Love Accidental Read online

  ACCIDENTAL LOVE

  BROOKE NOELLE

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Epilogue

  ACCIDENTAL LOVE

  BY BROOKE NOELLE

  She walks into his life on purpose with an agenda...

  Jack Palmer blames his rival, Zachary Dawson for his own business not being so profitable right now, and sends his daughter, Brooke, a Harvard Business School graduate to "spy" on him. But little does she know, that her father has ulterior motives.

  Despite her using a false name, Zachary recognizes her as the daughter of his competitor and hires her as his live-in PA to find out what she is up to.

  Thinking they are playing one another's game against each other, they've raised the stakes by involving their hearts! Will secrets, lies and danger keep them apart??

  Accidental Love is a full-length novel full of Hotness, Deception and Danger with a very satisfying HEA!

  Copyright © 2018 by Author Brooke Noelle. All rights reserved.

  It is illеgаl tо сору, distributе, or сrеаtе dеrіvаtіvе works from this еbооk in whole or in раrt. No раrt of this report mау be rерrоduсеd or trаnsmіttеd in аnу form whаtsоеvеr, еlесtrоniс, or mесhаniсаl, іnсludіng рhоtосоруіng, rесоrdіng, or by аnу informational stоrаgе or retrieval system without еxрrеssеd wrіttеn, dated and signed реrmіssіоn from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Author’s Note: This is a wоrk of fiction. Names, character, places and inсidеntѕ аrе еithеr the рrоduсt of the аuthоr’ѕ imаginаtiоn or are used fiсtitiоuѕlу, and аnу rеѕеmblаnсе to actual реrsоn, living or dеаd, business establishments, еvеntѕ or locales is entirely соinсidеntаl.

  Chapter One

  Zachary

  Thursday night

  I leaned back against the leather seat in the limo, facing my best friend and right-hand man, Aiden Richards.

  “You have that look on your face,” I said, staring at the weird smile that seemed to have been a permanent fixture on his face the last few months. “It’s weird. Creepy, really. I feel like you’re flirting with me all the time.”

  He laughed, his deep baritone voice filling the back of the car. “Relax, big boy. I only have eyes for Samantha.”

  “You’re killing me. You’re supposed to be my wingman and you left me out there hanging,” I complained, adjusting the bowtie that was essentially choking me.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m happy.”

  I grimaced. “With one woman. Forever. Like forever, forever?” I questioned him—again. It was a conversation we’d had many times in the past, ever since he had fallen in love and then gotten engaged.

  “Zachary, you have no idea how good it is. One day, a woman is going to come into your life and you’re never going to want her to leave. You are going to want to spend every minute of the day with her,” he said, his voice filled with wonder.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I doubt it.”

  He smirked. “We’ll see.”

  The limo pulled to a stop and the back door opened seconds later. I climbed out, nearly blinded by flashing bulbs after being cocooned inside the heavily tinted windows of the limo. Aiden put his hand on my shoulder, anchoring me. He knew how much I hated the attention and the lights. I should have been used to it by now, but it still tripped me up.

  I took long strides up the three cement stairs, stopping to turn around and wave before heading inside the convention center where the charity dinner was taking place. The charity attracted a lot of attention, and the guest list was long. It was a who’s who event in the world of money with politicians, a handful of celebrities, and wealthy businessmen and women like myself all coming together to raise money for inner-city schools.

  There was a person covered with a blanket sitting on the cold cement and leaning against the wall, a hoodie pulled low over his or her face—I couldn’t be sure of the gender. I was a little surprised security hadn’t run them off. Maybe they just hadn’t noticed. I walked over and quietly handed the person a hundred-dollar bill while the photographers were focused on some celebrity crawling out of a limo behind me.

  Walking inside, Aiden was on my right and followed the signs to the large space where the dinner was being held. At ten thousand dollars a plate, it was one of the biggest fundraisers of the year.

  “Mr. Dawson, it’s so good to see you,” said a woman I didn’t recognize.

  Aiden stepped forward. “Mrs. Stone, you look lovely tonight.”

  The name instantly registered. She was the wife of the organizer.

  “Your seats are right over here,” she said, walking to a table near the front.

  We sat down, went through the necessary small talk with the other people seated around the table, and settled in for a night filled with grandstanding and fake speeches. I had been to a dozen of these events this year alone. It was always the same story with the same people sitting around and pretending to be generous and charitable, but very few would ever actually do anything to help the people they were supposedly so passionate about helping.

  The table cleared out, leaving Aiden and I alone. I wasn’t all that interested in mingling, and Aiden didn’t seem to care either.

  “So, who was this girl?” Aiden asked.

