Accidental Kiss: Accidental Hook-Up, #2

By Mia Ford

We had two choices: live a lie forever or get killed.

 

Libby Norris

Beautiful, fun loving, intelligent, kind, s@xy.

My son's play school teacher.

The only woman who stole my heart after my wife's death,

And also, the woman who doesn't know my biggest secret.

 

One kiss was all it took.

One kiss and I was hooked.

I want to get lost in those beautiful eyes and that charming smile – forever.

But Libby's acting all sassy and doesn't have any time for romance.

I guess it's time I teach her the ropes of the game.

 

But her mafia connection?

F*ck it, I'll do all it takes to win her heart and soul!

 

Libby baby, I am coming for you,

And I'll do anything to protect you.

After all, who said love was an easy game to play!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mia Ford
• Release date: Apr 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201873943

Book preview

1

Mason

T his is the future!

I stepped out from behind the podium and shook hands with Bill Ross and Dave Klein, two of the fastest rising stars in my company Savage Enterprises. Dave and Bill had been working night and day to expand on the real estate side of the business. Savage Enterprises had been in commercial real estate for almost ten years, but now we were going even higher to start working on building hotel casinos in every major city in the United States. I was so excited I could hardly sleep nights anymore.

Things were going very well.

Excellent presentation guys, I said.  Then I turned to face the entire group. I want to thank you all so much for all of your dedication and hard work this year. We are taking this company even higher in the coming years, and it is all thanks to you. I hate to spoil the surprise, but all of you will start seeing higher numbers on your paychecks starting tomorrow.

Everyone around the conference table began smiling and applauding. I basked in the adulation for a moment, even though it made me a bit uncomfortable. I was truly blessed. I had a great team. They were wonderful, hardworking, talented people and they deserved every cent of the raises I’d approved.

The following year was going to be amazing.

I wrapped up the meeting and headed over to my office down at the other end of the hallway, pausing briefly to talk to my secretary, Judy.

Your calendar is fairly clear Mason, Judy said. Tomorrow will be a bit of a bear, though.

I sighed as I looked at the layout for tomorrow. It started with two back to back meetings—one for the real estate sector and the other for the technology sector. I always liked to keep things varied because I got bored easily. Savage Enterprises had our hands in real estate, IT, entertainment, and we were branching out into fashion and sports. Those were the two things I was most excited about. I’d always dreamt of owning an athletic wear fashion line.

And now I was on the verge of making that a reality.

After the meetings, I had to visit a few job sites and check out the progress with the foreman, then I had a business meeting/golf game with Chris Chambers, a longtime friend and business partner of mine, and then in the afternoon I would visit the location of a few restaurant franchises I was working on starting up. It was a fun experiment for me that I wasn’t sure I would do very well with, but I was going to give it my best shot and have fun with it.

I learned long ago that one must learn to love what they do.

Ok, all of this looks fine, Mason said.

With all of this mulling over in my head, I walked briskly into my office, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat down behind my desk. I was tempted to pour myself a whiskey, but I rarely drank in the middle of the day unless I was celebrating something. Besides, I had to go pick up my son Toby in about two hours.

It was always the highlight of my day. Ever since Toby’s mother had passed away three years before, it had just been the two of us. I dated here and there and I’d had a few women I thought might want to take things to a more serious level, but they weren’t quite suitable mother figures for Toby. It wasn’t that they didn’t care for Toby or that they didn’t like children, but Toby had never really gelled with any of them. Toby was a sweet, sensitive, artistic child. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and he was genuinely receptive to most people, but when I thought about what type of woman would be a great fit to assume the role of mother to my four-year-old son, there had not been anyone that seemed to click with Toby on that level.

So, the search continued.

Well, maybe the search has ended, I mumbled to myself. But the first step seems to have hit a snag.

I laughed gently as I thought about Libby Norris. She was Toby’s preschool teacher. She was the type of woman that really made your heart soar the moment you laid eyes on her. She was beautiful, sweet, fun, intelligent, perfect with kids, and she loved Toby, who also idolized her.

Then what is the problem? I asked aloud. I often spoke to myself when I was alone. It helped me think things out. Sometimes a good back and forth pacing would be applied to this.

