Faking It

by Christine d'Abo

  It was too tempting for Max; everything about this situation was too much. “We can’t. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “This isn’t real. Nothing about this situation is right or normal. We’re not engaged, but we have to pretend we are. Except when your brother catches us and knows full well what’s going on. He’s going to think that I’m taking advantage of you.”

  “Lincoln knows me well enough. He won’t believe for a second that I’m doing anything that I don’t want to do.” Grady didn’t push—instead he ran his hand across his mouth. “We’d better go.”

  Max trailed along behind him, his mind spinning from the insanity of what was happening. How could things have changed that drastically, gone from fun to frantic to oh-so-wrong in the matter of a few minutes?

  It didn’t really matter. He had a job to do, an agreement to fulfill. He’d keep his libido in check for two weeks and then go the hell home. He’d fall back into his normal routine and everything would be as it was. Everything would be fine.

  Wedding in T minus nine days . . .

  Grady’s body ached, and it had nothing to do with having to hold stone-still for the final fitting of his tux. The tailors moved around his body with grace, pulling and tugging on seams, pinning fabric where it needed to be brought in another half inch here and there. His body ached because he’d barely slept last night. And it was his neglected cock that had kept him up.

  Really, it was Max’s fault.

  The asshole had actually gone chivalrous on him and chosen to sleep on the couch in the room rather than share the bed. Completely ridiculous considering what they’d already done since arriving.

  His lips still tingled from the force behind the kiss they’d shared in the bathroom. Lincoln had given him the stink-eye the entire ride home, but Grady didn’t care. What did it matter if they had a little fun? Grady wasn’t about to change his stripes simply because they were pulling one over on their dad. If anything, it reinforced matters.

  Stupid Max had clearly picked up on the tension between them and had taken it upon himself to ease matters. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. If they were going to manage the whole happy-couple thing, then Grady wanted to go all in.

  If nothing else, it would give him an opportunity to test-drive this happy ever after that Lincoln and Serena were adamant was a good thing.

  “You’ve lost weight, Mr. Barnes. We need to make some significant changes to the vest.” The exasperation coming from the tailor—Grady couldn’t for the life of him remember the man’s name—was palpable.

  “I’ve told you before, you need to take better care of yourself.”

  Justin had insisted on attending the fitting, because of course he had. He was sitting in a chair opposite the pedestal Grady had been forced to stand on, watching everything. Max had come as well, apparently intending only on staying for a few minutes, but the moment he saw Justin sit down, he’d taken up position leaning against the wall.

  “I doubt I’ll lose any more in the next nine days.” Grady looked into the mirror, his gaze passing quickly over Justin and landing on Max. “Unless I’m engaging in some intense exercise.”

  Max’s eye roll was clearly visible. As was Justin’s disapproving glare.

  “You dress to the left, correct, Mr. Barnes?”

  It was weird that this guy knew how he tucked his cock, and Grady couldn’t remember his name. “Yup.”

  The tailor slipped the vest from him and manhandled him until his back was to the mirror. “Let me make some adjustments to the inseam.”

  He’d been wearing bespoke suits since he was a kid, and not since he was a teen had he had a boner during a fitting. But the moment his gaze landed on Max and saw the smoldering gaze as it traveled down his body, there was no way he could stop it.

  The tailor made a soft snort but went to work regardless.

  Justin looked over at Max. “I assume you have a suit, Mr. Tremblay. It would be unfortunate if we had to turn you away at the door for improper attire.” He shifted his assessing gaze to Grady. “The seat is a bit loose, Stephen. He looks like a hanger.”

  Right. Stephen.

  “The seat is just fine.” Grady patted his ass, knowing how it would look in the mirror behind him. “Want to make sure my assets don’t distract from Lincoln’s big day.”

  Max chuckled but didn’t say anything.

  In fact, he hadn’t said much of anything at all since last night when he’d pulled a pillow and blanket from the bed and marched over to the couch.

