Accidental Love Read online

  Accidental Love

  Mia Ford

  Copyright © 2019 by Mia Ford

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue - Remy

  Epilogue - Celia

  Three years later

  18. Sneak Peak: Baby Maker

  About the Author

  Also by Mia Ford

  Blurb

  He was like my brother. I never meant to fall for him.

  But you can’t choose who you love. Even when everyone’s against it.

  Remy was my protector. At least, that’s how I always saw him. The brother I never had.

  Till we got drunk one night and things took a very un-brotherly turn.

  His sharp blue eyes went from sweet to mesmerizing, and his lips suddenly turned very, very kissable.

  I still don’t know what I was thinking.

  All I know is that it was the best night of my life.

  But Remy was so messed up. No way would he ever remember what happened.

  So I pretended like it hadn’t changed my life.

  But pretending and forgetting are two different things.

  Now I’m back. And I still want him.

  I just have one question… does he still want me?

  Chapter One

  Celia

  I looked into the mirror as I applied another layer of mascara, careful to let it dry. The music was loud in the attached bedroom and I smiled as I heard my best friend singing along to the pop song playing over the speakers. Brinley was taking me to a local party here tonight since I was staying with her for a month in her San Diego home. We’d both graduated college and had some time for fun now and that was something that Brin was all over. I ran a hand through my curly red bob and tilted my head. The curls were crazy, but I decided to accept them and try to love them. The beach messed it up, anyway.

  I took the plum stain that Brin told me to wear with the short black sundress she loaned me and glossed my full lips before Brin poked her head into the room. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she pulled off the perfect winged liner tonight, highlighting her bright green eyes. She was gorgeous, and I grinned as I slipped the gloss into the clutch I was bringing along.

  “How big is this party?” I asked as I slipped my feet into the black ballet flats.

  “Big. It’s at one of the apartment buildings off campus. There’s going to be some alumni there and current students. It should be fun.” Brin took her red lipstick and lined her lips expertly with it before she took me in.

  “You look so pretty, Celia. I love your hair cut.”

  “It might have been a bad idea to do it before I came here. The ocean isn’t kind to me.” I replied as she slipped on some black heels.

  Brinley was wearing a vintage polka dot dress that clung to her curves. I knew that she’d meet a guy there and maybe even leave with him since she was a flirt. I was the one that was on the shy side and might be in the corner, hiding.

  “People buy a product to get that beach look, Celia. You have it naturally.” Brin winked at me and grabbed her purse. She was driving her car, but I could take it home if needed. I knew my way around an automatic and that was what her sleek BMW was. We walked downstairs to the open living room and her mom glanced up from her laptop.

  “Going to the party?” Melinda asked with a warm smile on her beautiful face. Brinley looked just like her and I grinned back.

  “We are. I’ll keep Brinley in line,” I teased as Melinda chuckled.

  “Remy is going to be there, too. He called today to tell me he was stopping at the party before coming home tonight.” My heart sank as I stared at the floor. Remy was Brin’s older brother, and I’d had a crush on him for years now.

  “We’ll both have to keep him in line,” Brinley smirked at me and I smiled. “You might not see him until tomorrow, Mom.”

  “I want to see all of you tomorrow. Be safe, girls.”

  Brinley told her that we would and led me through the garage to her car. Their house was massive with eight bedrooms and four bathrooms in addition to the whole living room. It was also on the beach near La Jolla and had an amazing view. Brinley’s father was a successful doctor and her mom did some freelance writing, more to stay busy than anything else. She also volunteered for some great causes and despite Brin’s comments about her brother, he was headed in the same direction. It was one of the reasons I thought he was so perfect.

  We pulled out of the driveway and she sped to the main road as I glared at her. “Slow down,” I told her as Brinley laughed.

  “I’m not going that fast.” She stopped at a light and I leaned my head back. She turned up the radio before taking off again and I took in the scenery as we headed to the party. My mom lived in a small town in Oregon that was nice before she died in a wreck just after graduation, but slow. I wanted to stay here and have some fun after graduation. Our college was in San Francisco and we both missed San Diego while we were gone. I’d stayed with Brin and her family on and off for years because Mom travelled a lot for her art career once I started middle school. When my father died in an accident just after fifth grade ended, she kind of detached herself and started going on a lot of trips.

  Melinda took me in and she had been like a second mother to me for most of my life.

  I stared out of the window as she pulled into a huge complex, winding around before she parked. I followed her as she stepped out of the car and strode to a building in front of us. It was clear from the music where the party was, and I wondered if all the students lived here. It was so loud. There were people in front of the apartment hanging out and the door was wide open. I gazed up the steps as someone called Brinley’s name and she waved at them. She ran up, and I followed her, greeting the familiar faces with a shy smile. Brinley led the way through the door and chatted her way through the crowd to the kitchen, looking at the bottles on the counter as well as the cans packed in ice in coolers against the wall.

