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CHAPTER 7

Author: Emma Swan
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-11 23:34:37

‘I must find the perfect fake Mrs. Right or kiss my promotion and my job goodbye.’

Liam was pretty good at staying cool under pressure. In his experience, things usually worked out fine. Maybe he needed to work a little longer, push a bit harder, find a way around a blocked path. But, in the end, the solution would come out.

Nonetheless, this was different.

He’d stretched out the date of the engagement dinner as far as he could, but it was fast approaching, and the main character was still missing.

Having to produce a suitable fiancée in a few days… How was he supposed to do that without stumbling across a magic lamp or selling his soul to the devil himself? And not just any girl would do. This one would be under scrutiny from the top brass, the board, and their spouses.

Liam had mentally reviewed every woman he could think of, scoured his social media, his personal contact lists, and his old ‘black book’, but none of the women he
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  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 8

    That name… For the past four years, Maxima’s face and last words kept hunting his dreams from time to time. That last night, before her departure from Scarsdale, he did the most absurd things of all. After the party and after taking a shower, still a bit drunk, he went to her house, kissed her, and asked her to stay, acting like a damn fool who had just had some strange epiphany. She said no… obviously and kicked him out of her house. But those words she said to him, her disapproval, her refusal to come to New York with him, dug a large hole in his very essence, in his male pride, making it hard for him to find the perfect woman… the perfect ‘Mrs. Right’. Liam never told Billie or anyone else about Maxima’s refusal or about the kiss they'd shared. He never saw a reason in opening his heart and mind to the women in his family, allowing them to see the damage that the young woman, his sister’s dull friend, had been capable of accomplishing with ju

    Last Updated : 2025-04-11
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 9

    “So? Am I a genius or what?” Billie exclaimed, sounding ridiculously pleased with herself. Another long second of silence passed. The coffee shop was busy with midmorning traffic, moms with kids in strollers, older folks with crossword puzzles, and a large noisy table that seemed to be some walking club. The steaming hiss of the espresso machine punctuated the babble of voices.“What did you just say?” Maxima finally managed to respond. She’d spent the morning looking at two hopeless places to rent, one where a cat came to greet her at the door and her eyes started watering before she could even cross the threshold, and the other with a supposed non-smoking roommate who seemed to think that joints didn’t count. They’d met at a coffee shop in the area. Billie looked pleased with the purchase of an old cookbook filled with recipes for dishes from all over the world, a gift for Maxima. She was looking through the book, so she hadn’t fully paid attentio

    Last Updated : 2025-04-12
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 10

    “What the hell was I thinking?” Liam said slowly, preparing to exit his expensive Upper East Side penthouse. “Asking my sister for help… Accepting her conditions and choosing Maxima Davenport as my fiancée… Man, I need a shrink. A really good one.” He was heading out for possibly the most important evening of his entire life. And to add a little extra spice to the evening, he was about to see a real blast from the past. Maxima Davenport, the chef recently returned to the States after spending the last four years in Italy. Liam had no idea what she was like now. Billie kept her well hidden, as far away from his grasp as possible. The only thing his sister said to him was that Maxima would be on time and ready to do the part of his loving fiancée.“I hate blind dates! I hate the fact that my house is going to get turned upside down by a stranger… a woman I have kissed in another lifetime.” Liam gave a look at the apartment. Everything was just perfect. He call

    Last Updated : 2025-04-13
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 11

    Even with her in those ridiculous heels, they were in time, and before he was remotely prepared, they were standing outside the restaurant. Liam drew in a quick breath.“It’s now or never… Ready?”“As ready as I’ll ever be, Liam.”“Okay.” Liam reached for her hand… her soft, perfect hand, with long, delicate fingers.“I hope you don’t mind. We should act like… Well, you know… Like…”“Lovers,” she closed the sentence, wrapping her fingers around his. The clasp was perfect. Her hand felt surprisingly reassuring in his. Even if the word “lovers”, and the way she’d said it, had him conjuring up a vision of the two of them in bed… Hot, sweaty, and orgasmic. Which was not what Liam wanted to be thinking about when he saw his bosses. They walked into the upscale restaurant and were directed to the upper floor, where a private space had been reserved. There weren’t many people there yet. Only the key ones: Howard and his wife, Amanda; Howard’s brother, Gregory

    Last Updated : 2025-04-14
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 12

    Oh, no! The words bounced around Maxima’s brain like a pinging dot in one of those annoying computer games. No, no, no, no, no! If she’d had one rule for herself, if she’d thought any of this through enough to have created some set of rules for herself, which would have been a pretty damn good idea, rule number one would have been: NO KISSING. Well, no physical contact of any kind, obviously. But it was too late for that, so maybe, if she pulled herself together long enough to list a few rules for personal conduct, she had a tiny possibility of getting through this charade without making a fool of herself. The same way it already happened four years ago, on that night. Maxima got through the rest of the night somehow, but she was always conscious of Liam’s presence beside her, of the feel of his arm when it brushed hers. Even through the summer-weight jacket Liam wore, she felt his body heat the same way she felt the insistent attr

