Simply Scandalous (Simply Series Book 2)

by Carly Phillips

  She cupped his face in her hands and covered his lips with hers.

  The kiss didn’t start out slow. With the desire building all evening, their need was too urgent to contain. Her lips were soft and warm as they opened for his searching tongue, and he swept inside, finding heaven. And as he’d known all along, one taste wasn’t enough.

  Gripping her bare waist in his hands, he pulled her closer, wanting to feel her heated skin against his, but his T-shirt prevented him from getting as close as he wanted.

  “Here,” she whispered. “Let me.”

  Logan sat back and she pulled his T-shirt out of the waistband of his jeans and eased it over his head. Her soft fingers grazed the skin on his chest. She laughed softly and he knew she’d done it on purpose.

  “Tease.”

  She clucked her tongue. “That’s not a nice thing to say. I thought you were raised better than that,” she said with a grin. “Besides, it’s only true if I don’t plan to follow through.” She ran her hands up his side, letting her thumbs graze his nipples. “And you know I do.”

  He let out a rush of air. The way she could make his body react with a simple touch defied logic. His erection strained against the rough denim, harder and more insistent with each passing second. He had to regain a semblance of control, and to do that, he needed to be in control.

  “I’m not sure I like that grin on your face,” Catherine said warily.

  “And I’m just as sure you’re going to love it.” With steady fingers considering the circumstances, Logan yanked on the drawstring of her sweats and watched with pleasure as he discarded the loose cotton material. The lacy briefs matched the bra. The tiny scrap of peach material and the hint of what lay beneath made his mouth run dry.

  So much for being in control, he thought wryly. But she trusted him, something he didn’t take lightly. Logan rose to his feet, and before she could question him, he helped Catherine up and swept her into his arms again.

  “You really shouldn’t make a habit of this. You’ll spoil me.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” he asked.

  She laughed. “So, what are you doing this time?” she asked, then bit down lightly on his earlobe.

  The pull went straight to his already hard cock and he groaned. “I’m sweeping you off your feet.” He tried to ignore the feel of her luscious body molded to his or else he might have come right then, something neither one of them would appreciate. But her soft skin, rounded curves, and body heat tested his strength.

  She rolled her eyes. “I guess I should have told you the first time I don’t believe in Prince Charming.”

  Although her eyes danced with delight, he recognized the sad truth behind her words.

  “Then I guess it’s up to me to prove you wrong.” Before she could respond, he set her down on the couch and knelt down between her legs.

  * * *

  Catherine knew his intent. And suddenly she wasn’t so brave anymore. “You know, Logan…”

  His hands reached for and cupped her thighs. The heated warmth shot straight upward. “Somehow I don’t think Prince Charming… had this in mind.”

  “You know, Cat…” He paused and treated her to a sexy grin. “I’m not sure you’ll want to be arguing with me right now.” As he spoke, his palms moved forward and his fingers inched higher until they’d reached the edge of her panties.

  She let out a whoosh of air. All rational thought and the desire to speak fled at his touch. All she could do was feel. The glide of her nearly bare flesh against the leather couch as he pulled her downward. The heated, wet sensation of his tongue on her skin. And the white-hot darts of fire and need pricking at her with growing intensity. Everything he did felt right and good.

  And when he licked her through the flimsy triangle of fabric, she welcomed the madness that engulfed her. Her remaining inhibitions fled as if they’d never been. She gave herself up to the long, slow strokes of his tongue that alternated with short, teasing flickers and left her wanting and begging for more.

  Without her consent, her hips bucked upward from the cushioned couch. He slipped her panties down and she raised her hips to help him, anything to satisfy the aching need. He seemed to understand. After tossing her undergarments onto the floor, he returned to her and eased his finger inside. She could feel herself clenching around him. One finger slipped in and out while his thumb worked her clit. The tremors began in small waves and continued until they engulfed her in heated convulsions.

