A Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Both Blake and Grayson turned to stare at her, neither one speaking.

  Her mother glanced at Sidney and gave her a funny look. She set a salad bowl on the table and sat down. “I think we’re about ready to say grace.”

  As they ate, Grayson and Blake chatted about college life, and Natalie did her best to steal the show, giggling and flipping her hair just like Leena had done. Anger surged in Sidney, and she decided that two could play at this game. She let it all loose, flirting as hard as she could. She laughed louder than Natalie, batted her eyelashes more, and said whatever flirtatious things came into her head.

  But no matter what she did, Blake always seemed to be looking at Natalie, a goofy smile on his face. She was being upstaged by her own sister.

  When dinner ended, Sidney bolted up the stairs to her bedroom and sank down on her bed, not bothering to turn on the light. It hadn’t worked. She’d gotten all dressed up, and Blake hadn’t even noticed. She was wearing beautiful makeup, and still, Blake had barely even looked at her. What did she have to do?

  Leena’s words came back to her. “If all else fails, kiss him.”

  Footsteps sounded up the wooden staircase. Sidney flew to the doorway and peeked out. Blake was coming! Her heart pounded hard against her rib cage.

  Kiss him.

  Blake got to the top of the stairs and started down the hallway toward Grayson’s room.

  Kiss him. It echoed in her mind, over and over.

  This was it. It was now or never. Sidney reached out and grabbed Blake’s shirt and yanked him into her darkened bedroom. She threw her arms around his neck and drew his lips to hers.

  At first he didn’t respond. She’d probably stunned the poor guy. But she wasn’t going to give up. She brushed her lips across his, reveling in the sweet and tender feeling. It didn’t take long before he started to kiss her back. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. He took command of the kiss, his lips sending tingles through her.

  She hadn’t known exactly what to expect, this being her first kiss, and she wasn’t prepared for the feelings Blake stirred in her. His lips were like velvet, softly caressing her skin. And then the kiss intensified. She ran her hands through his hair and he pressed her up against the wall.

  Kissing Blake was like breathing fire, hot and dangerous, and yet she didn’t want to stop. Her heart beat against his chest and her lungs ached for air, and yet she loved each and every sensation washing over her.

  Blake pulled back, allowing her to gulp in air. He put his forehead against hers and moaned softly. “Oh, Natalie.”

  Sidney froze.

  All the blood drained from her face, and she pushed Blake away. She flicked on the light, her knees about to give way. “What do you mean, Natalie?” She tried to catch her breath.

  Blake stared at her, blinking, and slowly backing up. “Sidney?” His voice cracked.

  Finally, Blake saw her for what she was. A woman. She gave him a tentative smile and smoothed her dress. “Yes?”

  Blake ran a hand through his hair and swallowed. “What are you doing?”

  That wasn’t the reaction she had hoped for. A frown tugged her mouth down. “What do you think I’m doing?”

  “I don’t know, but you…” Blake took another step back. “You’re just a little girl.”

  The words stung like a slap across her face, and she blinked back tears. It hadn’t worked. He still saw her as a child.

  Blake’s face contorted into something she could only describe as disgust and he wiped his mouth. “You—I can’t…”

  “Stop.” Sidney couldn’t stand the humiliation any more. She turned her back on him and covered her face with her hands.

  “Sidney.” His voice had taken on a pleading tone.

  He touched her shoulder but she shook him off. “Just go.”

  He hesitated for a minute before his footsteps echoed into the hall and down the stairs…and out of her life.

  Sidney sank to her knees. What had she done?

  Chapter 4

  Blake flicked on his turn signal and changed lanes. Sidney Reed. He hadn’t expected to see her still in Bishop Falls. And he hadn’t expected her to be so…wow. He chastised himself for his thoughts. She was engaged. Off limits.

