[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  He caught her, his strong arms holding her steady. “Whoa. Watch out, or you’ll end up in the lake.”

  She blinked up at him, her heart racing from the close proximity. Man, he smelled good. Like fresh out of the shower mixed with date night musk. She splayed her hand over his chest with the intention of pushing him away, but the feel of his muscles under her fingers mesmerized her and she stood there staring at him. If she tilted her head a little, their lips would meet. She could relive that kiss from so long ago. “No,” she mumbled.

  “No?”

  She shook her head to clear it. “I mean thanks.” She squirmed away from him and scampered out of the canoe.

  What in the world was that all about? What was wrong with her? So Blake had muscles. And rock hard abs. Big deal. Why had she gone all butter brained? Stupid crush.

  She helped Blake with the picnic sack as he climbed out, and they headed back to his truck. By the time they pulled out onto the highway, her heart had normalized.

  Blake turned to her. “You all right?”

  “Fine,” she said a little too quickly. Arg. Why couldn’t she just act normal?

  “You got quiet all of a sudden.”

  Great. What was she supposed to say, ‘My childhood crush took over my brain for a moment and I couldn’t stop thinking about kissing you?’ Not likely. “I’m not quiet. Just content.”

  He looked like he was trying not to smile. “Content, huh?”

  “I mean, it’s such a nice day out. And the lake was calming. That’s all.”

  “I see.” He smirked as he drove, as if he knew a secret.

  She wanted to smack that smug grin off his face but folded her hands into her lap instead. They were silent on the drive home. When he pulled up to her apartment, she saw a little red Toyota with a smiley face antenna topper sitting in the parking lot.

  Natalie.

  Dang. Why had she given her sister a key? She never used it for emergencies. She was probably in there eating Sidney’s Cracker Jacks and watching Netflix, the moocher.

  “Well, thanks for the picnic. See ya.” She hopped out of the truck, hoping he’d just go away.

  Unfortunately, he turned the truck off and got out. “What do you have planned for dinner?”

  Just as the words left his mouth, Natalie came waltzing out of the apartment. “Blake? Is that you?”

  Of course Natalie looked like she’d stepped out of a television show, her little daisy duke shorts and tight top showing off her fabulous figure. He did a double take. “Natalie?”

  “Oh my gosh, I heard you were back in town.” She ran over to him and hugged him. “How are you?” She smiled at him.

  Sidney ground her teeth. Little Miss Flirtatious was working her magic.

  Chapter 9

  Blake pulled back from Natalie. She sure hadn’t changed much from the last time he’d seen her. “I’m fine. How are things going for you?”

  Natalie combed her fingers through her hair and smiled, her lashes lowered. “I’m good. Real good. We should get together.” She almost purred when she spoke.

  “Well, I was just about to...” He glanced at Sidney and froze. She stood there, her mouth in a straight line, arms folded tight across her chest. Had he stepped into a family feud? He coughed. “Um, I was...”

  Natalie grabbed his arm and saddled up beside him. “Come inside. We should catch up.”

  Before he knew it, she was dragging him into the apartment. Sidney followed behind them, making sure they removed their shoes. “What are you doing here, Natalie?”

  “I heard there was a doctor in town.”

  Oh brother. He wiggled out of her grasp and took a few steps back. Just what he needed. Another woman like his ex, more interested in his profession than him.

  Sidney’s face blanched, and she looked like she wanted to slap her sister. “Nat, where’s Gregg?”

  Natalie’s expression soured and she looked at her fingernails. “We broke up.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry.” Sidney’s face betrayed her lie. “Sit down. You must be upset. I’ll bring you a Diet Coke.” She turned to him. “Do you want a soda?”

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  Natalie plopped down on the couch and Blake took the opportunity to snag the accent chair. “How long were you dating Gregg?”

  “Two weeks.” Natalie looked bored. “But that doesn’t matter. What have you been up to?” She leaned closer.

  “Just getting everything unpacked.”

  She grinned. “If you need any help—”

  “No, thank you.” He could imagine what kind of help Natalie would be.

  “Moving is hard.” She sighed dramatically. “But it’s nice to already know people here.”

  He nodded, unsure of what else to say to her.

  She squinted at him. “You’ve got something on your...” She pointed to her face.

  He wiped his face, but didn’t feel anything.

  “No, you didn’t get it.” She got up and sashayed over to him. Before he knew what to do, she was sitting on his lap. She crossed her legs and ran her finger across his lips.

  “There.”

  Stunned, Blake just sat there.

  SIDNEY WALKED INTO the living room to see Natalie sitting in Blake’s lap. Heat warmed her face and she was about to clear her throat when Natalie laughed and said, “Do you remember when you kissed me behind the trees in our backyard?”

  The drinks in her hands slipped and fell to the hardwood floor. She watched in horror as Coke, ice, and shards of glass flew everywhere. Blake jumped out of his chair so fast that Natalie bounced off and landed on her butt.

  He took a step towards Sidney. “Are you okay?” Before she had a chance to answer, he said, “Don’t move. There’s glass everywhere. I’ll go get a broom.”

