Carly Phillips – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Carly Phillips – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:14:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Carly Phillips – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Just a Little Tempted (Sterling Family Crossover #3) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/just-a-little-tempted-sterling-family-crossover-3-read-online-carly-phillips Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:14:50 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/just-a-little-tempted-sterling-family-crossover-3-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Erotic Authors: Carly Phillips Series: Sterling Family Crossover Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)

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I never meant to fall for my boss.

When I was hired to be Simon’s assistant, everyone warned me he was impossible—brilliant, demanding, and obsessed with control. But after surviving two months of his rules and grumpy attitude, I’ve learned how to manage my boss. Maybe it’s my chaotic upbringing or the fact that I desperately need this job, but I can’t ignore the moments when his guarded edges soften… even if he pretends they don’t.

Then one nervous slip in front of a major client turns into a fake relationship neither of us can back out of. Now I’m Simon’s “girlfriend,” attending dinners, traveling for meetings, and sharing far too much close proximity with the man I’m not supposed to want. Pretending to belong to him shouldn’t feel real—but it does. And the hardest part isn’t keeping up the lie. It’s realizing I’m falling for him for real.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Simon

“You’re fired.”

Sarah’s eyes went wide, her jaw dropping open. She’d been my assistant for all of three weeks, so I’d hoped she’d take the news without much fuss. But the outrage twisting her features told me I’d miscalculated. She was going to make a scene.

“Is this a joke?” Fire flashed in her eyes.

I couldn’t fathom what part of this she imagined I’d find amusing. I folded my arms across my chest and let my gaze go hard. “No. Gather your things and leave your parking pass on the desk.”

I turned toward my office, but she recovered fast, darting around her desk to plant herself in my path. If looks could kill, the one she leveled at me would have dropped me where I stood.

“You can’t just fire me,” she said, her voice sharp with anger. “I’ve been a great assistant—”

“You were adequate at first.” I cut her off, my patience already thinning. “But your performance lately has been less than impressive. I gave you a list of tasks this morning. You’ve completed half of them.”

She rolled her eyes, and any flicker of doubt I might have had about letting her go vanished. I couldn’t trust someone who couldn’t finish the work and then got defensive when I called them on their incompetence.

“That list was ridiculous,” she shot back. “It was too much. I tried to tell you that, but of course you didn’t listen. You’re too much of an unreasonable tyrant.”

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard a variation of that. You’re too demanding. You’re mean. You’re impossible to work with. You’re bossy.

That last one always grated. I was the boss. I signed the paychecks, and I expected results in return. I had standards for my assistants. There was nothing wrong with that.

And yet every assistant I’d let go lately seemed to agree on one point: I was the problem.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. Staying professional while someone insulted me took effort, but I refused to let my temper get the best of me. “If you find me to be such an unreasonable tyrant, then surely you’ll agree this job isn’t a good fit. Please leave.”

It wasn’t a request. We both knew it. I stepped around her and into my office, and the moment the door clicked shut behind me, the ranting began. Her commentary on my character was colorful and loud enough that Liam, my brother and business partner here at Powers Investment Group, was guaranteed to catch every word from his office across the hall.

Of course he was in today. He spent most of the week at GalvaTech, the electronics company we’d invested in a few months back. Any other day, there would have been no witnesses. Today, naturally, there would be.

Sarah was gone within fifteen minutes. Liam gave me five more before he walked into my office without knocking, his mouth set in a frown.

I was halfway through the quarterly report from one of last year’s investments, and I stubbornly kept my eyes fixed on the columns of numbers on my screen, hoping that if I looked busy enough, he’d take the hint and leave me alone.

Instead, he dropped into one of the chairs across from my desk. So much for wishful thinking.

“So.” He drew the word out. “That one lasted what—three weeks? Slightly longer than the last one, at least.”

I lifted my gaze from the computer screen. His jaw was set, his eyes narrowed a fraction, like I was a puzzle he’d given up trying to solve. He exhaled a heavy sigh and crossed his arms. Liam wasn’t a lecturer by nature, but everything in his posture said one was heading my way.

I leaned back in my chair and managed a shrug. “You and the staff have a bet going on or something? What’s the difference if she lasted three weeks or three days?”

Liam groaned and dragged a hand through his dark hair. “Please don’t fire someone after three days. That’s insane.”

“I was exaggerating,” I said, though I didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Were you?” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Because lately it seems like you can’t hang on to an assistant at all.”

“It’s not my fault if they aren’t up to the job.”

“It is your fault if you’re impossible to work for.” He said it gently, which somehow made it land harder.

I let out a laugh that was completely devoid of humor. “Is this supposed to be tough love from my big brother?”

“This is concern from your business partner.”

Irritation settled over me. “And as my business partner, I’d think you’d appreciate that I have such high standards. I’m trying to elevate this company by demanding excellence. That’s not a flaw.”

Liam shook his head. “You’re purposefully setting expectations that are difficult to meet. That’s different.”

I held his stare and said nothing. I wasn’t going to repeat myself. After everything we’d been through, he knew where the standards came from. If demanding excellence made me difficult, then the problem wasn’t the standard—it was that I hadn’t found anyone who could rise to it. Someone who’d work hard. Someone who thrived under pressure instead of folding beneath it. Someone I could trust.

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Advertisement Rock Me (Bodyguard Bad Boys #1) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/rock-me-bodyguard-bad-boys-1-read-online-carly-phillips Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:14:18 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/rock-me-bodyguard-bad-boys-1-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Bad Boy, Erotic, Insta-Love Authors: Carly Phillips Series: Bodyguard Bad Boys Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >58

Bodyguard Bad Boys… Sexy, hot, and oh-so-protective!

I’m a pop star on the verge of everything I’ve ever dreamed of—until a threat puts me in danger and brings Ben Hollander back into my life.
My reluctant bodyguard. My protector. And the man from my past I’ve never forgotten.
Ben has one rule: never mix business with pleasure.
Too bad the chemistry between us is impossible to ignore.
With danger forcing us together, old feelings turn into something hotter, deeper, and far more complicated. Ben is determined to keep me safe without risking his heart, but some lines are meant to be crossed.
And once the threat is gone, I’ll face an even bigger choice.
The fame I’ve worked so hard to achieve…
Or a second chance at love with the man I never stopped wanting.

