Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Ajme Williams

“I’m curious as to what you will ask and how you’d skew it.”

  I turned to see him leaning against his desk.

  “I don’t have to skew anything. Your acts speak for themselves.”

  “What acts?” he asked.

  “The prison.”

  “The prison that the governor and even Mayor Valentine supported. The prison that would have brought jobs to people in Salvation that didn’t live on a farm. This town is dying, Les…Erica.”

  “I’m not questioning your intent. I’m questioning your means. You threaten and intimidate the people of Salvation. You sent goons to harass the Jones family.”

  He looked down. “That was unfortunate. I fired them.”

  “You tricked Ryder Simms to play for Wallace’s campaign rally thereby betraying his sister Sinclair.”

  His lips twitched upward slightly. “Had he asked more questions he’d have known. But like most people, he chose the money. And it’s turned out well for him. His sister forgave him. He’s married. His home is fixed up. And he’s made a deal to buy the Salvation Station. Maybe he should thank me.”

  Damn it, he had a point. “What about Frank Campbell?”

  “What about him? I offered him a chance to get out of debt.”

  “Only to get back at the mayor.”

  He cocked his head as he studied me. “You seem to only see the bad in me, and not the good.”

  “There is no good, Simon.”

  He flinched at that.

  “Any good is incidental. You didn’t give a crap about helping Frank. In fact, I bet you were thrilled to discover that he was in financial straits because it would make it easier to get back at the mayor.”

  “See, skewed. You’re biased.”

  “What about bringing in Holly St. James’ ex and having him pretend to love her again.”

  His jaw ticked and he went back to the bar. “That was low even for me, I’ll admit.”

  “It was exactly like you. It’s all about you and you don’t care who you hurt to get what you want.”

  “What about what you want, Erica?” He strode toward me, his eyes filled with anger and…hurt. How could he possibly be hurt? “You want to see me ruined.”

  “I want people to know the truth about you.” I held my ground as he stepped up until we were inches apart. Heat radiated between us. I told myself it was anger, even though being this close to him confused my heart.

  “The truth is…”

  “Tell me, Simon, what is the truth?”

  His eyes were dark, but not menacing as they held my gaze. “The truth is that I hate that you’re the one. I hate that you’re back here and that I’m going to throw you out again even though the first time was so fucking hard.”

  What the hell?

  “Damn it!” He leaned in, and his lips consumed mine. It was like an inferno, blasting through me. I could taste his frustration, his anger, and yes, hurt. That made no sense. I put my hands on his chest, surely to push him away, and yet my fingers fisted in his shirt, holding him to me.

  He groaned, taking the kiss deeper. His hands slid up my waist to my breasts. I expected him to be rough and greedy as the man, Stark, that he’d become, but instead they were gentle as he brushed his thumbs over my hard nipples. This was Simon. My gentle, sweet, guarded man. I knew they were one in the same, and yet, my heart…my soul yearned for the man I’d known five years ago. The man who was kissing me and caressing me now. This was a big mistake, but I was helpless to push him away. If I could have my Simon back, if only for a brief moment, I’d take him. God help me.

  One hand continued to gently massage my nipple through my dress, like he remembered exactly what I liked. His other lifted the skirt of my dress up, his hand soft on my thigh. I ground into him, needing to feel his reaction. Needing to know that he was hard and heavy for me.

  His erection was like an iron rod against my cleft. We both moaned at the contact. He dropped to his knees, pulling my panties down as he pushed me back onto the window seat. There were no words, as he opened my thighs and breathed in my wetness for him. His tongue was like his hands; soft and gentle as they lapped through my folds. My body writhed and rocked as his gentle assault began.

  Why had he not believed me? Why had he pushed me away? The only answer had been that he didn’t want children, and that broke my heart. While I didn’t think Stark had much to offer a family except financial security, my Simon had so much love to give if he’d only trust in it. In the end, he didn’t and he’d pushed me away in the cruelest way possible.

