Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

“I nearly did.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“Because you wouldn’t have liked it.” He turned onto the side street that led to Alyssa’s friend’s house.

“No. I wouldn’t have.”

“You can handle yourself, Sinclair.”

My lips twitched upward. “Yes. I can.”

“Is it a problem that he’s guessed that this marriage is fake?”

“No. I don’t think so.” It was another reason why this honeymoon was a good idea. If Mo had questions about the marriage, perhaps Stark would too. The more we acted real, the better the chance we had at pulling this off.

He parked in front of the house.

“I’ll be just a minute.”

“Can I come?” His expression was surprised that I planned to make him wait. “I’m her step-dad now. It seems like we should be a unit.”

Inside, guilt lanced me in two. Again. Maybe on this honeymoon I’d be able to tell him the truth.

“Yes, of course.”

We walked up the stone path together. Wyatt had his arm on my lower back. He was doing a much better job than I was of making this fake marriage seem real. I realized that my attitude and behavior could blow it for us, which would be terrible considering the scene I’d just made with Mo to tell him me and Wyatt were real.

“Mama!” Alyssa ran up to me as her friend’s mother let us in.

“We weren’t expecting you yet,” the mother said.

“We’ve had a change of plans.” I bent over to look Alyssa in her green eyes. “Wyatt and I are going out of town for a night. Grandma and Grandpa will come get you and you’ll stay with them.”

She looked up at Wyatt and then me. “Are you going on a honeymoon?”

“That’s right.”

The two girls looked at each other and giggled.

“When you come back, will I be able to go with you?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, even though I was still uncertain.

“Will I see the horses?” she asked Wyatt.

“Absolutely. I’m expecting you to help with them.”

The two girls clapped. “I’m so jealous,” her friend said.

“Maybe you can come for a sleepover and help too,” Wyatt told her. They clapped again, but I had that ongoing uneasy feeling. Yes, we needed to act real, but in some ways, it felt too real. I couldn’t allow that.

“We’re going to go now, so you be a good listener for your grandparents, okay?” I told Alyssa.

“’K.” She followed us out. “What do I call you now, Wyatt? Step-daddy?”

We all stopped. I went still, as panic overtook me.

“What do you want to call me?” he asked.