. Otherwise, I’d make you pay for being so damn sweet.”

“I’m not sweet.” I wink.

“Keep lying to yourself.” She steps forward and presses her lips over my heart.

I swear the thing stops.

Then, too soon, she steps back. “Go put on some comfy clothes before I change my mind and map every gorgeous line of your tattoos with my tongue.” With that, she turns and follows the sound of food prep in the kitchen.

I watch her go, my mouth agape. I listen to the soothing banter of two people in love for far too long, my heart doing funny things inside my chest. Those two people could have stayed cozy in their perfect home.

They came to me instead.

“Hurry up, warugaki,” Arlo’s tattered voice rumbles.

The stupidest smile I’ve ever worn morphs on my lips, and I hurry to my room. I toss on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, then hurry to the kitchen. But it’s empty.

For the briefest of seconds, I wonder if I’m going insane if my mind conjured the things I want most.

Then my gaze snags on the handles of the reusable bags sticking up from the leather bar chairs lining my island.

“Hotaru, we’re in the Tatami room. Isogu. Onakagasuita.” Hailey’s sweet voice calls to me. The mix of English and Japanese makes me warm down to my toes. Like cozy warm. Giddy even.

My mom learned Japanese because she had to. It was the only way my father would communicate. But I would speak to Hailey in whatever way she wanted. English. German. Sign. Body language.

Down, boy. This is lunch, not a munch.

“If you keep moaning like that, you’ll make Arlo jealous,” Hota says as I stuff another bite of dessert into my mouth.

It’s like a gooey brownie, but almost a pudding with caramel sauce and chocolate chunks. I lick the spoon, and my eyes roll back into my head. Any sense of decorum our laid-back lunch possessed is out the window.

When I finally open my eyes, Arlo’s head shakes. His gaze is serious and locked on Hota. “Her pleasure brings me pleasure, not jealousy. In case you didn’t clock that when your face was buried in her cunt.”

I grin and scoop the last bite from my dessert cup, knowing I’ll love and regret it in equal measure. My belly is stuffed with the meal Arlo made for us last night, but we didn’t eat. It’s going to hurt so good.

“I can’t believe you’re letting it go to waste.” Hota’s portion is missing a polite bite or two.

“I’m not wasting. I’m saving it for you.” He winks.

My grin is so wide, it hurts my cheeks. I slip the last bite into my mouth and let my vocal cords work unabashedly.

“Fuck.” Hota adjusts in his seat, swinging his gaze back to Arlo. “My dick was in her mouth yesterday. You weren’t at all jealous?” His fingers grip the edge of the low Kotatsu table.

That needy place between my legs heats against the thin Zabutons cushion under my ass. The memories of both events are vivid in my mind. I shift my legs from under me, dragging them along the tightly woven straw mat flooring to crisscross applesauce to ease the friction of my thighs.

“I felt many things yesterday.” Arlo’s gaze is hot and steady on Hota. He leans forward and drops his volume. “Awed. Humbled. Grateful. Aroused. Concerned. Jealous wasn’t among them.”

Before they get into the weeds on this adventure, I shift onto my knees and grab our dessert plates one by one. “Hota, I need you to go grab every comforter and pillow you have in this sky tower you call home and bring them to the living room. Arlo, I need you to set up the games, cards, and wine we brought in the living room. I’m going to clean up our lunch.”

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