Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
NOVA
Aiden calls my name as I race to the fairground gates. I check over my shoulder to gauge how much distance I’ve put between us. He trails behind a good twenty feet and tilts his head with a questioning look directed at me.
I love how his black alt clothes, dangling straps, and silver-dyed hair make him stand out from the crowd. In a sea of preppy teenagers and young adults, an emo guy walks tall among the same people who gave him hell while we were in school.
If any of these people knew what I enthusiastically allowed my brother to do to me, they’d shit their pants and burst a blood vessel.
Heat crawls up my neck at the memory of Aiden’s lips on mine and his fingers spreading my pussy lips. I turn forward, widening my strides to keep the distance between us, hoping I can outrun these confusing feelings.
His rules float to the forefront of my mind for the hundredth time since learning about them.
No kissing.
Yet, Aiden kissed me, and I want him to do it again.
No cuddling.
He cuddles me all the time, unable to keep his hands to himself, and I love it.
No hickeys.
He stopped me before I left one on his throat, and I hate I didn’t get to leave a mark on him.
No sex facing each other. I don’t do oral. I don’t fuck bareback. And most importantly, no catching feelings.
The last four rules haven’t happened, and I’m now unsure about my stance on the no-sex rule I made.
Maybe if I talked to him about it, he’d be open to—
I mentally shake away the confusing thoughts and put more distance between us.
I need space. And fast. I can’t think clearly when my body responds to him like he really is my boyfriend and not my brother.
He’s offered to teach me things in the bedroom, but I don’t believe he means it.
I meant what I said to him the other day about not being his type.
The women he’s brought home are all the same—gorgeous, with flawless makeup and hair.
Often, they’re brunettes. They aren’t the type to break out of social norms. And they scream money. Lots of it too.
I don’t hate them for it. In fact, I don’t hate them at all.
But Aiden was right. I am jealous, and I don’t understand why.
Maybe it’s because I know he’d never go for someone like me. It took making a deal with him for him to treat me as more than a little sister. But there’s also the fact that I’ve always been greedy for his attention.
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand in awareness right before a large body dressed in all black appears by my side.
Aiden slings his arm over my shoulder and tucks me against his side.
I breathe his sweet, clean scent into my lungs, realize what I’m doing, and turn my head to suck in fresh air to chase away the rest of his addicting scent.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re mad at me,” Aiden whispers in my ear.
I flash a half-smile. “I’m not mad. Just excited to see Brandon.”
My stomach sours at the lie.
Yeah, I’m excited about finally seeing my crush in person, but that’s taken a temporary back seat to new developments. I need away from Aiden. Far, far away from the things he’s making me feel and the thoughts he’s making me think.
Aiden nods, a strange look passing over his face before he locks it away. “Did he tell you when he’d be here?”
I glance down and reach for my phone in my front pocket, then stop. “He didn’t, but he said he’d let me know when he’s here, and that was two hours ago.”
“Good. That gives us time to have fun and for you to practice on me.” He pulls away and grabs my hand, then laces his fingers through mine. My heart skips a beat at the small gesture we’ve done thousands of times before. This time feels different.
It’s just curiosity. I’m curious about what it’d be like to sleep with him. That’s all it is.
Once Brandon shows up, everything will snap back into place, and I won’t have these weird feelings about Aiden.
The pep talk puts more spring in my step, and the anxiety fades.
I grin and squeeze Aiden’s hand. “Perfect. I can’t wait to start.”
“You can start any time, pretty girl.” He leans into my space again and murmurs in my ear, “And you know the drill. You’re now my girl, and I’ll treat you—”
“Yes, yes. I know.” I playfully shove him away from me. “Anything you say is all pretend. It’s not like we’re going to fuck, so you don’t need to keep warning me about the things you’ll do or say.”
Aiden’s gaze darkens, and a slow, smug smile tugs at his full lips. “Yeah, you’re right. I won’t fuck you here. There are too many eyes, and I want you all to myself.”
My lips part, and I stare at him, dumbfounded and unsure what to say. What do you say to something like that?
Aiden ignores me after dropping that bomb, still grinning ear to ear as he leads me through the crowd and past the gates.
Nostalgic music plays through the speakers, sending me back to when Aiden and I were teens and he listened to emo and pop-punk bands on repeat while we played video games together in his bedroom.
His all-time favorite song, “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” finishes playing, and it bleeds into another popular mainstream song from when we were kids.
I’ve gone to fairs with him and my friends for years. Though this time around seems different. A magical feeling permeates the air, mixing with the sweet scent of funnel cakes and corn dogs. The sun sits on the horizon, turning the sky pretty shades of orange, purple, and pink.
I lean my shoulder against Aiden’s side and tip my head back to look at his face. “You were right.”
“This is the second time you’ve said that to me.” He flashes a grin down at me. “What was I right about this time?”
“There’s something special about fairs and finding romance here.
” I shift my focus, taking in our surroundings and the people.
Most of them are around our age; we most likely went to school with some of them.
I’d get nervous about them judging how Aiden and I are appearing as a couple, but I trust my brother when he promised he’d always have my back if anyone talked shit. He’s never let me down.
Aiden’s hold on my hand tightens. “I have a question, and it’s been something I’ve wondered about for a while now.”
