Home > Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family #2)(4)

Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family #2)(4)
Author: Carly Phillips

“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.

 

 

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.

Hot Books
» House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
» A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
» From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1)
» A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
» Deviant King (Royal Elite #1)
» Den of Vipers
» House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)
» The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #
» Sweet Temptation
» The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1)
» Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels #6)
» Wreck & Ruin
» Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2)
» Twisted Hate (Twisted #3)
» The Play (Briar U Book 3)