Accidentally in Love

by C. J. Thomas

  I checked the time and let out a heavy sigh. It was rush hour and the city was on its way to work. Opening my car door, I stepped outside and stuffed my car keys into my clutch.

  It hadn’t been my intention to stay the night at Trevor’s, but when I was with him my heart was calm. I liked that he didn’t feel the need to fill moments of silence with conversation. He could just hold me in his big arms and let me drift away.

  I rounded the corner of my building when I heard my name being called.

  “Sienna!” Monica waved enthusiastically.

  Pain lodged in the back of my throat. I was still wearing the same gown they had helped me choose for my date with Dad and my hair was disheveled, my face in need of a wash.

  “Are you just getting home?” Monica frowned.

  I thought about lying—saying I’d stayed at my parents’. But I knew she and Sophia would sniff it out sooner rather than later. “Yeah.” I bit the edge of my lip, taking in work wear.

  “How did dinner with your parents go?” Sophia asked, more outfits draped over her forearm.

  A city bus rumbled past as I thought about my night with Trevor. Because of him, my heart was lighter than it should have otherwise been. I tilted my head to the side and half-shrugged my shoulder. “Eh.”

  “That well, huh?” Monica rolled her eyes to Sophia. “Did you mention the part about you calling the wedding off?”

  Feeling trapped, I looked to my feet, swallowed, and then looked off to the side. “Let’s talk about this inside.” I made the first move to enter and they were quick to follow. Together, we moved toward the elevator like a flock of hens, our heels clacking across the floor.

  “We tried calling you last night,” Sophia said from behind. “Thought you might have needed a distraction after dinner. You know, to cheer you up.”

  I hit the button on the wall, watching it light up.

  “We hit up a few bars downtown,” Monica chimed in. “You should have been there. We sang karaoke and everything.”

  Sophia laughed.

  “Sounds fun,” I murmured.

  The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside.

  “Where are you coming from, anyway?” Monica asked.

  Falling back into the wall, I crossed one arm beneath my breasts and gripped the elbow of my dangling arm at my side. I wanted to tell my girlfriends the truth, wanted to tell them how magnetic Trevor was, how he kept pulling me closer to him. I couldn’t push him out of my mind. Couldn’t stop thinking how he was the man I was supposed to be with. There was too much to learn about him. He was a man of mystery and we both shared an intense desire to escape what was expected of us.

  But I couldn’t. Not after I asked Trevor to keep our relationship a secret.

  “Earth to Sienna.” Sophia waved her hand in front of my face.

  I was still stuck on Trevor and how he had taken me to my car this morning. If I tried really hard, I could still catch his scent clinging to me that sent my heart racing. I’d wished him luck on his first day of work when I left, and now I wanted to call, send him a message, something—anything. I knew I couldn’t risk us getting caught.

  “Yeah.” I shook my head when the elevator cart slowed to a stop. “I was just thinking about all I had to do today.”

  “Wait.” Monica stepped forward and met my eye. “You weren’t with Gary last night, were you?”

  “Is the wedding back on?” Sophia’s voice rose an octave.

  “I wasn’t with Gary,” I said firmly, stepping out onto my floor first.

  I marched to my front door, thinking how I had to stop this wedding—or at least put it on pause until everyone was on the same page. There were too many red flags that had popped up in the last 48 hours to not slam on the brakes and reevaluate.

  Then it hit me.

  Trevor didn’t even know I was about to get married.

  A sharp pain of regret twisted my side. I didn’t know who I was anymore. My brain tried to reason that I was spending time with Trevor as a way to get back at Gary while my heart was telling me something entirely different. It was more than payback.

  “Should we be thinking about the family dinner tonight?” Monica asked over my shoulder.

  I fished my house keys out of my clutch and was quick to unlock the door.

  “What did your parents have to say?” Sophia asked again as we stepped inside.

  I lifted my gaze to her. I couldn’t look at her without thinking of Trevor. She was dating his brother. It would only complicate things even more so if she were to find out my secret.