Perfect for readers who love protective bodyguards, pop-star heroines, second chances, forced proximity, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard.

*This title has been re-edited into first person point of view, but the story is the same as the original

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Ben

There are benefits to working for Alpha Security, I think, as I throw the dart at the board in the company game room, nailing the bull’s-eye on the first try.

“Score,” I mutter, smirking at Jared Wilson, the colleague and friend I am playing with.

“Son of a bitch,” the other man says. “At this rate, I’m going to be broke.”

I shrug. The guy should know better than to wager with me. I am a crack shot at shooting range practice we attend together on occasional weekends.

“I don’t know why you bother playing him,” Ava Talbott, the female bodyguard in our group, says. “He kicks your ass every time.”

“Because I’ve been practicing.” Jared picked up a dart, took aim, and hit right outside the coveted inner circle, groaning at his near miss.

Ava snickers. “Obviously not enough.” She snags a fry off his plate and walks away. Jared doesn’t tear his gaze away from her ass as she leaves, heading for the table laden with food.

“Enough games. Time to meet up.” The booming voice of our boss, Dan Wilson, echoes through the game room in the offices of Alpha Security.

We make our way to the conference room where Dan discusses cases and hands out assignments. We are missing the other members of the staff, Tate Shaw and Austin Rhodes, who are out on assignment.

We file into the room where Dan has already taken up lead position at the head of the table. When not working, our boss is a big believer in blowing off steam during off hours, hence the game room with the pool table, dart board, and during lunch, an endless supply of eats. Located in the Whitestone area of the Bronx, there is no better bodyguard agency to work for in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

“Okay, kids, time for new assignments,” Dan says.

I do my best to hold back a laugh. Dan considers all of his employees his children of sorts, although Jared is the only legitimate child of Dan’s in the room. Still, he practically raised Ava from the time she was a lost teen whose mother was more interested in drugs than in her only kid. Dan stepped into the role of parent, and though Jared and Ava have coexisted in the same house, the friction between them now isn’t that of siblings.

There is sexual tension there, pure and simple. Except it isn’t, because neither is willing to acknowledge it. At least so far.

“Sit,” Dan directs, pointing to the chairs around the table.

We do as we are told, glancing up at the man who brought us into his business and pays us well. Standing before us wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button-down shirt, he is every inch the professional face of the security and bodyguard firm.

Dan begins speaking immediately, giving us an update on where each team member is or will be headed. “A lot of our assignments are status quo. Tate’s in L.A., and the assignment was extended. Austin’s tied up with the governor who’s had threats leveled against him.”

“What do you have for us?” Ava asks.

“Slow down, little girl,” he says, using the affectionate endearment that always causes her to cringe—because she is a grown woman now. “I need you to meet with a new client. A mother who’s worried her ex will come after her kid. She wants a female so her daughter isn’t completely freaked out.” He tosses a file Ava’s way. All the preliminary information she needs will be included.

“Consider it done.” Ava tucks her hair behind her ear and begins to peruse the papers.

“Jared, you’ve been requested by a repeat client.” He hands the folder to his son. “And that leaves Ben.”

I roll my shoulders, leaning my elbow on the table. “Let me have it, boss.”

“You might not be so eager when you hear what it is, but keep in mind, we are out of options. Everyone’s on another assignment.” Dan eyes me with a healthy dose of an apology in his gaze followed by his tough-shit look.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. “What’s going on?”

“A little show-and-tell is in order for this assignment,” Dan says, gesturing to the screen behind him. He pulls out his computer and taps a few keys.

Up pops a photograph of Jade Glow, one of the world’s most popular contemporary recording artists in the world. “Jade Glow needs an opening act for her fall tour and couldn’t decide between two up-and-coming singers. Her solution? To give both women a chance to build their star power while she waits, watches audience reaction, and makes a decision.”

Dan chooses his words carefully. He always does. Which is why the words star power stand out like a beacon to me. Four years ago, I was a security guard on the set of the hit television show of the same name, where I met, fucked, and then proceeded to be fucked over by one of the show’s up-and-coming stars.

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Advertisement Tempt Me (Bodyguard Bad Boys #2) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/tempt-me-bodyguard-bad-boys-2-read-online-carly-phillips Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:14:10 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/tempt-me-bodyguard-bad-boys-2-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Bad Boy, Erotic, Insta-Love Authors: Carly Phillips Series: Bodyguard Bad Boys Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >57

The single dad and the nanny…

After my ex’s betrayal, I’ve sworn off women and relationships.
My daughter is all that matters.
Then I hire Mia Atwood as her live-in nanny.
She’s beautiful, caring, and far too tempting for a man determined to keep his hands to himself. I tell myself she’s off-limits. That she works for me. That getting involved with her would complicate everything.
But living under the same roof makes ignoring the attraction between us impossible.
And when Mia’s past comes back to threaten her, keeping my distance is no longer an option.
She needs someone she can trust.
Someone who will stand between her and the danger closing in.
I intend to be that man.
But somewhere between protecting Mia and giving in to the desire we’ve both been fighting, everything changes.
Because I’m not just falling into bed with my daughter’s nanny.
I’m falling for her.
And this time, I’m willing to risk everything for the woman who tempts me beyond reason.

Perfect for readers who love single dads, live-in nannies, forced proximity, forbidden attraction, protective heroes, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard.

*This title has been re-edited into first person point of view, but the story is the same as the original

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Mia

The afternoon sun shines through the windows in the warm, cozy kitchen. I hold Bailey Rhodes’ little fingertips in one hand and carefully paint the six-year-old’s nails, trying my best to keep the color off the child’s skin.

“So tomorrow you start first grade. Are you ready?” I ask my small charge.

Bailey looks up at me with her father’s big brown eyes. “I’m ’cited. Lisa’s in my class but Callie isn’t.” She pouts as she reminds herself of that fact. “And Lisa said Josh Rockman is with us.” She wrinkles her small nose. “Eew. He’s gross so I hope he isn’t sitting near me, but his last name starts with an R, too. So maybe he is. He used to be at the table across from me in Ms. Diamond’s class,” the little chatterbox says.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. “I’m sure Josh isn’t gross, Bailey.”

“He’s a boy,” Bailey says, drawing out the word with a negative tone, as if that fact explains everything.

I wave my hand over the polish, hoping to help it dry before Bailey is off to play and smudges my work. “All finished, but can you sit for a few minutes so it dries?”

