Lucky This Isn't Real: MacBride Brothers Series St. Patrick's Day Fake Fiance Romance by Jamie Knight (digital e reader .TXT) 📕

It wasn’t even that I didn’t like him personally. He was a bit of a jumped-up snob, but I knew as well as anyone that had more to do with his upbringing than anything else. He was also handsome and incredibly talented. His movies were some of the best I’d ever seen. My main issue was our meeting’s circumstances and the forced aspect of our coupling, specifically joining my family dynasty and fortune with his like we were the bloody Borgias. Harry was also old enough to be my father, which put a bit of a dampener on things.

“We just saw you sitting all alone in this dark corner and thought we should come over and say hi,” Harry explained.

“Hi,” I said.

“Very droll, dear,” Mrs. Ashton said. “We also wanted to know if you were planning on being at the garden party. It is sure to be the social event of the summer, and a little birdie tells me there is going to be a special announcement.”

The world started to spin. Very few things that ‘special announcement’ could be, even though I didn’t want to believe that daddy could stoop so low to get what he wanted. Then I remembered he’d been stooping to get what he wanted for most of his career.

My lips stretched into an unconvincing smile. “We wouldn’t miss it, would we?” I said, glancing at Sean. He reached for my hand, making clear our connection so that even Mrs. Ashton had to take notice. My hero.

“We wouldn’t miss the social event of the summer for all the Guinness in Ireland.”

“O-oh, I’m sorry, we didn’t see you there,” Mrs. Ashton sputtered, “and you are?”

“Sean MacBride,” he said, shaking each of their hands vigorously. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’m also looking forward to meeting Mr. and Mrs. Matthews at the party, should be a pip.”

A dark look crossed Harry’s usually handsome face. I didn’t think he wanted to get married much more than I did. That didn’t mean he was happy with another guy moving in on what he considered his territory. Particularly one who was obviously beneath him on the socio-economic scale. That was an injustice his lifelong training as a self-centered prick could not let stand.

“Oh, come on, you can’t be serious about this mi—”

“Be very careful what you say next,” Sean warned in a tone that would make Conor McGregor wet himself.

“It’s just ridiculous is all,” Harry amended, deflating like a day-old helium balloon.

“I-I’m sure it is all just a misunderstanding. It will all be cleared up on Saturday,” Mrs. Ashton said, ushering her clan out of the restaurant at warp speed.

Chapter Twelve - Sean

The Nissan Versa still looked to be in good nick, despite being about ten years old. Darcy didn’t seem too fusty, but certainly, someone who took care of her things. We stepped inside, but she didn’t immediately put the key in the ignition.

“So, those were the notorious Ashtons,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah.”

“You weren’t exaggerating.”

“Nope, daddy is insistent I marry Harry Ashton. Otherwise, I won’t be his daughter anymore. I figured I’d rather have that and be allowed to be myself than kowtow to his demands. He thinks he has the right to control people. Particularly me. He seems to think I’m his little dress-up doll.”

“I suppose one of the advantages of not being trust fund babies is that our dad doesn’t have anything to hold over us. There’s no way to stop us from doing what we want when we want.”

“My trust fund will be clipped, shredded, and burned unless I fall in line with his dictates and marry a man closer to his age than mine, who is a class A snob to boot. It’s Harry’s parents who are mostly the problem, and I try to remember that, but no way am I going to marry him no matter what they threaten me with.”

“There’s the spirit. It’s impressive that you’re so willing to get by without your dad. I’ve never been in a position to choose, but I can see how it would be difficult. To give all that up to do what you love and live how you want.”

“It also helped me pay for a pretty nice lifestyle, but I’m much happier without all the pressure to dress and look a certain way.” She turned on the car and backed out of the parking spot. “Would you like to come back to my place? I don’t want to be on my own.”

I wanted to punch the air in victory, but I didn’t. Instead, I said, “There’s nothing I want more.”

****

The energy was palpable, zapping through me when she took my hand to lead me through the door of her studio apartment. Despite the small size, it was very nicely decorated, Darcy’s talent for creative design rivaling Maggie’s.

“Nice place.”

“Thanks. Would you like a drink?”

“Sure.”

“Beer? Wine?”

“Beer if you have one.”

I could hardly keep my eyes off her as she went to the fridge, the cut of the dress doing wonderful things for her already gorgeous figure. I couldn’t help but imagine what she looked like beneath it and wondered when I would get to find out. Especially when she bent over, the hem of the dress riding enticingly up her sexy thighs, stopping just below her beautiful ass. Her legs were as great as her ass and her tits. I thought I could detect a cluster of small scars on them, which spoke of an adventurous childhood. Few were the people I knew who got through life unmarked and unscathed, including my own family.

I looked away as soon as she turned, the schoolboy in me blushing furiously. She probably wouldn’t mind me looking. Not if the nature and quality of our kisses were anything to go