[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  More pain swelled in her chest. “We haven’t spoken since that day. Casualty of war I suppose.”

  Rick adjusted his cap and looked at her. “How can a parent disown a child for making a choice? That’s just going to push them away.”

  “My thoughts exactly. I may not always like what Kylee wants to do, but I will never shove her away. I know how that feels.”

  “My father never disowned me, but I had a similar experience when I decided to go into screen acting.”

  “Why did he have a problem with that?”

  “He said it was beneath me. Stage acting is art, at least in his eyes. Making movies is selling out.”

  Tara looked over at him. “That’s hogwash. I’ve seen what you can do. It takes a lot of talent.”

  He grinned at her. “Are you calling me talented?”

  “Don’t get all egotistical on me.” She rolled her eyes.

  He squinted. “You’ve got something on your face.” He motioned to her cheek.

  She swiped her hand over her skin. “Did I get it?”

  “No, it’s still there.” He reached up, as if to wipe it off, but his hand wasn’t close enough. “I can’t reach.”

  She leaned closer and suddenly the hammock twisted and threw her off balance. It flipped and she landed on top of Rick. “Oh!”

  His laugh echoed through the palm trees. She tried to roll off him but his arms held her tight. She shoved his shoulder. “You did that on purpose.”

  “Of course I did.” His smile crinkled the skin around his eyes.

  A few strands of hair had come loose, and they hung down as she stared at him. He slowly reached up and removed the clip that held her hair up. It spilled down over her shoulders.

  “There,” he said quietly. “I’ve been wanting to do that.”

  She slid off and lay in the grass beside him, gazing up, her heart beating wildly. “Why did you want to do that?”

  “Don’t know. Just did.” He rolled onto his side and leaned on his elbow.

  She self-consciously touched her hair. “It’s easier to get work done when it’s up and out of the way.”

  He picked up a strand of her hair and fingered it. “I think it looks nice down. Not everything you do has to be practical.”

  She drew in her courage and gazed into his mesmerizing blue eyes. “Marrying you wasn’t practical.”

  His grin widened. “Now, we’ve been over this. It was very practical. That’s how I convinced you to do it.”

  He was right. Him and his stupid logic. She was pretty sure he’d somehow charmed her or tricked her in some way. When she was in her right mind, she knew their plan was insane. But when she was around Rick, he did something to her. Messed with her head. “That, and the healthy sum you’re paying me.”

  As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. His smile faded and he nodded, inching away from her. “Yes.” He laid back down and put his cap over his eyes. She could feel him withdrawing from her. “The money.”

  She climbed back into the hammock, careful not to tip it, feeling terrible. Why had she brought up the money? Was it to disguise the fact that she had a crazy crush on him? She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it anymore. Sleep came to her then, and when she awoke, Rick was gone.

  Chapter 17

  Rick shoveled rice into his mouth, trying to get through the dinner as fast as he could. He’d taken Tara out to a local restaurant, but things had turned quite awkward since she spelled out to him her motivations for being with him. Money. Why had he thought she might actually like him? Maybe because his attraction for her had grown, and he thought she might feel something similar?

  Stupid. Why was he doing this to himself? He should know better. He and Scarlett dated before he grew famous. He had known she didn’t have ulterior motivations. But after that, he hadn’t met anyone simply interested in him. His money or fame was what attracted them now. And he was fine with that, right? It’s the life he chose. He just needed to remember: no falling in love. He had flings. He didn’t have real relationships.

  Tara pushed her food around with her fork.

  “Not hungry?” he asked.

  “Just worried. I hope Kylee isn’t frightened by the plane ride.”

  Rick glanced at his watch. “They should be arriving in an hour. Would you like me to text the staff to see how things went while we were gone?”

  “I’d like that,” she said, her shoulders lowering.

  “Will do.” He reached into his pocket and brought out his phone.

  Her gaze softened and she reached across the table to touch his hand. “Thanks.”