  “There’s something you’re not telling us.” Monica’s face hardened.

  I licked my lips and felt my heart patter against my ribs as we dropped our things at the door.

  They both shared a glance. Then Monica reached her hand out to touch my arm. “Look, if you want to talk about what happened yesterday, we’re ready to listen. But we’re not going to make any assumptions about what’s going on.”

  “We want to hear it from you.” Sophia nodded.

  “But we also don’t want to keep bringing it up if you’ve already worked it out.” Monica smiled.

  I extended my arms wide, needing a hug before I started to cry. I hadn’t been the same since finding Gary’s conversation with his ex. It had shattered my heart. The hurt had been deep. Now I needed to prove to myself that it happened for a reason, was a blessing in disguise.

  “We’re your bridesmaids and we’ll do anything for you.” Sophia kissed my cheek.

  “We want you to be happy,” Monica added.

  “I’m happy.” My voice cracked.

  “Don’t lie,” Sophia said.

  We all laughed.

  I pulled back and turned to Monica with my brow creasing. “You didn’t find a date for my wedding, did you?”

  She frowned and shook her head. Then she rolled her eyes to Sophia. “I was hoping to make my eligibility clear at your wedding—if there is still a wedding.”

  Sophia flicked her eyes to me. “Weddings are only good for one-night stands.”

  “Which none of us do,” Monica said sarcastically, getting us all to laugh.

  Heat bloomed across my cheeks. When I looked to Sophia, she had the same embarrassed face as I did. A one-night stand was how she and Nolan met, and now they were happily in love. Maybe that could be my story someday, too.

  Moving further into my apartment, I said, “It was just my father last night at dinner.”

  “Did you tell him what happened?”

  “I couldn’t. He loves Gary. But I didn’t hide my frustration, either. I told him that I called off the wedding.”

  Sophia lowered her tailbone to the back of the couch and crossed her arms. Her pinched expression made it clear she was ready to hear more.

  “He refused to listen. Said the wedding must go on. If it doesn’t, it will be a PR nightmare for him.”

  “So he’s only concerned about himself?”

  “Are you surprised?” My neck craned. “I can’t blame him. I see his point. His critics would attack him for being someone he’s not. Besides, like he said, he’s already invited a couple dozen prominent figures who are counting on seeing his daughter get married.”

  “To a wife beater,” Monica snapped. I sighed and she quickly apologized. “It must suck to be the senator’s daughter.”

  “You have no idea,” I said.

  Sophia pushed herself off the couch and clacked her heels over to me. “This isn’t all that different than what Nolan and I went through. I shook the balance in their family. Interrupted the public appearance Nolan was supposed to have with Audrey.”

  “I know. But this is my dad.”

  Sophia smoothed her hand down my arm. “If it’s meant to be, everything will work itself out.”

  The weight of my situation pulled my shoulders down as I sighed. “I have work to do. Too many people are on their way and I can’t let them down.”

  “You have to talk with Gary first.” Sophia r
aised her brows. “This is about you. Remember that.”

  “And stop worrying about all of us.” Monica stepped forward. “People will forgive you—”

  “—especially after they learn what that asshole did.” Sophia nodded.

  Glancing to the clock in the kitchen behind me, I knew that I couldn’t waste any more time. We had our two families coming together tonight for dinner and I needed to find a way to talk with Gary before then. There was so much still to do, and hardly enough time to complete the tasks.

  “You know I would prefer to stay and help,” Sophia stepped to the door, pushing her arm through her purse strap, “but work is calling. I gave my team a long weekend but that doesn’t mean I’m taking the day off.”

  “Nolan is working you like a dog,” Monica said.

  “Trust me, it’s worth it.” She winked.

  When my cell chimed with a message, everyone froze. I reached behind me to pull it from my clutch. The words made my eyes go round.

  “Who is it?” Monica’s brows pinched.

