Make-Believe Marriage

by CA Quigg

  "I promise it won't be big. Just family and a few friends," he said. "You'll regret it if you don't." Sean smiled, and the resolute look in his eyes told me he did not take no for an answer.

  I glanced across the table to Elizabeth whose face was the color of milk. "What do you think?" she asked. "We can have a small party here."

  "Sure. Why not."

  She nodded. "Okay," she said addressing Sean, "but keep it small."

  "Are any of your family flying over? her mother asked me.

  "We're telling them tonight, aren't we, Lizzie? They won't make it over, but as soon as we have some free time, we'll fly over there for a quick honeymoon. They'll love her as much as I do."

  I was laying it on thick, and I could see from the tight look in Lizzie's eyes, I needed to tone down the doting fiancé act. But I wasn't lying-my family would love her. They would love her dry sense of humor, and they would love how she took no crap from me.

  "You'll have to play tonight," Sean said and slapped me on the back.

  "Play?"

  "The game show. Mr. and Mrs."

  "No," Lizzie yelled. "We can't. We have dinner plans."

  The panicked look on her face amused me more than it should have. "We can change the plans. I wouldn't mind seeing how much we know about each other."

  "The plans can't be changed. Besides, I have to go visit dad."

  "He's on so much pain medication, he won't know if you're there or not," Sage said, speaking for the first time.

  "I'll know if I'm there or not," Elizabeth replied.

  "Scared?" I asked, challenging her.

  "Can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

  I followed her outside to the deck where the sound of the crashing surf would drown out our voices to everyone inside.

  "Are you insane?" she asked crossing her arms. "We can not-under any circumstances-play that game?"

  "Why not?"

  "Because I don't know anything about you. I don't even know your birthday. Or favorite color."

  "October 31st and red, especially if it's underwear."

  "We can't play," she insisted. "Half of them are already suspicious."

  "If we don't play, they'll get even more suspicious."

  Her brow furrowed and the worry line between her brows creased.

  "You might even learn how to have some fun and let go," I said, goading her into agreeing to play.

  "I already have fun. Lots of fun."

  "Like what?"

  "Making perfumes and creams is my fun."

  "What about hiking and cycling. Laughing? Going out for a night that you spend the next day regretting. What about running naked into the water? Doing something silly for silliness sake?"

  "I don't do outdoor activities. I don't like getting drunk and losing control, and as for running into the water naked-it's fall. The water would slice you in two."

  "Come on, it'll be a laugh, and it might help ease their suspicions."

  She blew out a breath. "Fine. We'll play Sean's game but don't blame me when people don't buy our bullshit story."

  Chapter 12

  Elizabeth

  Locals packed the bar leaving standing room only. Game nights were always like this in the fall.

  Nerves pitter pattered inside my stomach. What was I doing? I was about to get up on stage in front of everyone I knew and make a fool of myself, that's what I was doing. Earlier, I'd tried to cajole the questions from Sean, but he refused to give up the goods.

  Lots of people had come up to me and asked about my dad but had their eye on my ring. I thanked them for their well wishes and told them he was recovering. Most didn't give a crap about him and just wanted to find out some juicy gossip about me getting married again.

  After lunch, Caden had gone to the motel he was staying at on the edge of town to do some work. If anyone wondered why he wasn't staying with me, they didn't ask.

  I'd gone back to my apartment to change and then walked along the beach. The time alone gave me too much space to think about the lies I'd told and the crime I was about to commit.

  Our kiss played on repeat in my mind, and my lips tingled when I thought about it. Did it affect him as much as it had me? With the passion behind the kiss, it must have. Or did he render everyone he kissed helpless? I wanted more than kisses from him which rankled me. I shouldn't want anything other than his money and his help with the club.

  "You look like you're about to walk to your death." My youngest sister, Beth, stood behind the bar and set a glass of wine in front of me.

  Beth was my mom and Sean's daughter, and we resembled one another except Beth's hair was an unusual shade of spun gold.

  She shouldn't be serving alcohol because she was only twenty, but she'd grown up in the bar and could always be found doing something be it cooking, waitressing, or balancing the books. Sean had even taught her some brewing techniques, something none of his other daughters had any interest in.

