Page 33 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

“We have outdone ourselves this year,” Cece said once everyone had absorbed the full grandeur of the perfect Ashford family tree. “I mean, Brad, honey, youwere so right about the size. It fits perfectly in the space. We have to get a picture of the family for our website.”

“I want a picture of all of us first, just fun,” Mom said. “The photographer is coming in a few days, but we should get some for the photo album. Cece and Brad sit on the floor with the kids and Duke. Hailey and Walter, you can stand behind them. Tyler, Julien, stand over to the right, I think. We can have it more coordinated when the photographer comes,” she instructed.

Tyler looked up at Julien. “You, uh, you don’t have to be in the picture if you don’t want to,” he told him. It would be awkward to look back at these pictures and see the man he hired to play his boyfriend in them.

Not to mention how his family would comment about him for years and years because his stupidly handsome face would be right there, looking back at them from their Christmas albums.

“It’s a picture,” Julien said.

“Wait!” Hailey shouted. She pointed her finger up. “Did you not even remember, Tyler?” she exclaimed.

Tyler looked up and realized that he had dragged Julien over to stand under one of the balls of mistletoe they had put up.

Julien looked up, too. Tyler could see the lean muscles of his neck and where his dark stubble ended.

“Oh, ugh, no, Hailey, it’s not a big—” Tyler started. Julien hadn’t signed up to kiss him. He had not specified that in their deal, and he couldn’t imagine that Julien would even want to.

But everyone cut him off with protests about lousy luck and tradition. Itwasbad luck not to kiss under the mistletoe, but Tyler didn’t know if his growing crush would be worse if he tasted Julien’s lips.

Julien tilted his head and shrugged. “I don’t mind,” he said softly.

He took Tyler’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting his face up before leaning in to lay a gentle, soft kiss on Tyler’s lips. It was tentative and chaste, but Julien’s full lips were warm and inviting. Tyler couldn’t help butkiss back.

Heat blossomed in his chest, and he stood on his toes to chase the kiss without thinking as Julien pulled back. He blushed, embarrassed that he had done that, but was rewarded with another kiss.

Julien’s lips captured his bottom lip, and he nibbled just a little. There was no tongue or lewd displays, but it was definitely not chaste.

Tyler had to swallow the surprised moan that came out of him.

He longed to open his mouth and invite Julien in, to taste the eggnog on his tongue and suck the flavor off it. He wanted to wrap himself up in the sensation and let it keep him warm on his loneliest nights.

“Get a room,” Cece scoffed, breaking the spell.

Julien pulled away entirely, dropping Tyler’s chin and standing up straight.

Tyler cleared his throat a few times. He wondered if he should say something but didn’t know what. The only thoughts that sprung to mind were red-hot, naughty oneshe wouldn’t want his family to hear. His mind was stuck in the gutter now.

“Tyler, come on, I want the picture before dinner,” his mom exclaimed impatiently. She waved her arm toward the spot where she wanted him to stand.

Tyler collected his thoughts from wherever they had just melted to and went to stand next to Hailey, with Julien on his other side. Julien’s hand found him, and their fingers laced together. Even as Tyler’s mother told them to smile and the flash went off, he was sure the whole room could hear his heart thudding.

Chapter 14

Julien

Julien woke that morning with Tyler curled against him and both of his arms wrapped possessively around the man.

He had woken up this way every morning since getting here, and frankly, it was messing him up. As much as he could pretend he didn’t need anyone, especially not Tyler, he couldn’t deny how perfectly Tyler fit in his arms.

Four days spent with Tyler’s family flew by. Each day had been filled with some Christmas traditions, such as driving around to see the best local Christmas light displays, watching specific movies, and baking cookies. The family seemed to be almost regimented in their traditions.

He still didn’t quite understand why Tyler was so worried about them. They all seemed close, warm, and loving. He didn’t think families like theirs existed. It was a shame Tyler couldn’t see what he had.

It was a shame because Julien had never had that. His mother had been warm and kind and loved him more than anything. But she worked all the time. They didn’t have money to afford them the freedom of having traditions. It would have only led to disappointment when she would have to pick up extra shifts bartending.

Julien ran his hands over Tyler’s back and let himself imagine, for just a second, what it would be like to be a part of this family. He had felt like an outsider since the start. But slowly, that emotion evaporated as the rest of the family got accustomed to him, or maybe he got accustomed to them and their quirks and mannerisms. Being alone for nine years, he had never had to deal with that.

He wondered what it would be like to wake up this way all the time, maybe do something about the stiff cock in his shorts, to see Tyler blush down his chest. They could laze in bed all morning, enjoying each other, only to get out of bed when they were too hungry to think about sex.

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