  And still, it wasn’t enough. She wanted him with her, inside her, and along for the glorious ride. She needed to see him lose control just as she had. She had to know she affected him on a level beyond the physical.

  With difficulty, Catherine lifted her head off the couch and gazed into his eyes. Desire flared in the brown depths, deeper and darker than anything she’d seen there before.

  He rose to his feet. Placing his hands beneath her arms, he helped her rise.

  He rubbed his thumb over her still damp lower lip. “I want more, Cat.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Still don’t believe in Prince Charming?” he asked, turning his attention to the swell of her breast, outlining the scalloped edging of her bra.

  “I don’t think… what you did qualifies as something Prince Charming would do.” Not that she believed in fairytales.

  “And why’s that?”

  “Because as incredible as it was, it’s something that’s happened during one night of hot sex. Prince Charming, by definition, is a long-term kinda guy.” Now, where had that come from? The last thing Catherine wanted was for him to run far and fast. Or send her packing. She glanced out the window into the stormy night. Especially when hse had nowhere to go.

  He cupped her cheek in his hand. “We could have more than one night,” he said in a gruff voice.

  She couldn’t believe him any more than she believed in the tooth fairy. Her baby teeth hadn’t even gotten her a penny growing up. Neither would useless wishes now. “We’re worlds apart,” she reminded him.

  His arm gestured around the cottage she’d grown to love in such a short time. “You call this worlds apart?”

  Catherine opened her mouth to argue and couldn’t. Though the judge’s disapproval lingered in the back of her mind, she pushed it aside. Logan was his own man. He couldn’t live in this house, work for the public defender, live off his own salary, and be anything else.

  If he said they had a chance, she could believbe him. After all, how could she get hurt by class differences when he didn’t live them or believe in them?

  She wasn’t one to give her faith or her heart easily, but Logan made it seem so simple. She reached for him then, gripping his waist in her hands. Trouble didn’t begin to describe what she’d gotten herself into.

  She glanced into Logan’s warm eyes and couldn’t give him anything less than the truth. “I call this making my dreams come true.”

  With a harsh groan, he swept her off her feet again, only this time she didn’t argue and she found herself lying on the rug in front of the fireplace. He removed his jeans, revealing box briefs with his thick erection prominent. Broad shoulders, flat stomach, and bronzed skin, he was a perfect male specimen down to the bulge she couldn’t possibly ignore even if she wanted to.

  He placed his fingers into the waistband and never taking his gaze from hers, he drew them down until he was naked, then kicked them off. Soon he stretched out beside her.

  His hard cock pressed against her thigh and the warmth of shared body heat was sweeter and hotter than the blazing fire he’d created. If this was what it felt like to believe there existed a chance for them, and she was suddenly glad she’d opened her mind to the possibility.

  * * *

  “I’ve only just begun,” Logan lay beside Catherine, his hand on her breast as he discovered her skin was softer, her body warmer than he’d imagined.

  “To what?” she asked.

  “To make those dreams of yours come true.”

 
“You make me think anything’s possible,” she murmured.

  “That’s because it is,” he told her.

  He switched positions, easing himself over her until he lay on top. His arms prevented his weight from crushing her, but their lower bodies fit perfectly. His erection, hot and heavy, settled between the V of her legs.

  Her eyelids fluttered shut and a soft moan escaped her lips. Logan nearly came right then, but somehow, he didn’t think that’s what she had in mind. Besides, he’d promised to make her dreams come true. His be damned.

  With one hand, he cupped her breast. She fit perfectly in his hand. Her skin was supple, in direct contrast to the rigid nipple pressing into his palm. Logan kneaded her waiting flesh, savoring the fullness nestled in his hand. With his thumb and forefinger, he teased her taut nipple, plucking, rolling, and flicking the erect nub until she writhed beneath him.

  He glanced at her face. Green eyes stared back at him. He placed a kiss on her upturned nose and then did the same to the tip of her breast.

