Lucky This Isn't Real: MacBride Brothers Series St. Patrick's Day Fake Fiance Romance

by Jamie Knight

  It was a mad notion, and what was more, I must have been crazy to even entertain it, yet there it was sitting behind my eyes, just waiting to pounce. A vision of me living in L.A. with Darcy having the time of my life. It really did look fun. Too bad I also knew it was a pipe dream. Not possible for several reasons. I was really only torturing myself by even considering such a thing. I was integral to the company, and I loved my job. I also didn’t want the next time I saw my family to be at our dad’s funeral if he kept on the way he was.

  It was a stupid notion but not one I dismissed out of hand, unwilling to let the dream die so easily. I wondered, in all seriousness, if Darcy might consider moving to Ireland with me. Gavin had moved to L.A. and made a home there. Was it really so mad to think Darcy could find a place with me? There would be a bit of culture shock, but I had the feeling she would acclimatize quickly. I wanted to ask but also didn’t want to freak her out by asking too soon. I had to find just the right moment.

  The time buzzed passed like a hummingbird. Hours elapsing without notice, let alone comment, before we knew it, it was time to go and meet Maggie and Gavin.

  “Hey there, prodigal son,” Gavin said with his tongue firmly in his cheek.

  “I think that would be you, Gav. You’re in for some serious ribbing next time you visit home.”

  “This is my home now,” Gavin said, a bit too seriously.

  “Oh, aye, you know what I mean.”

  “Of course, I do, just busting your chops again, little bro.”

  Maggie and Darcy looked at each other as we laughed. Darcy seeming to ask, are they always like this? And Maggie’s look appearing to reply, yup. I began to suspect they had their own kind of link going on. One forged in the familiarity of a long friendship.

  I didn’t broach the issue of Darcy moving to Belfast either with her or Gavin, even though I thought he might have some advice. Everyone was having such a great time, and I didn’t want to ruin it.

  We explained about the fake engagement. Maggie and Gavin reminded us that was how they ended up married. How he had pretended to be Maggie’s fiancé to save her from embarrassment when she bumped into her cheating ex who had gotten engaged to her stepsister.

  ****

  “That was amazing,” Darcy said, putting the take-out box in the shape of a pizza slice into the fridge. “I had so much fun.”

  “They don’t call it an extra-large for nothing,” I said.

  She hadn’t actually invited me up this time, not verbally, but she didn’t need to. She’d driven us right back to her building without even hinting at taking me over to Gavin and Maggie’s.

  She vanished for a second, and when she came back into the sitting room, she was totally naked.

  “Strip,” she ordered.

  I did as I was told, though not as fast as she would like, at least, so I assumed by the way she started to help take my clothes off and by the way she had my hard cock in her mouth in record time.

  Locking her eyes with mine, she sucked away happily. She’d learned a lot about what I liked in our short time together, hauling me close to climax within minutes.

  Ordinarily, I tried to last as long as I could so we had the opportunity to cum at the same time, which always felt better. A key exception to this general rule being when she went cum-starved, my own term for it, and sucked with purpose. I was sure she had my pleasure in mind too. It was difficult not to feel good with her doing that, though it was clear her prime objective was to get another taste of my cum. I’d actually altered my diet, focusing on foods that were meant to increase sperm production just so I could give her more.

  She wasn’t finished, not yet. Taking in my load, her eyes closed as she swallowed with relish. Darcy then took my cock back into her mouth, first sucking me clean and then going on to a second, more sensual blowjob.

  The first had been for release, the second had been for love and connection. Whatever it was pulling us together seeming even stronger when we were together in the carnal sense.

  Slowly rising after accepting my cum for a second time, I took her by the hips and laid her down on the couch, intent on returning the favor. Following her lead, I skipped the usual preliminaries and went straight for her pussy, running my tongue along the outside to get her excited before I tried to do anything too drastic.

  She welcomed me unequivocally, and I began to lick in earnest, adding both pressure and complexity to what I was doing, bringing her to an explosive orgasm. Darcy’s hips lifting from the soft leather of the couch, both of her hands curled in my hair.

  She was on me in a flash. Before I even saw her move, Darcy had me in a sitting position, already lowering herself onto my cock, throwing her head back in ecstatic abandon as she eased her pussy down, grinding the shaft right up against her clit.

  Sinking to a good depth, she put her hands on my shoulders and started to bounce. I did what I could, putting my hands on her hips to provide support. It was very much her show.

  It wasn’t clear what was troubling her, but I still recognized it as a cathartic fuck from when she’d done it before. There was no point in asking. She would tell me if and when she chose. The best I could do for her was to be there and help her work things out in other ways.

  She came like an earthquake, screaming her joy as she clawed at my shoulders. I came straight after her. My cum filled her pussy, and I could almost count the beat. There was a brief pause when she shifted from passionate, almost animalistic intensity back to sweetness and light.

  Darcy nearly fell against me, wrapping her hands around my neck, her face buried in the crook of my neck. Something she’d done before and seemed to find comforting. I returned her embrace, stroking her back, and tenderly kissed her cheek, still glistening from the exertion. When she was ready, I scooped her into my arms, my cock still deep inside her, and went to the bed, where I slowly pulled my dick from her pussy. Getting us both under the covers, a bit of a novelty for us after sex, she rolled into me, wrapping her body around mine.

