Just a Little Secret, page 1
JUST A LITTLE SECRET
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS
Carly Phillips
Erika Wilde
Copyright © Karen Drogin 2023 and © Janelle Denison 2023
EPUB Edition
CP Publishing 2023
Cover Photo: Wander Aguiar
Cover Design: Maria @steamydesigns
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
He’s not just a bachelor up for auction …
He’s her sexy birthday gift for the weekend.
Georgia Brooks had no intention of bidding on a bachelor at the charity auction, but her sister has other ideas and gifts her with a man for her birthday weekend. But not just any man . . . Drew Daniels. A hot, gorgeous lawyer who makes her want to shed her good-girl image and learn all sorts of new and risqué things.
Attorney Drew Daniels is more than willing to introduce the beautiful Georgia to her naughtier side. Their weekend together is steamy and romantic . . . and it doesn’t hurt that a rival of Drew’s has his eye on Georgia, too. Stirring the other man’s jealousy is a fun side benefit.
Their tryst should have been just about pleasure, but Drew finds he’s attracted to more than Georgia’s outer beauty and he wants to keep her as his own. When Drew suggests they continue their secret affair, Georgia is too smitten to say no. Even if her parents expect her to marry her lawyer father’s right-hand man.
Georgia finds herself falling for Drew harder and faster than she could have imagined. Until she discovers he’s forced to make a choice that has the potential to break her heart.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Book
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde Booklist
About the Authors
Chapter One
Georgia Brooks stepped into the hotel ballroom, aware that tonight’s Leadership in Law awards banquet was destined to be one long snooze fest, but her parents expected her to attend, and it wasn’t in her personality to argue.
“Incoming! Georgia-seeking, heat missile arriving on the right,” her younger sister said in a low, amused tone that only Georgia could hear.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or scowl at Courtney’s outrageous comment. Laugh, because the man making a beeline her way was so damn predictable—and irritating. And scowl, because, well, Elliott Eastman was so damn predictable. And irritating.
Georgia had been prepared to deal with Elliott, knowing that as soon as she stepped into the room her father’s protégé would notice and immediately seek her out. And she’d resigned herself to playing the good girl tonight because her father was being honored, and she didn’t want to make a scene.
Sure enough, Elliott rushed over as if he’d had his eyes glued to the entrance just waiting for them to arrive so he could make his move.
Regardless of the fact that her father raved about the man who was fast becoming one of the top attorneys in his firm, his stalkerish behavior was creepy and unnerving. He’d just made junior partner, and Georgia knew Elliott had even higher aspirations…that included dating the boss’s daughter.
“If it wasn’t for Dad being up for the lifetime achievement award, I wouldn’t have come tonight, and he’s the reason,” Georgia said, trying to tamp down her annoyance as Elliott neared. “I won’t be able to enjoy myself with him hovering over me.”
“I think he’s trying to wear you down,” Courtney said as they followed their parents further into the ballroom. “Be strong, Georgia. Don’t let the fact that Mom and Dad are hoping that the two of you fall madly in love and produce a dozen babies together make you weak.”
“Oh, my God, you are so gross.” Georgia glared at her sister while desperately trying to wipe that image from her mind. “What are you? In high school?”
Courtney shrugged in that unapologetic way of hers. “You know I only speak the truth.”
Unfortunately, she did.
In all honesty, Georgia envied her sister’s outspoken attitude. Courtney was four years younger than Georgia, and she’d gone from being a precocious toddler to a rebellious, wild teenager. Even now, as a twenty-three-year-old adult, she had an impressive take-it-or-leave-it attitude that she expressed in all ways. From the pink highlights in her beach-wavy blonde hair to the gold ring in her nose and the boho chic dress she’d worn, Courtney flaunted her unconventional fashion style. In a room full of elegant cocktail gowns, including Georgia’s classic little black dress, Courtney stood out. Most impressively, at least to Georgia, she didn’t give a shit. At all.
Whereas Georgia had always been the more serious sister, the quintessential good girl who followed the rules, Courtney gleefully broke and defied them. Courtney said what was on her mind, sometimes without a filter, while Georgia kept things bottled up to prevent any friction. Her sibling was daring and fearless, the opposite of Georgia’s more cautious and conservative nature. While she admired her sister’s fearless attitude, Georgia liked herself just fine.
The problem only arose when it came to her parents. Then, being a people pleaser often came at her own expense. There had been one time Georgia had stood up for herself and she had no regrets. They’d wanted her to attend law school so she could work in her father’s law firm, but she’d followed her passion and now had a degree in non-profit management. Her parents had been appalled and acted as if she’d caused a horrific scandal when they’d caused the awful family tension.
