Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family #2) -Carly Phillips Page 0,18
use anything she’d designed for Linc’s business. Not with how conservative and staid his tastes ran. She’d been creating online rooms with 3D planner software, along with interactive and virtual floor plan designs.
With her supplier contacts, she’d also be able to decorate in the modern way she’d been dying to do. She’d put off having fabric and material samples sent to her until after her honeymoon. Since that wouldn’t be happening, she emailed and arranged to have everything sent here. Although she would include images, she still needed to touch and feel the quality of materials for herself.
But entering meant stepping out of her comfort zone. If she won, and that was a long shot, it meant leaving the security of her job with Linc. And despite being frustrated with his safe way of doing things, she understood why he chose that direction. After all, hadn’t she done the same thing by staying in her unfulfilling job and choosing her safe, or so she’d thought, ex-fiancé?
The slam of the apartment door jarred her out of her musings, and the muffled voices she’d heard earlier were gone. Beck’s brothers had probably left. She gave Beck some more alone time before deciding it was okay to head back to the family room.
She found him staring out one of the windows, hands in his front pants pockets. Viewing him from behind was a treat. Broad shoulders and obvious muscles bunched on his upper arms and back, his rolled-up sleeves revealed tanned skin, and though his shirt was still untucked, she had a view of his ass and the back of his strong thighs in those dark jeans.
She didn’t think she’d ever stopped to study Owen this way and knew, if she had, she’d have found him lacking in comparison.
Shaking off thoughts of her ex-fiancé, she cleared her throat to announce her presence. “Hi. Am I interrupting?”
He turned to face her. “No. I was just thinking.”
His brother had come to talk about his parents, but from the closed-off look on his face, she decided not to ask any personal questions.
“Your brothers left?” she asked.
He nodded. “And I wanted to apologize. They can be assholes.”
She laughed at that. “I have three of them, remember? I know. And there’s nothing to apologize for. They were just looking out for you. I mean, we just met last night. At least officially. I kind of remember you from the time my parents and I visited Linc in college.”
He narrowed his gaze. “How old were you? Ten?”
“Eleven. But I’m twenty-five now.” Like her brother, he was thirty-two. Seven years apart. Not that it mattered. There was nothing going on between them. “Is everything okay with your brothers?” She figured that was a simple enough question.
“They’re fine but my father’s going for a test sometime next week. He’s lost some weight and we’re all worried about him.” Beck’s jaw clenched tight, and she realized how badly this was affecting him.
Walking over, she put a hand on his forearm, her fingers coming into contact with warm flesh. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”
“Thanks,” he said in a gruff voice. “Are you all settled in?” he asked, changing the subject.
She nodded. “Except for the clothing situation, but I have personal shoppers who will be sending things over this afternoon so I’ll be set for a while. All my stuff is boxed up at my mother’s, and it was just simpler to handle it this way.”
“Do you have a plan? I know you said you’re taking this week off from work. To do what?” he asked.
“I was just thinking about that,” she murmured, not quite ready to share her dreams and fears with anyone. “And I’m unsure.”
He nodded. “Then let’s tackle something simpler. How about dinner? Want to go out or order in?”
She knew the answer without having to think. “Order in. I’m not ready to face the world.” She’d seen the gossipy mentions of her situation online and hated it.
“You got it, princess.”
She liked the nickname he’d given her, not for the name itself but the fact that he was using one.
They agreed on Chinese food, and her clothing came while they were waiting for the delivery. She hung everything in her closet, planning to try things on and get back to the stylist in the morning. At least now she had seasonal clothing to wear.
She joined Beck in the kitchen, and they shared a meal of delicious General Tso’s chicken, fried rice, pork dumplings, and she had