“Just a minute, Mom,” Gavin hollered, and when Julie replied with a what-the-hell expression, he said, “She’s relentless, and do you really want my dad barging in, too?”
“Good point.”
Darlene’s muffled voice filtered through the wood. “Too bad for you, I just found a quarter in the laundry room.”
“A quarter?” Julie mouthed, but at the sound of the lock disengaging, there was no time for an answer.
The door began to swing open and, not knowing what else to do, Julie crocodile rolled off the far side of the bed. Her forehead smacked the wall, and thanks to the tight space between it and the mattress, it’d take the jaws of life to pry her loose. Extra brilliant, considering she was naked as the day she was born.
She could just imagine the scenario now. 911, what’s your emergency?
Yeah, I was hiding from my… Well, he’s not my boyfriend, but he’s a friend who’s a boy, and we sorta added benefits to our arrangement last night, but then I got stuck hiding from his mom so she wouldn’t find out.
911 operator: Ma’am, it sounds like you need a therapist, not emergency services.
“Seriously, Mom?” Gavin said. “I told you I was coming.”
Julie bit back her inappropriate snicker—coming was what’d gotten them in trouble in the first place. Not that she wouldn’t sign up for that sort of trouble again.
“Don’t act like you’ve forgotten how I get on Christmas morning just because you’ve been away from home for so long. Besides, the O’Neills have already shown up and had a cup of coffee.”
Thankfully, Julie had taken a whole heap of covers along with her, because it was freaking freezing without Gavin to cuddle with. Although, she was pretty sure at least part of the shiver had come from the news her parents were already downstairs and ready to open presents.
Darlene sighed, and Julie attempted to duck her head a bit more, not that it was possible. “Please put on a pair of pajamas before you head down. I’m going to wake up Julie now.”
“No,” Gavin loudly proclaimed, saving Julie from a panic attack. “She’s a nightmare to wake up. She’s grouchy and…a violent waker-upper.”
“Are you saying she might hit?” Darlene asked, and Julie was about to demonstrate by standing and smacking Gavin upside the head. There was a fine line between making up an excuse and making her sound like she had anger management issues.
“It’s more that she sleeps so deeply that she blindly swings her arms if anyone attempts to wake her. But I know the right method, so I’ll get her, and we’ll be downstairs ASAP.”
Julie held her breath, silently pleading for his mom to buy it.
“You have five minutes, and not a second more,” Darlene said, and Julie let her breath slowly leak from her mouth as the guy who’d given her multiple orgasms last night assured his mother they’d both be there.
Thank goodness. While she’d awoken from that amazing dream to remember it’d been one that’d come true last night, if their families found out they’d hooked up, it’d be a straight-up nightmare.
The creaking of the hinges was literal music to her ears, the sound of the door closing a marvelous symphony.
“Looks like we got that miracle,” Julie said, hopefully in Gavin’s near vicinity, since she couldn’t see anything besides the texturized wall. “Now let’s try for miracle number two and see if you can pry me out of my current predicament.”
Bedsprings squeaked, and she sensed Gavin’s presence. She’d bet a million dollars he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Bracing a hand against the wall, she twisted as much as she could. “Wipe the smirk off your face or I’ll wipe it off for you.”
“How?” he asked, his glee coming through loud and clear. “Pretty sure you can’t do anything from there.”
“Gav-in! I’m cold and squished, and we’re wasting precious time. I still need to put on my dress and covertly rush across the hallway to find pajamas.” He gripped her upper arm, and she added, “Don’t hurt yourself, though.”
“I’m using my left arm, and it’s not like you’re heavy.” It took a significant tug, and then she was hauled onto the bed, her ability to peer into Gavin’s handsome face restored. Amusement danced through his eyes as he gave her an impish grin. “Hey.”
“Don’t get too close,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m still half asleep, so I might hit you.”
He chuckled, but then all traces of humor faded, and he glanced in the direction of the door. While her brain hadn’t processed the noise, it clicked into place. She would’ve repeated her barrel roll move, but Gavin still had one hand braced at her side, essentially trapping her in the blankets.
“I forgot to mention that—” An ecstatic noise filled the air. “Oh. Oh.” Unadulterated joy flooded Darlene’s features, and Julie opened her mouth to beg her not to say anything. “Peggy, get up here! Our reverse parent trap finally worked!”
…
A sea of faces grinned knowingly at him and Julie as they entered the living room. A big-ass, fully lit tree stood there blinking, stacks of colorful presents underneath just begging to be unwrapped, and somehow the spotlight still landed on them.
Gavin halfway expected their families to handcuff them to a table while they conducted their interrogation about everything that happened last night. Next up would be questions regarding what it all meant.
Something for which he and Julie hadn’t come up with an answer, since their morning had been unceremoniously interrupted.
Honestly, he’d rather answer questions about whether or not his shoulder would be recovered in time for playoffs, and what the Mustangs’ chances were. Hell, add in getting sacked or experiencing the disappointment of millions of fans after throwing an interception.
Julie tipped onto her toes, tucked her chin on his shoulder, and quietly said, “I just want to point out that this is pretty much all your fault. You distracted me with those damn sexy lips while I set my alarm. Turns out, I set it for p.m., not a.m.”
Without taking his eyes off his family, as if they were in a gunslinger duel and looking away might mean getting shot first, he inclined his head her way. “I’m tempted to distract you again. Unfortunately, the press wants answers, and like with my job, I’m fairly certain I’ll get fined if I don’t comply.”
“Shall we?” she asked, lacing her fingers with his. A move that would unquestionably give everyone the wrong idea about what he and she were to each other, yet he hung on anyway. They’d gotten through their lives together thus far, so he figured it was only fitting they’d face this the same way.