The Contestant's Fake Fiancé (A Contemporary Interracial Romance): UnReal Marriage, #9

By Tasha Hart

A single mother running her own store in South Carolina? Of course this Black Queen has money troubles!

 

See she runs a pet store and it's her dream. But business has been slow and her landlord isn't going to give her a break. She either needs to pay up or move out. Except, she can't shut down the store because it's how she supports her daughter.

 

Good thing there's a man out there willing to save her… for his own reasons.

 

Meet Zak Strauss—he just won a contest and it made him a millionaire. There's just one problem… He needs to be married to claim his winnings. And it's the contest is taking his word for it—they're checking up on him and are going to do a follow-up interview. Yikes!

 

Martha needs money. Zak needs a wife. It's a match made in grifter heaven. Though they're gonna have to get their stories straight…

 

Now Zak is gonna need to be careful he doesn't fall in love with Martha or get too attached to her wonderful daughter who treats him like a dad. Meanwhile, Martha will have to not fall for this handsome white boy who is saving her dreams.

 

Should be easy right?

 

Discover what happens by one-clicking this sensually sweet contemporary romance!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing
• Release date: Mar 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215741320

Book preview

Chapter One

The best part about South Carolina has to be the heat. Yeah, the beaches are pretty, and the seafood is to die for, but the constant warmth is what keeps me here. Even our winters are nice and mild. This is especially nice on my early morning drives to drop my daughter, Victoria, off at school.

With windows down, the rush of air keeps the car at a comfortable temperature. I peer over to my thirteen-year-old daughter. Fast asleep, her head sways as we turn or whenever we stop. As a young mother, I think I’ve done a good job up to this point.

We pull into the school drop off zone and I shake her awake. Her eyes are still glossy from her nap.

Hey, it’s time to head out. I nudge her.

Yeah, I’m going. She yawns

She opens the door and steps out of the vehicle. Before she shuts it, I yell out a quick love you. With a wave and a smile, she mimics the phrase and runs inside of the school. She’s really growing up. I decided yesterday that I would head into work early to catch up on business.

Barking and meowing fill the air as I enter the pet store. I flick on the lights and purvey the many critters that we have up for adoption. Animals of many different sizes and colors jump and try to grab my attention. The noise that truly did it though, was the front door of the store.

Martha, you’re late on your payments again.

The voice feels cold and almost evil. I move up to the cash register to find the landlord of the lot waiting for me.

I’m sorry Antonia, but business has been really slow.

That’s the second time you’ve been late. I can’t have you in here if you can’t pay up your dues. She leans against the counter and crosses her arms. I have bills to pay too.

Her eyes look almost sunken with grief and emphasize her shrewdness. They peer at me with an almost dead looking gaze through her glasses. Everything from her Can I speak to your manager? styled hair to her outfit screams harsh professionalism.

I promise, I’ll get you the money. I plead while fully knowing that it might not happen.

You have until the end of the month to get the money. Any later and you’re out. She turns and makes for the door. And if I have to evict you, I’ll gladly take you to court for that back rent.

What a terrifying woman. I get back to opening the store and try to shake off the feeling of dread that Antonia leaves behind. My dear friend and employee Jessie comes out from the shadows and pats me on the back, scaring the shit out of me.

Don’t sneak up on me like that! I look around the room. Where the hell did you come from?

I’ve been here. I came in through the back door so the animals wouldn’t go nuts.

So, you heard all of that, huh? I slump my shoulders a little.

Yeah. I detect a little bit of stress in her voice. She’s kind of a bitch.

Don’t I know it.

We manage to get the store ready in record time. We open a full hour early, hoping to get a few extra customers in today. As I begin wiping down the animal cages, a customer comes in. His muscles really cling to his shirt and his eyes are very kind looking.

Hi, I’m here about some pet food that I bought. He approaches Jessie up at the counter and presents the bag of food. I hate to be a bother, but could I get a refund? It’s spoiled.

Great start to the day. We already can’t pay rent and now we need to refund a whole order of pet food. I can see in Jessie’s eyes the reluctance to move forward with the transaction. She’s just as worried as I am about the money issue.

Sure, do you have the receipt? His eyes widen a little and he checks his pockets and wallet to find nothing.

I, uh, guess not. His face lightly shifts in disappointment.

Sorry, but without a receipt we can’t do the return. We’d normally just go ahead with the refund, but the store is going through hard times.

That’s fair. Sorry to bother you guys. Do you guys mind getting rid of this bag though, I can’t use it.

Jessie agrees and he walks to the door empty handed. Before leaving, he announces a polite have a good day. We wave as he makes his way out into the lot.

The worst part about being a failing business owner is the disappointment of your customers. He seems nice enough, but we have to look out for the business. I also feel bad for the poor animals that we’ll have to give up if we go under.

That sucked. Jessie states abruptly.

Yeah, hopefully we didn’t lose his business.

Thankfully, as the day progresses, a steady flow of customers come into the store. If this kind of traffic was a daily occurrence, then the store wouldn’t have any problems. Sadly, though, the increase is due to a beach celebration and probably isn’t permanent.

Hey, why don’t we start a fundraiser or something? She bags a few dog toys for an elderly lady who is heading for the beach. We could try doing something over social media.

Not a bad idea, but we still won’t have the money by the deadline. I say, thinking of solutions. How about some volunteering events? Maybe some free advertisement would work?

Maybe, but I don’t think that the business can bring in that much money in such a short time.

We toss ideas around but can’t decide on anything. At this rate, I’m going to lose my store and Jessie is going to be out of a job. What we need right now is nothing less than a miracle.

Chapter Two

When I get home from the pet store, I sit at the kitchen table and stare at the wall for what feels like hours. These past few months have been anything but easy, I never thought I would have to go through anything like this.

Since my mom died, things have certainly been rough. Aside from dealing with the loss of her, I got stuck with all of the hospital bills from before she