Just One Scandal

by Carly Phillips

  “I know it’s not the same thing, but why don’t you see how he feels about the news?” She hated seeing him so upset.

  “Thanks for trying to help. I think I’m just going to change and head to the gym to work out. I’ll feel better after I beat on something.”

  She watched him go, worried about how withdrawn he’d suddenly become.

  * * *

  A couple of days passed during which Beck waited and angsted over getting his father’s results. Everyone tried not to talk about it, but the shadow hovered over everything Beck felt and did. He spent a lot of time in the gym, punching a bag, trying to relieve his frustration that cancer could be something his family had to deal with again. At the thought, the old fear over what that meant rose inside him again.

  Back at the apartment, he often caught a worried look on Chloe’s face as she stared at him, sensing his distress. Why didn’t he just tell her he’d lost his sister to cancer, the same disease he feared losing his father to? Because he hated talking about it. When he thought or spoke about the past, the pain came back as if it were new and just as raw.

  He’d rather focus on other things he could control, and after another few days of Chloe’s moping around the house, he intended to do just that. He hoped Linc liked surprises, because he was about to get a big one.

  Beck had never seen the need for a driver and took an Uber uptown to Kingston Enterprises. He approached the main desk, gave his name and ID, and after a quick phone call, was directed upstairs to Linc’s floor.

  A receptionist led him through the office, decorated just as Chloe had said, in a staid navy and taupe, looking like many other places he’d seen. No wonder Chloe was bursting to branch out. The vibrant woman he’d seen the night of her wedding and the morning after was slowly wilting the longer she remained holed up in his apartment. And she wouldn’t get any better if she remained working with Linc.

  But first things first. He needed to prod her out of being down in the dumps. She obviously had no real plan for the future, and he figured she needed the very people she was avoiding more than she wanted to admit.

  He approached a desk, where Linc’s fiancée and personal assistant sat guarding his office.

  Catching sight of him, Jordan rose to her feet. “I have to admit I was surprised when the guard downstairs called and said you were here to see Linc.”

  “So was I.” Linc, dressed in his ever-present suit and tie, stood in the doorway. “But considering my sister is staying with you, I’m guessing we have something to talk about. Come in.” He glanced at Jordan. “Why don’t you join us. You’re just going to listen in anyway,” he said with a grin Beck knew he reserved for very few. “I take it you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all,” Beck said. It hadn’t been a question anyway.

  Beck gestured for Jordan to precede him, and they all walked into Linc’s office. Jordan took a chair. Linc leaned against his desk, arms folded in front of him.

  And Beck stood in front of him. “Well, this is cozy.”

  “Cut the crap,” Linc muttered. “What brings you here? Is Chloe okay?”

  “Yeah,” Beck answered immediately because he wouldn’t let Linc think anything was wrong with his sister. “But she’s not herself. I’m not sure I’d say she’s depressed, but she’s down for sure.”

  Linc stiffened. “How can you be sure? You barely know her,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Linc.” Jordan rose and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let him explain without biting his head off.”

  Beck flashed her an appreciative smile. “I know because Chloe hasn’t left my apartment, and she doesn’t seem to have motivation to do anything more. Even when Aurora came over, Chloe enjoyed herself, but she definitely didn’t think about going out while she was there. Maybe because they had the baby, I don’t know. But I thought you should know.”

  Linc nodded, taking in Beck’s words. “She needs her family, which is what I said from the minute that bastard left her at the altar,” he muttered.

  “But she’s an adult and made her choice to stay with me. I’m just giving you the courtesy of letting you know how she’s doing. In person.”

  A long pause followed, and Beck thought Jordan was going to have to nudge Linc to get a thanks, but he managed to speak up first.

  “Thank you,” he finally said.

  “I’m doing it for Chloe.” Beck needed to make his position clear.

  “We’ll take care of her,” Jordan said and Beck had no doubt she meant it. Linc, too.

