Fake Marriage Box Set

We stood outside, waiting for our Ubers to arrive. Maria and Jake walked away, leaving Ian and me alone on the sidewalk. Once again, the tension spiked between us. We had made it through our double date. It had been far better than I could have imagined when I first realized what Maria had done, but now we were back to the awkward part.

“I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” I said, hoping to clear away the tension.

He nodded. “Yep. I’ll be the guy teaching,” he said, with a grin.

I felt like an idiot.

He stepped in front of me. “I’m joking. I know this is a little weird. Don’t let our fantastic evening be ruined by this part. I’m not going to kiss you goodnight. We went out, had fun with our friends, and now we’re going home.”

I smiled. “We did, huh? It was nice to get away from the school stuff. You’re a fun guy, Ian. I’m glad I got the chance to see this side of you.”

He smiled. “Me too. I mean, I’m glad I could be myself around you.”

A car pulled up to the curb; I checked my phone. “That’s ours. I’ll see you tomorrow. Maria! Car’s here!”

She emerged from the shadows and climbed in the car.

The moment the car pulled away from the curb, I turned to her. “What the hell were you thinking?” I screeched.

She giggled. “Don’t be mad. He’s a good guy. You’re a fun girl. You both had a good time. Don’t even try to deny it.”

I glared at her. “That’s not the point. You know we can’t date or anything like that. Maria, we both have a lot at stake here. You know that.”

She shrugged. “I do, but I also know both of you need to have some joy in your life. You two seem to bring each other joy. I think that’s what is important.”

I sat back in the seat, mulling over her words. It was important, but my future depended on me graduating. I couldn’t risk losing everything for a little ‘joy,’ as Maria called it. Maybe after I graduated, Ian and I could find joy, but until then, we had to keep our distance. Ma

ria and Jake would just have to accept that. If only Ian and I could. I knew he was still struggling to keep his distance.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ian

No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop myself from watching her. She was wearing a pair of shorts that revealed more skin than I had ever seen on her. It created this desire in the pit of my stomach, making it nearly impossible for me to think straight. I watched as she bent over, filling a vial with water from the marsh.

My mind instantly went to a place it had no business being. Her bent position caused her tiny shorts to ride up to the point that I think I could see a glimpse of her ass. My God. I want to be there, behind her, pushing into her with my hands squeezing that pert, fine ass. I know it is absolutely sinful for me to be looking at her and thinking such thoughts, but she has a way of stirring up that basic male instinct in me.

I shifted my position, and my pants had suddenly grown tight. She stood up and was laughing at something another one of the students said. I looked to my right, and I was pissed to see that I was not the only male suffering the effects of Tessa’s backside waving in the air. Jeff and one of his buddies were standing there staring. I could only imagine what they were saying. It was then I realized I’d been down that road as well and was no better than these randy young men.

She looked at me and waved me over. I took a few deep breaths in order to calm the arousal I’d been fighting since I first laid eyes on her.

“What’s up,” I asked, in my most nonchalant voice. Being close to her is difficult. I had to fight the urge to grab her and run my hands all over her body.

She smiled. “We have ten samples. Is that enough?”

I stared at her blankly; my mind turned to mush.

“What?”

“You said you wanted us to get a variety of water samples. We have ten from all over the marsh. They’re all labeled. Do you want more or is this enough?”

“That’s fine. We need to be getting back,” I said, a little more abruptly than I should have.

Her question had only fired me up more. Hell yeah, I wanted more. I wanted it all.

“Let’s go, guys.” She turned and shouted, so the students who had scattered about the marsh heard her.

We began the walk back as a large group, but eventually, the students pulled ahead, leaving Tessa and I walking behind, chatting about the marsh and the health of the various plants that called the marsh home. As we walked on the narrow trail up to the campus, our hands kept brushing. Each time her skin connected with mine, that little fire in my belly was fed, and it was difficult to keep it in check. Each time her hand grazed mine, I wanted to grab it. I wanted to hold it in my own, simply to have that connection with her.