Make-Believe Marriage

by CA Quigg

  "You make it sound like we're about to be tortured. I'm sure they're just curious to meet the man who swept you off your feet."

  "Bulldozed you mean."

  He laughed. The deep, rich sound hardened my nipples-they liked the sound of his laughter very much. I was sure they'd also like the feel of his mouth and tongue.

  "We still need to get our story straight," I said shoving my debauched thoughts to the back of my mind. "They'll interrogate us. Each one has their own specialty when it comes to getting the information they want. By the time the O'Halloran sisters are finished with you, they'll know more about you than your mother."

  He opened the passenger door of his car for me, and I stepped inside. "So what's our story?"

  He slid into the driver's seat, and said, "We'll say I was interested in buying the club. We met, fell in love at first sight and decided we didn't want to wait. We knew what we wanted and decided to go for it."

  "Just like that, huh? In forty-eight hours or less, we decided to get married. No one's going to buy that. They all know my history and how I swore off men."

  He reversed out of the spot and drove out of the hospital grounds. "It's plausible."

  "Only if you're an idiot. Or an incurable romantic. Darcy will come at me with daggers. Sage will call bullshit. Erin will roll her eyes and tell me I'm pathetic to marry someone I've just met, Keeva and Beth will laugh hysterically. My mother might faint, and Sean will keep his opinion to himself until I ask for it."

  "Sounds as if they have your back."

  "They do. It's just...they were the ones who picked up the pieces when things didn't work out with my ex. I went to a bad place for a long time." Heat crept up my face and the memories of the person I became. Solitude was my go-to solution, and that was a hole I wouldn't fall down again-not for any man.

  "I'm sorry," he said.

  I smiled and glanced at him, taking in his profile. He hadn't shaved for a few days, and his dark, shadowed jaw was as sexy as anything I'd ever seen. "Why are you sorry? You're not the one who walked out because I had no money."

  "I'm sorry because you went through that." He pulled into O'Halloran's parking lot and cut the engine. "No one deserves to be used."

  "I should've known someone that hot wasn't for me. I mean, look at me. Men like him don't fall in love with women like me."

  Caden reached over and grabbed my hands. "I am looking at you. I can't help but look at you. Your ex was a fuckwit. You're gorgeous and funny and sexy, and later on, we're going to finish what we started at the house. That you can be sure of."

  "Oh."

  Caden closed the gap between us. He touched his lips to mine. This kiss differed from before. It was tentative at first but got hungrier and hotter. I let go of his hands and slid my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. In a few more seconds, I'd be on his lap. Screwing my fiancé in O'Halloran's parking lot would send the gossips into a frenzy.

  I needed to hug my legs around him, to kiss him everywhere, to feel his skin on mine. I didn't want this to end.

  The last few days came rushing back. The way he looked when we first met. The way he'd kissed me in my apartment, and the way he'd kissed me at our house. Everything was building up to this. My hands tunneled beneath his still damp t-shirt, and I walked my fingertips up his flat stomach, and when I reached his chest, I stroked and circled his pebbled nipples.

  A hammering on the car window shook the car. I slid my hands from beneath his t-shirt and jumped away as if touching him had burned me.

  "Get a room." My younger sister Erin grinned and waved like a maniac. "Aren't you too old to be making out in a car in a parking lot." She nodded toward the bar. "Are you coming?"

  A few minutes more and I would have been.

  "Are you ready to meet the firing squad?" I asked Caden.

  "Are you?"

  "No."

  "What's our story?" he asked.

  "Our story," I said, "is that after you'd enquired about the club months ago, we emailed back and forth. When we finally met in real life, we knew it was love and decided to get married fast, because when you know-"

  "-you know," he finished for me.

  Sucking in a lung-filling breath, I opened the car door and Erin, her apron stained with chocolate and smelling, as always, like vanilla and cocoa beans, laughed and shook her head. "Did I hear right? Are you getting married? Again? Who is he?"

  "She is getting married again, and she's getting married to me," Caden said as he strode around the car toward us.

  "Where did you get him? And are there any more?" Erin took Caden in from head to toe, not bothering to hide her appreciation. I didn't blame her. There was a lot to appreciate.

  The sun lit him up from behind, and even though he walked at a normal pace, my mind would forever play the moment back in slow motion. As corny as it was, he took my breath away.

