Just One Scandal

by Carly Phillips

  “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 sai
d 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.

  Chapter Two

  Somehow Beck managed to open the door to the suite, carry Chloe inside, and finally set her down on the bed. She seemed to fall asleep immediately, her ball gown spread across the mattress, her ballet-slipper-covered feet peeking out from the hem. He slipped off the shoes and stared down at the passed-out bride.

  He could leave her alone to sleep it off, but she might wake up frightened and not remember how she’d gotten here. His conscience told him not to abandon her on what was supposed to be her wedding night. After another glance at the vulnerable woman, he headed to the bathroom. The large counter with double sinks was also full of amenities, and he was able to brush his teeth before heading back inside.

  Instead of still being passed out, she was sitting up in bed, surrounded by the layers of her gown, with mascara-stained tears streaming down her face.

  Aww, shit. Now he had a crying female on his hands. He turned back to the bathroom, coming out with a box of tissues in his hand. He approached the bed and extended his arm so she could grab a Kleenex.

  “Thank you.” She pulled three sheets from the box and dabbed at her eyes, succeeding only in smearing the makeup around her face.

  Settling on the side of the bed, he took her chin in one hand and, with a tissue, gently blotted and wiped the black stains off her soft skin.

  “You’re so nice,” she said and immediately began crying again, which meant he had to begin all over cleaning her up.

  Knowing she was drunk and the alcohol was exacerbating her shitty feelings, Beck let her continue to sob it out. There was nothing else he could do.

  “I don’t get how I could have screwed up so badly. I picked the nice guy, the safe guy, the guy who I thought would never screw me over like my father did to my mom. And here I am, alone on my wedding night.” She lifted her hands and helplessly dropped them back to her lap and continued to list all the reasons she’d chosen her groom.

  Not one of them, he noted, was love.

  The longer she spoke, the more her hysteria built, and Beck sat back to let her get it all out, only reaching out occasionally to dab at the dripping black tears in order to save the white gown from ruin. If anyone had told him this was how he’d be spending his night, he’d have had a good, hard laugh. The fact that it was Linc Kingston’s sister made it even more ironic.

  “We even liked to stay in at night and watch television together,” she said on a wail. “It’s not like he was a guy who chose bars and drinking. So much for playing it safe.”

  “Safe isn’t always smart,” he said, handing her another tissue.

  She blotted her eyes and nose, then handed him back the Kleenex. He shook his head and put it on the dresser.

  “And now I’m stuck with no place to live and a boring job with a brother I love but who won’t let me branch out and … and … what happened to my life?” she asked. She glanced down and started to work an emerald-shaped engagement ring off her finger.

  “Wait. Stop.” He didn’t need that expensive rock lost somewhere in this hotel room. “Leave it on until you can put it somewhere safe. Then you can decide what to do with it.”

  “I hate looking at it,” she said. Even pouting, she was pretty.

  Knowing he was in way over his head, the best thing he could do was get her to fall back to sleep. She’d wake up in the morning no happier, but at least she’d be sober, and, he assumed, calmer.

  “Listen, I think you should get some rest. Things will look brighter tomorrow. What do you say?”

  She nodded and then, taking him off guard, pushed herself around him to the end of the bed and rose to her feet. Stepping over, she turned her back toward him and lifted her heavy, gorgeous hair and swept it to one side.

  “Undo my buttons,” she demanded.

  “What? Why?”

  She turned her head, giving him a perfect view of her exquisite profile. “Because you said I should go to sleep, and I can’t get comfortable in this dress.”

  He swallowed a curse. She had a point, but that meant he’d be left with Chloe sleeping in whatever she had on beneath that dress while he … what? Sat in the uncomfortable chair in the corner? Or stretched out beside her and ignored his aching cock.

  “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. It took a while for his big fingers to slip each tiny button through the small loops, but
he finally managed, revealing inch after inch of her porcelain skin. “All set,” he muttered.

  “Whew!” She released her hair, and as it tumbled down her back, she shrugged and let the dress fall to the floor before spinning back to face him.

  She stood in a strapless white lace push-up bra, sexy matching panties, and a blue garter hooked around her thigh. She was a vision with her blond hair tumbling over her shoulders and the body of a goddess.

  He swallowed a low groan of desire just as she reached for the back hook of her bra.

  “No!” He couldn’t handle it if she stripped down to nothing, and there was no way she’d be happy with herself in the morning. “Climb into bed. I’m sure you’ll be comfortable like that.”

  She pouted but did as he asked, striding to the other side of the mattress, giving him a view of her heart-shaped ass in the barely there panties. He shook his head, wondering what he’d done in this lifetime to deserve such torture.

  She turned down the covers, slid beneath, and he gave a relieved sigh. That is, until she wriggled under the comforter and the bra went flying across the room, followed by the garter. As he braced himself for her panties to go next, she lay her head on the pillow, sighed, closed her eyes, and just like that, fell asleep.

  His shoulders dropped as his tension eased, and Beck let out a long groan of relief. Now that he didn’t have a hysterical woman to deal with, he turned his attention to where he’d be spending the night. One look at the uncomfortable chair and he nixed that idea. He’d just have to lie on top of the covers with as much space between him and Chloe as he could manage.

  After kicking off his shoes, he sat on the side of the bed and took off his socks and shirt, laying them on the chair he’d opted not to sleep on. After debating, he said fuck it and removed his jeans. His boxer briefs were good enough.

  Then he climbed on the bed. Using the bedspread that had fallen to the floor as a blanket, he pulled it over himself and settled back against the pillows on his side of the bed. Beside him, Chloe let out little snores that had him grinning despite the situation.