  He pulled away from her touch. “Sure.”

  She leaned back and studied him. She looked like she was going to speak but changed her mind and lifted her fork to her mouth.

  His phone chimed right away. Everything went smoothly. Kylee was excited to get on the airplane.

  Rick showed the text to Tara, who smiled. “I’m glad she wasn’t upset. Thank you for texting.”

  “No problem.”

  The waitress stopped by. “How was everything tonight?”

  “It was perfect.” Tara’s smile seemed forced.

  The waitress set the check on the table. “You can pay whenever you’re ready.”

  Rick took care of the bill and they left. The night air felt good, the breeze blowing as they bounced along the dirt roads in his car. Tara inhaled. “The air smells so amazing.”

  “We filmed part of Extra Curricular here. I fell in love with it.”

  “I can see why.”

  Rick parked the car at the airport. Tara turned to him. “I think I owe you an apology.”

  He raised his hand. He didn’t want any sympathy from her. “No need.”

  “Yes, I messed things up between us. I didn’t mean to imply the only reason I married you was for the money.”

  A slow anger burned in his gut. “That is why you married me, though. Isn’t it?”

  “It’s true, I originally said yes for the money.” Her gaze dipped. “But I’ve gotten to know you since then.”

  “And now you’re in it for my winning personality?” He laughed, but it came out harsh. “Don’t try to flatter me. I’m paying you to help my career. Let’s not try to pretend it’s anything else.”

  He gripped the steering wheel and scanned the skyline for his jet. Tara pressed her lips together tight. The air between them grew heavy. The seconds ticked by as neither of them spoke.

  A few minutes later he spotted the plane. Soon it landed and taxied to their area. The crew pulled the steps down.

  Tara got out of the car and waited by the bottom of the stairs. Kylee appeared and Tara’s countenance transformed. She smiled and Kylee squealed. “Mommy!”

  Amanda held the little girl’s hand as she clamored down the steps clutching her Winnie the Pooh bear. Tara crouched down and hugged her daughter.

  “I was above the clouds!” Kylee shouted.

  “You were? Did it scare you?”

  Kylee’s nose wrinkled. “It was fun! It made my tummy feel funny. Can I do it again?”

  Rick chuckled. “Sure, when we go back to L.A.”

  “Rick!” Kylee ran to him. He crouched down like he’d seen Tara do. Kylee threw her arms around his neck, so he picked her up. She weighed almost nothing. He felt an urge to protect her, for some strange reason. He held her tight. “Are you my new Daddy?”

  He looked at Amanda, who blushed. “Sorry, it was all over the news. She kept asking about it, so I told her you guys got married.”

  Tara didn’t look amused, but she stayed silent. Rick patted Kylee on the back. “Sure, Ladybug. You can call me Daddy if you want to.”

  Tara’s frown deepened, and Rick hoped she wouldn’t argue with him in front of Amanda. One of the crew brought Kylee’s booster seat out of the plane and Rick buckled it into the back seat. He put the luggage in the back, then climbed in the driver’s seat.

  “Can you sit by me?” Kylee asked,
her large eyes trained on him.

  “Rick needs to drive, honey,” Tara said climbing in back. “I’ll sit beside you.” She leaned over and kissed Kylee’s forehead.

  Amanda took the front passenger seat. After they arrived at the cabin Rick gave Amanda the quick tour.

  “Are you guys in the master bedroom on the main floor then?” Amanda asked, picking up her suitcase.

  Rick shot a look at Tara, who was frozen, her eyes wide. “Um . . .” She cast him a helpless look.

  “Yes, we’re in the master bedroom.”

  Tara’s face drained of color. “I actually thought Kylee might need me to sleep with her. Upstairs.”

  “Nonsense. This is your honeymoon. Kylee and I can have a sleepover. Right, squirt?”

  Kylee clapped her hands and ran toward Amanda. “Yay! Can I, Mom? Please?”

  Tara stared at him, one last pleading look in her eyes.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” he said.

