Page 41 of Pretend You're Mine

Without a word, I grabbed Creed’s hand, feeling the warmth of his palm against mine. A sense of mischief bubbled within me.

I led him up the narrow staircase.

“Where are we going?” Creed asked, a hint of laughter in his voice, curiosity lighting his eyes.

“Just a little higher,” I teased.

The air grew cooler as we ascended, passing family portraits that watched us with their frozen smiles. Finally, I pulled open the door to the attic, the rusty hinges creaking in protest. I led Creed through the dimly lit space, dodging stacks of forgotten boxes and a few half-broken chairs.

I motioned him to a cozy corner tucked beneath a small window. A few cushions lay haphazardly around.

Creed glanced around, taking in the scene. “This place is… nice.” He chuckled, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe he was here. “Did you used to hide up here?”

“Absolutely.” I plopped down on a pile of cushions, pulling him down beside me. “Sometimes I’d come up here, read, and just dream about being anywhere else.”

Creed’s expression softened, a mixture of curiosity and understanding washing over his features. “What did you dream about?”

I leaned back, letting my head fall against the cushions. “Freedom. Just… being free to be me without worrying about what everyone else thought.”

Creed’s gaze lingered on me, a contemplative silence stretching between us. “I get that,” he finally murmured. “There were times I wanted to hide from everything too.”

I caught the weight behind his words, a connection rekindling between us. “What was your escape?”

“Back then? It was sports, mostly. I would run or play hockey until my lungs burned, just to forget everything else.” His voice grew quieter. “But there were times when I wanted to escape even that.”

“You’re not alone in that feeling,” I said softly, our eyes locking.

He shifted closer, his shoulder brushing against mine, igniting a spark of warmth that coursed through me. “I wish I had known you back then,” he said, a hint of longing lacing his tone. “Maybe it would have been easier.”

I smiled, that same longing mirrored in my own heart. “Yeah, maybe. But we’re here now.”

A moment of silence fell between us. Creed leaned in, and before I fully registered what was happening, his lips pressed against mine.

The kiss lit a fire that burned through me, a heat that swept from my lips to every nerve. Creed’s warmth wrapped around me, pulling me deeper into the moment as I leaned closer, tasting the hint of sweetness on his breath mixed withsomething raw, something undeniably real. The world melted away, leaving only the electric hum of my pulse in my ears, the press of his mouth on mine, and the way time seemed to bend—stretching into something infinite, like we were the only two people left in existence.

As our mouths moved together, the kiss transformed from gentle to urgent. I lost myself in the moment, every brush of his lips a promise, every sigh an invitation. My hands tangled in his hair, drawing him even closer, deepening the connection we had reignited.

When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads rested together, our breaths mingling, still charged with the energy of what had just passed.

“Wow,” he breathed, his voice low and reverent.

“Yeah,” I echoed, my heart pounding in my chest. “That was… nice.”

Creed chuckled softly. “Nice? Just nice?”

I grinned, feeling playful. “Well, it was pretty great. I just didn’t want to overdo it.”

“Overdo it?” He tilted his head, mischief glinting in his eyes. “How about we do it again?”

With a laugh, I leaned in again, our lips meeting in another kiss, this one more passionate but still tender. Time slipped away as we melted into each other, exchanging soft whispers and laughter.

“I could get used to this,” I admitted, nestling deeper into the cushions.

Creed brushed a thumb across my cheek, his touch sending shivers down my spine. “Me too. It feels… safe up here.”

“Exactly,” I murmured, feeling a sense of peace enveloping us. “Like the rest of the world can wait.”

CHAPTER 24

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