[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Adam grinned, his dimples making her pulse race. “You’re a regular Picasso.”

  She realized his hands were on her hips, his thumbs lightly stroking her. Why did his touch send her heart into overdrive? She knew he was just acting. Why did she let it get to her?

  Doctor Lemon opened the door, a smirk on her face. “This trust exercise is done. You have passed with flying colors. Now it’s time for Megan to have lunch with one of her suitors.” She left.

  Megan laughed and turned to Adam. “Suitors? Who says that anymore?”

  He grinned. “The fifteenth century called. They want their word back.”

  She snorted, then covered her mouth with her hand, hoping the cameras hadn’t picked it up. Adam just laughed at her and squeezed her hand. “Come on, you’d better go. Don’t want to be late for your suitor.”

  It felt good to share a joke with him. With all the pretending going on, she enjoyed having something real between them.

  MEGAN TOOK A BITE OF her sandwich and smoothed the picnic blanket. Luc leaned toward her. “You are so beautiful.”

  His French accent was sexy, but it was the fifth time he’d told her that, and she wasn’t even to dessert yet. “Thank you.” Maybe a change of subject would help. “Tell me, how long have you lived in New York?”

  “Only four years. Before that, I studied business in Connecticut.”

  She stared at his high cheekbones and slightly mussed up hair. Quite sexy. Unfortunately, his talk of business bored her to death, and she had never been to the east coast. They had about as much in common as a walrus and a wiener dog. “Sounds interesting,” she lied.

  “Ah, not as interesting as you are beautiful.”

  Okay. That was getting uncomfortable. “Yeah, I think you said that before.” She stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, hoping to hurry the date along. And maybe she’d look a little less beautiful with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. Bonus.

  He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “So many women are afraid to eat. I like that you’re different.”

  She chomped on her food and tried to smile with her mouth closed.

  “You’re not afraid to be yourself,” he continued. “You intrigue me.” As he spoke, he leaned forward. She didn’t realize his intent until his lips were on hers. His kiss was slobbery, and being as she hadn’t swallowed all of her sandwich yet, she jerked back.

  “I am sorry. Your beauty bewitched me.”

  Megan held up her hand while she forced the food down. She wanted to sock him one, but knew the producers would have a fit, so she smiled instead. “It’s okay, Luc. I just wasn’t ready.”

  His lips curled up in a devilish smile. “Maybe you are ready now, yes?”

  She squelched the urge to make up an excuse. This was part of the game. She glanced at the camera. “Yes.”

  He came at her again. His kiss was more tongue than lip, and entirely too much saliva. She tried not to twist up her face in disgust. When he pulled back, she gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Mmm.” What she wanted to do was wipe her mouth with the back of her hand.

  He appeared to be pleased with her reaction. “I have been smitten with you, Megan.”

  “I am smitten with you,” she said, correcting his grammar.

  “You are?” He smiled.

  “No. I mean...” How could she explain that one? She patted him on the hand. “Never mind.”

  After lunch with Luc, Kyle showed up for his date. He wore blue jeans and a plaid button-down shirt. When he saw her, he tipped his cowboy hat and smiled.

  “I thought we could go riding.” He stuck his thumbs in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

  “Riding...?” Megan wasn’t sure what he meant. She didn’t see any bicycles around.

  Kyle grinned. “Horses, of course.” He led her around the mansion and down a path to the stables.

  “I didn’t know this was here.” She peeked into a stall, and a beautiful chocolate brown horse with a white star on his head stared back at her.

  “I’ve spent the morning riding around the grounds and getting to know the animals. They are gentle and perfect for first-timers.”

  Megan turned to him. “Oh, I’m not a first-timer.”

  “You know how to ride?” His smile widened.

  “Sure. I rode a pony when I was five years old at the county fair. Did a great job, if I do say so myself.” A pained look crossed his face, and Megan laughed. “Kidding. I’ve ridden a few horses in my time, but it’s been a while, so you’ll have to remind me.”

