“You’re not getting into a fight because of me,” Forest instantly snuffs my idea.
Turning my gaze back to his, I ask, “I’m forgiven?” Knowing he won’t be able to stay mad at me, I give him my cutest pleading face.
A grin tugs at his lips, “Yeah.” Then he takes a deep breath. “Still, what are we going to do now? Tell them we broke up when we see them at the academy?”
Shoot, that’s not going to work. I worry my bottom lip, then reply, “They won’t fall for it. They’ll know it was all an act.”
“Or,” Forest murmurs, making my gaze dart back up to his, “we could fake it for a while. At least until they get the message.”
Surprised, I gawk at my best friend. “You’d do that for me?”
Forest shrugs. “A couple of kisses and holding hands. How hard can it be? Besides, it will help stop the rumor that I fucking suffer from erectile dysfunction. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
“But what if you meet a girl you like?” I ask, worrying my bottom lip as I consider his proposal.
“Then I’ll just dump you,” Forest chuckles.
Remembering the beer in my hand, I take a sip. My gaze locks on Forest’s again. It’s not like it would be a hardship to pretend with him. Forest has stunning gray eyes, and with his muscled body, tanned skin, and dark chocolate hair, even I’d have to be blind to not see how hot he is. The only reason I haven’t fallen for him is that our friendship means everything to me.
“We’ll have to put rules in place,” I say. “I don’t want it to affect our friendship.”
“Rule one,” Forest instantly begins, “I do the dumping.”
I let out a burst of laughter. “Okay. What else do you have?”
He thinks for a couple of minutes. “Obviously, no tongue.”
I let out a burst of awkward laughter. “That’s a given.”
“Damn,” Forest mutters, shaking his head. It looks like he’s starting to second guess this deal, but then he says, “You know we’ll have to practice this shit to make it look real?”
“What?” I ask, frowning. “Kissing?”
Forest nods as he leans back against the side of the car. “We probably looked like two frozen idiots back there.”
I pull a disgruntled face, and remembering the tingles I felt, I mutter, “We weren’t that bad.”
“If you say so,” he teases me, then his expression grows serious again. “What are your rules?”
“Obviously, it can’t affect our friendship.”
Forest’s gaze narrows on me for a moment, but then he nods.
A grin begins to grow around my mouth. “I’m high maintenance.”
“Yeah,” he chuckles, “trust me, I know.”
Shrugging, I say, “I can’t think of any rules.”
“God, you guys are really going to do this?” Carla suddenly asks next to us, almost giving me a heart attack. “Cause if that’s the case, I’m setting up a contract. We’re putting this in black and white, so if things go to shit, I’m not caught in the middle.”
“The middle of what?” I ask. Even though I’m closer with Forest than Carla, her opinion is important to me. I’d never place her in an uncomfortable position.
Carla ticks everything off on her fingers as she states, “I won’t play messenger between the two of you when this bites you in the ass. I won’t choose between the two of you. I won’t listen to whatever problems you have with each other. I’m freaking Switzerland.”
“Okay,” Forest agrees. “Not that any of those things will happen.”
“We love you too much to put you in that position. Don’t worry,” I say, and hooking my arm through Carla’s, we begin to walk back to the bonfire. “I need something stronger than a beer.”
Chapter 2
FOREST
It’s been one hell of a long night. I let out a patient sigh after tucking Carla in her bed, then I go to pull Aria up where she’s barely managing to sit on the edge of the mattress.
“Come on. Time to sleep,” I say as I pull her up against my body.
“Don’t wanna,” she mumbles.
I manage to guide her into the hallway of Carla’s cottage, which is in the backyard of her parents’ mansion. Thank God for small mercies because if Uncle Julian saw how drunk the two girls got tonight, it would be my ass on the line.
Aria begins to pull against my hold on her shoulders. “I’m not tired. Let’s stay up and play truth or dare.”
