The Star's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  No, she reminded herself. This was all fake. The Tucker she met tonight would be the world-famous singer. She didn’t know that Tucker. Her Tucker was gone. That was the only way she was making it through a fake date—and fake marriage—with Tucker.

  Chapter 2

  Tucker Hawk paced in his hotel room. In only a few short minutes, he would be meeting his future wife. When he’d begged for another chance, he never imagined he’d be forced to get married as a last-ditch effort to save his career. If only he hadn’t let himself get into this situation in the first place.

  “Relax, Tucker,” said his manager, Stacey Goodman. “It’s all going to be fine. As soon as your marriage is official, you’ll have your recording contract back, and everything will fall into place. Besides, it’s just for a year. When the year is up, it’ll be over.”

  His manager talked about marriage like it wasn’t a huge deal. But in his family, it was a major life event. It was something you did once and committed yourself to. He could only imagine how disappointed his parents would be that he was about to go on a date with a woman he’d never met in the hopes of getting to know her well enough to fool the press into thinking they were madly in love. And he couldn’t even tell them.

  When Derek had come up with the crazy scheme, he’d made Tucker sign a contract. If Tucker told anyone or said anything, Derek would come after him. Then, not only would he lose his recording contract, but he’d lose everything he’d ever worked for. Even Stacey signed a contract, which seemed odd, but as she put it, “With so much on the line, Derek wanted to be extra cautious.”

  “I know, but marriage? Why marriage? What makes Derek think anyone will buy this? Especially since I’ve been so vocal about never being in a relationship again,” Tucker said.

  Stacey had spent the last three months working to get Tucker back into the good graces of Reckless Records. What she didn’t know is that when Derek approached Tucker, he’d been given an ultimatum—either enter rehab, get married, or end up getting sued. And by sued, Derek was including Stacey. She knew about the ultimatum, but not that the equation involved her. Tucker couldn’t let her pay for his bad decisions. She didn’t deserve that.

  “That’s exactly why he thinks it’ll help. If she was able to change your mind about marriage, she’d have been able to change your mind about other things—like drinking and women…and partying. It’s the whole package. We need your good-guy image back, and the public is a sucker for a love story.”

  Yeah, a love story. Until they found out it was as fake as Petra’s hair extensions. His ex-girlfriend was the phoniest person he’d ever met. Not that anyone knew the extent of her betrayal. Most of what the public knew was from her perspective because Tucker was unwilling to even talk to a reporter.

  “Yeah, so Derek says.” Tucker grimaced.

  Stacey stepped in front of Tucker, stopping him. “Listen. I know this isn’t ideal, but unless you want to reconsider rehab, this is your only option.”

  Rehab. He snorted. He knew how strongly his family thought about marriage, but to Tucker, even a few months of rehab was too much for him. With a fake marriage, at least it was one person, and he didn’t have to get close to them. “No, I’m not reconsidering. I’m not sitting in a circle, discussing my feelings with a bunch of strangers.”

  “Maybe it would help. You haven’t told anyone what happened. Not even me. I know something happened, Tuck. Petra leaked information and then claimed you cheated on her. You’ve never set the record straight. If you had, maybe you wouldn’t be forced to do all this. What if you just came out and told everyone the truth instead?”

  Right, and let everyone know what an idiot he was? Yeah, it might be easier, but he just couldn’t do it. It went beyond Petra. He’d let himself down, his family, and his fans. Offering an explanation would only be giving himself an excuse for his behavior, and he wouldn’t do that. After spending the last year making false promises to both the label and his fans, Tucker wasn’t sure anyone would believe him, even if he did explain it all.

  He shook his head. “My chance to tell the truth is gone, and Derek doesn’t care about the truth, He was pretty clear what my options were.”

  “Yeah, I know, but if you were honest, maybe he wouldn’t need to.”

  “We both know that’s not true. Once Derek has his mind set, there’s no changing it.” That was an understatement.

  Derek was known for being ruthless when it came to his artists. Although Tucker had never been in the man’s bad graces, he’d heard rumors when he was first starting out. Now that he’d seen firsthand, Tucker wasn’t about to test the man.

  “Why do I feel so disgusting? This is all kinds of wrong. Paying someone to get married. If this does come out, my fans will never forgive me. I mean, I’ve already let them down.”

  Stacey grabbed his hand. “I know, and if I could’ve talked Derek into going a different route, I would have, but I couldn’t. This was the only way he would even consider giving you another shot.”

  Tucker sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “Yeah, I know. I just wish I could go back and change how I handled things.”

  “But you can’t. You have to deal with the here and now, and this is reality.”

  Tucker dropped his hand to his side and let out a slow breath. Oh, he knew. He just didn’t like reality at the moment. “What do you know about this woman? What’s her name?”

  “Callie Chapman.”

  Wait a minute. Callie Chapman? He briefly dated someone named Callie Chapman. There was no way it could be the same person. What were the odds that Derek would find the one woman his “what if’s” centered around? And if it was her? Why would she agree to do this? Would she be like everyone else and want to use him too?

  “Do you have a picture? What does she do?”