  Like Beck and his family, the Kingstons were a tight bunch.

  His job here finished, Beck turned and walked out of the office, heading back downtown to his loft. That Chloe was there waiting made it all that much sweeter.

  Chapter Five

  Other than Aurora’s visit, Chloe had managed to hold her family off for over a solid week. And if it had been Linc who’d called asking her to meet, she could have pushed him for more time, too. Not Xander. Her marine turned thriller writer brother liked his solitary lifestyle, staying in his East Hampton home whenever he could and only coming to his Manhattan apartment when necessary.

  If Xander was asking to see her, she couldn’t say no. He suggested they meet at her mother’s estate in Brookville, which was halfway for each of them, an hour for her and actually half an hour longer for him. Leaving Beck a note so he wouldn’t wonder where she’d suddenly disappeared to when he returned from work, she called for an Uber and headed to her mom’s.

  As the car stopped at the gate, Chloe opened her window and punched in the code. The doors slowly opened, and the driver pulled up to the house she’d grown up in. Massive and with enough land for her father to dub it the Kingston Estate, this was home.

  She thanked the man and exited the vehicle, immediately taking in not just Xander’s BMW SUV but Linc’s Range Rover and Dash’s obscene Ferrari Limited Edition V12 supercar. Given his rock star status as lead singer of the Original Kings, to Dash, the sports car was pocket change. He had the kind of fame that put her little issue with social media bloggers and Page Six to shame. Surprise hit her that he was at their mother’s, too. The band should be holed up writing music and practicing the songs they had ready so they could head off on tour. Instead Dash was here along with the entire family.

  Which told Chloe one thing: She’d been set up.

  Her anger bubbled up along with a deep understanding of their concern. After all, if the situation were reversed and any one of them had been left at the altar and taken refuge with a stranger, she’d be out of her mind with worry, as well. But that didn’t mean they could manipulate her.

  The front door was unlocked, and she let herself inside, following the sound of voices to the large family room her mother had redone shortly before Chloe’s father had passed away of a heart attack.

  She stood in the wide entry, taking in the busy-looking chintz furniture covered with floral fabric and accented with dark wood. All her mother’s taste. Not Chloe’s.

  In silence, she waited until, one by one, they noticed her.

  “Honey, I’m so glad you’re home.” Her mother walked up to her and pulled her into a hug, and Chloe doubted anyone had told her mom that this was an ambush.

  “Hi, Mom.” She hugged her back, taking in her familiar scent.

  Breaking apart, she met Xander’s gaze. “You,” she said, pointing at her bearded brother, “used our relationship against me.”

  “Whoa.” He held up both hands. “All I did was ask to see my sister. With a little prodding from him.” Xander tilted his head toward Linc and Jordan groaned.

  “Can’t you keep your mouth shut?” Linc muttered.

  “What? Because it isn’t obvious that this gathering means it’s time to have a chat with Chloe?” she asked with finger quotes around the word chat.

  “I thought you all decided to come for a visit,” her mother said, her chiding gaze falling from one male child to the next.

  Linc
stepped toward Chloe. “Well, now that you’re here, can you at least understand that we’re worried about you? Holed up in Beckett Daniels’s place? You don’t even know him.” He reached out a hand to touch her arm and she jerked away.

  Chloe dropped her shoulders and much of her anger. “Of course I understand you’re concerned. I would be, too, if the situation was reversed. But the whole point of me staying with Beck is that he’s not pressuring me. I have time to think and assess my life. When things get upended, that’s what you do.”

  Dash, who’d been leaning against a far wall, stood straighter. “She deserves time to weigh her options and her life choices,” he said, and she shot him a grateful look.

  “By moping around? Not going out or leaving the apartment?” Linc asked. “I don’t call that healthy behavior.”

  Chloe narrowed her gaze. “Just how did you know that?”

  “I didn’t say a word to anyone about anything! I swear. Except relaying your message to Linc,” Aurora said, obviously afraid Chloe would think she’d mentioned something to cause this intervention after her visit.