  “What girl?” I questioned, unsure who he was talking about.

  “In the car, you were telling me about the woman from the other night,” he prompted.

  I nodded my head, remembering the conversation. “She was gorgeous and had a body that wouldn’t stop. Her tits,” I mumbled, shaking my head in wonder. “They were spectacular,” I said with a grin.

  “And? What was her name? Did you take her home?”

  I sighed. “I don’t know, and no, I didn’t.”

  “What? Why not?” he asked, surprise written on his face.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “It was too easy. She made it clear from the moment she sat down in my booth that she wanted me. I’m pretty sure she would have walked through fire if I’d asked.”

  Aiden chuckled. “That’s definitely not the woman for you.”

  “There was no challenge, no fight, no resistance. It was too easy, and frankly, easy is boring. If she would have played hard to get for even a minute or talked about something other than me, I could have gotten into it. She didn’t. The shallow thing is old,” I said. “I want to at least pretend I have to try.”

  Aiden was shaking his head. “I’m
so glad to be done with that scene. I know what you’re talking about. You want someone who wants you and not your wallet.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t mind meaningless sex. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not heading into monogamy like you. I just want to enjoy the game a bit more. When the women literally fall at your feet and basically beg you to take them home, it’s no fun.”

  Aiden took a long drink from his glass. “Make yourself unavailable. You go out too often. You’re easy prey. Everyone knows you like tall, skinny blondes who have or could walk the runway at a Victoria’s Secret show. You’re very Leo-like. Change it up. You’re an easy target.”

  I laughed. “I’m open to trying any beautiful woman. I go out because I’m bored and I like sex.”

  My friend rolled his eyes. “What if I told you you could have sex with the same woman more than once?”

  “I know that. I do it all the time.” I winked. “The same night.”

  “Well, there’s something the rest of us poor bastards stumbled into: You find a woman you like, you take her out, you talk to her—about things other than what she likes in bed, by the way—and then you take her home and you leave. Then, you repeat the process. Trust me, sex is better with a woman you know and have feelings for.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “That sounds boring. I like the excitement of the unknown. I like the first time and getting to explore a new body. It’s like opening a package on Christmas. You never know what’s in the box until it’s all unwrapped,” I said, grinning like a fool.

  Aiden groaned. “One of these days you’re going to find one you want to unwrap over and over.”

  “Ugh, that doesn’t sound fun at all.”

  Aiden reached into his tux pocket, pulled out his cell, and smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

  I made my way to the bar, stopping every few feet to shake hands with someone. It was the same people at these things, which were usually rather boring. I was one of the younger members of this particular group, and rarely did I find a woman who caught my eye.

  Imagine my surprise as I stood at the bar and caught a glimpse of a attractive woman at the opposite end. It looked like my night was going to get a lot better. She was reaching for two drinks. My eyes immediately went to her left hand. No ring! I ordered my scotch and made my way toward the woman, hoping to chat with her. I was waylaid by one of the principals of a school we were raising money for.

  “Mr. Dawson, I wanted to thank you for your generous donation,” the older man said in a low tone.

  I raised an eyebrow. “My donation?”

  He smiled. “I know it was you. I’ll keep your secret. I just wanted to personally thank you, and I promise to use that donation to make a difference.”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m neither confirming or denying an anonymous donation,” I said, smiling at the use of the word. “However, I’m happy the funds will be put to good use.” In a low voice, I added, “Don’t let them take art and music from those kids. Funds that are given directly to the school don’t need to be put in the pot and distributed to the other schools. I believe that check is for your school alone,” I said.

  He nodded his head. “I understand, and I am so very grateful. I wish you’d let me publicly thank you.”

  I shook my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re a good man, and I truly appreciate you sticking it out in that school. I know it can’t be easy.”

  He smiled and nodded his head. “Thank you,” he said before leaving the bar.

  When I looked up, the woman was gone. The bartender announced my drink was ready. I took it and scanned the room, looking for the woman but not finding her. My one shot at livening up the evening had vanished.

  After making a circuit around the room, I found Aiden chatting with a couple men.

  “Are you ready to go?” I asked him once he pried himself away.

  “I am. My lady is waiting,” he said with a smile. “She likes the tux.”

  “They all do.”

  We made our excuses and managed to leave the dinner. As we walked out, I looked around for the person I had seen on my way in. He or she was nowhere to be found. I hoped the money would be put to good use.

  “Did you hear how much money they raised tonight?” Aiden asked, settling into the seat across from me in the limo.

  I shook my head.

  “The tally was up to five million, and they’re expecting a few more donations to come in,” he announced.

