Carly Phillips's Blog: Carly's Web Blogs, page 5
July 8, 2021
Read Just One Scandal Now! 📚
I can’t believe JUST ONE SCANDAL is here! Chloe and Beck are so much fun and have such an emotional journey. I hope you’ll take it along with them. Don’t forget to ORDER today! It’s available in all formats: eBook, and paperback. Audio with Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright is coming next month and I’m sorry for the delay but it will be worth it! I’m so excited to bring you jilted bride, brother’s enemy, roommates to lovers story!
What reviewers are saying!\
The magic of Carly Phillips strikes again!- The Romance Witch
Just One Scandal is my favorite book ever from Carly Phillips! Chloe’s and Beck’s story was absolutely everything I look for in a romance!- Liza, Goodreads
Sexy, swoony, packed to the brims with all of the feels. Beck and Chloe lit up my kindle from the very moment they stepped onto the page!- Renee Entress’s Blog
If I could give this 10 stars I would!!! One of the best books for sure of this summer especially for me as I love Carly Phillips books. Beck and Chloe will steal your heart and you won’t want it to end.-Nisey Crossin, Goodreads
Get your copy today! I hope you enjoy!
Take care and happy reading!
Xo
Carly
A jilted bride. Her brother’s ex-buddy. An affair would be crazy…right?
Chloe Kingston’s life is exactly how she needs it: safe and stable. Right up until her reliable, low-risk fiancé jilts her on their fairy-tale wedding day. As she works her way through the reception champagne—and wonders where she’s going to live—she stumbles into her brother Linc’s ex-best friend.
If only Beckett Daniels were hideous. But he’s not. He’s everything her erstwhile groom was not. Hot. Sexy. Dangerous. And she’s just buzzed enough to want all that Greek-god gorgeousness to show her the kind of fun she’s been missing.
Beck thrives on calculated risks, but taking advantage of Linc’s little sister isn’t one of them. What he can do is haul her tipsy, tulle-clad, tempting little butt to the bridal suite to sleep it off. Then move her into his spare room—which has the satisfying side effect of driving her brother crazy.
They can’t remain platonic roommates for long. Not when the sexual attraction sizzles out of control. But when tragedy threatens Beck, pain from his past reminds them both that life doesn’t come without risks…and this time, they’re gambling with their hearts.
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The post Read Just One Scandal Now! 📚 appeared first on Carly Phillips.
June 29, 2021
Just One Scandal Chapter One
Jilted on the day of my wedding. Of all the pathetic, clichéd things to happen, Chloe Kingston thought with frustration and disgust. “How did I not see this coming?”
She fluffed her white ball gown dress, adjusting the tulle beneath the skirt, and sat down on the chair in the bridal suite of the hotel where her wedding was to be held.
She pulled a bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket and chugged down a healthy gulp of Dom Perignon straight from the bottle. Letting the bubbles settle, she repeated the action a couple of more times because she needed to get drunk. And on that thought, she took another hefty sip.
She was alone because she’d insisted she needed a few minutes by herself since getting that text. Her bridal party, consisting of her best friends, her sister, Aurora, and her brothers, because Owen had included them as his groomsmen, waited in the outer room. Impatiently if their loud voices were anything to go by. It had been hard to convince her mom to step out, along with her oldest brother, Linc, who Chloe had asked to walk her down the aisle.
Her father had passed away three months ago, and they hadn’t been close. But she was glad he wasn’t here to see this day. He’d be furious. Not because his daughter had been left at the altar but because he would have been embarrassed in front of friends, family, and business associates, and she couldn’t deal with his reaction on top of everything else today. As it was, Chloe couldn’t look at her mother’s worried expression. Couldn’t handle the pity in her friends’ eyes or the fury in her brothers.
If there was one good thing about Owen ditching her via text message, it was that her brothers couldn’t pound the man into the ground. And given the chance, they would. The Kingston siblings were nothing if not protective.
She glanced around the beautiful suite with plush chairs, makeup strewn around, her veil sitting on the counter, and wondered how she’d come to this point. She’d chosen who she thought was the perfect man. A tax attorney who never took risks, enjoyed staying home, and who’d promised to be faithful. He’d ticked off all the most important qualifications in her life, making her feel secure and comfortable and, most importantly, safe from being cheated on like her mother had been.
The screen on her phone sitting beside the headpiece said otherwise: I’m sorry. I met someone who completes me. What I feel for her is more than two people who are comfortable together, like we are. I know I should have told you sooner. Face-to-face. But I really was going to marry you. Until I woke up this morning and just … couldn’t. Forgive me. I hope you find the love and excitement I have.
Chloe’s stomach twisted in a combination of hurt and embarrassment. Of all the cowardly actions … that’s what she got for choosing a man with a weak handshake who couldn’t look her brothers in the eye. As they’d told her, over and over again, they hadn’t thought Owen was good enough for her. But had she listened? Oh, no. She’d made her safe choice, and she’d intended to stick with her decision.
Had she loved Owen? Looking into her heart, she was forced to shake her head. No. She’d cared for him, that much was true. But love, like her brother and his best friend, Jordan, had found with each other? No, Chloe couldn’t say she’d experienced that all-encompassing emotion.
In truth, love scared her, because her mom had loved her father so much she’d stayed in an extremely miserable marriage with a serial cheater and had lost out on the opportunity to embrace who she was and be happy. Maybe that was why Chloe was angry at Owen for how he’d handled things but not devastated over losing him.
Dammit. She lifted the bottle and took another long drink. She should have looked inward and called things off first, but who was she kidding? She never would have done it. Chloe was the good girl who always did the right thing, made the risk-free choices, and behaved as expected of her. Canceling the wedding wasn’t something Chloe Kingston would ever have done.
A knock sounded loudly on the door, startling her. “Chloe? I’m coming in,” her brother Linc called out.
She’d been alone in this room long enough, and she’d come to a decision, at least for tonight. It was time she told her family what she had planned.
“Okay!” she called out just as the door opened and Linc stepped inside, looking handsome in his black tuxedo. His gaze immediately zeroed in on the nearly empty champagne bottle in her hand.
“Not a word,” she threatened him, waving the bottle in front of her. “I deserve this.”
He nodded, his expression somber. “You do.”
She lifted the bottle to her lips only to find it empty. Oh, well. There was more where this had come from. At least the bubbly liquid was beginning to do its trick, going to her head and lifting her mood.
Linc looked relieved and she chose not to enlighten him that, by the time the night was over, champagne would be the lightest drink she consumed.
“I’m sorry, Chloe. Owen’s a bastard.”
“Yes, he is. He should have told me sooner, and he should have done it in person. But he didn’t and I have to handle the cards I’ve been dealt.
Linc nodded. “I’ll go out and tell everyone to go home.”
“No. Well, you can tell some of the guests to go home.”
She pushed herself up from her chair and ignored the light spinning in her head. She hadn’t had much to eat today, but there were appetizers galore almost ready to be served. At least that had been the post-ceremony agenda, followed by a three-course meal.
“What are you talking about?” Clearly concerned, Linc walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Mom wants you to come home with her. She and Aurora want to be there for you.”
She thought about spending her wedding night in her mother’s mansion-like house, her mom wringing her hands and trying not to cry for all Chloe had endured. “No. I want you to take Mom home. Take everyone in the family home.” She stepped aside and his hand fell to his side.
Linc narrowed his gaze. “What about you?”
Her brother wasn’t stupid and he knew her well. No doubt he saw the wheels in her mind spinning.
“You sublet your apartment and moved out. The boxes are in storage because you were supposed to live with Owen after your honeymoon.” He winced at the mention of more plans that wouldn’t be happening.
Plans she had no intention of thinking about yet.
Chloe drew a deep breath. “I have the honeymoon suite booked in the hotel tonight. I’ll stay here. After my friends and I take advantage of the party that’s already paid for. I’ll just call it my non-wedding party.” She let out a champagne-induced laugh and spun around, grabbing for the counter before she fell over.
“Chloe,” Linc said in his stern, big-brother voice.
Ignoring him, she sat down, hiked up her gown, and unhooked the straps on her too-high-heeled, glittering sandals. “I can’t dance in these,” she said, kicking them across the room.
