From Fake to Forever: A Falsely, Madly, Deeply Story

By Wendi Zwaduk

FROM AWARD-WINNING ROMANCE AUTHOR WENDI ZWADUK

A Falsely, Madly, Deeply story

He' s her future if she' s willing to make the lie their truth.

Pippa Rand has lived in the shadow of her sister for her entire life. For once, she wants to be praised. When her sister and mother show up for a visit, Pippa decides she' s had enough of their complaining about her being single.

3So she invents a fiancé .

She' s been in love with her next-door neighbor, Jon Muir, since she met him, but feared taking things to the next level. Now her lie has changed everything. He wants them to be a real couple. He wants her.

Can the shy bookstore owner and the high-powered lawyer find the passionate love they both deserve? Only if they' re willing to forge the lie into the truth and swap fake for forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Feb 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9781802508758

Wendi Zwaduk

Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and the former AllRomance Ebooks. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Book preview

Totally Bound Publishing books by Wendi Zwaduk

Single Books

Learning How to Bend

Must Be Doing Something Right

My Immortal

You’ll Think of Me

Tangled Up

Careless Whisper

Please Remember Me

What Might Have Been

Ever Fallen In Love

Someone Like You

Love Remembers

When You’re With Me

Sunshine of Your Love

Firelit Magic

Her Man

My Favorite Mistake

Silk and Decadence

Bound by Desire

Love Lessons

Drawn Together

Written Together

Together Again

Dancing Together

The Refuge

Running with the Wicked

Resisting the Wicked

Clandestine Classics

The Phantom of the Opera

Anthologies

Treble: Savin’ Me

Switch: Still the One

Bound to the Billionaire: Play to Him

Whip It Up: Honey and Decadence

Lasso Lovin’: Tying One On

Wild After Dark: Taken In

Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats: Between Us

Three’s a Charm: A Sinful Tune

Sensory Limits: Just You and Me

Collections

Naughty or Nice?: Wrapped in Red and Green

Heart Attack: Over My Head

Haunted By You: Miss Me Baby

Wanton Witches: Candlelit Magic

Jolly Rogered: Ruined by the Pirate

Hot Bite: Summer Sizzle

Falsely, Madly, Deeply

FROM FAKE TO FOREVER

WENDI ZWADUK

From Fake to Forever

ISBN # 978-1-80250-875-8

©Copyright Wendi Zwaduk 2024

Cover Art by Kelly Martin ©Copyright February 2024

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2024 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

A Falsely, Madly, Deeply story

He’s her future if she’s willing to make the lie their truth.

Pippa Rand has lived in the shadow of her sister for her entire life. For once, she wants to be praised. When her sister and mother show up for a visit, Pippa decides she’s had enough of their complaining about her being single.

So she invents a fiancé.

She’s been in love with her next-door neighbor, Jon Muir, since she met him, but feared taking things to the next level. Now her lie has changed everything. He wants them to be a real couple. He wants her.

Can the shy bookstore owner and the high-powered lawyer find the passionate love they both deserve? Only if they’re willing to forge the lie into the truth and swap fake for forever.

Dedication

For JPZ

For TPZ

For KC

For RB

Chapter One

Are you going to nurse that broken heart forever? Miranda asked. You need to move on.

Pippa Rand groaned and tapped the Mute button on her phone. She’s going to drive me dippy. She hated when her sister got snotty with her. Her sister seemed to think everyone should find a new partner right after a broken heart. It’s like she forgot the last time she got dumped and had to move on.

Her best friend, Jon Muir, shrugged. When is she arriving? Is she bringing your mother, too?

She is. She ignored her older sister’s complaining. Ever since Miranda had got married, she believed everyone should be married, too. They’re supposed to be here in about fifteen minutes. Mom’s driving.

So your sister can rub in your face that she’s got Bruce? Jon rolled his eyes. For someone with a master’s degree, she sure doesn’t think sometimes.

She doesn’t, but I’ll bet she’s pregnant, so she’s going to make sure I know she did that first, too. She stared at her phone while her sister continued to talk. She only comes over when she wants to gloat.

Miranda knew damn well Pippa’s split from Carsen had been messy and the pain was still raw. After being with Carsen for five years, Pippa never thought he’d cheat on her with her former friend, Natalie.

Only to have Carsen blame the whole thing on her. He and Natalie were innocent, but pushed to their behavior. She’d gotten older, which made him want to wander.

The asshole.

Your sister isn’t a nice person sometimes, Jon said. Cruel, really.

She can be. Pippa pinched the bridge of her nose. I’m tired of being her whipping post, but I can’t conjure a fiancé. How am I going to make an insta-boyfriend/fiancé?

Easy.

