[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Kimmy whacked their father. “You embarrassed him.”

  Her father laughed. “It’s a legitimate question.”

  A question for which Penny had no answer. Well, the truth was they’d never give him a grandson, but she couldn’t say that. She just shifted uncomfortably until Harrison came back and sat next to her on the loveseat.

  “So what’s your favorite Christmas memory?” Harrison looked around the room.

  Penny’s warm cheeks grew even hotter. He was trying to change the subject. Save her some embarrassment, but he didn’t realize the can of worms he was opening.

  Her father grinned, and she knew what was coming. “It would have to be the time Penny fell asleep at the Christmas play.”

  The whole family busted up laughing, and Harrison’s eyebrows knit together. “Why is that funny?”

  Her father leaned forward. “Because she was in the play.”

  Clay joined in. “She was a shepherd. She almost fell off the stage!”

  “You were too little to even remember it.” Kimmy frowned.

  “That doesn’t make it any less funny.” Clay went back to playing with his phone.

  Harrison cleared his throat. “Well, I was thinking more along the lines—”

  “Have you heard about the blind date incident?” Her father wasn’t going to stop. Penny sank into the chair.

  Harrison shook his head.

  “Penny spent all day getting ready for a blind date. When the doorbell rang, she greeted the man, and even though he was older than she’d thought he’d be, she politely took his arm and started to lead him down to his car. Turned out, he was a door-to-door salesman trying to peddle household cleaner.”

  Penny covered her face with her hands as everyone laughed. Yep. Penny’s big mess-ups. Her family’s favorite pastime was reliving all the embarrassing things she’d ever done. At least they didn’t know the biggest one yet. She waited through a couple more stories before she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Excuse me,” she said, and headed to the bathroom.

  Her vision blurred as she tried to get a hold of her emotions. So what if she was the family screw-up. Who cared if Harrison was going to hear all about her stupid mistakes? She’d already told him plenty on her own.

  She splashed water on her face and patted it dry with the hand towel. It was dumb to hide out in the bathroom. She took a deep breath and opened the door. As she walked down the hall, Harrison’s voice carried.

  “You know these stories hurt her, right?”

  She froze.

  Harrison continued. “Penny is a bright, compassionate woman with many strengths.”

  Penny’s heart expanded and she took a step back.

  Her father spoke. “She knows we’re just kidding around.”

  “I know you don’t mean anything by it,” Harrison said. “But you have no idea the lengths she’s gone through over the last two weeks to prove to you guys she’s not just a screw-up. Bringing up all her past mistakes is only going to make her feel terrible.”

  “William’s right,” her mother said. “We could be hurting Penny’s feelings.”

  Penny blinked back more tears. No one had ever defended her like that before. Harrison might possibly be the most considerate man she’d ever met. Most of the time her dates would join right in, laughing along with everyone else.

  She waited in the shadow of the hallway until the conversation changed to talk about Christmas Eve. As she walked toward the living room, Harrison rounded the corner and she ran into the solid wall of his chest. “Oh!”

  He grabbed her arms. “Sorry. I was coming to check on you. Are you okay?”

  Her hands splayed on his chest, and the smell of his laundry detergent mixed with his own scent made her dizzy. She nodded. “I’m fine.”

  His heart beat under her fingers and she couldn’t breathe. He gazed down at her and time slowed.

  “Hey, look!” Kimmy’s voice broke the trance she was in and she jumped back from Harrison. Kimmy grinned at them. “You guys are under the mistletoe.”

  Penny looked up, and sure enough, someone had hung a sprig of mistletoe in the hallway.

  Kimmy winked at her. “Guess there’s only one thing for you to do.”

  Harrison’s eyes widened as if he’d rather kiss a bull. Penny’s heart stopped for a moment and she sent her sister a silent plea. Kimmy put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Come on, William. Kiss her.”

  Harrison leaned over and gave her a tiny peck on the cheek.

  Kimmy snorted. “That’s not a kiss. Give her a real one.”

