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CHAPTER 24
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 25
So jogging. It had the desired effect of keeping her incognito and using up all the adrenaline that her current levels of stress were producing. In short, it kept her from rampaging through the streets like the Hulk on a bender. The Hulk bender temptation was real. Instead, she ran. She ran as far and as fast as she could and prayed for the runner’s high that would help her see that her life wasn't really that bad and that things could be worse. She rounded the corner, her mind blissfully blank, when she heard her name called. She wasn't thinking - that's the only reason she reacted and turned her head towards the voice. It was only as she saw the guy lift his camera with its telephoto lens that she realized her mistake. The guy started running towards her and Peyton took off, leaving little dust clouds in her wake. Peyton could hear the pounding steps behind her and her adrenaline spiked. She rounded another corner and while she was out of his line of sight, she jumped
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 26
Finn hadn't been lying when he said his apartment was close by. They were practically neighbors and she hadn't even known it. His building was a large converted warehouse that she drove by every day. Peyton could even remember watching the old building being restored. She never thought she'd have the opportunity to go inside. Finn kept an arm around her as she limped pathetically into the lobby. There was no doorman - just an elevator, a bank of six mailboxes, and a door she assumed led to stairs. Finn directed her to the elevator and pressed the call button while she stood there stupidly, not knowing what to do or say. Being around him made her thoughts muddled. Having him touch her, his arm securely wrapped around her to make sure she didn't fall, made her tongue-tied. The only other time she had experienced anything remotely similar had been when she was at the height of her crush on Declan. Oh shit. Was she developing a crush on Finn? Peyton almost rolled her e
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 27
“Come on, Finn,” she said with exasperation, “don't deny that you have seen all the stuff on television about me. I've become a goddamned reality star overnight and I'm not even on any damned show and getting paid for it.” His eyebrows lowered in puzzlement. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said. “Wake Up, Australia? I was interviewed on there the other day because of a stupid YouTube video that my friend posted of me when I was in a drunken rage over my fiancé being a gutless wonder.” He shook his head slowly. “Nope. Not ringing any bells. I don't watch Wake Up, Australia. It's more tabloid than news program and I think it is sloppy reporting.” Peyton felt a little bit of her anxiety leak away. “You didn't see the interview?” she asked. He shook his head. “Wow. You must be the only one in Australia who didn't.” “So now you have reporters chasing you?” “They're camped outside my building. I thought I gave them the slip when I left th
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 28
“That's so cool!” Riley enthused. “Mostly I do Disney princesses.” Riley screwed his face up. “That's not cool,” he said. Peyton laughed and the sound hit Finn square in the chest. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh and he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to be the one making her laugh. “It's not so bad,” she said. “Princesses are dumb,” Riley complained. “Not to little girls, they're not,” Peyton replied. Riley huffed a big, resigned sigh. “I suppose,” he said. “Come on Riles,” Jack said. “We should leave Uncle Finn and Peyton alone.” “But Uncle Finn is supposed to be coming with us.” “Oh, I'm sorry,” Peyton said, trying to get up. Finn tightened his hold on her ankle, not willing to let her go just yet. “It's okay,” Jack said, “Finn can come next time.” “I want Uncle Finn to come today,” Riley pouted. “It's okay,” Peyton said, managing to extract herself from Finn’s grasp. “My ankle feels much better now. You
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 29
When she was dressed, she headed back to her bathroom and gave her long, red hair a quick brush before pulling it up on her head in a messy bun. She put on some tinted moisturizer that also had sun protection, a swipe of mascara, and a touch of lip gloss. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and surprisingly, liked what she saw. It wasn't glamorous, but it was practical and comfortable and she felt good, which was the whole point of her rant in the first place. Here she was - or rather, had been - running around stressed about what to wear when Finn probably hadn't given it a second thought. It seemed to be an ingrained thing to try and dress to please a man, but she had to remember that she didn't do that anymore. Without another glance in the mirror, she left the apartment using the back entrance and cut across the park towards Finn’s place, something she would never have been able to do if she had dressed like she used to. But in shorts, a tank, and her pink Chucks,
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 30
They stood in a group on the tram as it wound its way towards St Kilda. The car was packed and with each sway and turn Peyton brushed against him. Finn clenched his jaw against the sensation and tried really hard not to notice the delicate honeysuckle scent that wafted up from her hair and into his nose. He tried to ignore the way her softness felt as it slid along the hard plains of his chest and stomach. Her perky little arse was at just the right height to brush across his thighs and he was thankful that she wasn't a shade taller. If she had been then it would be a whole different hardness that she would be brushing against. He also ignored the looks he was getting from Carter. The other man was shooting him speaking glances that were so loud he was surprised no one queried them. Finn studiously avoided making eye contact with him. The man was his long-time friend, but he was also the reason Finn was in the awkward position he was in. It was just too damn bad if Carter found i