  He slowed as he approached his turn. He hadn’t thought of Sidney—of that kiss—for a long time. She’d been so young. He’d felt guilty for the way he’d kissed her. Thinking it was Natalie, he hadn’t held back. It had been an amazing kiss. He hadn’t realized a kiss could bring forth such strong feelings. But he never should have been kissing Sidney like that. He had been twenty years old, for Pete’s sake. She was still in high school at the time. He’d been horrified when he found out he was lip locked with Grayson’s kid sister.

  Now she was an adult, and engaged. Why he’d signed up for her matchmaking service was beyond him. He’d had this insane urge to stick around, and just standing there would have been stupid. So he’d signed up. Dumb. But maybe some good would come from it. He did need to get out and find another woman. Stop licking his wounds from Melody and start on a new path.

  He pulled into his driveway and clicked his garage door opener. He’d gone ahead and purchased a home in Bishop Falls. His mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse, and he wanted to be close. This one-story bungalow was perfect for him.

  The summer sun had spent the greater part of the day warming up his garage, and he was grateful for the air conditioning as he stepped into his kitchen. He was looking forward to tearing out all the old 70’s laminate and putting in tile flooring and granite countertops. A good project was what he needed.

  He tossed his keys on the counter and slipped out of his shoes. Thoughts of Sidney crept back into his mind. He’d better shower before their date tonight.

  No, he couldn’t think of it as a date. He had to place her firmly in the friend zone.

  Bohemian Rhapsody played and he pulled his cell from his pocket and swiped the screen. “Hey, Ma.”

  His mother’s soft voice came through the line. “Are you all settled in, hon?”

  “Just about.” He glanced at the pile of boxes still to be unpacked. “How have you been today?”

  “I’m fine. Just tired.”

  “Do you need anything?” Now that he was closer, he could run something over to her if she needed it.

  “No, sweetie, I’m good. Just wanted to check up on you.”

  Typical. She was so tired she could barely speak, but she called to see if he was doing okay. “Thanks. I just have a few things to put away.”

  “Have you heard from Melody?”

  The familiar ache spread throughout his chest. “Not since the divorce settlement, Ma.” That had been six months ago. His mother was still hoping for reconciliation. Blake didn’t want to disappoint her, but it was obviously over.

  “You should call her.”

  He sighed. “All right.” He didn’t add, ‘Once hell freezes over.’

  “I just hate to see you alone.”

  “I know, Ma. Look, I gotta go. You call me if you need anything, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “Love you.” He hung up and stared at the wall. What could he say to her to make her understand? Melody had left him. There was no going back.

  Metal hangers scraped as Sidney pushed through her wardrobe, searching for something to wear. She hadn’t found anything the first three times, why did she think the perfect outfit would pop out now? Sighing, she settled on a blouse she’d purchased last month. It was red, which wasn’t her favorite color, but it looked good with her dark hair and fit her nicely. She chose a pair of black slacks and comfortable yet dressy shoes. She didn’t want to get too dressed up and send the wrong message.

  After she dressed, she paced the living room floor, glancing out the window for Blake’s car. This was just a client meeting. Not a date with Blake. She started repeating the mantra not a date, not a date in her mind until the knock on her door startled her. How had she
missed him pulling up?

  Her nerves jumped as she pulled the door open. Blake stood there looking like he’d walked off a photo shoot for men’s casual wear. His blue button down shirt with rolled up sleeves looked perfect with his khaki pants. He raised one eyebrow, which probably meant something but all her brain would register was her mantra, which had turned into, don’t drool, don’t drool.

  “Hi,” she said, hoping her nervousness didn’t show in her voice.

  He smiled and held out his elbow, then seemed to think twice about it because he withdrew it and stepped back. “Where would you like to go?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she imagined sitting in a dark, romantic atmosphere and blurted, “How about Sue’s?” Bright. Fun music. Lots of people. Perfect.

  Blake seemed surprised at first, but quickly recovered. “Sure. After you.” He motioned to a truck sitting in the parking lot, and Sidney took the lead.