  Stacey shrugged. “Nope, no picture. I just know what Derek’s told me. She’s twenty-eight, cute, and smart. She’s an accountant. Her family is well-known and respected in Wilmington.”

  “An accountant?”

  “Yep, she’s a CPA in Nashville.”

  “And she’s not a model?” That was a point on the pro side of the column from Tucker’s perspective.

  “Nope, she’s just a regular woman. Derek seemed to think she was just average in the looks department, but he thought that would work in your favor. Your female fans will relate to the homely girl getting the famous singer.”

  Homely? Great. But he didn’t need to be attracted to the woman. It would make faking the relationship harder, but it’d be easier when it came time to walk away.

  “Whatever.” He tugged at his collar. “Why didn’t you just book her a room here at the Bellagio?”

  “That didn’t seem like a good idea. The way Derek’s team has the story going, she’s an old friend who knew you before you hit it big. You’ve been hiding out in Vegas, and you just happened to run into each other there. The two of you struck up a conversation and sparks flew.”

  An old friend? Could it possibly be his Callie? No. Derek said she was homely. That definitely didn’t match up.

  “And tomorrow we’re getting married. You said she signed a contract?”

  “Yep, all done. She can’t say a word to the press, and if she does, when we get done with her, she’ll spend the rest of her life living under a bridge.”

  He nodded as the gravity of the situation hit him. He’d never felt so empty in his life. Even after all the bad decisions, this was the lowest point he could picture. Paying someone to marry him and pretending to be in love with a stranger. “And I have to go to her sister’s wedding.”

  “I’m sorry, but Derek thought it was a good idea. That way when it comes out you’re married, it’ll seem like you went there to meet the family. It’ll look less scripted.”

  Tucker blew out a puff of air. Marrying a woman he didn’t know and then being thrown into the middle of her family? Would rehab have been that bad? Should he call Derek and tell him he’d changed
his mind?

  A vision floated to mind of people in bathrobes, sitting in a circle. He shivered. Nope, marriage would be just fine, just fine. He was definitely not changing his mind.

  Stacey tugged on his tie again, straightening it. “At least it’s on the beach. Maybe you can use the downtime to write a few new songs.”

  “The beach?” He must have spaced the first time Stacey went over the details with him. A few days at the beach didn’t sound horrible.

  “Carolina Beach, North Carolina. Her family has a vacation home there. The rest you should probably talk to her about while you get to know her tonight.”

  “That’s not so bad.”

  Stacey grinned. “See? Just focus on the positives. A fresh start for your career, a nice week of vacation, and then who knows? Everything’s looking up for my favorite country music star.”

  “Yeah. I guess.” So, why didn’t he feel like things were looking up? “And the restaurant is rented out? It’ll just be me and…Callie?”

  “Just you and Callie Chapman.”

  “Okay,” he said and walked to the door, tugging on the collar of his dress shirt once more. As if that would help him breathe easier. He grimaced, thinking the whole situation felt like a noose.

  Stacey smiled as he cast her a glance over his shoulder. “Try to have a good time, or at least act like it.”

  “I will.” He opened the door and walked to the elevator, dread bubbling in his stomach. The last thing he wanted to do was pretend to have a relationship, but he didn’t have a choice.

  When the doors to the elevator opened, Tucker stepped in and then let his mind wander further as the doors closed behind him. How had he let himself get into such a mess? He’d spent his entire life making the right choices. No drinking, no drugs, no women…and then he’d met Petra.

  She’d turned his life upside down with just a smile. From that moment on, he was on the path of no return at a rate of speed that would put the bullet train to shame. He loathed the fact that he’d allowed himself to be led into a sordid lifestyle. But, no, he knew he couldn’t blame everything on her. His drinking and partying…they weren’t her fault. Sure she’d encouraged him at first, but he’d embraced it willingly.

  The press only had bits and pieces of the full story. They didn’t know how she lied about his cheating to cover for the fact that she’d leaked sensitive information to the press about his mom. What was worse was that was that all of it had been a lie. From the very beginning, Petra had played him, and he’d never seen it coming.

  With a faint swish, the elevator doors slid open as Tucker stuffed his errant thoughts down as far as he could stomach. The last thing he needed was to carry his heart on his sleeve while meeting his future wife. Besides, the best thing for him was to have it behind a wall so thick and tall that nothing or no one could get close.

  Tucker slid inside the limo and rested his head against the back of the seat as the lights down the strip blurred in his peripheral vision. Although it didn’t take long to make the mile-long trip from the Bellagio to the Luxor, it’d given Tucker the time he needed to put everything in perspective and ready himself for his date with an unknown destiny. He was going to play along and be a gentleman, just to keep Derek from suing Stacey. Once the year was up, he and his wife would go their separate ways.

  Chapter 3

  “Deep breaths, girl. Deep breaths,” Callie said as she turned one way then the other, checking her strapless pale-blue dress in the mirror for the hundredth time.

  Any minute, Tucker Hawk would be knocking on her door, and her nerves were as frayed as they’d ever been. Her crazy Monday began too early. Starting with agreeing to marry Tucker in the first place, then reading through a series of contracts that seemed like the fate of the nation rested on her shoulders, and then flying into Vegas for a date with a man she’d be marrying the next day.

