Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

“That will do it.” Becky finished her drink, taking special care to lick the inside of her glass. Cripes, I wondered if I was as lit as her.

“Is there a rule against dating coworkers?” Tucker asked.

I shifted uncomfortably.

“I don’t think so. Do you think so, Karen?” Becky asked.

“No.”

“But it’s not a good idea,” I jumped in. “What if it goes badly? Remember when Sarah and Jamie nearly came to blows over Josh?”

“He was a douche. I think if two teachers liked each other, it would be alright,” Becky said.

“It wouldn’t be any worse than us being friends and then having a falling out,” Karen added.

I looked down into my now empty glass. Was it two? Or three?

“The point is,” I said, “It’s not a good idea to mix work and personal life.”

But oh boy, what I’d do for one night with the sexy Tucker Marshall.

5

Tucker

I could see that even a little tipsy, Holly was bound and determined to dissuade my interest in her. I wouldn’t force myself on her, but I wasn’t ready to give up on her either.

“I’m out,” Becky said, tilting her glass over.

“You’re drunk,” Karen told her.

“So are you.”

“Ladies, how about I give you a ride home. D’Artagnan’s car service,” I said.

“Tucker, how come some woman hasn’t plucked you right up yet?” Becky said. “Seriously, in private are you a serial killer or something because you seem too good to be true.”

“I’ve been known to kill spiders, does that count?”

“No, it makes you even more perfect,” Karen said. “I’ll take that ride.”

“Are you sure you can drive?” Holly poked her finger at me again, but this time it was on my chest. “Jeez, that’s hard too.”

See it was things like that, and the way her eyes got all hot and filled with desire when I suggested other parts of me were hard that had me thinking she was interested in me, but for some reason didn’t want to be.

“I’ve only had two beers. Come on, I’ll get you ladies home safely.” I stood, and reached out my hand to Holly.

She looked at it and then up at me, this time her expression was a mix of something that made me think she liked my gesture but wished I wasn’t offering it. Still, she took my hand, and I escorted the ladies out to my car.

Seeing an opportunity, I drove Becky and Karen home first, walking them each to their doors to make sure they got in. Both invited me in, but I reminded them I had other people to drop off. I hoped Holly would invite me in. In that case, I’d accept.

When I pulled up to Holly’s little bungalow, I had a hard time getting a sense of it. “It’s dark,” I said, as I opened her side of the car and helped her out.

“My front porch light is out.”

“That’s not safe. Do you have the bulb?”

“Yes. I just haven’t gotten around to putting it in,” she said, as I walked her to the porch.