“Yeah.” Bailey holds up her hands and grins, a nearly toothless smile because she lost her front teeth and they’ve only just begun to grow in. So. Cute. “Can I watch TV?” she asks.

“I have to get dinner ready, so I’ll put it on in the family room.” I gesture to the room across from the kitchen with a completely open view of the sofa and television from where I will prepare the evening meal.

“Wait. I’ll put some oil on your nails to help them set.” I apply the oil, then lead Bailey to the sofa in the family room. “How about you keep your hands right here?” I place them palm-down on Bailey’s thighs, turn on her favorite show, and hope it keeps her occupied while the polish dries.

For the last three months, I’ve been a live-in nanny for Bailey, hired by the child’s single father, Austin Rhodes. He lives in Connecticut, wanting his daughter to grow up in the suburbs, in a house with neighbors and a backyard in which to play. There is no Mrs. Rhodes in the picture. My employer didn’t explain except to say he has sole custody… and I haven’t asked questions.

I have enough in my own work background he hasn’t pushed hard about when hiring me. My last job wasn’t a cakewalk. My employer was into shady dealings, and I heard too much, learned things I had to report to the authorities and testify about at trial.

Austin only cared that I stepped up and did the right thing in the courts, and he had no problem hiring me. He didn’t care about the details. Of course, I’m not stupid. He is a bodyguard with access to all sorts of information, so he probably found out the particulars on his own. As for the elusive one-time Mrs. Rhodes, Bailey never mentions her mom, either, but when it comes to Austin, I can’t help but wonder why any woman would let him go.

Not going there, I remind myself before my thoughts can drift to the man who keeps himself in shape courtesy of a downstairs gym and who has well-defined muscles and sexy tattoos. He also possesses a chiseled face with a strong chin and full lips, jet-black hair, longer on top, and a constant, sexy scruff of a beard. And before I let myself linger on him any longer—I am only human, after all—I push my wayward thoughts away.

He has no place in my mind. During my work as a nanny, I’ve come into contact with men who thought I was available for extracurricular activities as well as child care, something that both offends and upsets me. These men were married, for one thing, and I never want to be that cliché, the nanny who has an affair with her wealthy employer. Even if, in this case, he is single. Thank goodness Austin isn’t one of those men. He always treats me with distant kindness and respect.

“Mia, I messed a nail,” Bailey calls out, interrupting my thoughts long before I even start prepping dinner.

I shake my head and laugh. “Come on over and I’ll fix it.”

Before Bailey can make her way back to the kitchen, the state-of-the-art alarm system beeps, alerting me to the fact that Austin—he insists I call him by his first name or else he’ll think I’m talking about his father—is home.

He walks in through the garage side door as he does every evening he doesn’t have an assignment that keeps him out odd hours.

“Daddy!” Bailey squeals and runs to her father, who scoops her up before she can barrel into him.

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Advertisement Protect Me (Bodyguard Bad Boys #2) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/protect-me-bodyguard-bad-boys-2-read-online-carly-phillips Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:14:02 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/protect-me-bodyguard-bad-boys-2-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Bad Boy, Erotic, Insta-Love Authors: Carly Phillips Series: Bodyguard Bad Boys Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >34

I’ve spent my entire adult life in a lab chasing breakthroughs instead of adventures. Saving lives is what I do. Having one? That’s never been my strong suit.
Then my lab is broken into and it’s clear someone will stop at nothing to steal the pharmaceutical formula I’ve spent years creating.
With nowhere else to turn, I run to the only man I trust to keep me alive.
Shane Landon.
My brother’s best friend. My first heartbreak. The gorgeous, infuriating bodyguard I never truly got over.
Finding him naked in his outdoor shower is embarrassing enough.
Realizing he still looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world is even worse.
Now Shane is determined to keep me close as we race to my reclusive mentor—the one person who holds the final piece of the formula someone is willing to kill for.
The closer we get, the more dangerous the hunt becomes.
And the harder it is to ignore the sparks between us.
Shane has always put the job first. Protecting me is just another assignment… until it’s not.
Because somewhere between running for our lives and sharing one impossible temptation after another, the line between duty and desire disappears.
If we survive the people hunting us, we might finally get the second chance we’ve spent years denying ourselves

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Talia

I mentally run through my to-do list, pleased with the outcome. Laundry folded and waiting to be put away. Dishwasher unloaded. All other household tasks complete with the afternoon to spare. I rarely take more than one day off a week from my job at Newton Laboratories, so chores tend to pile up.

Not that I have anything else to do. Work comes first, and it usually leaves little time for anything… or anyone else. I’m not complaining. I happily live and breathe my research.

I carry the full laundry basket into the bedroom, placing it on the bed just as my cell phone rings. My assistant’s name flashes on the screen, and I answer his call.

“Hi, Chris.”

Christopher Eldridge is the best assistant I’ve ever had. He works the same long hours I do without complaint and is as dedicated to our current research as I am. Although my reasons are more personal.

“Chris?” I say again when he remains silent, only the sound of breathing on the other end.

“I’m at the lab, and something’s wrong,” he says in a hushed whisper that isn’t at all like his normal moderate tone.

I narrow my gaze. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Someone else is here, and everything is—” Dead silence follows.

“Chris?” I ask again, but the call obviously was cut off.

That is odd, I think, nerves prickling along my skin. It isn’t unusual for Chris or me to go into work on a Sunday, but his low, raspy voice and the panicked tone, along with the insistence that something is wrong, aren’t normal at all.

I wish I wasn’t so paranoid, but I come by it naturally. My mentor, Dr. Jonah Goodwin, was suspicious to the extreme, and he hammered into me the need to take precautions with every experiment and piece of work I am involved in. Especially now that I’ve had success at last. It is that sense of caution and unease that has me hitting redial and calling Chris back.

Twice.

But voicemail picks up immediately each time.

I hang up and tap the phone on the edge of the rubber basket, more than a little concerned. Is something wrong with our work? Could it be a problem with the last of the experiments we worked on before finalizing the formula? Possible, but he also said someone is there… nothing makes sense.

I bite down on my lower lip and decide to head over to the office and see what is going on for myself. Leaving my laundry on the bed, I grab my bag off the counter, pick up my keys and entry card, and climb into my car.

