Page 23 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

Julien was obviously in the same position. Tyler could still feel the way his dick had pressed against his back, and he had to fight the memory away so he could make rationaldecisions.

“It’s fine. I didn’t mind,” Tyler admitted. He mustered the courage to rise from bed and shuffle to the bathroom. If Julien had noticed the situation, he was kind enough not to mention it.

Tyler took his time in the bathroom and washed his face with cold water to eliminate the shocking thoughts running through his mind.

Today would be the first full day of fake boyfriend activities, and if they didn’t get this right, things would crumble beneath his feet. He couldn’t be sitting there trying not to pop a boner if Julien looked at him.

He definitely wished Cameron was here now. At least there would have been no chance of Tyler feeling attracted to Cam.

Julien wasn’t even his type. Tylerhadalways preferred bigger guys. That was true. Anyone with eyes could see how gorgeous Julien was. But he wasn’t the typical clean-shaven, clean-cut sort of guy Tyler had hooked up with in college.

They hadn’t been anything special, though. In fact, the select few he had gotten even a little serious about had been too concerned with keeping things secret from theirpolitician fathers or more worried about Tyler’s GPA than he was.

Julien was the polar opposite of anyone he had ever been with. Except Tyler had to remind himself that he wasn’twithJulien. He was pretending he was with Julien, and Julien was pretending he was the sort of guy that Tyler would date.

He couldn’t let himself have a crush on his fake boyfriend.

Tyler was no longer standing at attention when he came out of the bathroom, but his mind was all over the place. One night in bed with an objectively attractive guy, Tyler had gone full simp.

Julien was outside on the roof, having another cigarette. Tyler panicked for a moment until he heard the sounds of breakfast being made. No one would be outside looking at the roof.

Tyler pulled on his robe and waited for Julien to return and use the bathroom.

“You should put your sweater on. Those tattoos are—a lot.” Theywerea lot; Tyler couldn’t stop thinkingabout what it would be like to run his tongue over them and memorize the pattern with his mouth. But his mother would go nuts if she saw them, and he could only imagine how that lecture would sound. It would ruin Christmas.

Julien sighed but put his cardigan on. “Nice robe.” He reached over to tug on the lapels of Tyler’s robe, causing him to stumble forward.

Tyler swatted his hand away. “Thanks. Maybe I’ll get you one for Christmas,” he retorted.

“Cash is fine.” He leaned in close enough that Tyler could make out how long his eyelashes were before he let go. Soon after, they went downstairs.

Cece and the kids made eggs and pancakes while Dad sat at the table in his robe, reading the paper. His mother sipped tea and stared at her laptop, her glasses perched on her nose as she scrolled.

Hailey made hot chocolate while Walter hovered nearby, looking like a lovestruck puppy. It was as if his only personality trait wasHailey’s fiancé at this point.

“Morning,” Tyler said, and he was met with a chorus of decaffeinated good mornings.

“Julien, hot chocolate or coffee?” Hailey asked from the stove, where she gently stirred milk.

“Uh, do you have an energy drink or something?” Julien asked.

Every eye in the house looked to Julien, Tyler’s included. Julien’s dark eyes landed on him, and Tyler gave a slight grimace and a shrug. His family was a pure, non-soda household unless it was a flavored seltzer. His mom hadn’t let them have much sugar growing up, and soda and energy drinks were as bad as the devil in her eyes.

Of course, Tyler and Hailey both had an unhinged love of sweets. There was no way to escape their chronic need for hot chocolate now that they were adults.

“That stuff is pure poison,” Cece said, scandalized, breaking the tense silence over the room. “It literally eats your body from the inside.”

Brad groaned. “Jesus, Cee. No, they don’t. Don’t be so dramatic.”

Ceceput down the whisk and gave her husband such a severe look that Tyler winced for Brad.

“Studies have been done about this, Bradley. I don’t know why you think I make things up. I do research.”

“Coffee is fine, then,” Julien jumped in, cutting Cece and Brad off before they could start a fight.

“Cream and sugar?” Walter asked as he poured Julien a cup.

Tyler waited for the hot chocolate. Hailey knew what his choice would be.

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