THE HUSBAND HOAX

Accidental Love #1

by Saxon James

Cover & Excerpt Reveal

Release Date: February 9, 2023

Cover Design:






Story Styling Cover Designs

Photo:






Michelle Lancaster

Model: Dylan and Simba

Genre: M/M Romance

Trope: Fake relationship, friends with benefits to lovers, found family

Synopsis

Christian

 

Being invited to my cousin’s wedding really shouldn’t be such a big deal except, oh yeah, I haven’t seen my family for a decade.

My parents turned their backs on me and I’ve done everything since to become successful and show them what they lost. Only, it’s kinda hard to be a success when you’re a walking trainwreck.

So I’m going to fake it. Hire a guy with an online presence so impressive they’ll be desperate to welcome me back into the elitist fold, and roll into the wedding with the kind of confidence I’ve never felt a day in my life.

The plan’s a knockout.

Until my fake date cancels minutes before the ceremony.

Émile

One letter from my dearly departed grandfather, and suddenly I’m on a husband hunt.

He’s reworked his entire will so I’m set to inherit far more than I’m entitled to, and all because he’s asked me to use that money for “good”.

In order to get that inheritance, though, there’s one stipulation: marriage.

Even with his request, I’m tempted to stick to my original plan of getting as far from my wretched family as possible, and letting them fight it out.

But then I run into a tall drink of scattered mess outside of a wedding who’s in desperate need of a date, and the pieces click into place.

I help him, he helps me.

Marriage, money, then go our separate ways.

Easy.

Now all I have to do is stop myself from actually falling for the guy.

 

Excerpt

For a sudden fake fiancé, I could very, very easily be interested in him. My gaze trails over his long limbs, his tight stomach, those cum gutters that are going to be my undoing, before Émile lifts my chin with two fingers. “I’m going to have to ask you to stop looking at me like that.”

 

“Right.” I clear my throat. “Inappropriate.”

“Not at all. But if I’m going to follow your rules and keep my distance, you really shouldn’t be eye-fucking me.”

My laugh is louder than I expected, and I cut it off quickly. “Sorry. I have a hot naked guy in my bed. Checking you out is my default.”

“Well, take a last look.” He stands up, glances at his suit on the side of my bed, then tugs on the sweats I loaned him for the walk from the bathroom to my room last night … right before I promptly stripped him out of them again. They hang loose around his waist, and my gaze stays with him as he crosses my room to steal a T-shirt out of one of my drawers.

“Sure. Help yourself.” I grin.

“You’re my fiancé now. It’d be basically illegal if I didn’t wear your clothes.”

Fiancé. Damn. That’s … scary. Getting engaged wasn’t supposed to hit my to-do list for the next decade at least and here I am getting hitched to a guy I haven’t even known for twenty-four hours.

Sympathy crosses his face and Émile approaches to run his fingers through my hair. “Look, you’re getting into a lot without much knowledge, so this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to put my number in your phone and leave. Once I’m gone, you’re going to search my name and look me up on social media. Look into who my family is, recent marriage and engagement announcements—because yes, we’re going to have to do those things too. It’s going to be a lot of attention, and I want to make sure you’re ready for it.”

“Wait … are you like, famous or something?” I numbly unlock my phone as he hands it over, then he takes it from me and punches his number in.

“Or something. You good?”

I stare at where his name is lit up on my screen. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Good.” He brushes a long, lingering kiss across my mouth. “And if you decide you want to back out, I’ll be right over to screw you silly.”

Goddamn, I almost blow this whole thing off here and now. “You don’t fight fair, you know that?”

“Just wanted to make sure there was no confusion.”

He picks up his letter and his clothes and I watch him all the way to the door, reveling in last night and this morning and wondering what the fuck I’ve gotten myself into. His hair is still a mess from my pillows, my skin is still tight with his dried cum, my room coated in the smell of sex, and I’m aching to pull him back down under me until I know what every inch of his skin tastes like.

Émile opens my bedroom door and pauses. “Huh. Christian? There’s a naked man in your hall.”

I groan. “Jesus, Madden. You know you’re supposed to wear clothes when we have guests!”

He steps into view, hands raised like a busted perp. “In my defense, we were pretty sure he snuck out this morning. Like, it’s almost eleven, dude.” Madden eyes Émile. “Since when do hookups stay that long?”

Ah, crap. What do I say here? Boyfriend? Fiancé? Fellow con artist?

Émile blows me a kiss. “At least next time I’m here I’ll know that clothing is optional.”

“Next time?” Madden echoes as Émile disappears down the hall. My roommate turns his gaze on me. “There’s a story here, isn’t there? Should I get the others? Popcorn? Pizza? Or is this a rum situation?”

Might as well get it over and done with. “Let me shower and I’ll meet you all downstairs.”

“So is that a yes or no on the rum?”

“It’s still morning.”

He raises his hands, lifting each in turn, like scales.

“It’s a no.”

“Gotcha.”

It’s going to be a long day.

The guys aren’t known for being patient though so I grab a towel and some clothes and shower as quickly as I can. The last thing I need is them gathering in the bathroom because I’m taking too long. Again.