Her brother, who always had an answer and a solution, appeared concerned and at a loss. Before Chloe could reassure him, he strode to the door, pulled it open, and yelled for his fiancée. “Jordan! Get in here!”
“Reinforcements won’t help,” Chloe warned him, letting out another laugh, this one more of a giggle. Apparently she’d had more to drink than she’d realized, and she’d always been a lightweight.
Jordan, a gorgeous woman with jet-black hair, wearing an exquisite emerald-green gown, which Chloe knew had had to be let out to accommodate her early-pregnancy belly, rushed inside. “Is everything okay?”
“Chloe thinks she’s going to party with her friends tonight. She wants her family to leave. Tell her she needs to go home with Mom and let us all take care of her,” Linc ordered.
His frown would scare off most people, but Chloe had grown up with him. He’d do his best to exert his command, but she’d made up her mind. And he’d never been able to intimidate Jordan, who glanced at Chloe.
A silent understanding passed between them, woman to woman.
Jordan had grown up the daughter of the Kingston family’s housekeeper, yet she and Linc had been best friends for years, and she’d been his personal assistant since he’d joined Kingston Enterprises after earning his MBA. Of everyone, Jordan knew how to handle him best. She always had.
And Jordan also understood the need to make her own choices. Chloe had faith her soon-to-be sister-in-law would support her.
“Linc,” Jordan said, walking up to him and wrapping an arm around his waist. “I think Chloe knows what she needs. You can’t just order her around and expect her to listen.”
He blinked in shock. “You think her getting drunk is the answer to what happened here?” he asked.
“I think,” Jordan said slowly, “it couldn’t hurt. Let her do what she wants, and you can step in and play big brother tomorrow.” She ran her hand over Linc’s back. “I know you want to make it all better, but you can’t. Not right now.”
Chloe shot Jordan a grateful glance. “I owe you,” she mouthed to her.
Chloe wished Jordan had taken her up on her offer to be a bridesmaid after she’d gotten engaged to Linc. But Jordan had issues with feeling like an outsider thanks to their very different backgrounds, and she felt she’d be coming in late and hadn’t wanted to rock the boat. Chloe intended to make Jordan feel more like family than the closest family member. She still would do that after she celebrated her un-wedding.
“I don’t like this,” Linc muttered.
“You don’t have to.” Jordan tugged on his hand. “Let’s go talk to the family.” She glanced at Chloe. “Who do you want me to send in to be with you?”
Chloe forced a smile. “Send my bridesmaids in, please. And tell anyone who isn’t family that wants to stay and party to stick around.” She would enjoy tonight if it killed her.
“Chloe, why don’t you let us stay, too?” Linc asked, attempting to handle things one last time.
“Because you’d all kill my fun. You’d sit around with concerned looks, waiting for me to fall apart. And I’d be worried about all of you, and that would defeat the purpose of a party.” The explanation made sense to her.
“Linc, come.” Jordan tugged at his hand, and soon she’d led him out of the room.
But not before he stopped, walked over to Chloe, and pulled her into a brotherly hug. “You deserve the very best, and I promise you the right person is out there. I love you, Chlo.”
She tightened her arms around him, accepting the love she’d never gotten from her father. “I love you, too. Just let me have this night. Tomorrow is soon enough to face things.”
Linc groaned. “Okay, Scarlett O’Hara. But we will talk then.”
Of that, Chloe had no doubt.
In the morning, Linc would do his best to take over, and she’d just have to deal with him then. God, she adored her family. Her love life might suck, but she had a support system not many people could claim. The problem was, come tomorrow, she’d be smothered in worry by well-meaning relatives.
But tonight was for her.
After watching Linc and Jordan walk out, Chloe rose and dug for the ballet flats she’d planned to wear once her feet began to hurt. She slipped them on so she could dance. After all, they’d paid for a high-priced DJ, and she intended to enjoy every moment until she crashed. There might come a time when she cried, but she refused to think about her pain.
Just then, her friends piled into the room, and she braced herself to explain her plans for the evening one more time.
Then they’d have fun.
* * *
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Dad, happy birthday to you.” Beckett Daniels’s family finished singing to their father and followed the lyrics with a round of applause.
“Make a wish, Kurt,” Audrey, Beck’s mom, said to her husband.
He looked around at his wife, Beck, and his other two sons, Drew and Tripp, and smiled, the gratitude in his expression obvious. Then he paused and blew out the candles.
Beck wondered, as he did every year, if his father wished for everyone sitting at this table’s health and well-being. God knows that was Beck’s annual birthday prayer. They’d all learned years ago how fragile life could be after losing Tripp’s twin, Whitney, when they were teens.
The server reached over and lifted the cake. “We’ll slice it and be right back. I’ll take your coffee orders then,” he said and walked away.
“I don’t know about you but that cake looked delicious,” his mother said. “And that frosting? Mmm. I can’t wait.”
Tripp, a pediatrician, grinned. “I’ll take a big chunk, myself.”
Andrew glanced at their father. “You look like you could use a slice, Dad. Have you lost weight?”
Beck shifted his gaze back to his father, noting the more drawn look in his lower face. “Now that Drew’s mentioned it, you do look thinner.”
His father waved a hand through the air. “I’m fine, boys. Don’t worry about me.”
Beck always worried. But tonight they were at his father’s favorite steak restaurant. There might have been a time the Daniels family couldn’t afford a restaurant this fancy or expensive, and Beck and his brothers had put themselves through school on loans, but they’d always had love. And now Beck, Tripp, or Drew could more than cover the cost of taking their parents out for an extravagant dinner.
His father looked up, his eyes widening. “And there’s our dessert.”
Beck tried to get his mother’s attention to see if she’d give him an inkling about his dad’s health, but she was busy digging into the cake the server had placed in front of her first. He held back a groan, telling himself he shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It wasn’t like he spent all his time thinking about his sister, but she was always there, ready to pop into his mind and remind him how quickly things could change. How fast life could turn to loss.
“Beck? I asked if you’d like a piece?” his mom asked.
He nodded, knowing it would make her happy. “Hit me up,” he said. “And make it a big slice.” Pushing sad thoughts out of his head, he focused on enjoying the here and now. Something he was still learning how to do, many, many years later. Losing a sibling to leukemia had been harsh and difficult, and they all still suffered the aftereffects all this time later.
“Hey, when we finish eating, who wants to head to the bar downstairs and have a drink?” Drew, the lawyer in the family, asked.
“I’m in,” Tripp said, shoveling the cake in his mouth as he spoke.
Laughing, Beck lifted a piece onto his fork. “I’ll join you,” he said, then took the cake into this mouth. The chocolate melted and he damn near moaned out loud. “This is amazing,” he said, going in for another bite.
“Mom? Dad?” Tripp turned their way. “Want to come?”
“Oh, no. You boys stay out and have some fun. We’re just going to go home like the old people we are.” She grinned and they all rolled their eyes.
His mom had married his father after she’d graduated college. Then she’d gotten pregnant with Drew at the age of twenty-three. Now fifty-eight, she looked a lot younger than her years. Nobody would call either of his parents old. But if they wanted to go home, everyone understood.
A little while later, with the check taken care of and goodbyes said to their parents, Beck, Tripp, and Drew made their way out of the restaurant and headed toward the main lobby bar.
A nighttime hotspot, the lobby was crowded, people lining up past the entrance and mingling in the main room and around the fountain in the center.
“I guess we’re not getting near the drinks any time soon,” Drew muttered.
“Doesn’t seem like it.” Tripp stopped walking so they could talk and regroup.
“Do you want to go somewhere else? Or we could head back to my apartment and have a few drinks there.” Beck didn’t care as long as he spent time with his siblings.
“Your place sounds good. I’m not looking to pick anyone up tonight,” Drew said.
“I’ll get us an Uber.” Tripp pulled out his cell.
They began to head toward the side entrance where it was quieter and they could more easily locate their ride share when a burst of feminine laughter caught Beck’s attention.
He glanced up in time to see a bride walking across the lobby, surrounded by three other women in matching dresses.
“Gives a whole other meaning to women going to the ladies’ room together,” Beck said to his brothers.
Tripp laughed only to be tag teamed by two of the bridesmaids.
“Ooh, you’re cute,” a pretty brunette said.
“I saw him first, Wendy. Go find your own guy.” The proprietary woman grabbed Tripp’s elbow and hung on tight.
