The Star's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  “I’ve needed to talk to you, but you won’t answer your phone.”

  “I wasn’t taking any calls.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, I could tell. You mind if we talk now?”

  “No.”

  Slipping his guitar off, he handed it to Vivian and took Callie’s hand. He led her to a quiet spot in the back of the café.

  She cast her gaze to the floor. She needed to make him understand just how sorry she was. “Tucker, what I did—”

  “Was look out for me, be there for me, and think of me as a person when everyone around me didn’t. Even when you knew I wanted nothing to do with you, you were still looking out for me, and for that, I’m so grateful.”

  She lifted her gaze. Was she hearing him right?

  “I was stupid. I should have known you were telling the truth. I should have trusted you. I’m so sorry for all the horrible things I said. For the way I treated you.” His shoulders sagged. “I love you, and I’m probably too late at this point, but I do. I’ve loved you since I was nobody. I was just too blind to see it. Too focused on the things that don’t matter. But you matter. You’re all the matters to me.”

  “You love me?”

  “With all of my heart, and if you’ll find it in yours to forgive me, I’d really like to be your husband again.”

  Callie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I didn’t want to lie. I didn’t, but they were going to have you marry Petra. I couldn’t let her near you again. Not after what she did. I was never going to write any articles. Never.”

  “I know. I know all of it.”

  “You do?”

  “Haven’t you been watching the news, Callie?”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t handle seeing anything about you.”

  “Derek and Stacey are going to jail for fraud. Harris has been voted back in as the new CEO, and that tour they’d planned has been postponed until I can talk my wife into coming with me.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes, and she smiled. “You want me with you?”

  “Haven’t you been listening? You’re the only reason I have to sing. If you aren’t there, there’s no point for me. All this time, I’ve been wondering what’s missing in my life, and it’s always been you. I should have never let my manager convince me otherwise. I love you, Mrs. Callie Hawk.”

  “I love you too. I always have. Even back then, I was head over heels for you.”

  “So, does that mean I’ll bring my wife along for the tour?”

  She grinned and nodded. “Yeah.” She threw her arms around his neck, and he stumbled back. “As long as my husband needs me, I’m there.”

  “I’ll always need you,” he said.

  When he touched his lips to hers, it was as if time stood still. After the last month of thinking he hated her, having him in her arms was the best feeling in the world.

  He wrapped one arm around her while he buried his other hand in her hair and deepened the kiss. Time and place disappeared as they continued to kiss, trying to make up for the last month they’d been apart.

  Finally, Tucker pulled back, and gasping for air, he smiled. “I’ve missed you, Mrs. Hawk.”

  “I missed you too.”

  Tucker released her and dropped to one knee, holding up the ring she’d taken off before she left his home. “Will you marry me? Again?”

  “Will there be an Elvis involved?”

  “Only if you want him.”

  “I only want you,” she said, and he slipped the ring on her finger. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  They walked back to the dining area, and the crowd cheered. Her sisters clapped and smiled. They’d gotten her good, and she couldn’t imagine feeling more grateful that they’d made her leave the house.

  Epilogue

  Six months later…

  Callie smoothed down the white satin of her dress. Tucker was serious about getting married again. This time, they’d have their families and friends present. She couldn’t deny she’d missed that part. Not that she wanted anything fancy, and she’d made sure to keep things simple this time too. A cheap Vegas wedding had been a bit simple even for her, though.

  So much had happened in the last six months. Stacey took a plea deal and testified against Derek. He’d spend the next few years in jail. While Stacey was free, she was on probation and forbidden to work as a manager again.

  Gil…well, Gil was taken to task by her fantastic lawyer. His reputation took a hit, and the magazine fired him. She was now working for Parker James, and he didn’t call her before seven and expect her to function without coffee. He didn’t prey on people’s private lives either, which meant more than anything.

  “You ready, sweetheart?” her dad said as he stopped next to her.

  Any minute, the march would begin to play, and she’d walk toward the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

  She peeked through the windows, loving the splashes of yellow lilies everywhere. Her sisters were all wearing simple dresses, and her mom hadn’t gone overboard with the activities.

  Of course, there’d been the talent contest, and this year Mary performed all on her own. She was wonderful and won again. The confidence boost from the previous talent show had carried through to other things, and according to Ethan and Vivian, she was excelling in school.

  Callie’s sisters rushed up and fussed with her dress, veil, and hair one last time until her mom stopped them. They lined up in front of her, the doors opened, and Tucker came into view.

  One look, and she knew there’d never be a time he didn’t take her breath away.

  With every step forward, her heart swelled, and her life never felt more right. Tucker was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. She was certain that after everything they’d been through, they could overcome anything life threw at them.

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  Sneak Peek! The Bodyguard’s Fake Marriage Chapter 1

  Lexi Maheras stepped inside her small apartment and leaned against the door. She’d done it. Her final year of clinical rotations was finished, and now all she had left was her residency. Of course, she wanted to stay at Stanford, but that was highly unlikely. Hopefully, she’d be matched with a great program. She’d certainly studied hard enough.

