“Well, see, they shouldn’t have done that. I’m just trying to make you a fair offer for the property.”
“Fair or not, it’s not for sale.” I watched him carefully. He was a man who was good at facades. At making people believe he was calm, cool and collected, but I saw the quick flash of irritation in his eyes at my words.
“The governor has endorsed this project. It will create many jobs for your neighbors who need them. Not everyone is cut out for farming. The people of Salvation will have jobs and it will mean more money for the county. Surely you support your community?” He was clearly going for some sort of empathy I might have for my neighbors. I did have empathy. I just didn’t think I should have to forfeit my land so they could have a job. Surely there was another industry that could be brought in that wouldn’t require so many farmers to give up their way of life? Weirder still was that Stark could understand empathy. I was sure he didn’t.
“The governor doesn’t own this land, I do.”
Again, there was a quick, almost imperceptible clench of his jaw. “I understand your family has been ranching on this property for a long time. I can see how important that would be to you. Family history is important. But look around you, Mr. Jones. The house is tired and showing signs of wear. Family farming is dying. In five, maybe ten years, it will be extinct and where will you be? You can take this offer and start a new life with your new wife.”
“In five or ten years, I’ll be right here. Raising cattle and enjoying life with my wife and family.” At least I would be if I could convince Sinclair to stay.
Stark smirked, showing the first sign of the snake he really was. “Wife, yes, well, we all know the truth about your so-called marriage.” This time it was my jaw that tightened. “I know that this marriage is a ploy to save your farm and get your so-called wife elected mayor. Come on now, Mr. Jones, you don’t think that will work, do you? The people of Salvation are too smart to fall for this.”
“You don’t talk about my wife.” My hands balled into fists. I was dying to punch that smirk off his face, perhaps take out a few of his veneers too.
Stark laughed. “Oh my, you’ve fallen for your fake wife. Is that it?” He shook his head like he pitied me.
“Get the fuck off my land, Stark. You’re trespassing. I promised my wife I wouldn’t kick the shit out of you, but I will call the sheriff.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “No need to lose control, Mr. Jones. We are civilized.”
I ground my teeth together, hating how he was insinuating I was some sort of neanderthal.
“But really, I do encourage you to consider what you’re doing. Your fake marriage will be exposed. Why not take the money? You can set your mother up in a nice place and she won’t have to work so hard on this farm. She’s worked hard enough, don't you think? She deserves a good life after dealing with your father’s abuse. This fake marriage, it’s a waste of time and effort.”
Fucker. “The only thing fake here is your charm, Stark.” I sneered.
His expression was smug as he said, “If the marriage is real, why aren’t you adopting the deputy mayor’s lovely daughter? The poor girl has no father, so surely, if you were a real family, had a real marriage, you’d adopt her and make her yours.”
Jesus, I hadn’t thought about that.
He smiled like he’d earned points. “You reconsider selling your land, Mr. Jones, or I’ll expose your wife’s plan to manipulate her way into the mayor’s chair.”
I strode down the steps, and was glad to see Stark take a step back. “If you threaten my wife again, I’ll show you all the ways the U.S. Special Forces taught me how to kill a man.”
Stark looked at me with a distasteful expression. “Bluster all you want, Mr. Jones. I will have this land. I look forward to the day you’re forced to sign those papers.” He strode to his car, climbing in and driving off.
“Fucking asshole.” I was livid. I hated that I hadn’t punched his lights out. More than that, I was worried about Sinclair. How did Stark get the idea that our marriage was fake? The only thing I could think of was the mayor, who clearly had a personal vendetta against me for taking Sinclair from him.
How Stark found out didn’t matter. What mattered was that I warn Sinclair. She’d need to be ready if Stark went public with his accusations.
I left a note for my mother on the mirror near the front door, and then drove into town to the mayor’s office.
“Wyatt, hey.” Trina smiled when she saw me but then her smile faltered. “What’s wrong?”