  Being his wife would have some perks-like sex-and I might as well take advantage, I would be a fool not to. It wasn't like hot Irish men asked me to marry them every day and then promised to take me to bed. When he stood beside me, I grabbed his hand and nodded toward Erin.

  "This is my sister Erin. Erin meet my fiancé Caden."

  The words sounded alien to my ears, but I'd better get used to saying them because after next week I'd have to introduce him as my husband. But, I wouldn't take his name. Why would I change everything just to change it all back? Although, I liked the sound of Elizabeth Gallagher.

  "Nice to meet you," Erin said with a flirty smile.

  "Claws in, kitty cat," Darcy said from behind Erin.

  I was afraid to meet her eyes. Explaining why I hadn't confided in her would take some doing. Secrets weren't something we ever kept from each other, and this one was a doozy. If Darcy ever found out I was marrying to save the club and to secure Caden a green card, she would have me committed and would never speak to me again.

  "This is a surprise." A forced smile stretched Darcy's fire-engine red lips, and she didn't acknowledge Caden.

  "I know. I'm sorry. I-we-didn't think anything would come of it so I didn't tell anyone. It all happened so fast. We didn't meet until a few days ago, but we've been talking for what seems like a lifetime. I promise I'm not rushing into anything. This isn't like before. Cross my heart." I lifted up my left hand and made a sign across my heart.

  "Whoa." Erin grabbed my hand and lifted it up to her face. "Look at that rock." She thrust my hand toward Darcy.

  Darcy quirked an unimpressed eyebrow that said save the bullshit. "I hear your dad's fully conscious. Thanks for calling and letting everyone know. It's not like we care or anything."

  "I figured Sage would let you know." I took my hand back from Erin and shoved it into my pocket. "I should have told you myself. There are no excuses. I'm sorry about everything."

  "There a lot of things you should have told us yourself." Darcy clucked her tongue and turned on her heel. "Let's go inside before Mom sends out a search party." Not waiting for anyone else, Darcy strode across the parking lot toward the bar.

  She was pissed and hurt, and she had every right to be.

  When Caden and I walked into the bar hand in hand, the chatter that always surrounded my family died. I squeezed Caden's hand because if there was ever a time I needed him by my side, it was now.

  Since it was early afternoon, no one was in the bar besides the O'Halloran clan. My family sat around two tables pushed together and were filled with enough deep-fried appetizers to feed a small nation.

  Sean already had the stage set up for his second game show night of the week, and the red and white banner above the stage declared it was Mr. and Mrs. night. A game similar to The Newlyweds Game but open to everyone.

  "Ready?" I whispered to Caden.

  "It'll be okay."

  My mom's chair scraped along the floor, and she stood. Her expression was so
mewhere between anger and sorrow. At fifty, she was stunning. Blonde, highlighted hair hung to her shoulders in a bob, her face had a few lines, and her green eyes were the mirror of mine. Beth, my only blood sister, had green eyes, too. All of my other sisters had a variation of Sean's hazel eyes.

  "When and how did this-" my mom gestured between the Caden and me, "-happen?"

  I released Caden's hand, stepped forward and kissed my mom's cheek. "This is Caden, My fiancé."

  "So I've heard. The whole town has heard. We know about the house too. It would've been nice to hear it from my daughter."

  "It was all very sudden, Mrs. O'Halloran," Caden said. "I haven't told my family yet. We kept everything a secret. Even from ourselves, it seems."

  My mom's eyes narrowed. She wasn't buying any of it. "Sit," she said and gestured. "Everyone wants to hear all about this whirlwind romance of yours."

  Sean stood and ambled over to us. He held out his meaty hand, which Caden accepted.

  "Welcome to the family, son. They look like a pack of lions ready to pounce but don't let that worry you. They're all a bunch of pussy cats, but they do have sharp claws, so be careful."

  "I have two sisters myself, so I'll be fine."

  I caught my lower lip between my teeth. He had two sisters? He had mentioned brothers, but I didn't know how many. There'd been no time in the past few days to discuss much, but how did I not know he had sisters? Fear clutched my throat. There was no way anyone would buy the bullshit backstory we were selling.

  If I could convince Darcy, the most romantic of my sisters, I would have no problem selling it to the rest of them even someone as skeptical as Sage, but every time I looked in Darcy's direction, I was met with an icy glare.

  Caden pulled out a chair for me by my mom, and then he sat down opposite me-between Sage and Keeva. I picked up a French fry from the platter in the middle of the table and twirled it around my fingers.