  He tiptoed like Dick Van Dyke doing one of his Mary Poppins dances as he tried to avoid the glass and get into the kitchen. Sidney stared at her sister, speechless. It suddenly made sense why Blake had kissed Sidney so passionately that day. Why he’d called her Natalie. They’d been kissing in the shadows all along. The old hollow feeling worked its way into her chest, but with a new humiliation attached to it.

  Blake called from the other room. “Where’s your broom?”

  She sighed, unable to do anything but just stand there. “The closet by the back door.”

  He came into the room and started sweeping the mess into the dustbin. When the glass had been contained, Sidney walked through the kitchen to get the mop. She filled a bucket with water and squirted some floor cleaner in.

  Blake took the mop from her. “Here, let me.”

  “Fine.” She brushed past him, irrational anger making her shake. She stalked into her bedroom and pulled off her socks, now dripping with soda. How could she have been so stupid? It had been obvious. Blake had always liked Natalie. That was no secret. Dumb of her not to realize Blake had been kissing Natalie all along.

  Idiot.

  And now here he was, back to flirting with Natalie. And he’d said he didn’t want to be with her, which made it ten times worse. He had no intention of getting serious. He was just playing the flirt. What a jerk.

  She shoved her feet into clean socks and walked back into the living room. Blake wrung the mop into the bucket and turned to her. “All cleaned up.”

  Natalie was sitting on the couch, a pout on her face.

  “Thanks.” Sidney took the mop from him and went to rinse it out. She twisted on the faucet and let it run.

  “Hey.”

  She turned to bump into the solid wall of Blake’s chest. Geesh, what was he doing, trying to give her a heart attack? Her heart thumped against her ribcage as if it wanted out.

  He held up the bucket. “Can I dump this in here?”

  “Better dump it in the toilet.”

  He paused, staring at her for some insane reason. Why did his gaze make her feel all wobbly inside? “Down the hall?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He left and she cou
ld finally breathe. What was wrong with her? Why did her crush on him suffocate her like that? It was dumb. He and Natalie had obviously picked up right where they left off. She needed to get them out of her apartment.

  She put away the mop and went to talk to Natalie. Her sister approached her as she entered the living room. “We should make Blake a welcome home dinner.” She was back to her coy self.

  “Actually, I have something I need to do.” She waited for her sister to move, but when she didn’t, Sidney said, “So...goodbye.” She motioned toward the door.

  Natalie huffed. “Fine. But I’m calling you later, and you’re going to spill it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You and the good doctor. I want to know what’s going on.” She grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes, then walked out the door.

  Blake spoke behind her. “Natalie had to leave?”

  She turned to see Blake leaning against the wall in a handsome GQ pose. Man, she needed to get away from him. “Yes. And if you leave now, you can catch up to her.”

  “Why would I want to do that?”

  His question took her by surprise. “You know. Saturday night. You could take her out. Eat dinner.” Make out behind the trees.

  He crossed the room and stopped a few inches from her. “I thought we already established she’s not a good match for me.”

  Wow, he sure was something. Making it painfully obvious he was just fooling around with no intention of getting serious. She looked up at him and inched back. Her stupid schoolgirl crush was sucking the air out of the room. She stood still, hoping he couldn’t hear her shallow breathing. “I just thought...”

  “Do you have any thyme?”

  She stared at him. “Time for what?”

  He chuckled. “Not time. Thyme. When I was here earlier I noticed you have raw chicken in your fridge.”

  “You mean when you were snooping.”

  “Yep,” he said unapologetically while he brushed past her. “I know a great chicken recipe.”

  Why was he headed toward her kitchen, instead of out the door? She wanted to tell him she had other plans, but she lacked the energy to argue with him. Plus, she hated to cook, and it looked like Blake was going to make dinner for her. “The spices are in the second cupboard. Help yourself.”

  “Found it.” His voice was followed by the sounds of him searching for other kitchen items.

  She should plop down on the couch and let him do it, but guilt forced her into the kitchen. “What else do you need?”

  He listed off a few things, and she got them out. As he worked on the chicken, she pulled out a tube of crescent rolls and popped it open.

  “Good idea. That will go great. I can make an easy green bean dish as well.”

  They worked alongside each other for a while in a companionable silence. The stifling awkwardness had dissipated, and Sidney was glad things were back to normal. She flipped on the radio and he rolled his eyes at her pop station but didn’t say anything.

  “You and your sister...looks like you don’t get along?” He slid the glass casserole dish into the oven and raised an eyebrow at her.

  What could she say to that? Natalie was just...Natalie. Self-absorbed. Never around when Sidney needed a sister, but always there when Natalie needed something from her. She sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  Blake turned a chair around and sat backwards, his arms resting on the back of the chair. “How complicated?”

  “She and I are very different.” Sidney opened a cupboard, pulled out two plates and set them on the table.

  “Thanks, Miss Obvious.” He made a face.

  “Don’t you mean Captain Obvious?”

  “I don’t think I do. I think you might get a little bit of a seniority complex if I started attaching titles to you.”

  She huffed. “Well, at any rate,” she said, setting down two forks. “Natalie’s just too concerned about Natalie to notice anything else.”