  A tap came from the door. “Ms. Maheras, we made a deal. I search the apartment, and then I stay out.”

  Her lip curled up. Jake Maverick. A bodyguard, courtesy of her papa. He was one of four who rotated for her guard duty. Only, no one had attempted to kidnap her or anything else dubious in the last year. Anytime she asked about the sudden need for protection, her papa would only say the world was getting dangerous and it gave him peace of mind.

  She opened the door and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve been working for my papa for a bit over six months. No one has tried to hurt me. There hasn’t even been the slightest attempt. What makes you think it’ll happen now?”

  His dark-blue-ocean eyes held hers, and, like usual, a shiver ran down her spine. She didn’t know what it was, but when he stared at her, it felt like he was trying to read her mind.

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Perhaps no one has attempted anything because I’m thorough.” His voice was deep and controlled.

  Well, all of him was. Slow, methodical, and controlled. If stoic had a picture in the dictionary, it’d be him. He was more than a foot taller than her, with long, curly dark hair down to his elbows that he pulled back with a tie. A deep groove cut through his eyebrow at a slant, and she could sometimes catch the hint of what looked like a tattoo on his neck. He was massive too. Arms like cannons. She wasn’t sure how muscled he was because he almost always wore a black suit, but she was sure there were plenty underneath that crisp white dress shirt.

  She waved her arm, inviting him in. “And I’ve told you to call me Lexi. You can even use my full name, Alexandria.�
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  As he stepped in, he paused in front of her. “Your father told me to call you Ms. Maheras.”

  “He’s not here. It’s not like he’d know.”

  “I would.”

  With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

  Jake walked through the apartment, checking her bedroom, closet, and bathroom before stopping by the window. “It’s clear.”

  “I told you.”

  “I know,” he said in that same controlled deep voice before stopping at the door. With his back to her, he said, “Congratulations on finishing your clinical rotations.” Then he stepped out of her apartment and shut the door behind him.

  Her jaw dropped, and she gaped at the door. How did he even know? It wasn’t like they talked a lot. In fact, she knew nothing about him other than he wasn’t her type. He was too tall, too big, and his hair was entirely too long. She was more into guys with wild hair and floppy bangs. Hair she could run her fingers through and not worry about getting tangled. She fingered the ends of her own hair, partially jealous that his was so much longer than hers.

  With a sigh, she dropped onto her sofa and smiled. She was done. She should be celebrating, but now that she had bodyguards, it was much less of a hassle to simply stay home. Plus, her desire to be a doctor trumped her social life, and her circle of friends was limited to the other medical students who were equally socially challenged.

  Her phone buzzed against her thigh, and she fished it from her pocket. “Papa!” She effortlessly slipped back into her native Greek language.

  “Lexi, my love.” Her papa’s thick Greek accent filtered through the phone. “Tell me!”

  A laugh burst out. “It was fantastic. I finished, and I’m pretty sure my scores will allow me to be matched with Stanford.” That was hopeful thinking, but her late mother always said to keep a positive outlook, and that’s what Lexi was doing.

  “That’s wonderful, my love.” Something in his voice made her sit up.

  “Papa, tell me.”

  She could hear him breathing, and she knew he was trying to find the words to ease whatever bad thing he had to tell her. “Faustus Zikas is seeking your hand in marriage.”

  “What?”

  “Zio mou, it will be good for our family and his. This marriage would bring our interests together and make us stronger. Since his father passed, he’s been lonely.” A pleading tone coated the words.

  “If he’s lonely, tell him to get a puppy. I won’t marry him.” It had been years since she’d seen Faustus, and even then, he’d shown no interest in her. So why now? And why hadn’t he called her instead of going through her papa?

  “You played together as children. Surely you can find something about him that is appealing. You can grow to love him.”

  “I have my residency, Papa. I can’t just stop my life to marry him.”

  “He’s agreed to let you finish, but then you will come home and take your place as his wife.”

  Let her finish? Let her finish? “This is crazy. I’m only twenty-six. I’m not ready to be married.” And even if she was, she wasn’t marrying some knuckle-dragging hairy Neanderthal who thought he would be doing her a favor by letting her finish her degree. “Besides, this is what Mama wanted. For me to come to America, spread my wings, and get my medical degree.”

  “I know, my love, but things have changed since you left. I need you to do this.”

  She stood and raked her hand through her hair. How was she supposed to say no to him? That’s not how things were done. Not in her culture, and certainly not in her family. He wasn’t a man who accepted no as an answer. “But, Papa, I don’t love him. I can’t marry someone I don’t love.”

  “Alexandria Helena Kristos Maheras, you will do this, and there will be no more discussion. In one week’s time, Faustus and I will arrive. You will join us for dinner where we will discuss the details. I expect you to be friendly and welcoming,” her papa said with a cruelty in his voice she’d never heard before.