I live in an apartment close to the lab in the Arts District in downtown Dallas, and on a Sunday, I make it to the building, also downtown, in no time. The parking lot is nearly deserted, which I expect on the last day of the weekend. I see Chris’s Prius in his usual spot, but there is no sign of my assistant.

I pull my car to an empty location near the door and rush inside, expecting to find the security guard at his usual post, but his seat is empty. Damnit. I wanted him to accompany me to the lab, in case something really is wrong, as Chris said.

I glance around, but other than the tall potted plants lining the glass entryway, I am alone. Which can be explained by a possible bathroom break for the guard…if I ignore the tingling inside me that began with Chris’s panicked, dropped call.

I have to see for myself. I swipe the card that lets me past the metal barriers and head into the elevators that take me to the fourth floor, where my lab is located. The doors open to a quiet, empty floor. This is never a busy hallway during the week, so the silence doesn’t alarm me on the weekend.

I round the corner and reach my workshop. I glance through the window and am struck dumb by the sight. My computers on the countertops are gone. Experiment tables with microscopes and other equipment for my research, missing. Stark white walls and clean countertops gleam through the glass, mocking me.

My heart begins to pound hard in my chest, and I debate what to do. Chris is nowhere to be found, and suddenly going inside the lab doesn’t seem smart, so I back away from the door, just as the elevator around the corner dings.

A man’s voice sounds from around the corner. “I know she’s here. Maybe I can trap her in the lab.”

Shit. I have to get out of here. I start down the hall, in the opposite direction from the elevators, checking over my shoulder as I make my way to the stairwell. I push open the door just as the man’s voice sounds again.

“No, I don’t see her yet.”

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Advertisement Always Sexy Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/always-sexy-read-online-carly-phillips Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:01:09 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/always-sexy-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love Authors: Carly Phillips Advertisement

Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >30

She’s a single mom chasing a better life.
I’m a professor trying to rebuild mine.
One kiss could destroy us both.

After a false accusation nearly ended my career, I’ve spent years clawing my way back. Tenure is finally within reach—proof that my reputation is clean and my past is behind me.

Then she walks into my classroom.

A gorgeous blonde with endless legs, sharp eyes, and a smile that makes it impossible to think straight.

Amber Davis is smart, determined… and completely off-limits.

Because she’s my student.

As a single mom working toward a better future, she can’t afford scandal. And after everything I’ve been through, one rumor could end my career for good.

But the pull between us is impossible to ignore.

One stolen kiss becomes another.
One secret becomes something deeper.

We both know the risk.

If anyone finds out, it will ruin us.

But the most dangerous truth?

The rumors are real.

Perfect for readers who love forbidden professor/student romance, single mom heroines, reformed billionaire heroes, workplace and campus romance, high-stakes secret relationships, sizzling tension, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

* Formerly titled Sexy Love, previously released as a 1001 Dark Nights novella. This title has been re-edited into first person point of view and has a new cover, but the story is the same as the original

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Amber

I insert the key into the lock and open the door to my new home, a simple one-story ranch that represents a whole new life in a brand-new state.

“Surprise!”

I jerk back, startled, as I realize the most important people in my life are here to greet me.

“Uncle Landon!” My ten-year-old son, L.J., dashes past me and runs into his uncle’s arms. Landon’s twin, Levi, who passed away before I knew I was pregnant, was L.J.’s father.

Standing beside Landon are Tanner Grayson and Jason Dare, my son’s other godparents, the men who made it possible for me to purchase this house with their generosity. When I look at these three men, who I’ve known for the last ten years, I see three handsome, accomplished guys who worked hard to get where they are in life. Who overcame pain and hardship and stuck together through it all, including me in their long-term, deep friendship. They are like brothers to me and uncles to my son. With their brown hair in varying shades and muscular forms, at a glance they could be brothers, although on inspection, each has their own distinctive look. They only recently found their own happily ever afters, and I am so thrilled for them all.

“Welcome home,” Jason says, pulling me into a hug, then passing me to Tanner and then to Landon, who still has his arm around his nephew.

“Can I go check out the rest of the house?” L.J. asks.

I nod, looking around the still-empty space. The movers will be here later this afternoon. “Go for it.”

He dashes off, the echo of his footsteps and shrieks of excitement bouncing off the walls and making me smile.

“What are you guys doing here? You’re supposed to be in Manhattan.” And in a little while, Landon’s parents, L.J.’s grandparents, are due to arrive and take him to the city for his summer adventure, leaving me ready to start one of my own.

“We decided to surprise you. Help you unpack and move in,” Landon says with a grin. He’s always been easygoing, even after the tragedy that befell all of us.

They never fail to do right by me, and I smile. “You didn’t have to drop everything for me. You already helped enough, lending me the money to buy this place.” Something I feel guilty about already.

“Giving you the money,” they all say at the same time.

I shoot them a glare. They all know how important it is for me to be independent just like I understand why they feel obligated to help me. Not just because Levi was Landon’s twin but because all three men were there the night he died in a tragic college hazing incident when the guys were freshmen, and I was a sophomore, and they feel guilty for not being able to prevent his death.

I discovered I was pregnant while I was grieving, but the guys were always there for me. As have Landon’s mom and dad, Carrie and Samuel Bennett, as well as my own parents, Lydia and John, in Florida. When I quit college, packed up, and moved home, they stepped in to help me raise my son.

“Mom, look at the size of my room!” L.J. calls to me.

Laughing, I shoot the guys a warning look and head toward the hallway leading to the two bedrooms in the house, hearing their footsteps behind me.

“Do you like it?” I ask from the doorway of the room across from my own.

“It’s going to be cool. You said we could paint it blue, right?”

“Light blue,” I remind him. I don’t want a dark-looking tomb for my son’s bedroom.

“Can I get a Spiderman Fathead?” he asks of the life-size removable wall decal he’s been asking for … for what feels like forever.

“Of course—oomph.”

I shove my elbow into Tanner’s side as he answers without asking me.

I’ve been saving to buy it and have already decided the superhero will be on L.J.’s wall when he returns from his trip in a few weeks.

“We’ll see,” I say, ruffling his hair. I want the gift to be a surprise.

“Stop spoiling him,” I mutter under my breath to the guys.

Just because they own a hugely successful nightclub in Manhattan and can afford whatever they want doesn’t mean I will take advantage. I already feel guilty for how much they are doing for me now, paying for this house and my classes. But I desire to make a better, more secure life for L.J., and borrowing money allows me to get my degree in education and hopefully a minor in business.

