The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby(7)

Mother Genevieve looked at them, her thin lips pursed. "I suppose so.  It's quite unorthodox. You will need to be married with your marriage  certificate on file before the school year begins. And we'll need to  review your living arrangements."

"I can make other arrangements for her," Brooks said, earning another glare from Leah.

Mother Genevieve nodded. "Indeed. I'm not sure why a woman on the verge  of marriage and motherhood requested living quarters for just herself  but … "

"I travel a lot for work so we thought it best that she stays here on  campus." He flinched at a sharp pinch from Leah. "We will change our  plans. I can find her … us … something close to campus."

The headmistress nodded again. "Very well." She sighed and rubbed her  temples. "I do hope the rest of your tenure with us is a little  less … confusing, Miss Andrews. Or would that be Mrs.?"

"Mrs. Larson," Brooks said, his lips going numb with the magnitude of  what he'd done being spelled out in such a way. "Soon to be." He forced a  smile.

Mother Genevieve gave them a sharp nod and swept out. The moment they were alone, Leah pulled away and rounded on him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Whoa, Mrs. Larson. I don't think you're allowed to use that kind of language here."

Holy shit, did he just call her Mrs. Larson? What the hell was he doing?

"You're insane, you know that?" Leah started pacing, her arms wrapped  around herself like she was physically trying to hold herself together.

She had a point. This was totally insane. He opened his mouth to agree,  but what came out was, "What? You needed a husband. Now you have one."

Where did that come from? It was like his mouth was on autopilot.

She stared at him. "You can't possibly mean to go through with this."

Of course he didn't. "Hell yeah, I do."

He couldn't make it stop.

"And what do you mean, you'll find us a place? You're going to buy a new home because I need a place close to campus?"

This one was easy, at least.

"No need. My loft isn't that far from here. Not as close as living on  campus, of course. But a fifteen-minute commute, tops, and my drivers  will always be at your disposal."

"Why didn't you tell the Mother Superior that?"

"Because she'd have asked why you weren't staying there in the first place."

"As opposed to the massive white lie you'd already told? Or would that be a massive scarlet letter lie? I'm so going to hell."

Brooks raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's a little melodramatic."

She glared at him. "It is not. We are deceiving my boss who is a nun. I think you get extra hell points for that."

"I don't think God is sitting around all day keeping score."

She ignored that remark. "You can't move me into your house and have your drivers at my beck and call every day."

"Why not?"

Leah stopped in front of him. "Brooks, this isn't some joke. It's not  something we can fake our way through. She wants a marriage certificate  on file. A real marriage certificate. There's only one way to get one of  those."

His stomach did a great impression of a skydiver without a parachute. He  was not marriage material. He'd spent most his adult life proving that  fact over and over. He had no business whatsoever even saying his name  and marriage in the same sentence. And yet … he looked down into the wide,  fear-filled eyes of the woman in front of him. She needed his help. And  for once in his life, he was going to step up and do something about  it.

"Then let's go get us a marriage certificate."

"We barely know each other."

He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Well, if we're getting married, we can get to know each other a lot better."       

   





She threw up her hands. "I am not marrying you, you crazy person!"

"Why not? Marriage could be fun."

"Marriage isn't supposed to be fun. Marriage is serious."

"It doesn't have to be."

She sighed and shook her head. "Brooks … "

"Come here," he said, taking her hand and drawing her over to the couch.  "Look, I know the marriage certificate has to be real, but that doesn't  mean the marriage has to be."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we get married, show the old bat her marriage certificate, and  then at some point we can get the marriage annulled. No one has to know  about that part. We said I travel a lot so it's not like they'll be  expecting me to show up regularly."

Leah put her face in her hands. "This is crazy."

Yes. Yes it was. No need to harp on that though or he'd talk them out of  it. Instead, he got down on his knees and pulled her hands from her  face. "Come on, Leah. Be my fake wife. What have you got to lose?"

She laughed a little. "My sanity? My dignity?"

He waved those off. "Overrated."

Her smile faded a little around the edges. "Why are you doing this for me? What do you get out of it?"

You.

He squashed that thought immediately. She was great and all, but he  didn't need or want her. Not permanently anyway. He wouldn't be good for  anyone long term. Or, hell, even short term. And it wouldn't just be  Leah soon. There was no way he was inflicting himself on some poor,  defenseless kid, but he had to give her some reason.

"I get a great story where I get to be the hero who swoops in and saves the day."

She snorted. "There are easier ways to get a great story."

"True."

"So, what's the real answer?"

He sighed and sat back on the couch. The woman didn't let up. Most  people took his answers at face value, laughed like they were supposed  to, and left him alone. Five minutes with Leah and he was already  sweating bullets.

"I don't know," he said finally. "I get to help a woman I really like.  And being married to a fine, upstanding citizen such as yourself  wouldn't hurt me in the business department, I guess." He frowned a  little. "I'm Cole's equal partner in our company, but if someone wants  to have a serious conversation about something, I'm the last person they  come to. I'm the class clown."

Her eyebrows rose and he held up a hand. "Yeah, I know, I do what I can  to keep that reputation alive and strong. But it might be nice to be  taken seriously for once."

She nodded. "Okay, so we do this marriage thing. You help me keep my  job. I'll help you look like a responsible adult at yours, and then we  go our separate ways."

"Sounds like a plan."

She stuck out her hand for a handshake. He glanced down at it and then back up at her, before moving in closer.

"You know, we did just get engaged. I can think of a few more appropriate ways to seal the deal."

Her mouth dropped open with a small intake of breath, her eyes zeroing in on his lips.

"I … um … " She shook her head and sat back. "I think we need to set some ground rules."

He frowned at that. Rules sucked. "Such as?"

"No sex."

It was his turn for his mouth to drop open in surprise. "Isn't sex the one big perk of marriage?"

"It's not a real marriage, remember?"

"Doesn't mean we can't have some real sex."

Her lips twitched and he moved in closer, but she didn't take the bait.  "Sex complicates things, and this situation is plenty complicated  already."

"Well, that's true enough."

She folded her hands in her lap. "So … when do we … I mean when should we … "

He slapped his hands on his knees and stood up, holding his hands out to her. "No time like the present."

 …

Leah blinked at Brooks, stunned at the speed with which things were  moving. Half an hour ago she was moving into her new on-campus quarters,  preparing to start her new life at the school, and now she was facing  down a fake marriage with a playboy billionaire, who apparently wanted  to get married right that second. "What? Now?"       

   





"Sure. Why not? Busy?"

"We can't just go get married right now."

"Why not?"

Good question. Other than it being totally freaking insane, territory  they'd already covered. "Don't we have to have a license or something?"

He frowned. "Oh, probably. Hang on."

He pulled out his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Cole."

"What?" She jumped up and tried to pull the phone from his hand. "Don't call him. Then he'll know."

That damn eyebrow of his rose again. "People are going to know anyway.  Might as well tell a few of them now. Cole, hey," he said into the  phone. "Do you need a license to get married, and if so how do I go  about getting one?"

She could hear the laughter through the phone and groaned. She was never living this down.

Brooks, bless his crazy little heart, kept trying to convince Cole he  was serious. She pulled out her own phone and googled the info, turning  the screen so Brooks could see.