FAKE: An Enemies to Lovers Standalone Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  People at my office thought she might have committed suicide after she lost the baby. I never said she didn’t. No one but the medical examiner needed to know her cause of death. I didn’t share the information because I felt responsible for her loss. I shouldn’t have made her get out of bed that first day. I should have known she was sick. If I had gotten her to the hospital on time, she would have lived.

  The truth was, I was too angry and disappointed to care for her properly.

  I was mourning the loss of my daughter. I didn’t even think that I should have been stronger for Ava, that perhaps she needed me more than my grief did.

  Kylie looked down at the shirt she was wearing, and tears dripped from her eyes.

  “I shouldn’t be wearing this.”

  “Kylie, it’s not your fault she’s gone. It’s a different experience this time around. Ava is in heaven, you’re here. I’m not going to hurt you so that I can remember her. That shirt made us happy. I want it to make you smile. I get the feeling that you haven’t really had the chance to celebrate the fact that you are going to be a mommy.”

  I was glad to stop talking about Ava and the guilt I bore for her death.

  Redirecting my attention to the present and Kylie was a much-needed diversion from my sadness and guilt.

  “It’s all been so overwhelming,” Kylie said under her breath. “I’m not sure how to feel.”

  “I would like to draw a truce, Kylie.” I didn’t want to let her get the upper hand, but I was also tired of us not really trusting one another.

  “Are we at war?” She laughed a little, and I was happy to see some of her lightheartedness return.

  “No, but at times we are at odds. We are going to be married soon. I have a contract that you need to sign, and we’ll be meeting a whirlwind of obligations, yet when it’s just the two of us, I want you to let your guard down, at least enough so I can peek over it and see you from time to time. In return, I promise to show my softer side. I like fucking you; we hopefully can keep doing that, but I’d also like to know the Kylie no one else sees, except maybe your female bodyguards …” I hoped she knew I was being as real as I could be.

  “Then you can’t fuck me.” Her eyes were deep soulful pools of earnest entreat.

  “I can’t?” Suddenly my heart felt heavy. “I thought the sex was the only really good thing we had going other than our private business endeavors?”

  “I want you to make love to me. Even if it’s to the Kylie you think you know. I just want to feel respected and cared for. You don’t have to love me, but love the fact that I’m going to get all fat and I barf most mornings and someday my tits will become nothing more than a milk bar so that half a strand of your DNA can get a good shot at a great start in life. Maybe you can love that?”

  Whoa, yes. I could love that. “Of course.” The truth was I did care for Kylie a great deal; I had from the moment I met her at the bar and realized she was so deeply hiding her true self. I loved people I deemed as broken as myself, and so I surrendered that night, we both did. “I can do that, with pleasure.”

  “Then consider my walls lowered, enough so you can see in …” She leaned over and kissed my lips, and I wanted more of her, but I restrained myself.

  We had to eat, so instead, I drank my wine and buckled up for a fast careening ride into the unknown.

  Chapter 27

  Kylie

  After Alec told me about his wife’s death, all I could think about was the pain he must have suffered. He’d lost his whole family in three days. We ate and discussed the history of his lake house. Edwin and his family lived in the modest two-bedroom home on the property but had lake privileges. He and his wife kept the house clean, and their son went to the local school, which was one of the best in New York. Alec paid them a yearly salary and didn’t make them do much.

  Alec and his wife loved the lake house, but after her death, he couldn’t bring himself to come back. He did so infrequently for parties or events he’d host but rarely came on his own.

  “Can we have a wedding here? It doesn’t have to be a big thing, does it?” I was hoping it wouldn’t have to be a blown-out affair; that made me really nervous.

  “We are renting Tavern on the Green. It will be one of the biggest events of the year. My PR firm is planning the whole thing; luckily we’ll have little to do with it other than show up.” My stomach bottomed. “We’re under a time constraint because the wedding has to happen before you show too much. We want people to believe we are the most romantic couple to hit this century, and that doesn’t editorialize very well when you’re huge and pregnant. That’s not exactly the image we want you to be cultivating. So, we’ll have a massive wedding, then BOOM! You’re cute and big and pregnant and then, BAM we have a baby, then …” his voice trailed off.

  “Then?” I pressured him, having not been a part of the plan.

  “It’s all in the contract. We don’t need to discuss it now. How about we grab some microwave popcorn and watch a movie. I have a screener of the new Galaxy Battle movie,” he just threw out there like it wasn’t the most amazing thing ever!

  “You what?” I was seriously in awe.

  He laughed and snapped another silly photo of me with my mouth wide open.

  “I do, and it’s a nice quality download. Shall we?” He extended his hand.

  “We shall.” I gave him my best Queen of England accent and took his hand. “Why all the pictures all of a sudden?” It weirded me out a little.

  “I want to remember you like this. I really like the real Kylie Morgan, so when you and I have gone our separate ways, I’d like to have pictures to remember how you were because I know for a fact, I’ll never see that Kylie again.” That made me a little sad, but it was true. He wouldn’t see that side of me again. I couldn’t let the world know who I really was.

