by Kennedy Fox
Brie glanced to me as if I had all the answers. Since I was the one who’d put us in this position, I supposed her expectation wasn’t completely unwarranted.
I dabbed at my mouth with my napkin, trying to buy myself some time. “A few months.”
“You sneaky devil,” her dad said, not at all displeased. I knew her parents loved me like a son. I just hoped they wouldn’t hate me when they discovered I’d lied to them.
“We, um, we didn’t want to tell you until we were sure,” I said, digging a deeper hole.
Fuck. What was I doing? I loved Brie’s family like my own, and here I was, lying to their faces, pretending I was dating their daughter.
But it was worth it. I’d have done anything to erase the shocked look on Brie’s face earlier. I still couldn’t believe her sister was not only dating her ex but engaged to him. The guy was a douche, and he’d never been good enough for Brie. No one was.
Brie nudged me with her leg, and I realized everyone was looking at me expectantly. I cleared my throat. “What was that?”
“I asked what finally made you realize you wanted more than friendship?” her mom asked, her tone conveying that she’d been expecting this all along.
In all likelihood, she had. Our friends had always teased Brie and me about our relationship. Everyone doubted there was nothing more than friendship. And while I’d often wanted more, the timing hadn’t been right or I’d been more concerned about the repercussions if things hadn’t worked out. Now that I’d put us on this path, I couldn’t say I was upset about it, even if it was all for show.
Thankfully, I’d just shoved a big bite of food into my mouth. I chewed slowly, using the time to consider my words carefully.
“I’ve always thought Brie was beautiful. I’ve always cared about her.” I turned to look at her, ignoring the way Mrs. C’s eyes glistened with tears of joy. I knew Brie well enough to know she was freaking out, and I wanted nothing more than to put her at ease. “But the timing was never right.”
Brie’s eyes went wide as I lifted my hand to cup her cheek. I leaned in and nuzzled my nose against hers before pressing a kiss to her forehead. It was something I’d wanted to do a thousand times. That, and so much more. When I released her, I wasn’t sure who was more flustered by that simple touch—her or me.
Her mom clapped her hands together, and Brie glanced away, breaking our contact.
“You two are so freaking adorable.” Mrs. C grinned. “And it’s a good thing you’re dating because we have some news of our own.”
Mr. C leaned back, resting his arm on the back of his wife’s chair. “That’s right. Your mom and I cleaned out the guest room,” he said, referring to the room where I usually stayed over the holidays. “It’s now your mom’s Dame Dungeon.”
Brie spewed her wine across the table. “Her what?”
I patted her on the back, biting my tongue so I wouldn’t make an inappropriate comment. “You okay, sweetie?” She turned and glared at me, but she looked more like an adorable kitten than a lion.
“Dame Dungeon.” Mrs. C straightened, flashing us a proud smile. “You’ll have to come see it.”
“Yeah, Brie.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Who knows? You might want one yourself.”
Brie placed her hand on my thigh and pinched me through my slacks. I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“Oh yeah.” She arched an eyebrow, her lips barely moving as the conversation continued around us. Did she even realize how sexy she was? How much I wanted her? Had always wanted her?
Mrs. C was telling everyone about the special shelving Mr. C had installed. Based on the description, it was really a glorified reading nook where she could escape and work on her sewing projects or read.
“So, where’s Justin going to sleep?” Brie finally asked.
“With you, of course.” Mrs. C grinned. “Silly.”
“Oh.” Brie let out a nervous laugh. “Right. Because we’re dating now.” She cut her eyes to me when no one was looking.
“So…” Violet said, and I was grateful to have the attention off of us for a moment. “Evan and I were thinking a summer wedding.”
Conversation turned to the newly engaged couple, but Brie mostly remained silent. She was quiet all throughout dinner, only responding when directly addressed. She volunteered to do the dishes, and I wondered if she was avoiding me, her family, or both. As everyone decorated the tree, her lips were pressed together in a firm line. She wasn’t singing along to Christmas carols, wasn’t talking, wasn’t smiling.
When it came time to watch Miracle on 34th Street, I scooted closer, holding her in my arms. She was stiff at first, but the longer we watched, the more she relaxed into my touch. I paid more attention to her than the movie, soaking in the feeling of her in my arms, all the while wondering how pissed she was.
It wasn’t until we were alone in her room that she finally asked, “So…are we going to talk about this?”
“What about it?” I feigned nonchalance as I dug through my bag, searching for my pajama pants.
“Well—I mean, you’re the one who announced that we’re dating,” she whisper-hissed. “Surely, you have a plan.”
Yeah. Right. A plan. I stared in my bag, my attention focused on the contents. “Are you upset?” I asked, trying to get a read on her emotions.
“About the fact that my sister is marrying my ex or…us?”
“Both. Either,” I said.
“I can’t believe my sister’s marrying him. And not just because he’s my ex, though that makes it even worse. I mean, talk about ick factor.” She adjusted her shirt, and I tried to ignore the red lace of her bra peeking out from beneath.
“Evan’s a douche.”
“Um, yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Do you wish it were you?”
