12. Avery

CHAPTER 12

AVERY

My legs were tangled with another's, my arms wrapped around a warm, solid body pressed against me. I held the man tighter, my face buried in the crook of his neck, savoring the heat and comfort radiating from him. I wasn't in any hurry to pull away, craving the closeness, the rare comfort of touch.

He shifted back into me, fitting snugly against my chest, and I found myself tracing lazy patterns along the length of his arm, relishing the smoothness of his skin. His woodsy scent filled my lungs, grounding me, but leaving me wanting more.

I pressed closer, feeling a long-buried hunger stir in the pit of my stomach, an ache I hadn't allowed myself to feel in ages. My hips moved instinctively, grinding against him, and the friction sent a spark through my veins.

He shifted again, his head resting partially on the silk pillows, mostly nestled in the curve of my arm. I dipped my head, brushing my lips over his neck, tasting the salt of his skin. He let out a small whimper, his hips rolling against my morning wood, stoking the fire building inside me. My hand roamed lower, tracing the contours of his back until it reached the waistband of his cotton pajamas.

I hesitated. My fingers caught the edge of the fabric, tugging slightly.

And then, reality hit me like a punch to the gut. My eyes flew open, panic flooding my chest. This is bad—so, so bad. Darkness surrounded us, but it did nothing to drown out my racing thoughts. This was everything I'd tried to avoid, but now it was happening, and I was the one responsible.

I'd crossed a line, touching and grinding against Creed without his consent. My breath caught in my throat, a sick sense of shame washing over me. Sleepy excuses wouldn't change what I'd done.

I jerked away, scrambling off the bed so fast I misjudged the distance and crashed to the floor. The impact rattled through my body, and I sat there, clutching my groin, trying to conceal the evidence of my lapse in control. My chest heaved as I fought back the panic. I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to break.

When my gaze finally lifted to the bed, I froze. My heart hammered in my chest and I broke out in a cold sweat. Creed leaned over the side of the bed, staring down at me with sleepy eyes.

"Why are you on the floor? Did I push you off?"

Heat seared my cheeks, as Creed's now curious gaze fixed on me.

I shook my head vigorously, taking care to school my features before glancing up at him again. I searched his face, waiting for realization to set in and morph into anger. I was sure he'd freak out when he found out what had happened. Or what had almost happened. It didn't make any difference.

"Avery? Are you okay?"

We stared back at each other. For some seconds, I thought Creed was going to bring up what had happened. Ask me about it and possibly begin to yell.

He cocked his brow. "Avery?"

"I'm fine. Everything's good." I shifted backwards, dragging my ass on the floor, in hopes of defusing the situation. I was so off-balance. Creed's response made me completely unsure of what to think.

Was he such a deep sleeper he didn't realize what was happening? Maybe he was just sleep-grinding on my cock. Either way, I'd been awake. Should I talk about it and clear the air?

Before I could make up my mind on the next course of action to take, Creed got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

The sound of the shower drowned out the sound of my low-boil panic.

"Fuck! That was close." I roamed the length of the room, running my fingers through my hair. Maybe hiring a boyfriend to placate my family hadn't been a brilliant move as I had thought initially. "Damn!"

When the bathroom door opened a little while later, I froze in place. My stomach churned as I focused on Creed, who moved fluidly around the room. I checked for signs in his demeanor and facial expressions that suggested he'd caught up on what had transpired between us.

There was nothing.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. If Creed wasn't talking about it, then there was no need to beat myself up. We had a long day to get through and I'd focus on that.

Maybe if I got back in one piece, we could address what had transpired this morning, and of course, what had happened last night.

I shook my head, trying to forget about it all for now. I'd have time later to really think through everything that had happened with Creed.

I headed to the bathroom to do my business. As I got dressed, I took a deep breath and told myself I could do this. I just needed to focus on each moment, one at a time. Before I knew it, the day would be behind me.