  Kyle showed her how to get the animals ready for riding, putting on the saddles and making sure they were cinched up. Megan pulled on the leather strap, nervous the saddle would slide if it wasn’t tight enough. He came up behind her. “Now, you don’t want to cut the poor girl in half.”

  She spun around. “Did I hurt her?”

  He chuckled. “No, you just don’t want the cinch to be too tight. See, I can’t fit my fingers in between. Let’s loosen it a bit, but not so much that the saddle will spin.”

  After they were done, Kyle helped Megan onto her horse, a black beauty named Darksilver. “She’s very tender. You shouldn’t have any trouble with her, but if you feel insecure, just give me a holler.”

  Megan felt at ease with Kyle. He didn’t mince words. Told things like he saw them. He was probably the most real out of all the guys, even Adam.

  They rode down a trail in comfortable silence, the camera man trailing after them. Kyle led, but he frequently checked on how she was doing. She got used to the sway of the animal, although she knew she’d be sore if she were to spend a lot of time riding.

  Kyle stopped his horse and dismounted. He walked over to her and helped her down. She looked around. “Where are we?”

  He took her hand. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  His skin was rough, but not unpleasant. The hands of a working man. He was strong, and that made her feel safe. But the electricity that she normally had with Adam wasn’t there.

  He led her up a small hill to a precipice that overlooked the valley. She took in a sharp breath. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Would you like to sit for a while?” He indicated a large, gray rock jutting out from the earth.

  “Sure.” She climbed up and scooted over for him. A light breeze carried his cologne, not too overpowering, yet masculine. Nice.

  He put his arm around her. “Nature has a way of healing your wounds, ya know?”

  She looked out over the expanse, the lush green trees and the tiny roads cutting their way through. Birds chirped nearby. She knew what Kyle meant. “Yeah.”

  They chatted for a while about nothing important. Then Kyle rubbed the back of his neck and squirmed. “What made you do this show?”

  Megan chewed her bottom lip. She couldn’t tell him the truth, not with the camera man filming everything she said. She cleared her throat. “I guess I wanted to see what it would be like.”

  “How long have you known Adam?”

  “Seven months. But we’ve only been dating for the past month.” She picked at a piece of lint on her shirt.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes before he scrubbed his face and said, “I don’t really have a shot, do I?”

  Megan stiffened. She wasn’t supposed to let on who she was leaning toward. Granted, the whole show was about getting her to fall for Adam, so it wasn’t going to be that big of a surprise, but she was supposed to go out with these guys and act like she could like any of them. Unsure of what to say, she just shrugged.

  Kyle pulled his arm off her shoulders and hooked her chin with his finger so she had to meet his gaze. “I see the way you look at him. You love him, don’t you?”

  The words caught her off guard. She didn’t love Adam. Did she? Thoughts of his smile invaded her mind. His touch made her insides turn to mush. She cared about him. Deeply.

  Oh, dear heavens above. She was in love with Adam.

  How did that happen? Adam didn’t l
ove her. He was just acting. This whole thing was a ruse, brought about by Leon and his stupid ideas. How could she have let her feelings go this far?

  Kyle stared at her, his gaze imploring. She couldn’t tell him. Instead, she stared down at her lap.

  “I thought so,” he said, his voice quiet. Maybe the camera didn’t pick it up. He stood. “Let’s go back. It’s getting late, and you’ve got a dinner date with Anthony.”

  It killed her to see the sadness in his eyes. Out of the three, Kyle was the one she liked the most. But there was no chemistry.

  After they got back to the stable and Kyle had the horses back in the stalls, he turned to her. “Thanks for going out with me. I think this is where I get off the train.”

  She jerked her head up in surprise. “You’re leaving?”

  He shrugged. “I’m about as useful here as a screen door on a submarine. Besides, I’ve got to get back to my ranch.”

