The Billionaire's Fake Marriage: A Single Dad Next Door Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “Yes, we went into the little town just a few miles from here. It was … more than I expected.”

  A tourist town is what some of the locals had called it. Busy in the spring and summer, then it would die down in the fall. They also said sales were doing better than ever since the ranch opened a few years ago.

  I fiddled with the table, my fingers tracing over grooves in the wood. The locals had done a lot of talking. They said a lot of things about the boys at the ranch. Some of it I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe. What the hell am I getting into? I wondered. Nothing. I wasn’t getting into anything; after all, there wasn’t anything going on between us. It’s just a swim. Right?

  All I had agreed to was going for a swim with him. Sure, it could easily get naughty, but that didn’t mean it had to. We could talk, have fun, and then be done with the night.

  I snapped back to reality as I heard someone stand. “Looks like the food is ready,” Jeff said, looking at a slow cooker I hadn’t noticed before now. It was moved to the table before bowls and spoons were distributed.

  Chili. It sounded good to me. Even though it was still warm enough to wear short-shorts, the idea of something warm in my belly was perfect right now. I reached for a bowl as it was handed to me, already filled. “So, tell me more about yourself.” I turned to Alex as I waited for my dinner to cool.

  He shrugged. “Look around; this is me mostly. My work is the only interesting thing about me.”

  But that’s you now. What about Alex before this? Before now? I hesitated, not bringing it up. Maybe he was just the type who was a little closed off. I’ll see if I can get him talking later. He probably just needs to get to know me a little more. After all, most people didn’t like telling random strangers about their life. I could understand that. I didn’t want to tell Alex every detail of my life.

  “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

  Urg. I never knew what to say when it came to this kind of stuff. I sucked in a deep, calm breath as I tried to figure it out fast. “Well,” I took a bite of chili to buy myself more time. Where do I even start? My head tilted to the left as I looked him up and down. I didn’t want to say anything about my age. People got so caught up in that kind of stuff. “I was born and raised a few hours away from here, but up until now, I’ve never been here. I’ve always wanted to come out to the country, though.”

  “What are your hobbies?”

  “I … like to read.” I almost cringed when I said it. How much more boring could I get? I wished I could have said something interesting, but honestly, I was boring. “I work most days, so I don’t have time for much else,” I said quickly, trying to justify being so blah. It wasn’t a lie. I worked seven days a week.

  “Really? Where do you work?”

  “In a kitchen.” It wasn’t ideal, but I really enjoyed it. I knew my family thought I should be doing something else, but it paid the bills. And I had fun. I even had friends there.

  I made eye contact with Alex. He didn’t look like he thought there was anything wrong with working in a kitchen. “Really? While you’re here, you and Jeff should make dinner sometime. He’s a wonderful cook, but I’d love to see what you could come up with.” He shot his friend a look, and the two men grinned.

  “I’d be happy to give up a meal for a night.”

  “R-really? I’d love to.”

  I was already going through a mental list of all the things I could make for them. I didn’t get much of a chance to cook outside of work, and even though I worked in the kitchen every day, I still loved being able to go home and do more cooking.