Beck’s sibling raised his eyebrows but didn’t attempt to disengage his new appendage.
“I’ll take this one then.” The woman with auburn hair latched on to Drew.
Beck didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved that none of the women had chosen him.
“I know you!” The bride, who had obviously gotten waylaid because she just joined them now, tripped and fell against Beck’s chest.
He braced his hands on her bare forearms, steadying her as he helped her stand up straight. When she didn’t wobble, he released her and met her gaze. Long blond hair fell in waves around her exquisite face, and blue eyes with a darker rim around the edges stared back at him, reminding him of someone he knew.
“Beckett Daniels, right?” she asked.
“Yes.” There was a familiarity to her features. He knew her, he just couldn’t place her. “And you’re…”
“Chloe Kingston. Linc’s sister.” She treated him to a megawatt smile that had the power to knock him on his ass.
Son. Of. A. Bitch. Linc, his one-time best friend. Now a man he barely spoke to.
“You and my brother are business competitors,” she said and let out a little hiccup. Clearly she was as drunk as her bridesmaids.
“That would be putting it mildly.” But he wasn’t about to elaborate on his relationship with her brother. If Linc hadn’t seen fit to tell her the sordid details, he wasn’t going to go there, either. It was a time in his life he’d much rather forget.
Looking at Chloe, her flushed cheeks, in her inebriated state, he assumed the ceremony had already taken place. “So you kept your maiden name?” he asked. Because she hadn’t introduced herself as Chloe Kingston Something-or-Other.
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” She waved her hand through the air, her long nails a pale white color. “I’m not married.” A deeper flush rose to her face. “I was left at the altar.”
Beck blinked, then stared at her, stunned. “What kind of asshole would stand up a gorgeous woman like you?” Despite her relation to his sworn enemy, Beck couldn’t deny the fact that the girl he’d met in college was all grown up and one hell of a knockout.
“You’re sweet.” She sniffed and he was afraid he’d triggered a crying jag, but she forced a smile instead. “He found someone who completes him,” she said, using quotation marks with her fingers. “And he hopes I find the love and excitement he has.” She finished with more finger quotes.
She sniffed again. “But the bastard did it by text. And I’m celebrating because everything is paid for, and I think just maybe he did me a favor. Even if I sometimes want to cry.” She fluttered her thick black lashes, and Beck was afraid she’d do just that.
He didn’t know what to make of Chloe or what to do with her. On the one hand, he wanted to beat the crap out of the man who’d hurt her. On the other, he needed to remember she was Linc’s sister and he ought to stay far away.
“Anyway.” Chloe interrupted his train of thought, which was going in a direction he didn’t like but which still held some appeal. “I figured why let everything go to waste? So we’re partying! Come with me!” she said, tugging on his sleeve.
He glanced at his brothers, who were preoccupied with her bridesmaids, and rolled his eyes. No matter what they decided to do, he was not going in there and dealing with her brother.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Her wide smile dimmed. “Why not? You want to dump me, too?” Her pout was too fucking adorable, and her words hit him in the gut.
“No, I don’t want to dump a beautiful … umm … bride like you. But Linc and I aren’t on the best of terms.”
“Oh!” Her smile returned. “Well, that’s no problem. Linc’s not here. I made my family go home. I didn’t want to see their sad, worried faces at my non-wedding party.” She flung her arm, gesturing toward the double doors on the far side of the lobby.
“Your brother left you drunk after being … well, he just left?” Beck stopped himself before he reminded her she’d been dumped.
Still, he was shocked. She had three brothers. If she were his sister, no way would Beck have abandoned her on a night like this. Then again, his sister wouldn’t have the opportunity to fall in love or get married, though it had been on the bucket list she’d made near the end. A list of experiences she wished she could have and ones she wanted Beck to enjoy in her place.
“Come dance with me.” Chloe slipped her soft hand into his, raised his arm, and twirled around until dizziness had her crashing into him once more.
He found himself wrapping an arm around her waist and hauling her sweet curves against him. Inhaling, he took in her delectable, warm scent and wanted to bury his face in her neck and nibble on her fragrant skin. His cock jerked in agreement.
“What do you say? Are we going to party with the ladies?” Tripp asked, glancing at Drew, his arm around the brunette, before looking back at Beck.
His brothers, like Beck, dated without thinking about settling down. They probably saw these women as easy pickings.
Beck felt Chloe’s body, soft and warm against his. He glanced down and her gorgeous eyes stared back at him, those lips puckered up like she was waiting for a kiss.
Jesus. How could he send her off to continue getting wasted on her own? At least that’s the excuse he gave himself when he nodded at his brother and said, “Why not? Let’s go party.”
“Yay!” Chloe clapped her hands, her pleasure obvious. Then she grasped his hand and led him toward the ballroom, his brothers and their women following.
The room had been decked out for a gala. Between the flowers, the décor, the gold chairs, and the centerpieces, no money had been spared. His heart hurt for the drunk would-have-been bride. He might despise her brother, but Beck wouldn’t blame his sister for Linc’s actions or wish bad things on other people in their family.
“Let’s dance,” she said and, without waiting for him, sashayed onto the makeshift dance floor.
Before deciding whether or not to join her, he watched as she began to sway to the music, her body coming alive to the beat. A veritable princess in her ballroom gown. What kind of asshole would dump this woman? From being in the real estate business, he was aware of her job as Kingston Enterprises’ lead decorator. She furnished any building purchased or leased out by Kingston Enterprises, and though their aesthetic was more staid than what Beck and his company preferred, Chloe was clearly beautiful as well as talented.
And the Kingston family, like Beck himself, was often the subject of tabloid gossip about the rich and famous. Which meant the devastation she was trying so hard to hide would soon be public knowledge. There was no avoiding that.
Maybe he should help her enjoy the night before she had to face her future. He stepped toward the dance floor just as another man joined her and pulled her to him, obviously grinding against her. She braced her hands on his shoulders in a clear attempt to push him away.
Beck rushed forward and shoved at the guy’s shoulder, breaking his hold on Chloe.
“What the fuck?” the man asked, his gaze going from the woman in the wedding gown to Beck. “She invited me. She came into the bar earlier and said she wants to party. I was just showing her a good time.”
Beck frowned, realizing Chloe’s non-wedding could get out of hand. “Well, she changed her mind, and she isn’t interested in what you’re offering. Get lost or I’ll have you thrown out.”
“I don’t need this shit.” The guy glared at Chloe before he turned and strode out.
One crisis averted, Beck thought.
Chloe grasped his arm and sighed. “Thank you. You’re my hero!” She lifted her arms and flung herself against him, giving him a nose full of her fruity-smelling hair. Once again her soft curves crushed his chest, tempting him, and his dick reacted.
Down, boy, he thought, because Chloe was in no frame of mind to fall into bed with a virtual stranger. It would be no better than taking advantage of her, and Beck would never stoop so low. Not to mention, he’d had a sister and he’d kick the ass of anyone who’d exploited her.
He looked overhead and saw his brothers having fun with the bridesmaids. They seemed fine and could take care of themselves. Catching Tripp’s gaze, he mouthed he was leaving and his brother nodded.
Beck braced his hands on Chloe’s waist and eased her away from him, looking into her glassy eyes. Yep, time to get this bride to bed.
“Come on, princess,” he said because that’s what she resembled. A fairy-tale princess. “Time to go. I’ll take you home.”
Her lower lip trembled, the first sign of outward fragility and hurt she’d shown since targeting him in the lobby. “I don’t have a home. All my things are in boxes. I was going to move them into Owen’s house after the wedding.”
“Owen the douchebag, huh? Okay, then how about your mom’s?” Her father had passed away a few months ago from a heart attack. While most people in the industry had shown up for the funeral, Beck had passed.
“Owen the douchebag.” She giggled at his description. “And no, I’m not going to my mother’s with my tail between my legs like a little girl.” She shook her head back and forth. “Nope. Not happening.”
He groaned. “One of your brothers, then?” And he’d better not have to show up with her on Linc’s doorstep.
She shook her head again, her expression adamant. “Either they’ll say I told you so or they’ll hover.”
Obviously neither option appealed to her.
“Don’t worry though. I have a plan,” she said, surprising him. “We’d rented the honeymoon suite for the night. I’ll just crash there.”
