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. Whatdoyou 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 judginghow 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 inshock 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. “Veryconfident. 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.
