Page 34 of Room One Hundred and Twenty Nine

“Yep. Now we’re going to do the fun questions,” I say, proudly.

Nick thinks for a moment, looking at me as if I’ll know if he’s done it or not.

I nod. “Yes, you’ve done it. Remember, during college, you and Johnny both jumped into the campus pool at night. Thankfully, you didn’t get caught.”

“Oh, right,” Nick says and takes a lick of his ice cream.

Tingles run down my spine, and I take a few breaths to keep my dick at bay.

“You’ve never done it?” I ask Haruko.

She shakes her head. “I haven’t, but I’d like to.” Her smile is so cute it makes me want to grab her face and kiss her all over. But now isn’t the time for that. It’s time to get to know each other. If we have a shot as making it as a foursome, we need to set some sort of foundation. After all, we’re going to be dealing with a lot, given she still works for us and Elijah’s best friend is her father.

Although that doesn’t mean we can’t ask sexy questions because those are fun.

“Okay, Haruko?”

She looks up at the sky, licks her lips, then when a question pops up in her head, she smiles.

“Well, if we’re going to be asking fun questions, then mine is never have I ever sent a naked picture to someone?”

Nick and I both take a lick of our ice cream.

“To each other?” she asks.

“Yeah,” I shrug, recalling all the times I sent pictures to Nick and him to me. Mostly me to him.

I don’t even bother to check if Elijah licked his ice cream because I know he definitely hasn’t. I’m not even sure the thought has crossed his mind. Mostly because he hasn’t been with anyone he’d send one to.

“Alright, Nick. Your turn.” I turn to him, and he looks directly at me and says, “Never have I ever faked it?”

Everyone looks at me as I take a long lick of my ice cream.

Bastard, my eyes say directly to Nick, but he just grins like a cat who got the cream.

I look at Elijah, whose jaw is on the ground. Haruko’s mouth is agape.

“You faked it?” Elijah asks, a furrow in his brow.

“Yeah,” I shrug.

“How?” Haruko asks, looking at Elijah and Parker like they have the answers.

“I use condoms, you know. So, you just moan and groan a little and when your partner’s done, just roll over and dispose of the empty condom before they notice,” I say casually.

“But if you’re not into it enough to come, don’t you…” Haruko's voice trails off as she makes a wilting motion with her fingers.

“There’s a difference between it feeling not good enough to come and it feeling good at all. I was just not feeling it, but she felt nice. My head was just in another place. Finals or something and I couldn’t finish, but she got there so I just… joined her.”

“Oh,” Haruko says, then licks her ice cream.

And that ticks me off. Not for admitting it, but for having to fake it.

“Really?” I ask, trying not to sound too mad at whatever dipshit she was with who didn’t make her come.

“I’m a woman, of course I’ve faked it,” she says. “You know, sometimes it’s just not going great, and it’s just easier to get it over with, then explain I’m not into them anymore.”

“I know you’re not asking for my opinion,” I say, placing my hand on my chest. “But if it were me, I’d want to know how I was doing. I know I said I faked it, and I should take my own advice but I was young and stupid then. Now it feels like if I’m not into talking about it, then maybe I shouldn’t even be having sex.”

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