    Last Updated : 2025-04-15
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 13

    That was it? ‘Okay’? Maxima had no idea why, but she kinda felt let down. He hadn’t tried very hard to argue her out of her position. And not that she’d have caved, but it would have felt good to know she was so desirable he’d make an issue out of wanting to sleep with her. She supposed he’d find another willing partner to play his games easily enough that not getting into her bed wasn’t going to bother him very much. How depressing… She hadn’t even been entirely honest. She’d slept with men she knew she didn’t love, but she’d always felt more than mere friendship, she supposed. And more than simply lust. And Maxima hadn’t been sharing living quarters with them at the time. Fortunately, since she couldn’t think of anything to talk about and her companion didn’t seem interested in starting a new subject of conversation, the cab pulled up in front of a wonderful building on the Upper East Side. The area was quite nice, and full of up

    Last Updated : 2025-04-15
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 14

    “Oh… My… God… I think my tongue just had an orgasm.” Billie moaned as she bit into the Salted Bourbon Caramel and Dark Chocolate tartlet, freshly prepared by Maxima for a ‘tasting marathon’. Her fourth in less than a minute. Maxima couldn’t remember when she’d felt so gratified. Four days after she’d moved into Liam’s place, she was already experimenting, cooking with recipes she knew as she got comfortable with the stove and playing with the ingredients to try new, original combinations.“Girl, you are a freaking food genius!” Billie swallowed, trying to control herself, and gave in, reaching for another tartlet.“I know you needed a guinea pig, and I was happy to help, but this is my last one. Stab me with that chef’s knife if I even try to reach for another one after this.” She popped the treat into her mouth and closed her eyes as she devoured it.“I am going to have to spend the next week at the gym to make up for it,” she said, openin

    Last Updated : 2025-04-16
  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 15

    “Honey, I’m home!” Liam felt like an idiot announcing his presence in his own house, but he didn’t want to startle his temporary roommate. He stepped inside and felt his nostrils quiver. What was that amazing smell?“Hi, Liam!” a cheerful voice answered him. “You’re home early.” He put down his briefcase. He’d never thought of his home as cold before, but walking into it now, Liam noticed a huge difference. The space felt warm, lived-in, and whatever that woman was cooking, his stomach wanted some. Dragging his tie off, Liam moved closer to his kitchen. He had never thought a woman could look so sexy in an apron. The image reminded him of moms and old ladies at Christmas dressed as Mrs. Claus. But on Maxima? The red-and-white striped apron was about the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Liam stared in amazement. Never had there been so much activity in his kitchen so long as he’d lived here. He’d grilled the odd steak, and a woman or

    Last Updated : 2025-04-17

Latest chapter

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 31

    “Are you going to be home for dinner tonight?” Maxima called to Liam as he headed off for work. He paused and turned to face her.“What’s for dinner?”“I’m trying out a new recipe. ‘Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken’. I’ll use fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes. For dessert, I’ll go for a Vanilla Cake with strawberries. So, are you in?”“My pants are getting super tight, Max,” Liam replied, sighing. “I skip my workouts so I can eat your food.”“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”“I feel like I’m living on the set of Julia Child’s cooking program. People aren’t meant to eat so much butter and cream and wine.”“Oh, nonsense, Liam! If you use all these things in the right proportions, then you’re good to go. Besides, Julia Child and her husband both lived into their nineties, if you must know. So, I’ll take butter and cream over a bag of potato chips any day. Healthier and tastier.”“I don’t eat potato chips, Max.” She put her hands on her hips.“If you’re

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 30

    However, there were things Billie needed to get straight now that Timothy was no longer some faceless online confidant. Like the fact that they’d met under false pretenses.“What made you e-mail me the first time?” she asked him out of the blue.There had been no photograph accompanying her profile. Even Liam wouldn’t stoop that low.Timothy thought for a few minutes.“To be honest, I don’t know. That was a while ago. I kinda liked your profile. How straightforward you were... Like, ‘This is who I am and what I want’. No apologies. It was straight-up. You communicate directly… Almost like a man.”Billie looked into his frank, innocent blue eyes and knew she had to tell him.

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 29

    ‘I’ll meet you at the Siberian tiger exhibit,’ he’d written. Sunday afternoon was her only real day off, and Billie used it to meet the only man brave enough to ask her out. Crazy enough to even contemplate the idea of getting to know her. She looked around, trying to stay focused and calm in the middle of such mayhem. There were a bunch of families, adults, and children, a lot of tourists speaking every language known to man and animals, also from every corner of the planet.“Why did I say yes to him? Why did I agree to meet him here? What happened to ‘let’s have a cup of coffee together’?” Billie murmured, astonished at herself for even showing up. “I must be out of my mind…” All week, she’d scoffed at the very notion that she, an intelligent, educated, sophisticated professional woman, would be seen at such a place. Yet, here she was… She was having her first date with a man who’d excited her on both a deeply personal and an intellectual level

