A Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Tara leaned down and picked up the Jenga blocks, feeling like the worst mother in the world. She’d put herself above the needs of her child. She should have continued to clean toilets, paying off her debt slowly like the rest of America.

  And now her daughter would be devastated. Kind of like she was feeling right now. Tara fit the lid on the container. How could she walk away from her feelings? From Rick? Why did he have to turn out to be the perfect man for her? She didn’t even realize she was crying until a tear fell on her shirt.

  She wiped at her cheeks. How had things gotten so messed up? It was supposed to be simple. At least, it was when Rick explained it. Marry for the publicity. Spend a few outings together so the public could take photos. The rest of the time they were supposed to live happily separate lives. But that hadn’t happened. She’d gotten all wrapped up in him.

  She loved him. Tara brushed a strand of hair away from her face and stood. She placed the Jenga blocks in the box with the rest of Kylee’s toys and lifted it. She went outside and put it in the trunk of the rental car Rick had gotten for her. The money was already in her account, but Rick had insisted on paying for the car. Why, she didn’t understand, but she went with it. Every little bit of savings would help her and Kylee.

  After putting the trash bag of clothes in the trunk, she was ready to head out with Kylee. No need to prolong things anymore. She went inside to search for Rick. His voice carried out of his office. She walked in to see Rick sitting in his office chair, Kylee on his lap. He had the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated open on her lap.

  Kylee looked up. “Rick’s reading to me.”

  Tara raised her eyebrows. “He is? What is he reading?”

  “Stories about the swimming princesses.”

  She coughed to cover up a laugh. “I see.”

  Rick shrugged. “I didn’t have any kid’s books.”

  Tara reached out for Kylee and she climbed into her arms willingly. She took it as a sign. Time to go now, before Tara or Kylee had another meltdown. “We’re all packed.”

  Rick stood up so fast his chair bumped into the wall behind him. “Wait. I got her calmed down, but I think it would be best if you stay for another week or two.”

  Stay? What would be the point of that? To fuse the bond between him and Kylee even more? “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said.

  “Why not? What would it hurt? You have a room here. You have everything here.”

  Tara’s throat grew tight. She tried to draw in a breath but it seemed impossible. How could she stay? What would she do? Live in his mansion . . . as what? They were already starting the divorce process. She forced the words out. “I can’t.”

  She turned and walked through the house, Rick following after her. As she neared the front door, Rick ran ahead and opened it for her. He frowned as she put Kylee in the car. He stopped her from shutting the car door. “Stay. Please.”

  His words stabbed through her. She looked into his eyes, which seemed to hold something unsaid. She wasn’t sure why he wanted her to stay longer, and in her heart she knew it would only prolong the inevitable. She needed to move on. She broke his gaze. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

  He stepped back, slowly nodding. “Alright.”

  She climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. It took all her willpower not to turn around and glance at Rick as she drove away.

  Rick watched Tara’s car wind its way down the driveway, his heart going with it. The summer sun beat down on his skin. Why couldn’t he have just said how he felt? How could he have let her go?

  His mind flashed back to Scarlett, and pain shot through his chest. He’d let her go, too. Was he that shallow? Could he give up Tara for his life in L.A.? Was she just a hamburger to him, or did his love for her run deeper?

  He walked back into his house. He immediately felt the emptiness she’d left. Kylee’s peals of laughter . . . Tara’s soft perfume. Gone.

  He couldn’t convince her to stay. Did he have the courage to go with her? He let the questions simmer in his mind as he walked back into his office. He plopped down in his chair and stared at the carpet.

  Over the past few days, he’d almost come out and told her he wanted to try to make a real relationship work. But he hadn’t been able to gather up the courage. He knew she had her heart set on going to Iowa to raise Kylee. He’d already probed to see if she’d stay. The answer was clear: no.

  The only thing he could do was walk away from his career to be with her. But would he turn bitter if he did that? Resent her for what he gave up?

  He exhaled and looked up at the ceiling. He missed her already. No, missed was an understatement. He ached for her. The best eight hours of his life was when she’d spent the night in his arms. If he could have that every night, he’d be happier than he’d been his whole life.

  A realization slammed into him. He wasn’t letting her go for selfish reasons. He was letting her go because he knew she wouldn’t be happy in L.A. And he wanted her to be happy.

  The situation was totally different with Scarlett. He let her go because he wanted himself to be happy. She was the hamburger. Tara was more than that.

  But was she worth more than his career? He picked up the Sports Illustrated magazine. Kylee and Tara filled a hole in his life he never knew existed. A hole that now sat empty, leaving part of him dead. Yes, he could give up his acting career to have them in his life. He’d enjoyed his time in the limelight, but he realized now that life wasn’t full. It was missing something.

  He stood and a yellow form on his desk caught his eye. Kylee’s Winnie the Pooh bear. He picked up the stuffed animal and looked at the ratty fur. Kylee would be heartbroken when she realized she left it.

  And he would be heartbroken if they left him.

