Marrying his Brother: A Fake Fiance Romance

by Tia Siren

  I took a deep breath. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t.”

  “What you did took balls. William needed to hear the truth. He and his future Barbie doll wife are going to be miserable, but he’s a good soldier and would never disappoint the family.”

  “Whatever.” I shrugged, not interested in talking to who I now realized was William’s little brother, Harry.

  “Hey, don’t get all uppity on me. I’m not the one who shot you down,” he said, holding up his hands. “I’m nothing like my brother.”

  “That’s for sure,” I retorted.

  He chuckled. “You’re taking out your anger on the wrong guy. In William’s defense, he is only marrying the woman my parents chose for him. They’ve practically been betrothed since they were infants. When you’re rich, the main goal is to stay rich and get richer. My mother really likes the social status she gains with the family money. This marriage is only going to elevate her higher. Tiffany’s mother as well. They are a lot like rival queens. This marriage is almost like a peaceful merger. Limits the competition and all that crap.”

  I guffawed. “There’s more to life than being popular and rich.”

  That made him laugh. “I know that; trust me. I’m Harry, the younger brother and infamous black sheep.”

  “I know who you are. I’ve seen you around the company. Not working,” I pointed out, “but there.”

  “What can I say? I’m not a company man. I’m not the yes-man my brother is. He cornered the market in that department.”

  “I’m going to go,” I said, wanting to run as far away as I could from the Martins and all their sons.

  “Amber, was it?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I really am sorry for the way he treated you. It isn’t all his fault. My parents can really put the pressure on when they want to. They want this marriage, and he wants to please them. I guess I should feel lucky I didn’t inherit the give-a-shit gene. I don’t care about any of that garbage. I have never conformed to their idea of the perfect Martin. I’ve never had to because I’m the spare. William didn’t have that luxury. Since the moment he was born, he was groomed to fill my dad’s shoes. Those are some big shoes to fill,” he said in a soft, sincere tone that suddenly reminded me of William.

  I let out a long sigh. “I know. I don’t hate him. I hate the situation, and I wish he were strong enough to stand up for what he wanted.”

  Harry looked sad before smiling again. “Let’s go get a drink.”

  “No. I’m leaving,” I said again.

  The last thing I wanted to do was hang out with a bunch of people who were celebrating a wedding that should never happen. It was disgusting. I didn’t want to be a part of it. Plus, I wasn’t about to be the lady on Harry’s arm. I didn’t live under a rock. Harry was famous for being a slut. Yes, men could be sluts. Although, if William saw me with Harry, maybe he would get jealous and realize he loved me.

  No. I wasn’t fifteen. He had made his choice. I was not going to grovel.

  “One drink. What harm can come from having one drink?” he said with a charming smile.

  Oh shit. Harry was even better looking than his brother. I suddenly understood how the man snared some of the most beautiful women in the world. He had charm for days. I had to get away from him before I ended up sleeping with him.

  “No, thanks. I’m going.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” he insisted.

  “Fine.”

  We walked past the shattered glass. He burst into laughter. “I’m going to remember that for a long time.”

  “Uh, I’m really sorry about that. I should probably clean it up,” I said, suddenly feeling guilty about the way I had acted.

  I may not have grown up in a wealthy family, but I wasn’t an animal. I had manners. I had only confirmed what William thought about me when I had lost my temper. I felt like a total idiot. I should have chosen to live with the regret of not telling him how I felt. It would have been far easier to deal with.

  Harry took me through the kitchen.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “I didn’t think you wanted to go out through the ballroom. I’m taking you out the side entrance.”

  I sighed. The guy wasn’t all bad. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. Did you drive here?”

  “No. I’ll order an Uber.”

  I quickly pulled my phone out and ordered the ride.

  “I’ll wait with you.”

  “You don’t have to. I’ll be fine. The car will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  “It isn’t like I have anything else to do. Besides, I’d rather be out here in the fresh air than in there with all those stuffy people,” he said with a smile.