From the second we stepped outside the room, Creed was glued to my side. As we stood at the top of the stairs, the lingering aroma of Thanksgiving dinner wafting up, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of nerves mingled with excitement. Creed's presence beside me offered a comforting anchor in the sea of anticipation.

"Ready?" Creed asked as we stepped out of the room into the hallway.

"I don't think I'm ever completely ready to face my family." My attempt at a joke fell flat.

I spared my fake boyfriend a glance, my eyes immediately drawn to the sheer strength and ruggedness of Creed's physique. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, every line and edge chiseled and defined. It was hard to tear my gaze away from the alluring sight. He exuded a raw energy that was both intimidating and alluring at the same time.

Creed suggested, "Why don't we ditch whatever they're doing and do our own thing? We don't have to be stuck in toxic spaces for any reason."

"Hmmm." It was the only response I could offer.

My fingers trembled as the tips of my fingers connected with Creed's.

"I mean it, Avery Branson."

"If I don't face them head on, I'll just be delaying the inevitable. Besides, I feel safe and better with you." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could second-guess them, and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. But I felt a surge of relief at having voiced my truth.

Creed's eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned. "Well, I'm flattered. I'll be sure to add that to my list of accomplishments."

I chuckled, feeling the tension easing from my shoulders. "Consider it a glowing review."

He leaned in, his voice laced with playful arrogance. "Oh, I will. And I expect a raise."

I raised an eyebrow, playing along. "You'll have to negotiate that with HR."

Creed's smirk grew, his gaze meeting mine with mock seriousness. "Ah, but you are HR, aren't you?" he countered, his tone teasing.

I pretended to consider this, tapping my chin. "True. But I'm also your boss. So, no raise for you."

Creed feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "You wound me, Avery. Here I thought we were partners in crime."

I couldn't hold back a laugh, surrendering to his teasing with a playful shrug. "Fine, fine. You win this round. But only because I'm feeling generous today."

With a triumphant grin, Creed gestured toward the stairs. "Shall we, then? The sooner we face the music, the sooner we can eat pie."

And just like that, any lingering nerves were washed away in the tide of laughter and camaraderie. Our eyes met as we reveled in the moment, and together, we descended the stairs, hand in hand, ready to take on whatever Thanksgiving festivities awaited us.

As soon as we landed on the threshold, I stiffened and stopped moving. My gaze swept around the family room, where everyone was seated, eyeing me suspiciously. My tongue stiffened in my mouth.

A hand wrapped around my shoulder. "Don't let anyone make you feel less for being you," Creed whispered fiercely in my ear. For some reason, my brain refused to focus on the words being said and instead chose to process the mixed scent of our colognes. One woodsy and the other minty. I inhaled deeply.

Sweat broke across my forehead. I could feel the walls closing in on me. I had no idea what was coming over me but I could swear that I was going crazy. This family reunion was getting on my last nerve. It seemed to be a legit enough reason for why I never came back home.

"You good?" Creed inquired. "Let's sit down."

"I"m fine. It's, uh… a bit too cold in here." My voice was stuck in my throat.

"It's not. The fireplace is blazing, but you know that already."

Creed led me over to the empty couch, his strong hand resting on the small of my back. As we took our seats, my leg began bouncing almost immediately. Creed put his hand on my thigh to make it stop. The touch was reassuring, but not as reassuring as what he had said to me earlier.

The words played over and over in my head like a mantra. "Don't let anyone make you feel less for being you."

Nathaniel nodded at me. "Did you sleep well last night, cousin?" His tone was heavily laced with sarcasm.

Before I could think of a suitable response, Creed answered on my behalf. "We slept better than you did, I'm sure."

Joseph chuckled. "Dinner is going to be great. I can feel it deep down in my bones."

Creed must have concluded that Joseph's comment wasn't worth the trouble because he only scowled at him before directing his attention back to me. He wrapped his arm around me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Keep your head up high."

I raised my head.

A wave of relief washed over me. It had been a while since anyone had looked out for me in this manner.

