Page 10 of Pretend You're Mine

“I want you to show up, hang on my arm, and let my family assume we’re together. No funny business. Just play house for a few days.”

He leaned back, arms crossed, clearly weighing my proposition. “What happens if I say yes?”

“Then we come up with a backstory, we go to Michigan for Thanksgiving and you get a few home-cooked meals. Maybe some homemade pie,” I said, trying to sweeten the deal. “I can even throw in an extra grand.”

He let out a low chuckle, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Alright, I’m in. But this is strictly business,” he said, his gaze steady. “No Pretty Woman makeovers. And definitely no falling in love.”

“Deal,” I replied, trying to suppress the thrill coursing through me. “All we have to do is pretend. You just have to be my eye candy for the weekend.”

Creed nodded, his expression softening, and just like that, the tension shifted. We were in this together now, for better or worse.

CHAPTER 7

CREED

My eyes constantly shifted between the road ahead and Avery, who was in the driver’s seat. This was such a terrible idea, and I couldn't hide the scowl that was etched on my face. It was Thanksgiving day and Avery had been silent for most of the ride, and I couldn't tell if it was because of my grumpy attitude or something else entirely. But with each passing mile, my unease grew and I couldn't shake off the feeling that fake dating this man was a huge mistake.

‘Out of my depth’ didn't even start to describe the way I felt. With every new piece of Avery that I encountered, I could feel my self-esteem dropping a notch.

I had no experience dating men or being around the wealthy bluebloods that had the city in the palm of their hands. I had tried hard to be casual about it, rolling with whatever came my way, but the closer we got to Avery's home, the more my anxiety peaked at how out of place I would be.

"Uh, thank you for doing this," Avery said, glancing quickly at me before focusing on the road ahead.

"Don't thank me. I'm getting paid for it." Despite the gruffness of my tone, my hands shook. Why the fuck were my hands shaking?

From the corner of my eye, I could see Avery nodding. "How are you feeling? Should I stop for soda and chips?"

"I'm fine. Just keep driving."

Avery's jaw hardened. "For what it's worth, I don't like that either of us is going through this. I understand you don't feel the need to fill the silence with words, but we both need to get our story straight."

"Whatever," I mumbled. "I'm only here for the cash, remember? I'll try my best not to forget the details and go along with it."

"You already know my name is Avery Branson. I don't think it's important for a boyfriend to know his partner's middle name so I'll leave that out to avoid information overload."

I gave him the side eye. "Think of more personal information, Avery."

Avery gritted his teeth. "I'm just trying to cover all the bases. Also, I have one parent. My father had a heart attack two years ago so it's just my mom and sister."

"Noted."

"Aren't you going to ask anything?"

"Weren't you supposed to tell me about yourself and your family?" I retorted.

Avery huffed out a breath. "I'm in charge of my father's company, Branson Resorts. My sister Becca works there as well. She’s great except for the times when she wants to meddle in my business."

"And your mother? What's she going to be like? What should I expect?"

Avery cleared his throat and stared out of the window again. "I have no idea how she'll react. Mother is full of surprises and as unpredictable as the weather. However, going by her precedents and her unrelenting attempts to set me up with eligiblewomen, I don't think she will be too pleased."

"She doesn't know you don't swing that way?"

"She does. I came out at eighteen. My best bet is that she's yet to accept it because I've never shown any proof of my claims to be gay. My family still think this is a phase that will pass once I meet the right girl."

I wasn't comfortable with the insinuation that we needed to prove anything to anyone. What the fuck had I gotten myself into?

"I haven't changed any of my initial boundaries, you know." Admittedly, the tone of my voice was a bit harsh, harsher than I'd wanted it to be.

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