Page 49 of Fake Crown

I kiss his neck, and I slide my hand down the front of his pants. “I’d rather get a feel for them instead.”

And just like that, he’s on his way to making all my orgasm dreams come true.

The next morning, Brent creeps out of my apartment and promises a latte after his practice. Instead of going back to sleep, I go into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Nadiya has an early class, and she’s making herself breakfast.

“You let him stay over?” She smears peanut butter on her toast.

“Our apartment is closer to the pool.” I grab a glass and fill it with water.

“Val posted a shit ton of photos of Bermuda. She even had Brent in one of them. From a distance, but still. She’s giving her followers the impression they’re still together. She even reposted Brent’s teammate’s video of him going for a drink with them last night.”

My blood runs cold and then hot. Since I met Brent last Thursday night, I haven’t checked Val’s accounts or his at all. Having the real thing is much better than soaking in something that was never real.

“He broke up with her,” I say. “Whatever Val posts or says isn’t his responsibility.”

“Just be careful,” Nadiya says. “This has ugly and messy written all over it.”

“A couple weeks,” I say. “At some point, Val will understand she’s not getting him back.” Though last night makes me wonder if it’ll take more than a couple weeks to accomplish that feat. There are a few other sexual favors she could dangle in front of him, but I’m open to almost anything, so she doesn’t have an advantage there. “Then we shake hands and go our separate ways after a lot of lattes and a massive number of orgasms.”

She takes a bite of her toast and eyes me. “I hope she gives up before she decides to come after you.”

“There is nothing she can say or do to me that some other jealous girlfriend hasn’t done before.”

“Sure. Maybe. But those other girlfriends, ex or otherwise, didn’t have the platform Val has. She’s made a literal living from people believing she and Brent are hashtag couples goals. I’ll be watching your back, but you need to be keeping tabs too.”

“I follow her, so I’ll see anything coming. It won’t happen, though. It won’t. She’ll see their relationship is a lost cause. Brent said he’s never put up this much of a fight before about getting back together.”

Nadiya chuckles and shakes her head. “Naïve. If that’s true, that’ll make her desperate. No one wants a desperate Val. That girl already has a mean streak, from what I’ve heard.”

The mean streak is definitely correct, but even hers wasn’t the worst I’ve seen. “I’m not worried.”

Brent

Jaxon gathers his wallet and keys off the side table, and he putters around the kitchen checking cupboards for snacks and mixed drinks. “You’re sure you’re okay with the guys coming here for poker night?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I’ll even play.”

“Huh.” Surprise is clear in his voice.

“What?”

“Was starting to think you’d suction cupped yourself to Posey Jensen. What’s she doing tonight?”

“Out with her roommates. But she invited me to some house party tomorrow night.”

“Deacon’s party? One of the basketball guys?” Jaxon pauses with his hand on the door.

“Yeah. I met him the other night at Posey’s place. He’s dating Destiny.”

“You’re even double-dating? You and Val never hung out with anyone other than each other.”

“It’s not—we’re not—” It had sort of felt like a double date. We’d made dinner. Posey sat practically in my lap on the couch, and Destiny and Deacon had been on the other couch. The conversation between us had been easy, and then we’d watched a movie on Netflix together. If I so much as whispered the words “double date” in Posey’s ear, she’d crawl out of her skin and find a new fake boyfriend.

“I’ll be back with the beer in a little while. You have practice in the morning?”

“Yeah. Might take a nap while you’re gone so I’m not the first one in bed.”

“Good plan,” he says, opening the door. “Just because you never play doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you. Your rent money will be mine.”