  “Who’s the tease now?” she asked in a husky voice.

  He answered by running his tongue in a circle around the white skin on her breast, coming to a halt only after flicking the tight nipple with his tongue. He raised his head and grinned. “Complaining?” he asked.

  “Only that you’re not inside me already.”

  “That’s not a complaint, it’s a request.”

  A soft smile played on her lips. “Take it any way you want,” she said on a soft sigh. Her hips jerked upward, whether on purpose or an involuntary response to pure desire, Logan didn’t know. Nor did he care.

  He just knew the time was right. He transferred his attention from her breasts to the warm, place between her legs. He wasn’t surprised to find her wet with desire, hot with the same aching need that burned inside of him. It was the same need that had flared into an inferno within him the second he’d laid eyes on the beautiful bartender. Logan’s gut told him he wouldn’t be satisfied with just one night. Even if his body were to be sated for the moment, he knew he would crave more of her.

  He separated them long enough to reach for his jeans and the condom he’d shoved into the pocket earlier, just in case. In case he was lucky enough to have one time with this one woman.

  Unable to wait another second, he thrust into her slick heat, hard and demanding, letting her know exactly what she did to him.

  * * *

  Filled and fulfilled. Catherine wondered if she’d ever understood the distinction before. Logan grasped her hands and intertwined their fingers together above her head. The uniting motion ground their bodies together until they weren’t just joined, they were one. Thoughts like that could only lead to pain and disaster, yet with Logan staring into her eyes, she couldn’t think negative thoughts.

  She couldn’t think at all. His lips covered hers in a kiss as hot and promising as the heat englufing their bodies. Between them, they began a grinding, rocking motion that was sweeter than it was fast, more reverent than it was frenzied. If Catherine had made love before, she couldn’t recall. Because anything less than this was sex, and this was so much more.

  He released her hands and braced his on either side of her shoulders. “Look at me.”

  She did and saw a raw need so deep, so exposed, she was swept away by it. Words failed her but emotion didn’t. He’d drawn her in, deep and fast.

  With every gliding motion, he came fuller and deeper inside her. The tip of him was smooth, but with every thrust, she felt the rougher ridges and the friction was almost unbearable.

  Her eyelids fluttered shut. He kissed each until they opened again and then he began a rhythm unlike anything she’d experienced before. Sleek and measured one minute, he created an agony so prolonged and exquisite she wanted to cry out for harder, faster, pounding thrusts. But when he answered her silent plea, her body built toward completion too fast and she missed the drawn-out intimacy they’d just shared.

  Just when she was about to topple over the precipice, he slowed the pace once more until her body begged for completion. But Logan was in control and he wasn’t giving in. Wasn’t letting it happen fast and easy. Wasn’t letting this be an experience she’d put behind her anytime soon.

  The fast and furious pace slowed. “Open your eyes.”

  She hadn’t realized she’d closed them. “What do you want from me?” she asked him.

  “Everything.” And then he thrust so deep she was sure they’d been joined for eternity. He moved inside her and she raised her hips, allowing him even fuller and deeper access, heightening her pleasure.

  Catherine couldn’t look away from his deep, compelling gaze. No doubt that was his intent, and the crescendo came without warning, a tidal wave beyond her control.

  * * *

  The aftershocks still rippled through Logan’s system. He doubted he’d ever breathe normally again. He rolled to his side and glanced at Cat, who looked as sated as he was. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her green eyes were still heavy-lidded, and her breathing still sounded rapid and shallow.

  He stretched his arms overhead. Huge strategic mistake, he discovered immediately. Catherine rolled onto her back, away from physical contact. That cleared his mind at once.

  If she needed distance, he respected that. But not until she understood a few things. He’d never lost himself with someone before and he’d have bet she felt the same. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arm back around her.

  She didn’t pull away but instead surprised him by curling into him. “That was incredible,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Mind-blowing,” she agreed.