  "We're waiting," Erin said impatiently, drumming her fingers against the table. "I have another batch of chocolates I have to make for a christening. You can eat later."

  I popped the fry into my mouth and chewed slowly. It was time to test out our story. Later, we would have to sit down and find out the small details.

  We would have to put sex on hold for another time, but how would I stop my body short-circuiting my brain if he kissed me again? Simple, I wouldn't kiss him, or touch him, or look at him.

  If we couldn't convince my family, there was no way we'd be able to convince immigration.

  "We started emailing about a year ago," I said. "Caden was interested in buying the club, but I said no-"

  "Then one day out of nowhere," he continued, "she sends me an email asking me to tell her more, and it took off from there."

  "So," Darcy said, leaning forward. "The night of your dad's accident, you two were already involved?"

  "Yes," I said and crossed my fingers beneath the table.

  "And, you," she said looking at Caden for the first time, "just happened to be close by in her hour of need? Or did you hop on a flight over from Ireland?"

  "I live in Manhattan but travel all over for work."

  "When he heard about dad he came straight here," I said, warming to the story. "He asked me to marry him-" I held up my ring finger, "-and I said yes."

  "He's buying the club?" my mom asked.

  "No, Yes. I mean some of it, not all of it. But his company is developing the place, and I think everyone will love it. New jobs. Lots more tourists. It'll be great. You'll see." The disbelieving look on everyone's face told me they could smell the bullshit. I was going to pass out.

  Darcy leaned back in her chair and narrowed her eyes. "You live in Manhattan, a four or five-hour drive from here, and this week was the first time you've met?"

  "We didn't know how serious it was until we saw each other for the first time," I said, avoiding my sister's face. "But when you know-"

  "You know," Caden finished. "I'm a shareholder in the club, and it's true everything is very sudden. You all know the club is falling down, but you probably didn't know it was in dire straits. I'm going to change that. I didn't think I'd ever meet someone like Lizzie. I had no plans on getting married, but over the past year, we've gotten to know each other through emails and video chats, and when we finally met, I knew I wanted her in my life."

  He reached over the table and tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear. "I promise I'll take good care of her and won't hurt her."

  If only. He was breaking down too many of my barriers, and I had to remember his velvet covered words weren't true. They were make-believe just like the next three years of my life. The house wasn't real. Playing happy families wasn't real, but to make sure my father was okay and to make sure we kept the family business, I would go ahead with everything. I would marry a man I didn't love, and I would continue to lie to my family.

  I cleared the lump in my throat. "I know you're all worried about me after last time, and I know you're only protecting me, but Caden isn't Eric. I know he loves me and I know he'll never hurt me. This is as sudden for us as it is for you. I want you to be happy for me." I looked at Darcy. "Please."

  Steel filled her eyes. "This is all too fast. I have a hard time believing any of this."

  "I love him, and we're getting married next week."

  A round of gasps circled the table. "Next week?" Darcy jumped up. "That's ridiculous. What's the hurry?"

  "A week isn't enough time to plan a wedding," my mom said balling her napkin.

  Erin spoke up, "Darcy can get you a wedding dress, I can make the cake. Mom can take care of the invitations. Don't listen to any of these naysayers. I think it's romantic."

  "Thanks, sis, but I don't want a big thing. Not after last time." It was hard not to get carried away with Erin's excitement.

  "I guess I could throw something together for you," Darcy said. "Am I maid of honor?"

  I gave her a small smile. "As if I'd ever ask anyone else."

  They were softening, and I should be over the moon, but I wasn't. I was going to hell for deceiving the people who loved me most.

  Chapter 11

  Caden

  The chaotic scene in the bar made me smile. It was like I'd walked into my mother's kitchen at dinnertime. I'd grown up in a busy house, so the current noise level and the talking over each other to be heard didn't faze me.

  Lizzie's family were a close family, and I was relieved she had people in her life who cared for her as much as they did because her father didn't.

  I needed to step back from the way my body wanted her, and the way my heart reacted to her. And wanting to step in and save her from everything had to stop, too. She would be my wife in name only. There would be no riding into the sunset for us.

  As soon as we were married, I would go back to my city life and manage the project from a safe distance. I would only visit when I had to, but hell if I didn't want to taste every part of her.

  "If it's a small bash, we'll have the wedding here," Sean said. "It'll be our wedding gift to you."

  "Sean, really," Lizzie said. "That's not necessary. We're going to get married at the town hall. Quietly and quickly. No fuss."