“Is Sinclair in?”
“Yeah.” She stood and made her way down to Sinclair’s office. I followed her. “Hey Sin, Wyatt’s here.”
I stepped inside the office with Trina.
“Is everything okay?” Sinclair asked, standing from behind her desk.
“That asshole Stark was just at the house.” I explained the entire conversation, leaving out the part about adopting Alyssa. The truth was, once he said it, I wondered why I hadn’t considered it. Probably because I knew Sinclair saw me as temporary. Temp husband. Temp stepdad. But of course, I wanted to adopt her. In the two weeks I’d known her, she’d become as much mine as if it was my sperm that had helped create her. Both Sinclair and Alyssa were my family. Mine.
“Did you punch the smarm right off his face?” Trina asked.
Sinclair sent her a disapproving glare as she came around to the front of her desk. “Don’t encourage him.”
“I told him that I promised you I wouldn’t beat the shit out of him, but that I would call the sheriff.” I hoped she appreciated my restraint.
“Have you considered filing a harassment complaint?” Trina asked.
“That’s not my concern,” I said.
“What is?” Sinclair asked, leaning back against her desk. For a minute I took her in. She was in her dark skirt. Her hair pinned up. She looked fierce and strong. I was so fucking proud of her. And, because I was a man in love with her, I had a flash of an image of fucking her on her desk. I quickly pushed it aside to focus on the problem at hand.
“First, that your boss is sabotaging you. How else did Stark know to even think our marriage was fake?”
Sinclair bit her lip, clearly not liking that idea. She admired the man, and I worried her faith in him was misplaced.
“Second, I don’t want our relationship to keep you from achieving your dream of being mayor someday.”
Yes, I was hellbent on having Sinclair in my life. She was my dream. But I’d give her up in a minute if it meant she could have her dream. I hated that our lives had gotten so complicated. It didn’t seem too much to ask to have her as my wife and still have her dreams come true. But of course, as my father always said, “Life isn’t fair.” And sometimes it was just plain fucked up.
I was having a hard enough time convincing her to view us as a real family. If I cost her her dreams, she’d resent me. I couldn’t have that.
28
Sinclair
My heart did that roll in my chest again at Wyatt’s words. The fact that he thought about my hopes and dreams reminded me that he wasn’t the same boy who asked me to run off without a thought about my goals. Today he was a man who took his role as owner, leader and head of family very seriously.
I looked over at Trina, giving her the silent message to leave us.
“I’ll leave you two to figure this out,” Trina said, backing out the door.
I made sure it was shut and then engaged the lock. I moved to Wyatt and I slid my arms over his shoulders. His eyes registered surprise, but his hands went to my waist and pulled me in.
“I believe in what we’re doing,” I said to him. “Stark is clearly concerned he’s losing, otherwise why come to see you personally?”
He shrugged. “He still has influence. I think he’s a lying cheat, but I believe him when he says he’ll try to ruin your reputation, and I can’t have that, Sinclair.”
“He can try, but he’ll fail. First, people of Salvation know me. I
grew up here. Most of them shop at my dad’s store. They don’t know Stark.”
“What if the mayor’s in on it?”
“I don’t believe that, but if he is, I’m still not worried because you grew up here too. People admire you-”
“I’ve been gone ten years-”
“But you’re back. And you know how small towns are, Wyatt. Gossip travels like tumbleweed. Wyatt Jones, decorated vet, dutiful son, committed family man, honest businessman… The other farmers are watching you and they’re inspired.”
He shook his head and looked down. “I haven’t done anything to earn that.”
I gave him a shake. “You’ve stood up to Stark and his goons, three times now. You supported Jasper by buying his pony. Which by the way you really should have talked to me about.”
“I know.” He smiled sheepishly. “But she’s a great rider, Sinclair.”
