Accidentally Falling for the Tycoon (Whirlwind Romance Series)

by Shadonna Richards

  The following week Jen was back in the flower shop arranging one of the floral displays, stifling a yawn. She’d been up the night before on the internet searching for a more permanent job that was full-time and offered benefits. Something she could really live on. She wished she didn’t have any debts or bills because she loved working around beautiful flowers—too bad the pay was terrible, especially with her being a part time employee. So much was on her mind that she hadn’t taken her usual morning stroll on the beach before coming into work.

  The door chime sounded again and Leanna, the other part time clerk at the flower shop, came in.

  “You’re in today?” Jen asked.

  “Oh, no. I forgot my umbrella. It’s supposed to rain later today.”

  “Oh, right. Yours is the purple one, right?”

  “Right. So glad it’s still here. So, how are you finding it so far?”

  “Working here? It’s awesome. You guys are really sweet.”

  “Aw thanks. You, too.”

  “You guys also have really intriguing customers.”

  “Oh, you mean, Mr. Harrington.”

  “Who?”

  “Blake Harrington. He’s a businessman. He owns Harrington Enterprise, The Clothing Store…you know, all the businesses in the area. He’s here every day buying flowers for different women.”

  “Oh?”

  “I know. He must really have hot dates because the flowers are really expensive and he delivers them personally.”

  “Oh.” Jen tried to hide the deflation in her voice. “Well, good for him.” Great! He was a real player. Well, of course, a guy as hot as that would have a lot of women at his feet.

  “Rose is his regular. He always buys for her. Then there’s Janey. Elizabeth. Oh, you’ll get to know him. He’s a real sweetie, though. Doesn’t smile much. All business and everything. But Mr. Myers says he brings in most of the business here. So we don’t ask too many questions.”

  Jen smiled half-heartedly. She felt her heart ache with every one of the names Leanne listed. How could someone so sweet and decent looking be such a player with women? Did they all know about each other?

  After Leanne left Jen started fixing up the flower displays, her mind on Blake “Player” Harrington. What was she thinking? Good thing she hadn’t fallen for him.

  ***

  The next couple of weeks, Jen would see Blake in the store, sure enough, buying expensive flowers for Rose and other women. Each floral arrangement came with the same words—To the most beautiful woman in the world. Jen wondered how many women could be the most beautiful in the world at the same time.

  It was a different woman each day. She admitted to herself that he was charming and very intriguing. They would have many chats about life, politics, sports and entertainment. In fact, they had many stimulating conversations. Sometimes he would spend more than an hour talking to her especially when the shop wasn’t so busy. She enjoyed his mind-blowing conversations but they never touched on the subject of the recipients of his flowers. She figured he was a customer and she was just being friendly, nothing more. But oh, he was mysterious and attractive. Very different from all the other men she’d met. He never even attempted to make a move on her until…

  ***

  The following week, when the door chime sounded her heart stopped again. It was Blake. Every time she saw him, he had this effect on her that she could not control. She wished her body did not react so positively to Mr. Harrington the way it did. In her books, he was unavailable and that was that!

  This time she was really going to turn off her attraction to him. If she could manage that.

  “Hey, nice to see you again,” he said.

  “Thank you. What can I do for you today, Blake?”

  “Well, it’s a little personal, actually.”

  “It is?” Jen was more than puzzled.

  “Yes, I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me to a charity function this weekend?”

  What? The nerve of him.

  “I…why me?” He really went for what he wanted, didn’t he? She really wanted to ask why he wouldn’t go with Rose or the other women he called “the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  “Because, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Not just in the physical, but you have a heart of gold.”

  Jen was speechless.

  For a while a long silence lingered between them.

  Jen moved from behind the counter and went over to the flowers, not sure of how to respond.

  “Thank you, Blake. That’s so kind of you…but…” her voice became softer and trailed off. This was how it started with her ex, wasn’t it? He was a player, too. He offered her sweet words but they were not just for her ears alone, she would later learn.

  “But what?” he asked, facing her back as she stared out the window.

  “I’m sorry, Blake. I just can’t…besides…” She was distracted by the door chime as another customer came into the shop, which was too bad. She was about to ask, wouldn’t Rose or his other girlfriends mind?

  “Listen, I’ll talk to you later, okay?” His voice was so deep and low it sent shivers down her spine and a tingling between her thighs.

  Stop it, Jen! He’s off the market. Ignore him.

  That was easier said than done.

  ***

  The next day when the door chime sounded at the flower shop a woman walked in carrying her little poodle in her arms. She had a large red hat over a headscarf tied to her head. She looked quite beautiful in a classic way. She must have been around middle age or older. But she looked stunning. She had on what appeared to be custom jewellery. Large earrings and a long beaded necklace.

  “Good morning. How can I help you, today?” Jen asked, cheerfully.

  “You must be Jen!” The woman narrowed her eyes with a smirk on her face.

  “Um. I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

  “I’m Rose!”

  Jen thought she was going to have a heart attack. The word Rose almost knocked the wind out of her lungs. For a moment, her eyes widened and she could not speak. Why was Rose looking for her? She guessed it had to do with Blake.