  As soon as Amanda and Kylee disappeared upstairs with their suitcases, Tara rounded on him. “What are you doing?” she hissed.

  “Acting like a married couple. We should be more careful now that Vikki’s trying to spread rumors. What if she digs around and starts talking to people? Can you imagine what Amanda would tell her if we didn’t spend our honeymoon in the same bedroom?”

  “This wasn’t part of the plan,” she whispered.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take the floor.”

  “You bet you will.” She stormed past him into the bedroom.

  RICK DRESSED IN HIS lounge pants and T-shirt and brushed his teeth. He cautiously entered the bedroom in case Tara wasn’t done dressing. She was sitting on the bed in a nightgown, brushing her hair. He loved the way it cascaded down her shoulders and fell to the middle of her back. Wait, why was he thinking about her hair? He needed to stop thinking about her at all.

  He turned his back on her and grabbed a blanket from the small closet. “Toss one of those pillows to me, would you?”

  She picked up the nearest pillow and launched it at his head. He caught it before it hit him. “Testy, aren’t you?”

  “You do realize you’ve created a real problem. Once we go back to L.A. I’ll have to move into your bedroom or it will look really odd.”

  He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I don’t mind, babe.”

  She glared at him. “Well, I do.”

  He exhaled and plopped down on the floor with his blanket. “Fine. I’ll think of something.”

  “Good. Because this is unacceptable.”

  Unacceptable? Really? He was the one sleeping on the hard floor. He spread the blanket on top of his legs. “Come on. I haven’t once tried to get you in my bed.”

  “And you think I should be thanking you for that?”

  He let out a frustrated grunt and laid down. He decided not to answer her, or he might dig himself in deeper. He scrunched the pillow up until it was at least semi-comfortable and closed his eyes.

  The lamp clicked off and the room enveloped in darkness. His side began hurting from the pressure of the hard floor so he turned to lay on his back. After a few minutes his back hurt, and he rolled to his other side. This was going to be a long night.

  Tara sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad.”

  What should he say to that? For some reason, he couldn’t think of anything that might not get him into further trouble, so he stayed silent.

  The bed rustled. “Rick?” she whispered. “You awake?”

  “Yes.”

  “You still upset with me?”

  He was surprised to find all his anger had fizzled. How did she do that? “No.”

  She was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. “I feel stupid in this king-sized bed while you sleep on the floor. That can’t be comfortable.”

  He scratched his chin. “What are you saying? You want me in the bed?”

  “I overreacted. You were right. You’ve been a perfect gentleman. If you want to sleep in the bed, I trust you.”

  “Good, because the floor is making my butt go numb.” He climbed onto his side of the bed and fluffed the pillow. “Much better.”

  In the dim light of the bedroom, he could see Tara looking at him. After a minute, when she didn’t look away, he grew curious. “What?” he asked.

  “What happened with Scarlett? Why didn’t you get married?”

  He drew in a deep breath. He shoved his hands under his head and stared up at the ceiling. He might as well tell her. If he didn’t answer, Tara would just ask again another time. She should know what kind of a person he truly was. “Scarlett wanted a family.”

  “Most girls do.”

  “Yes. But she also wanted a stable husband. Someone who held a boring office job. Clock in at nine, get off at five. Home for the weekends.”

  Tara slowly nodded. “And you were just getting your acting career started.”

  “Yes.”

  “I understand.”

  He blinked back the emotion swelling in him. “No, I don’t think you do. She asked me to leave with her. Go move to somewhere like Iowa and start a family. I thought about it, I really did. But in the end, I chose my acting career over her.”

  “You wanted to follow your dreams.”

  He narrowed his eyes, his own self-loathing making him shake. “No. I gave up the woman I loved for money and fame.”

  Tara was silent, so he continued, making sure she understood what he did. “She gave me a choice . . . and I chose me, not her.”

  “She shouldn’t have forced you to choose,” Tara said quietly.