She started to walk away, but if this were a sobriety test, she’d fail in a heartbeat. She wobbled her first few steps, tripped, and he darted forward, making a split-second decision before she took a header onto the floor. Lifting her, he adjusted her until she was more secure. Her delicate arms wrapped around him, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder.
“I’m tired.” Her lips moved against his skin, her breath warm against his flesh.
At the arousing sensation, his entire body shook with need. “Fuck,” he muttered as he walked, ignoring the stares as he carried her out of the ballroom.
“Can we?” she asked without lifting her head from his shoulder.
He stifled a groan. “No. You’re going to go upstairs to pass out cold.” Another man, the man he wished he could be, would take advantage of her just to show Linc Kingston what betrayal felt like.
But Beck had been raised right.
He stopped at the front desk and roused Chloe long enough for her to ask for her room key. Obviously they already knew her, and the bridal dress pretty much said it all. The man behind the counter handed over the key. And Beck made his way upstairs with the passed-out-again bride in his arms.
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The post Just One Scandal Chapter One appeared first on Carly Phillips.
June 15, 2021
The entire SIMPLY SERIES (Carly Classics) is AVAILABLE NOW!
In retrospect, Ben Callahan should have known this job was trouble.
Way more than his normal P.I. fee and unlimited expenses, just to watch over one woman and report back? Alarm bells should have sent him running back to New York. But with his Mom needing assisted living care, Ben takes Emma Montgomery’s tempting offer to watch over her granddaughter.
Then he meets Grace, a golden-haired princess. Gifted, gorgeous, reckless. And a serious threat to his sanity as well as his libido.
Determined to prove she can support herself with her camera, Grace Montgomery hasn’t touched her trust fund in months. It’s a struggle, but she’s free—free of stifling small-town society, free to do what she wants. And right now, she wants to explore her long-repressed sexuality with her hot new neighbor.
As Grace sheds her inhibitions faster than a high-speed shutter, Ben finds himself breaking his own rules for a woman full of unexpected secrets and thousand-watt sensuality. But when Grace discovers who’s signing Ben’s paycheck, her heart could be too broken for his love to repair.
ORDER NOW! Kindle: https://smarturl.it/SSensualKindleNook: https://smarturl.it/SSensualNookApple: https://smarturl.it/SSensualAppleKobo: https://smarturl.it/SSensualKoboGoogleplay: https://smarturl.it/SSensualGoogleplayAmazon Print: https://smarturl.it/SSensualAmzPrintAudible: https://smarturl.it/SSensualAudibleAmazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/SSensualAmzAudio**********SIMPLY SEXY – 6/15It all started with a not-so-innocent sprig of mistletoe…In retrospect, Rina Lowell should have known that Emma Montgomery’s mistletoe was a matchmaking ploy.
Rina is new to Ashford, to her newspaper job, to her whole life. And she can’t wait to write “Hot Stuff”, a series of columns that will definitively pin down what men really want.
When Emma maneuvers her under that pesky sprig of evergreen with Ashford’s prodigal son, Rina can’t resist the chance to plant one on that dark-haired, blue-eyed man’s sensual mouth. She never expected that kiss to go down like a shot of fine tequila. The man is perfect for her, or so she thinks.
When his adoptive father Joe falls ill, globetrotting news reporter Colin Lyons doesn’t hesitate to drop everything to fly home and take over Joe’s baby, the Ashford Times. Which, Colin discovers, is veering away from hard news to sexy, smutty fluff. Something he can’t let happen.
He’s only got until New Year’s to save this sinking ship, and to do that, he needs an ally. Rina, with her sparkling brown eyes and frumpy clothes that make his fingers itch to discover what’s underneath, is the perfect target to help him. Even if it means the job she loves will be cut in the end.
He never expected one kiss to take his simple plan to save the Times and tie it into impossible knots… and possibly cost him the woman he loves.
ORDER NOW!Kindle: https://smarturl.it/SSexyKindleNook: https://smarturl.it/SSexyNookApple: https://smarturl.it/SSexyAppleKobo: https://smarturl.it/SSexyKoboGoogleplay: https://smarturl.it/SSexyGoogleplayAmazon Print: https://smarturl.it/SSexyAmzPrintAudible: https://smarturl.it/SSexyAudibleAmazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/SSexyAmzAudioThe post The entire SIMPLY SERIES (Carly Classics) is AVAILABLE NOW! appeared first on Carly Phillips.
May 3, 2021
Simply Series coming soon!
Dear Reader:
SURPRISE!I have a fun surprise for you, a reissue of four earlier Carly books, written when I first began publishing with Harlequin! Simply Sinful and Simply Scandalous will be available on May 11th and Simply Sensual and Simply Sexy on June 15th. Just a reminder, although I have heavily edited these books and modernized them, they were written around the year 2000 and the writing style is very different from my current books so they are falling under the Carly Classics header! I hope you enjoy this blast from the past!THE SIMPLY SERIES:https://www.carlyphillips.com/bookspage/simply/SIMPLY SINFULHe’s not the man she thought he was. But when danger lurks, he’s the man she needs.
Any rookie on the force could verify if Charmed! is a legit etiquette school for businessmen, or…something else. But coming off a wrenching drug bust, Detective Kane McDermott’s captain gave him a choice. Take the fluff case, or take enforced time off.
The moment Kane meets Kayla Luck, he’s in trouble. She’s fierce, keen-eyed intelligence in a body built for sin. And when they touch, the jolt of desire reminds him it’s never wise to mix police work with pleasure.
Kayla is used to handling men who are more focused on her curves than her mind. But when her newest client arrives for lessons in foreign language and business etiquette, she’s the one who can’t tear her eyes off all those muscles wrapped in a sexy, double-breasted suit.
Dinner out leads to a hot night in bed, and Kayla falls hard and fast. Until she learns the business suit hides a badge, and she calls it quits. But Kane’s already lost his heart—and discovered she’s in danger. And if he can’t convince her she’s safe with him, he’ll lose the woman he loves.
PREORDER for 5/11Kindle: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulKindleNook: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulNookApple: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulAppleKobo: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulKoboGoogleplay: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulGoogleplayAmazon Print: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulAmzPrintAudible: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulAudibleAmazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/SSinfulAmzAudioSIMPLY SCANDALOUSHe runs in high society circles…and he’s running circles around her heart.
In retrospect, it was all Gran’s fault.
Logan Montgomery has found his niche as an assistant district attorney. But Gran just revealed some worrying intel—dear old dad and his political cronies are about to maneuver him into running for mayor.
But Gran has a plan. A pre-emptive strike involving a pretty blonde caterer with supple curves—and a family history literally dripping with scandal. There’s just one flaw in his grandmother’s scheme: Logan’s not a player. And there’s a delicious spark of attraction that makes him want to try for something special with Catherine Luck.
It’s a mystery to Catherine why Logan, who sits at the very top of the social ladder, would even look twice at someone like her. Maybe he has a thing for disgraced, overworked caterers. But his gentle concern, delivered in that velvety chocolate voice, can’t be real and Cat knows better than to mix business with pleasure.
Raw desire and genuine affection unexpectedly tip them into forbidden territory—love. Until Catherine gets a stark reminder that the Montgomerys never do anything without an ulterior motive.
Which means Catherine’s luck in love is about to run out…
PREORDER for 5/11Kindle: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousKindleNook: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousNookApple: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousAppleKobo: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousKoboGoogleplay: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousGoogleAmazon Print: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousAmzPrintAudible: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousAudibleAmazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/SScandalousAmzAudioSIMPLY SENSUALDo the job. Take the money and run. Until, in a flash, love changes everything.
In retrospect, Ben Callahan should have known this job was trouble.
Way more than his normal P.I. fee and unlimited expenses, just to watch over one woman and report back? Alarm bells should have sent him running back to New York. But with his Mom needing assisted living care, Ben takes Emma Montgomery’s tempting offer to watch over her granddaughter.
Then he meets Grace, a golden-haired princess. Gifted, gorgeous, reckless. And a serious threat to his sanity as well as his libido.
Determined to prove she can support herself with her camera, Grace Montgomery hasn’t touched her trust fund in months. It’s a struggle, but she’s free—free of stifling small-town society, free to do what she wants. And right now, she wants to explore her long-repressed sexuality with her hot new neighbor.