  “Gary.” I looked up at my friends. “And he’s on his way over right now.”

  13

  Trevor

  Her words wouldn’t get out of my head.

  I wish I would have found you sooner.

  It made me believe that she had feelings of regret. I couldn’t deny how natural it felt when we were together. Like we had been here before. As if it was meant to be. I wouldn’t have doubted myself so much if she hadn’t specifically stated to keep our relationship a secret, but I wished I had found her sooner, too.

  I released the air I held inside my chest and buried my face inside my hands. I was determined to respect her wishes. Whatever her reasons, I was sure they were good.

  A knock on my door got me to spin around in my chair. Nolan stepped into my office with a smirk crossing his face. “Never thought I would see the day.”

  Casting my gaze down my front, I pinched my tie between two fingers and lifted it off my sternum. “Neither did I.”

  Nolan dropped into the chair directly across from me. His eyes traveled over the paperwork I had been trying to read for the past hour. I didn’t find it particularly engaging, but Noah said that it would be a good introduction to catch me up on the current projects the business had been working on. “You look lost,” Nolan said.

  “I am.” I dropped my tie and locked eyes with my brother.

  He tipped forward and plucked a case file between his fingers. Briefly reading it over, he said, “Don’t worry, it will all fall into place soon enough.” Nolan tossed the file back to my desk, leaned back, and kicked his feet up. “It’s not rocket science.”

  I stared at the soles of his shoes, thinking about the oil and gas leases I had read. The sound of big rigs mixed with the smells of oil and grease had my head dreaming for something other than this. Maybe I could transfer there?

  “You know, I got to thinking,” Nolan steepled his hands beneath this chin, “and I’m curious to know more about this girl you had at your garage yesterday.”

  My stomach involuntarily clenched. “It’s nothing.”

  He wagged his finger at me. “It’s not like you to have a woman around.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “Just tell me who she is, what she’s like.”

  I dropped my gaze and shook my head. If this was his way of warming me up on my first day, it was the opposite of helpful.

  His feet slid off my desk as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Don’t be like Noah. We all know he has girlfriends. There is no reason to hide it from us. We’re brothers. We should be proud to bring our women around. And, besides, secrets only create distrust.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  I arched a brow and laced my fingers together.

  “Take Sophia, for instance. How would you feel if I didn’t share our life with you?”

  My shoulders barely shrugged.

  He stood, a glimmer in his eye. Stuffing his hands inside his pants pockets, he moved to the tall windows and stared out over the city skyline. “I’ll tell you how you’d feel. You would be devastated. And here’s why—”

  I lent my brother one ear as he went on explaining how madly in love he was with Sophia. I was happy for them, I really was. She was great but he wasn’t going to convince me to tell him anything about Sienna. When he mentioned something about a wedding, I turned and faced him head on.

  Nolan smiled. “Sunday night. Weddings are perfect. Love will be in the air and she won’t be able to keep her hands off me.” He nodded proudly. Then he turned to give me a pointed look, like he wanted to make sure I knew what it was he was talking about.

  “Who is she?” I asked, wondering whose wedding it was they were attending.

  “Don’t know her well. One of Sophia’s best friends. It’s going to be a hell of a good time.”

  I drew my brows together and stared down at my desk, remembering the ring on Sienna’s finger. Could it be her wedding? There couldn’t be a chance. Could there?

  “Actually,” Nolan turned and faced me, “I think Coop will be there, too.”

  When I flicked my eyes up to him, I couldn’t help but notice the funny look he was giving me. “What?”

  “In fact, I’m sure you met her at Cooper’s gala the other week.” He paused. “Senator Day’s daughter.” He stroked his chin between his fingers and pointed at me. “You two met, right?”

  My throat closed and I swore my heart stopped for a second before I managed to disguise the sudden panic bubbling up inside of my chest. “I can’t recall.” My words were soft as a feather.

  “Tall. Thin. Long blonde hair.” His brows raised. “No?”