  Before he could open her door for her, she rushed ahead and climbed into the passenger seat. She didn’t know why, but it felt like a triumph. He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

  Sue’s was a 1950’s style diner with old-fashioned ice cream and the best hamburgers in town. Blake managed to get to the door first despite Sidney hopping out of the truck before he fully had it in park. He held the door for her and she covered a glare. Whatever. Still not a date.

  “So, tell me about yourself,” Blake asked after they sat down. “What have you been up to since high school?”

  Ugh. Like she really wanted to talk about her pathetic life. “Went to college. Got a degree. Started a business. But we’re not here to talk about me.” She pulled a small notepad out of her purse. “Tell me what’s been going on with you.”

  Blake fiddled with his menu, not meeting her eyes. “I guess I should tell you I’ve just gone through a rough divorce.”

  This was news to her. She’d tried to push all things Blake out of her life. She must have succeeded if she didn’t even know he’d gotten married. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” His face didn’t look like it was okay. He swallowed hard. “It’s in the past. I need to move on.”

  A heavy feeling settled in her chest. “If you’re not ready to do this, we can wait—”

  “No,” he interrupted. “I’m ready. At least I want to be.”

  The server, dressed in a poodle skirt and saddle shoes, strode over to their table and took out her order pad. “What can I get for you tonight?”

  Blake motioned for Sidney to go first.

  “I’ll have the cheeseburger meal, and can you substitute a vanilla malt for the soda?”

  The server jotted something down on her pad. “Of course.”

  “I’ll have the same.” He folded his menu and handed it to the woman.

  “You were always a chocolate shake fan.”

  He studied her, a slight smile on his face. “That was a long time ago. People change.”

  He was right about that. A lot had changed since they were kids. She nodded and handed over her menu as well.

  “It’ll be right out,” the server said before disappearing into the crowd.

  Blake sat there staring at her, so she picked up her pen. It was best to get this interview over with. “What brought you back to Bishop Falls?”

  His eyes grew sad. “My mother’s health isn’t the best. I took a job here to be closer to her.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Blake’s mother had struggled with her health for years. At one point when cancer was diagnosed, Sidney had thought she wouldn’t make it, but she’d survived. Blake always said he wanted to be a doctor. Sidney figured it was because of his mother. He wanted to fix her.

  “It’s okay.”

  Sidney wasn’t sure how to lighten the conversation again. She stared down at her pad of paper.

  “What about your parents?” he asked. “Are they still around here?”

  She smiled. “Yes. They’re still living in my childhood home. And Natalie’s got an apartment over on Broadway.”

  His eyes lit up at the mention of Natalie. Great. Why did she bring up her sister? She might as well pair them up and be done with it. “In fact,” she said. “I should set you up with her.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Do you think Natalie would be a good match for me?”

  The question threw her, and she stared at him. Since when did he care about that? He’d crushed on Natalie all through school. But of course, they were nothing alike. “Um…” What could she say that wasn’t offensive? “Don’t you want to go out with her?”

  His lips pulled up in a half-smile. “Maybe she’s changed, but when we were growing up, I’d invite her to go fishing with us, or bike riding. She always declined, saying she was more of an ‘indoor girl,’ as she put it.”

  “Right. But your eyes popped out of your head each time she walked into the room. I swear you left drool everywhere following after her.”

  He didn’t deny it, and his laugh washed over her. “Your sister ran with the popular kids. She was a cheerleader. To a high school kid, she was the equivalent of a super model.”

  “You only liked her for her body?” She hissed, her voice low.

  “I was seventeen.”

  She huffed. “You weren’t seventeen when you thought you were kissing her.” The words flew out before she could stop them, and the instant they were out she wished them back. Why had she brought up her humiliation? Couldn’t she have ignored that? Pretended it hadn’t happened? She could have gone the whole rest of her life without saying that.

  Blake’s smile widened. “Twenty isn’t far from seventeen.”