As Grace sheds her inhibitions faster than a high-speed shutter, Ben finds himself breaking his own rules for a woman full of unexpected secrets and thousand-watt sensuality. But when Grace discovers who’s signing Ben’s paycheck, her heart could be too broken for his love to repair.
PREORDER FOR 6/15https://www.carlyphillips.com/books/simply-sensual-2/SIMPLY SEXYIt all started with a not-so-innocent sprig of mistletoe…
In retrospect, Rina Lowell should have known that Emma Montgomery’s mistletoe was a matchmaking ploy.
Rina is new to Ashford, to her newspaper job, to her whole life. And she can’t wait to write “Hot Stuff”, a series of columns that will definitively pin down what men really want.
When Emma maneuvers her under that pesky sprig of evergreen with Ashford’s prodigal son, Rina can’t resist the chance to plant one on that dark-haired, blue-eyed man’s sensual mouth. She never expected that kiss to go down like a shot of fine tequila. The man is perfect for her, or so she thinks.
When his adoptive father Joe falls ill, globetrotting news reporter Colin Lyons doesn’t hesitate to drop everything to fly home and take over Joe’s baby, the Ashford Times. Which, Colin discovers, is veering away from hard news to sexy, smutty fluff. Something he can’t let happen.
He’s only got until New Year’s to save this sinking ship, and to do that, he needs an ally. Rina, with her sparkling brown eyes and frumpy clothes that make his fingers itch to discover what’s underneath, is the perfect target to help him. Even if it means the job she loves will be cut in the end.
He never expected one kiss to take his simple plan to save the Times and tie it into impossible knots… and possibly cost him the woman he loves.
PREORDER FOR 6/15https://www.carlyphillips.com/books/simply-sexy-2/The post Simply Series coming soon! appeared first on Carly Phillips.
April 21, 2021
Just One Night is here!
I’ve been so excited for this release and I’m thrilled it’s finally here! I want you to love everything about Jordan and Linc as much as I do so be sure to let me know once you’ve had a chance to read!
Don’t forget to ORDER today! It’s available in all formats: eBook, paperback, and audio with Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright! I’m so excited to bring you my sexy, friends to lovers, surprise baby, office romance, different worlds story!
What reviewers are saying!
Watch out world.. The Kingstons are here to take over! Crystal’s Book Review
Wow. Carly has done it again! This is the first book in her new Kingston Series but you see tie ins from her Dare Nation and other Dare books. She has created a whole new family full of characters to love. I might even say they are some of my favorites of Carly Phillips. CPanko, Bookbub Reviews
I was not sure we would ever find another family quite like our Dare Nation but it seems author Carly Phillips has given us the Kingston family. They are right up there with them. Sandi Ramirez, Bookbub Review
Just One Night is a sizzling, emotional, and amazing tale. Eileen, Bookbub Review
Get your copy today! All links are below. I hope you enjoy!
Take care and happy reading!
Xo
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/OneNightKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/OneNightNook
Apple: https://smarturl.it/OneNightApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/OneNightKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/OneNightGoogleplay
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAmzPrint
Audible: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAudible
Amazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAmzAudio
iTunes Audio: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAppleAudio
The post Just One Night is here! appeared first on Carly Phillips.
April 13, 2021
Just One Night – Chapter 1
Linc Kingston’s father was a pompous jerk, a philandering womanizer, an asshole of the first order, and he was dead, leaving behind four legitimate children and one illegitimate daughter. That they knew of.
Linc spread the canceled checks he’d found weeks ago across his desk. As he’d discovered yesterday from the private investigator he’d hired, the trail had led to a sister he knew nothing about, and the information had sent him reeling. Who knew what other surprises awaited in the wake of Kenneth Kingston’s death of a heart attack a month earlier?
Picking up a glass of Macallan 18, not his first or even his second, he finished the contents. Without hesitation, he poured himself another with the bottle he’d taken from the bar in the corner of the office that had once been his father’s.
“Slow down or you’ll end up sleeping here tonight,” his brother Xander said. Feet kicked out in front of him, he leaned back in his chair.
“I have a car waiting to take me home. I can get as drunk as I want.” Linc lifted the tumbler to his lips.
Xander groaned. “Look, I get it. I’m not happy about the news either, but it’s not like we thought Dad was a stellar human being. Are you really shocked he knocked up his secretary nineteen years ago and left a daughter to show for it?”
“No.” Linc took another sip. “But I am horrified by the fact that at some point he looked up the kid’s mother, found out the child was in foster care, and left her there.” Linc’s private investigator had tracked down Tiffany Michaels and gotten the story. Linc’s stomach churned at how his sister had been treated by both of her parents.
Xander glanced up at the ceiling, adjusting his black-framed eyeglasses he wore after a long day staring at a computer screen. “I changed my mind. I could use a drink myself.”
With a shake of his head, Xander rose, walked to the bar, grabbed a tumbler, and brought it back to the desk. He picked up the bottle, poured himself a drink, and settled into his chair before indulging in a hefty gulp.
“What do Dash and Chloe say?” Xander asked of their siblings.
Of course Xander wouldn’t know how they’d taken the news. While Linc was dealing with their late father’s estate, the business he’d been helping to run for years, and the paperwork after their father’s death, Xander had been closed up in his home office writing. He was a marine turned thriller writer after his return stateside whose books had been made into blockbuster movies, and he often got lost in his own world. Linc had called him here tonight to fill him in about their sister.
He glanced at the surprise checks he’d found. Everything relating to the family real estate business banking was online. That Kenneth had obviously opened an account to hide these payments spoke volumes about what their father was capable of when it came to his penchant for deception.
“I dragged his ass out of the studio to talk to him. Did it on the phone because, as you know, he’s holed up and working with the band. He listened, said it figured Dad would leave us with this kind of surprise, and went back to work.”
Dash was the lead singer of The Original Kings, a rock band he’d been a part of since he was in high school. After years of playing bars and smaller gigs, they’d been discovered, and their success was massive and worldwide. When home in New York, Dash had a house near Xander’s in the Hamptons fully equipped with a studio and enough room for his bandmates to crash.
Linc rubbed the back of his stiff neck with his fingers.
Xander nodded. “Dash is focused when he’s working.”
“Sound familiar?” Linc asked wryly. “Anyway, he texted me later and said he wanted to meet her, so he’s fine. Mellow and typical Dash.”
“And Chloe?” Xander drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair.
“She’s upset. Devastated she had a sister she never knew about and one who obviously grew up in way different circumstances than us.” It turned Linc’s stomach. He didn’t have details of this sibling’s upbringing, but he knew it wouldn’t be pretty. “Aurora,” he said.
“What?” Xander asked.
“Our sister’s name is Aurora. I think we should start getting used to it.”
A knock sounded on his door, and his personal assistant and best friend, Jordan Greene, walked inside, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, her black slacks and silk blouse as immaculate as they’d been this morning. After her upbringing, Jordan prided herself on being able to afford quality clothing and looking her best. No more hand-me-downs from her sister.
“I’m leaving for the night. Anything I can get you before I go?” she asked, as she did every night he stayed later than her. They both worked long hours.
Xander turned to face her. “Hey, Jordan. You weren’t at your desk when I came in. I almost thought you gave up on dealing with my brother.” He jerked a finger back at Linc and laughed.
“Shut up, asshole.” Linc scowled at his sibling.
Jordan chuckled. “We all know I’m the only one who will put up with him. I can’t subject my fellow females to his bossy personality at work.”
“I am not that bad,” Linc muttered.
“Yes, you are,” they both said at the same time, and their joint laughter echoed around the room.
Linc shook his head as they made fun of him. It wasn’t unusual for Jordan to gang up on him with one of his siblings, and maybe he deserved it. He wasn’t always easy.
Jordan’s mother, Tamara, had been the Kingston’s housekeeper throughout their childhood. As a result, Jordan knew all of his siblings well but mostly Linc as they’d bonded early on. They’d become not just best friends but a united duo. Despite their different backgrounds, they’d clicked. After school she’d come to their house to do her homework while waiting for her mother to finish working, and Linc used to join her.