  I nodded, knowing he wasn’t going to listen to me. The man was stubborn. It must have been a Martin trait. That, or he was spoiled and used to getting his way because he was rich and good looking. I was done with the Martin men.

  When the car pulled up to the estate, I said good-bye and quickly jumped in the car. I couldn’t wait to leave him and the whole clan behind me. I had to work with them, but I certainly didn’t have to be friends with them.

  Chapter Six

  Harry

  The girl from Saturday night has been stuck in my head since the moment she’d gotten in that car and left. She was gorgeous and so down to earth. She seemed intelligent and not the kind of girl to automatically say yes to please someone. She knew herself and could stand on her own two feet. It was a refreshing change. I was bored with the women I usually met. They all knew me or assumed I was wealthy and tried too hard.

  I couldn’t understand why William couldn’t see how great this Amber girl was. She was far better than Tiffany in every way. I smirked and shook my head. The only thing Amber didn’t have was the right last name. She didn’t have blue blood with a pedigree a mile long that would open doors for herself and her husband. William was a fool. Money and social standing were his priorities.

  I didn’t have a lot of room to talk. I was fond of the money as well. It had undoubtedly made my life easy. Anything I wanted, I had, including women. I wasn’t a monk, and I couldn’t say for sure I would give everything up for the love of a good woman. I had never faced that situation. I shouldn’t be so quick to judge.

  I grabbed my keys and headed out the door, forgetting all about the brunette vixen that had captivated my attention for the past two days. I had a date, and that person would demand my full attention.

  I pulled into the club’s valet section and handed my keys over to the young man patiently waiting for me to unload my clubs. I walked into the country club and found my dad sitting at a table in the lounge, waiting on me. I wasn’t late, but in his mind, if you weren’t thirty minutes early, you were late.

  “Hey, Dad,” I greeted.

  “Oh, there you are. Our tee time is in five minutes. We need to get out there.”

  I nodded. I had purposely arrived only a few minutes early. I wasn’t interested in having a drink and chatting with anyone, and I hated doing it even more with my dad. Unfortunately, it was one of those things I had to do.

  We got out on the course, and the first words out of his mouth were all about how proud of William he was.

  “Tiffany is a beautiful woman and will make a great wife,” my dad said proudly, as if he had hand-picked her himself.

  In some ways, I guessed he had.

  “She’s nice enough,” I agreed. “I hope William will be happy.”

  “He will be. He is happy. He is settling down and strengthening the company. Marrying Tiffany is going to open more doors for us as a family and a company. We are going to be the strongest firm in the country—hell, the world with the way William is managing things,” my dad gloated.

  “Great,” I said, biting back the sarcasm.

  I wasn’t sure why it was so important to be that powerful. We had plenty of money to last our family and the future generations. It seemed greedy to push so hard to fatten the fa
mily coffers.

  “It is great. It’s fantastic. You were born into a wealthy family, and with that comes some responsibilities. William has embraced his destiny and become a powerful man. He works hard to ensure our family name is respected. He keeps us all living in the lap of luxury.”

  I took a deep breath. “I know, Dad. You’ve told me about a hundred times how great William is. I get it.”

  “Your attitude stinks,” he shot back. “You think because you carry my last name you are entitled to all the money and the doors that open because you’re a Martin?”

  I shrugged. This was a familiar argument. I didn’t need to have it again. I already knew how it ended. I was a slacker and an embarrassment and needed to do something worthwhile. And worthwhile wasn’t something like volunteering my time at a children’s hospital, which I’d done, or helping out at the homeless shelter, which I had also done. Worthwhile was making the family richer and dating the right women.

  “Dad, we’ve talked about this before. I’m no good at the family business.”

  “No, you’re not, but you better find something you are good at. You have a degree from Harvard. What the hell are you doing with it?”

  I shrugged. “You’re the one who wanted me to get the degree.”