  Megan wondered if Kyle quitting the show would make the producers mad. “Are you sure?”

  A look of contemplation crossed his face, and he brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “No.” He tipped her chin up and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. It was like kissing her brother. Definitely a Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker moment. He stepped back and smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes. I’m sure. Good-bye, Megan.”

  He left her standing in the stable.

  Chapter 17

  Kyle’s announcement about leaving the show dampened Megan’s spirits, but to say Anthony hadn’t noticed would have been an understatement. He’d taken her for a walk around the gardens, his guitar slung across his back. He kept doing these weird dance moves as they walked, using them to punctuate whatever he was blabbering about at the time.

  “Heeeey, I wrote you a song.” He threw out his arms and shuffled his feet in what looked like an attempt at tap dancing.

  She raised her eyebrows. “Really?” That explained the six-string on his back.

  He swung his guitar around in what he probably thought was a cool move. “May I sing it for you?”

  She actually debated telling him no, but in the end decided not to be rude. “Sure. I’d love to hear it.” She sunk down on a wrought iron bench surrounded by little purple flowers.

  Anthony grinned and then winked at her. No, wait. He wasn’t looking right at her. Good heavens, he winked at the camera. She slapped her hand to her forehead and leaned on the arm rest.

  He strummed a chord. “Sweet Megan. Sweet, sweet Megan. You’re like sunshine in the dark.” Another chord. “Megan, sweet, sweet Megan, I want to take you to the park.”

  A laugh threatened to bubble up from her chest, but she suppressed it. Something told her it wasn’t meant to be funny. He continued to sing, never quite hitting the high note, and always ending in a word that rhymed with dark. He managed to use mark, lark, stark, bark, snark, and even quark.

  He ended the song with another dance move, and shot the camera a sexy smile. Megan wasn’t sure if the song was about her, or about his love affair with being on television. She plastered on a polite grin and clapped. “That was very entertaining.”

  He bowed low. “It’s what I do.” Then he punctuated it with a twirl.

  Megan stood, grabbed his arm and pulled him along the path. Maybe if they walked through the gardens and came out the other side, they’d be done with this ridiculous date. “What else do you like to do, besides play the guitar and dance?”

  “I don’t know, there’s not much time to do other stuff, with all the gigs me and my band do.” He turned a serious face to her. “Music is my life, man.”

  “People pay you to sing?” Right after the words left her mouth, she wished she could stuff them back in.

  His face fell. “Well, sometimes. I mean, we’ve had a couple paying gigs.”

  “How do you afford your rent?” Again, she regretted her words. Why was she unable to filter her mouth today?

  He shrugged. “My parents don’t charge rent.”

  Oh, boy. She couldn’t believe who they’d picked to try to woo her away from Adam. Luc, with his slobbery kisses and never-ending comments about her beauty, Kyle, who had walked off the show, and Anthony, a guy living in his mother’s basement. Great.

  She swallowed all the words stuck in her throat and simply smiled.

  “But any day now the band will break out, and we’ll make something of ourselves.” He kicked a rock off the stone path. “I mean, this is a start, right?” He glanced at the camera.

  How could she tell him his dream needed to die? That he’d never be a famous singer? She couldn’t crush him like that. Instead, she changed the subject. “What do your parents think?”

  His shoulders slumped. “My dad wants me to go into the family business. Says the money’s more stable than chasing a pipe dream.”

  “What’s your dad do?”

  “He owns a heating and air conditioning company. He wants me to work for him, then eventually take over so he can retire.”

  It was obvious by his face he didn’t like that idea. But singing would never work for him. She wished she could say something to persuade him to listen to his father. “Is heating and air conditioning that bad?”

  His nose wrinkled like he’d kicked a skunk. “I’ve been helping him with his business since I was a kid and he could bribe me with a few dollars. It’s boring, dirty work.”

  Megan twisted a strand of her hair around her index finger. “If you could pick anything in the world to do, besides singing, what would it be?”