  “I’m here to play a part, nothing more.”

  “No reason why we can’t have a little fun as well.”

  “Good night, Grady.”

  And thus began his long, painful, sleepless night.

  Stephen spun him around once more and yanked up on the seat of his pants. “One more moment and you’re done.”

  Grady sighed. “Yes, Max has a suit. You think he’d show up in jeans or something?” Grady hadn’t seen him in it, but knew from looking at it that Max would fill it out nicely.

  “I promise I won’t be an embarrassment.” Max pushed away from the wall and wandered over to the window.

  “I never thought you would be, Mr. Tremblay.” Justin dusted something from his thigh. “We will of course have you seated behind the family.”

  The near wedgie disappeared, and before Grady knew it, Stephen had stepped away. “I can have this done in three days. I need to make a few adjustments to the groom’s suit first. If you want to take these off now—”

  Grady pushed him aside. “What do you mean behind the family? He’s my fiancé and should be seated with the family.”

  Stephen and his assistant quickly gathered their items and disappeared in a blink.

  Justin looked up and gave Grady that annoying half smile that he always did when he was humoring him. “I’m simply following your father’s directives. If you have issue with where your friend—”

  “Fiancé.”

  “—is sitting, then you best speak with him.”

  This was so typical. Even if Grady was happy, if he did everything right, his father would find some way to punish him. God, if he’d ever thought there was a way that they’d come to some sort of compromise as he got older, it was situations like this that reminded him otherwise.

  “You’re fucking right I’m going to speak to him. This is bullshit!”

  He’d barely taken two steps when Max cut off his retreat. “Stop.”

  “I’m not going to stand by while you’re treated like—”

  Max gripped his shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Stop.” He spoke the word softly, but not lacking in steel. The swirling rage in Grady’s chest subsided. He let out a breath and relaxed into Max’s touch. “Good.”

  “I’m not letting him do this to you.” It didn’t matter if their engagement was fake or not. As far as his father knew, Max was someone special to him, someone important.

  Shit, he was someone special for putting up with the insanity of Grady’s family.

  “I know. First you need to take your suit off before you ruin all of that man’s hard work.”

  Looking down, the pins in a few spots had moved from the white chalk lines. “Shit.”

  “It doesn’t matter where I sit. No one knows me and I don’t know anyone. I’ll be there for you, and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. Right?”

  “Dude . . .”

  “One of the things I learned from Russel, the guy who ran Ringside when I was a kid, was to pick your battles wisely. Not all opponents in the ring are equal, and not every fight is winnable. But when you’re ready to wage war, you do it with everything you have.” Casting a glance toward Justin, Max’s face hardened. “This isn’t worth the beating you’ll take. I will sit behind the family, smile a lot, and get to check you out in this amazing suit.” He stepped away then, and Grady missed the contact. “I’ll leave so you can get changed.”
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  Grady watched as Max strode from the room without another word, surprised at how much he wanted nothing more than for him to turn around and come back.

  “Well, I have to admire Mr. Tremblay’s ability to talk some sense into you. Better men have tried and failed.”

  “Talking about yourself there?” And the peace he’d felt fled the second he turned to face Justin. “What makes you think you’re a better man than Max?”

  If Justin was bothered by the barb, he didn’t show it. “I’ve known you and your family for years. I’ve witnessed your father’s treatment of you first hand. I know the challenges you’ve faced.” Justin came closer. Unlike when Max approached him, there was no current that passed between them, nothing that sparked in a way that gave him pleasure. Animosity and distrust comprised their relationship.

  “You’ve always been on Father’s side. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

  Something changed in Justin’s expression then. It softened ever so slightly, and for a moment he looked like more than the cold man Grady had always known him to be. “You have no idea what I’ve protected you from. As bad as things have been, I’ve been there to ensure they weren’t worse. He still doesn’t know about your trip to Germany and the partying there. He doesn’t know about the sex video made that weekend. You’re lucky I got to it before it popped up on a gay porn site. Your father has threatened to cut you off for years, and would have long before now if I hadn’t been there to protect you.”