Because she was and because she loved it so much, I let it go. “The point is, others are starting to stand up too. They’re calling the mayor’s office. They’re calling me because through my marriage to you, I have a vested interest. Now they have an advocate. It’s working, Wyatt.”
He leaned his forehead against mine. “I couldn’t do this without you. You’re the one making this work, Sinclair, not me.”
I smiled up at him. “We’re a team.” He looked at me with those beautiful green eyes, and I realized my words meant more than we were just a team in this arrangement. I was hopelessly, helplessly, irrevocably in love with him. In fact, I wasn’t sure I ever stopped loving him. Perhaps all my failed attempts to move on with other men wasn’t about focusing on my career or needing to be a mother to Alyssa, but instead because I loved Wyatt.
“Sinclair, there’s something I need to tell you.”
There was something in his voice that had my heart ticking up with concern.
“This isn’t fake. Not for me.”
My heart expanded so much, I wasn’t sure how it stayed contained in my chest. He was everything I wanted and needed. He was Alyssa’s father…and with that thought, I realized that while I was on the verge of having everything I ever wanted, I was also precariously close to losing it all.
I needed to tell him but now wasn’t the time. Not in my office where we could be overheard if he got angry. I couldn’t afford to have our private lives overheard and used against us.
Instead, I kissed him, putting all my emotion, all my love into it.
He groaned. “You’re going to make me walk out of here with a hardon.”
My hands were already on his belt as I said, “I’ve locked the door. Let me take care of it for you.”
“Fuck, yeah.” He maneuvered me back to my desk, lifting my skirt and pulling my panties down as he did. He set me on the desk and I kicked my panties off, while I pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down. His cock sprang out and it was so beautiful.
“I want to suck it, Wyatt.”
He groaned. “Whatever my woman wants.”
I started to get off the desk so I could get on my knees and worship his dick, but instead he sat on the desk next to me.
“Get on all fours, baby.”
I pushed my paperwork away and put my picture of Alyssa face down, and then climbed up on the desk, and sat on my heels.
He leaned back, his dick sticking straight up. “He’s all yours.”
I bent over, wrapping my hand around his cock and then sucking him deep in my mouth.
“Ah, fuck… So good, Sinclair.” His hand slid up my thigh, over my bare ass. “I’m going to finger fuck you.”
His finger slid to my pussy and my ass gyrated as I sought more from him. If the mayor walked in, he’d get quite a sight. Wyatt on my desk fingerfucking me while I sucked him off. Maybe he’d stay out of my business if he saw the exquisite pleasure Wyatt gave me.
Fortunately, I’d locked the door. This was a party of two. No guests allowed.
Pretty soon, I had a hard time focusing on his dick as my pussy was burning with need.
“I need to come,” I gasped. In a flash, he had me sitting on the edge of the desk again, and he was standing between my thighs, his dick poised at my entrance.
“Sinclair.”
I was in a bit of a haze from erotic need, but I was able to look at him.
“This isn’t fake.” He slammed into me, and I cried out. His lips fused to mine, probably to keep me quiet. He immediately went at a strong, steady pace, pushing my desk back with each thrust. It was delicious the way the friction of his cock slid against my pussy walls, sending little shocks of pleasure.
“Wyatt, yes…” What I wanted to tell him was that this wasn’t fake for me either. That we could be a family like we’d wanted. But my lungs burned from exertion. My body throbbed from sensation.
He shifted, hooking his arms under my knees as he leaned forward to put his palms on my desk. I fell back, my pen jabbing in my shoulder blade. But I didn’t care.
“Come on Sinclair… Come for me, baby… Let me see you come.”
His green eyes were filled with passion and intent as they gazed down on me, his body consuming mine until I went up in a fiery inferno. I pressed my hand over my mouth to muffle my cry as pleasure swept through me.
“Yes…I’m coming…I’m coming in your sweet pussy,” he growled, and then threw his head back as his pleasure overtook him.
His words sent another flashfire through me.
It was several minutes before I could move.