  “No, she was right. It made me realize I’m not cut out for settling down. I’m too concerned with my own self-interests.”

  “Rick—”

  “Don’t you see? I loved her. And I ripped her heart out and sent her packing. All because I wanted to further my career.” He didn’t mean for his voice to crack, but the image of Scarlett standing outside his apartment, tears streaming down her face, came into his mind and his throat closed. He’d slammed the door in her face. Who does that to the woman they love?

  Tara laid her hand on his arm. “You blame yourself.”

  He jerked away. “Of course I blame myself. Haven’t you been listening? I am to blame. I loved her and I let her go.” All of the feelings he’d been burying over the years surfaced, and he couldn’t speak anymore. Guilt and remorse suffocated him.

  “She should’ve supported you in your career choice.”

  “Like you did with Bobby? Yeah, that sure worked out.” He fired the words off like bullets, and regretted it the moment they were out. More guilt surged in him, making it hard to swallow.

  He heard the sheets rustle, then silence came, until a soft sob stabbed through his heart. She was crying. And it was his fault. He maneuvered over to her side of the bed and threaded his arm around her stomach, pulling her to his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Please don’t cry.”

  She stayed silent and he buried his face into her bare shoulder. “I’m such a jerk.”

  She wiped at her eyes and took in a steadying breath. “You lashed out at me because you feel guilty for what happened with Scarlett.”

  Her words sliced through him, and he realized she was right. “Guilty. Yes.” He forced himself to continue. “I hate myself for what I did,” he whispered, his gut clenching. He blinked back the emotion.

  She rolled over to face him and placed a hand on his cheek. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “I’m a terrible person.”

  “No.” Tara’s thumb caressed his cheek. “You love acting. I’ve seen it on your face. She didn’t truly know you if she thought you’d ever be happy stuck at an office job.”

  He let her words sink in. She was right yet again. He lived for the thrill of nailing a scene. He loved it when he got so into character that he had a hard time separating himself. It exhilarated him. “How do you do that?”

  “What?”

  �
�How do you see me like that?”

  She smiled, her eyes glistening. “Like I said. I’ve gotten to know you.”

  His gaze landed on her lips. The desire to kiss her hit him in his chest. He pushed the thought from his head. It wouldn’t be a good idea to start something like that. Instead, he took her hand in his. “You’re a beautiful person.”

  “You may not realize it yet, but so are you.” She kissed the tip of his nose and then rolled away from him. It took all his willpower to move to his side of the bed. He lay on his back and listened to her even breathing until he fell asleep.

  Chapter 18

  Tara woke, not really sure where she was until she spied the empty side of the bed where Rick had slept. She was in Lana’i. On her honeymoon.

  Her heart squeezed in her chest as she thought about Rick and what he’d told her. He had let the love of his young life go because their goals weren’t the same. She didn’t support his career choice. And he’d been beating himself up over it for the last decade.

  But what he didn’t realize was if she couldn’t support him in his choice to be an actor, there would have been many other areas of conflict for them. She wanted to change him, and that never works in a relationship. He blamed himself, but as painful as it was to break up with Scarlett, he would have been miserable staying with her.

  Tara slipped out of bed and dressed. A wonderful smell filled the room as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Was Rick cooking? She left the bedroom and found him standing at the kitchen stove.

  “Hi,” she said, suddenly feeling shy around him, but not really understanding why.

  He turned to her. “Good morning. No one else was up, so I decided to make breakfast.” He motioned to a plate. “Want to butter the toast for me?”

  “Sure.” She opened the fridge and pulled out the butter. “Did you sleep okay?”

  He nodded. “You?”

  “Fine.” She wasn’t going to mention how she dreamed of them dancing, then standing at the alter repeating their wedding vows. In her dream, after the wedding, he picked up Kylee, like he’d done after his jet landed. Kylee was smiling at him, and he looked at her like she was the light of his life. It felt real. Like they were family.