Page 58 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

Julien gave a laugh, surprised. The tension drained out of him when he realized Tyler had been looking for reassurance. “You’re an idiot, Ty.” He reached out and pulled him closer. “I would have picked you up at the bar the first night we met if I thought I might have a shot,” he admitted.

He’d always had a weakness for guys with big blue eyes—sweet, pretty boys who blushed too much, who he stood no chance with.

Tyler smiled. That flush danced over the bridge of his nose and tempted Jules. “I would have let you pick me up, you know,” he said. “I almost died when you got so close to me. It’s been such a long time, and you smell delicious. Plus…you know, you’re fucking hot as Hell.”

Julien laughed. He didn’t think Tyler would have taken him home, but he didn’t say. If Tyler liked him now, that was what mattered. “If I knew sex was part of the deal, I might have been less grumpy about you changing all of my clothes, just sayin’.”

Tyler nudged him, his lips finding Julien’s in a gentle, tentative kiss. “That was stupid,” he admitted. “I am an idiot. You look nice in those clothes but look much nicer like this.”

“Naked?” Julien raised his eyebrows.

Tyler laughed and covered his face with one of his hands. “Naked, yes, but I mean like you, with your tattoos out. I almost jumped you the other day when you were covered in grease.”

“Gross.” Julien rolled on top of him to look at Tyler’s face. “You’re a dirty boy.”

Tyler chuckled but reached up and ran his fingers through Julien’s curls. The feeling of his fingertips tenderly carding through his hair made Julien’sskin tingle.

I wish this could be real, he thought to himself. It was only by some miracle that he didn’t say it aloud. “What if we go out tomorrow? Alone.”

Tyler’s eyebrows shot up, and a smile spread across his face. “Like… a date?”

Julien leaned in and kissed him again, cupping Tyler’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. “If you want to call it a date. But I think we have to get out of the house. I mean, it’s nice your family is close, but do we have to doeverythingwith them?”

Tyler laughed. “God, no. Do you think Wally will let you borrow his car?”

In Julien’s opinion, Wally probably would offer anyone the shirt off his back. He doubted asking to borrow his car for a few hours would be a big deal. “I think I can make it happen.”

“What do you want to do?” Tyler asked, his voice was quiet, but the excitement was evident in his tone. “It’s Christmas Eve,so it should be something festive.”

“You don’t want to do something normal,” Julien said, then reconsidered. “We can do whatever you like, as long as it isn’t crazy expensive. Not wine tasting or whatever the fuck your people do.”

“Oh, my people?” Tyler rolled his adorable blue eyes and shoved Julien’s shoulder. “I think I have a good idea.”

Julien wasn’t sure if he liked the devious look on Tyler’s expression. “Alright. I’m trusting you.” He settled back down with one last kiss.

So now he had a date. It wasn’t like it was a big deal. He’d been on dates before. But after pretending, no,feelinglike he was already Tyler’s boyfriend, the prospect of an actual date was daunting yet exciting.

Tyler reached over to turn the light off with the remote. Once shrouded in darkness, Julien let himself consider if, it was a bigif,he and Tyler could potentially make things work after this or if it was possible.

He’d have his freedom and Tyler to thank for it. But would that be enough? Would Tyler really want that?

Julien wanted it more than he could describe. He didn’t know how to say it. Jules couldn’t imagine going home to his new life without Tyler as a part of it. It hadn’t been long, but what they shared, Julien felt he couldn’t just walk away from Tyler.

“Hey, Jules?” Tyler murmured.

“Yeah?” Julien asked, surprised he was still awake.

“Thanks again for being here.” Tyler took his hand and kissed his knuckles, then placed his palm over Julien’s heart in such a tender manner that Julien thought the heart might explode out of its chest cavity, like theGrinchmovie.

Julien stayed still for a long time, trying to fight the emotions that kept building, and thought,I hope you can feel that beat, Ty. It’s for you. Eventually, Jules drifted off with a smile on his face.

They woke up as they usually did, tangled in one another. This time, Julien didn’t have the heart to waste a perfectly good boner, and with some sloppy kisses and touching, they both got off with slow, languid hand jobs that only made Julien want more.

“Maybe we should pick up condoms and lube?” Tyler suggested when he hopped out of bed after he caught his breath. “Because I don’t have any.”

Julien laughed in surprise. “Ohhh, you want me tofuck you, fuck you,” he said, sure that Tyler had fully read his mind.

He stretched out and watched Tyler pad around the room naked, except for a pair of socks. The fact that he had sex with socks on was endlessly amusing, but Julien knew better than to tease him about it in case he stopped.

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