  “Nothing like a classy college shindig,” Brinley told me softly, making me laugh with her. “Want anything?”

  “You drink. I’ll have a diet soda.” I assured her as she nodded. Brinley fixed herself a drink and grabbed a soda from the fridge for me before leading me into the living room.

  Apartment parties were so crowded. I preferred houses where I could get some time outside and decompress, but this place was filled with loud music and people packed together as they tried to dance. I sipped my drink and started to dance with Brinley in the living room, loving the song that was playing. I did love to dance, and the room filled with more people as I was crushed between them. I laughed and told Brinley that I was going to find the bathroom.

  I made my way through the crowd on the makeshift dance floor to find the hallway. There was probably one hallway bathroom that everyone was using, making me frown. I found the line and headed towards the end when I bumped into someone, reaching up to stabilize myself. It was a hard wall of a man and I started to apologize as I looked up, meeting green eyes. “Re
my,” I murmured. “You’re back.”

  “Yeah. Celia?” He asked as he ran a hand through his messy hair. Remy looked a bit stunned, and I frowned.

  “Yes, it’s me.” I didn’t understand his confusion.

  “You have grown up,” he said with a smile as he looked down the hallway. “Are you waiting in that line?’

  “I guess,” I said, shrugging as I glanced at it.

  “Come on,” Remy said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me past the line. He walked into a bedroom and across the floor to a closed door. “Here you go.”

  “How did you know this was here?” I asked as he chuckled.

  “I lived in this complex with some buddies. I know the floor plan and the guys won’t care if I’m back here.” He shrugged and opened the bathroom door. “Here you go.”

  I smiled my thanks and walked inside, closing the door behind me. It wasn’t the cleanest bathroom that I’d ever seen but it would do. I did my business and washed my hands as I stared into the mirror. Why did Remy look so shocked to see me? I looked the same, didn’t I? I ruffled my hair and accepted the fact that I was a bit of a nerd.

  Chapter Two

  Remy

  I walked across the room, leaning against the wall to wait for Celia. I told myself to make sure she was safe but damn if only she hadn’t turned into a gorgeous woman. I hadn’t seen her for about a year, but she was a beautiful woman now. Her pale skin was framed with that fiery hair and her gray eyes were huge. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that I saw the need in those eyes when she first glanced at me.

  It wouldn’t be the first time. I closed my eyes and thought back to the past for a moment, getting lost in the memories. When I heard the door open, I looked over to see Celia walking towards me. “You waited.”

  “I wanted to make sure nobody got in here while you used the bathroom,” I told her as she smiled.

  “Thanks,” she replied as I opened the door to lead her back into the hallway.

  “Is my sister here?” I asked as Celia chuckled.

  “Dancing, I think.” She rolled her eyes and walked to the living room, crowded with people moving to the pulsing music. I looked over the crowd, seeing Brin’s blonde hair as she swung it around, earning a hard look from a few people.

  “Fucking hell. She’s got every guy in the room staring at her.” I birched as Celia giggled. I stomped over, yelling Brinley’s name. When my protective nature kicked in, I went a little insane and now that both girls were gorgeous I had that much more to worry about. Celia had always been beautiful but now she took my breath away.

  “Oh goodie. Big brother is here,” she said as she stared at me, the arms of the guy she was dancing with around her waist.

  “What the hell are you doing to my sister?” I asked the small blonde guy as someone reached for my arm. I began to swing it back, stopping when I turned to see that it was Celia.

  “Calm down, Remy. Everything is fine,” she told me as our eyes locked. Celia had a calming effect on me that I couldn’t understand, and I breathed in for a moment. When I turned around, Brinley was alone, and she looked angry.

  “You just don’t want me to end up with a guy like you,” she shot at me as I narrowed my eyes at her. It was always like this with her. Brinley was fighting to be independent, and I was hell-bent on keeping her sheltered and safe. The idea of these two in college by themselves was enough to make me crazy.

  “You’ve got it,” I replied as Brinley looked at Celia.

  “I am going to dance for a while. I promise I will keep my hands to myself. Take him somewhere.” She told her friend before turning around. I knew that Brinley had been drinking, but I already told the guys that lived there not to let anyone in the bedrooms. They passed the word around not to touch Brinley or Celia, but my sister’s best friend didn’t look to be the wild type. She never was.

  “Let’s get some air after I grab a beer,” I grumbled, turning towards the kitchen. I got a bottle of beer and another diet coke for Celia before I headed to the large balcony. There were a few people out there, but I went to the corner, sitting down on the bench as Celia joined me. “She makes me fucking crazy.”