  The apology in Harrison’s eyes was evident, even as he took his finger and lifted her chin. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as his lips came closer.

  “Sorry,” He whispered, his breath tickling her skin.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered back, breathless.

  His lips captured hers. The kiss started slow and soft, but she soon found herself on her tiptoes to get closer. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him. She’d been wrong to demand he back off. This kiss was like nothing she’d ever experienced before, and her nerve endings became aware of every sensation. She entwined her fingers in his hair.

  She suddenly never wanted to stop kissing him. But she knew if she didn’t stop soon, it would become awkward with Kimmy standing there gawking at them. She pulled back. Harrison stared at her, his eyes holding a silent question.

  Kimmy fanned her face. “Wow, you two know how to kiss.”

  Her mother came around the corner. “What are you guys doing in the hallway?”

  Kimmy pointed up, and her mother grinned. “Ah, so that’s where you hung it. Don’t let me interrupt the fun. I’m just heading to bed.”

  “Me too.” Kimmy followed their mother, giving Penny a wide grin before turning the corner. They were alone again.

  “Penny, I—”

  “No, let me.” Penny took a breath. If she didn’t get it out now, she’d never have the nerve to say it. “I’m sorry I said those things the other night. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

  He squinted his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure what she meant, so she pressed forward. “I didn’t mean for you to be afraid to get near me.” She forced a laugh. “I mean, we are supposed to be in love.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

  “It would be ridiculous for us to...” She looked down at her hands now gripping his biceps. “Not even touch.”

  He stood silent for a moment, studying her, his arms still around her. “Of course.”

  She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Even in the dim hallway, the icy blue depths drew her in, and made her knees go weak. She turned away. “We’d better go upstairs.”

  “Yes. It’s late.” He stepped back and she instantly missed the feel of his arms around her.

  Chapter 22

  Harrison patted his pocket for the umpteenth time that day making sure the ring box was still there, and hadn’t burned a hole in his trousers. Why was he doing this to himself? For heaven’s sake, he met Penny a couple of weeks ago. There’s no way she would agree to stay married to him. They barely knew each other. This was insane.

  “Would you like more ham?” Marci looked at him expectantly. “You haven’t eaten much.”

  Harrison shook his head. “No, thank you. It was delicious, but I can’t take another bite.” That was an understatement. His stomach churned and he regretted all the other bites he’d forced down throughout the day.

  They’d gotten family photos taken that morning. Turned out the photographer was a family friend who had a studio set up in his basement. He took photos of the entire family, then singled out Harrison and Penny for a few newlywed photos. Harrison was sure they would have turned out better had he not been fretting the entire time.

  Today was Christmas Eve. Just one more day, and they’d be back in California with Patrice. He’d have to confess to Penny he had his trust fund, and it was depleted. He ran his hand over the lump in his pocket, unsure of wh
at to do.

  Everyone stood to clean the table. Harrison picked up several glasses and took them to the dishwasher. Marci laid a hand on his. “Thank you, William. You’re so considerate.” Her eyes misted over. “We’re lucky to have you as a part of this family. Thank you for making my daughter happy.”

  A pain stabbed at his chest. He hadn’t expected to feel this guilty deceiving Penny’s family. They didn’t even know his real name. “That’s kind of you to say.”

  Marci finished filling the dishwasher and everyone congregated in the living room. Harrison wasn’t sure if he should put his arm around Penny or not. He finally settled on resting it on the back of the loveseat.

  “It’s our tradition to open family gifts on Christmas Eve. Then Santa comes while we sleep.” The way Marci beamed made Harrison smile. “Clay, will you pass out the gifts?”

  There weren’t an extraordinary number of presents under the tree, and the wrapping paper didn’t look expensive, but for some reason Harrison felt an anticipation he hadn’t felt in years. Maybe it was the joy on everyone’s faces as they chatted and passed around the goodies he and Penny had made. Or perhaps it was the family atmosphere.