  Justin swayed forward ever so slightly, before he straightened. “I’ll speak to your father again about Mr. Tremblay’s seating arrangement. I’ll have it switched around and place him with the aunts and uncles.”

  He started to leave, but Grady caught him by the arm. Justin looked as shocked as Grady felt. He rarely touched the man if he could at all avoid it. “Don’t. I never asked you to intervene. I never asked for you to do anything for me.”

  “No, you didn’t. But you need someone to look after you. You always have.” With a gentle tug, Justin pulled himself away and left Grady confused and alone.

  Max’s head pounded from all of the bullshit he’d been dealing with during the suit fitting. Now, after only having a few minutes to himself, he was standing face-to-face with Serena. She’d caught him on his way to his bedroom, and he should have known from the gleam in her eyes that this encounter wasn’t going to bode well for him. If it had been anyone other than the bride-to-be making this particular request, he’d have hopped a plane back to Toronto. Max closed his eyes and counted to three before responding. “What do you mean we have to go to a country club?”

  “We’re having a prewedding party. You have to come.” She crossed her arms and grinned in a way that shouted to the world she was up to no good. “It will be a great chance for you to meet the family. People will expect Grady’s fiancé to be there so they can be introduced.” She winked as a maid walked by them. “Think of it as ripping off a bandage.”

  “Oh well gee, I can’t wait to go now.” Max rolled his eyes for good measure. “Grady didn’t mention this.”

  “You expect him to remember a detail that isn’t about him?” Serena shrugged. “You know what he’s like.”

  Max didn’t, but she knew that as well. It grated to hear someone who apparently cared for him speak so callously of his nature. “You’d be surprised by what he does for others.”

  Serena waved his comment away. “It won’t be that bad. Dress shirt and pants, maybe a tie. There will be booze and food, and I even have a DJ coming. The old people will wander away to do whatever they do and we’ll be able to have fun.” Her excitement rolled off her in waves. “If you don’t come, then Grady won’t come, and that will just cause a fight with his father.”

  “That seems to be a common occurrence.”

  Serena looked around, her carefree demeanor fading. “Yeah. When we moved in together, I never really believed Lincoln when he said his family had issues. I mean, everyone gets into rows with people they love, yeah? But their dad, he’s closed himself off. Apparently, he wasn’t this bad before their mum passed. Not great, but not this harsh.”

  Max had so many questions about Grady’s mom, about what had happened that had sent this family into a death spiral. It had never seemed right to ask Grady details that were far too personal for a near-stranger to know.

  Serena cocked her head to the side. “He’s never talked about his mum?”

  “No.”

  “Suicide. Lincoln doesn’t talk much about it. He was in England when it happened. He was devastated, but didn’t seem surprised. Grady was here, but was seeing events through the eyes of a youth. You know how that colors the world around you.”

  Max nodded, thinking back to the events that led up to his parents’ temporary separation. “You see only what they want you to see.”

  Serena smiled, the light coming back into her eyes. “Look. I wasn’t sure what to think when Grady said he knew a guy to pull this little scheme off, but I have to admit that I like you.” She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Come to the party. It’s the last big thing that we need to worry about before the wedding. You’d really be doing us a huge favor.”

  Grady came into the kitchen, no longer wearing the pinned suit. Lincoln was a step behind him looking overwhelmed with life. Grady stepped in close beside Max, letting their arms brush. “What’s my handsome fiancé doing for you? Is this something I need to be worried about?”

  Grady’s form-fitting dress pants and navy-blue dress shirt made Max, in his jeans and T-shirt, look like an imposter. Shit, he really didn’t want to go shopping for clothing he’d never wear again. But if he was going to survive in Grady’s world for even a few more days, he’d have to look the part.