  He glared at me. “Yes, I did, because I wanted you to do something with the damn thing.”

  I sighed. I wasn’t intentionally trying to make the man angry. I had never measured up in his eyes. I was never as good as William. I had quit trying a long time ago.

  “Dad, can we just golf? Does it always have to turn into a lecture about how much I disappoint you?”

  He stopped walking and turned to look at me. “It’s time for some tough love.”

  I raised an eyebrow. I hadn’t realized he was showing me any kind of love. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you have until you turn thirty to get married to an acceptable woman.”

  I smirked. “Really? And what if I don’t?”

  “You’re cut off. I can’t have you continuing to disgrace the family name with a string of women who aren’t fit company for a man of your social standing and upbringing. The gravy train is coming to a halt,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Dad, I’m not going to run out and marry a woman to please you. Unlike William, I’m not going to sacrifice my happiness to make you happy.”

  Now he was the one smirking. “Suit yourself. Then you don’t need my money to make you happy either.”

  “I’m twenty-nine. I’ll be thirty in a little over six months.”

  “Fine. If you can find an acceptable woman you want to marry, then I’ll expect you to be engaged by the time William gets married,” he said as if he was making some huge concession.

  “That’s in four months!”

  He looked at me with eyes squinted. “You’ve had years. You have been partying and sleeping around with I don’t know how many women. That was your choice. A man in your position needs a wife. Having a discreet affair here and there is acceptable, but flaunting your sexual conquests all over the news is not going to be acceptable any longer! I’m not going to bankroll your playboy lifestyle.”

  He was serious. I couldn’t believe he was forcing me to marry a woman or be cut off from the family. It was twisted and wrong on so many levels.

  “Dad, you’re being unreasonable. You should want me to be happy. You’re telling me to run out and put a ring on a woman’s finger because she has the right name. How is that going to satisfy anyone?” I asked with exasperation.

  “I have a list of names that would make suitable partners for you. Most of the women are attractive, and I’m sure they would satisfy all your needs.”

  “Eww, Dad, really?”

  “I’m tired of the games, Harry. You are a spoiled brat. You’ve done nothing with your life. Your mother and I are tired of trying to explain your actions. It’s on you. It’s your decision. You can grow up, find yourself a woman, and settle down or get out. Get a job flipping burgers and pay your own way. You’ve had it too easy for too long.”

  I called the caddy over. I wasn’t going to go through a miserable game that I loathed with a man who truly didn’t care for me. I had my limits.

  “What are you doing?” he seethed.

  “Leaving.”

  “Don’t you dare quit in the middle of our game!”

  I laughed. “This isn’t a game. This is you getting me out here to serve me an ultimatum. You could have saved us both a lot of time and told me over the phone or by email.”

  “This isn’t a joke, Harry. I’m serious.”

  I laughed. “I know you are, Dad, and that is the joke.”

  I climbed into the cart and told the caddy to go. I left my dad standing on the eighth hole, his face red and his brow furrowed. I wasn’t a child. I knew I could make it on my own if I had to. There was no way I would let that man dictate my love life. He had dictated every other element of my life for too long. I hadn’t been allowed to have certain friends or attend parties like other kids. I’d had to keep up appearances. When I had gone to college, everything had changed. I’d found new freedom and made up for the years I had lived under my parents’ strict rules, controlling what I wore, who I spoke to, and where I spent my free time.

  It was no wonder I had gone wild. I had gotten access to my trust fund at twenty-five and was still given a generous allowance from the family’s estate. I didn’t think there was any way my dad could take my trust fund away, but one never knew. I needed to do something quick before I found myself living in my car without a penny to my name.

  “Thanks,” I said to the caddy, jumping out of the cart and grabbing my clubs before heading to my car.

