Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
NOVA
Aiden stops in front of the stand. A man with dark, curly brown hair stands behind the counter with his nose buried in his phone. Noticing our approach, he lifts his head, his annoyed gaze landing on Aiden before slipping to me. His face brightens, recognition shining in his blue eyes.
“Manga girl?” His lips twitch in a smile, and he steps closer.
My eyebrows pinch together, and I force an awkward grin. “Do I know you?”
He tucks his phone into his pocket. “No, I’m Jake, but I watch your Twitch religiously. I’m a huge fan of yours. That livestream where you dressed up as a futuristic cyborg character is in my top three favorites.”
I perk up and clap my hands. “Oh, that’s one of my favorite cosplays. I haven’t done it in a while.”
Aiden stiffens beside me. The side of my face tingles from the weight of his stare. From my periphery, I catch him glaring at Jake as he raves about my livestreams.
“Looks like you found a fan out in the wild,” Aiden grumbles beneath his breath. I don’t think Jake heard him because he continues talking without skipping a beat.
“Be nice,” I whisper, and elbow him in the side.
I glance past Jake at the game behind him. It’s awkward already standing here while he talks when I want to enjoy my time with Aiden.
“I don’t mean to be crass by saying this, but you’re gorgeous.” Jake casts a wary glance at Aiden before turning his attention to me. “And your boyfriend here is a lucky—”
“I’d stop there if I were you,” Aiden says, his voice pitching lower and bordering on a growl.
Jake raises his hands in a placating gesture, his dark eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “Hey, I meant no disrespect, man. Just complimenting your girl. You’re blessed by the gods for bagging her.”
Aiden’s humorless laugh sends a shiver down my spine. He hooks an arm around my waist and holds me against his side while pinning Jake with a condescending smile.
“You’re right. I am lucky to have her as my girl, and I fuck her every night.
But I seriously advise you to shut the fuck up before I rearrange your face with my fist and make you choke on your teeth.
” He shoves his hand into his pocket and tosses three one-hundred-dollar bills onto the counter. “Now do your job and give me a ball.”
Jake glances at the money, then at Aiden, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “It’s ten dollars for five of them.”
“I know.” Aiden bares his white teeth in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “The rest is for you to stop looking at my girlfriend and watching her livestreams.”
Jake’s face leaches color, leaving behind a pasty complexion and a visage of horror. He starts to look my way, rethinks it, and jerks his body toward the large container of baseballs. He returns with one and eases it onto the countertop, all while avoiding looking at either of us.
I scoff and lean over the counter. “He doesn’t mean it. He won’t actually hurt you.”
Aiden snatches the ball. “Yes, I do, Jake. I meant every word. In fact, I’m just dying for you to look at her so I can keep my promise.”
Jake scurries to the far right of the stand and gestures for Aiden to play the game.
I glare at my brother and fold my arms beneath my breasts. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”
I don’t mean it, but I want to give him shit anyway. As messed up as it is, it’s nice that he stood up for me when a man decided to be a creep. It’s not the first time a guy has said some vile things to me, but it’s exhausting that I have to keep standing up for myself against them.
Aiden winks at me. “Yeah, but I’m your asshole. Now put on your coconut lip gloss. I’m about to taste it as a reward for winning you that plushie.”
Heat crawls up my neck and into my face. Without thinking, I grab the tube of gloss from my bag and apply it to my lips, then smack them together.
“That’s my girl.” Aiden turns to the target and arches his arm back, then throws his body forward with his swing. I don’t see the ball as it flies toward the bullseye. It smacks against it, and lights and sirens fire off, letting everyone in the area know that he won.
I stand in place, more surprised by Aiden knowing the flavor of my lip gloss than him winning on the first try.
He turns to me with a darkened expression and a slight curve to his lips that promises wicked things.
There’s no way.
This is all an act to him.
I need to get it together.
Aiden sweeps his fingers through his hair and doesn’t look at Jake while pointing at the plushie. “She wants that one.”
I don’t have time to respond before he closes the gap between us and hooks his arm around my lower back. He bends me backward while swooping down and smashing his lips against mine.
My mind blanks.
My stomach flips as if gravity never existed and the only thing holding me here is Aiden.
I lock my shaking arms around his neck, clutching him for dear life as he deepens the kiss.
His tongue flicks against my bottom lip, tasting my lip gloss.
Aiden’s groan vibrates my chest, sending my pounding heart into dangerous territory.
He licks my upper lip before allowing me to taste the artificial coconut mixed with a flavor that’s unique to only him.
He said he doesn’t kiss, yet he’s kissing me like he’s been starving for this moment ever since he taught me.
Fuck it. I don’t care. Maybe he’s doing this to make Jake jealous. A part of me hopes it’s because he wants to because it’s me.
I melt in Aiden’s grasp and give in to the moment.
The last time we kissed, I was so nervous about messing up that I didn’t get to enjoy it as much as I am right now.
His touch burns into my skin while he clings to me like I’m precious.
His sweet scent invades my lungs. And the sounds he makes?
The shaky breaths and groans of appreciation?
It’s life-altering. I won’t be the same.
I will chase after this feeling until the day I die.
Aiden is the first to end the kiss, almost begrudgingly. His fingers tighten their hold in my hair as if he’s apologizing for having to stop. He nips my bottom lip, sucks it between his to soothe the sting, then releases it with a wet plop before straightening and steadying me.
“So fucking sweet.” He licks his bottom lip and smirks.
I let out a shaky laugh and avert my gaze.
“All right, you two,” Jake says. He slides the plushie across the counter toward me. “Unless you plan on playing again, you need to move on so others can play.”
Aiden blinks, the cocky look gone like it was never there. He tosses a fake smile at Jake and swipes the prize. “Don’t worry, bro. You’ll eventually win your own prize with that stellar personality of yours.”
I gawk at Aiden, and an undignified sound comes out of me. I can’t say whether it’s a laugh or a gasp. Possibly something in between.
Aiden snickers and drags me away from the stand, his fingers lacing through mine. He hands the doll to me with the other. “I wonder what else I can win from you before the night is over. Maybe that demonstration you mentioned earlier?”
I roll my eyes and squeeze the plushie to my chest. Ignoring the burn in my cheeks, I say, “You can’t be serious. Also, how do you know how to kiss if you have a no-kissing rule?”
“Just because it’s a rule doesn’t mean I haven’t done it before.”
“Okay,” I drawl, and circle back to the last comment he made about the demonstration. “And you really think you can wipe my memory with your dick?”
Aiden squeezes my hand. “You won’t know until you try it.”
I cast a sideways glance at him. The rooted insecurity takes control, and I can’t stop the word vomit without thinking it over. “You don’t actually mean it. I’m not—”
But before I can say anything else, someone calls out for Aiden.