  “So you were a pig.” Boy, the word vomit just kept coming, didn’t it? Maybe if she kept going he’d drop the service and they’d be done.

  “I was young. Immature. Now I’m looking for a serious relationship. I want someone who isn’t afraid to experience life. I want someone who would be willing to…” His voice trailed off and he looked up. “Go skydiving with me.”

  She looked at him sideways. “Skydiving?”

  “Sure, why not? It’s fantastic. So freeing. There have to be adventurous women out there.” His gaze traveled over her. “Like you.”

  “Me?” How had he gotten on the subject of her? “No.”

  “What? The twelve-year-old you would have jumped at the chance.”

  She took in a breath and let it out slowly. “The twelve-year-old me didn’t have any inhibitions. I’ve changed a lot since then.”

  He squinted at her. “You seriously wouldn’t go skydiving?” Throwing her a challenging stare, he paused. “Even on a dare?”

  Oh no. Not the dare thing. “That might have worked on me when I was a little kid. But you hold no power over me now.”

  A wicked grin overtook his face. “Sidney Lane Reed,” he said, and she rolled her eyes at the use of her full name. He used to blackmail her with it. She hadn’t liked the fact that she was named after Grandpa Lane. However, she’d long since gotten over that. “I dare you to jump out of a plane.”

  She gave him a flat look. “No.”

  “I double dog dare you.”

  “What? Not the double dog dare. I’ll have to do it now.”

  “Ha!” He smiled as if he’d won.

  “I was kidding. Get over yourself. I’m not going skydiving just because you dare me. I’m not twelve.”

  Folding his arms across his chest, he huffed and leaned back in his chair. “You’re no fun.”

  The server brought their food and Sidney took a big bite of her hamburger. She couldn’t quite keep the smug smile off her face as she chewed.

  “Maybe you need to go skydiving with me so you can gain experience in the kind of woman I’m looking for. That way, you can find me the perfect match.”

  She picked up a french fry. “Nice try.” For some reason, the harder he pushed, the more she wanted to do it, if not for any other reason than to see the look on his face when sh
e said yes. Plus, it might be kind of fun.

  “It would help you get to know me better.”

  She smiled and dipped the fry into ketchup. “I’m getting to know you better right now.”

  He frowned. “Come on. What do I have to do? Beg?”

  “You’re just mad because you can’t boss me around anymore. I no longer cater to your every whim.”

  He seemed to take that in. “Maybe.” His gaze traveled over her, and he grinned. “Or maybe I just want to hear you scream as you fall a hundred and twenty miles per hour.”

  “Ha, like I’d scream.” She probably would.

  “Only one way to find out.”

  The urge to give in to him grew, and she stared down at her hands. Not a good idea to spend any more time with him. She could easily fall for him again. And it took a long time for her shattered heart to feel whole after the last time he broke it. She held up her hand. “Sorry. Engaged.”

  “Give me your phone,” he said as he motioned. “I’ll call Ted and make sure he’s okay with it.”

  She sighed. No way was she having Blake call Ted. “Fine, I’ll go with you. Ted won’t mind.”

  It was Blake’s turn for the smug smile. “Great. I’ll get something scheduled.”

  Chapter 5

  Blake had no idea why he had pushed Sidney into going skydiving with him. Maybe because when they were kids, Sidney would be the first to do something daring, but now she seemed to be…what was the word he was looking for? Timid?

  Where was that adventurous attitude she used to have? Somewhere along the way she’d become cautious. He missed the old Sidney.

  And maybe a part of him wanted to show off. He’d been skydiving since college and had gotten his instructor’s license. He knew Sidney would love it—if she would give it a chance.

  He picked up his malt and took a sip, studying the woman sitting opposite him. She glanced everywhere except at him. She was uncomfortable. Must be because of her fiancé. He didn’t want her to feel like he was pursuing her. Best to get her talking about her business. “So, about your matchmaking service. Explain how it works, exactly.”