“I messed up your desk.” He gave me a sheepish smile.
I lifted my head and looked around. “Oh well.”
He helped me sit up, giving me a hard kiss before reaching for the box of tissues that fell on the floor, handing me one.
“I don’t remember you being so messy before,” I teased.
“I used a condom before. Except that first time. God, I remember being so fucking worried about that.” He used a tissue to wipe off his dick and then pulled his pants up.
My heart stalled in my chest. That first time we made Alyssa. I never knew he’d been worried about the possibility of pregnancy. I didn’t remember him asking about it. Of course, by the time I knew I was pregnant, he was gone.
He pulled himself together. “Listen, Sinclair, I know this isn’t the time, but I want to get this out now so you can think about it and we can talk later.”
I swallowed, a little relieved he was moving on to a new topic.
“About Alyssa.”
Oh God, he was moving on. But this wasn’t the time or place for me to reveal my secret.
“I meant what I said about always being there for her. I don’t know what happened with her father, but as far as I can tell, he’s not involved.”
I sagged against the desk, feeling like my world was about to crash down.
“I don’t know if you think she needs a father, but I want to sign up for the job.” He looked at me and cocked his head as if he thought my reaction was off. Of course, it was. I was paralyzed by fear and guilt. “I’d like to adopt her.”
I closed my eyes as tears threatened. He was the most wonderful man in the world, wanting to adopt a child he thought was from another man.
“Wyatt, there’s something you need to-”
My desk phone buzzed. I looked at it, but didn’t want to pick it up.
“You should get that.”
I managed to walk around my desk on wobbly legs. I sank into my chair and picked up the phone. “Yes.”
“The mayor is back and wants to see you. You should probably get dressed.”
Oh God, did she hear us?.
She laughed. “At least I hope you two are naked. Would serve the mayor right. He’s in his office when you’re done.”
“Thank you, Trina. Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”
I hung up the phone and looked up at Wyatt.
“You’ve got to get to work.” He smiled. “Maybe when you talk with the mayor you can think about what I just did to you on your desk.”
/> I managed a laugh, but it wasn’t a very good one.
He frowned and looked down. “About Alyssa, I know she’s not mine and we’re new and all, but I love her, Sinclair. I want to do right by her and you. I know it’s a caveman thing to say, but that’s how I feel.” He put his hand over his heart. “Just think about it.”
I nodded. “We can talk when I get home.”
He smiled again. “Good. Would it be alright if I picked her up and gave her a riding lesson? I won’t say anything about wanting to adopt her.”
“Yes. She’d like that.” My smile was forced and I was sure he could tell as he kept looking at me like he was missing something.
“Okay. Now go give the mayor hell.” He winked and started to leave my office.
“Can you shut my door when you leave? I want a moment to pull myself together.”
He waggled his brows. “Of course.”
It was good he thought I meant I needed to compose myself after he ravished me on my desk. In reality, I needed to get myself in order about Alyssa and the guilt that threatened to bring me to my knees.
After a few minutes of getting my brain back on work, and checking that my clothes were in order, I headed to the mayor's office.
I knocked on the door as I opened it. “You wanted to see me?”
He nodded to the chair in front of his desk. “Everything alright with you?”
I rolled my eyes as it was clear he was waiting for my marriage to implode. On the other hand, it was likely he wouldn’t have to wait long. Once I told Wyatt the truth about Alyssa, if he didn’t forgive me, I could be divorced lickity split.
“Great. What’s up?” I asked, sitting in the chair.
“Stark is saying that Wyatt is physically threatening him and his people.”
“I’m really disappointed in you, Mo.”
He flinched.
“His men made an implied threat on Alyssa. They're harassing Wyatt, and me, on his own land. He’d be well within his rights to beat them to a pulp.”
He leaned forward, a look of horror on his face. “They threatened you and Alyssa?”
“They’re subtle about it, but yes.”
Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 17