The problem was that when it came to Libby, I felt like a gawking, lonely teenager at the school dance who desperately wanted to ask the prettiest, most popular girl in school to dance. Every ounce of confidence and game that I’d developed over the course of my lifetime was suddenly gone when I was in the presence of this woman. I was lucky if I could mumble out a few words about the weather or something else mundane. There had been no chance for me to asking her out.

I didn’t know why, but I actually took it as a great sign. The last time I’d had that problem had been when I’d met Toby’s mother, Gina. Luckily, she’d had enough confidence for both of us and she’d asked me out. I felt a bit awkward about it because I couldn’t really remember a time when a woman had made the first move on me. Maybe it had made me lazy and now I expected it; I just wasn’t sure.

But then again I’d had no problem approaching the past few short-term girlfriends I’d had…

Maybe that was why they were short-term…

I laughed at my flawed logic.

I first met Libby at the beginning of the school year three months before. She’d taken over from the previous teacher, Mrs. Hudsaker, who was getting on in years. Libby had bought the school and been much loved by all the kids and parents there. She was amazing with the kids, especially.

Toby had practically talked about her nonstop the first week of school. I loved to walk my son to school and always picked him up when I could. It was convenient since my penthouse was only about three blocks from the school. I stayed in the penthouse mostly during the week, preferring to reside in my countryside estate on the weekends. There was a lot more room and freedom for Toby to play and it was wonderful to get away from the hectic pace of the city.

As I thought about these matters, my office phone rang just then jarring me from warm thoughts about my son and my growing infatuation with Libby. I grabbed the phone off my desk on the third ring.

Hello? I answered, allowing my strong, commanding voice to shine through. I taught all of this in my seminars and I’d found that by doing it day after day that it was actually second nature now. Occasionally, I was reminded that everything I ever tried to teach someone were things that I’d already been using in practice for many years.

Mason, Ted Luger here, the familiar voice broke through from the other end of the line.

I smiled. Ted, how’s it hanging partner?

Oh, I’m not sure I should really go into that level of detail during a business call. You never know who might be listening.

I laughed. That is true. So, what is up?

Well, things are going great on the new Fritchie building. But you said you wanted to take a gander sometime this week and make sure everything was going the right way before we continued. So, this is me extending that invitation. I assume today is as good as any other day?

I sighed and glanced at the clock. Well, I wish you’d called me earlier. This is going to squeeze me pretty tight, but... sure. I’ll make it work. I’ll be down there shortly.

Great. Glad to hear it partner.

Sure thing.

I hung up and left the office. I told Judy that I was leaving for the day and to just forward all messages to my work phone (I would listen to the voicemails at some point today) and send me any emails that couldn’t wait.

I took the elevator down to the bottom floor and then walked the two blocks to the parking garage where I kept my car. I loved to drive whenever I could, even during the rush of the city traffic.  Even though I was a bona fide billionaire several times over, I had always kept a strong mind and made it a priority to never allow myself to be pampered. I had a minimal staff and did everything with Toby that I possibly could. I read to my son every night, took him to movies and to fun events and sleepovers, and did absolutely all it took to be the best father I could be. My own father had been pretty much out of the picture for as long as I could remember and it was a tough way to grow up. I swore that I would never do that to my son. I would always be there for him no matter what.

I just wished that Gina could have still been there. She would have been so proud of the fine boy Toby was turning into.

Gina…

I often thought about my wife. She was a wonderful woman. I could definitely say that between the two of us, it had been love at first sight. There was just something about her that drew me to her and her to me. From the day I met her, I never once considered what life without her would ever be like.

And then tragically, I had to find that out far too quickly.

I was working late when I got the call. Gina had been taken to the hospital. She’d overdosed on cocaine. I knew that she had a problem before we met and she swore to me she’d worked hard to kick the drug. And for the entire time we were together (three and a half years) she had succeeded.

But that night… she was lonely because I was working late. A friends of hers stopped by and they talked her into just having a bump or two. This turned into several. She’d been clean so long that her tolerance was not what it once was and she overdosed.

She died shortly after I arrived at the hospital.

Toby didn’t remember his mother. He was only one and a half old years when she passed. He sometimes asked questions about her and I did my best to answer my son as truthfully as I could. Of course, Toby was too young to know the details of his mother’s demons. I told him that his mommy had gotten sick and died. It was true…in a sense. She suffered from a terrible disease and eventually she did succumb to it.

That was how I preferred to think of it. She was an amazing woman and I would always love her and miss her.