  I shrugged. “I talked with a lot of people that night.”

  He flicked his eyes away. “Anyway, she’s a bombshell.”

  Nolan didn’t have to remind me how beautiful she was. Sienna was gorgeous. Inside and out. But I couldn’t stop myself from asking my next question because, deep down, I needed to know. “What’s the groom’s name?”

  Nolan shrugged. “Don’t recall. But knowing Senator Day, I’m sure it’s someone he can trust.”

  “Yeah,” I breathed, having to look away before revealing my concern.

  Noah popped his head inside my office and pointed at Nolan. “Sophia’s on the line. Something about needing approval for something in the budget.”

  Nolan glanced to me with a smile. “Foster Software Technologies is going to lead the industry because of that woman. You just watch.” He hurried out the door, leaving thoughts of Sienna in his wake.

  Noah waited in the door until Nolan was safely down the hall, then stepped inside and closed the door behind him. I knew something was on his mind when he couldn’t even look me in the eye. He moved to the window and stood looking out over the summer snowcapped peaks before saying, “I read the report you requested yesterday for that credit card.”

  It took him long enough. I’d hoped he had forgotten about that. Wishful thinking.

  He rolled his head and looked at me. “Care to tell me how you found yourself in possession of the senator’s daughter’s credit card?”

  I held his stare, refusing to say.

  “That’s who you had in your garage, isn’t it?”

  My brow sharpened its arch.

  “Please tell me that’s not the case.” His voice groaned. “Shit, Trevor.” He stepped to me, squaring his shoulders with the desk. “What was she doing there?”

  I tilted my head, unsure of what to say.

  “You know she’s set to get married this weekend, right?” When I didn’t say anything, he assumed the worst. “Should I be worried about this?”

  “It wasn’t anything like that,” I said, leaning further back in my chair.

  “Wasn’t or isn’t? Big difference there. If there is even a hint of scandal, the media will sniff it out. You know it will not only cause embarrassment to
her family, but to ours as well.”

  “Relax.” I held up my hand. “There is nothing to worry about.”

  Noah’s eyes held suspicion. I had no choice but to tell him what state she was in when she ran into my shop yesterday. “She was bleeding. I’m no expert, but it looked like she had been hit.”

  Noah shoved his hands through his hair and cursed. “Fuck.”

  “Who is she marrying?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I stood and strode to my brother. “He did this.”

  “Do you know for sure?” Noah looked me in the eye. “Did she tell you that?”

  I held his stare for a second before shaking my head.

  He lifted his arms and let his hands come to my shoulders. “Trevor, you’re a company face now. We live under the microscope. Everything you do has a consequence.” He lowered his head. “Just remember that.”

  “That’s how it’s been my entire life.”

  “The stakes are higher now.” He pulled his hands away and asked, “What did you do with the card?”

  I watched him move toward the closed door. “Gave it back.”

  He stopped with his hand on the handle. “I hope that’s the end of it.”

  He opened the door and left me reeling in the silence. It wasn’t going to be the end of it. This was only the beginning.

  I rounded behind my desk, pulling up the number of a private investigator who knew our family well. Dialing, I listened as the phone rang. When he picked up, I asked to meet. He told me to come over now.

  Taking my keys and cellphone with me, I left my office and hurried past Noah’s. “Where are you going?” he barked.

  “I’ll be back in an hour.” I continued down the hall.

  “Cousin Evan is arriving in two hours.” He stuck his head out from his office door calling after me, “We’re both picking him up.”

  Loosening the tie strangling my neck, I much preferred to be weighted down with military gear and uniform than feeling like I couldn’t move in a suit. Day one on the job and I was already planning ways I could escape.

  I jumped on my motorcycle, pulled my helmet over my head, and zipped out of the parking lot in a flash. Weaving in and out of traffic, I roared into City Park. By the time I parked and hopped off my bike, I could see my PI already waiting at the location we had discussed.