  I took another bite of my chili, which I had to admit was better than the stuff I made. Soon the room was filled with the pleasant noise of all of us chatting, in a group, with everyone included.

  ~~~~

  After dinner, I changed quickly and agreed to meet Alex out by the pool.

  I hadn’t left my room after dark last night. After the trip here I just wanted to sleep, but now I stood in awe as I looked up at the night sky. It was clear of clouds but covered with small shining dots. And then there was the moon. Large and almost lighting my way completely. The lights making a path toward the pool weren’t even needed at this point, but they were gorgeous. I tried to take everything in as I made my way to the back of the rec building. There was a small greenhouse and beside it a large pool.

  No sign of Alex, though.

  I laid my towel and sweatshirt on one of the chairs and padded over to the pool. I sat down on the edge and dipped my toes in. The cool water sent a shiver down my spine and goose bumps over my skin, but it felt good. I smiled, lifting myself off the edge and easing in slowly, letting my body adjust to the temperature. I sucked in a deep breath and felt a bench under the water. I lowered myself onto it.

  “You beat me.”

  I turned to see Alex standing there. Even in the dark, I could see his muscles. My eyes locked on his abs. Wow. I had never hung out with a guy who was ripped like he was. Actually, never hung out with a guy who was ripped at all—suddenly I understood the appeal. I totally got why girls liked it so much.

  “I guess you weren’t fast enough.”

  “I’ll join you in a second.” He walked toward the back wall of the rec building, and I watched as he pulled open a cupboard. Suddenly, I felt something against my back and my butt. Warmth.

  Alex turned and headed toward the pool. “It’s new, the pool. We just had it installed this year. We decided to go all out for it. It’s heated for the winter months so people can come out here all year round – if they are ballsy enough.”

  “Are you?”

  “I’d like to think I am, but I haven’t had the chance to find out.”

  Alex slipped down into the water next to me. I looked him up and down carefully. My head tilted to the left as I looked at the soft wrinkles around his eyes. How old is he?

  Don’t get me wrong; it didn’t matter to me if he was older. But did it matter to him if I was young?

  I bit my lip, trying not to worry about it. If he had an issue with age, we’d deal with it then. Right now, I wanted to see where this would go. Right now, I wanted to see if he was actually interested in me or if this was just something he always did. ‘There is a reason the ranch is so popular with the girls,’ one of the waitresses at the café had said. She warned both Nat and me not to go anywhere near any of the guys. There were lots of rumors about what might happen.

  Am I a conquest?

  I’d met lots of guys like that. Girls were just a hobby to them. Something that didn’t matter, feelings not included, and feelings ignored. It’s not like I expect him to fall in love with me or anything. I might be young, but I wasn’t stupid. That being said, there was a fine line between a fling with no feelings and a douche who didn’t care about the girl he was having sex with. I didn’t want anything to do with the last one.

  “May I ask you something?” There was no point in putting it off.

  “Anything.” As he spoke, his hand touched my knee under the water.

  “Why did you ask to join me tonight?”

  “Because I wanted to get to know you.”

  I waited for more. That was such a simple, lame answer. It was so typical. But more than anything, it didn’t give away any real detail about why he had asked to join me.

  We sat there in silence. I hoped if I didn’t say anything, he would give up more information. It didn’t work, though.

  I rolled my eyes. I didn’t like being so upfront, but I wasn’t going to waste my time. “When we were in town today, we ran into a few of the locals. They were quite chatty.”

  “Really?” I could hear a touch of nervousness in his voice. For a split second, our eyes locked. He looked away from me.

  “Yes. They had a lot to say about you and the ranch.”

  “I’m guessing most of it was bad.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  Alex laughed softly, and his eyes met mine. “I know exactly what the locals
think of me and my boys.”

  “They did say you’ve brought a lot of income into the town.” But that was the only nice thing they said.

  “Because there is no denying it. When we first set up the ranch, there were two businesses in that place.”

  Wow. There were over a dozen down there now. It was actually a really cute town to stop in, and I was sure living there would be amazing. A nice simple life in a small town had always been something I thought would be so cool. Growing up, I used to be so jealous every time I watched a movie that took place in a small town.

  “That being said,” I paused. “They also seem to think you have a habit of … making your customers feel very welcome.”

  “You mean sleeping with them, don’t you?”

  His words shocked me. I didn’t want to beat around the bush, but I didn’t have the nerve to actually say it. And now here we were, the words were out there, and there was no backtracking. We couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen.

  Alex

  I felt rage boil inside me. I knew the people in town were always rude to me and the boys who worked here, even though we did so much for the community. It didn’t matter; they acted like we were outsiders, no matter how long it had been since we moved here. They didn’t like that we made money off being out in the middle of nowhere, despite how good it had been for the town.

  “I … er … ah …”

  I watched her stammer. I waited for her to say something. This was the conversation she wanted to have, wasn’t it? I had hoped to avoid it, but it looked like I wasn’t going to get that lucky. It would be best to just get it out there and deal with it.

  I waited, but she still didn’t say anything.

  “That is what you mean, isn’t it? I know how much they all gossip. I know what they probably say. And they aren’t wrong. I sleep with a lot of the women who come to the ranch.”

  “You do?” She sounded mad.

  “The boys and I provide a getaway for the people who come here. And yes, sometimes we sleep with customers. Are you really that surprised? I mean, didn’t you pick this place because of the shirtless men on the website?” It was just a guess, but lots of girls told me they had, so why would she be any different?

  Most city girls were the same. They all thought a cowboy would be the perfect thing to get them off. I wasn’t one, but I did seem to do a damn good job at getting them off. And it was easy enough for them to just call me a cowboy and be done with their goal.

  Christy

  I had known the answer, but it still shocked me. I still couldn’t believe he had been so upfront and honest about it. Damn it.

  Now what? I mean, did I really care that he had slept with a few girls? I had.

  “Okay, so I guess we’re on the same page now,” I said. But what did that really mean? Where did it leave us? “So, I’m guessing you’re not into the whole ‘dating’ thing? I’ve heard the line a lot.”

  “And what is your response when you hear that line?”

  “Depends on the guy.”

  “Well, here I am saying it. What’s your response?”

  “Did you really think I expected this to be more than a fling?” Come on; I’d have to be stupid to actually think that. Didn’t he realize it? A smirk touched my lips as I watched his reaction. In the moonlight, I could see the shock on his face.

  “I —”

  “I’m only going to be here a couple more days. I didn’t expect you to suggest we try dating once I leave. Now, tell me, are you clean?” For someone who slept around a lot, it was important to know.

  “Yes. Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  There was a little silence. His hand, still on my knee, squeezed me gently, reminding me it was there. I moved closer to him. I wasn’t normally so upfront about how I felt, but I didn’t feel like wasting time on this. I didn’t have long to be here, and I wanted to make the most of it. Then make the most of it! my mind screamed.

  I closed the small amount of distance between us. Alex’s hand moved up toward my thigh, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

  This was it.

  We’d had the talk; we both knew where the other person stood on hooking up, and we agreed. We knew this wasn’t going to last forever. We both weren’t stupid.

  Without thinking long enough to talk myself out of it, I closed the distance between us.

  “Are you enjoying the water?” Alex asked in a whisper, his lips inches away from mine, his words getting in the way of the kiss I wanted to give him.

  “I am.” The warmth was still against my back, perfect contrast to the cool water. “It will be perfect for New Year’s Eve.”

  “That’s what I thought when we put it in. I would have loved to have this while ringing in 2000. I remember it was such a big deal to everyone.”

  I cringed. I knew he was older than me, but I hardly even remembered that.

  “What?”

  Apparently, I didn’t do a good job at hiding my reaction. “I was just thinking about New Year’s.”

  “How did you celebrate the millennium?” he asked, tilting his head.

  I pulled away, putting distance between us. “How old are you?”

  “What? I’m forty-two. Why?” Alex paused. I saw it click and noticed a little more space fell between us. “How old are you, Christy?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  There had been heat on my back since Alex joined me, now I felt it on my cheeks, too.

  “Oh …” was all he said. That was it. Nothing else.

  We sat there as I waited for him to say something. I felt his hand move back up my leg to my knee, then leave my body. Well, that ended quickly. I had no clue where I was supposed to go with this. “So —”

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  Alex jumped as he dried his hand off on the towel he’d brought to the side of the pool and reached for his phone. “Shit. I’ve got to go.”

  “What do you mean you have to go?”

  “I’m sorry, Christy. Work. There is something I need to take care of.” He turned to me and gave me a smile as he lifted himself out of the water.

  I sat there trying to figure out what I was supposed to say. Was I supposed to be mad? Thankful? Honestly, more than anything, I was just confused about how I was supposed to feel. I watched as he grabbed his towel.

  “I’ll see you around. And again, I’m sorry.”

  I watched as he left. Are you truly sorry? For all I knew, he had gotten a junk email and taken the opportunity to get away from me.

  I hope I do, I thought. There it was, my stupid hope coming back. It always bit me in the ass.

  I sighed and pushed myself up from the water. I suddenly wasn’t interested in the pool or even the beautiful night sky. I don’t know what was expecting. It had been years since I met a reasonable guy, and now the first guy I meet who is actually interesting, and nice, and way beyond hot, is way older than I am. How do I feel about that? I mean, he is old enough to be my dad. Thankfully, he’s not as old as my dad. But he is as old as my uncle. We just celebrated his 40th birthday last year.

  I padded over to the chair where I left my towel and picked it up, wrapping it around me as I turned and headed back to my room. Disappointment stung the entire way. I glanced at Nat’s room. The lights were out, which meant she still wasn’t there. Maybe she managed to hook up with Jeff. It had been clear they were into each other during dinner. Even though we’d all talked among ourselves, they had spent most of the time talking together.

  I let myself into my room and closed the door behind me. This fucking sucks. I hadn’t come here thinking I’d have a chance at a fun hookup, but then I saw it, and I wanted it—and he wanted me. I can’t believe he’s that old. He sure as hell didn’t look it. I’d figured he might be a little older than I was, but I thought it was only a couple years older.

  I dropped down onto the bed doing a face plant. A groan passed through my lips. Why did this have to happen? Why did I have to be dumb and ask how old he was?
/>   Damn it, Christy. I cursed myself.

  There was nothing I could do now. I knew worrying wouldn’t make it any better, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to deal with. I rolled onto my back and ran my fingers through my hair. I could try to find him so we could talk some more. I liked the thought of it, but I knew it wasn’t really an option. There was no way in hell I was going to go seek him out and talk to him about what just happened.

  He probably wants nothing to do with me, anyway. I sighed. The thought stung.

  More than I wanted to admit.

