Page 108 of The Head Game

When August was done, Nico shook his head. “Wow, this is even messier than I realized.”

“Tell me about it.” August tipped his head back with a sigh. “Every day I wake up and wonder what the hell I’m doing.”

“Aww, don’t stress. Seriously. We’ll figure it out.” Nico grinned as he got up off the bed, fighting an unexpected wave of vertigo. He was getting incredibly tired of that. Besides, everyone kept telling him he needed to find a new hobby during his recovery. Pretending to have a fiancé sounded highly entertaining. “C’mon, this will be fun. I love messing with the gossip sites.”

“It’s not your career on the line,” August groused. “Or at least not to the same degree mine is.”

Nico softened, walking toward August. “I know. Might as well make the most of it though, right?”

“Huh?”

Nico plucked the clothes from August’s hand and tossed them onto the nearby dresser. They skidded across it, knocking something to the floor.

But rather than check on whatever it was, he straddled August’s strong thighs. “I’m just saying, we’re in this together now, right?”

“Uhh, I guess?” August’s hands fluttered in the air like he didn’t know where to put them. “I know you said you’re not mad but I do want to apologize again.”

“Well, stop it,” Nico said. “You don’t need to beat yourself up over this. If I thought you’d done it for the … notoriety or something, yeah, I’d be pissed. But you were worried about me and I can’t be mad at that.”

August shuddered. “The last thing I want is notoriety.”

“I know that. So I also know this came from a good place. I’m just sorry it got out of control and is fucking up your career.”

“Ugh. It really is.”

“So, Kate’s plan to save your career is to sell the engagement, yeah?”

August nodded. “Yes.”

“Which means it’s the best option for the team and for you, right?”

“So she says.”

“She knows her shit,” Nico assured August. “So believe me when I say I’m on board. If this is good for the team and for you, I’m in. No question. Team first and you’re part of my team now, Auggie.”

August let out a sigh and Nico felt him soften a little. “So we’re going ahead with this fake engagement?” August looked him in the eye for the first time.

“Well, the way I see it, Kate’s plan is the only real option we have, right?”

“I suppose.” August settled his hands on Nico’s low back, his palms warm against Nico’s bare skin.

“And she and Skylar are totally fucking right about you being good at running interference with my family.”

“It’s helping?”

“God, yes. They’d be a billion times worse if you weren’t here.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“So if you’re going to be staying here and we’re going to pretend to be in lurrrve …” Nico slid a little closer to August, wrapping his hands around his neck.

August snorted.

“I figure we should also make the most of it, right?” Nico leaned in, pressing their lips together but August drew back sharply.

“I … what?”

“Sex, Auggie. I’m talking about sex.”

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