Page 29 of The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco

“I want to know now. I want to be useful. I need to have a plan, so I can…” So I can show Aria that I’m not just a privileged waste of space. He gritted his teeth and glared at his own reflection, refusing to say that out loud. “Women like men with jobs.”

Varo burst into laughter. “Seriously? What, you’re worried Aria will leave you because you don’t have a job? I think you’re just looking for reasons to worry.”

That was true, actually. And it probably seemed pretty weird to Varo, because he thought Aria was Nik’s girlfriend. He had no idea how tenuous the situation really was, and Nik couldn’t tell him.

Still, he tried. He met his best friend’s gaze and let the other man see his desperation, his hopeless adoration, how unbelievably out of his depth he was right now. “I’m panicking, okay? I need her more than I should, and I don’t know how to explain it to her. It’s fucking ridiculous—”

“Why is it ridiculous?” Varo asked, his brow furrowed.

“Because—”Because I don’t understand how I can feel like this so quickly. “Because I don’t know how relationships work,” he finished. “I don’t know what the timeline usually is.”

Varo shrugged. “You know I asked Georgia to marry me the night we met.”

“I also know that she told you to piss off. And that you still aren’t married.”

“But she is mine,” Varo grinned, “and she hasn’t left me yet.” The humour in his voice softened for a moment. “Maybe the moral there is, tell her how you feel, and she’ll tell you what she’s ready for. Just because you aren’t on the same page, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the book together.”

Nik digested those words and waited for the doubting voice in his head to say something doom-and-gloom-y. Something like, We’re not even reading the same damned book. But the voice didn’t come. Maybe because the fire of his determination, smouldering for a while now, was finally burning bright. Its smoke was more than thick enough to suffocate his hesitation.

He was Nikolas Christou, for fuck’s sake. So what if he was falling for his fake girlfriend? So what if he didn’t even know how to describe his feelings? It was all a bit bloody intense, sure, but he could handle it.

She made him feel like he could handle anything.

“You’re plotting,” Varo said, eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you?”

“Something like that,” Nik allowed with a smile. “Let’s go upstairs, shall we?”

They went.

* * *

When they all arrived home, wasted and bleary eyed, Aria was the one who suggested they stay up and play a drinking game.

She felt Nik’s presence beside her, the way she had for the past couple of hours. He’d gone from avoiding her almost completely to being her shadow, radiating an intensity she could feel with every breath. But she didn’t dare look up, even as everyone else cheered at her suggestion. She didn’t want to see the question in his eyes. She didn’t want to let on that she was afraid to be alone with him.

Afraid because she might do something even more regrettable than the unspeakable horror they’d shared earlier. Calling it ‘the unspeakable horror,’ she’d decided, made it seem slightly less sexy. Even though the lust-soaked memory wouldn’t leave her alone. Even though a dull ache appeared between her legs every time she looked at him, as if her muscles recalled the pleasure he’d brought them and wanted to ask for more.

She had to call it ‘the unspeakable horror.’ If she called it something accurate, like ‘the best sex of my life’, the sky might fall.

They all moved into one of the great rooms, piled down with more booze, shitty pizzas, and questionable kebabs, and Aria wondered if she’d accidentally doomed the household to the most hellish joint-hangover of all time. But she hardened her heart—and her gut—as everyone sat in a circle and argued about which game to play.

Then she felt Nik’s hand in hers. She knew it was his. If his constant affection hadn’t taught her to recognise his touch, the feel of his hands spreading her open certainly fucking had. Aria looked back before she could stop herself. Meeting his eyes was like taking a hit of some new and exciting drug that would almost certainly kill you. His gaze was so tender, yet sensual, like hot chocolate and whiskey: comfort with a bite.

He gave her his usual rakish grin, but his touch was gentle, almost unsure. Probably because, she realised with a jolt, he didn’t know how she felt about earlier. He didn’t know that she’d stopped things because she wanted him too much, not the opposite. And if Aria knew anything about Nik, it was that he had no fucking idea how to read between the lines. So, there was absolutely no chance he’d read her mind.

That thought, combined with slightly too much alcohol, made Aria climb into his lap instead of sitting on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her as if worried she might change her mind and scramble off again. “Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear.

“I am.” She kissed his cheek and fidgeted until she found a comfortable position. By the time she finished, his cock was hard against her backside. Oops. That really had not been her intention—but the rigid length turned her mind into a mess, reckless desire swelling between her thighs.

And Nik seemed to know it. He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder, his teeth grazing her skin. When he ran his hand over her belly, she was thrown back to the last time he’d done that—as he knelt behind her and drove her to orgasm with her own fucking Rampant Rabbit. Jesus, that was one hell of a power move. She wouldn’t even be able to use the thing without thinking of him, now. And it’d cost eighty fucking quid!

She wriggled around some more, rubbing her arse over his stiff dick, just to spite him. When he released a soft, choked groan, petty satisfaction made her smile.

“Never have I ever!” Georgia bellowed suddenly, cutting through the commotion. “That’s what we’ll play!”

Across the circle, Shenker scowled. “What are we, seventeen?”

“Shut up, miserable. I have spoken.” Georgia stood, which didn’t put her much higher than everyone who was sitting down. “Okay, I’ll start. Never have I ever had a threesome—wait for it,” she insisted over the circle’s-tired groan. “Never have I ever had a threesome in public. Yeahhh, who’s drinking now, fuckers?”

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