  I held her back, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, wishing we could be this happy and contented forever but knowing we couldn’t.

  Chapter Seventeen - Darcy

  Thoughts about last night came back. I hadn’t meant to be so rough or demanding. I just didn’t want to waste any time and figured the sooner we got down to it, the better.

  Truth be told, it was a struggle not to jump him in the car after I’d parked. If we really did only have a limited time, I wanted to make the most of it. I knew sex wasn’t all there was to our relationship, far from it. Even though there was clearly more going on, it was the most direct and potent expression of our profound connection and one we liked to indulge in a lot. It was also the aspect of our relationship that would cease as soon as he left since being in the same physical space was a requirement for physical intimacy. We didn’t need to live in the same apartment, but the same state, let alone the same country, would be helpful. I knew I didn’t need sex for a fulfilling relationship, at least in theory, but I had a hard time imagining how I would get by without it once he was gone. Or, quite honestly, how I was going to be able to have sex with anyone else again. He hadn’t meant to, and I was sure he’d be horrified to hear it, but being with Sean pretty much ruined me. It was him or nothing, and it was looking more like it would be the latter. Unless I could find a realistic way to move to Ireland with him. I would miss my mom and my friends, but we could email and skype, and I was sure Nicole would write me a good reference. There could be some trouble with Irish immigration, most of which could be solved by getting married as soon as possible. An idea that was increasing in its appeal.

  “You’re thinking again.”

  He almost made it sound like an accusation. To be fair, I only got my ‘thinking face’ on when pondering something serious. I was just a bit surprised he was able to recognize it so soon. It usually took my friends a few months to notice.

  “It’s just indigestion,” I lied.

  “Want some
Tums?”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “How about a stomach rub?”

  I was about to say no thanks, but the touch of his hand on my belly, inches from my pussy pushed all other thoughts out of my head. All I could do was hum along to the rhythm of the pleasure he was giving me. Both on my belly and then with his other hand considerably further down, the combined sensation bringing me gently to orgasm.

  “I love you,” I said, not feeling the least bit self-conscious. “I need you to know that.”

  “I love you more.” My heart filled to bursting at his response.

  Although we’d shown one another our love, this was the first time we’d said the actual words. Now they were out in the open, we could never take them back. Not that I would want to.

  It was all business in the shower, all scrubbing and shampooing. At least until all the essentials were done and Sean got me to bend over. He took me from behind, his hands on my hips as the water rained down, the tiles smooth and cool under my hands. With a heart full of burning love and a pussy full of warm cum, by far my favorite way of being, we ventured back out into the sitting room.

  “What shall we do now?” I asked, glancing toward the bed.

  “Get you ready for work.”

  “I suppose,” I said, heaving out a sigh.

  I had wanted to spend the day in bed totally naked, that first taste in the shower leaving me hungry for more, but he was right, I had to go to work.

  It was a weird feeling, getting dressed for work and being watched. The sensation was an oddly erotic one. Before I left for the office, I showed him what I really wanted to do by pulling him hard against me and driving my tongue into his mouth.

  “Wow,” he breathed when we broke apart.

  “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I’m not usually like this. You just have this effect on me.”

  “Ditto.”

  My heels lifted off the floor like I was levitating. Sean’s slipped his hand inside the waistband of my skirt and slid two fingers straight into my pussy. He pinned me up against the wall and finger fucked me until I screamed, the sound muffled by his soft lips on mine.

  With a silent efficiency, Sean whipped off my panties and replaced them with fresh ones, kissing me as he pulled them up into place.

  “You should go,” he said. “You don’t want to be late.”

  My legs were jelly and barely held me up as I eased into the driver’s seat, exhilarated and happy. No one knew what their day would bring, but mine was already looking up.

  ****

  When I reached my desk, a yellow sticky note had been placed on my monitor. The piece of paper looked harmless. Just a small square of yellow paper with a gentle adhesive on the back. A set of symbols scribbled on the front that, while clearly English, took a while to decipher. Not because I couldn’t read it, but because of what it actually said.

  Darcy,

  Please see me in my office when you come in.

  -Emil Chau

  The weakness in my legs returned, though in a vastly different form. My morning elation turning quite swiftly to nerves. Steadying myself by breathing, I rolled back my shoulders and ordered my heart to stop beating like a drum. On unsteady legs, I made my way to the top floor and knocked against Mr. Chau’s door.

  “Come in,” he called.

  Taking one more deep breath, I opened the door. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

  “Yes. Please sit down,” he said, gesturing to the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

  I dropped like a well-trained Labrador, the soft leather of the chair creaking slightly under my weight. Goosebumps raced along my skin, and not the good kind. Part of me wanted to run from his office screaming. My intuition didn’t like Emil Chau, not one little bit.

  “I’ve heard some very good things about you. Nicole Sharp speaks very highly.”

  I crossed my legs at the ankles and placed my hands in my lap. “Thank you, sir.”