  They took turns opening gifts―small inexpensive items, but everyone expressed their warm thanks, and the tone was so different from what he was used to. When it was Harrison’s turn to open his gift from Penny, he was surprised to find an herb garden kit. He’d always wanted to try growing his own herbs, but had never told anyone. He turned to Penny. “How did you know?”

  She laughed and poked him in the side. “All foodies want to grow their own herbs.”

  “Thank you.” The thoughtfulness of the gift touched him, and he leaned over and gave her a kiss before he could think about it. Surprise showed on her face for a quick second before she masked it.

  A knock sounded on the door and Marci stood. When she opened the door, Kimmy sucked in a breath. Her boyfriend stood on the steps.

  “Good evening, ma’am. I’m Rob Curtis and I’ve been dating your daughter.”

  Kimmy ran to the door. “What are you doing?”

  Arthur got up from his chair. “What’s going on?”

  Marci put her hand to her heart and backed away from the door. Kimmy shut the front door in Rob’s face, turned and pressed her back against it. She stretched out her arms, as if that would block everyone from what had just happened.

  “Kimmy?” Arthur’s voice boomed. “What is the meaning of this? Surely you’re not dating that hooligan.”

  “Arthur!” Marci scolded.

  Visible guilt dripped from Kimmy like oil. Her gaze bounced all around the room. “Um...”

  Another knock came from the door.

  “Well don’t make him stand outside in the snow.” Clay crossed the room and shoved Kimmy out of the way. He opened the door. “Come on in.”

  Rob hesitantly stepped inside. He ran his hand over his shaved head. “I’m sorry to interrupt your evening. I just have one thing that needs to be said, and then I’ll leave.”

  Kimmy stood silent.

  Rob pressed on, turning toward Arthur. “I love your daughter. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve spent the last ten years making them right. I might not ever be good enough for Kim, but if she’ll have me, I’ve come to ask her hand in marriage.”

  He swiveled to Kimmy, sank to one knee and pulled out a ring from his leather jacket. Kimmy’s eyes grew until Harrison worried they’d pop out of her head.

  “Will you marry me?”

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”

  The room erupted in commotion, everyone talking at once. Marci shouted at Arthur, and Arthur looked like he was going to blow a gasket, while Clay seemed to be enjoying the show. Penny’s face drained of color.

  Kimmy stood and shouted, “Stop!”

  The room went silent. Kimmy swallowed, took a deep breath, and faced her parents. “Look, I didn’t want to tell you I was dating Rob, but we are in love. And getting married!” She squealed, then settled down. “I know you don’t approve, but this is how it is. You’ll have to accept it.” She squared her shoulders and stared down the room in a silent challenge.

  Everyone stood stunned until Penny jumped up and hugged her. “Congratulations.”

  Arthur’s face turned dark red. “I don’t want any daughter of mine—”

  “Daddy,” Kimmy interrupted. “It’s Christmas. Let’s talk about this later. Can’t we just have Christmas?”

  “But—”

  “Arthur,” Marci said. “Kimmy’s right. Let’s continue with our evening. We can talk later.” Marci pointed to where Kimmy had been on the couch. “Rob, why don’t you join us?”

  The tension in the room didn’t dissipate, but as everyone sat down the frown on Arthur’s face lessened. They resumed the present opening, and Clay passed a plate of cookies to Rob.

  Penny opened her gift from Harrison next. It was a pair of TARDIS earrings he’d picked up at the convention and managed to hide from her. She bounced in her seat like a kid. “I love them! Thank you, Harrison!”

  He froze, waiting to see if anyone noticed she’d called him by a different name, his heart hammering in his chest.

  Kimmy spoke first. “Did you say Harrison?”

  Penny’s face flamed red. “I, uh...”

  Clay put his phone down. “Wait, this isn’t William?”

  “He...um...” Penny fiddled with the wrapping paper, looking down at her lap.

