One Hot Fake: An Accidental Fake Marriage Romance by Sarah Brooks (free novel reading sites .TXT) 📗

store and walk down the aisle with a cart picking things for cooking tonight and the rest of the week. I’m used to shopping alone in Santa Monica. It feels so domesticated to be shopping with Marian. Like something we do all the time.

We pay and leave for home.

“Shower first?” Marian asks and winks.

“You’re insatiable, woman,” I growl, following her closely like a dog that’s seen a bone.

“Says the man who is happy to have sex day and night,” she says with a laugh.

“I’ll do it,” I tell her when we’re locked in the bathroom. I take off her clothes piece by piece, marveling at every part of her body that is exposed.

My cock tents my pants, which is not a surprise. After I’ve undressed Marian, I undress while she steps into the shower.

“Water’s lovely,” she stays as drops cascade down her curvy, sexy body.

“No,” I tell her as I step in. “You are lovely.” I wrap my hands around her waist and lose myself in the heat of her body.

Chapter 26

Marian

I’m yawning every few minutes, and I hate it. I can’t remember the last time I felt so sleepy at noon. I returned to my office less than an hour ago from the attorney’s appointment.

Leonard wasn’t lying. My attorney talked about something called, “A motion for judgment nunc pro tunc.” It means correcting the judgment, but as Leonard said, we both had to agree. He can make things very difficult for me.

My stomach heaves, the second time since morning, and this time, it doesn’t feel like a threat. I get up hurriedly and rush to the bathroom. Kimberly is already there, and I rush past her to a cubicle, where I proceed to empty the cup of coffee I drank at the attorney’s office.

“Are you okay?” she asks me when I emerge from the cubicle.

I make a face. “I’m fine; “I think it’s something I ate in Arlen”, I tell her. I bow my head on the sink and splash water on my face and rinse my mouth. When I look up again, Kimberly is still staring at me.

“Are you sure you’re not pregnant?” she says.

“Pregnant?” I repeat foolishly. “Oh my God. I can’t be, can I?”

“It could happen especially if you’ve been indulging in—”

“Don’t say it,” I tell her, and she giggles. I place my hands on my belly. “What if you’re right?” My voice is filled with wonder.

“You know there’s a simple way to find out,” she says. “I’ll pop into the drug store next door.”

“Wait,” I tell her. “Let me give you some money.”

“You can refund me later.” She disappears.

I wait in the bathroom, hardly daring to breathe. I’m excited, happy even. I know these are not the best of circumstances to be pregnant, but you can’t decide when a baby will come.

I place my hands on my stomach. “Are you there, baby?”

Tears fill my eyes at the thought of a baby growing in there. Declan and I will have made a baby. He’ll be so excited if it’s true.

I try to think back to something I could have eaten that messed up my tummy and come up with nothing. Anything that I ate, Declan ate too, so it stands to reason that he would be sick too if the food were responsible.

By the time Kimberly comes back with the pregnancy test, I’ve paced the washroom floor enough steps to take me to the moon. I grab the box that she offers. “Thanks.” My voice is breathless. I’m both excited and frightened.

“You’re welcome,” she says and retreats. “All the best.”

I inhale deeply. “Thanks.”

I wait until the door shuts before I rip the pregnancy test from the packaging. I quickly read the instructions. Just to be sure, even if I’m sure. I remember when I was trying to get pregnant with Lilly, it took almost a full year and lots of pregnancy tests.

I carry it to the toilet cubicle and do the deed. I come out a few minutes later holding it like it contains treasure, which it does. I try to keep my eyes averted until I estimate that two minutes have gone by.

“Okay, Marian, you can do this,” I tell myself. “Five, four, three, two, one.” I glance at the results glass and blink several times. My hand flies to cover my mouth in disbelief.

“Oh, my goodness,” I shout.

The washroom door bursts open, and Kimberly rushes in. “Is it positive?”

I’m too overcome by emotion to answer. Instead, I show her the test results. She jumps up and down and grabs my hands. Laughing, we do a little jig around the washroom.

“Can you believe it?” I ask her when the news has sunk in. “I’m going to be a mommy.”

“You’ll be a wonderful mom,” she says, and my eyes fill up.

I wipe away my tears. “I have to tell Declan.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Congratulations again, Marian.”

Smiles crease my face. “Thanks.”

I can fly at this very moment. I rest one hand on my belly and use the other to call Declan. I can’t stand still, and I bounce on my heels. When Declan answers, I force myself not to blurt out my news. We exchange pleasantries.

“What are you doing at this very moment so that I can picture you,” he says, giving me the opening I need.

“I’m in the washroom at work,” I tell him. “Holding a pregnancy test.”

There’s silence from the other end. “Are we?”

It’s adorable how nervous he is to hear my answer. I let out a laugh of pure joy in response. “We are. We’re pregnant.”

“Fuck me,” Declan says.

“Well, that was part of it,” I tease.

“I’m coming to get you,” Declan says. We’re going for an early lunch to celebrate.”

“Now?” I glance at the time. It’s eleven in the morning.

“Yes, now. How many times does a man get the news that he’s going to be a dad?”

My jaw is starting to ache from all the smiling I’m doing. “You have a point there.”

We hang up after a few minutes, and