Fake Marriage Box Set

Lexi sighed. “Of course, the ideal combination would be someone who checked both of those boxes, but either way, it was hard to commit to anything. Anyway, what I mean is that, even the guys who I liked who I went on more than one date with, it was nothing normal. Providing the best life for Emma was always there in the back of my mind.”

I thought that over. “That makes sense,” I said slowly. “But still, I hope you're not selling yourself short.”

Lexi laughed. “By being here with you?” she asked. “If anything, I'm reaching for something that's way out of my league!”

“Not what I meant,” I said, rolling my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling as well.

Lexi's expression turned serious again. “I still feel bad about the Renée situation, though.”

“What do you mean?” I asked in surprise. Renée and I had broken up about a month ago now, and I had hardly thought of her since. If I'd needed any proof that she wasn't the one for me, it was that.

I spared a moment to be grateful that she hadn't done like she'd threatened and come after me for vengeance. But then, I tuned back in to what Lexi was saying.

“I feel like I screwed that one up for you,” she told me, looking guilty. “Here you were, in a relationship with this beautiful woman, and I came along with Emma and demanded a place to stay. That was bound to make any new relationship awkward. I should have been able to figure out some other plan. Or I should have been better about hiding who I was.”

“First of all, you didn't demand a place to live,” I reminded her. “I offered.”

“Even so,” she said, shaking her head. “Don't get me wrong; I think you're better off without her. Not that I knew her all that well. Not that I knew her at all. But she didn't respect you the way that she should. And you're great with Emma.”

I laughed. “Are you saying that it boils down to, I shouldn't have been with her because I'm great with Emma?”

Lexi blushed a brilliant shade of red, perhaps redder than I'd ever seen her before. She rolled away from me so that she was looking up at the ceiling. “What I mean is...” She trailed off, sounding embarrassed. Then, she cleared her throat and glanced over at me. “Don't you think it's only natural that you be with me, given that you're the father of my child?”

I frowned, seriously thinking over that. “I'm not sure what I think,” I told her guardedly.

What I really thought was, I wasn't going to stay in this relationship if it wasn't working out for us, regardless of whether we had a kid together. At the same time, I didn't want her to misinterpret my saying that out loud, especially not since I knew she must already be thinking that, somewhere in her mind.

Lexi turned back to face me, carefully analyzing my expression. “Okay,” she said simply, no judgment in her tone or her expression.

“I do want you to stay for at least a few months, while we figure things out,” I told her slowly.

I brushed back

her hair and leaned in to kiss her, moving unhurriedly, giving her plenty of time to pull away if this wasn't what she wanted. But although I shied away from saying it in words, I hoped to convey how much feeling I already had for her.

It seemed to work, if the smile on her face as we pulled apart was any indication. “Thank you,” she said appreciatively. “For letting us stay.”

“It's all for Emma,” I teased. But then I fixed her with a serious gaze. “You've grown on me too, though.”

“You've grown on me as well,” Lexi admitted. “At first, you were a total jerk. It seemed like all you cared about was yourself and the success of your business. But I don't know; since we've been here, you've seemed different. More caring.” She ducked her head, as though she couldn't believe she was saying the words. “Not that it's any of my business anyway.”

I tilted her chin up and kissed her again. The kiss was gentle and sweet, only hinting at our hidden passion. “I'm trying to be a better role model for Emma,” I told her.

It was my first time I had admitted it even to myself, but I knew it was the true story behind my transformation at work, as well as the true story behind how frequently I now worked from home.

From Lexi's pleased smile, I could tell that she appreciated the revelation. She leaned in to reward me with another kiss, this one much more heated than the last.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lexi

I looked up as Andrew came into the room where Emma and I were playing with some cars on the floor, zooming them around the “town” that we'd built from blocks. It was still early in the evening, but Andrew was already home. I was impressed with how much he was trying to temper his workaholic side and become a real family man. The fact that he made an effort to change at all surprised me.

“How was your day?” I asked as Andrew joined us on the floor, heedless of the fact that he was in a tailored suit.

“It was good,” Andrew said, nodding. “We're well ahead of our internal production goals for the month, and we're on track to return record profits.” I could tell that there was something more to those record profits, but he didn't expand on it. Instead, he watched Emma for a moment, a smile on his face. “Emma, darling, would you mind if I stole Mommy away for a night?”

Emma looked curiously between the two of us and then frowned. “Why?” she asked.