As much as I longed for a break from work and the chance to start dating again, I couldn't shake off the way this man made me feel. Every moment spent in his presence made it harder to deny that I was attracted to him. This sexy but straight guy. But at the same time, giving in to these feelings would only lead to heartache and complications. It was a constant battle between my desires and logic, leaving me torn and confused. Because at the end of the day, I had to remember that what was happening here with Creed was simply a charade. Two guys pretending to be in love. But the gag was, one of the guys was straight and finding himself falling for the other guy... and he was only here because he was desperate enough to pretend to be someone he wasn't. For Creed, it was just about helping out the pathetic guy for a little compensation for his efforts.

"There's a game going on. Let's head to the den and watch some football. It's been a while since we did that together." I jerked at the sound of Joseph's voice.

"Avery? Want to join me in the kitchen?" Becca's voice was quiet. "I need help with something."

"Sure. I'm right behind you." I trudged behind my sister, glad to be somewhere else.

"Thank you, Becca. That was starting to get?—"

With a sigh, she remarked, "You looked really uncomfortable. It's no secret you hate sports, and the way you sat up straight as a board made it obvious that you were struggling to stay put."

I leaned against the cool marble counter, my arms crossed. "So, where's your husband? I wouldn't put it past Dad's ghost to lock him in the cellar for not declaring Christ as his savior. And what about Mother? Still in one piece?"

Becca rolled her eyes but cracked a smile. "Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, Avery. Carl sends his regards to Mother and the rest of you."

"Busy with work, I'm guessing?" I asked, my tone casual but my gaze drifting to the window, the evening light softening the room's edges.

She sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah. Turns out being an aerospace engineer is both lucrative and time-consuming. He's got this big contract with the military he has to oversee. I'm hoping he wraps it up in time to make it home for Christmas."

I caught the faint note of longing in her voice, the way her smile faltered for a moment. A heavy project like that meant long hours, probably keeping Carl away more than either of them wanted.

Time stretched between us, the silence broken only by the occasional clatter from the kitchen staff in the background. Becca leaned against the counter, eyeing me with that all-too-familiar expression.

"What's that look for?"

She shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. "Didn't realize there's a specific way I'm supposed to look at my brother."

"Becca, you're not fooling anyone. I know you too well. Something's on your mind, so just spit it out."

She moved closer, placing her hand on my shoulder, her gaze turning serious. "Look, this might sound weird, but I'm worried about your relationship with Creed."

My muscles tensed, bracing for whatever was coming. "What about Creed?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even, but the edge crept in anyway. My heart drummed in my chest, and I steeled myself to defend this relationship—our fake relationship—if it came to that.

"Call it intuition or whatever, but I feel like you're holding back about him."

I let out a slow breath, keeping my expression neutral. "I haven't held back anything about him, Becca. I don't even know what you're trying to get at."

She crossed her arms, tilting her head in that knowing way. "Oh, come on. Don't play dumb. You're dodging the conversation, and we both know it."

"That's all in your head, Becca."

But her words hit closer to home than I'd like. Creed's past, his job, the hazy story of how we supposedly met—it all hovered between us like a storm cloud that I desperately avoided discussing. The mystery around his family and the vagueness of our future plans only made the act harder to maintain.

Becca quirked an eyebrow. "Look at you, deflecting and shit."

I forced a chuckle, shifting gears. "All right, seriously. Creed and I are just... living in the moment. Not everyone has to settle into the whole family thing, you know? I can't make him open up about his past if he's not ready. There's nothing hidden here, no big secrets."

"Fair enough," Becca said, nodding, though her eyes still carried a trace of doubt. "Just remember, I'm here for you, always."

I reached out and squeezed her shoulder—a gesture that felt like slipping back into an old role, back when we were kids and before I came out to the family. "I know, and I appreciate it. Creed and I... we're good."

She made a face. "If you say so."

I shook my head, offering a smile. "Come on, let's find something to snack on before dinner."