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 31
In Like FinnThe First Date - Keep it CasualSome of you out there might disagree with my approach here. Long-time readers will probably think I've lost my mind. But the fact is, when approaching a woman with a long-term commitment in mind, you can't use the same strategy as you would for a casual hook-up.Let's be honest. The whole point of picking up a woman in a bar, or taking her out to a fancy dinner, is to get her into bed. It's all part of the foreplay. You splash some cash around - the human equivalent of a peacock spreading his tail feathers - and you try to impress her. You have limited time to snag her attention and then you have to keep it long enough to convince her to go home with you. It's not pretty, but it's the truth.If you have an eye on something more long-term, then you want to build up to that. We want to get past the lust to the attraction phase. And getting her into bed as quickly as possible is not going to help your cause. For a woman to fall in love with yo
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 32
“Oh God! I’m so sorry!” Peyton clenched her jaw against the desire to spew profanities as the hot coffee soaked through her shirt. She looked at the guy standing in front of her and tried to smile through clenched teeth. He was tall and cute in a Clark Kent kind of way, complete with the dark-rimmed glasses. He also looked mortified to have spilled his coffee all over her. She pinched the wet fabric between her thumb and finger and held it away from her skin so as not to further scald herself. “It’s okay,” she muttered as she stepped out of the way of the growing line of people waiting to pick up their coffees. “Here, let me help.” The guy stood there with a wad of napkins not knowing quite what to do with them. Peyton could see the indecision cross his face as he looked at the wet splotch on her chest. To save him and herself from further embarrassment, she reached out and plucked the napkins from his hand and blotted the wet fabric with them, not that it did anything to help
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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Accidentally In Love With You EPILOGUE
6 months later“Are you ready for this?” Anthony asked as they stood outside the courtroom. Talia nodded and gripped Parker’s hand. The judge had called them back in for the verdict on Mark’s trial and she couldn’t deny she was nervous. The weeks spent preparing for the trial and then sitting through the witness statements and being cross-examined by an aggressive defense attorney who made her out to be some sort of diva and ungrateful bitch who was somehow ripping off the father who had done everything for her had taken its toll. And the media beat-up was just as bad. However, not all the media had been on her father’s side. Talia had discovered she had far more supporters than she’d thought. Her fans—the true fans—had gathered in force to support her and she loved them for it. Not enough for her to consider going back into acting, but enough that going through the trial had been bearable. But if not for the constant and unwavering support of Parker, Talia didn’t think she woul
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 310
Parker rolled his eyes as he took her hand and stood. “Seal the deal?” “Isn’t that what you said earlier?” He shook his head, his grin still in place. “No, I said celebrate.” “Okay, good. Let’s do that then.” Parker grabbed her and lifted her up, making Talia squeal. He kissed her and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. Stumbling, he carried her to the bedroom and tossed her on the bed with a flourish, making her squeal again. “I feel like we need champagne and strawberries or something,” Parker said, standing with his hands on his hips as he looked around the room. “You mean like pouring champagne in my belly button and licking it out?” Talia asked, lifting her shirt to reveal her navel. Parker cocked an eyebrow. “Hmm…that’s something to think about for a later celebration,” he said. Talia pouted. Parker held up his hands. “I don’t have any champagne on hand,” he protested. “Then I’ll just have to
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 309
“You called Isaac,” Parker said when he walked into the apartment. Talia looked up at him and bit her lip. “I did,” she said. “But before you get mad, I didn’t say anything about what happened. And I did it because I knew you wouldn’t say anything to defend yourself.” Parker sighed. “I’m not mad,” he said, walking over to where she was seated, working on her miniature diorama. He leaned down and kissed her. “I’m grateful. Thank you. What you said to Isaac helped.” Talia grinned up at him. “So, they’re going to let you do the article?” Parker nodded. “They are.” “That’s so great,” Talia replied. “So it all worked out.” Parker pulled out a chair and sat down beside her. “Things have worked out for me, but what about you? What are your plans now? Without Mark controlling your every move, you can do anything you want.” Talia dropped her head and fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. “I don’t know what I want to do,” she said quietly. “I don’t think I wan
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 308