  “What kind of person marries someone they―” She almost said didn’t know, but she did know Tucker, and the butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t let her forget it. Her reflection stared her down as if she should know the answer. “This is all kinds of weird and wrong and wild.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

  A small knock came from the door, startling her. Her hand flew to her chest where she could tell her already jackhammering heart had sped up, making everything hurt.

  “Okay, girlfriend. It’s just a date. No spinach, no beans, and no funny business. This is just a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

  She walked to the door and slowly turned the handle.

  All rationale went floating out of her ears when she saw him. Tucker Hawk was even more gorgeous than she remembered. Tall—way taller than her—with olive skin and dark hair that curled around his ears and rested on his shirt collar. His eyes. She could never forget those eyes. They were the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

  “Hi.” The word rushed out softly.

  His lips twitched up in a half-smile, the kind she’d not been shy about loving. For a split second, she thought she saw recognition in his eyes, but just as quickly, it was gone.

  “Hi. Are you ready?” he asked in that voice that made her insides feel like goo. How on earth was she going to keep it together for the next year?

  “Uh…” Why was she so disappointed that he didn’t remember her? It wasn’t like she’d expected it. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let me grab my purse.” Why couldn’t she stop her voice from sounding so breathy?

  He smiled, and the rest of her nearly puddled in her heels. “Okay,” he said, holding her gaze.

  Purse. She needed her purse. Dragging her gaze away, she hurried for the far corner of her table to retrieve her clutch. With her back to him, she pressed her palm to her stomach and deeply inhaled. She needed to find her footing, or she’d look like a complete idiot. That is, if she didn’t already.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and steadied her breathing while giving herself a mental pep talk. He didn’t remember her and had no interest in her whatsoever. This was all fake. His record label had set it all up, and he was just playing along because he needed his image fixed. As long as she remembered that, she’d be okay.

  When she finally turned around, “okay” seemed to be flung out the window. Was he always so broad-shouldered? Had his arms always looked that huge? She didn’t remember him being so solid all those years ago. Good grief. Her grip needed some Gorilla Glue.

  “All ready,” she said as she walked back to the door. “Thanks for picking me up.”

  “No problem.” He held out an arm to usher her out the door.

  As she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, tingles erupted and ran the length of her body. The warmth of his nearness nearly made her trip as they walked to the elevator and stepped in.

  When the elevator doors closed, the uncomfortable silence loomed as Tucker pulled at the collar of his shirt. She bit her lip to hide a smile and glanced at the floor. So much had changed, but not that nervous habit. When she’d been with him in Nashville, she’d seen him do the same thing just before entering the stage to perform. With as many times as he’d performed since, she figured he’d be over it. When he did it again, she giggled.

  “What?” he asked, jerking his fingers from his collar, which pulled his tie askew.

  Callie shook her head as she ducked again to keep him from seeing her smile. “Uh, nothing.”

  “No, you’re laughing at me. Why?”

  Should she tell him who she was? She was already keeping her job as a reporter from him. She looked up, and his normally western-sky-blue eyes were clouded. No, they needed to get to know one another a little better first.

  “I’m not. It’s just that this whole situation is a little weird,” she finally said.

  “I’ll give you that. Weird seems to be an understatement.” His voice was thick, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

  She needed to fulfill her end of the bargain and make this work. The hospital would get a huge donat
ion if she pulled it off, and maybe she could convince Tucker to give her rights to some exclusives. They needed to start over, and she needed to see him as just a person.

  Sticking out her free hand, she said, “Hi. I’m Callie Raeann Chapman. I’d like to apply for the position of Tucker Hawk’s wife. I’m an excellent secret keeper, friend, and all-around pal. I don’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I do have, I’m fiercely loyal to—like a bulldog.”

  Tucker dropped his hand from his neck and chuckled as he held her gaze.

  He shook her hand. “Hello. I’m Tucker Ryan Hawk. My closest friends call me Tuck. I love to sing and perform. I don’t have a lot of friends anymore, but I wouldn’t mind a new one.”

  New one? Why did that hurt a little? “Okay, now that we’ve properly introduced ourselves, we should set some ground rules.”

  “Ground rules?”

  She shrugged. “Well, yeah. That’s how it is in the romance novels I read. There are always rules. Of course, they’re never followed, but this is real life. That won’t happen with us.”

  “Right,” he smiled his brilliant smile again. “So, ground rules. What’s rule number one?”

  “You can’t fall in love with me.” She’d heard that in a movie somewhere and always wanted to use it. Plus, she’d heard his stance on relationships, and she didn’t want him thinking this was anything more than fake. Maybe if he didn’t feel any pressure, there was a chance they could be friends. And maybe she could use it to keep her own emotions under control so she didn’t get hurt again.

  For a second, he just stared at her, and then his lips quirked up at the corners. “Okay.”

  “No kissing or anything physical unless we have to. That makes it easier to follow rule one. Holding hands is okay because that’s simple. I mean, who falls in love while just holding hands?”

  “I guess no one?”

  She grinned. “Exactly.” Then she grew serious, waving her hand between them. “Oh, and no…you know.”