  “Why not music?”

  “Let’s pretend it didn’t work out.” She hoped he’d play along without further questions.

  He looked up at the sky. “Modeling would be fun.”

  She clapped her hands together. “What a great idea! You’d be perfect for that.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Yes! In fact, the first time I saw you, I thought you looked like a model.”

  An impish grin crept across his face. “That sexy, huh?”

  She shoved him gently in the chest and laughed. “And humble, too.” By this time, they’d finished their walk through the gardens, and Megan caught sight of Adam up on the deck of the mansion, a slight breeze blowing his hair. Her breath caught.

  Anthony shoved his fists in his pockets and squinted at Adam. “You love him, don’t you?”

  She blew out a frustrated breath. What was up with everyone? Was it super obvious that she was a schmuck falling in love for real with a man who was only pretending? What a loser she was. But even as those thoughts swirled in her head, her pulse quickened when she saw Adam smile.

  She couldn’t answer Anthony, so she just played dumb.

  “Well, he sure loves you. I can see it. And he said so.”

  What could she say to that? ‘No, he’s playing a part for television? He signed a contract?’ She sighed and lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.

  His devilish smile made a re-appearance. “We should make your man over there a little jealous.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb.

  Apprehension overcame her. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Sure it is.” He came closer, his lips just a breath away. “Let’s see how he likes this.” And suddenly his mouth was on hers. Kissing Anthony was like an awkward teen kiss. Not unpleasant, but uncoordinated and over quickly. He smiled. “See. He’s not too happy.”

  She glanced over at Adam, and sure enough, a frown had overtaken his face, his eyebrows drawn together. But, how was he supposed to react? The girl he confessed as his love was kissing someone else. If he kept smiling, he’d ruin the show. But she had to admit, a tiny part of her enjoyed his anxiety.

  Megan put her hand on Anthony’s shoulder. “Thanks for the date.”

  He pointed both index fingers at her. “You betcha.” Then he twirled and did a little jig.

  She couldn’t help but laugh.

  MEGAN TWISTED HER FINGERS together as she sat on the le
ather straight-back chair. Doctor Lemon stared her down. Adam sat on the opposite side and seemed almost as nervous as she.

  “Your next trust exercise will be in the form of a dinner date.” The doctor looked like she was trying to hide a smile.

  Megan released a breath she’d been holding. Eat dinner. She could do that. Easy peasy, right?

  Adam nodded with a ‘That’s not so bad’ expression on his face.

  Doctor Lemon pulled out a small metal box with a hinged lid. “You will be driven by limousine to a fine restaurant. We’ll give you time to change. There are new outfits in your rooms.” She slid the box into Megan’s hands. “The trust exercise comes when you open this box during dinner. There are instructions inside.”

  Megan clutched the cold metal container like it was about to come alive and wrestle her to the ground. She took a calming breath. Surely it couldn’t be anything too horrible.

  The doctor glanced at her watch. “You have a half-hour to get ready. You are dismissed.”

  Heart pounding, Megan stood and glanced at Adam. He raised an eyebrow at the box in her hand, but a smile slid onto his face. “This should be interesting.”

  Not the word she was thinking of. Leon, no doubt, was behind all of this. And he was the last person she trusted. “Yeah.”

  When she got to her room, she gasped at the black gown that hung on the back of her bathroom door. Silky, yet shimmering in the light, the cut both sexy and flattering. When she slid it on, it fit like it had been cut for her figure. She twirled in front of the mirror. Wow.

  She freshened her makeup and ran a brush through her hair, then grabbed the metal box. Adam stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, leaning casually against the wall. When their gaze met, she sucked in a breath. She couldn’t help it. He looked like he belonged in a men’s fashion magazine. Or in a lineup at a wedding. Seeing him in a tux was doing strange things to her heart. As she neared, he winked at her and those dimples appeared. She broke eye contact and concentrated on not falling down the stairs.