  “Serena just reminded me about their prewedding party at the club tomorrow night.” Max turned to face him, letting his gaze roam down Grady’s body. “You didn’t mention it.”

  “So?”

  “So, I don’t have the right clothing for that. And I left my tailor back in Toronto, so I can’t get a suit whipped up.”

  Grady chuckled. “We’ll go shopping. It’ll give us an excuse to get out of the house for a while. Have some alone time.”

  Max was doing well with Frantic and didn’t want for the necessities, but neither was he so well off that he didn’t need to keep an eye on his finances. He’d have to make sure whatever he got he could wear to the bar. “Fine.”

  “Excellent.” Serena grinned. “It’s going to be fun with both of you there.”

  Lincoln snorted.

  “What? It will be. We’ll have Max, Grady, the people from work. That will balance off all your family.”

  “Won’t your family be coming?”

  It was strange, but given all the wedding talk over the past few days, Max didn’t remember hearing much about Serena’s family. From the slight way Grady stiffened, Max must have said exactly the wrong thing.

  Serena didn’t seem to mind. Or if she did, she hid it well. “No, they won’t be in attendance.”

  Max looked between Serena and Lincoln. “I just stepped into something, didn’t I?”

  Lincoln leaned in closer to Serena. She smiled up at him, but her earlier enthusiasm had waned. “I never knew my dad. Mum passed a few years ago, and my sister, Sophia, doesn’t speak to me.”

  Shit. “I’m sorry.”

  “That she’s a twat who’s more interested in getting high and eating curries? Nothing you can do about that.” Slipping her arm through Lincoln’s, she let her head rest on his shoulder. “I’ve got a new family now. No matter how twisted it is, trust me when I say it can be a whole lot worse.”

  That was a perspective that he’d needed to hear. “I’m looking forward to attending your prewedding party.”

  “Well, I guess that means I get to take you shopping.” Grady wrapped his arm around Max’s waist. “It’s the least I can do after not giving you a heads-up.”

  “Just point me in the direction of the
store and I’ll be fine.” He’d never had another man pick out clothing for him, and he wasn’t about to start now.

  “Serious, no.” Grady on a mission was clearly not something to mess with. “Come on.”

  The next several hours were lost to shopping in a store that had no price tags, which terrified Max on a level he’d never experienced before. Not that he had time to think about it for long; Grady clearly loved clothing in a way he couldn’t relate to. Shirts, pants, ties—hell, cashmere socks—were loaded up with the demand that Max try everything on.

  The soft wool pants weren’t something Max could ever see himself wearing. That was until he came out of the dressing room and saw the absolute lust shining on Grady’s face. Maybe I need to rethink my wardrobe.

  “We’re taking that. All of it.” Someone to Grady’s side scurried away making notes. “God, you’re hot.”

  “Not very practical for the bar.” Though he could grow to like wearing the good stuff. “We can always return it after the event.”

  “Oh hell no. The least I can do is buy you an outfit for the fun we’re about to put you through. Plus, remember, it’s not my money. I have no problem spending Father’s fortune on you.”

  If the rest of Grady’s family was half as bad as his father, then it would be a challenging evening to say the least. “I’m sure not everyone will have a problem with me.”

  “They will if Father wants them to. Everyone is so concerned with kissing his ass to make sure they don’t get cut from the family fortune, they’d bend over backward if he gives the slightest indication that’s what he wants. Still, as much as he’s pissed at me, I don’t think he’ll do anything so blatant to ruin Lincoln’s night. Probably.”

  Yeah, this was going to be hell. “Well, then I’ll accept the outfit as payment.”

  He’d have to be sure to wear it the next time he saw his parents. They’d get a kick out of seeing him in something other than jeans. Max went back to the changeroom, making a mental note to call his mom later. While being away from the bar for two weeks was far longer than he would like, he couldn’t come all this way west and not make a stop in Calgary on the way home. Even if it was for a day or two, it would be good to check in and make sure everything was okay.