  We hunkered down and cuddled together as we watched the movie. I squealed and lost my mind when a plot twist revealed the arch nemesis was secretly in love with the heroine and their sex ... oh, my God. Even though the movie was rated R that sex scene was insane; it had me so hot.

  “Could you believe that? I mean Targ Vardan and Amalie? Who saw that coming?” I was so blown away. “That was the best movie ever ... ever!”

  “I saw that coming.” He laughed.

  “No, you didn’t you liar!” I slapped his arm.

  “You didn’t see it? In the last movie he was all ‘I’m going to haunt your dreams …’” Alec did a great Targ Vardan impression, which made him even sexier.

  “It wasn’t an ‘I’m going to make love to you in a cave on the top of Kross Mountain’ kind of haunting, it was like ‘I’m going to jump out of nowhere and skewer you with my death wand.’ Not the wand he used, that’s for sure ... so good. Oh, Alec, it was so good. Thank you; that was fun. In fact, this whole day has been fun.” I glowed with warmth and appreciation.

  “Good. Now, it’s almost two in the morning, what do you say we head on up to bed?” He gave me his arm.

  I washed my face, brushed my teeth and hair, while he did his thing. I slipped on a pair of boy shorts and a tank, and he stripped down to his skivvies. We kissed goodnight, nothing heated, just a peck, and retreated to our separate sides.

  “Good night,” I glanced over my shoulder and said.

  “Sweet dreams,” he added, and that seemed like it would be it for the night.

  I could hear him breathing long laborious intakes of air, which sounded a lot like he was getting aroused. We’d already had sex on the boat and in the shower; I wasn’t sure my vagina was up for more. He was really a lot to take on, and there was still a faint whisper of soreness between my legs, but clearly sleeping wasn’t in the plan for us.

  “Kylie?” Alec said; his voice was dark and misty.

  “Yes, Alec?” I somehow knew this was coming.

  “You think we might make love before lights out?” His words were soft and sweet but damn his voice was all hot and domineering.

  “Mak
e love?” my voice raised in question.

  “May I?” He was right behind me as he planted a hot kiss on my neck, then his warm tongue licked over the spot. “Please?” he whispered right in my ear.

  My pussy rallied.

  Go Kylie go!

  “You may.” I obviously didn’t take much convincing.

  What he did was so fucking sexy. In the movie, the villain initiated the love scene with the female lead by cornering her against a rock. She thought she was going to die, but instead, he kissed her neck and asked, ‘May I?’ Then he proceeded to slip her uniform trousers down over her buttocks while he kissed her neck and continued to hold her against the rock. Then he just fucking took her there; standing up, he slid into her and made love to her with these slow gentle strokes until she came undone and he climaxed in her so soft and slow … fuck, it was amazing.

  Sure enough, Alec had slid my boy briefs down just over my ass, and I giggled a little. He was so stupid, trying to reenact the scene, but it was also sweet because he knew I’d love it. What I wasn’t expecting was for him to overtake me from behind and move himself into me with one slow hard thrust. I was pinned to the bed with him lying on top of me as he made gentle long strokes from behind.

  He hadn’t even prepped me for his size, but all it took was that one long thrust and his hands holding my butt cheeks open to give him access. As he was fully on top of me, he used his hand to firmly stroke my clit as he continued his deliberately slow lovemaking. While he took me from behind and had me trapped, he spoke to me just as the villain in the movie did.

  “You’re mine. All mine, and you always will be. No company shall own you, nor will the media, or the press, or your damn roommates. The only one who owns you …” Though what he said was very different than the movie, I could tell he was getting a wee bit carried away.

  “Is me …”

  I angled my head back to say, “I own me. K?” I remained sweet and playful, but no, I wasn’t going there ... ever.

  “Is you.” He pressed himself deep into me and came hard as he pinched my clit and sent me to the moon.

  I quivered and shook, convulsing so hard I bucked, damn ... damn ... damn.

  “Uhhh.” I couldn’t even speak.

  “Now, sleep.” He shifted off me slightly and slowly withdrew his cock but didn’t leave my side; instead, he scooped me into his embrace and held me until I fell asleep.

  He only moved away from me once in the middle of the night, and I assumed it was to use the restroom, but he never left the bed. I later discovered he’d taken pictures of me sleeping ... the weirdo. Instead of going back to his side, he returned to his spot on my side with his leg draped over my back and his soft cock on my ass. He hadn’t even pulled my briefs back up ... it was sexy having our skin touch like that.

  When I woke up, he was no longer by my side. I wasn’t sure where he was as we hadn’t done a tour of the house, so I was unsure of where to go. I got up, brushed my teeth, put on some clothes, and decided to find my way downstairs. When I made it down to the first floor from the third, a lilting piano tune drifted across the room. At first, I thought it might be a recording, but as I followed the sound, I was shocked to discover Alec sitting at a grand piano with a view of the lake playing a slow-moving piece I’d never heard before.

  I didn’t want to disrupt him, so I quietly took a seat at the picture window and watched the stillness of the lake as he played. He must have known I was there but didn’t acknowledge me, only continued to play. The music intoxicated my senses. Everything felt peaceful and right. I let my head lilt to the cold glass window as the song filtered through my soul. I couldn’t remember the last time I just sat and was still. When the song ended, I looked over to him, hoping he’d play some more.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, ignoring my discovery of his virtuosity.