Talia pulled back from the kiss. “Don’t you think it was pretty selfish of me not to sacrifice myself for you?” she asked. “No,” he said, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear. “What you did wasn’t selfish, it was survival. There’s a difference. Me expecting you to sacrifice yourself for my job would have been selfish. Are you doing what you need to in order to survive? Not selfish. Not in the slightest.” “It feels selfish,” she mumbled, leaning her forehead against his. “I feel like I need to do something to make it up to you.” Parker cupped her face. “Talia,” he whispered. “This is not some quid pro quo thing. There will be times when you will save me. I have no doubt about it. That’s how relationships work. It’s swings and roundabouts. There is no big tally sheet in the sky and nobody is keeping score.” “I just don’t want you to feel resentful—” Parker cut off the rest of her sentence with a kiss. “How could I be resentful of the fact that I get to have you in my l
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 307
“She’s asleep,” Parker said, coming into the living room from his bedroom where Talia had finally succumbed to sleep. He slumped onto the couch beside Stephen and laid his head on his father’s shoulder. Anthony looked over at him from where he was sitting, going through some paperwork on his laptop, and Carter paced, not able to sit still. “I take it the article came out,” Parker said. “Yeah,” Carter replied with a sigh as he raked his hand through his hair. “It’s going to do us some damage,” Parker said. “Maybe,” Carter said with a shrug. “Maybe not.” Parker frowned at him. “What does that mean?” “It gets your name out there,” he replied. “It will drive people to your blog.” “Fucking hell, Carter,” Parker exploded, jumping to his feet. “Seriously? You think this is a good thing?” “I didn’t say that,” Carter replied. “I just said it wasn’t necessarily damaging to us.” “And what about Parker asked. “The article would have tanked that de
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 306
Anthony had filed a police report as soon as he arrived in the city. “Their hands are tied,” Anthony said with a sigh. “There is no evidence of force and as she recently hid from the public because of a scandal, we have nothing to say she isn’t doing it again because of the latest issue.” “But can’t they force her to at least speak with them? To check that she’s okay?” Parker asked. “As far as they’re concerned, she has just gone into hiding again,” Anthony reiterated. “Until we have something to say otherwise, they can’t do anything. This has the potential to be a high-profile case because of who she is, so if they make a big deal about it and it turns out to be something innocent, it might blow up in their faces.” “That’s bullshit,” Parker growled, pushing up from his seat to pace around the room. He hated that he was sitting there doing nothing while Talia was trapped in her father’s house. It was torture to know where she was and yet not be able to get to
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 305
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Talia said. After Mark’s big reveal the night before, Talia had been left to sleep off the effects of the sedative he’d given her. The fucking bastard. He’d locked her door so she couldn’t get out and the window was too far from the ground for her to escape that way. Not without breaking something, anyway. Which Talia wouldn’t have minded, except with the way she’d been feeling, the thing that got broken might very well be her head, and she was kind of attached to it being in one piece and remaining on her shoulders. So Mark had stalked her and Parker and then kidnapped her and drugged her and imprisoned her and he was under the impression that he was perfectly within his rights to do so. “I’m doing this for you,” Mark said. “Your mental health is at stake here.” “The only threat to my mental health is your arsehole behavior,” Talia snapped. They were sitting in the sunny kitchen at the table and Mark was trying to pretend that it
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 304
Carter clicked his fingers. “The original photos, the ones that were taken when you took her out to look at the miniature street art.” Carter turned to Parker. “You were in some of those photos. Your face was blurred, but that could have been done after the fact.” “So he’s been following me?” Parker asked. “You and Carter. Both would be my guess,” Jack said. “So he’s been following us, but how did he know I was sending a car to pick her up?” Parker asked. “Have you noticed anyone following you?” Carter asked. Parker shook his head and then paused. “What?” Carter asked. “What’s that look?” “It’s probably nothing,” Parker said. “Just say it,” Carter said. “I was speaking to Talia just before I went into the meeting he said. “When I hung up from the call, I bumped into a guy…you don’t think…nah. It can’t be. This isn’t some espionage movie.” “Could he have overheard your conversation?” Jack asked, leaning back in his chair and looking up
Accidentally In Love With You CHAPTER 303
Parker was on a high. By all accounts, Atticus was on board with his proposal. Isaac just wanted to check in with the rest of the band before giving him a definitive answer. That was fine with Parker. Things would go much more smoothly if everyone was in agreement. The last thing he wanted was a hostile environment and if any of the members had misgivings about the proposal, then he would walk away. It would hurt, but he would do it. For this to work—for everyone involved—there had to be open communication and a willingness to participate. Without that, Parker may as well give up now. He climbed into his car, cursing the parking ticket and flapping on his windscreen. Getting out again, he grabbed it from under the windscreen wiper and shoved it into his glove compartment. The Playbook could pay for that. It was the price of doing business, after all. He turned the music up loud as he navigated through the heavy traffic toward his apartment building. He couldn’t wait to tell Ta
