“Well?” Aiden tilts his head, amusement dancing in his eyes.
I hold up a hand. “Wait. Did you just say that we’ll be dating?”
“It’ll be a fake relationship. He won’t know any better, and we’ll make it convincing. I’ll help you with what to say to him. What to send. And when we go to Otaku Con, I’ll tell you everything you need to do, and it’ll have him eating out of thepalm of your hand.” He grins, pleased with himself for coming up with this bonkers plan. “It’s a great idea.”
I shoot off the couch and turn toward him. “No, it’s a horrible idea. Are you out of your mind?”
“You wanted my help. This will get you the guy.”
A strangled noise slips out of me, something between laughter and choking. “But you’re my brother. I can’t fake-date you.”
We live in a heavily populated city, and the convention center will be full of people who may recognize us. I’d like the old rumors regarding Aiden and me to stay in high school. Everyone thought we were secretly together, and they tried to belittle and bully the admission from me.
Understanding softens Aiden’s features, and he leans forward, resting his elbows on his bent knees. “It’s all pretend, pretty girl. What people think about us doesn’t matter, anyway. Besides, we’re not blood, so it’s not like we’re breaking any laws.”
I nod, even though I’m freaking out on the inside. My hand inches toward my nape, and I mindlessly tug at a strand of hair as I weigh the pros and cons of entering into a fake relationship with my brother.
It’s pretend. It’s not like we’ll have sex.
My stomach clenches at that thought, and an unbidden image pops into my mind of a naked, sweaty Aiden hovering over me with my legs cradling his hips as he invades my body.
I mentally swat away that picture. Nope. Can’t have those thoughts about him.
A warm hand covers mine as I pluck a strand of hair. I blink and look up as Aiden frowns and lowers my hand to my side.
“It’ll be okay,” he murmurs, and tucks a lock of pink hair behind my ear. “No one will talk shit about you.”
I take a deep, calming breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth. “Are you sure this is a good idea? What if he doesn’t fall for it?”
He tilts his head to get a better look at me. The dangling sword earring sways from the movement. “Trust me. He’ll fall for it.”
I nod and cling to his promise like it’s a lifeline.
“It’s a good idea, and a great way for me to teach you the art of seducing a guy. By the end of your lessons, you’ll have men crawling to you,” he says with a smile.
I narrow my eyes. “We’re not sleeping together, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Aiden drags me to the couch and settles on the seat with me straddling his lap. “We don’t need to sleep together for me to teach you.” He rubs my hip as he considers me for a moment. “But we’ll have to kiss.”
“What? No.” I quickly shake my head. “That’s a bad idea.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “You wanna convince him we’re together? We have to do more than hold hands and hug. Besides, is the thought of kissing me that terrible?”
My stomach clenches, and I scramble off his lap to sit on the other side of the couch to put more distance between us.
“You don’t want to kiss me,” I say with a forced smile to play off the awkwardness. “I don’t think fake-dating is a good idea. I can find another way to win him over.”
“Do you want the guy or not?” Aiden relaxes and winds his arm over the top of the couch while he man-spreads his legs to get more comfortable.
“I do, but I don’t want to dostuffwith you.” I swipe my palm over my face with a groan. “Can’t you just tell me what I need to do without having to pretend you’re my boyfriend?”
“Have you ever kissed someone before?”
My hand drops to my lap like a brick falling from a skyscraper. I school my features and guffaw. “What kind of question is that?”
Aiden purses his lips, his gaze locked with mine. “You’re acting like a kiss is a big deal, which is how people who’ve never kissed before act. You don’t need to be embarrassed about it.”
“Aiden.” I moan and cover my face with my hands.