  “I know.” Chloe softened her expression as she met her sister’s gaze. “This isn’t about anything you did.” Unfortunately she had a feeling she knew who’d actually been behind this meeting.

  And if Beck wanted her to leave, all he’d had to do was ask. He hadn’t had to go behind her back to her brother, a man he didn’t even like, to push her away.

  Hurt rose up inside her. “What did Beck say?” she asked Linc, talking over the painful lump in her throat.

  Jordan stepped forward and nudged Linc out of the way. “Go. You’ve done enough damage,” she told him. “Chloe, look. All Beck said was that he was concerned that you’re feeling down, and he thought maybe you could use a talk with your family.”

  Swallowing her sense of betrayal to deal with later, she nodded. “I appreciate that but nobody needs to worry about me. I have plans.” She sought to reassure them.

  “Like coming back to work?” Linc asked, sounding hopeful.

  “Linc, stop being so pushy. She knows you care but you’re going overboard.” Her mom glanced at Chloe and gave her a warm smile. “And what did you decide, honey?”

  Chloe rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She sighed, knowing there wasn’t much she could do but confess, and turned to her oldest brother. “I haven’t been happy with my job for a while.”

  “What? Since when?” Linc asked.

  Chloe blinked, realizing how dense men could be. They didn’t pick up obvious signals. “You know I’ve asked to branch out into more eclectic design in our more modern buildings. To be able to use my talents more. And you always shoot me down.”

  He frowned and didn’t reply right away, which meant at least he was thinking about her feelings because Linc loved her. They all did, and since Beck had instigated this get together, Chloe could understand their renewed concern.

  “I just believe in sticking to what works,” he finally said.

  Chloe sighed. “And I respect your business sense, but I need more to satisfy me.” Drawing a deep breath, she said, “I entered the Elevate Online Interior Design Professional’s Contest.” Putting herself out there wasn’t easy. Telling her family her intentions meant they would know if she failed and lost the contest. If so, she’d have to go crawling back to Linc with her tail between her legs, and that wasn’t an easy thing to face.

  Surprise lit his gaze while the rest of the family remained silent. She assumed most of them had no idea what the contest was all about, but Linc did. She’d shown him past years’ winners only to have him shrug their designs off as not the Kingston way.

  “What’s the contest about?” Aurora asked.

  Chloe knew this was the moment where she took that leap of faith by revealing her hopes and dreams. “It’s a prominent interior design contest. This year the winner not only gets a contract with the company but they’re looking for someone to run the New York branch they plan to open next year.”

  Linc stared in shock. “You’re planning to leave the family business?”

  She straightened her shoulders. “If I win, then yes.”

  Xander clapped his hands, supporting her. “Why not? I’m not part of Kingston Enterprises and neither is Dash.” After striding over, he put an arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “Neither is Aurora for that matter.”

  “But she has that option if she wants it.” He shot a warm glance Aurora’s way. “And as for you two, you have talents that took you elsewhere,” he said about Xander and Dash.

  “And I don’t?” Chloe asked, hurt by his innuendo.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that…”

  Chloe waved her hand through the air, cutting him off. “I know your intentions are good but right now you’re not helping. You’re only making things worse.”

  It was in Linc’s nature to take charge, and she loved him for being like a parent when her own father never had been. But Chloe had reached the point where she wanted to live her own life, and she desperately needed Linc to understand. Everyone else seemed to.

  She swept her gaze around the room. “I love you all and thank you for worrying. I promise if I need you, I’ll call.” Pulling out her phone, she engaged the Uber app and requested a car.

  Walking out of the room, she left them talking behind her.

  She stepped into the spring air, and knowing she had time, she sat down on the front step. Tears welled in her eyes while she waited for her ride.

  Linc wanted everyone happy but under his umbrella and terms, and for years, she’d made it easy for him to think his way was the right one. Now, though, she’d taken that first step toward independence and was petrified about what would happen if she stumbled.

