I asked Jorah and Thayer.
Thay answered, She’s building tree sprite houses with us. We’re planning on hanging them before we leave so we can see if anything moves in the next time we visit.
My heart warmed at the fact that my brothers were being so sweet with her and making long-term plans. Thank you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could tell that they’d already blown me off and were concentrating on Rasha.
I smiled and said to Hiro, “She’s building tree sprite houses with my brothers. Like birdhouses, but for tree sprites.”
“Yeah?” He hadn’t moved his face away from my neck.
“Yep. She’s fine. Wanna take a shower with me?”
He leaned up with a grin. “Hell yes, I do.”
I pulled him in for a deep kiss before pushing him away, making him laugh. In retaliation, he grabbed me, threw me over his shoulder, slapped my naked ass, and carried me into the bathroom where I got to take my time, exploring every inch of his skin while he did the same to me.
After we came back home to Brinnswick, Hiro and I decided to head to his house to start packing it up and so he could get whatever paperwork he needed to break his lease. Since we were stopping by, Hiro had called Ulma to see if she wanted him to grab her mail and take it inside her house. She’d already moved up with her son and grandkid, but it was more expensive to break her lease than to just let it run out since she only had a few months left.
Rasha thought she’d left a stuffed animal at Ulma’s house, so we headed there first, and luckily, Rasha found her toy right away.
As we walked out of the house, Hiro’s laugh carried through the air, and all I could do was stare at him. He had a beautiful laugh. So full and joyous and loud, his whole face lit up, even his eyes sparkled. It was as if he transformed from the tough, stoic guy, to a gorgeous, happy man right before my eyes. And I loved how freely and how often he was laughing around me now.
His daughter was giggling with him, and I realized she had his smile, bright and wonderful. But her eyes were gray rather than blue. My gaze snapped up to Hiro’s, and I grinned as I said, “That’s why your favorite color’s gray.”
He smirked and nodded. “She has Millie’s eyes.”
I bumped him with my shoulder, and he poked my side, but I squirmed away with a laugh, glad I hadn’t ruined the light mood.
Rasha grabbed my hand since we had to cross the street, and my heart did a flip, too excited for words that she’d so easily reached for me. She began swinging our hands between us, and I laughed. “Look both ways.”
She did as I asked, but I got distracted by Hiro looking all… Hiro-like and hot as hell. He had that soft expression on his face as he watched us, and I found myself drawn into his orbit.
When Hiro noticed me ogling, he aimed his smile at me and asked, “What?”
I shook my head because I didn’t want to blurt out how beautiful I found him.
He turned to face me, his eyes scrutinizing my entire body as he tilted his head to the side. “What is it, Bas?”
The corner of my lips twitched. “Nothing, dimples.”
His smile perked up as he tried to scowl at me and failed, and something in my chest fluttered at the sight. Hiro stepped closer to me, he brushed the loose hair from my forehead, and whispered, “You know I owe ya for this, right?” He nodded down at Rasha.
Rasha started bouncing her stuffed puppy over my legs and stomach since we still hadn’t crossed the street—her dad was too distracting—but she didn’t let go of my hand. I shook my head at Hiro and finally found my voice. “No, Hiro, you don’t.”
“I do. You—”
“No. That isn’t why I took you and Rasha there.”
“I know, baby.” He brushed his thumb over my cheek, then bopped my nose. “You’re a really good person. You amaze me, Basil Ellwood.”
My eyebrows shot up. That was a compliment. Had Hell frozen over?
I glanced up to the sky, and Hiro followed my line of sight, asking, “What do you see?”
“I was checking for pigs flying since Hiro Grimsby just gave me a fucking compliment.”
He barked out a laugh, punched my shoulder, and said, “Dumbass.”
I shot him a grin.
“Daddy! You said a bad word!”