  "You know how I hate getting up in front of people." I ran my fingertips up and down the sides of my glass. Knocking back the entire contents for some liquid courage was tempting, but it would probably make me forget what little I knew about Caden.

  "Say no. Tell Sean and mom your fiancé doesn't want to."

  "Your fiancé doesn't want to do what?" He asked from behind me.

  Shivers danced up and down my back. Why did he have this effect on me and why did I let him? My body should know better than to fall for a killer smile and a hot bod. And then there was his accent. Every word he said sounded so freaking sexy. He could recite the ingredients from the back of a beer can, and it would sound like the elixir to life.

  He placed a lingering, baby-soft kiss on my cheek and then leaned against the polished bar top.

  "Tell our mom and Sean you don't want to take part in tonight's quiz," Beth said.

  "Not at all," he said. "It'll be a good laugh if anything."

  "At whose expense," I muttered.

  "What can I get you?" Beth asked Caden.

  "A pint of your dad's finest."

  Beth poured Caden a Chocolate Cigar, one of Sean's most popular stouts and set the glass in front of him before moving on to serve other people.

  "You're supposed to look happy," he said. "It's our engagement day, and we've put an offer in on a house."

  "Happy?" I whispered. "I'm over the moon at lying to everyone I know. And I can tell everyone here is wondering how someone like me ended up with someone like you."

  His brow wrinkled. "Stop it, Lizzie. I don't want to hear any more rubbish about me not wanting someone like you. Or how I ended up with someone like you. I thought I made it very clear what I think about you. You're as sexy as fuck. Looks like I'm going to have to prove it to you again and again and again."

  There was a twinkle in his eye, and I smiled despite my guilt. Caden Gallagher is not your real fiancé looped around my brain so fast it created a cyclone of words and pulled he'll hurt you into the mix.

  Sean tapped the microphone on stage to get everyone's attention. "Thanks everyone for coming. It's a wet one out there so let's get this evening started and forget all about the weather. First up this evening, we're playing Mr. and Mrs. and as I'm sure you're all aware, thanks to Susan letting the entire world know, my beautiful stepdaughter Elizabeth got engaged to Caden Gallagher this afternoon. A whirlwind romance."

  A whispered murmur went through the crowd, they all knew what had happened to Eric and me. I forced myself to smile despite dying inside.

  "Caden is from my neck of the woods, a bit further South than Donegal, but we'll forgive him for that."

  Caden lifted up his glass in salute.

  "Up you come, you two," Sean said.

  I grabbed my glass and took a gulp. Caden took my hand and led me to the stage, and I prayed no one recognized the fear on my face.

  "Caden, you stand opposi
te Elizabeth," Sean instructed.

  In front of each of us were two bar stools with a few sheets of paper and a black marker.

  "Three questions for each of you," Sean explained. "Four couples will play tonight and whoever gets the most correct answers wins a slap-up meal at Santino's."

  The crowd whooped and laughed. Santino's was the village's one and only pizza joint, and a slap-up meal meant a large pie with two Cokes.

  I looked at Caden who, obviously enjoying this, gave me a wild smile. The jerk didn't look one bit nervous. When everyone in town found out we were about to commit a felony, he wouldn't be as cocky.

  "No cheating." Sean nodded to Beth who pressed play on some cheesy game show music.

  "We'll start with you, Elizabeth. What's the most romantic thing Caden's ever done for you? You have one minute to write down your answer."

  My mind blanked. The most romantic thing he'd done for me was the proposal outside of the house earlier.

  It was the only romantic thing he'd done for me. If all of the questions were that easy, we would be okay.

  I scribbled down, proposing in the rain. I bit my lip and glanced at Caden, hoping to send him my answer telepathically.

  He gave me a quick wink and a smile as if to say stop worrying . Why wasn't he concerned about this? The crease between my eyebrows would create a permanent crater in my face if I didn't stop frowning.

  "Time's up," Sean said and turned to Caden. "And the most romantic thing you've done for Elizabeth is..."

  "Asking her to marry me in the lashing rain outside of our dream house."

  If punching my arm in the air wouldn't have been a dead giveaway, I would have.

  "Let's see your answer, Elizabeth."