  He grabbed his keys and ran to the garage. Tossing the bear onto the passenger seat, he climbed into his Jaguar and cranked the engine. The garage door seemed to take forever to lift. He peeled out of the garage in reverse, ignoring the smell of hot rubber on concrete.

  He flung it into drive and took off down the hill. As he neared the gate, which was open, Tara’s rental car came into view and he slammed on his brakes. What was she doing just sitting there?

  He got out of his car and ran up to her window. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  She rolled down her window, and he could see she’d been crying.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

  She wiped at her face. “Nothing.” She gave him a sheepish grin.

  His heart pounded, trying to make sense of everything. “Why are you sitting here?”

  She shook her head and clenched the steering wheel, looking out the windshield at the palm trees. “I seem to be having trouble leaving.”

  Rick stared at her, not understanding. “You don’t want to leave?” Did he dare hope?

  A moment ticked by before she blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m being silly. I should go.” She put the car into drive.

  He opened her car door. “Get out.”

  She looked up at him. “What?”

  “Get out,” he said, his voice lower. His palms grew sweaty. If she was having trouble leaving, maybe he had a chance with her. Maybe he could talk her into staying and trying things out. “Please.”

  She put the car into park and unbuckled, then awkwardly climbed out of the car, her door open and making a dinging noise. Now that they were face-to-face, he wasn’t sure what to say. How could he let her know how he felt about her?

  Before he could think about it, he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes, and the kiss turned more passionate. She smelled of vanilla and almond, and he couldn’t get enough of her. Heat enveloped him as he wrapped his arms around her.

  He kissed her jaw, and then her neck. She let out a soft moan. He pulled back. “I don’t want you to go.”

  She pulled away from him. “But Kylee and I . . . we need to start our life.”

  “Your life is here. Sta
y with me.” He looked into her eyes and gathered up his courage. “I want to give this a shot.”

  Chapter 25

  Tara wasn’t sure she heard Rick right. “Give what a shot?”

  “Us.” His eyes held vulnerability. Uncertainty.

  She swallowed hard. “There is no us,” she whispered.

  He ran a finger down her jaw, causing all kinds of havoc inside her. “Don’t you feel it? It can’t be just me.”

  “Of course, but a life together can’t be built on chemistry.”

  He frowned. “What I feel is more than that.” His gaze flicked to Kylee sitting in the backseat. He turned back to Tara, his gaze penetrating through her. “I’ve been fighting it, but I can’t anymore. When you drove off, I thought I would never see you again. That I’d never get a chance to tell you how I really feel. Tara, I’m in love with you.”

  Tara’s pulse raced. He loved her? Her knees felt weak, and she didn’t know what to say. Had her dreams really come true? Rick felt the same way she did?

  Sweat formed on Rick’s forehead. “If you don’t say something soon, I’m going to go crazy.”

  Elation filled her, and she laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’m so happy to hear that, because I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”

  Relief flooded his face and he kissed her again, this time more leisurely. Tingles erupted through her. He pressed closer until she was backed up against the car, his hands on either side of her. The feel of his muscles against her made her lightheaded. When he finally pulled back, she smiled at him. “Have I ever told you you’re a really good kisser?”

  He chuckled. “Can’t say that you have.”

  “Dang. Remind me to do that.”

  He ran his fingers up her arm. “I will.”

  It was hard to concentrate with the way he was making her feel. “Rick?”

  “What?”

  “Has your attorney filed the divorce papers yet?”

  His gaze traveled to her lips. “No.”

  “Good.”

  His lips twitched. “Why?”

  “Because I think I’m going to enjoy being married to you.”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “I’ll tell him to chuck the papers.”

  Kylee kicked her feet. “I want to get out.”

  “Okay, just a minute.” Tara pointed to the open door, still making a dinging noise. “I’d better drive this thing back up the hill.”

  “I’ll follow you,” Rick said.

  When they were back up the driveway, Rick grabbed Kylee’s Winnie the Pooh and ran to get her out of the car. When Kylee saw the bear, she held out her hands for it. “Pooh bear.”

  Rick picked her up and held her close. She wrapped her little arms around his neck. He’d almost lost her. Almost lost the feeling of belonging to something bigger. Of mattering to someone so small. He’d never mattered to anyone before. The feeling was indescribable.

  He opened the trunk on the rental car and pulled out Tara’s garbage bag of clothes and brought them inside. Tara came in with the box of Kylee’s toys.

  “I need to go talk to my attorney,” Rick said.

  Tara nodded. “Go.” She reached for Kylee, but the little girl clung to Rick and shook her head.

  He laughed. “No worries, this Ladybug can come with me.”

  Kylee giggled at the nickname he’d taken to calling her. “I’m a little girl,” she informed him.

  “I know, Ladybug.”

  More giggles.

  Rick called his attorney and told him not to start on the divorce papers. “We’ve had a change of heart,” was all he said.

  Nerves filled him as he walked back into the other room. Were he and Tara really going to stay married? Was this thing for real? He could hardly believe it.