I’ve already been taking classes part-time at home in Florida, and I need the ability to complete my studies more quickly and obtain a job that gives me summers off for my son. The guys have offered their financial help for a while. I’ve just been too proud, reluctant, and scared to accept.

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Advertisement Falling for Trouble (Dare to Fall #1) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/falling-for-trouble-dare-to-fall-1-read-online-carly-phillips Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:21:23 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/falling-for-trouble-dare-to-fall-1-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Forbidden, Suspense Authors: Carly Phillips Series: Dare to Fall Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)

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Brother’s Best Friend • Forbidden Romance • Billionaire Protector • Miami Heat • A Dare Family Series Story

He’s the bad boy my family warned me about—and the one man I can’t have.

I just landed the job of my dreams—planning the Miami Thunder football team’s anniversary celebration—and I can’t afford distractions. Especially not tattooed billionaire and reformed troublemaker Lucas Carras. He exudes alpha-hero intensity, but he’s been off limits for as long as I’ve known him.

But the kickoff party is happening at the nightclub he co-owns with my brother… and with my sibling out of town, I’m stuck working with Lucas.

Forced proximity ignites the desire we’ve both been pretending doesn’t exist. From bedrooms to storage rooms, the scorching tension causes us to cross every line we swore we wouldn’t. On paper, we’re complete opposites. In reality, the chemistry is undeniable.

This party is everything I’ve worked for—my moment to prove myself. Until the sabotage starts.

Orders vanish. Vendors back out. Someone is determined to ruin the anniversary… and my reputation along with it.

Suddenly Lucas isn’t just a distraction. He’s my protector, my anchor, and the only man I trust to stand by my side.

But when my brother finds out about us, family drama explodes. And I’m torn between being the good girl who plays by the rules... and falling for trouble.

Perfect for fans of Carly Phillips and high-heat sports romance, Falling for Trouble features a possessive hero, high-stakes suspense, and a guaranteed HEA

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Rainey

It’s past eight p.m. and I stare at my phone, willing the damn thing to ring, but it remains silent.

Calm down, I tell myself.

Either Golden Palm Events, the company I co-own with my best friend, Kaylee Martin, will win the bid for the Miami Thunder football team’s 50th anniversary celebration or we won’t. But I need the stress of not knowing to end. We were assured an answer tonight, so we wait. Even Ashlynn, our receptionist, has gone home for the day.

“You do realize watching your phone won’t make it ring faster?” Kaylee asks, as she sits at her desk, calmly drinking from her water bottle.

My stomach isn’t just swirling in anticipation, it’s rumbling with hunger, yet I’m too nervous to eat. “Winning this bid could put us on the map,” I remind her. Not to mention give us badly needed positive press so we can finally put the past behind us.

My partner runs a hand through her blonde, highlighted hair and tucks a few strands behind her ear. “We’re doing very well as it is. Do I want this job? More than anything, but it isn’t worth the stress you’re putting on yourself. Besides, did you forget your father owns the team?”

I shake my head because nepotism is the last reason I want this job. “That is exactly why I told him I want us to earn this opportunity on merit, or I don’t want it at all. Besides, it’s not just up to my dad, it’s a group decision. And even if we legitimately get the opportunity to handle the Thunder’s anniversary events, there are those who will scream preferential treatment anyway.” I’ll just have to work extra hard to prove myself.

Something I’ve been doing ever since being publicly accused of acting unprofessionally by a disappointed client who’d destroyed our reputation on social media and in the business circles where we want to work. In truth, the gentleman—and I use that term loosely—had been impossible to please and nothing I did for his event satisfied him.

Kaylee sighs. “People suck. Especially Gregory Atwater. But forget about the past. You must admit we nailed the Thunder presentation.”

In front of my father, the general manager, the coach, and the head of PR, we gave a demonstration of our ideas for the season-long campaign. Even I can admit it was our best presentation to date. “We did an amazing job and no matter what happens, I’m proud of us.”

“Me too,” Kaylee says with a smile. “And don’t worry about anyone claiming nepotism because we’ll do such a great job, they’ll forget your father is Ian Dare.”

Unable to help myself, I snort. “Nobody will ever forget I’m Ian Dare’s daughter.” Don’t get me wrong, I love both of my parents. My mom and I are super close, and I’ve always been a daddy’s girl. Until it came to building my business.

Golden Palm Events is my pride and joy, and Kaylee and I have always been determined to make it in the corporate event planning world on our own and not thanks to my family name. The Dares are huge in football circles and not only because my father owns the team. My uncle Alex used to be the star quarterback for the Tampa Breakers, the Thunder’s biggest rivals. Alex and my dad now work together on concussion protocol, CTE, and preparing young rookies for post-football life. Not to mention most of my family has worked or still works for the Thunder in some capacity. Every one of my relatives has offered to refer our business to their friends.

I politely refused. I’m lucky enough to have a trust fund that gave me the start-up money but everything else came from hard work and dedication, not family connections. Even after the initial social media hit that nearly destroyed us, we’re accomplishing our goal. We already have a stellar list of clients, but there is no denying this party would put us at the top.

“Who else pitched?” Kaylee asks. “Do you know?”

I have inside connections and information thanks to Aunt Olivia and Uncle Dylan, who both work in the front office. I think about the names she gave me. “Angela Gunn pitched ideas, but she’s a force in wedding and social party planning, not corporate events. Maybe she’s looking to expand, but she doesn’t have the résumé or the experience we do.”

Kaylee nods. “I agree. I assume Blaire Reynolds put in a bid?”

I groan as I reply. “She did.” Blaire owns what I can only call our biggest rival company.

No matter the opportunity, Sun Coast Events, Blaire’s business, is always up against us. More often than not, we win based on our talent. I can only hope it’s the same with the Thunder account.

I pace the room while Kaylee texts on her phone and the minutes drag by. Finally, I turn to her. “I’m going to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right—”

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Advertisement Just One Wish (The Kingston Family #6) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/just-one-wish-the-kingston-family-6-read-online-carly-phillips Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:28 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/just-one-wish-the-kingston-family-6-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love Authors: Carly Phillips Series: The Kingston Family Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)

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Second Chance Romance • Rockstar Hero • First Love • Small-Town Reunion • Forced Proximity • He Falls First

Tara Stillman was my first love.
And I was hers.
We broke up to chase our dreams—hers steady and close to home, mine loud and far away.