  I needed a drink. I knew it wasn’t the answer and the alcohol wasn’t going to help, but I wanted to forget all about my dad and his ultimatum. I drove to an out-of-the-way dive bar, not wanting to be recognized. For just a minute, I wanted to be a regular guy. I didn’t want the weight of my family’s name or money on my shoulders.

  The first drink helped soothe my temper. My dad had a way of getting under my skin. I knew I was probably fucked up due to his shitty parenting. I knew it wasn’t right for parents to play favorites or even show they had a favorite. My parents hadn’t gotten the memo. They had made it clear for as long as I could remember that William was the golden boy. He was the crowned prince.

  I had a few more drinks and realized I couldn’t drive home. I called a buddy and asked him to pick me up and find someone to drive my car back to my place. I wasn’t drunk enough to leave my car parked in a shady part of town outside a rather seedy bar. I’d come back to either a stripped car or it would be gone altogether. The more I thought about it, the more the idea held appeal.

  “Dude, what the fuck are you doing in here?” Grayson hissed.

  I shrugged. “Having a drink.”

  “More like a bottle. Damn, it isn’t even five o’clock.”

  I grinned. It was the grin of a drunk man. I could feel it was lopsided, but I couldn’t seem to straighten it.

  “I went golfing with my dad.”

  “Oh, shit. What’d you do this time?” Grayson asked, knowing my family all too well.

  “I was born and I’m not married.”

  He nodded his head in understanding. “Got it.”

  I shook my head. “No, you don’t get it. He’s cutting me off if I don’t get married by the time I’m thirty. How fucked up is that?”

  “Really fucked up. Come on, let’s get you out of here,” he said, giving me a hand off the stool.

  I willingly went, ready to go home and sleep off the drunken stupor I had put myself in. I hadn’t meant to get drunk, but my dad had a way of making me want to stay oblivious. Something had to change. I just wasn’t sure what or how.

  Chapter Seven

  Amber

  I was seriously considering my mom and Courtney’s suggestion to get another job. I didn’t think I could make it through the next four month
s. William and Tiffany’s wedding was all anyone was talking about. Since my little show in the library, William had been very cold toward me. I had expected that, but I didn’t expect to feel so rotten about it.

  I couldn’t believe he had gone from hot to cold so quickly. I should have seen the signs. After our weekend away, he had been pulling back. I had chalked it up to him being busy. I should have realized I had been a fling. I had fallen for his smooth-talking ways and gone to bed with him. I was an idiot. I couldn’t really put all the blame on him. I had willingly gone to his bed and let myself fall for him.

  “Here she comes,” one of the women whispered over my cubicle.

  “Who?” I asked, focusing on William’s schedule for the following week.

  “Tiffany,” she hissed.

  I froze. The woman had made it her daily routine to show up at lunchtime and whisk William away. It was getting old. All the women in the office fawned over her. They acted as if the woman walked on water. The ass-kissing was enough to make me want to vomit.

  “Hi, Miss Warner!” one of the women said. “You look nice today.”

  I turned and glared at the woman who was practically drooling over William’s fiancée. I had heard every detail about the ring so many times, I didn’t even have to see the thing to know what it looked like. Unfortunately, I did see the thing. You couldn’t miss the shiny basketball attached to her finger. It was a disgusting show of wealth.

  “Can I go in or is he busy?” Tiffany stopped to ask me.

  I wasn’t his secretary. It pissed me off that she assumed I was. I was an assistant who managed the entire acquisitions department.

  “I don’t believe he’s busy,” I said with a fake smile. “I’m sure he won’t mind if you do interrupt him.”

  “Great. Thanks!” she said with a bright smile and turned to head into his office.

  If I could have thrown my stapler at the back of her head and gotten away with it, I would have. Instead, I properly glared and sneered like a mature adult.

  “I’m going to lunch,” I said, grabbing my purse.

  It had become my new routine. She came in and I left before I had a chance to see the happy couple leave together. It was more than I could handle. I knew I would have to see it eventually, but I wasn’t ready. Not yet and not on an empty stomach.