  Tara approached him in the great room. “I asked Eliza to make us something special for dinner. I hope that’s okay.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Since when are you okay with Eliza waiting on you?”

  Tara made a face. “I’m not, but if I’m going to live here, I have to adapt to the way things are done. I don’t want Eliza losing her job, or being upset with me for displacing her.”

  “Wait, you don’t want to move to Iowa? I thought you had your mind set on it.”

  Tara stared at him. “I thought . . . I mean, I thought you were asking me to stay.”

  “Stay with me. Stay married. If Iowa is where your heart is, I’ll go there with you.”

  Tara blinked. “You would do that?”

  Kylee wiggled and he set her down. Rick pulled Tara to him. “I already chose my career over love once. I don’t want to do it again.”

  Tara laid her head on his chest. “I don’t want you to move to Iowa. I want to stay here, but it means a lot to me that you were willing to go.”

  He kissed the top of her head, emotion flooding through him. “I thought you hated L.A.”

  She smiled up at him. “It’s grown on me.”

  “Really?”

  “You’ve grown on me, really. And I know how much you love L.A.”

  He hugged her. “There are some nice things here. Things to do.”

  She pulled back from him. “There’s only one thing I want to do right now.”

  “What’s that?”

  She brushed her lips over his in a feather-light kiss. “Be with you.”

  Epilogue

  Tara resisted the urge to shield her face from the camera flashes. She should be used to them by now, but for some reason, it still seemed surreal. Rick tucked her under his arm and grinned at her. The flashes went off with more intensity. He patted her baby bump. Now that it was too large to hide, the press was going wild.

  “When is your baby due, Rick?”

  “Is it a boy or a girl?”

  “What’s your next movie?”

  Rick put up his hand and gave them all a stellar smile. “No more questions, please. Thank you, folks. We’ll be heading inside now.”

  He held the door for her to the restaurant. The smell of freshly baked bread teased her nose as she entered. The restaurant was dimly lit, flickering candles on the tables. The walls were covered in deep red wallpaper. They were seated at a quiet table in a secluded area. Rick pulled out his menu, still grinning.

  “You love that, don’t you?” she asked.

  “What?” He couldn’t stop grinning.

  “All the attention. You’re just glowing.”

  He chuckled. “No, you’re the one who’s glowing.”

  She ran her finger along the edge of her menu. “There’s a lot to celebrate tonight.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m so proud of you getting into graduate school. You’re going to rock it.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I’m proud of you, too. Sounds like this remake of Rear Window is going to be a big deal.”

  “The cast is amazing. They’re pulling out some big names for it. I think it should do well.”

  She nodded. When the story came out that they had actually fallen in love through their fake marriage, and after they stayed married, they became Hollywood sweethearts. The public loved them, and Rick’s career took off again.

  The waitress stopped at their table. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “Just water, thank you,” Rick said.

  Tara smiled. Rick still had the occasional drink, but he’d put the binging and getting drunk behind him. She knew he had only been using the alcohol to forget Scarlett. Or to cover up his guilt over how they broke up. But together they’d worked through that painful part of his past.

  They placed their orders and Rick sat back in his chair, his gaze traveling over her. “I can’t believe we’ve been married for five years.”

  “Seems like just yesterday when you strutted around me like a peacock, commenting on my nice ‘hometown’ look.”

  He laughed, his eyes crinkling in that sexy way. “And you spilled coffee on my lap.”

  She blushed. “Yea
h, that was classic. I’m still amazed you didn’t fire me.”

  “I couldn’t have fired you. You were too adorable.” His cell phone made a chime and he looked at the screen. “Kylee’s asking if she can go to Heather’s house tonight.”

  “Did she finish her chores? When I checked, she was sitting in her room, pouting. If she can’t find time to vacuum her floor, she doesn’t have time to go to Heather’s.”

  Rick typed into his phone. “You’re such a mean mom.”

  “I know. That’s why she’s asking you.” She laughed. “You’re a pushover.”

  He shrugged. “I pay a staff to keep the house clean. It keeps food on their table.”

  Tara didn’t want to get into it with him, not on their anniversary, but she had to stand her ground. “That’s fine. We’ve come to that agreement. But Kylee needs to learn how to do these things for herself, or when she moves out her house will look like . . . well, have you seen Hoarders?”

  Rick cringed and set his phone down. “Alright, I told her she needed to clean her room before she could go to her friend’s house.”

  Tara picked up her water and took a sip. “Are we all set for my parents’ visit next month?”

  “Yes, I made all the arrangements. Your father even called me twice to make sure we had it on our calendar.”

  She shook her head. “He sure has mellowed out.”

  “I think he started liking me after I hit Bobby in the face.”

  “I think so too,” Tara said, fighting back giggles.

  “Speaking of Bobby, is he up for parole this year?”

  “No. I think it won’t be for another year.” She still couldn’t believe her ex-husband had filed for bankruptcy, then tried to conceal assets. What an idiot.

  The server brought them their food, setting the hot plates in front of them. Tara picked up her fork. “When will filming start?”