  Harrison had to say something. Anything. They all stared at him. He cleared his throat. “It’s my fault. I used my last name online, and Penny mistook it for my first. She started calling me William and it stuck. But my name is really Harrison.” The lie seemed believable. It wasn’t that he wanted to deceive Penny’s family, but he’d rather do that than admit the truth and watch Penny be humiliated.

  No one said anything, and heat crept up Harrison’s neck.

  Arthur stared at him, a puzzled expression on his face. “Harrison, as in Harrison Williams?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wish someone would have told me we were calling you by the wrong name,” Marci said, frowning. “I’m not quite sure why Penny didn’t say anything...”

  “She was afraid of being made fun of.” Harrison didn’t mean for it to come out as an accusation.

  “Well.” Marci’s smile was forced. “It’s not a big deal.”

  Arthur shifted in his seat. “Harrison Williams, as in CEO of Harrison Williams Investment Group?”

  Harrison wished another person would burst in and propose to take the attention off himself. “Yes.”

  Kimmy laughed. “Get out. You married a CEO?”

  Penny turned a deeper shade of red, which he didn’t think was possible. “I’m sorry we lied,” she said quietly.

  Clay stared at his phone, his eyes growing wide. “Oh man, you’re a billionaire?”

  Technically he was worth billions, but only because he’d inherit a billion dollar company when Patrice died. Right now he was cash poor. Harrison tugged at his collar, feeling like a broken record. “Yeah.”

  An awkward pause settled in until Clay said, “Hot da—”

  “Clay!” Marci said.

  “I was going to say dang.”

  Marci scowled at Clay, then plastered on a smile. “Well, we’re almost done. Who’s opening next?”

  HARRISON LAY ON THE floor listening to Penny’s even breathing. Well, that had been uncomfortable, but they’d gotten through it. Penny’s family had accepted the lie, and no one suspected her real mistake.

  He pulled out the ring box and opened it. The diamond he’d picked wasn’t large and flashy. It was understated, but elegant, like everything else Penny wore.

  “Are you awake?”

  Penny’s voice startled him and he snapped the ring box shut and stuffed it under his blanket. She wasn’t looking down at him. Maybe she hadn’t seen it. “Yeah. Just thinking.”

  She exhaled. “I can�
��t sleep either.” The bed made a noise and her face popped over the edge. “Sorry about earlier. I can’t believe I messed up and said your name.”

  “It’s okay. It all worked out.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Her face looked troubled. “Sorry to put you on the spot. I hope it didn’t make things awkward for you.”

  “It’s fine.”

  The bed creaked again and her face disappeared. “My family can be a little overwhelming.”

  He smiled despite the awkwardness. Her family was warm and friendly, and even though they had flaws, they made him feel at home. “They’re perfect.”

  “Ha. You’re drunk.”

  “No, seriously. You’ve met my family, right?”

  Penny snort-laughed. “Okay, compared to Patrice, my house is full of angels.”

  Harrison’s smile faded. “They don’t mean to hurt you, when they tease you about things.”

  Penny’s voice came back, soft. “I know.” After a moment of silence, Penny said, “Why is Patrice the way she is?”

  Harrison squinted in the dark, trying to see beyond the pale shadows. “She’s very insecure. She wasn’t well received when she married my father.”

  Penny looked down at him again. “What happened to your mother?”

  “She died when I was young. Cancer. I barely remember her.”

  She reached out and took his hand, warmth spreading over him. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Like I said, I barely remember her.”

  “It must have been hard, having Patrice come and replace her.”

  Harrison squeezed Penny’s hand. “Patrice let our nanny raise me. Lucy Perkins was her name, and she was everything Patrice was not. She became like a mother to me.”

  “What happened to her?”

  Harrison swallowed the lump in his throat. “Patrice fired her when I was twelve. Accused her of stealing, although I always suspected she was insanely jealous of our relationship. Lucy packed up and I haven’t seen her since.”

  Penny sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s terrible.”

  “It is what it is.”

  “Well, you’re right. My family is pretty awesome.” She pulled her hand away.