Getting her to become his assistant after he’d graduated business school had been the smartest thing he’d ever done. His schedule was always up-to-date, she knew what he wanted almost before he asked, and their friendship had only deepened.
He met her blue-eyed stare. “I’m good. You can take off for the night.”
“Awesome. I’m going to pick up sushi for dinner on my way home. See you in the morning!” she said, bright and cheery as always. “Night, Xander.”
“Good night, Jordan.” Xander gave her a wave before turning back to face Linc, a curious expression on his face as the door clicked shut behind her.
“What?” Linc all but barked the question at his brother, who still stared at him as if he had something to say.
“Have you really not fucked her yet?” Xander asked.
“You asshole. Don’t talk about Jordan like that.”
Xander’s grin told Linc he’d nailed him, prodding him on purpose to get a reaction, and Linc had given the bastard what he wanted.
“Come on, seriously. Why haven’t you two gotten together?” Xander finished his drink and put the glass down on the old mahogany desk.
“Want more?” Linc lifted the bottle of scotch.
Xander shook his head. “No, but I do want an answer.”
Knowing he needed more alcohol for this, Linc poured himself another drink. He was getting wasted far deeper and faster than he preferred, liking to keep his wits about him. But after hearing about his new sister and processing how she’d been raised when a family with money would have welcomed her, he needed to numb his feelings.
“Linc!” Xander kicked the desk with his foot. “Where did you go?”
He blinked and looked into his empty glass. “Sorry. What did you want to know?” The alcohol was getting to him.
“I asked why you and Jordan haven’t hooked up.”
“Because she’s my best friend, and I couldn’t live without her if things didn’t work out.” Even if she had a body his fingers itched to touch, lips he was dying to kiss, and sky-blue eyes that could see into his soul, he had to keep his hands … and mouth to himself. Over the years, the restraint had cost him, but he’d managed not to step over that line.
He’d grown up well aware of his father’s indiscretions, mostly with the women who worked for him, and Linc had gone out of his way not to be anything like the man. If he was more serious, asked more of others, then so be it. As long as he wasn’t leaving work to meet up with a mistress or sleeping with one of his assistants or secretaries, Linc could look himself in the mirror each day.
Xander tipped his head to one side. “Makes sense, I guess.”
Xander knew all about heartbreak after being duped by a young, hot Hollywood actress he’d fallen in love with while in LA during the filming of his first book made into a movie. He wouldn’t argue with Linc’s explanation about why he kept things platonic with Jordan. Not when it meant avoiding both heartbreak and the potential ending of an important friendship.
“You ever wonder if she would want more?” Xander asked.
Linc shook his head, knowing he couldn’t let himself go there. It would only make it harder if he knew she desired him, too. But he had no intention of giving his brother ammunition. He hadn’t told Xander he wanted Jordan and he wasn’t about to.
For the next hour, Linc drank, Xander watched, and they talked about Xander’s next book, in the pre-filming and heavy discussion stages. Xander didn’t bring up their half-sister or their father again, and Linc was grateful. He wasn’t sure why the news had hit him as hard as it had.
Xander obviously had his head on straight about it, but then again, his brother worked his issues out on the page. Linc brooded.
“What do you say we call it a night?” Without waiting for an answer, Xander stood and grabbed the liquor bottle from the desk before Linc could pour more. Which was just as well. He was feeling the effects of how much he’d already had to drink.
Linc picked up his phone to text Max, his driver. “You want a ride back to your place?” he asked his brother.
Xander had a house on Long Island where he retreated when he was deep in work. And for when he came into the city, he had an apartment on the Upper East Side in the same building Linc lived in.
His brother shook his head. “I drove in and I’m going to head back to my house tonight. I want to get to work first thing in the morning. Want me to drop you off?”
“It’s out of your way and my driver’s waiting. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Linc shut the light, they both grabbed their jackets, and they walked out of the office, taking the elevator downstairs and heading to the city street, where they parted ways. As usual, Manhattan was busy at eight p.m., cars, taxis, and buses clogging the street and honking when another vehicle didn’t move fast enough.
Linc’s driver was coming around the corner. In no time, Linc was sitting in the back of a town car, fiddling with his phone, his mind on everything he’d learned today. God, he hated his father. Hated the times he’d hear his mother crying while he was growing up, knowing she’d stayed married to her husband for the sake of her children. Linc grimaced. His parents had taught him it wasn’t worth having children. What if a relationship went sour? Would his kids have to hear ugly arguing or deal with the pain of divorce? His stomach churned, and he knew it was the combination of the liquor and the memories assaulting him.
He leaned his head against the back seat and closed his eyes, surprised when his phone rang. Lifting the cell from his lap, he glanced at the screen and groaned. Angelica, his ex-girlfriend and one-time friend with benefits, was calling. Though he rarely saw her anymore, he occasionally ran into her at the country club where both of their families belonged.
“Hello?” he asked, planning to keep the conversation short.
“Linc, honey, it’s been so long. How are you?” She purred in an obvious attempt to interest him. It didn’t work.
How was he? Drunk, pissed, confused, and the last thing he needed or wanted was a woman whose only goal was to marry into his family. When he was younger, he’d had no problem indulging her because they’d both needed the same thing. To be seen with the right person on their arms. These days he was older, wiser, and more discriminating. And not about pedigree or women who faked everything about themselves.
He wanted someone real. Someone like Jordan. Shit, he was drunk.
“Linc?” Angelica asked, her voice causing his eyes to open wider and forcing him to concentrate.
“I’m here. It’s been a long day.”
“Oh, poor baby. Why don’t you come over and I’ll pour us some wine. We can work out your frustrations.”
He knew her offer came with strings, something he’d discovered when they’d tried the friends-with-benefits route. She’d always wanted and demanded more than he was willing to give. Financially and emotionally. There was a reason he’d been celibate for the last year. His hand didn’t demand anything in return.
“Sorry. I’m home for the night,” he said, glancing out the window. The car was nearing Jordan’s apartment, which he always passed on his way home.
“I could come to you,” Angelica offered, the desperation in her tone obvious.
His entire body tensed at the sound. “Sorry, I’m beat. I need to go. Bye.”
He disconnected the call, and before he could think through what he was doing, he leaned forward in his seat. “Max, I had a change of plans,” he said and rattled off Jordan’s address.
With his mind spinning as much as his head, there was only one person he wanted to be with tonight. The only one who’d understand his pain.
He leaned against the cushioned backrest and waited for the car to come to a stop in front of Jordan’s building.
* * *
Jordan came home and changed into a pair of gray joggers and a tie-dye swing tank-top, an outfit she’d be comfortable wearing to relax and watch television, and also to sleep in once she removed the bottoms. She released her hair from the low ponytail she’d had it in, the last thing she needed to free herself from the constraints of working for Linc’s Fortune 500 privately held company, where appearances were important. She was grateful to him for giving her a job where she earned more than she’d ever dreamed when growing up, and she refused to let him down.
She poured herself a small glass of wine and dug into the sushi she’d picked up, nearly inhaling the food because she was starving. Then she cleaned up and settled onto the couch in her living room, pulling a blanket over her and snuggling in.
Man, she’d had a long day.
Since Kenneth Kingston had passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago, she and Linc had had their hands full catching up on his father’s deals and properties. Although no one in the family liked to talk about it, Kenneth Kingston had been suffering from the early stages of dementia when he died. He’d refused to step down from his position as chairman of the company or become a figurehead in the organization he’d founded. All Linc had been able to do was make sure that Wallace Franklin, their chief financial officer and Kenneth’s closest friend, was on top of Kenneth’s investments.
Now, while Jordan focused on Linc’s listings and outstanding contracts, he handled both the business and his father’s estate. When necessary, Jordan coordinating with the elder Mr. Kingston’s secretary, Suzanne, who Linc had decided to keep on in a different position. He hadn’t wanted to fire the woman who’d been with the company for years. Linc thought he was a hard-ass, and they all liked to tease him about his demands, but deep down he had a good heart.
And right now he was hurting.
With a sigh, Jordan picked up the television remote and was about to turn it on when her cell rang. A glance showed her it was her doorman, and she tapped accept, surprised he’d call so late. “Hi, Jerry.”
“Miss Greene, Mr. Kingston is here. Should I send him up?”
“Yes, please,” she said, rising from her seat, concerned. She disconnected the call.