I became a world-famous drummer.
She became a veterinarian.
Years later, I’m scrolling social media and realize we’re both in the Hamptons. Same town. Same summer. That’s not coincidence—it’s fate daring me to try again.
So I borrow my friend’s dog and walk into Tara’s office like I never left.
Seeing her brings everything rushing back—the history, the longing, the way she still feels like home.
I lost her once chasing the wrong dream. I’m not making that mistake again.
I want a second chance with the woman who got away.
And this time, I’m not letting her go.

Just One Wish is a sexy, emotional romance featuring a devoted hero, a second chance, and the kind of first love that never really dies.
Originally published as part of 1001 Dark Nights. Same story, new cover

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Axel

I adjust my sunglasses and lean back against a lounge chair, grateful for the first warm, summerlike day in June in the Hamptons. Xander Kingston’s dog, Bella, sits by my side.

An extra pair of glasses lies on the table beside me. I pick them up and prop them over the golden retriever’s eyes. “There you go, girl. That’s better, isn’t it?” I pat her on the head, and she stretches out on the ground, leaving the glasses in place.

I tip my head up to the sky and close my eyes, enjoying the heat on my face. As a California kid, my first winter in New York was a huge adjustment. I moved here last summer when I became the drummer for the Original Kings and spent the first couple of months bunking at the lead singer Dash Kingston’s house.

I learned fast that the band is a tight-knit bunch, all living in Dash’s home. Until a baby scare with a groupie put Dash in need of a fake girlfriend to fix his reputation, and my sister, Cassidy, played the role.

Now Cassidy and Dash are married, having wed in front of family and friends this past winter. I rented a house nearby, as did Jagger, the guitar player, and Mac, the bassist. But all of us guys spend more time at Dash’s home studio or here at Xander’s than at our own places.

Xander complains about the fact that the band followed Dash’s lead, making his house our home away from home, but nobody believes Xander really considers us unwanted company. And Sasha, the famous actress Xander married this past spring, welcomes us, as long as we knock first.

Given the Kingston family’s dysfunctional background, courtesy of their now deceased father, the fact that four of the five siblings are settled and happy gives a guy like me hope that I’ll meet the right woman. I’m sick of the rock-star lifestyle, the parties after the shows, the groupies, and the drinking. At thirty years old, I want a partner for life.

And if I can’t find the right woman?

I open my eyes and glance down at the dog that doesn’t belong to me, giving her a long rub down her spine. “We all know the truth. You’re my girl, Bella, right?”

She lifts her head at the sound of her name.

“Quit trying to steal my dog’s loyalty.” Xander walks out of his house and joins me on the lounge chair beside me. “Why is she wearing my sunglasses?” he asks.

I figure the answer is obvious. “Because it’s sunny out, and I’m protecting her eyes.”

“Know where she wouldn’t be squinting? Inside. Because when I’m not home, that’s where she belongs.”

Xander gestures toward the house, and I shrug. “Sasha let me in and said I could relax by the pool, and you know Bella loves being with me.”

Xander rolls his eyes. “When you finally buy a house, make sure you have your own pool, okay?”

I ignore him much as Xander’s brother, Dash, would do and pick up my phone. Out of habit, I begin scrolling through my social media. I have fan pages on both Instagram and Facebook that I pay someone to run and post fan-engaging photos. But if a comment strikes me, occasionally I’ll answer. Otherwise, I leave it to the professionals.

I also have a private page from my teenage days that only friends, family, and old acquaintances can see. I don’t often check out what the people I knew in the past are up to, and I don’t need social media to tell me what my sister and friends are doing. But I’m feeling nostalgic, so I begin to scroll through the friend page for the first time in ages.

Familiar faces are displayed in my timeline. Men I knew now have wives and kids, have just gotten engaged or married, or show off newborns in their arms. It stands out how different my life is from theirs.

One other thing stands out to me. “Jesus, these guys haven’t aged well.”

“What the hell are you looking at?” Xander asks.

I glance at my friend. “Facebook. Guys I went to high school with. Half of them are bald, and the other half have huge stomachs.” I shake my head and continue to scroll through the page. “The women look good,” I say more to myself than to Xander. “Do you ever go through yours? It’s like a blast from the past.”

Xander shakes his head. “No. Not a people person,” he pointedly says.

I chuckle and don’t take offence. Annoying Xander is like the band’s favorite pastime.

Another swipe of my thumb, and a familiar brunette catches my gaze. I pause. Gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes stare at me, eyes I remember looking into mine as I eased myself inside her. She wasn’t my first, but once I asked her out, she was my only.

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Advertisement Just One Summer – The Dirty Dares Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/just-one-summer-the-dirty-dares-read-online-carly-phillips Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:24 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/just-one-summer-the-dirty-dares-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love Authors: Carly Phillips Advertisement

Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >27

Grumpy Sunshine Romance • Age Gap • Virgin Heroine • Good Girl / Bad Boy • Opposites Attract • Close Proximity

One summer. One forbidden temptation. One man who changes everything.
I’m a sheltered twenty-two-year-old virgin with a trust fund—and a future my family already decided for me.
So I run to the Hamptons for the summer to escape.
Then I meet Maddox James.
He’s ten years older. Rough-edged. A bar manager who walked away from the money and privilege I was born into. He doesn’t trust wealthy women… and he makes sure I know it.
We shouldn’t work. But we’re thrown together night after night, and the sexual tension between us is impossible to ignore.
I’m completely inexperienced.
Maddox knows precisely what he’s doing.
And he’s the one man who makes me want to learn.
Just One Summer is a sexy, emotional romance featuring a grumpy hero, a sheltered heroine, a tempting age gap, and one unforgettable summer that changes everything.

Originally published as part of 1001 Dark Nights. Same story, new cover

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Gaby

I sit in the library of my parents’ summer house, hiding out from all the stuffy guests they invited to their annual dinner party in the Hamptons. These events reek of superiority, something exhibited by my mother, Madeline, my father, Aaron, and everyone else at this event. I’m not like my friends in my social circles. Oh, I learned early on how to play the game well enough, not wanting to stand out or be lonely growing up. But I’ve never been one of them.