  She heard the sound of the front door opening but didn’t turn to see who was joining her.

  “Hey.” Xander lowered himself beside her, stretching out his long legs on the steps leading to the bluestone path.

  “Hi.” She rested her chin on her knees.

  “You know Linc means well, right?” Xander asked.

  She shot him a surprised glance. “You’re defending him?”

  Xander groaned. “We both know he’s a little harsh in his delivery, but it’s just because he loves you. He loves all of us. And he’ll get used to you doing what’s best for you, even if it’s not what he wants. I promise.”

  She managed a smile. “I know. And I’m not really mad at him or anyone in the family.” Beck was another story.

  He pulled her into a brotherly hug. “Personally I think you’re going to kick ass in this contest, by the way.”

  “Thanks. You’re a pretty decent big brother,” she said with a laugh, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Look, I don’t know this Beck Daniels, either, but I have that huge house in East Hampton or the usually empty apartment in the city. You can stay with me and have all the privacy you want or need.”

  And if she moved out of Beck’s, she might take Xander up on his offer, something she’d decide after she had it out with her host. “Thanks. If I need you, I promise to let you know.”

  Of everyone in her family, Xander understood needing time and space the best. He had mild PTSD from his time in the marines and preferred the uncluttered Hamptons to the bustle of New York City. Everyone gave him the space he needed. Why couldn’t they do the same for her?

  They sat in silence until her car arrived and she headed home to deal with Beck.

  * * *

  Chloe had an hour-long ride back to the city to work up her anger and frustration with Beck. He should have come to her with his concern for her welfare or his desire to get rid of her as his roommate. She entered the apartment with the app he’d programmed on her phone and looked around the kitchen and the family room first, not finding the man she needed to talk to.

  She stormed to her room, put down her purse, and kicked off her shoes, noticing on the way that Beck’s door was closed. With t
he long day she’d had and all the travel and traffic, she was exhausted. She’d even had the driver stop at a fast-food place so she could grab something for dinner on her way home from her mom’s. She’d figured she needed all the energy she could get for the confrontation to come. And she didn’t plan on waiting until morning to have it.

  She stepped out of her room and across the hall, knocking on Beck’s bedroom door. “Beck, open up. We need to talk!” She banged again, her hand midair as the door flung open and Beck stood in front of her.

  He grasped her wrist before her hand, already in motion, could hit him in the chest. “Whoa. What’s wrong?”

  She’d intended to rip into him for siccing her family on her, but she hadn’t planned on the bare-chested man greeting her in gray sweats. Muscles defined his pecs and abs, biceps and triceps. Not to mention, everyone knew how much gray sweatpants revealed on a well-endowed man. Beck sported an extremely large bulge in his sweats, and at the sight of him, her mouth went dry.

  “Chloe?” he asked as he released his grip, and she lowered her hand to her side.

  Gathering herself, she straightened her shoulders and recalled the reason for her bedroom visit. “If you wanted me gone, all you had to do was say so. You didn’t have to go to my family so they’d gang up on me in an attempt to get me to come home.” Though to be fair, the only one who’d really pushed for that was Linc.

  Beck narrowed his gaze. “That’s not why I did it. You haven’t left this apartment in over a week. You’ve admitted you’re miserable in your job, and from where I stood, you had no solid plans for yourself going forward. A bright, beautiful woman like you deserved better, and given how close you are to your family, I figured they could help shake you out of the funk you’ve been in.”

  “Oh.” Her mind homed in on the words bright and beautiful, and some of her anger ebbed.

  “Yeah. Oh. And for the record, if I wanted you gone, I’d have the balls to tell you myself.” He stepped back, one hand on the doorframe. “Come in and let’s talk.”

  Suddenly she wanted to do more than talk. The idea of getting up close with this man, all that bare, hot skin pressing against her, had her hot and bothered.