[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “Mrs. William Tucker,” she whispered, testing out the sound of it on her tongue. A shiver of anticipation shot up her spine. She’d already known there was something special about him a couple of years ago, when they first chatted online. They’d always had a connection. Their hearts were melded together. And now—well, where was he?

  She’d splurged for a limousine driver to pick him up at the airport. Surely he’d arrive any minute. Traffic was probably bad with all the December holiday madness. She took another peek out at the nearly empty parking lot, willing the long black car to materialize.

  HARRISON WILLIAMS GRIPPED his carry-on and stalked down the jetway, brushing past the slower passengers and trying not to scowl. This was the last thing he wanted to be doing, meeting some ridiculous socialite. But his brother was insistent, so he agreed to keep the peace. All he had to do was talk to her. Then he could leave and tell his brother it didn’t work out.

  The whole idea of marrying some upper class money grabber just to gain access to his trust fund made his stomach turn. But Trent did have a point. He’d never see a dime of his money if he didn’t jump through his stepmother’s hoops. A business arrangement. That’s what his brother kept telling him it was. Just a simple agreement so both parties could benefit.

  He slipped his hand in his pocket and fingered the piece of paper with the address, his nerves jangling. A part of him wondered if she would be tolerable. Maybe even likeable. A frown pulled his lips down. What was he thinking, he’d fall in love with the girl? He smoothed his suit jacket and continued down the walkway. No need to be entertaining foolish thoughts.

  A driver stood by the glass doors, the name “Williams” printed on the white piece of paper he held.

  Harrison stared at the man. Really? Trent hired a limousine? Who was this woman he was trying to impress? Harrison greeted the man.

  “Right this way, sir.”

  He followed the driver, shaking his head at the lengths Trent was going through just to impress some spoiled little—Harrison stopped himself and shook his head. He really shouldn’t be labeling her before even meeting her. He slid into the plush seat and waited for the driver to put his carry-on in the trunk.

  As the car pulled out into traffic, Harrison took a deep breath. This could be interesting. Maybe she would be different from what he expected. Maybe he should go through with his brother’s crazy plan. If she, what was her name? Ashley? Amanda? Something like that. Oh, well. She probably wasn’t what he would want, anyway. If he did end up marrying her, it would only be a formality. He needed his trust fund money so he could move out and finally get out from under his stepmother’s control.

  He closed his eyes and laid his head back. If nothing else, at least he got to get away for a little while. His job in L.A. wasn’t exactly exciting, but his grandfather had started up the Harrison Williams Investment Group from scratch, and his father had run it until he fell ill. Now it was his turn. Expectations, and all that. It was what he’d been born to do.

  The car slowed and Harrison’s eyes snapped open. They couldn’t be there already, could they? He peered out the window and his mouth went dry. Chapel-O-Love? What the...?

  He pulled his cell from his pocket and stabbed his brother’s name. The line rang three times before he answered.

  “Very funny.” Harrison tried not to yell.

  “Hey, bro! Did you make it to Las Vegas?”

  The driver came around the car and opened his door. Harrison waved him away. “Of course I did. I can’t believe you did this. You’re insane.”

  A pause came through on the other end of the phone. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you? Come on. It’s just a girl. All you have to do is meet her.”

  “Meet her? Are you joking? I never agreed to this.” Harrison pointed to the chapel, even though his brother couldn’t see, and ground his teeth. He should have expected his brother to pull something crazy on him.

  Trent blew out a breath. “If you want the trust fund, you have to do this. She’s signed a one-year contract. It’s not a big deal. People marry for money all the time. All you have to do is pay her a hundred thousand. That’s a lot less than a divorce settlement. And she’ll get something else out of this, too. Her parents are pressuring her to marry someone of stature.”

  Harrison gripped the phone so hard he was surprised he didn’t crush it. No more words came out.