  So why was I letting him touch me now? Because I missed him. I missed this man who I’d once loved. A part of me probably hoped this would change everything. That he’d return to being the man I’d fallen in love with. But five years and his behavior had taught me the realities of life. So I’d take this moment, and then walk away.

  His hands gripped my hips, tilting them, and then his tongue thrust up inside me, laving my sensitive pussy and making me whimper with need. His thumb flicked over my clit and a flash of white-hot light blasted in my brain as pleasure rocketed through me.

  I cried out, holding his head to me as I rode his mouth to wring out every last bit of pleasure. Never had a man been able to touch me the way he had. What a cruel joke Cupid was playing on me.

  He brought me down, his hands fumbling with his belt and pants. “Tell me I can fuck you,” he growled. They weren’t the most romantic words, but at least he was asking and not just taking.

  “Yes.” No should have been the answer, but I was too far into this to stop. It was crazy. The feminist in me would have a field day once the sex-crazed part of me resided. But oh well.

  5

  Simon

  I wasn’t a man for losing control, but I was completely lost in her. I’d thought for sure I was over her. I carried my anger and resentment for her along with the baggage of my childhood and I never set it down. It was a reminder that the world was a cruel place. Society liked to tout love and happiness, and pretend that was what they strove for, but I knew money was the major motivator in the world.

  She tried to guilt me over my paying Ryder to do a gig for Jay, thereby betraying his sister. But when Ryder realized what was happening, sure he confronted me, but in the end, he played the gig. Money over family. Of course, he and Sinclair and Trina and the rest of them were back in la-la land, having forgiven him. But they were all duping themselves. I knew the truth. I’d seen it work over and over again. Money was everyone’s true love.

  But having Leslie…Erica in my house. Seeing her up close again, my heart went haywire. How could it still want her? How could it still hope that love was a real thing? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I felt like I was in a fucking tug of war as I worked to hold on to my resentment and yet, was dying to touch her again.

  Her lips were the same sweetness. Her tits were soft and full, her nipples like hard pebbles that always made my dick turn to steel. And her pussy…holy fuck…she was divine.

  My dick was screaming for relief, but considering our past, once she came off her orgasm, I fully expected her to run off. She’d probably slap me. She might even accuse me of forcing her. I was a lot of things, but I wasn’t a man to take a woman who didn’t want to be taken.

  “Tell me I can fuck you.” My hands weren’t working right as I worked to get my pants shoved down my legs to free my aching dick.

  “Yes.”

  Hallelujah. I pushed her back on the window seat and hooked her legs around my hip. I looked down into her eyes and wanted to cry out at all the crazy emotion that was dueling in my chest. This woman lied to me. She was out to hurt me. What the fuck was wrong with me that it felt like I couldn’t breathe without her?

  Unable to deal with the emotions, I pushed it aside and thrust forward, filling her in one hard plunge. Holy fucking Christ. I thought my head might explode. She was tight and wet and as perfect as she’d been five years ago. For a moment, I let myself go there. Go to the time when I started to all
ow myself to believe in love and that I could have it with her.

  I moved, trying not to rush to the finish line. I wanted to savor this moment. It had been so fucking long since I’d felt connected to anyone. And while she was the very last person that I should have felt this way with, I’d allow it for this one moment. When it was done, she’d be gone. If she didn’t run off, I’d send her away. But I’d have this moment to remember.

  Her hands gripped my back, and I had a moment of regret that we weren’t completely naked. I mean, if I was going to have one last hurrah with her, it should be perfect. But that wasn’t to be, so instead, I levered over her, and moved. In and out. Grinding against her. Rocking with her. Like five years ago, we moved in perfect dance. Pushing each other higher and higher and then dangling on the precipice for a moment before I thrust and let go. My orgasm swallowed me whole, consumed me. It was sweet and so fucking good. And then it was over.

