Page 94 of Hard to Judge

Much like the last time I was here, Hota stands bare-chested in the doorway. Only this time, there are two long lines scabbed over his pec. Two lines for me.

Whew!

I get that thump against my sternum like my heart is trying to toss itself at Hota with wild abandon.

It is. I am.

He’s carved in ink and flesh. While I love what he did to me the other night, I want him in the daylight, where I can see his every sharp angle meet my soft curves.

His brow is pinched, and his jaw flexes. “We fucked.”

I can’t fight my grin. “Yes, we did.”

He drags in such a heavy breath I swear the walls move. “Yes, we did, but that’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“I do.” My smile grows.

His big hand drags down his face and squeezes his neck.

My knees go wobbly.

“Do you have anything to say about your boyfriend fucking me?” He squeezes tighter.

“About time, don’t you think?” I set my bag just inside the door. I step to Hota, lift my arms, and wrap them around his nape, forcing him to drop his hold.

He lowers enough to allow my reach, and then his arms are around me, squeezing against my raw side. I hold him tight and bury my face in his neck, apologizing without words, for now, for the pain I caused.

I pull back and kiss his neck. “He’s yours too.” My lips graze his jaw, then his lips.

“What do you mean?” His grip goes impossibly harder around me, pinching the side buckle of my coat into my searing skin.

An unwelcome hiss slips between my teeth.

Hota releases me instantly. His eyes go wide. “What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Then before I can answer a single one of the barrage of questions, his mouth falls open. “A tattoo.”

“Yes.” But not just any tattoo.

“Fuck.”

He falls to his knees in front of me. His hands grip the openings of my coat and he pulls me forward. The weight of his head presses between my breasts.

“I’m so sorry, Hailey.” His fingers tighten. “Fuck, I’m an asshole. Arlo should have been there with you. I should have known…” He groans.

I thread my fingers through his mussed hair and tug his head back. My head shakes. “Don’t you dare apologize.” His lips part on a rebuttal that I stop with my fingers on his soft lips. “You were hurt because you care. I’m beyond grateful that you do. Beyond.”

After all, this ink on my skin is forever. Whether he reciprocates my feelings or not, it won’t change, and neither will my feelings for him. It’s a step out onto a limb that seems solid, but there’s always a chance it will snap under the weight.

The arch of his cheeks and the swell of his jaw meet my slowly exploring fingers as my other hand makes its way to his lips, covering them completely.

“I’m sorry my actions hurt you.” Tears fill my gaze. “That was not my intention at all, but I didn’t communicate with you very well.”

“Neither of us did.” Arlo’s voice filters in from where he’s propped at the entryway to the kitchen. He pushes off and heads our way.

When he reaches us, his hand sinks into my hair while the other does the same to Hota. “It was meant to be a surprise. One that Hailey wanted to do…” His gaze slips to me.

“For you,” I finish, looking at Hota.

His gaze falls to my side like he wants to see it, but his thick lips form a line under my fingers. The disappointment with himself bleeds through his eyes.

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