  He sobered. “I could tell. She’s very insecure.”

  Sidney squinted at him. Bold and brazen Natalie? The girl willing to flirt with any breathing male within a sixty-mile radius? “You’re kidding, right?”

  He stared at her. “You don’t see it?”

  She sat down in the chair next to him. “I don’t. She’ll talk to any guy. She’s been on more dates than anyone I know. She’d do anything to get a man’s attention.”

  “But she doesn’t get real with anyone, does she?”

  Sidney laughed. “That’s because there is no real with Natalie. She’s surface. Fluff. She cares more about a broken nail than the economy or who the next president will be.”

  “Sad, isn’t it?” Blake shifted in his chair.

  “Pathetic.”

  “No, I mean, it’s sad she doesn’t have enough self-esteem to feel like she can offer up her opinion on things like the economy or the next president.”

  “She just doesn’t care about that stuff.” The smell coming from the oven made her mouth water.

  “She cares. She’s just too insecure to think anyone would want to know her opinion.”

  Sidney thought about Natalie. Was he right? Was she insecure? She hadn’t always been so flighty and shallow. It had come upon her over time. “I don’t know.”

  “Look at her. She wears tight clothes because she thinks her body is all she has to offer men. And I bet she hasn’t had a significant relationship since high school.”

  Sidney hesitated. “You’re right.”

  “She doesn’t let anyone get close to her. The real her. She puts on a front, but inside she’s hurting.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I’ve taken some psych classes.”

  She grinned. “Like Shawn and Gus?”

  His laughter filled the kitchen. “That’s my favorite show on Netflix.”

  The timer buzzed and she hopped up to get the rolls. “I guess it’s possible there’s more to Natalie than meets the eye.”

  “There’s more to most people.”

  Sidney eyed Blake as she set the rolls on the table. Why was he saying all this? He’d repeatedly told her he and Natalie wouldn’t make a good match. What was his point? She didn’t want to think about it, so she fiddled with the chicken, checking to see if the meat was done.

  He came up behind her. “How does it look?”

  The heat from the oven—and the heat coming from him standing so close behind her—made her uncomfortable. “Not done yet.” She took a step, forcing him to move back.

  He picked up the newspaper lying on her counter. “Do you have a pencil?”

  She opened a drawer and handed him one. “You still do crossword puzzles?”

  “You bet.”

  They worked on the puzzle for a while, until the timer for the chicken buzzed. She stood and crossed the room, grabbing the oven mitts, very aware that Blake was right behind her. She lifted the chicken out of the oven and Blake shut the door for her. Why did he have to smell so good? She set it on the hot plate, got out a serving spoon, and dished up the food.

  Blake waited for her to sit. She picked up her fork and tentatively took a bite of the chicken. “This is good,” she said.

  “Thanks.” He smiled, and she noticed how the laugh lines around his eyes were a nice feature on him. Made him look distinguished. Not old, really. Just gave him a more handsome look. Her cheeks burned when she realized she was staring at him, and she looked down to her lap.

  “I’ve scheduled your first skydive for next weekend.”

  She coughed and almost choked on the food in her mouth. “You what?”

  He pointed his fork at her. “No backing out.”

  “But...” She swallowed. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Don’t I need classes or something?”

  Blake stabbed a green bean and grinned at her. “I’ve been an instructor for the last three years. It’s no big deal.”

  Her face must have reflected her panic because he set his fork down and
put his hand over hers. “They’ll give you thirty minutes of instruction before we make the jump. And your first jump will be tandem, so there won’t be any need to worry.”

  “What’s tandem?”

  “It’s where we jump together. We wear harnesses, yours attached to mine. You’ll be stuck to my chest. Don’t worry, I’ve done it a hundred times.”

  Was she seriously going to jump out of an airplane with Blake? The thought of it both terrified and thrilled her. The terrified part wanted to back out of it, but the other part of her took over, and she nodded. “Okay.”

  He smiled. “You’ll love it. I just know it.”

  After dinner they cleaned up the plates and then turned awkwardly to each other. Sidney motioned to the living room. “Well, I guess you’d better be going.”

  “You have Netflix, right? Do you want to watch Psych with me?”

  The thought of him cozying up with her on the couch to watch TV jumped into her head and in a panic she blurted, “No! I’ve got to...” All thought left her head and she had no idea what excuse she could give him. She glanced down and saw her ring. “Call Ted. I’ve got to call him right now. He’s expecting me.”

  She practically shoved Blake into the other room and toward the door. “So, see ya!”

  He planted his feet on the floor and crossed his arms in a silent challenge. “Just a minute.”

  The only thing she could think of was getting him out of her apartment. “I’m really sorry. I need to call Ted right now. I kind of forgot about it and he’ll be upset if I’m too late.”

  She sent him her most pleading expression, hoping he’d just go.

  BLAKE OBSERVED SIDNEY’S face and wondered what went wrong. He’d thought if he spent more time with her, got her to open up a little, she’d come clean about Ted. They’d had a good day together. He thought they’d made progress, but here she was, using Ted as an excuse to shove him out the door.