  “Don’t worry, sugar. I don’t bite.” She grinned. “Well, actually, little Angel here is a different story.”

  Jen froze.

  “I’m kidding, honey. Lighten up.”

  Jen let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “I’m sorry, it’s just that…”

  “Listen, I’m not going to be long and please, please whatever you do…don’t tell Blake I

  was here, got it?”

  Jen nodded.

  “Now as you know, my guy Blake sends me and other women flowers every day.”

  “Yes…I…I know.” Rose actually knows about the other women?

  “Well, it ain’t what you think, sugar!”

  “It’s not?”

  “No.”

  “Listen, I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about…”

  “It’s simple. Blake came to me yesterday with a spirit of a dead donkey. It was as if

  someone knocked the wind out of his lungs or something. I kept prying until he told me. You turned him down. He thinks he’s lost his touch. He was going to ask you out again. But I told him unless you come clean about your little secret flower delivery thing, she ain’t gonna wanna see you. That’s what I told him.”

  Jen listened attentively.

  “You see, Blake could be my kid. Only he was my best friend’s kid.”

  Jen looked as if she was going to turn blue.

  “Relax, kid! Ain’t nothing going on between Blake and I. Ever!” She sat down on a stool, stroking her poodle as she continued her talk with Jen. “You see, his mama died two years ago. We had this club. The survivors club. Cancer survivors. Well, when we all lost our hair and what we thought was our looks, Blake came back and made us all feel special. He promised after his mama died that he would still visit the rest of the survivors. He’s a
good man, he is. My husband decided to leave me when I was going through treatments. Bastard! Well, anyway, Blake tried to make up for it. That’s why he calls me and all the women going through their treatments and recovery ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ to make us all feel special. Boy that woman, Sarah! That’s his mama. She was a good woman with a good kid. God rest her soul.”

  Jen let out a deep breath. “Oh, my God! What did I do? All this time…I thought…”

  “Honey, you can’t judge till you know everything. Sometimes things are what they appear and sometimes they’re not. Besides, it’s not entirely your fault. Silly Blake is nothing but a typical man. He thinks women are mind readers. He feels that his reputation in the business jungle would be ruined if they ever find out he was a mama’s boy that delivers flowers every day to a bunch of cancer survivors. He’s a man that doesn’t always talk about the good he does. He wants the world to believe he’s a force not to be reckoned with. Anyway, he’s been talking about you nonstop. Just so you know.”

  “Oh, Rose, I feel so stupid. I don’t normally judge people. I…”

  “Don’t worry about it honey. He would kill me if he found out I came to talk to you. But the way I see it, I owe him a secret favor, too!”

  Jen smiled. “Could you tell me where I can reach him—at work?”

  ***

  The following morning on her day off, Jen walked up to the glass building of Harrington Enterprise. She could not believe that he was owner of this building and the many stores in town. The Blake Harrington was so young!

  “Yes, can I help you?” The young receptionist asked as she walked into the beautiful reception area on the first floor. The place had tall ceiling to floor windows which let in a lot of sunlight. The walls were adorned with beautiful artwork. It was a beautiful light environment.

  “I’m here to see Blake Harrington.”

  “I’m afraid he’s in meetings right now. Do you have an appointment?”

  “Um, well no. Can I leave a message?”

  “Sure you can. I’ll send it to his email. He checks often just in case—even when he’s in meetings.”

  “Thank you.” Jen dictated a message to the receptionist to type stating that Jen Anne from the flower shop came by to say hi and the time she came.

  The receptionist quickly keyed in the information and within a few seconds her laptop pinged.

  “Um…Just a minute, Jen! He just sent a message back. He doesn’t usually respond this quickly to emails…unless it’s very important.”

  “Oh?” Jen felt her face flush.

  “He asked if you could wait around for another twenty minutes.”

  “Oh, um…sure.”

  ***

  The next twenty minutes seemed to go on forever, even though Jen mindlessly flipped through magazines on the table and occasionally looked up at the flat screen TV on the wall. It was an upscale reception area with futuristic looking chairs. Very impressive. She just could not believe that Blake, her customer, owned all of this. She could not believe that Blake, the billionaire, was interested in her.

  Unbelievable!

  Coming through a set of double doors were two gentlemen in suits. “That Blake is something else, isn’t he?” one of the men said to the other.

  “No kidding. The man is ruthless. Who does he think he is? He thinks he owns this town and everybody in it?”

  “Well, you heard what he said. It was his way or the deal was off.”

  “Seventy percent of the profits? That’s just crazy.”

  “Well, it is his money.”

  “The guy has no heart. We’re better to squeeze water from a rock.”

  Both men shook their heads and walked past Jen and out through the exit doors of the reception area, oblivious to her presence.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Blake walked through glass doors a few minutes later looking deliciously handsome in his expensive suit, as usual. He had an unreadable expression on his face. Was he annoyed that she came after he’d asked her out the other day and it took her almost two days to respond? Or was he relieved? She could not tell, but he did look rushed. Then she realized that it was probably the business meeting he’d just had with those men who just walked by.