“You know all my secrets, and you’ve had more than enough to drink,” I mutter as I steer her toward the closest guest room. I’ll be staying in the other, and right now, I just want to shower the stink from the bonfire off of me and crawl between the covers.
Walking into the room, I get Aria to sit on the side of the bed. Crouching, I pull off her heels and toss them to the side.
“Why can’t I attract the right guy?” she mumbles.
“You’ll meet him one day,” I answer automatically.
“Yeah, but why do I only attract assholes and shy guys? Either the guy only wants to get in my pants, or he has no clue how to even kiss me. It’s always so awkward. There’s never any sparks.” She falls back on the mattress, her lashes low over her eyes as she stares at me. “I bet you know what to do between the sheets. Right? Why can’t I meet someone like you?”
I let out a chuckle. “I’m one of a kind.” Placing my knee on the mattress, I push an arm under Aria and shift her up to the pillows.
She turns onto her side and tucks her one hand under a pillow. “You know, when we kissed earlier, and you framed my face?”
“Yeah,” I murmur as I sit down.
“That was more romantic than anything any guy has ever done with me. They either slobber all over me, or they try and eat my damn lips.” Aria sits back up and crossing her legs, she gives me a serious look. “You should give lessons.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “And give away my trade secrets. No way.”
Her shoulders slump, and she looks a little sad. “But why is it always like that? Why can’t I meet a guy who gives me toe-curling kisses? I want to feel sparks when our hands touch. I want to feel an explosion in my stomach when he looks at me.” She lets out a hopeless sigh. “Damn, it would be great if the sex lasted long enough for me to orgasm as well.”
“Whoa,” I let out a chuckle. This conversation is heading into forbidden territory. “Time for you to sleep.”
Aria shakes her head, and then her brows knit together, and the expression on her face is a mixture of worry and sadness. “Maybe it’s me? Maybe I’m broken, or too inexperienced?”
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” I answer with certainty. Knowing she thinks there’s something wrong with her makes an ache ripple through my heart.
Her gaze meets mine. “You said we should practice. Maybe you can teach me how to kiss? I mean, if I know how to do it right, that should solve half the problem. Right?”
Cocking my head to the side, I frown at her. “You want to practice now?”
She nods. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
I stare at her for a couple of seconds, thinking over what she’s asking. Maybe if we practice the kissing thing, Aria will feel better about herself. Also, she’ll be relaxed, and it won’t be too awkward.
“Come on,” she says, excitement flashing over her face as she climbs onto her knees and scoots closer to me. “Let’s practice.”
Shrugging, I mutter. “Okay. How do you want to do this?”
Frowning, she asks, “What do you mean?”
“Are you going to kiss me, or should I kiss you?” I explain.
There’s zero hesitation as she grins at me. “You kiss me.”
“Okay.” I let out a deep breath as I lean a little closer to her.
“Wait!” I instantly pause. Her eyes are glued to mine. “You have to tell me if I suck at it. Okay?”
“Okay.” I wait a couple of seconds, and when she patiently waits for me, I lift my hand to her
face and cup her cheek. I lean closer until our breaths begin to mingle. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” she whispers, and I feel the burst of air.
Aria is fucking beautiful, in an ethereal kind of way. She’s smart, kind, and perfect. Just because we’re best friends, it doesn’t mean I don’t see how amazing she is. Deep down, I know it would be easy to fall in love with her, but I keep pushing that thought way down.
I hesitate for a moment but then press my mouth to Aria’s. At first, I kiss her as if it’s a quick happy birthday kiss, but then Aria’s lips move against mine.
I slip my hand down to the back of her neck and tentatively let my lips caress hers.
The kiss stays in the safe zone until Aria pushes up on her knees and wraps her arms around my neck. I’m about to pull back when her tongue brushes against my lower lip.
I should tuck her into bed.
I should get up and leave her to sleep.