I’d waited almost a year and a half before I even considered dating again. And then I’d felt so guilty that the first couple of dates had been totally disastrous.

But now things were a bit different. I’d arrived at a new place in my work and Toby was older now. It was probably time to find that perfect lady to complete my life.

I knew who that woman was, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak to her.

When I got to the job site, Ted greeted me with a warm smile and a hearty handshake.

How are you, you old bastard? I asked affectionately. Old Bastard was the nickname I’d been using to refer to Ted for years. Ted was about twenty-years older than me. He was as fit as a fiddle though. The older man kept himself in shape with daily ten mile jogs, and he was also an avid martial artist. In fact, he’d gotten me interested in the martial arts and it had become something of an addiction.

I’m good, Ted replied. Well, of course I could complain about a lot of stuff, but what good would that do?

I hope you are talking about yourself and not the project, I joked.

Ted laughed and slapped me hard on the back. Of course I am. I’m a mess, but the project is doing great. You didn’t bring me any Starbucks did you?

I paused, a bit confused. Why would I bring you Starbucks?

It’s just this new thing I’m trying where I tell the universe I want things by thinking about it really hard and then seeing if the universe delivers it to me.

I laughed. Well, I did that once. And it totally worked.

Really?

Yes, sir. I said I wanted to be a billionaire. And then I worked my soul out night and day and eventually the universe rewarded me with it.

Ah, see I knew I was missing a step or two.

Ted was quite the character. The two of us went back a long time since Ted had become one of the earliest guys I had decided to work with when I was a fledgling entrepreneur real estate developer. All of the odds were stacked against me, but I knew I could make it work. That was one of the gifts I had always been blessed with; I embraced failure and expected it to happen most of the time. This was why it left me unfazed and I instantly pushed through to the next thing.

Ted showed me the progress that the construction was making and I was very pleased. We were actually about two weeks ahead of schedule. This was going to save me a bundle in construction costs. Of course I would pay the full price and then some to Ted, because that was how I did business. But overall it was still probably going to shave a bit off the bottom line. I was always happy to make that happen.

Great work, my friend, I said.

So, how about a round of golf this weekend?

Business?

Ted laughed. Wow, don’t you ever think of anything else?

I pondered the question. At times I could be a bit too involved in business. I loved what I did and there was a good portion of the time that I found myself thinking of how everything tied into the business. It was something I had to consciously work on to make sure I was a great father to Toby.

I guess, I said. But if you want to play a game of golf just for fun, we can definitely do that. I’m sure Toby wouldn’t mind getting out in the sun and doing some caddy work.

Ted smiled. I just got the image of him trying to carry one of these golf bags. That’s adorable. How old is he now?

He is four. And going on forty I think.

I hear that. I remember when my son was that age. I know it’s cliché but they do grow up crazy fast, so you should enjoy it as much as you can.

That’s what I’m doing, I said. Or at least trying to. So, yeah. Toby and I will meet you on the golf course.

That sounds great.

Ted and I walked around the site for a few minutes so that I could really get a good look at things. I’d always been fascinated by construction sites. There was just something about an empty space in the world and then after some hard work this beautiful structure now existed and people were going to be going into that building for living, or working, or conducting business. It was something that had grabbed me since I was just five years old. My mother’s father was a contractor and had taken me under his wing in lieu of my absent father. I spent every spare moment I had working with my grandfather and learning as much as I could about construction.

I’d been in college when I first became interested in the real estate aspect of it all.

I thanked Ted and hopped in my car. I’d actually been dreading going to the site, mostly because I was worried there might be an issue that I’d have to deal with and it might interfere with my time with Toby. But luckily Ted had come through and everything was turning out beautifully.

I drove through the traffic of San Diego. It was busy this time of the day, but as I got closer to my building, the traffic began to thin to a comfortable pace.

I parked my car at my building and then walked the few blocks to the school. My mind was mostly focused on seeing my son again and the excitement of finding out how his day was. But I was also thinking about Libby and wondering just how much I could actually bring myself to say to her today.

I almost laughed at myself about it. I knew I was considered good looking. I kept myself in great shape and I’d been a lifelong athlete. Plus, I was very successful, which brought its own set of challenges in weeding out women who were primarily interested in me because of my money and status. I hated that there were people like that out there, but that was the nature of the beast.