Their disapproval had nearly crippled Georgia with guilt, especially when her father’s heart attack and triple bypass came shortly thereafter, but it was a decision that made her happy. She’d recently accepted a position with Future Fast Track, a non-profit dedicated to helping foster kids transition out of the system once they were of age. She honestly loved her job.
But despite that one act of rebellion, her parents still had certain expectations, and she was coming to realize that marrying Elliott and making him a part of their family was one of them. She was going to have to find her big girl panties once more because there was no way she could do as they wanted. The thought made her want to throw up.
Elliott finally reached them, and her father greeted his protégé with a broad smile. With Elliott’s light-brown hair and hazel eyes, even Georgia could admit he was a good-looking man, but she felt no attraction toward him. At all. His egotistical air turned her off. Add in his twin habits of coming on too strong and kissing her father’s ass, and she wanted nothing to do with him.
“Congratulations again, sir,” Elliott said, shaking Roland Brooks’ hand and holding on for too long. “I can’t think of a more deserving attorney to receive the Leadership in Law lifetime achievement award.”
“Thank you.” Her father beamed, soaking up the attention and praise. “Keep up the good work, and you’ll be the recipient yourself someday.”
Elliott smiled wide, then turned his attention to Georgia’s mother, Nina. “You look stunning tonight, Mrs. Brooks.”
Suck up, Georgia thought, but swallowed back the retort.
Her mother blushed, and Georgia wondered if she could conjure her red cheeks at command. Nina Brooks enjoyed being fawned over by a younger man. “It’s good to see you, Elliott. We must have you over to the house for dinner sometime soon.”
He gave her a nod. “I would love that.”
As Georgia expected, Elliott shifted his gaze, giving her a too-intimate stare that did nothing to stir any kind of sexual response inside her. “Of course, you look equally as lovely, Georgia. It’s such a pleasure to see you, too.” He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles in a too-possessive gesture.
She did her best not to gag as the touch of his mouth made her skin crawl. If not for her parents watching the exchange—her father with pride and her mother with hope and anticipation—she would have yanked her hand back and possibly followed with a slap across his arrogant face.
At least in her dreams, that’s what she would have done.
With no choice, she endured the unwanted attention and murmured a polite, “Nice to see you again, Elliott.”
He moved on to say hello to Courtney, the warmth in his gaze cooling. They’d met before, but her sister didn’t even pretend to be impressed by Elliott, and given her unconventional looks, he clearly felt the same way.
Courtney’s gaze flicked over his designer suit. “Don’t you look dapper t
His gaze narrowed as he obviously tried to decide if the old-fashioned term was a compliment or an insult. “Thank you,” he replied…cautiously.
“Though you do have something on your nose,” she added, and Elliot automatically rubbed two fingers over the tip before realizing what Courtney meant.
Georgia choked on a laugh at her sister calling him what he was. A brown-nosed, ass-kisser.
Georgia cleared her throat so her laugh couldn’t escape while Elliott stiffened, his face flushing in embarrassment when he realized the subtle insinuation in Courtney’s comment.
“You know, I’m sure there’s a bottle of Corona at the bar with my name on it,” Courtney said, clearly ready to separate herself, while Georgia knew she was stuck with Elliott.
“You know there are waiters walking around with glasses of champagne,” their mother said, looking horrified at the thought of her daughter strolling about with a bottle of cheap, low-class beer at a high-society banquet.
Her sister wrinkled her pert nose. “Too refined for my tastes.”
“Courtney, behave yourself,” their father chided, though there was affection in his voice.
“Always, Daddy,” Courtney said in a sweet tone, then walked over and kissed him on the cheek.
Courtney always got away with her outrageous behavior, her father finding it cute while expecting Georgia to be the epitome of the perfect society princess. It was so unfair, but she didn’t blame her sister for their parents’ attitude. Georgia adored Courtney and always would.
“I’ll meet you all at our assigned table in a little bit.” Courtney waved and strode off, many eyes in the room on her as she made her way through the crowd.
“Well.” Her mother’s gaze encompassed Georgia and Elliott. “Why don’t you two go ahead and mingle. We’ll see you at the table when it’s time for dinner.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Elliott said, obviously pleased her mother wanted them together.
Georgia resisted the urge to object to her mother’s meddling suggestion. It would make her appear rude, and it was just easier to go with Elliott than deal with her mother’s disapproving attitude for the rest of the evening.
Her parents moved in one direction, and Elliott lightly pressed his hand against the small of her back and guided her toward a younger group of people.
“Is your sister always so horrid?” he asked, clearly still peeved over Courtney’s “nose” comment.
Georgia held back her smile, certain that Elliott wouldn’t appreciate her finding the joke funny. “She’s definitely her own person. She’s an…acquired taste.”