  Jen could not believe they were talking about the same sweet Blake. But then her mind drifted back to what Rose said yesterday. His reputation in the business world as a tiger or a lion. He was king where that was concerned. She guessed it would make sense that he didn’t want it out that he had a softer side. A compassionate side. Jen suddenly felt intrigued by Blake Harrington, the man with two distinguished sides.

  “No worries. You have a nice place.”

  “Thank you,” he said almost distractedly as he keyed in something to his cell phone. He seemed like a completely different person from the relaxed person who came through the doors of the flower shop.

  “Excuse me, I just have to send this text,” he said. Then he turned to his receptionist. “Please see to it that the boardroom is booked for the Holmes meeting tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Harrington.”

  “Is everything alright?” he asked after he finished his multitasking, texting and giving orders to his receptionist.

  “Oh, yes.”

  “I’m surprised to see you here. I don’t recall telling you where I worked.”

  Where he worked was an understatement. He was a successful, wealthy tycoon. There was a spark of amusement in his dark, ravishing eyes. Jen noticed he had the sexiest eyes with the longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man.

  “I…um…I found out.” Jen didn’t want to get Rose into any trouble but she didn’t want to lie outright either.

  “Oh, well, have you eaten yet?”

  “Actually, no. Not yet.”

  “Good. There’s a nice place I’d like to take you.”

  “Okay.”

  “You’re not afraid of heights are you?”

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re going to the highest restaurant in the world. Near the top of the CN Tower.”

  “The CN Tower?”

  “Yes. Almost two thousand feet high.”

  Jen had heard of the restaurant 360 on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in the world. The Restaurant at the CN Tower was one of Toronto's finest and featured unforgettable food combined with a magnificent revolving view of Toronto more than a thousand feet above ground level. It was truly a unique culinary experience.

  Later at the restaurant, they ate summer tomato salad with black pearl olives and grilled Halloumi cheese. They also enjoyed sea salt crusted Atlantic Salmon with fried capers served with sweet butter potatoes while they captured in a breathtaking view of the city.

  Jen and Blake had the most stimulating conversation over lunch, talking about everything from politics to sports and entertainment news. It was a breath of fresh air to have so much in common with a member of the opposite sex—that is, talking about more than just sex.

  “You really work hard,” Jen told him.

  “What makes you say that?” he said in a low voice, grinning.

  “Well, we’ve been having lunch and your phone has buzzed like a hundred and fifty times. You’re very much in demand, I see. I hope you don’t always run this way every day. You have to stop and smell the roses.”

  “You know something, you’re the first woman to tell me that.”

  “Oh, is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Just a minute.” He pulled out his BlackBerry and called his assistant and told her to cancel his afternoon meetings and deal with any emergencies. “You’re right. I work seven days a week. I’m always on the go.”

  “Wow. So you just cancelled your plans for me?”

  “No. I did it for…us.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I should try something different for a change.”

  Jen flushed.

  “You get embarrassed easy, I see,” he teased her gently.

  “Oh, I’m just a little hot, that
’s all,” she lied quietly. It bothered her that her skin turned colour whenever she was embarrassed or put on the spot. She didn’t want him to think she was a timid girl.

  “The truth is, I do whatever feels good for me at the time. I live in the moment, Jen. I’m not afraid to change my course of action when need be.”

  “Oh, well, that’s good to hear,” Jen said as she picked up her glass and took a sip of her freshly squeezed orange juice.

  He brought his glass up to hers. “Let’s toast, shall we?”

  “Oh, of course. But what are we toasting?”

  “To living in the moment.”

  “Yes. Here’s to living in the moment.”

  After their delicious late afternoon lunch, he took her to the Art Gallery of Ontario where they toured many exhibits. Jen was particularly interested in the various oil paintings.

  “Beautiful. I wish I knew how to paint.”

  “Maybe I can show you one day.”

  “You paint?” Jen was surprised.

  “And why does that surprise you?”

  “I…I don’t know. I just never thought. I mean, do you have any paintings here?”

  “Oh, no. Just in my home.”

  “I’d love to see them.”

  “You would?”

  “Of course. Why not?”

  “Well, if you have time we can stop over at my place and you can tell me what you think of them.” He held her lower back and she felt a tingling down her spine. A current of desire flow through her veins.

  Jen smiled. He was so…adorable. She felt so on top of the world around him. But when he touched her it was electrifying.

  “Do you like?” Blake asked Jen as she walked into the foyer of his spacious penthouse suite. He took pleasure in watching her gape in wonderment.

  “Wow! This…is like a museum. You painted all these?”

  “Not all of them. Just the ones on the east side over there. The rest, I commissioned.”

  As Jen walked over to his paintings on the wall, he watched her from behind. She was the sexiest woman he’d ever met. Originally he thought about offering her a job but he wanted more than to give her a job. He wanted her. He’d never desired a woman so much. He watched as she moved from painting to painting. Her tiny waist and full curvaceous hips were causing a sensation inside of his pants. She was hot and she didn’t even act as if she knew it. He admired the fact that she was not like most women he’d met. She didn’t seem like an opportunist. Even after she found out about where he worked and no doubt who he really was, she treated him like any ordinary person and seemed more interested in him as a person, not a wealthy businessman.