  I grinned and turned over my sheet of paper.

  "One point to Elizabeth. Next question. What's Caden's favorite breakfast cereal?"

  Since I'd only had one meal with him, that was a difficult question. He looked like someone who took care of himself, so I guessed he wouldn't eat any breakfast candy like Coco Puffs or Fruity Pebbles, but since I didn't have a clue, I scribbled down the dumbest answer I could think of.

  "Caden, what's your favorite breakfast cereal?" Sean asked.

  "I don't eat cereal, but every morning if I can I have fruit, yogurt, and coffee."

  "Your answer. Elizabeth?"

  I held up my sheet of paper. "Lucky Charms."

  The crowd laughed, and Caden smiled.

  I winked at him and said, "I think I'm right since it was your lucky charms I fell for." A cheesy reply for sure, but from the awws filling the room everyone liked it.

  "Caden, your turn."

  "What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to Elizabeth?"

  Why would Sean ask a question like that? Everyone knew the most embarrassing thing that had happened to me. There was nothing more humiliating than having your husband walk out on you because you had no money.

  Caden looked at me, his eyes filled with mischief, and I smiled. It would be okay. Whatever he wrote would be funny.

  "Elizabeth," Sean said, "What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

  "Tripping over my feet at graduation and hitting my chin on the lectern."

  "There was blood everywhere," Sean said. "Is she right, Caden?"

  "The first day I met her, she had a sneezing fit and pulled a curtain down from the railings to hide from me." He turned over the paper. "My answer is sneezing."

  Everyone, including me, laughed.

  By the end of our round, we had gotten two questions right. We knew next to nothing about each other, and for now, that was okay, because I had three years to get to know him.

  Before we got off stage, I took a selfie of us. It was time to create a history, and time to let the world know all about my new fiancé.

  ****

  Caden and I left the bar just before closing time, and he walked me to my apartment building a short five-minute stroll from O'Halloran's.

  "That wasn't too bad," he said.

  I wrapped my arms around myself to keep out the chill. "I was so scared, but, no, it wasn't too bad. I think they bought it even though we don't know a thing about each other. Now we have to get the wedding over with, and then we should be good, right?"

  "Almost. We have to go for the interview and pass that. As soon as I have the green card in my hand, we'll be good."

  We stopped outside my apartment building, and I shuffled from foot to foot. Did he want to come inside? Should I ask him? Or did he take for granted he would? He was the one who said we would finish what we had started. Had he meant that or were they just words said in the heat of the moment?

  "Well, thanks for a great night. I had more fun that I thought. It was a better day than I expected."

  He closed the space between us. "Do you want me to come in?"

  "Do you want to come in?" I swallowed hard. Please say yes. Please, please, please say yes.

  "I would love nothing more than to come in. We have some unfinished business to take care of, don't you think?"

  Not trusting any of the words that would spill out of my mouth, I nodded.

  Chapter 13

  Elizabeth

  When we stepped inside the apartment, I kicked off my shoes, and before I could do anything else, Caden used the weight of his body to pin me against the door.

  "You have no idea how much I've thought about this," he said. "Thought about fucking you senseless."

  He pressed his mouth to mine in a fierce and frantic messy tongue and teeth kiss that mimicked exactly what he wanted to do. And for the first time, I felt like someone genuinely wanted me for who I was and not what they thought I could give them.

  He growled into my mouth and thrust his hips against mine. All sense and air left my body in a whoosh, and every nerve ending blazed. My clit throbbed, and I swiveled my hips against him seeking relief. God, I wanted him more than anything.

  He moved his hands to my breasts and cupped one in each hand, squeezing and massaging roughly.

  "You're fucking gorgeous. Absolutely fucking gorgeous." He scraped his teeth up and down the side of my neck and ground his hips against mine.

  Anchoring me against the door, he pressed himself between my legs, and, through his jeans, his hard cock nudged my clit. Every muscle in my body liquefied and all I could think about was getting naked and sweaty with him. My mind screamed to stay away, that this was a mistake, but the friction he currently created between my legs soon shut those thoughts down.

  He bit my bottom lip, and when he released it, he said, "I need to taste that sweet pussy of yours, and then feel you around my cock."