  ~~~~

  The next morning, I was still thinking about it. He didn’t want to see me. I knew that. I had hoped he would stop by the room last night so we could talk, but that never happened.

  I dressed quickly, tossing on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top before heading to the kitchen area. I knocked on Nat’s door, but there wasn’t an answer, so I texted her instead to let her know I was going to breakfast. When I got there, the room felt empty. There was no one there except me.

  The buffet had been filled with options nonetheless. And right now, I was the only one there to pick from them all.

  I went for the hash browns and some eggs first, plus a little fruit. Then I made my way to a table and sat down.

  What if I run into him today? I had no clue what I was supposed to say. Had he bailed on me because he thought I was too young, or did he actually have something important to do? Last night, before finally falling asleep, I had come up with a few dozen theories, and I had no clue which one was even close to the truth. Either way, I knew I’d probably run into Alex before I could get out of here, and then I’d have to deal with what happened last night.

  I stabbed a forkful of hash browns and chewed. The silence in the room was almost unsettling.

  Alex

  I watched as she headed out of her room and toward breakfast. My stomach grumbled, but I ignored it. I wasn’t going out there and risk running into her.

  It shouldn’t be such a big deal, I thought. And I was right. She was a full-grown woman. It’s not like she was a little girl. She was young enough to be my daughter, though. And that was what threw me off.