I knew how serious her relationship with Evan had been. Two years was a long time, and though I’d been secretly relieved when they’d broken up, I hated to see my best friend hurting.
She scoffed, pushing some of her hair away from her face. “Oh, hell no. At least, if your question is do I wish I were marrying him.”
I laughed, feeling a little lighter. “And us?” I swallowed, the words thick on my tongue.
“I think…” She sank down on the bed and let out a deep sigh. “I hate lying to my family. And they’re going to be really disappointed when they discover we aren’t actually dating. They seemed so happy.”
“So happy,” I echoed, feeling both elated and guilty. “Probably because I’m the number one son,” I teased, referring to her family’s nickname for me. I’d been as much a part of their family as mine for as long as I could remember.
“Yeah. Yeah.” She laughed, the sound putting my soul at ease. “But really…” Her tone was more serious. “What are we going to do? You put us on this path, and I don’t want to lie, but I also don’t want to ruin Christmas.”
I leaned across the bed and placed my hand over hers. “We’ll see it through.”
“See it through. Okay…” She hesitated. “So, we’ll date—fake date,” she corrected. “For the long weekend.” I wasn’t sure whether she’d intended it as a statement or a question.
“Exactly.” I held her gaze and her hand a moment longer before straightening.
“You do realize they’ll expect us to hold hands, kiss…” She waited a moment, and I could feel her eyes on me as she processed my reaction. “Do you really think you can be convincing?”
“Yes.” There was no question in my mind.
Was I attracted to Brie? Fuck yes. She was a knockout. She had a head covered in gorgeous curls that bounced when she laughed. The most brilliant smile. And the kindest heart. She was the most beautiful person I knew—inside and out. The problem wouldn’t be convincing everyone else this was real. It would be reminding myself it was all just pretend.
“What about you?” It suddenly felt as if the walls were closing in.
She swallowed hard, loud enough for me to hear it over the heater hissing through the walls of the house. “If you can, I’m sure I can too.”
“Great. See?” I smiled. “We’ll be fine.”
“What about your family?”
“What about them?” I asked, retrieving my dopp kit from my bag.
“Are we going to lie to them too?”
I hadn’t thought of that. Hadn’t thought of anything other than Brie. But, luckily, my family wouldn’t be too much of an issue. “Why would we?”
“You remember who my mom is, right? She’s going to be shouting this news from the rooftops.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing my mom and Dan are in Hawaii. By the time they get home, our relationship will be over.”
“But we’re not breaking up until after we leave, right?”
“Of course not. And I suppose we’ll tell everyone we decided we were better off as friends. Then everything will go back to normal.” My gut churned with unease. I was already dreading it.
She covered her face with her hands. “This is crazy.”
“You know what’s crazy?” I asked, chuckling when she shook her head. “Your sister marrying your ex.”
“Ugh.” She flopped down on the bed, and I tried—and failed—to ignore the curve of her hips, the dip of her back before the swell of her ass in those leggings that clung to her like a second skin. “Fine. You win. We’ll do it.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “You act as if you’re the one doing me the favor,” I teased.
She lifted her head from her arms. “What? Like fake-dating me is such a hardship?”
“It could be. You might snore. You might hog the covers.”
“You know I don’t. And for that, you can sleep on the floor.” She grabbed a pillow and tossed it at me.
I tossed the pillow at her ass. “Oh, hell no. I am not taking the floor.”
She spread her arms and legs, looking like a starfish on the bed. I climbed on the mattress, using my ass to shove her out of the way. She grunted but held firm. At least until I tickled her.
“No fair!” She flipped over, trying to cover her sides while batting my hands away.
I grabbed her by the wrists, using my position to straddle her and tickle her mercilessly. She was laughing, shaking her head, her cheeks pink.
“Stop.” She was breathless, thrashing beneath me, my dick egging me on even though I knew better. “Justin!”
“I’ll stop…” I kept my fingers poised at her side. “If you agree that I can have the bed.”
She met my eyes, her gaze laced with a challenge. “Bite me.”
I smirked, leaning forward to run my nose along her ear. “Gladly.” I nipped at her ear.
She shivered, and I sucked in a hit of her shampoo. She smelled of coconut and summer and a million memories wrapped into that one scent.
Though we’d often wrestled growing up, and even in recent years, this sexual banter was new. I’d never pushed the boundaries this far, and yet, she hadn’t told me to stop or fuck off. If anything, she seemed to want more, at least if the way she shifted beneath me, attempting to rub her thighs together was anything to go by.
“Or…” I ran my nose along her jaw, desperate to be closer to her.
“Or?” She gulped.
“We could share it.”
“I don’t—” She was breathless, her breasts brushing against my chest as she heaved in a rush of air. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I can keep my hands to myself.”
“Fine,” she huffed, wrapping her legs around my waist and using her strength to flip us so she was on top. Her curls cascaded over me, the neckline of her shirt drooping low enough to give me the perfect view of her breasts. “But I get the side closest to the bathroom.”
At that moment, I would’ve given her anything she wanted. “Sure.”
“Ha-ha!” she exclaimed, thrusting her fist in the air, clearly reveling in her perceived victory.
