Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
“Mmmm.”
Once done with the eggs, I pushed it over to the guard and pulled out an assortment of small cast-iron pans. Next, I lined them on the counter and drizzled oil into each—olive, sesame, avocado—letting the air fill with layered scent.
Hiro actually grinned—wide, boyish, incredulous. “This is going to be fun.”
“I think so, but what do you think about the Claws? Will they be happy?”
Hiro didn’t move for a moment. His knife rested against the cutting board, forgotten. He just watched me, and this mix of awe and sorrow lived behind his eyes. “I think they will feel loved and appreciated.”
“And no longer slighted?”
“Yes.”
“Awesome.” I reached past him to grab a clean towel.
Hiro returned to chopping and got back into a good rhythm with the potatoes, but then after a few minutes, he glanced at me and paused with his knife hovering mid-air. "What happened?"
“Huh?” I stopped what I was doing. “What do you mean, what happened?”
His gaze fixed on my shoulder.
I followed it and realized he'd spotted the Band-Aid peeking out of my shirt. There was also a smaller one on my lower neck too.
Heat crept up my face. "Oh. That’s. . .nothing."
His eyes narrowed slightly, studying the placement. "Those are new. You didn't have those Band-Aids on when you came into the war room yesterday."
I blinked, impressed with him despite my embarrassment. He really was good with details. Observant in a way that probably made him deadly in his line of work.
"Yeah, I didn't have the Band-Aids then."
He set down the knife completely and turned to face me. "My brother's not hurting you, right?"
"Oh, no! No, no." The words tumbled out quickly, followed by a nervous chuckle I couldn't quite suppress. "Actually, this is. . .I guess we can call this a love bite."
His eyes widened. "A love bite?"
I busied myself grabbing fresh herbs from the counter. "Yes. Just, you know intense little love bites."
"During sex?"
My face was absolutely on fire now. I started arranging the herbs with far more concentration than necessary. "Yes."
"Very interesting." Hiro went back to chopping, but I could hear the curiosity in his voice. "My brother typically doesn’t bite during sex. I've never seen him do that."
I pulled out the eggs for the Benedict, grateful for the distraction of preparation. "Well, it's not like you would know what he does intimately. Or would you?"
Hiro looked at me, completely unbothered by the question. "I've seen him have sex a lot. And during those times, he never bit a woman."
What?!
Chapter fourteen
Healing and Hunger
Nyomi
Hiro watched Kenji have sex a lot? Oh. I really need the tea.
“So. . .” I nearly dropped the eggs. "Were you one of his Eyes?"
He laughed—a genuine sound that transformed his tired face. "His Eye? No. Not at all."
"Well, I have so many questions, but keep in mind, I'm a journalist." I set the eggs down carefully. "We always have questions. We always want to know more. So, if you think I'm nosy, I apologize and I won’t ask any more questions."
"Ask whatever you want. It doesn't matter."
I grabbed a bowl and handed it to him for the potatoes. "Why have you watched Kenji have sex a lot?"
"Because we used to share women."
My whole head damned near exploded. "Oh my God. Really?"
"Yeah." He started on a new potato. His knife worked steady and precise. "I don't believe my brother would care if you knew. Since this is his past."
"So, like. . .you and him together? With a woman?"
"Many women." He corrected it casually, like he was correcting a recipe measurement.
"Really?" I leaned against the counter. My journalist brain was now fully engaged.
"Yes."
"Wow. And the women survived both of you in one night?"
He laughed again, and I was starting to really like that sound. "Yeah. Somehow they survived."
"That's crazy interesting." My mind was racing—trying to picture it and failing. Hiro was huge, muscular, intimidating. Kenji was the same. Both of them together with one woman?
DAMN!!
Heat bloomed in my chest, and I shook my head quickly.
Nope. Not going there. Not going to even try to picture it. I’m going to be good.
I cleared my throat and grabbed a clean bowl to change the subject in my own mind. "So how long ago was that? Like, many years ago when y'all were young?"
"A month ago, actually."
The bowl nearly slipped from my hands.
"A month ago?" My voice came out higher than intended. "So, this is, like, a thing you do. Period."
"We did," he corrected. "Past tense. I think."
"You don't know for sure?"
"Well, yesterday was the first time he told me that he would never share you."
Oh.
Something warm and possessive curled in my chest. I knew Kenji was serious about me—he'd said it, shown it, proven it. But hearing it from Hiro, hearing that Kenji had drawn this line.
It hit different.
Hiro continued chopping, but his voice took on a thoughtful tone. "It shocks me that he doesn't want to share. Usually there's never been a woman that he's met, or I've met, where we wouldn't share her. But I understand too."