  The front door to the Chapel-O-Love opened, and a smiling bride waved at him. He broke out in a sweat, flashed a weak smile at her, and motioned that he was on the phone. She nodded, then ducked back inside.

  His brother’s voice came through over the buzzing in his ears. “Listen, don’t screw this up for me. Do you know how long I searched for a girl willing to do this? You don’t exactly have the best reputation. After leaving Carol at the altar—”

  “I caught her in the confessional with the best man!”

  Trent sighed. “Everyone goes to confession.”

  Heat burned Harrison’s face. “That wasn’t confession. That was what you do before you have to confess.”

  “Maybe she wanted to save time,” Trent muttered.

  “I’m hanging up.” Harrison pressed the disconnect symbol and slipped his phone back in his pocket. The driver stood by the door, Harrison’s bag beside him on the sidewalk. What a fine mess this was.

  The chapel door opened again and the bride smiled wide and motioned for him to come in. He stared at her. She wasn’t bad looking. In fact, she didn’t look at all like the stuck-up socialite he’d imagined. That was a plus in her favor. Her high cheek bones and almond shaped eyes were quite attractive. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back in a simple style, a cheap looking veil pinned to her head. She looked to be in her late twenties, which wasn’t too much younger than him. The dress didn’t exactly fit, but from what he could tell she was in shape.

  Wait, was he really thinking he would go through with this? He must be insane. This whole idea was certifiable. But he’d spoken to five different attorneys who all told him the same thing. His father left his stepmother in charge of the trust funds. There was no legal way to take the money away from her, no matter what his father’s intentions had been. He had to please her, and she wanted him married.

  He let out a breath and climbed out of the limousine. His brother had set this all up, and already had a contract signed with this woman. All he had to do was walk inside and say, “I do.”

  The woman waved her arms. “Are you coming? We’ve got to hurry, or they’re gonna charge us double.”

  He shrugged. Why not? It was only a year. Highly worth it for fifteen million.

  PENNY STARED AT THE man walking down the aisle. He was so handsome! She knew he would be. The photo he’d sent her was small, out of focus, and it was hard to tell what he looked like. Dark hair and chiseled features. But seeing him in person gave her a thrill. It was all she could do not to scream and jump around like she’d won the lottery. The closer he got, the more gorgeous he became. Her heart thundered in her chest. This was the man she’d bared her soul to. This was the man who understood her hopes and dreams.

  And he was smokin’ hot!

  William stepped up to the altar and faced her. He looked a little nervous. Or mad. Why was he scowling like that? She leaned over. “You okay?”

  He nodded and straightened his back. “Yes. Let’s just get this over with.”

  Over with? Her heart sank. Why did he say that? She tried to keep the hurt from her face. “You sound like you don’t want to do this.”

  His features smoothed. “I’m sorry. I do.”

  Maybe he was simply the nervous type. He did say he was shy around people. He probably struggled with social anxiety. That must be it.

  She gave him a bright smile. “Me, too.”

  The minister said a few things. She didn’t pay a lot of attention because her soon-to-be husband smelled really good, and it distracted her. She detected a musky cologne and something else. Maybe cinnamon? She should
be listening. This was her wedding.

  She tore her eyes away from William and looked up to the minister. He was staring at her with an expectant look. Then he cleared his throat, and her cheeks burned. “I do!” she blurted, hoping it was what he wanted. He must have skipped to the vow part, since they were running late.

  The minister handed them the little metal rings she’d purchased with the deluxe package. “You may exchange the rings,” he said with a grand gesture.

  William took her hand and slid the ring on her finger. Tiny zaps of electricity zinged through her, and her knees went weak. Holy cow, she’d married the right man.

  “Now, you may kiss the bride.”

  William leaned over and pressed his lips to hers so quickly she almost missed it. Really? That was their first kiss? Disappointment flitted over her, but she pushed it away. He probably didn’t want to give her a proper kiss in front of her family. They’d make up for it later.