I escaped the party and pulled up the reading app on my phone. I’m in the middle of a steamy romance about a blue-collar guy and a runaway heiress bride who found herself stuck in a small town with a broken-down vehicle.

The author is one of my favorites, her love scenes catnip to a virgin like myself. At twenty-two, I should have given it up long before now, as did most of the girls at the private Manhattan high school I attended. I’ve been privy to many locker room conversations I wish I could unhear.

The same talks occurred between my friends at Columbia University. I graduated a few weeks earlier and wonder if I’ll keep any of those friendships, either. The men I met in college weren’t any better than the adults in the other room. In other words, full of themselves, entitled, and utterly unappealing.

I’m saving myself for the one. If that makes me a romantic, so be it, I think, turning my attention back to my book, where the sexy hero has pinned the heroine against the wall. He’s about to take her hard when the creaking sound of the library door opening interrupts my reading.

Annoyed, I look up to find Preston Barrett III standing in the entry. “There you are. Your mother sent me to see where you’d disappeared to.”

Of course, she did, since my parents are actively trying to pair me off with Preston in an attempt to cement their status with his family, and to curb my more common tendencies. Because for some reason, me enjoying painting and wanting to work instead of giving parties and playing the socialite wife is an embarrassment to them. My parents act like they’re the Vanderbilts instead of second-generation wealth.

Preston runs a hand over his perfectly styled blond hair. “You’re missing the party.”

He picks a nonexistent piece of lint off his light blue Brioni jacket that he matched with navy dress pants and a pale-blue button-down shirt. Navy drivers are on his feet. He is a mini-version of his father, Preston Barrett, Jr. And if I just happen to be name-dropping when taking in his outfit, it’s because he does it when bragging, which is often.

I lift one shoulder. “That’s the point. It was stuffy with all those people milling around and I was looking for a little privacy.” Why beat around the bush when the truth would do?

“I like the idea of privacy.” He closes the door behind him and walks across the room. When he reaches me, he braces his hands on the arms of the chair, his face too close to mine. “You’re always playing hard to get with me, Gabriella. How can we get to know one another if you’re always pushing me away?”

I breathe in and do my best not to gag or scrunch my nose in disgust. I can’t place the type of alcohol on his breath. Mixed with his expensive cologne, it’s a tear-inducing smell.

“Come on,” he says. “One kiss. You’ll see how much you like it.”

I haven’t kissed him and never will. “I need you to step away from me,” I say, my heart pounding in my chest because we’re completely alone. I doubt my mother will come looking for me when she’d be only too happy I was making time for Preston.

“Stop playing coy,” he says, annoyance in his tone. “You know we’re a done deal, right? Your parents want an intimate connection to my family bank. They won’t take no for an answer, so let’s test our compatibility,” he says and smashes his lips against mine.

“Ugh, no.” I shove his shoulders, attempting to push him off, but he’s stronger and won’t budge. Instead he thrusts his tongue in my mouth. I immediately bend my knee and jam it into his groin.

“Dammit!” He steps back, grabbing his nuts and glaring at me. “You didn’t have to do that!”

“You didn’t hear the word no!” I jump up from my seat and brush past him, rushing for the door while he, hopefully, is taking his time, rubbing his balls before returning to the party.

I run down the hall, bypassing the living area full of guests. Then, not wanting to call attention to myself, I slow as I approach the front door.

“Gabriella?”

Only one person could stop me from fleeing. I turn toward my widowed grandmother Annabelle, who is my father’s mother. Due to her debilitating arthritis, she lives with us and has her own wing in each of the family homes, where she stays with her full-time caregiver. My grandmother has been my main source of affection growing up and understands me in uncanny ways.

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Advertisement Just a Little Desire (Sterling Family Crossover #2) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/just-a-little-desire-sterling-family-crossover-2-read-online-carly-phillips Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:40:29 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/just-a-little-desire-sterling-family-crossover-2-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic Authors: Carly Phillips Series: Sterling Family Crossover Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >73

I wasn’t the type of woman who indulged in one night stands, but the irresistible Liam Powers managed to charm me right into his bed. By morning, he was gone, leaving me to wonder if our night together had been nothing more than a dream. . . until he showed up at my office a few weeks later, a wealthy investor interested in infusing cash into our struggling family business.

Liam Powers might be the man I needed to save our company, but I wasn’t about to fall for his flirtatious charm a second time. Not when I had so much to lose . . . including my heart to a man who had no intentions of settling down

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Liam

The clink of a fork against a champagne flute rang out across the ballroom, catching everyone’s attention. Conversations faded, laughter dimmed, and two hundred heads turned toward the front of the room where the maid of honor stood beaming beside Fallon, the bride, who was also my new sister-in-law.

“Hello, everyone,” the maid of honor said with cheerful enthusiasm. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Brooke, Fallon’s best friend. I’ve known her for a long time, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen her as happy as she’s been since she met Noah.”

I glanced down the table where I was seated as one of the groomsmen, my gaze shifting to my brother, Noah, as I absently swirled the champagne in my glass. His usually composed, uptight expression had softened. His eyes were on Fallon like she was the only thing in the room worth seeing. To him, she probably was. The free-spirited painter had cracked open something in my older brother that none of us knew was there. She’d been good for him. Anyone could see that, even a cynic like me.

That didn’t mean I bought into the whole happily ever after narrative.

Brooke’s speech went on, her voice growing more sentimental by the minute as she started waxing poetic about soulmates and true love and finding your other half. All the things I no longer believed in.

“Fallon and Noah might seem like opposites,” Brooke said, her voice filled with affection, “but anyone who knows them can see they fit together perfectly. So, I’d like to raise a glass to my best friend and the one person in the world who completes her. To Fallon and Noah.”

We all sipped our champagne, and I smirked at my other brother, Simon, in a way that communicated my skepticism. He shook his head, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Smart man.

We were both groomsmen, but Noah had appointed his friend, Michael, as the best man because he hadn’t wanted to choose between brothers. Whatever his reasons, I was grateful. Simon wasn’t the sentimental speech type, and I certainly didn’t believe in the forever kind of love that Brooke had talked about.

Still, I was genuinely happy for Noah. He adored Fallon, and while romantic love might not be for everyone, it brought out a side of him that was worth celebrating.