Instead, my lips part, allowing Aria’s tongue to break one of the few rules we agreed to earlier, as it slips into my mouth.
A mixture of alcohol and something sweet hits my tastebuds. Aria’s subtle flowery scent wraps around me, and then her tongue brushes along mine.
I wrap my other arm around her waist and pull her tightly against my chest, and then I lose control over the kiss.
If I even had control to begin with.
My heartbeat speeds up as the kiss grows in intensity. I forget she’s my best friend, and my body takes over, recognizing her as all woman – one that’s a sexy siren who’s putting me under her spell.
Our tongues dance, and our lips massage and nip at each other’s, filling me with a hunger I haven’t felt before.
Then Aria lets out a needy moan, and it instantly clears my head. Yanking away, I break the kiss, and Aria slumps back into a sitting position. There’s a look of wonder on her face as she tries to catch her breath.
Lifting her hand, she touches her fingers to her lips. “Wow,” she whispers, almost awestruck. “Did you feel that, or was it just me?”
“Nope,” I struggle to answer her through my own rapid breathing. “Felt it.”
“So, there’s nothing wrong with me? Right?” She gives me a grin that’s filled with so much relief.
“Yeah, like I told you earlier. You’re fine.”
Needing to process the confusion in me, I stand up and clear my throat. “Night, Aria.”
“Sweet dreams,” she calls after me as I leave her room.
I rush to my bathroom, and turning on the shower, I strip out of my clothes and step under the spray of water. I brush a hand over my hair as I tilt my face up to the drops.
Fuck, Forest. You’re going to have to separate the fact that Aria is a woman from the equation, or this is going to blow up in your face.
She’s my best friend. We’re helping each other out. Even though it feels like I’m getting more out of the fake relationship. Aria just needs to date the right guy, and she’ll be okay.
Me, on the other hand? I’m stuck with the rumor that I’m walking around with a fucking broken cock, and I can’t have that shit spreading at Trinity.
I’ll have to talk this out with Aria tomorrow when she’s sober, and she can think straight.
ARIA
Once I’ve brushed my teeth, I take a quick shower and pull on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.
My memory is a little jumbled, but I remember kissing Forest, and the fact that I got tingles keeps going off like an alarm bell in the back of my mind.
I pull a face, not knowing how bad the damage is.
Ugh, why did I have to spill my guts to him, as well? Yeah, I’ve been struggling with the type of guys I’ve been attracting, but God, did I have to unload all of that on Forest?
A frown forms on my forehead. Forest kissed me, though, and he seemed okay with it.
Taking a deep breath, I walk out of the room and go to the kitchen. Walking in, I find Forest already nursing a cup of coffee.
“Morning,” I murmur as I go to pour myself a cup. I definitely need caffeine before talking to Forest.
“Hey.”
When I have my coffee, I go sit on the opposite side of the island situated in the middle of the kitchen. Knowing I have to apologize, I shift awkwardly on the stool. “Sorry for last night.”
Forest lifts his eyes from his phone, and when he’s looking at me, he shrugs. “No worries.” He sets the device down on the granite slab. “Want to talk about it?”
I swallow a big sip of the warm liquid, then say, “Yeah. I didn’t mean to offload on you.”
Forest tilts his head a little, his gaze sharpening on me. “But it’s obviously something that bothers you.”
My shoulders slump. “I’m just so over guys. It’s exhausting. You know?” I nibble at my bottom lip, and my stomach tightens as I ask, “Were you serious about the fake relationship?”
I don’t know what I was expecting. Forest being awkward, or even upset, but not him being so casual about it all.
To my surprise, he nods. “We’d both benefit from it. Me more than you.”
Remembering the stupid rumor, I grumble, “It’s total crap, by the way.”
Forest shakes his head. “Yeah.” He finishes his coffee, then goes to rinse his cup.