  After the rushed ceremony, her mother took a few snapshots. Her family stood and surrounded them. Her mother dabbed at her eyes. “Congratulations! I’m so happy to finally meet you. I’m Marci.” When she pulled him into a hug, poor William looked stunned. Penny held in a giggle. Her mom could be a little overwhelming.

  Her father patted her new husband on the back. “Welcome to the family.” Then he leaned over and whispered quite loudly, “You’d better not break her heart.”

  Heat seared Penny’s face. William’s eyes grew wide, and his eyebrows rose. “Daddy. Stop teasing.” She took her husband’s arm. “This is my father, Arthur, my brother, Clay, and my little sis, Kim.”

  The minister cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, we have another couple scheduled in a few minutes. We’ll need to hurry this along. The paperwork still needs to be signed.”

  Her mother wrapped her arms around Penny in a warm embrace. “I guess this is it. We’ll see you for Christmas, right? It’s only a couple of weeks away.”

  Penny nodded. “Of course, Mom.”

  “Have a wonderful honeymoon.” Her mother took another quick photo before waving and following the family out. The minister ushered her and William to the back room.

  HARRISON WASN’T SURE what he’d gotten himself into. Everyone was acting peculiar. If this girl came from privileged means, they didn’t live like it. Her father’s purple polyester suit looked like it had been hanging in the back of his closet for thirty years.

  His thoughts were interrupted when the girl shoved a paper at him. He stared at her name. Penelope Marie Ackerman. A stately name. His stepmother would like it.

  But they’d gotten his name wrong. How embarrassing.

  Penelope grinned at him. “Let me get changed out of this dress, and then we’ll head out.” She disappeared into the back changing room.

  After she left, he took the paper to the woman behind the desk. “They’ve typed my name in wrong. Can you re-do these, please?”

  The woman took the sheet and nodded. After she typed up a new form, she held it out to him. “You’ll need to take this marriage license to the bureau and show your driver’s licenses. And there’s a fee.”

  “That’s fine.” He took the form and stuffed it in his pocket. He loosened his tie and tried to shake the feeling something was wrong with the situation. This was what needed to happen, right? In order to get his stepmother off his back and fulfill the terms she had added to his trust fund. He stared at the cheesy photos of happy couples on the wall, most of them probably plastered.

  A minute later, Penelope emerged wearing jeans and a T-shirt with the words, “Dear Math, I’m not a therapist. Solve your own problems,” splayed across her chest. “Ready?” She picked up his carry-on and headed for the parking lot.

  He trailed after her like a lost puppy. His head spun. What was going to happen now? Was he to go with her? What had his brother gotten him into? She stopped at a bright orange 1978 Pacer and dug in her purse, pulling out a set of keys.

  “That’s your car?”

  Penny frowned, obviously displeased. “Shh. She’s sensitive.” She motioned to him. “Get in. It’s unlocked.”

  “Of course it is,” he muttered. “Who would steal this?”

  Penelope either didn’t hear him, or ignored the comment. She turned to him with a bright smile. “After we file with the bureau, we can swing by my apartment and grab my stuff. Then we can head out.”

  He was afraid to ask, but the words came out anyway. “Go where?”

  Her light laughter filled the car. “To our honeymoon, of course.”

  She sped along the streets and before long Harrison found himself gripping the seat. Dear heavens, she drove like a mad woman. Her car smelled of cheap fast food. He felt like he’d entered some alternate universe.

  The marriage bureau had them in and out faster than Penny’s driving. No blood test. In a matter of minutes they were on their way.

  Penelope drove like her life depended on it. How they didn’t get in an accident, he didn’t know. The car squealed to a stop in front of a small apartment complex. “I’ll be right back.” She hopped out and ran up the steps. The apartment door she stopped at had a neon pink paper taped to it. It looked like Penny’s key wasn’t working. She pounded on the door and yanked on the knob.

  Harrison got out of the car. “Everything okay?”

  Penny kicked the door. “No. I’m locked out!”