Libby was not like that, though. I could sense that she was a genuinely sweet person who just loved what she did. Her heart was in helping kids and running her own school the way she wanted to. There were no red flags about her intentions, not that she’d shown any intentions towards me.

When I arrived at the school, I went inside to pick up Toby as I usually did. It was easier and it gave me the opportunity to at least attempt to speak with Libby.

Toby was in the back of the classroom helping Libby put away toys and crayons. He looked so happy, as he usually did when working with Libby. Toby was just one of those kids that despite growing up without a mother, always had a wonderful smile on his face. I was glad that Toby didn’t remember Gina, sometimes. It was just easier, but it made me feel guilty that he felt that way. Gina was a great mother who loved Toby very much.

Libby looked up as I entered the room. My breath stopped and I instantly began to sweat. She was so breathtaking.

The moment I was in her presence the nerves began to overtake me and I found myself struggling with taking normal, relaxed breaths.

But today I was determined to say something interesting.

This was going to be a challenge…

2

Libby

Ilooked backwards after hearing the scuffling of feet on the linoleum floor. I’d been working with Toby Savage on putting away the toys after dismissing the children for the day. And I was so ready for the day to be over.

A pounding headache had been relentless all day long, I hadn’t slept well the night before, and it seemed that half the class today had eaten a bowl full of pure sugar this morning for breakfast. This was all on top of the other many stresses in my life. I loved what I did, working with children, but I really felt by the end of that day that I needed to just take off for three months and not tell anyone where I was going. That was a fantasy I’d been resorting to in my mind several times a day lately, at times really getting lost in the daydream. But then my real life always came pulling me back.

I just wanted a break.

Daddy! Toby squealed.

He dropped the last toy in the box and ran to hug his father. Mason Savage was a big deal. I’d known that his son was in my class when I took over from Mrs. Hudsaker. Everyone knew Mason quite well. In fact, he was one of the more fairly prominent businessmen in the country. But the day that he first dropped Toby off at school was the first time I’d actually seen him in person. I could remember it vividly. I suddenly found myself inside of some weird waking dream. I could hardly breathe. There was the Mason Savage in the flesh.

He was so handsome, so sexy. It would have been so easy for me to fall in love with him at first sight, if for no other reason than his notorious reputation. Of course, I didn’t really know how much of that was real and how much was media fabrication. I’d been curious to learn more about him and find out, but thus far I’d just been too chicken to really speak much to him.

Still, he was always so sweet to me, and especially to Toby. I’d read somewhere that you could tell a lot about a man by the way he treated his children, and from what I could see, Mason was a wonderful father and probably a great man.

But there was still that nagging voice in the back of my mind that would not let me get close to him.

I’d tried to shut it down and let myself open up, but ever since my last serious relationship with Bobby Dyer went south, I found myself not able to really trust any man, especially a man with as many rumors swirling around about him as Mason Savage had.

But damn, he was a fine looking man.

How’s my little slugger? Mason asked hoisting Toby up into his arms. Toby wrapped his little arms around Mason’s thick neck and hugged him tightly, laying his head on his father’s shoulder. The beam of pride and love in Mason’s eyes for his son was inspiring.

I hoped that one day I had someone in my life who loved me even half as much.

After putting the last toy chest in its place in the corner, I let out a sigh and took a slight stretch as I rose to my full height of five feet eight inches. Mason towered over me. He must have been six feet two or three and well built. He was usually wearing a nice sport coat over a casual shirt with rugged looking jeans. The way he dressed basically summed up the ambiguity of the man. From what I’d been able to glean about him, he was a rugged man who loved the outdoors and extreme sports, but was also sensitive when he needed to be. He was serious about business, but took life with a grain of salt. I rarely saw anything but happiness and cheer coming from him.

Except he did seem a bit nervous around me. I wasn’t sure why. Perhaps he just wasn’t good at relating to women he wasn’t actively pursuing romantic trysts with. It seemed every other week there was a new article about him and a new mystery woman, or I’d see pictures of him online out and about in the club scene.

From what I saw from him every day when he dropped off and picked up his son, was a loyal and devoted father and family man, whose wife had died tragically a few years ago.

I’m great daddy! Toby cheered.

I joined in. The glee of the child was infectious.

Today Toby led the class in our daily spelling bee! I said rubbing Toby on the back of the head. He grinned ear to ear, basically eating it all up with a spoon. He was a smart, sweet child; a truly great kid.