Secretly, I knew who the real winner was here. She’d climbed on top of me. She’d be sharing a bed with me. If I had my way, our relationship wouldn’t end when this weekend did.
I propped myself up on my elbows, watching as she bent over to rummage in her duffel bag. She had the most perfect ass, and I longed to run my hands over her smooth skin. “You want to take the bathroom first?”
“Oh, so now you’re going to be a gentleman?” she joked, tossing the words over her shoulder.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “When am I ever not a gentleman?”
She shook her head and disappeared inside the bathroom, while I stared at the ceiling and tried to get my raging hard-on under control. This woman was going to be the death of me. I couldn’t live without her, and I had only a few days to convince her how good we could be together.
After she finished getting ready for bed, I stepped into the bathroom, brushing my teeth, changing into my pajamas. When I returned to the bedroom, I found her sitting on the edge of the bed, head in her hands. Shit. She was freaking out.
I knelt to the floor before her, prying her hands away from her face. “Talk to me, Pocket.”
I’d always called her Pocket. From the time we’d met, she’d been so petite, at least compared to me. And I joked that I could carry her around in my pocket. Secretly, nothing would’ve made me happier than having her with me all the time.
“I think we should tell my parents that we aren’t dating. Just…get it over with.”
“And disappoint them.” I shook my head.
“They’re going to be disappointed when we ‘break up,’” she said, complete with air quotes. “We might as well bite the bullet.”
No. No. No. No. I wasn’t going to blow this chance to show her how great we could be as a couple. It was the perfect opportunity. If we were a disaster as a couple, we’d chalk it up to a fake relationship, laugh it off, resume business as usual. But if it worked—if we worked—maybe she’d finally see how good we could be together. Maybe she’d finally be mine.
“First of all, do you really want to admit to your parents—to Evan—that we lied?” She shook her head, and I knew she was on the verge of caving. “It’s only for a few days,” I said, even as I wished for more.
“Right.” She nodded, staring blankly. “Only a few days.”
“But—as you pointed out earlier—we have to be convincing.”
“Right,” she repeated.
“Brie.” Her eyes snapped to mine, and I swore I saw desire there. Desire…and was that fear? “I think we should practice.”
“Practice what?”
“Touching. Kissing.”
She blinked up at me, and it would’ve been adorable were I not holding my breath awaiting her response. “Practice?” She wore a dazed expression.
“Yeah.” I lifted a shoulder, the mattress dipping from my weight as I sank down beside her. “So it won’t be super obvious or awkward when we kiss in front of them the first time.”
“Kiss…in front of them?” she squeaked.
I chuckled. “Are you going to repeat everything I say?”
“I don’t know. It’s not every day your best friend asks you to kiss him.”
I lifted my hands in the air. “It was just a suggestion.” I moved to stand.
“No.” She gripped my forearm. “You’re right. We should practice.”
She licked her lips, and I couldn’t help but stare at them. They were ripe and luscious, and I’d never looked forward to practicing something more in my life.
Chapter Three
BRIE
I perched on the edge of the bed, my body a bundle of nerves. “So…how do we do this?”
“Do what?” Justin asked from beside me. “You mean, kiss?”
I huffed and glanced away, my cheeks heating with Justin’s words, his gaze. I wasn’t as innocent as he made me out to be. I’d had boyfriends, sex. And if he didn’t watch his smart mouth, I was going to straddle him and show him just ho
w wrong he was about me.
“Pocket.” His tone was gentle. “Brie,” he said more forcefully when I continued to ignore him.
He guided my chin to face him, and I tried to act as if I was completely unaffected by his touch. I’d been doing it for years. Why should this time be any different?
But inside, I was flipping out. Were we really going to kiss? And not when we had the excuse of being drunk on New Year’s Eve. How could he act like this was no big deal when it was a huge freaking deal?
Justin cupped my cheeks, his eyes intent on mine. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”
I shook my head, not sure whether he was trying to put me at ease or what. Despite that, I sensed a sincerity—an almost urgency—to his words. And while it wasn’t the first time he’d complimented me, it felt different. We were different somehow.
He tilted his head to mine, our foreheads touching. His blue eyes were dark, questioning. I sucked in a breath as he tangled his fingers in my curls, pulling my hair gently. He was the one person I’d let play with my hair. The one person I’d subject myself to taming the frizz for.
I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of his hands on me. The smell of his minty toothpaste as his breath fanned over my skin. The heat emanating from his body, so close to mine.
He pressed his lips to my cheek, and my eyelashes fluttered in response. Even though it was the barest of touches, it felt like a jolt to my system.
“Was that okay?” he murmured. His voice sounded different. Everything about my best friend seemed different.
“Yes,” I breathed, scared to move for fear of breaking the spell. I’d wanted this—him—for so long. It was hard to believe it was actually happening and not just a dream.
“What about this?” he asked, kissing down my jaw.
“Mm-hmm.” It was more than okay. It was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to me.
I held my breath, waiting for his next move. I wanted time to slow down and speed up all at once. I couldn’t wait for him to kiss me, but I also feared what would happen when he did. What if it was terrible? What if I’d built it up in my mind so much that reality could never live up to that memory and the fantasies I’d created of it? What if—