  Remorse filled me. I couldn’t regret this, and yet, I knew it shouldn’t have happened. Not for her. Not for me. This woman wanted to ruin me. I might have just given her more fodder to do it.

  I pushed back and stood, yanking my pants up. Anger filled me, but it was at myself for being so weak.

  She lay on the daybed for a moment and then sat up pushing her skirt down. She looked so vulnerable. I didn’t want to be taken in by her sweet innocence again, and yet, despite what everyone thought, I wasn’t so big of an asshole to love ‘em and leave ‘em.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She looked up at me, confusion in her eyes. She shrugged like she didn’t know how to respond.

  I had to get out of there. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  She was putting her emotional wall up just like I was. Good. We needed to get back to normal. This was the woman who lied about being pregnant. I knew it was true because she’d had ample time to tell me about her child. The child she tried to pass as mine. But she never mentioned one.

  I swallowed, as rage filled me again. “I’ll have Marvin check on your car. I have a meeting I need to get to.” That wasn’t a lie. I did have a meeting, although it was later that night and over the phone.

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  I gave her a curt nod and walked out. “Make sure her car is fixed and she gets on her way. I need her out of town,” I told Marvin.

  “So, no coffee, sir?”

  “She might want some. I have a meeting.”

  He nodded. “I’ll take care of everything.”

  I couldn’t get out of the house and into my car fast enough. Once on the open road, I considered driving west until I couldn’t drive anymore. Where would I end up? Washington? Oregon?

  But finally, my balls grew again, and I banged my hand on the steering wheel. I couldn’t let that woman get to me like that. I drove out to a secluded area along the river. I got out of the car and breathed in the air. The woman confounded me. I hated her and loved her at the same time. How was that possible? How could the woman who’d been so perfect for me, turn around and try to trick me? And now, she was out to ruin me, for what? Because I didn’t buy into her attempt at duping me?

  And yet, being around her, her sweet scent, her lovely green eyes…all that hate turned to need and yearning until I’d fucked her in my office. I yelled out into the Nebraska nothingness at the lunacy of it.

  Finally, pulling myself together, I called Marvin who told me her car was fixed and she had left. Thank fuck.

  I headed home and straight to my office. Immediately, her scent hit me and I was pissed at myself for not having Marvin clean up in there.

  I got a drink and was brooding at my desk when Marvin came in.

  “Is there anything you need?” he asked.

  “How was she when I left?”

  He took a moment to consider his words, as he always did. It was quite a skill. One that I could benefit from mastering, but was too bothered to try.

  “Annoyed.”

  I laughed. “I bet. She probably had a few choice words about me.”

  He nodded. “A few.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t understand her, Marvin.”

  “I don’t know you’re meaning.”

  Of course, he wouldn’t. He didn’t know my history with her, even though he was the closest I had to a friend or confidant, which was pretty pathetic.

  “I loved her once.”

  Marvin’s brows shot up in the biggest display of a reaction that I’d ever seen from him.

  “I’m not sure if you’re surprised that I could love someone or that I could love her.”

  “I’m sure you can love someone, sir. Everyone can. No, my surprise is that you’d love a woman who is writing bad things about you.”

  “Five years ago, I thought she loved me too. But as it turned out she just wanted money. She even tried to pretend she was pregnant.”

  “I’ve heard that some women do that. What did you do, sir?”

  “I gave her a chance to change her story and when she didn’t, I kicked her out. Never saw her again until she showed up in Salvation.” I sat forward, feeling like I had his ear and his trust. “We just spent what…an hour together and she didn’t once mention a child.”

  Marvin’s expression was impassive.

  “You don’t think that’s odd?”

  “Well of course, if there was no child, she wouldn’t mention it, but if there was, she still might not mention it.”

  “If she wanted money she would.” I frowned, thinking that went against my impression of her. Then again at this point, she probably just wanted to hurt me.

  “If that’s what she wanted, yes.”

  “What other reason would she not mention a child she tried to pass off as mine?”