Why would Linc be here now? When she’d said good night at the office, he’d been drinking with and talking to Xander, filling him in about the sister they hadn’t known about. He’d already told Jordan everything about his discovery, and she understood how upsetting he’d found the news.
To show up here now wasn’t in character. He was self-contained and kept his emotions to himself, even when he was upset. But she’d never seen him quite as worked up as he’d been about his new sister, Aurora, and her past, growing up in foster homes while he and his siblings had wealth and comfort.
After folding the blanket she’d pulled over herself, she laid it onto the couch before heading to the door, reaching it just as Linc knocked.
She opened it to find him standing, one arm on the doorframe, a sexy vision with his white dress shirt unbuttoned and tie hanging loose around his neck. His silky black hair was mussed from running his fingers through the strands, and a day’s worth of scruff graced his gorgeous face.
But his eyes drew her attention most. Devastation looked back at her from his blue gaze with a darker ring around the outer edges.
“Hey,” he said, and she caught the whiff of whiskey on his breath.
“Come on in.” She stepped back and he entered, brushing past her and leaving her with a hint of his cologne in his wake.
After closing the door, she followed him into her living room. “I’d offer you a drink, but it smells like you’ve had enough.”
Without replying, he threw his body onto the couch she’d been sitting on, choosing her favorite side and he knew it.
“Talk to me,” she said, joining him on the cushion next to his and crossing her legs in front of her.
“I’m pissed at my father.” He leaned back and groaned.
“I know.” She’d spent enough time in their large house growing up.
Enough to know Kenneth Kingston hadn’t been a man to be emulated. A man of power? Yes. A kind, caring parent to the children with his wife? Not so much. But a worse husband and definitely a horrible human to the daughter he’d abandoned. Now Linc was left to pick up the pieces.
“Does your mother know about your half-sister?”
He shook his head. “And who do you think has to tell her?”
Linc was close to his mother, as were all his siblings. Despite how long she’d known Melissa Kingston, who liked to be called Melly, Jordan couldn’t read her. She’d seen Melly be stern and she’d seen her kind. She’d never treated Jordan badly and had allowed her to come to the house and do homework while her mom finished her day of work. And unlike Mr. Kingston, she never gave Linc a hard time about their friendship, for which Jordan was grateful. One thing was certain. The woman hadn’t deserved for her husband to cheat on her.
“You’ll handle it,” she said, putting a hand on Linc’s shoulder.
He pulled her closer until she leaned against him, her head in the crook of his arm. His body was warm, he smelled good, and she did her best to ignore the tingle of awareness inside her. Linc liked to hang out, to snuggle and watch a movie or just talk. Their friendship consisted of everything she’d want with someone she loved deeply except sex and the intimacy that came with it.
So as she sat with his arm around her, comforting him in silence, she ignored the scent of his cologne, masculine and sexy. She tried not to focus on the hard muscled body she leaned against, but it wasn’t easy.
She couldn’t lie and say she’d never wanted a relationship with Linc, but those days were over. When she was younger, she’d had a crush on him, but her mother had caught on quickly and warned her about their different status in life and how ultimately Jordan didn’t fit into his world.
Those words had crushed her young heart, but since her mother cleaned their home, they ultimately made sense, and Jordan had forced herself to focus on being Linc’s friend. Eventually, he’d gone to college, the cost fully covered by his family. She had student loans. She’d gotten a job in human resources for a company she’d liked while he’d attended business school.
But maybe she’d read too many romance novels, because her first year out of college, she’d met a hot guy at a bar. Collin had been attentive, taken her number, and called her the next day. They’d begun dating, and she’d quickly learned he’d come from a wealthy family who made their money in hedge funds.
The relationship turned serious fast, but she never met his family, and she’d begun to feel like he was hiding her from his parents. After all, he’d already met hers. And like with Linc, Jordan’s mother was wary thanks to Collin’s family’s wealth, but since she didn’t work for them, she hadn’t harped on the issue.
Then Jordan had missed her period and a test proved she was pregnant. And Collin Auerbach had panicked and handed her money to get rid of the problem. Much like Linc’s father had apparently done to one of his mistresses, as she now knew.
Jordan had thrown him out, ripped up the check, and the man she’d thought she’d marry got engaged to an oil heiress six months later.
As for Jordan, a month into the pregnancy, she’d experienced terrible cramps and heavy bleeding and lost the baby. The pain of remembering always hurt. And who had been there for her? Linc. He’d helped her with her grief and was there as she’d picked up the pieces of her broken heart.
After Linc had graduated business school, he began working at Kingston Enterprises, and he’d all but begged her to become his personal assistant. Something his father hadn’t been happy about because she was the help’s daughter.
This time she understood she’d never be good enough for anyone with wealth. Fine. She didn’t want the upscale, hoity-toity kind of life anyway. She just desired a normal existence with a job she enjoyed, a man she loved, and eventually a family of her own.
She’d taken the job at Kingston Enterprises, refusing to give up a great opportunity because Linc’s father was an asshole. Besides, the older man’s office had been a long hall away from Linc’s. Once she’d been hired, she’d rarely seen him. And she and Linc had fallen into a special work dynamic. She’d be a fool to think about him as anything other than her boss and friend.
A friend she treasured and didn’t want to lose by adding sex to their relationship. No more wealthy men for her. Plus she saw the kind of women Linc dated, the type of families they came from, the approval his mother gave those women, all proof her own her mother’s words still held true. Jordan wasn’t in his league and didn’t belong there.
“I need a plan,” he said, speaking up out of the blue.
She’d actually thought he’d fallen asleep.
“Do I go meet my sister? Or do I let it go because knowing the truth about her father might be too painful for her?” His words sounded slurred, and he was obviously in no position to talk tonight.
“I think we should discuss this in the morning. You need a clear head to make those kinds of decisions.” She pushed herself off him and rose to her feet.
“Stay with me,” he said, and when she glanced at him, his lips were set in a little-boy pout.
This was the Linc not many people saw. The vulnerable man beneath the businessman he presented to the world. “You need sleep. Do you have a car waiting?” she asked because he used a driver to get around the city.
“I sent him home.” He stretched his feet out on her couch, and she realized he was settling in for the night.
“Kick off your shoes,” she said. No way could he sleep on the couch in his work clothes.
He did as she instructed, and his black dress shoes fell to the floor.
“Now take off your tie and shirt so you’re comfortable.”
“Bossy,” he muttered and began to undo the buttons. He worked his way down, revealing his muscled chest and defined abs from time with a professional trainer. He shrugged out of the shirt, struggling with the buttons on the cuffs, but he managed to release them.
Swallowing hard, she took the shirt and tie from him and put them aside, planning to hang them up so they didn’t wrinkle even more. He’d need them to wear home in the morning.
Despite herself, she couldn’t help but stare at his naked chest. It had been years since they were kids swimming together in his family’s pool, and the man in front of her now was a far cry from the boy he’d been.
How could she look at him and not drool? “Do you want to wash up before you settle in for the night?” she asked in a husky voice.
She reached out a hand to help him to his feet, and without warning, he pulled her forward. She tumbled, twisting herself so she landed on top of his hard body.
“Linc, what are you doing?” She lifted herself up, intending to climb off him when a firm arm around her back locked her in place.
“I need you,” he said, his voice full of longing.
His words took her off guard. Heart pounding, she looked up, and his gaze, hazy with alcohol but no less compelling, met hers. Everything inside her twisted with need. Need for this man and everything he was.
“Kiss me, Jordan.”
A moan escaped her throat because she wanted desperately to press her lips to his. She stilled, her heart debating with her mind.
Just as she decided to make light of the moment, to treat it as a joke, he cupped the back of her head, and with a little pressure from his hand, her mouth met his. Sparks flew through her body, the warmth and feel of him utter perfection. She sighed, wanting to get closer, and in response, his tongue pushed past her lips and curled around hers.
Unable to stop herself, she slid her hands into his hair and deepened the kiss. His breath tasted malty from alcohol, but nothing mattered except the feel of him devouring her mouth. His other hand slipped beneath the back of her shirt, his large, warm palm covering her skin. Her nipples grew tight, and she rubbed herself against him, enjoying their closeness.