How is it easy? She stared at him. He might be her best friend ever, but he could be so damn cryptic. Who?

Me.

She had to be hearing things. You said you. That couldn’t be right.

I did.

They’ll never believe it. She knew her mother and sister. Even if she’d known Jon for eight years and lusted after him every one of those years, she’d never been brave enough to ask him out…much less get engaged to him.

Why?

You’re my best friend and you declared in front of my family that you’d never get married. She folded her arms and set her jaw. So they’ll see through the lie.

Who says they will? But even so, who cares? he asked.

You don’t want to be engaged to me. She was a hot mess when she wasn’t at her bookstore. When she had to do the accounting and ordering at the store, she excelled. Numbers didn’t argue with her. Men did. Men lied and cheated.

Jon was a man, too, but he was her best friend. She couldn’t lose him. If he played the role of her fiancé, she’d fall for him. If she did, she risked getting hurt. Risked not having him in her life any longer. He’d see what kind of disaster she was and he’d flee.

Everyone else did.

I have the feeling you have no time to decide. Jon nodded to her phone. I’m guessing she figured out you weren’t listening and hung up.

Shit. She swiped to darken her phone. They’re probably here, too.

I’d say so.

She froze at the knocking on her door. Her sister and mother had arrived. Damn it.

Do you trust me? Jon asked. Pip?

She didn’t want the admonishment from her family, but how would lying to them fuck her life up? She didn’t want things to change with him. Not that she had much choice. Her sister and mother believed she’d never have a serious boyfriend after Carsen, let alone get married.

He slid the signet ring off his pinky finger and offered her the piece of jewelry. The diamonds are real.

You’ve said that, but the engagement isn’t. Still, she allowed him to slide the ring onto her left hand. Electricity ran through her veins. Sizzles kissed her from his touch. She’d never felt this kind of rush before.

No one needs to know right now. His eyes sparkled. Answer the door. He winked and nodded. It’ll be fine.

She shouldn’t like this plan, but she wasn’t entirely for it, either. She sighed before she opened the door. Her mother and sister stood in the doorway.

Hi. Pippa stepped aside. You made it.

You thought we wouldn’t? her mother asked. You could’ve been smarter about the call. You must’ve hung up.

The call dropped, Pippa lied.

You want to go with that? Miranda asked. Jesus. Who is this? You’re Jon, right?

Her mother swept her gaze over Jon. Still hanging around her?

I am. He offered his hand to her mother. But I have a good reason.

He’s my fiancé. Pippa held up her left hand. See?

Miranda gave him the side-eye. Fiancé? Since when? You’ve never mentioned him outside of being your friend and now you’re engaged?

I don’t tell you everything. She stared at her sister and noticed the swell of her abdomen. You only call when you have news. I’m guessing you do.

What if I do? Miranda glared at her. You’ve kept this engagement quiet. Makes me think you wanted to steal my thunder.

It wasn’t a big deal. She closed the door. Mir, Ma, it just happened. Quite literally.

Not a big deal? Her mother hugged Jon. My daughter finally found love and that’s huge. What do you do, Jon? When did you propose? Oh and where is the diamond? You bought her one that’s two carats, right? Nothing smaller.

Pippa wanted to hide. Melt right into the floor and fucking hide. Her mother and sister could be so greedy.

Jon slid his arm around Pippa. We got engaged about two weeks ago. Went over to our favorite restaurant and I put the ring in her white wine.

He did, Pippa said, trying to keep up. He was more romantic in theory than she’d given him credit. It was magical.

Oh? Miranda yanked Pippa’s left hand. It’s not an engagement ring.

No, her mother added. It’s unconventional. Where is the real diamond?

We’re not conventional people, Pippa said. God, her family was too concerned with her ring.

People will care. Why are you being so unorthodox? Miranda asked and scratched her belly. Jon? She’ll be a laughingstock.

Of what? Jon rubbed Pippa’s shoulder. In our circle of friends, it’s not unusual to have a ring that’s not traditional. That’s what makes it fun.

Besides, it’s a family piece. Pippa liked the answer, mostly because it was true. The ring had been passed down from Jon’s grandfather to his father, then to him.

For a man. Miranda rubbed her stomach. Well, it looks like you’ve managed to outshine me.

Pippa fought the urge to roll her eyes. Miranda was prettier, smarter and more conventionally attractive with the perfect husband and had her job with the cosmetics company. Everything went Miranda’s way. Why did she have to be so jealous? This was a simple engagement.

I’m your sister and this is your mother, yet you never bothered to call us to let us know, her mother said. No one asked for your hand in marriage or gave us a proper introduction. Jon, that’s not right.

We wanted to be lowkey, Jon said and inched closer to Pippa. We’re not in a rush to walk down the aisle.

Talk