  “If she thought it was yours and you kicked her out, basically telling her you didn’t believe her or didn’t want children, perhaps she was resigned to raise the child alone.”

  “Even if that was true, the child isn’t mine. It’s impossible. I made sure I wouldn’t be procreating.”

  Marvin gave another indifferent shrug.

  Internally I groaned knowing he was thinking something but not saying it. “Spit it out, Marvin.”

  “Well sir, my brother’s fifth child was conceived after he had a procedure to prevent such things.”

  “What?”

  “He had a vasectomy but within a month or two, his wife was pregnant.”

  How was that possible? “Maybe she cheated.”

  Marvin flinched. “No sir. The child is his. No doubt.”

  “A fluke then.” My gut clenched at the idea of a child. I didn’t dislike them. But I couldn’t imagine myself with one.

  “My brother thought the same, but as it turns out it’s not all that uncommon if men don’t wait long enough afterwards. It’s best to have a follow up test to make sure the ah…swimmers are gone.”

  Holy fuck. For a moment, I thought maybe I was a father. But then I remembered, she didn’t mention a child to me. Surely if there was a child, she’d have said something. What bigger way to smear my name than to call me out as a man who’d abandon a pregnant woman and not provide for his child.

  I shook all that off. “It doesn’t matter. The thing that bothers me is that after all that, I’d still want her. Cupid is a sadist.”

  Marvin shrugged again. “Some might say he knows what he’s doing and that it’s us that need to get out of our own way.”

  “She wants to ruin me. Why would I let her in again if that is her goal?”

  “Is your goal to ruin this town?”

  Where the fuck did that come from? “No.”

  “And yet, you do things because you’re angry at them. Perhaps she’s just angry.”

  “Yeah, well I’m angry too.”

  Again, with the shrug. “It’s unfortunate you weren’t able to come to some sort of understanding.”

  “How’s that?”

  “If she wasn’t against you and instead was with you, she
could help you turn the opinion of people in town.”

  I studied him. “You think that could happen?”

  “They like her. And they’ve told her their grievances with you. If she changed her mind about you and you learned what you could do to make things right with the town, maybe you could still have what you want.

  Initially, I waved his comment away, but later as I sat alone in my office, I realized he might have a point. She’d have a hard time writing a smear piece if I let her into my life. She’d be considered biased and possibly vindictive. Plus, if she were to at least act like she was okay with me, others in town might be swayed. Even if they didn’t believe me fully, they might question Sinclair and all her gang’s attacks on me.

  There was no way I could let Erica into my life for real again, but this town was loaded with people who engaged in fake relationships to get what they wanted. Why couldn’t I? Maybe I could offer Erica something she couldn’t refuse and in return, she could help me turn the tide of this election and my standing in town. Maybe I could even get her out of my system, and possibly some revenge of my own.

  6

  Erica

  In some ways it was a relief that Simon rushed away. Being around him was difficult especially after letting him touch me. What the hell had I been thinking? I hadn’t been. I’d been living in the past when he and I were happy.

  His right-hand man Marvin got me squared away, despite the tirade I went on about how awful his boss was and how I still intended to expose him. When my car arrived with the flat tire fixed, I rushed to it and sped up the long drive. I wanted to be gone when Simon returned.

  When I reached the highway though, the dam on my emotions burst, and I wept. I hit the steering wheel so angry at myself for letting him get to me. For letting myself get caught up in our history. He now had something he could use against me and I was sure he would. For all I knew, he was right now out telling people that I’d slept with him, ruining my journalistic integrity.

  But along with my self-recrimination was such grief. I’d thought I was over him. I’d thought that by recognizing that he hadn’t been the man I thought he was, I’d let him go. But the minute he kissed me, when his gentle hands caressed me, all that longing for the life I’d once thought we’d had came rushing back. He was the only man I’d ever felt so close too, which was strange considering how closed off he was. But I thought he’d let me in, and that had made me feel like he trusted me. Maybe even loved me.