The sound of her phone ringing penetrated her consciousness, popping the desire-filled bubble she’d been in, and brought her out of her fantasy moment. Reality came crashing in, and the reality was, Linc would never cross this line sober. She shouldn’t have crossed it at all.
Ignoring the call, she pushed herself up, breaking their connection. With a groan, he met her gaze. “I’m not sorry,” he said.
But he would be in the morning. If he even remembered the kiss. She shook her head, knowing she would never forget.
She stepped to the other end of the sofa, picked up the blanket, and as she draped it over him, a light snore escaped his parted lips.
She gently tucked the knitted covering around him, and because he was sleeping, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead, closing her eyes and savoring his warmth and masculine scent.
Then, with one last glance at the man on her couch, she picked up his clothes and headed to her room alone.
Buy Now:
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/OneNightKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/OneNightNook
Apple: https://smarturl.it/OneNightApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/OneNightKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/OneNightGoogleplay
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAmzPrint
Audible: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAudible
Amazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAmzAudio
iTunes Audio: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAppleAudio
The post Just One Night – Chapter 1 appeared first on Carly Phillips.
April 7, 2021
Just One Scandal – Cover Reveal + Preorder
Just One Scandal is Chloe Kingston and her brother, Linc’s ex-best friend and current business rival’s story. Sparks fly … not only between Chloe and Beck, but between Linc and his one time pal when he finds the two together in the bridal suite the morning after the non-wedding. Intrigued? You can preorder Just One Scandal which comes out July 27th.
Release Date: July 27, 2021
Preorder NowKindle | Nook | Apple | Kobo | Googleplay | Amazon Print
Audio with McKenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais!Just One ScandalA jilted bride. Her brother’s ex-buddy. A fake affair would be crazy…right?
Chloe Kingston’s life is exactly how she needs it: safe and stable. Right up until her reliable, low-risk fiancé jilts her on their fairy-tale wedding day. As she works her way through the reception champagne—and wonders where she’s going to live—she stumbles into her brother Linc’s ex-best friend.
If only Beckett Daniels was hideous. But he’s not. He’s everything her erstwhile groom was not. Hot. Sexy. Dangerous. And she’s just buzzed enough to want all that Greek-god gorgeousness to show her the kind of fun she’s been missing.
Beck thrives on calculated risks, but taking advantage of Linc’s little sister isn’t one of them. What he can do is haul her tipsy, tulle-clad, tempting little butt to the bridal suite to sleep it off. Then move her into his spare room—which has the satisfying side effect of driving her brother crazy.
With the paparazzi tracking their every move, they resort to a fake relationship to cool the hottest topic on the society pages. But when tragedy threatens, pain from their past reminds them that life doesn’t come without risks…and this time, they’ve gambled with their hearts.
Hang out with me!Facebook @carlyphillipsfanpage
Carly’s Corner Fan Group @CarlysCornerFB
The post Just One Scandal – Cover Reveal + Preorder appeared first on Carly Phillips.
February 18, 2021
Three hot books are here! 💄
The Chandler Brothers are available now! It’s been almost 20 years since Kelly Ripa chose THE BACHELOR as her Reading with Ripa Bookclub pick! All three books, THE BACHELOR, THE PLAYBOY, and THE HEARTBREAKERhave been updated with gorgeous NEW covers with the same content but modernized for your reading pleasure. At the beginning of The Bachelor is a Dear Reader letter expressing my feelings about this beloved book and that special time. There is so much gratitude that comes along with The Bachelor and I’m very excited to bring the story to life again.
Don’t forget I’m doing a GIVEAWAY to go with this release! Scroll down and enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of The Bachelor, and a fun Huda Beauty’s limited edition Heartbreaker & Shameless lipstick combo! And if you aren’t a lipstick person you can set out the adorable red lip case. I have one in my room too!
So go forth and click! Read and enjoy! Or if you’ve already read them, read and enjoy them again!
Oh! I’m hard at work on JUST ONE NIGHT, Linc Kingston and his best friend and personal assistant, Jordan Greene’s story. If you read Dare to Stay, you met Linc. And trust me, you’re going to fall head over heels for this alpha, take charge man! You can PREORDER their story now!
Take care and be well.
And as always, happy reading!
Xo Carly
THE BACHELOR
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorNook
Apple: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorGoogle
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorAmzPrint
Amazon Hardcover: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorHC
Amazon Large Print: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorLP
BN Print: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorBNPrint
Audible: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorAudible
Amazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorAmzAudio
THE PLAYBOY
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyNook
Apple: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyGoogle
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyAmzPrint
Amazon Hardcover: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyHC
Amazon Large Print: https://smarturl.it/ThePlaybotLP
BN Print: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyBNPrint
Audible: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyAudible
Amazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/ThePlayboyAmzAudio
THE HEARTBREAKER
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerBN
Apple: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/TheHeartbreakerKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerGoogle
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerAmzPrint
Amazon Hardcover: https://smarturl.it/TheHeartbreakerHC
Amazon Large Print: https://smarturl.it/TheHeartbreakerLP
BN Print: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakeBNPrint
Audible: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerAudible
AppleAudio: https://smarturl.it/HeartreakerAppleAudi
Amazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/HeartbreakerAmzAudio
The post Three hot books are here! 💄 appeared first on Carly Phillips.
February 11, 2021
The Bachelor Giveaway!
The Chandler Brothers from New York Times Bestselling Author Carly Phillips are back!
In honor of THE BACHELOR’s 20th Anniversary all three Chandler Brother books have been updated and will be reissued with gorgeous NEW covers with the same content but modernized for your reading pleasure. The BACHELOR was the first book that Kelly Ripa chose for her Reading with Ripa Bookclub.
And to celebrate, we’re having a giveaway!
To Enter do one of the following:
Follow on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2C4ULs3
Follow Carly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyphillips/
PREORDER The Bachelor!
Available 2/9
PREORDER TODAY!
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorNook
Apple: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorGoogle
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorAmzPrint
Amazon Hardcover: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorHC
Amazon Large Print: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorLP
BN Print: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorBNPrint
Audible: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorAudible
Amazon Audio: https://smarturl.it/TheBachelorAmzAudio
*No purchase necessary to enter.
The post The Bachelor Giveaway! appeared first on Carly Phillips.
February 3, 2021
I ❤️ JUST ONE NIGHT COVER REVEAL + PRE-ORDER ❤️
Just One Night is the first book in my brand new Dare spin-off series, The Kingston Family, and I’m beyond excited to share this gorgeous cover designed by the ultra talented Maria @steamydesigns!
A big thank you to the mega-talented, Wander Aguiar (and Andrey), for the gorgeous photo!
RELEASE DATE: 4-20-21
PRE-ORDER NOW!
Kindle: https://smarturl.it/OneNightKindle
Nook: https://smarturl.it/OneNightNook
Apple: https://smarturl.it/OneNightApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/OneNightKobo
Googleplay: https://smarturl.it/OneNightGoogleplay
AmazonPrint: https://smarturl.it/OneNightAmzPrint
AUDIO: Coming Soon with McKenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais!
******
JUST ONE NIGHT
She’s the woman he can’t live without.
The one he can’t risk screwing up their relationship by sleeping with her.
Linc Kingston doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. Not in his billion-dollar business or in his personal life. He has it all. Except one thing. His personal assistant and best friend in his bed, moaning his name. No matter how much Linc wants her, she’s completely off-limits.
Jordan Greene grew up the daughter of the housekeeper at the Kingston estate, where she met and bonded with Linc at a young age, despite their economic differences. But no matter how close they are now or how much their attraction simmers beneath the surface, they’re still from two different worlds. Besides, Jordan isn’t about to risk losing her best friend for one sensual night.
Jordan might be the only woman who can handle Linc and his domineering, bossy attitude, but beneath that gruff exterior is a vulnerable man who, despite his wealth, has had a less-than-charmed life. And when Linc’s father dies, she’s there for him—unwavering in her friendship.
Until one night of passion and a positive pregnancy test changes everything.
*****
Hang out with me!
FB: www.facebook.com/carlyphillipsfanpage
Carly’s Corner Fan Group: http://smarturl.it/CarlysCornerFB
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@carlyphillipsauthor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlyphillips
The post I ❤️ JUST ONE NIGHT COVER REVEAL + PRE-ORDER ❤️ appeared first on Carly Phillips.