  “That’s impressive. Hopefully, they’ll make sure it gets to the kids and is not used for a bunch of administrative bullshit. That’s why I prefer to donate directly to the cause and not to an organization,” I grumbled.

  Aiden smiled. “I know.”

  I looked at him and had a feeling he did know. I did my best to stay anonymous, but there were always rumors. I didn’t want my name in the paper or a building named after me. I truly wanted to share my wealth, and I didn’t want fame for doing something that felt right.

  The limo stopped in front of the luxurious building Aiden was currently calling home with his fiancée.

  “You’re going to be upstate buying a house with a white picket fence soon, aren’t you?” I asked him, realizing my best friend was moving on without me.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Not tomorrow or even next year, but yes, Samantha and I would like to buy a house and start a family. And yeah, I’m looking forward to getting out of the city at some point.”

  I nodded my head, doing my best to hide my sadness over the loss of my partner in crime. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Aiden climbed out and the limo whisked me up the street and to my townhouse on the Upper East Side. I also had a condo I kept in Central Park West. That was where I took women. I never brought them to my house. My home was my sanctuary. In fact, few people knew where I truly lived. The seven-bedroom, six-story townhouse was where I got to unwind and be me.

  The limo stopped, and I opened the door and climbed out of the back, not waiting for the driver. I strolled up the walk and into the stark, empty home that was decorated in a modern style. As I climbed the first two flights of stairs, I stopped, turned, and looked around me. It all seemed a little cold. I liked the clean look of the gray, black, and white, but it felt like I was in a museum.

  I strolled down the hall on the third floor, passing the den, which was my favorite room in the house. It was outfitted in dark browns with dark red furnishings. It was where I spent the majority of my time. I headed for my master suite and quickly stripped out of the tux. By the time I crawled into the huge four-poster bed, I was exhausted. It had been a long week, and I was looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing.

  Chapter Two

  Brooke

  Friday

  After zipping the black pencil skirt I had chosen for the day, I straightened my lavender blouse before sliding into my black heels. I took a last look in the mirror, deciding I could undo one more button on my blouse. I knew I had a nice figure, and it didn’t come by accident. I worked hard to maintain my body and wasn’t afraid to flaunt it. I liked to show off the results of those long runs and the million crunches I did.

  Working in a man’s world, sometimes I needed to use my femininity to disarm and charm. I had a goal, and if that meant I had to wear tight skirts and flaunt my cleavage, so be it. It wasn’t like I was sleeping my way to the top. My dad owned the damn company. He didn’t believe in nepotism, which meant I had to work hard and prove myself to him and his board.

  Sometimes, it helped to use my looks to persuade a few of the guys to let me help on big projects. Unfortunately, they typically saw a pretty woman and made assumptions about what I was capable of. But, generally, all I needed was to get my foot in the door. Once they gave me a chance, I could prove my value.

  I had been driven to the point of being a little hyper-focused on my goals. Nothing was going to get in my way or hold me back. I had put everything else on hold. I had no boyfriend and no kids. All of that would ha
ve to wait until I reached the top. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be an old maid when I got there and I’d still have time to have a family.

  Strolling onto the fifth floor of Palmer Enterprises, my head was held high as I passed the reception desk and walked down the beige carpeted hallway to my office. It wasn’t a corner office yet, but it would be soon.

  “Miss Palmer?” my assistant stopped me just as I was ready to walk into my office.

  I turned and smiled. “Yes?”

  “Your father wants to see you right away,” she announced.

  I sighed. “Thank you.”

  Taking a moment to stick my purse in my office, I headed to the end of the hall where my father’s office took up at least half the floor. One day, I would be leading the company and that office would be mine. I had already redecorated the place in my mind a good ten times. I wanted it to be bright and cheerful.

  “Hi.” I smiled at his receptionist.

  “He’s waiting for you. Go on in.”

  “Thank you,” I said. I knocked once before pushing the door open and immediately scrunching up my nose at the faint smell of cigar smoke.

  He didn’t smoke in the office, but it clung to him like a cloak. I couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t smell like cigars.

  “There you are!” My father stood from behind his desk, his booming voice filling the room.

  I walked toward him and let his much larger and taller body envelope me in one of his familiar bear hugs.

  “Heard you wanted to see me. What’s up?” I asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs facing his desk.

  He sat down, his large body filling the chair. I looked at the gray hair on his head that was thinning more and more every year.

  “I have a job for you,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

  “I already have a job.”

  He smirked. “I have an extra special job only you can do.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “That sounds interesting.”

  “I want you to go to work for Zachary Dawson.”

  The words hung in the air. I stared at him. “You want me to do what?”