The best man’s speech came next, mercifully shorter and far less emotional. He cracked a few well-aimed jokes about Fallon being the only person capable of removing the stick that Noah used to have up his ass, drawing laughter from everyone, then wished the couple well with a sincere smile.

Dinner resumed, which was gourmet and delicious. The whole wedding was a sophisticated affair. A jazz band set up in the corner of the room started playing soft, sultry notes that filled the space without overwhelming conversation.

“Lighten up,” Simon said from beside me, nudging my arm. “You look like you’re calculating the ROI on their marriage.”

His comment was comical, because if there was anyone in the world that needed to lighten up, it was him. Simon was a grump most of the time, and I would know. He wasn’t just my brother; he was my business partner in our investment firm—strategic, ruthless, brilliant, and a complete pain in the ass. I knew how controlling and cantankerous he could be, both in his personal life and in business. But our dynamic worked because we balanced each other out; his control-freak tendencies versus my easygoing pragmatism.

“You know weddings bring out the worst in me,” I said, swirling the last of the champagne in my glass.

Understanding flashed in Simon’s eyes. We didn’t discuss what happened with Ivy. It was an unspoken rule in our family. My brother might have believed I was over it, but I doubted I ever would be. I hated how much power that one incident still had over me and my ability to commit again to any woman.

“It’s been three years,” Simon said quietly, his tone careful. Not pushing…just observing.

I stiffened. “I know how long it’s been.”

He was silent for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to stay for the whole reception, you know. Noah won’t hold it against you.”

I glanced at him, surprised. Simon wasn’t usually one to give me an out. “Really? Mr. ‘By the Book’ is telling me I can bail?”

He shrugged. “I’m saying you’ve done your duty. Stood up for Noah at the ceremony, smiled for the photos, sat through dinner and the toasts.” He paused, his voice dropping lower. “No one expects you to stay and torture yourself.”

The understanding in his tone—rare for Simon—made my chest tighten. “I’m happy for him,” I said and meant it. “I am. It’s just…”

“Hard to watch,” Simon finished when I didn’t.

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Advertisement Just One More Date (The Sterling Family #7) Read Online Carly Phillips http://www.books2020.com/just-one-more-date-the-sterling-family-7-read-online-carly-phillips Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:06:50 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/just-one-more-date-the-sterling-family-7-read-online-carly-phillips Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Insta-Love, Novella Authors: Carly Phillips Series: The Sterling Family Series by Carly Phillips
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Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >30

Leo Watson needs a pretend wife for a business Christmas party.

Could the cute barista who serves his favorite coffee drink play the part?

Camille Hendricks is willing… for a price—an interview at his sister’s PR company.

The game seems easy but their attraction is all too real.

When sexy lines are crossed, both Leo and Cammie stand to lose something more important than business.

They risk losing each other

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Snowflakes fell on Leo Watson’s wool coat as he stepped out of his car, his cell phone pressed to his ear. “Come on, Ruby. You’ll have a good time. You know I always deliver on that promise,” he said in his most seductive voice.

He usually made those kind of promises to a woman after he called them for an occasional hookup, but he was talking to Ruby for an entirely different reason this time.

“It’s not about whether I’ll have fun at your company Christmas party, Leo. It’s Christmas Eve and I’ll be having dinner with my father that night.”

He groaned as he ran a hand through his hair, his warm breath a visible cloud in the cold December air. Ruby was the third woman to turn him down for similar reasons. Apparently, all the women he casually slept with were spending the holiday with their families. Of course, his family got together too, but if a work obligation came up, they understood.

He usually had no idea how the women that warmed his bed would spend their Christmases. He rarely got to know them beyond surface-level flirtation and whispered words in the heat of the moment. He knew nothing about their lives outside of the bedroom. That might sound cold, but it worked for him. Until today, when they were all unavailable to attend his company’s party on Christmas Eve.

“I really need a date for this party. I’m so close to getting a promotion, and I know that if I can secure this last big client, it’ll be mine.”

She paused. “And what does a promotion have to do with bringing a date to a Christmas party?”

Since she didn’t understand, he decided to explain. “There’s an important potential client named Spencer McClain. He’ll be at the party, and he’s a big fan of family values. He’s made it clear he likes to work with people who feel the same way. I can’t show up to the party alone, like some carefree bachelor or he won’t take me seriously.”

“But isn’t that what you are?” Ruby asked with amusement in her voice.

He rolled his eyes. “That’s beside the point. I need a woman on my arm that I can pretend to be in love with.”

She laughed. “Sounds like you need a fake wife.”

Leo cringed at her comment. “A fake girlfriend will do, as long as I can sell the story that we’re in a serious relationship.”

“It sounds like fun, but I’m afraid I can’t help you. If it was any other night, I’d come, but like I said, I have plans.”

He glanced up at the overcast sky. “Is there anything I can do to talk you out of it?” he asked.

On the other end of the line, Ruby laughed. “Talk me out of attending my family’s Christmas Eve dinner? No, I’m afraid not. But if you want to get together sometime between Christmas and the New Year, I’d be happy to meet up for some holiday fun.” Her voice dropped an octave.

Leo made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, said he’d get back to her and ended the call. He was too focused on his current predicament to even think about a post-Christmas hookup.

Frustrated, he walked toward the door of Froth and Grind, the independent coffee shop he visited a couple of times a week. He was already looking forward to enjoying one of their seasonal specialties, the peppermint mocha latte. Maybe the tingle of peppermint would do something for the mood he was in.

He pulled open the door and was greeted by the sight of red and green Christmas decorations. Tinsel draped along the front of the counter and star shaped lights hung from the ceiling along with the Edison bulbs that usually illuminated the small shop. A thin Christmas tree stood in front of one of the exposed brick walls, complete with fake presents underneath.

Froth and Grind had been transformed for the holiday season, along with most of Manhattan. Something Leo could not relate to. With the hours he worked and his focus on a promotion, he had no time for Christmas frivolity or cheer.

The rich scent of roasted coffee beans filled the air, along with the sweeter aromas of vanilla, caramel, and of course, peppermint. It was mid-afternoon, and half the tables were full of customers sipping coffee and eating pastries. Luckily, there was no line at the counter.

The usual barista stood behind the register, her bright smile lighting up her blue eyes. He looked forward to seeing her whenever he came in. She wore a black polo shirt with the coffee shop’s logo on the left breast, and a Santa hat covered her long, blonde hair.

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