Fake It 'Til You Break It

“Macy, for fuck’s sake,” I force past clenched teeth. “Sh!”

“How often do you shave, Nico?” she shouts, leaning an elbow on me.

This bitch.

I drop my face in my hands, peeking at him through my fingers when he’s quiet longer than five seconds.

“Usually every other morning.” He reluctantly moves his eyes to her. “Why?”

“So, she needs to catch you late night.” Macy nods, crossing her arms over her chest.

Nico’s gaze slides back to mine.

“Ignore her.”

“Oh, no.” He saunters over, licking his lips, looking all sorts of cocky. “I gotta hear it now.”

His friends are right behind him, everyone in line turning to see what we’re all doing, huddling up like this.

Well, this is awesome. Nothing to do but indulge her ass.

I spin around, facing her. “Macy?”

She shrugs, grabbing a piece of Trent’s popcorn and tossing it in her mouth. “Just wondering if you use the stubble as a tool. You know, slide it across the inner thigh, maybe the stomach first on your way.” Her eyes fall to his jaw and I gape at her. “We dig that shit.”

“True dat.” Krista comes out of nowhere, raising her hand in agreement.

Everyone starts laughing and I shake my head, right there with them.

The line moves forward, so the group shifts, going back to their spots and restarting their previous conversations.

Nico slips in behind me, his chest at my back. “How ‘bout you, Pixie, that something you like?”

A light laugh bubbles from me, but I keep facing forward.

He interprets it correctly, my way of saying nice try, boy, and I’m about to tell him not to worry his pretty little head over it, like he did me, when he reminds me of the roles we are playing.

“I know you disagreed already, but as your man.” He pauses. “I should know these things, yeah? ‘Case your girls ever try to pop quiz me.” His arms make their way around me and he squeezes. “Need to ace that test, D.”

He has a point, sort of, even though he might simply be teasing, but nothing says I can’t tease back.

“You know,” I lead with a grin he can’t see. “A real boyfriend has to work hard and learn these things about his girl.”

The second it leaves me, I regret it, internally cursing myself.

Why did I say it?

I know he’s about to joke, throw out an offer, something, so I give him what he wants before he can. “Yeah, I do.”

“So you’ve been eaten out before?”

Heat spreads in my abdomen at his instant question.

“I have,” I admit, quietly.

Only a couple times, and for a few short minutes. It was sloppy, but the warmth of a mouth on me was enough to get me going. Unfortunately, not enough to keep me going either time.

He doesn’t need to know that part.

Macy was right, though. Us girls have talked about this before, and while the person who went down on me was smooth faced, it doesn’t take a lot to imagine what it would be like with someone who has occasional stubble.

A prickly face is like a rough palm, I’d think, tantalizing all on its own. Raising your pulse with nothing but a slow slide across your body, forcing the arch of your back, even when you’re still standing.

Yeah, I can get down with a rough textured hand.

Suddenly Nico’s fingertips are grazing across my shoulder blades, his palms joining as they slide down the length of my arms in a feathering manner, the barest of touches against my skin that I feel down to my toes.

“Like this?” he rasps.

My body shivers in response, and his heated chuckle only makes it worse.

“Good to know.” His arms fall.

It takes me a second, but I glance at him over my shoulder.

He’s as straight faced as ever, but those eyes...

The hint of arrogance is expected, but I wasn’t prepared for the rest.

Eager.

Greedy.

Wanting?

Confusion draws my brows in, something else entirely burning low in my core.

He doesn’t look away until Trent bumps into him from behind.

With a rapid blink and a hint of a frown, he turns away.

I face forward right then and not a minute later the ride attendant opens the chain, ushering me and Nico through.

He steps ahead of me, choosing the front of the rollercoaster.

He pauses before climbing in, shifting around to look at me.

He nods his head, indicating for me to step past him into the small steel cart. “You first, girlfriend.”

Tell me why my stomach clenches.Demi, Krista, and the other two run into the haunted maze with a bunch of other girls while us guys stay out front, both Trent and myself walking toward the exit the moment they disappear.

Twisting the lid off my water bottle, I take a drink and offer one to Trent, but when I glance over, finding him eyeing me curiously, it’s obvious he’s got something to say.

“What?”

He hesitates. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I don’t think what you’re doing is a good idea.”