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.