“I have just as much as you to gain from the act,” I state. “I’m done with dating. I need a break from it all.” When Forest sits down again, I admit, “It feels like I keep lowering my standards to put up with guys I meet.” I square my shoulders and lift my chin, determined to make a change in my life. “Seriously, after the practice kiss last night, I’m done with sifting through all the crappy fish in the sea. Hell, it felt more real kissing you than any of the idiots I’ve dated.”
“Probably because we’re friends,” Forest justifies it. “We love each other, so in a way, it was real.” He begins to twirl his phone on the granite. “I mean, think about it,” his gaze lifts to mine, “friendship is a big part of any relationship.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Are you okay with us being in a fake relationship? That way, it will save me from having to fight off guys until I’m ready to date.” I swallow a sip of coffee. “And you won’t have to worry about the ridiculous rumor.”
“I’m cool with it.” Forest grins at me. “I have one question, though.”
“Shoot.”
“What happened to no tongue?”
My eyes widen, and I let out a spurt of awkward laughter. “Yeah… uhm… I…”
He begins to chuckle. “I’m fucking with you. I know the kiss was for you to find out if the problem lies with you.” He lifts an eyebrow at me. “Which we established is not the case.”
“So, you’re cool with it?” I ask, just to make sure.
Forest shrugs. “We’ve swapped more spit sharing drinks and food. This is no different.”
Thank God.
“Yeah, totally,” I murmur.
Carla comes into the kitchen, already dressed for our shopping spree. She waves a piece of paper in the air before setting it down in front of us. “The contract.”
I let out a bark of laughter as I turn my head to read what she typed.
Forest Reyes and Aria Chargill hereby declare they are henceforth in a ‘FAKE’ relationship. By initialing, both parties agree to engage in all or some of the following acts:
Kissing. (no tongue)
Kissing. (tongue)
Neck kisses.
Hand holding.
Knee / Thigh touching.
Butt touching.
To go on one date a week.
Be each other’s screensaver.
Post relationship status on social media.
Pose for couple photos.
As soon as one of the parties feels more than friendship, this contract immediately becomes null and void.
Both parties also agree to the following:
Carla Reyes will not be used as a messenger between them.
Carla Reyes will not be forced
to choose sides if this contract results in the end of their friendship.
Carla Reyes will not be forced to listen to the parties bad-mouthing each other.
I widen my eyes as I look at Carla. “Damn, are you sure you didn’t miss anything?”
“I was going to include sex but then got grossed out,” Carla states as she taps with a pen against the dotted line. “Initial whichever applies and sign at the bottom.”
Forest and I read over everything again, then I glance at him. “We’re okay with tongue, right?”
Forest’s eyes snap to mine. “If you’re okay with it.”
“Yeah, totally.” I glance over everything again. “I’m also fine with the rest.” I initial next to all the points, then sign above my name. I pass Forest the pen and watch as he initials all the things we agreed to, and then he scribbles his signature.
Grinning at him, I say, “It’s going to be fun pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes.”
“I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about relationships. It’s the last thing I have time for,” Forest states.
Carla signs, then she grins at us. “This baby is staying with me. You both need to pose for your couple’s pics.”
“Now?” I gasp. “I look like crap.”
“Yeah,” Carla wags her eyebrows at us. “Nothing like the ‘we just woke up’ look to get people talking.”
“Ugh,” I let out a groan.
“Let’s get this shit done,” Forest mutters. “You still want to go shopping, and we need to pack.”
Carla grabs her phone, looking way too excited about our fake relationship. “To the bedroom we go.”
Shaking my head, I glance at Forest. “She’s enjoying this way more than us.”
When we walk into the room, I used for the night. Carla first goes to the dresser and sets down the contract, then she turns to us. “Let’s get one of you hugging and looking all madly in love.”
Forest wraps his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. I let out a happy sigh as I rest my cheek against him.
“Good. Aria, look up. Forest, press a kiss to her forehead,” Carla instructs as if she’s a professional photographer.
Loyal Heir Page 2