  A balding overweight man came out of the management office, hitching up his pants.

  Penny ran to the railing and called to him. “Theodore? What did you do?”

  The man grunted. “I’m evicting you. You gotta pay the rent to live here, lady.”

  Harrison rubbed his temples. If Trent thought this woman was privileged, he’d been taken for a ride. No matter. He didn’t care if his fake wife had money or stature. He only wanted to prove to his stepmother that he was legally married. The end. Penelope would do as well as anyone. She was probably happy to sign the contract and get the hundred grand.

  “I was going to...I still had...” Penny looked like she was going to cry.

  He had to do something. “Can she at least go in and get her stuff?” He started up the stairs.

  Theodore took his time getting to the apartment. “I’ll let you in.” The keys jangled as he unlocked the door.

  Penny huffed and pushed past him, Harrison following. She disappeared into a back room. The apartment was filled with threadbare furniture, surely pieces she found sitting near dumpsters. The floor was covered with green shag carpet from the seventies. The only light in the room came from a tacky Elvis lamp sitting on an end table.

  Penny came out of her bedroom dragging an old suitcase stuffed so full of clothes it wasn’t zipped all the way.

  “You okay?”

  She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. “I thought I had another week. I thought we could—you could...” She burst into tears.

  He reached down and took the suitcase from her. Unsure of what else to do, he pulled her into a one-armed hug. Then he said the lamest thing in the history of language. “There, there.”

  She hiccupped and wiped at her eyes. “None of my furniture will fit in my car.”

  “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll buy you new furniture.”

  “I have to bring Elvis.” She picked up the lamp.

  Sure. Elvis. Who couldn’t live without a tacky Elvis lamp? He held in a smart remark. “Okay, then.” He ushered her out the door.

  They stuffed the suitcase and the lamp in the trunk and got in the car. She seemed to calm down as she drove. When they got to a red light, a high pitched voice sounded from her purse. “Text message! You have a text message!” Penelope fumbled for her phone, blushing. “Sorry. I hardly ever get a text, unless it’s from you, of course.”

  Confusion clouded his brain. What was she talking about?

  She stared at her phone. “Wait. It is from you. Did you text me while I was...” her voice trailed off as she stared at the device in her hand. The color drained fr
om her face, and she looked up at him, horror filling her eyes. “William just texted. Says he’s delayed.” She swallowed, her lips trembling. “So if he’s delayed, who are you?”

  Chapter 2

  Harrison wasn’t sure what Penelope was talking about. “Haven’t you been speaking to my brother, Trent?”

  The light turned green and Penelope drove around the corner onto a residential street. She slammed on the brakes and hopped out of the car. He didn’t know what else to do, so he stepped out as well.

  She paced in the middle of the street, her hands fisted in her hair. “No, this can’t be happening. I did not just marry a total stranger.” She continued to pace and mumble.

  “Stop! What are you talking about?” How had the situation careened out of control? It was like he was in a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. Did she say she’d married a stranger? Hadn’t that been the plan?

  She whirled to face him, pointing an accusing finger. “You! You ruined my wedding! Who are you, anyway? Some sicko who walks into other people’s weddings and takes the place of the groom? Why would you do that? What could you possibly gain from—” Her eyes narrowed and she took a step toward him, her hands clenched into tight fists. “Are you a con artist?”

  He held in a laugh. “Yes. I’m a con artist. I planned this whole thing to get your Elvis lamp.” Harrison smirked, but took a step back onto the sidewalk in case she was the type to take a swing at someone. She looked a little unstable. And for heaven’s sake, how could he have mistaken her for the woman Trent had sent him to meet? He should have asked for more details. How could he have just assumed? What a nightmare.

  Her cheeks blushed pink, which looked rather cute on her, even though she was a nutcase. She drew nearer, stepping out of the street onto the grass. “Who are you?”

  “Harrison Williams. And I didn’t ruin your wedding on purpose. The driver at the airport had my name on the card.”