Accidentally Us

By G.D. Madsen

Returning home for Christmas a day earlier only to find my fiance with his pants down? Check.

Heading all the way to our family cabin to lick my wounds in solitude? Check. 

Finding a dangerously handsome FBI agent inside that cabin? Check...

Kissing that very man after the night spent talking, laughing, and crying together? Yeah, you guessed it. Check!

And now the idea of spending Holidays alone does not seem so alluring. 

Besides, a short Holiday fling may be just the medicine to heal our battered hearts. 

What could possibly go wrong?

***

Three years undercover ended in tragedy. 

I needed a place to lay low and recover, my partner suggested his wife's cabin in Upstate New York. 

Little did I know that the cabin would come with a cocky and crazy roommate. And, apparently, neither did she - the mentioned wife's little sister. 

I was ready to leave, but after one kiss - I was determined to stay.

With a bounty still on my head, I'd be a fool to engage in even a short Holiday romance.  

I most definitely am that fool.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G.D. Madsen
• Release date: Dec 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393031604

G.D. Madsen

I am an indie author of Romance and Romantic Suspense stories for adults with strong heroines and alphas ready to sacrifice everything for their women.Born in Lithuania, I have been traveling the world for most of my life, and five years ago settled in the small French village in the middle of vineyards with my Greenlander husband and our crazy cats - Cookie and Godzilla. This is where my first book was born and was soon followed by others.

Book preview

Chapter 1

AUDREY

Nothing... Absolutely nothing! That’s what I feel as I drive past the suburban villas twinkling with festive lights and past the Christmas decorations crowding the front lawns. All the while trying to ignore the sight of happy families inside – laughing and savoring eggnog. 

I could definitely use some of that. The full gallon of it. Instead, all I have is an insanely expensive French red wine I was supposed to be gifting my wine-snob of a fiancé for Christmas. Ex-fiancé as of two hours. 

How could I have been so blind and trusting? All those late hours he spent in the office with my friend and his new law firm partner... Ex-friend as of two hours now too. 

I believed I’d surprise them both by coming back to New York a day prior to my scheduled return on Christmas Eve. Oh boy, did I surprise them... Probably as much as the sight of them groaning on a conference room table surprised me... The room with glass walls.

I jumped back into the elevator car as soon as my initial shock faded, texted my sister, and turned my phone off. There was only one place I wanted to be now, and that was not New York City. 

Luckily for me, this year Adele and Darrel decided to spend Christmas with his parents, so I'll have the secluded cabin in Upstate New York all to myself. And for days to come, I'll be drowning my sorrows in solitude.  

The twinkling spectacle in my rearview mirror dies out, leaving me alone with the moon. But even she is in a hurry to hide behind the heavy snow clouds and leave me alone in the night. I glance at the silver outlines of the sky for one second too long, almost missing the left turn toward the lake.

I stir the wheel abruptly, and the stupid engagement ring flickers in front of my eyes to mock me yet again. Furthermore, the anger brewing inside my chest reaches its peak and erupts from my body in a savage yell. I hit the brakes, jump out of the car, and toss the golden ring with an overpriced piece of shiny former coal into the lake.

As I relish the sound of it bouncing down the icy surface, the first snowflakes land on my face. I always loved their soft caress. Two hours ago, the prospect of enjoying white Christmas this year had me smiling from ear to ear. Yet now – my eyes sting, and my chest feels like someone has been using it as a practice board for throwing daggers. With a bullseye on my heart.

I am about to return to the car when my reason comes back to me. I just tossed away the ring my top-shelf lawyer of an ex paid for... He will sue my ass for this. Not that I care about that... I just honestly cannot imagine seeing him again. 

Your foolishly hot temper always picks the worst moment to act, doesn’t it, Audrey? I mutter to myself, climbing the rail separating the road from the lake. I step onto the ice illuminated partially by the remaining half of the moon. With the snow only now beginning to cover the surface, I can see clearly enough where I place my feet.  

A prolonged crack beneath my boots raises every hair on my body. Those last years I spent in the city, attending posh parties for no other reason than to look pretty and smile, clearly messed with my brain. 

I forgot who I was. 

I am not an accessory of a man. I am a successful investigative journalist. And above all – I am the Ice Princess who learned to skate before she could even walk. 

My father taught me all there is to know about ice and survival, so when the lake complains about another step I take, I only smile in response. Are you this grumpy because I abandoned you? I ask the dark frozen surface as I continue walking further. 

It has been years since I joined Papa on our winter-fishing adventures. He was the one to give me the Ice Princess nickname, and it has stuck around ever since. Even Justin loved using it. However, not in an affectionate manner. No, he would call me that whenever he was pissed, referring to my performance in bed.  

Tears threaten to escape into the night, obscuring the sight of a shiny object in the distance, and I curse myself again. This time, for being an excellent Little League pitcher. With tears back under control, I lock the target in sight and aim straight for it. 

You insane, or what? A male voice makes me jump off and almost through the ice. 

My head snaps back to the road where a silhouette of a tall, wide-shouldered man appears, the lights from both our cars blinding me too much to get a clear view. Yet I don't need to see him. He's clearly one of those self-appointed savior type alphas. Why don’t you mind your own business? 

I was, he roars again. Until I spotted you in the middle of the damn lake. Are you looking for death tonight?

I’m certainly not looking for the knight in shining armor to save me. His angry tone only pisses me off further. Maybe, I’m just projecting all my frustration with the male population on him, but I don’t care tonight. I want to be left alone. Now! Hey, look! Found one! I’ll pass! So, farewell, my lord. I do a mockup bow and give him the finger. 

Know what, suit yourself! he shouts and jumps back inside his car. Once he's gone, I refocus on my task and, in a matter of seconds, I stuff the ring into the pocket of my long pink winter coat. 

Aiming for a shortcut, I choose a slightly different route to the shore, all the while trying to understand why I won't stop thinking about the wannabe savior. And that distraction proves to be my undoing. 

The ice splits between my feet only a step away from the finish line, and I literally take a leap of faith toward the bank, silently praying I reach it. 

After I actually do land on the solid ground, my hysterical laughter almost drowns the noise of an