  “She always has, Remy. Brin knows how to push your buttons and you let her.” Celia told me as I nodded. I took a long sip of beer, feeling restless. I’d driven here from Seattle on a whim, having gotten into it with my former boss and ex-girlfriend. I was going to come back to San Diego anyway, but it was faster than expected.

  “I know,” I replied, glancing at her as she took a sip of her soda. Celia had wild curls that were cut short and her flawless skin was the color of a porcelain doll. Her grey eyes seemed bigger than before and I didn’t want to look down at her toned legs in that tiny skirt. Brinley obviously dressed her tonight.

  “Aren’t you home early?” Celia asked as resentment washed over me. I hated everything and everyone in Seattle right now.

  “I just got the chance to bail. I have a job interview lined up for Monday for a company. I think it would be good and I can always do freelance work.” I shrugged and kept looking forward. Celia had a way of seeing right through me a lot of the time and it was an uncomfortable feeling for me. I wasn’t sure why, but I shivered under her gaze.

  “I think you’ll get it,” Celia told me as she smiled. I gazed at her, getting lost in those eyes for a moment.

  “Hopefully. What are your plans?” I asked her as she shrugged.

  “We are going to relax and enjoy life for a while. After that, we’ll search for jobs. I haven’t decided if I’m going to stay here or not.” Celia responded as I frowned at her.

  “Where would you go? We’re your family.” I reminded her as she smiled at the ground. Her mom died in a car accident just before she went to college and she stayed with us all the time after that. I shouldn’t think she was as hot as I did since she was like a kid sister to me.

  “I don’t know. I’m so tired from school that I just want to hang out. You know?” She asked as I nodded. There was a part of me that wanted to do the same thing, but I wasn’t twenty-three and just out of college. I needed to be more responsible than that.

  I went inside after an hour and told Brinley that we were leaving. It was close to one, and she’d danced enough. Celia reminded her that they had plans with Mom the following day to console her as my sister slipped into the passenger seat of her car. Brinley was pouting, and I rolled my eyes as I got into my Range Rover and started the engine. I was following them home.

  I thought about Celia as I drove. There was something about her that made me feel good inside. I knew that she got me and could comfort the deepest parts of me, knowing that she didn’t think I remembered our time together.

  She was a family friend and like a sister to me. I couldn’t seek comfort in that anymore.

  Chapter Three

  Celia

  Brinley bitched about Remy on the drive home but that was nothing new. When she yawned at a stop light, I shot an accusing glance her way. “You are tired.”

  “So what? I could have stayed longer.” She argued as I laughed.

  “We have the whole month to enjoy life, Brin. There will be more parties, barbeques, and nights out. I want to get some sleep, so we can go shopping with your mom tomorrow.” I tried to cheer her up as I glanced in the rearview mirror.

  Remy was following us. Seeing him tonight was a shock to my system. He was supposed to be arriving in a couple of weeks, but the sight of that gorgeous body and his blue eyes triggered the same attraction that I’d felt for him for years.

  I didn’t think he remembered what happened between us. I would never bring it up either. I was close to graduating when his best friend Jessie was killed in a car accident. Remy took it hard and was a mess at the funeral. Somehow, I got him out of there and we went to a restaurant where he could drink, and I could keep an eye on him and try to talk him through this. They’d been friends as long as Brin and I had, and I know how I’d feel if I lost her.

 
; After he was wasted, and we’d talked for a few hours, Remy asked me to take him to a hotel. He didn’t want his family to see him this way, and I drove to the nearest one and parked. I glanced at him, sitting in the seat, and staring forward. “I’ll get a room.” I was eighteen with a credit card, thanks to Brinley’s family. I left the car and went in, asking for a suite with one bedroom with a weary smile. The clerk looked me over for a moment and I wanted to groan. It had been a long day, and I knew I looked awful. When he gave me the key card, I went to get Remy, and he wrapped an arm around me as we made our way to the elevator. The room was on the second floor and I opened it, helping him inside.

  “You’re not going to drink yourself into a coma alone in here, are you?” I asked Remy as I turned the light on and looked at the big bed.

  “I want to.” He grumbled as he started to unbutton his shirt, untucking it from his black slacks. I watched him as my mouth went dry, taking in his muscled torso and perfect abs. He ran a hand through his already tousled hair and looked at me for a moment. “You’re always here for me, Celia. I can depend on you.” Remy walked towards me and I froze as he stroked my hair, leaning down to kiss my forehead. Heat flooded me as he missed, and his lips covered mine in a tender kiss. He tasted like the whiskey that he’d been drinking all night, but I didn’t care when his tongue slipped into my mouth. I reached around his waist to touch his back, breathing in his ocean scent mixed with the woodsy soap that he used. Remy tilted his head, deepening the kiss as I lost myself in him.