Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family 2)

She moaned and arched up, meeting him thrust for thrust, clasping her inner walls around his powerful erection.

“Fuck, Chloe, you feel good.” His grip on her thighs tightened, and it wasn’t long before she was soaring, her climax overwhelming her in the best possible way.

Three more thrusts and Beck’s groan shook the room as he followed her over. A few seconds of silence passed, with him still inside her, the intensity not something she could easily shake off. But she knew where things stood this time.

When Beck pulled out and headed for the bathroom, Chloe immediately pushed herself up, grabbing her dress and shoes. With luck she’d be back in her room before he emerged from the bathroom in time for a freak out.

Deciding she’d rather be covered, even for the short walk across the hall, she put her clothes on the bed and picked up his dress shirt. She pulled it on before scooping up her things again and taking steps toward the door.

“Chloe, stop.”

His husky voice compelled her to turn, holding her clothes against her chest.

“I want you to stay.” His emerald-green eyes stared at her, willing her to believe he meant it.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” For so many reasons, the most important being sleeping in his bed or cuddled in his arms would make keeping her emotional distance that much more difficult.

And it wasn’t easy as it was.

He obviously heard her, and to his credit, he paused and debated with himself. She could see the war going on behind his eyes, and she knew the minute he made up his mind. Her heart skipped a beat as he walked over, plucked her clothes out of her grasp, and tossed them on top of his jacket on the dresser.

Then he held out his arm and waited for her to take his hand.

She pursed her lips, frustrated at him for making this more difficult when a few days ago all he wanted was for her to leave and sleep across the hall. “We need to keep smart boundaries.”

His eyes gleamed with determination. “But we only have a limited time until you move out, so why deny ourselves pleasure?”

He began to lower his arm when she made up her mind, deciding he was right. “This is against my better judgment,” she muttered, accepting his invitation by placing her palm in his.

He slid his shirt off her, leaving her naked and feeling extremely vulnerable. And as they climbed back into bed and he pulled her into his arms, she promised herself she wouldn’t read more into these moments than he intended. Losing Owen and being a jilted bride had hurt her pride. Even in this short time, she knew, letting herself fall for Beck could cost her her heart.

* * *

Beck slept well and woke up with his arms around a warm female body. It wasn’t something he was used to, but he hadn’t been able to watch Chloe walk out on him again. Last time he’d driven her away, but he knew her leaving had been her attempt to keep one step ahead of him. Protect herself before he asked her to leave. But he’d been mentally prepared and had given it thought beforehand, and he trusted her to hold up her end of their temporary agreement.

He was going to need her to be strong. Faced with her wearing his shirt, the bottom hitting her thighs, the sleeves too long, and her cleavage visible, all he could think about was how right she looked. In his clothes, in his bedroom, and in his home. They were both going to have to be strong.

And he’d have to keep his heart caged in his chest. It shouldn’t be hard. He’d become an expert at keeping people at a distance.

Pushing those thoughts out of the way, he focused on the present and proceeded to wake Chloe by going down on her, something he thoroughly enjoyed doing.

To her.

And followed that up with a slower sex session than last night. Now she lay beside him in his bed. They planned to get up soon, but he was content right where he was. She’d pulled her phone from her purse and was scrolling through while he did the same, making sure no work emergencies had cropped up.

She groaned and he turned his head toward her. “What’s wrong?”

A frown etched her face. “This.” She shifted the screen of her cell toward him, revealing a photo of her ex-fiancé smiling beside a brown-haired woman with her arms around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“And this.” She took the phone back, swiped, and showed him a different picture of them standing hand in hand, looking into each other’s eyes. “Rude,” she muttered.

“Agreed.” Owen’s new woman looked like she could use a good meal, and Chloe’s ex had no shame. He’d just been a no-show at his own wedding, stood up a woman he’d supposedly cared about, and was now out and about like he’d done nothing wrong. “Why don’t you unfollow him and save yourself the aggravation?”