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   EMMA'S NOTE 2

    Hey, Y'all!!!!First of all, I would like to acknowledge all the readers (you know who you are) who contacted me outside this profile. Thank you for your support and all the love you showed me through your private messages. This return has been tough, but your motivational texts have helped me a lot. You are indeed the best readers out there. I've seen a lot of 'when is the next update?' types of questions. I just wanted to let you all know that I UPDATE DAILY (sometimes double chapters). I might not do it at the same hour every day, but I have 24H at my disposal. (Remember that I work on this book every single day, on Sundays, too, so I never prepare in advance). I live in Italy, so I always try to update by 6 PM (which is midnight in some of your countries). Therefore, I'm kindly asking for your... PATIENCE. What you can do for me while waiting for the updates is LEAVE A REVIEW. A PUBLIC REVIEW. It would mean a lot to me. Your opinions (good or not so good) always helped me while

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 28

    Howard patted Liam on the back once more.“This is so exciting, son! Good thing I saw you here, so I can help you with this important choice. Give you some advice. I know a lot about diamonds. I’ve been insuring jewelers for decades. Fascinating business, if I may say so.”“May I help you, gentlemen?” a woman who reminded him a little of a teacher he’d had in sixth grade asked.“Absolutely!” Howard exclaimed. “Liam here wants to buy an engagement ring. But not just an ordinary one. No, no. He wants the perfect ring for his fiancée. So, a good quality one, mind you.”“Of course, Sir.” So, Liam, who didn’t know much about diamonds and didn’t care to know, got a lesson in gemstones and had very little choice but to buy one of them for a woman he had no intention of marrying. Not now, not ever. Since Howard was not only a self-proclaimed diamond expert but also a shrewd businessman, he negotiated a nice discount on the ring they both agreed would look perfect on

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 27

    Liam smelled the fragrant scent of a woman on the pillow. He woke slowly, wondering where the woman who smelled so good had disappeared to, and as his faculties sharpened, he realized he was sleeping on Maxima’s side of the bed. And that there was a very satisfied smile glued to his lips. He’d known from the moment they first kissed at the dinner where he’d introduced her as his fiancée that he and she would have chemistry. But he’d had no idea their chemistry would lead to this emotional explosion. Maxima was hot… she gave and took pleasure with honest enjoyment. Even after a night where they’d worked around the limited supply of condoms by pleasuring each other numerous times with mouths and hands, Liam still wanted her. Her and her damn rules. When this thing was over and Maxima no longer lived with him, then maybe they could forget all about the rules and have some fun. It was something to look forward to. By

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 26

    Maxima blinked dazedly. She’d nearly forgotten he’d told her to hold her arms over her head. Watching Liam just now in her disoriented, post-orgasmic state, all she’d wanted to do was to touch him. She’d started to let go. With his insistence that she hold her wrists above her head, all Maxima could do was watch him helplessly as he fucked her... as he took his pleasure. Because that’s definitely what he was doing. She’d fantasized incessantly about what it would be like to be with Liam. But she hadn’t prepared herself to be owned by him. She never would’ve guessed he was this type of lover. Maxima gripped her wrists tighter. Her hips began to move in a counter rhythm to his. It felt sinfully good. A light sheen of perspiration gleamed on his ridged torso. His nostrils flared slightly as he stared down at her. The tempo of their slapping bodies increased in her ears.“You act like you want it good and hard,” Liam said. “But

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 25

    Maxima did what he’d demanded with gratifying eagerness. The position stretched the skin tight across her rib cage and thrust her breasts forward.“God, you are amazing… Open wider, Max.” Her long, slightly bent legs slid along the bedspread until she was practically doing the splits. He made a rough sound in his throat and inched forward on the bed, drawn irrevocably. Liam reached between her thighs, feeling her wetness. Her softness. Brutal arousal sliced through him. He moved his hand in a taut circular motion, stimulating her outer sex. Maxima cried out in excitement, but his gaze remained fixed on what he was doing. Such a pretty, pink pussy. Liam used his middle finger to penetrate her while he rubbed her clit with the ridge of his thumb. A groan ripped his throat. It was like pushing his finger into a squeezing channel lined with warm honey.“Oh, God…” he muttered, crazed by the sensation. He might want this t

  • PRETENDING TO BE MRS. RIGHT   CHAPTER 24

    “It’s okay, baby,” he soothed, his warm breath feathering her outer sex. Liam rose slightly, running his lips along her hipbone, back and forth, back and forth, as though he were memorizing the sensation of her body against his mouth. Maxima knew he probably could feel her quaking.“Your skin is so smooth. So soft… And you smell so good,” Liam added, and rose in front of her. Maxima glanced at his face. His somber expression barely cloaked a primal edge that sent a thrill through her.“You’re going to be all mine, Max.” He gathered her naked body to him, and her feet left the carpet. He swung her into his arms, muscles flexing hard. The room flew past the periphery of her vision. ‘I already am, my love,’ she thought wildly. She dug her fingers into his hair and brought him to her mouth for a kiss, forcing Liam to halt for a second. He made a rough sound in his throat, accepting her bold, sexy invitation. Their tongues tangled. He was delic

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