  He hoped she was referring to the emotion involved as much as the act itself. He waited a beat but she didn’t speak. Apparently, she needed space. Her next words confirmed it.

  “It’s getting cold in here, don’t you think?”

  “I’m pretty warm myself.” He nuzzled the side of her neck.

  Her laugh sounded more relaxed. “You know what I mean.”

  He did. Once she drew his attention to it, the crackle of the fireplace called to him. “Tell you what. Let me put out the fire and we can move to the bedroom.”

  He held his breath. After the intimacy they’d shared, now wasn’t the time for her to be claiming the couch for the night.

  She nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Giving her some distance and privacy, Logan rose first and grabbed for his jeans before kneeling by the fire. It wasn’t easy, knowing she was undressed behind him, but somehow, he managed. He sensed she needed a combination of space and reassurance. Just one of the many things he liked about Catherine was her honest responses.

  But he knew, given the chance, she’d run from what they shared instead of facing it. He’d finally found the one woman who liked everything in his life that was real and nothing that was related to the Montgomery wealth or status.

  If he had his say, she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

  Chapter Seven

  Catherine woke to the sun streaming in through the window. Logan’s window, Logan’s room. She glanced over, but his side of the bed was empty. She heard the sound of the shower and lay back against the pillows. Every pull of her muscles reminded her of last night. And, Catherine admitted to herself, she felt good.

  At first, she’d been afraid of the aftermath, afraid he’d find himself with a woman he’d had enough of. But when she’d rolled away, giving him the option of space, he’d rejected it. Everything before and since had been like a dream.

  She’d been so depleted she barely remembered making her way from the den to the bedroom, and after he’d returned from putting out the fire, she’d curled into his warmth and fallen fast asleep.

  There hadn’t been time nor energy for second thoughts then, but she had plenty of opportunity now. Yet the one thing she couldn’t do was regret her night with Logan. He’d been a generous and giving lover, attuned to her wants, her needs, and her feelings. But it did figure.

  The
only one-night stand in her life and she had to pick the wrong man. Oh, he was the right man in every way—just not for her. She was petrified their worlds would collide and destroy what they had shared.

  The jarring ring of her cell shattered her thoughts. Good thing since she didn’t like the direction they were taking. She glanced at the screen to see Emma’s name and she reached for the phone. “Hi, Emma.”

  “Too tired for an amusing greeting. That must be a good sign.”

  Catherine laid her head against the pillow. It was no wonder Logan gave up trying to control the older woman. She probably had more stamina and antics up her sleeve than the two of them put together.

  “So glad you recognized my voice, dear.” Catherine didn’t bother to remind her that her name had popped up on Catherine’s cell. “Long nights can sometimes cloud the brain. How are you feeling this morning?” Emma asked.

  She refused to succumb to the bait. “Just fine. And you?”

  “Just fine means my grandson’s technique needs work.”

  Catherine choked at Emma’s blunt statement and a heated flush rose up her naked body. Logan’s technique had been beyond amazing, not that it was any of his grandmother’s business.

  Catherine wondered how long it had been since anyone had given Emma a run for her money. She adored the older woman, but a lesson was in order.

  “You know, you’re right,” Catherine said. “Maybe it was the long drive or the run through the rain, but he just wasn’t up to what I’m sure is his normal… potency.”

  Emma coughed. And Catherine realized the bathroom door had already opened, in time for Logan to have caught the end of the conversation. He stood by the bed, his jeans riding low on his narrow waist, a towel hanging over his shoulders, and an eyebrow raised in blatant disbelief.

  “Emma,” Catherine mouthed, pointing to the phone.

  Logan placed a finger over his lips and motioned for Catherine to hand him the cell. She nodded and did as he asked. He hit the speaker button.

  “You do realize sometimes men aren’t up to snuff their first time with a woman, but I’m sure it’ll get better, dear.”