  “A little. You play beautifully. I’d like to hear more.”

  “I haven’t played for years, I’m really rusty.”

  “You don’t sound rusty to me.”

  “One more, then breakfast.” I was delighted to enjoy a few more minutes of tranquility.

  This was a side of him I’d never seen and wanted to know more about, but I didn’t dare ask him questions, so I listened as he played a little livelier tune that woke me up from my reverie. When he finished, he flourished his arms in the air.

  “Voila!” He stood and bowed.

  I clapped enthusiastically, playing along. “Bravo!” I added for fun.

  “So,” he plopped down in the seat across from mine, “do you want the bad news now or after breakfast?”

  My stomach catapulted.

  “Someone saw us at the lake?” I completely panicked, even my breathing became erratic.

  “Kinda, yeah …” Alec turned his phone to me and showed me the picture, which was going viral. It was distant and a bit grainy. We were on the boat. My leg was bare to the mid-thigh, and Alec was definitely enjoying himself. “I’d say this one was more on me than you. I mean clearly, I’m having some naughty kind of fun, look at the expression on my face.” He laughed to make this easier on me. “But you are the one showing skin. In all fairness, it’s just about as much skin as you usually show, but with that look on my face, we are not out for a picnic.”

  I dropped my head into my hands and tried to hide from everything. “This is not happening…”

  Chapter 28

  Alec

  The situation wasn’t ideal, but I didn’t quite see it the way Kylie did. In my eyes all press was good press, so we may or may not have been fucking on a boat nestled into an inlet. I seriously thought we were alone and yet, I realized we must have had people following us, possibly from as far back as New York.

  “The way I see it, we have two choices. We can either stay here, watch more movies, eat Edwin’s food, and have sex in my hot tub or the bed. I don’t recommend having sex again outdoors. Then we’ll go back to New York later this afternoon as we have a huge day tomorrow. Or we can make a grand show of things and have fun. It’s all up to you.”

  “I don’t know, Alec.”

  “Do you trust me to make the decision?” I doubted she did, but I had a marvelous plan.

  “Not exactly.” She peeked out from behind her hands. “But I will trust you.”

  We ate a light breakfast, and she started searching for her phone, getting a little frustrated that she couldn’t find it, thinking she’d left it downstairs after not seeing it in the bedroom.

  “Did you see where I put my phone?” she asked looking very worried.

  “I have it,” I confessed.

  “Why?” She looked at me shifty-eyed.

  “Because that picture really got around, and maybe some people have been trying to get a hold of you all morning. So, here’s the deal. I’ll give you your phone back at 5:00 this evening after you’ve spent the afternoon with me. You can use the car ride back home to deal with all that drama, but I don’t want anything to ruin our time together.” I hoped she saw the tremendous effort I was making to give us a fighting chance at this.

  “You are horrible. What if I get an important call or Maddy and Avery need me?” She seemed so panicked.

  “I’ve already texted them telling them you were fine; you didn’t know about the pic yet, but that I would be showing it to you. I bought us time, even from your bodyguards so ... now? We good?”

  “How bad is it?” She began to tremble.

  “You saw the picture; it’s not worse than that. No money shots, just me looking like I’m fucking the snot out of you and your thigh in the air. Trust me, I’m more incriminated here than you are. So, are you ready to go? I don’t want the day to get away from us.”

  “Yeah sure, let’s go shoot up some heroin and murder a few people ... round out the package.” Finally, she smiled.

  “Yep, that’s what I was thinking.” She had no idea the fun I had planned, and in truth, neither did I, but I was going to live largely and spontaneously to show Kylie how muc
h I cared about her.

  “So, Boss. What were you thinking?” she asked as we descended to the basement.

  I loved how nervous she became. I sort of wanted to just mess with her and have sex in the basement, but I’d messed with her enough. “It’s down this way,” I encouraged as we walked through a dimly lit hallway and I opened the door to my garage and revealed my cherry red Lamborghini roadster.

  “No fucking way!” Her mouth gaped open.

  “Oh yes, it is a Lambo Aventador roadster convertible. It purrs and roars, baby. Wanna go for a spin around the lake and up into Canada for lunch?”

  “Yes. I. Do!” Her eyes grew wide as I opened the passenger door for her and she slid her gorgeous body into the fine leather seats. “Ooh, my God, these feel so good. What are they made of, baby butts?”

  “Pretty much. Buckle up; we are gonna give the paparazzi a run for their money.”

  “Oh, hell yes we are!”

  She squealed as I torqued the music to max volume and raced out of my driveway making sure to rev the engine up nice and high.

  “Hold on!” I took off down the road at breakneck speed because we lived on a remote part of the lake and I could.

  She threw her head back and hollered. We raced around town drawing attention from everyone from Rochester, New York to Toronto, Canada. While it was about a three-hour drive each way, it was worth the trip with music blaring and the wind in our hair. When we arrived in Toronto, I’d planned to take her to Alo, an exclusive French restaurant, but just as we pulled up, she stopped me.