  Tears streaked down her cheeks. “But, Papa…”

  “No,” he barked. “No discussion. It is done. You will be married.”

  She stumbled to the desk in the corner near the window and braced her hand on the edge. “I get no say at all? You would make me do this? I thought you loved me.”

  “I do love you. You are my heart and my life. I’m doing this because I love you.” His voice cracked. “There are things in play that you do not need to know, but find it in your heart to understand that I would do anything and everything to keep you safe.”

  Keep her safe? Her papa made it sound like it was life or death, but her family produced olive oil. “What do you mean by keep me safe? I thought that’s why I had a bodyguard everywhere I went.”

  “No. No more talk. I will see you in a week. Be ready to accept Faustus.” He paused.

  “Yes, Papa,” she said, the words barely above a whisper as she ended the call.

  She pressed her hand to her chest. This couldn’t be happening. What was she going to do? Something was definitely wrong if her papa was talking forced marriage.

  She closed her eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths. For starters, she needed to stop panicking. She was a scientist. A doctor, for crying out loud. This problem was no different than a disease. What did she need to do to treat the problem?

  Running wasn’t an option. She hadn’t spent the last eight years of her life studying, only to run away. Obviously, talking was out of the question. The way her papa had barked at her squashed that possibility. She could just tell Faustus no, but something told her he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  What if she was already married? Her papa couldn’t force her to marry someone if she was already tied to someone else, and even if he demanded a divorce, it would give her a few more days to think of some other way out of marrying Faustus.

  Could she get married in a week? She grabbed her phone and searched marriage licenses in California. She had dual citizenship because her mother was a US national, so she didn’t have to worry about that. There was no waiting period, and she could pay ten bucks for a witness. For an extra twenty, she could do it like a drive-through burger joint and go with the express option.

  Who would she marry, though? It had to be someone she sort of knew. Someone who could withstand the scrutiny of her papa, but not in a completely disrespectful manner. Her papa was a good, kind man, and something horrible had to be going on for him to force her to do something like marrying a man she didn’t love.

  Her gaze drifted to her front door. Jake? There were three other bodyguards, but none of them would work. Two were married, and the third was too old to even consider.

  She took three long strides toward the door and stopped. No, not Jake. He’d never go for that, and what if he was seeing someone? Then again, she’d learned that if you didn’t ask, you’d never know.

  With determined steps, she strode to the door and whipped it open. “I need to speak with you.”

  There must have been something in her voice, because he charged through the door with his gun drawn and stepped in front of her. “What’s wrong? Did you see something?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I just need to talk to you.”

  He lowered his weapon and whirled around. “Speak to me?”

  “Yes, please, sit down. I need to ask you something,” she said, keeping her back to the door as she shut it.

  The eyebrow with the large cut lifted as he held her gaze. He holstered his weapon and then went to the couch and took a seat. His gaze remained on her as she walked to the center of the room and stopped.

  Why was her mouth so dry all of a sudden? She was treating a disease. Granted, the method was unorthodox, but it was a treatment nonetheless.

  A debate warred in her. This was insane. How was she supposed to ask him to marry her so she could get out of marrying someone else? What did she have to offer him? “I have a business proposition for you.”

  He leaned back, crossing his arms over his mass
ive chest. The man had silent brooding down to a science.

  “First, how old are you?”

  “A business proposition that requires my age?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thirty-four.”

  Lexi tapped her finger against her chin. Eight years older than her. She nodded as the age difference sank in. “Boys do take longer to mature than girls. That’ll work.”

  His eyebrows scrunched together. “What?”

  She waved her hand to dismiss the question. “Are you seeing anyone?”

  “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

  She sighed and started pacing. “My papa has decided that I have to marry. He’ll arrive in a week, and he expects me to accept the offer for my hand. Only, I don’t want to marry the man.”

  Jake tilted his head, and his eyebrows kneaded together further.

  Why was he making this so hard? Or was asking someone to marry you typically this stressful? She stopped pacing and faced him. “I will offer you double what my papa is paying you to guard me if you will marry me. It will only last as long as it takes to ensure my papa can’t force me to marry. You won’t have to move in or anything, just act like we are in love while my papa is here.” She chewed her thumb. “He made it sound like it was life or death, and for the life of me, I can’t imagine what could be so bad that he’d do this.”

  “You’re asking me to marry you?” he asked as he held her gaze.

  “Yes, but I’ll compensate you.” In her mind, she was crossing her fingers, toes, hair follicles, and anything else bendy enough to cross. “That way it’s clear that it’s a business arrangement.”

  “Who is it you’re being forced to marry?”

  She sighed. “His name is Faustus Zikas. We played together as children, but the last time I saw him…maybe six years ago, he didn’t show the slightest interest in me, so why he’s so bent on marrying me now is lost on me.”