  “My personal legal assistant has given her notice, and I need a replacement. You start tomorrow. You have today to finish up any work you were doing for Nicole.”

  “Great,” I said, not meaning it.

  Bile rose in my throat, and I forced myself not to throw up. Working as Mr. Chau’s assistant was a huge step on the career ladder, and I tried to convince myself I should be grateful. It was an opportunity for more money and more responsibility. All good things, in my estimation. Still, I was of two minds. The impression I had of the senior partners was that they were a cabal of egocentric opportunists who would win at any cost. It felt a bit like glasshouses, but even I had limits. I was ambitious, yes, but not mercenary. According to the chat in the copy room, Emil Chau was one of the worst. It was mostly just rumored, but I had had to wonder why his last assistant had given notice.

  He motioned his hand toward the door. “You can leave now.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

  The world moved without much notice. I didn’t have much to do for Nicole, just some light filing which wasn’t the best thing to keep me in a present state of mind. As the folders scraped against each other, my mind returned to the idea of working for Emil. I didn’t know him except by reputation and wasn’t really in a position to judge, but there was something about him that set off alarm bells. My fight or flight instinct kicking in every time he smiled. If the rumors were to be believed, he thought of his personal assistants as his personal property. Things to use as he saw fit. Probably why he’d gone through eight in the past year, most of them not even lasting a month. Was I a high-performing employee he was giving a promotion or the next lamb to the slaughter?

  Unexpectedly, a hand touched my bicep.

  “Don’t touch me!” I snapped.

  “Sorry, are you okay?” Nicole asked, taking a step back. The expression on her face was one of shock mixed with hurt. Her hand lingered in the space between us, withdrawn after my overreaction.

  “Sorry,” I said, my shoulders relaxing.

  “I take it you got Emil’s message?”

  “You knew?”

  “I wrote it. I said it wasn’t my job, but he insisted, on account of the fact I recommended you.”

  “Did you recommend me?”

  “Not directly, certainly not to him. He must have overheard me talking about you and the great job you’re doing. He always wants the best in everything.”

  “Including people.”

  “Yeah.”

  Emil Chau sounded a lot like my father. Though, to his credit, dad never made my skin crawl like Chau had. My disagreements with my dad were mostly philosophical, the kind of thing we could talk out and debate. The reaction to Emil had been visceral.

  “Are you going to take it?”

  I rubbed my fingers across my forehead. “He didn’t really give me a choice.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

  “Has he ever done anything to you?”

  “Nothing much. Just slapped my ass a few times. Said he couldn’t help himself because of how good my ass looked in my skirt. I was going to report him to HR but knew nothing would become of it. It never does.”

  I chewed on my lower lip. “What do you think I should do?”

  “Accept the promotion. It’s that or having no job at all. He’s the kind of asshole who could get you fired for nothing. Just be careful around him. I know it sucks, and you shouldn’t have to think about such things, but it’s essential if you’re going to survive. Try not to bend over, even while filing and never, I repeat, never be alone with him if you can help it.”

  “We were alone in his office.”

  “Oh, honey.” Nicole hugged me, right there at my desk. It was a gross breach of protocol, though no more than me screaming at her.

  The elevator dinged like the toll of doom, my heels clicking in the marble lobby as I made for home, doing my best not to run. Outside, I saw Sean waiting for me. I fell into his arms, hugging him furiously.

  “How was your day?” he asked.

&
nbsp; “I got a promotion,” I murmured into his chest. “A senior partner wants me to be his personal assistant.”

  “Hey, congratulations! That’s a good thing, aye?”

  “Um, yeah, yes it is.” I wanted to tell him everything about Mr. Chau, but I was a big girl and could handle my own work dramas without running to my boyfriend and asking him to fix everything for me.

  “You might want to tell your face that.”

  “Oh, stop it,” I protested, stifling a laugh.

  “C’mon, darlin’, I’ll take you somewhere fancy.”

  “You couldn’t afford the L.A. version of fancy,” I said, taking his hand.

  “How about we celebrate in bed, then?”

  “Perfect.”

  I felt like a bride, safe in Sean’s arms as he carried me through the door of my studio apartment, which I’d almost come to think of as ours. The sudden elevation came as a surprise. I tried to remember if I’d given any indication toward wanting to be lifted. If maybe something I’d said or done communicated my desire to be carried, not that I was complaining. My default mode had long been for fierce independence, at least partly a rebellion against the helplessness I’d felt growing up. I didn’t feel helpless with Sean. I felt loved, so when he picked me up, it had a whole new aspect. One of love and trust and security. I pressed my face against his chest as he conveyed me to the couch, breathing his scent deeply and sighing at the love hormones that raced through my body.

  Sean set me onto the couch, then lay my legs across his lap. I snuggled down into the soft cushions as he took off my shoes one by one, making me sigh with relief, flexing my feet, and cracking my ankles.

  I closed my eyes and drifted away as Sean gave me my first ever foot massage. It was truly amazing, which really stood to reason, considering how sensitive feet could be, and Sean handled them like a master.

  “Ready for some dessert?” he asked, moving from my feet up to my legs.

  “No thanks, I’m not hungry.”