My back straightens, and I glance at him before looking away. “Oh yeah? Is it bad?”
“No, it’s not bad.” He tugs me to the side as a couple rushes past. In their rush, they nearly crash into me, and it’s Aiden’s last-minute save that prevents me from falling.
“So what’s the question?”
Aiden pushes me against the side of a small wooden concession stand and cages me in with his hands on either side of my head. He presses his hips against mine and tilts his head, his lips curling in a subtle smirk at my sharp inhale.
“I’m pretty sure I know the answer already, but have you ever . . .” He purses his lips, hesitating over his next words. “Messed around with a guy?”
I swallow hard around the lump forming in my throat. His body presses against mine, his head so close that I could stand on the tips of my toes and press my lips to his if I wanted to.
I avert my gaze and reach behind my neck to tug baby hairs at my nape.
Aiden covers my hand with his, stopping me from my nervous habit. “Has a guy at least taken you out on a date?”
“Why are you asking this when you know what my answer will be?”
He knows. He admitted he knew. I mean, hell, it’s obvious since I went to him for help with winning over Brandon and learning how to kiss.
Aiden’s dark eyebrows scrunch together. “You’ve been to the fair hundreds of times, and you’re just now noticing the opportunities you’ll have here.” He shakes his head, more in shock than disappointment. “It’s baffling to me that you’ve gone all this time without being romanced.”
It’s not surprising to me. I mostly played video games, cosplayed, and hid from the world. Aiden should not be surprised, because he knows this.
Feeling on the spot, I resort to humor to shift the suddenly serious mood into something lighter. I tug my hand out of his and lay it flat on his chest. “That’s one thing that sucks about being a big back. I have all these cheeks and no one to clap them.”
Aiden’s features darken, and his pupils expand wider and eat up most of the grey in his irises. “Is that right?”
“It’s such a shame, really. I mean, I could play a video game while a guy fucks me from behind. Different things will entertain both of us. All these missed opportunities.”
“You think any man will do that to you?” Aiden cups my throat and gently squeezes. He leans in closer, hovering his mouth above mine.
I ignore the twinge of hurt in my chest. “You don’t think men want to fuck me?”
His grip on my throat tightens, and he flashes a smile that’s all teeth with no humor. “No. I know they do, but you’re mine, or did you already forget that, pretty girl? You want to get fucked from behind? Then I’ll happily do that for you and make you forget other men exist.”
My stomach flips, and my thighs clench. “You sound pretty confident.”
Humor fills Aiden’s eyes, and he inches his lips closer until they whisper against mine. “Very confident. I’ll fuck you as many times as it takes until all you can think about is me and how I’ll make your pussy a mess for me.”
I try to turn my head, which only pushes my lips against his. We both stop breathing and hold still. My gaze snaps to his, and I lean back to put distance between us again.
Playing off my nerves, I grin while saying, “Sorry, but I don’t believe you. I may need a demonstration before falling for something like that.”
“All you have to do is ask.”
I peek at him from the corner of my eye, all while ignoring the butterflies in my stomach and the dampness of my underwear.
“How did I do?” I say after a stretch of silence.
He raises an eyebrow in question.
“My flirting. How was it?” I can’t gaslight myself enough to convince myself that it was all practice. I was genuinely flirting with my brother, and I should feel disgusted. But I don’t. I don’t care. If anything, I’m now riding a high and feeling like I can fight God.
Aiden smirks. “You’re a natural. Just as I thought you would be.”
Warmth blooms in my chest, and I stand a little taller. “You’re not just saying that?”
He shakes his head and peeks at me. “I can show you, since you’re so convinced that I’m lying.”
My eyebrows pinch together as he takes my hand and places it on his inner thigh, forcing me to feel his long, hard erection straining against his pants.
He leans down and growls into my ear, “Does this feel like a lie to you?”
Too stunned for words, I shake my head and curl my fingers around the outline of his hard cock. Too curious to stop myself, I give it a squeeze.
Anyone who knows us could be here. Even with Aiden’s back to everyone, our body language makes it obvious that we’re up to no good.
You’re not his type. He’s just a natural flirt, the tiny voice in the back of my mind whispers.
I release him and step out of his hold to put space between us. Not noticing the change in my mood, Aiden takes my hand and tugs me to his side as we wander through the fair.
“What do you feel like doing?” he eventually says.
I hum in thought and peer around us, searching for a fun game for us to play. My eyes widen, and a smile breaks across my face. I point to the stand with oversized plushies dangling from the overhang.
“Win me that anime doll.” I point at the plushie.
Aiden cants his head to the side, and a mischievous smile curls his lips.
He stops walking and steps in front of me, then bends down and whispers in my ear, “And what do I get in return?”
“I’ll let you decide, pretty boy.” I don’t resist the urge to thread my fingers through the longer strands of hair at the top of his head. Arching my back to thrust my chest against his, I revel in how he tenses and lets out a quiet whimper.
I can’t believe how easy it is to flirt with him. It feels—in his words—natural and organic. If I had tried this earlier this morning during the first part of his lesson, I’m sure I would have fumbled or clammed up like I do with Brandon.
Aiden slowly leans his head back to look at me, his eyes darkened but guarded.
“Remember you said that,” he says before dragging me to the stand.