“Certainly not mine,” he muttered beneath his breath, then seemed to visibly shake off his irritation. “So, let me introduce you around.”
As if they were a couple. Ugh.
She’d already committed to this ruse and the last thing she wanted was to cause a scene at an event honoring her father, so she followed Elliott’s lead. She told herself it was just for the one night as he introduced her to a few of his colleagues…then promptly ignored her as he launched into a heated debate with one of the men in the group.
Georgia accepted a glass of champagne from a passing tray and made small, polite talk with the women in their circle before Elliott noticed someone else he wanted to talk to. And because he grabbed her hand each time he moved, and they were in a public setting, she followed along.
But she quickly grew bored of the shallow exchanges with strangers, and it didn’t take her long to realize just how much Elliott and his giant-sized ego liked being the center of attention—continually bragging about becoming a junior partner at her father’s firm, his latest win in court, or his superior performance on the golf course. Every conversation he had with another man felt like a dick measuring contest, and because Elliott seemed to boast the most, Georgia could only assume he was making up for other deficiencies. And she definitely didn’t want to see his tiny penis, she mused.
The thought made her bite back a smile, though Georgia was sure her sister would agree with that theory. Which made her wonder where Courtney had gone.
She glanced around the room, trying to find her wayward sister, but couldn’t see her anywhere. Just as she ended her search, Georgia locked gazes with a gorgeous man standing in his own circle of people a short distance away. A lively discussion seemed to be going on around him, but his attention was riveted on her, which made her wonder…how long had he been staring?
His gaze lingered and an immediate rush of heat pulsed through her body, settling in intimate places—and she couldn’t glance away. He looked vaguely familiar, though she couldn’t figure out why. She definitely would have remembered meeting an attractive, charismatic man like him.
He wore a dark-navy suit tailored to his tall, lean build and broad shoulders. His thick, dark-brown hair set off his masculine features, and those piercing green eyes that held hers made her think of sex and sin.
With him.
She breathed in a soft inhale of air, and as liquid desire trickled through her, she shifted restlessly in her heels.
As if he’d read her mind, his sexy lips quirked upward as he brought his glass of amber liquid to his mouth and took a sip. Her eyes followed the movement…and then he winked at her before returning his focus to the gentleman who was speaking.
His bold flirtation caused flutters of awareness to take up residence inside her. She couldn’t remember ever being so drawn to a man before or so quickly aroused by just a look—not that she planned on doing anything about their brief but potent exchange.
A short while later, dinner was announced, and her sister suddenly appeared at her side, startling Georgia. As they walked together toward their assigned table, Elliott was thankfully still occupied speaking to a colleague.
She glanced at her sister. “Where have you been all this time?”
Courtney shrugged. “Around.”
“Misbehaving?” As their father had put it.
“Always.” Courtney grinned. “Actually, I was out on the balcony drinking my beer in peace and quiet, and scrolling through Tinder instead of mingling with all these stuffy suits and pretending I’m enjoying myself.”
Georgia laughed at her sister’s answer. Better than being dragged around by Elliott for the past hour and listening to him regurgitate the same conversation over and over again.
At their table, she sat between Elliott and her sister, mostly to keep them separated…and her sister well-behaved. Dinner was served and Elliott conversed with her father, giving her a chance to casually glance at the table next to theirs. Her gaze once again collided with the sexy man she’d seen earlier. He acknowledged her with a slight nod, then followed that up with a slow, seductive smile, and her entire body flushed with awareness.
She wasn’t used to being the center of a man’s attention, and she couldn’t deny that she liked his interest.
“Hmm. Looks like you have an admirer,” her sister said, catching sight of the exchange.
“What?” Georgia quickly averted her gaze and frowned at her sister. “No, I don’t.”
Courtney’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “You know, if I were you, I’d ditch your boring date and see if that hot stranger wants to meet you in the bar downstairs for a drink…and whatever else you might be willing to put on the menu.”
Georgia rolled her eyes. “Of course, you would.” Unlike her sister, Georgia wasn’t one for a random hookup with a stranger. No matter how hot and sexy he might be.
Courtney sighed dramatically. “When was the last time you got laid?”
Georgia nearly choked on the bite of filet mignon she’d been swallowing, then gaped at her sister, grateful she’d at least spoken in a low voice so no one else at the table had heard her. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I am.” Courtney stabbed a glazed baby carrot with her fork. “If I had to guess, I’d say it was with Davis.”
A relationship that had ended well over a year ago, and Georgia had no intention of admitting her sister was right.
“Your silence says it all,” Courtney teased as she cut into her own tender filet. “You know, an orgasm with a real live dick would do you good. Your birthday is coming up in a few weeks. You should let your hair down, literally and figuratively, and treat yourself.”
