Simply Scandalous. Carly Phillips
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Rave reviews for the novels of
Carly Phillips
CROSS MY HEART
“Who doesn’t love a reunion of long-lost loves? Add a diabolical villain, as Carly Phillips does, and you have everything you need for a beach read.”
—Columbus Dispatch
“Smart, engrossing and totally addictive! Cross My Heart is a definite must-have in this season’s beach bag.”
—www.FreshFiction.com
SUMMER LOVIN’
“Phillips’s light touch assures a happy ending to this diverting beach read.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A funny and touching family drama.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“A fun, yet emotional story. A story that will keep you hooked with its kooky, yet charming characters.”
—Romance Reviews Today
What’s steamier than a New York City summer? Carly Phillips’s Hot series!
HOT ITEM
“Saving her best for last, Phillips wraps up her jocular Hot Zone trilogy….”
—Publishers Weekly
“Phillips has penned a charming, fast-paced contemporary romp-through-the-sheets.”
—Booklist
“Hot Item is a winner.”
—Romance Reviews Today
HOT NUMBER
“A veteran romance author who climbed to star status in Harlequin’s Temptation line, Phillips is certain to capture a new bank of fans with the fresh venue and stylish dialogue featured in this perky series.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hot Number is a fun, sexy read. For everyone who has ever wished to turn the head of a guy, this book definitely allows you that fantasy while giving you a satisfying love story. Ms. Phillips has proven herself more than capable of delivering stories that touch your heart and your funnybone.”
—In the Library Reviews
“In the follow-up to last year’s Hot Stuff, Phillips once again dives into the high pressure world of sports. Micki and Damian each have quite a few issues to resolve, which adds spice to an already volatile mixture.”
—Jill M. Smith, Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“Carly Phillips hits a home run with the fun, yet touching Hot Number.”
—Jennifer Bishop, Romance Reviews Today
HOT STUFF
“This breezy book will likely score a touchdown with readers looking for sexy thrills and instant gratification.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This first book in The Hot Zone trilogy shines with Phillips’ trademark sizzle and sensuality. She delivers strong, appealing characters while exploring the dynamics of families—what brings them together and what draws them apart. The ending emotionally satisfies and gives readers a tantalizing peek at the romantic quandaries awaiting the rest of the family.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“Hot Stuff is a surefire hit.”
—Jennifer Bishop, Romance Reviews Today
Carly Phillips
SIMPLY Scandalous
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
“TARGET AT ONE O’CLOCK.”
Logan Montgomery listened to his eighty-year-old grandmother and groaned. “You’ve been watching James Bond again, Gran.”
“Just Sean Connery. That Pierce Brosnan is too new and the other one is a pansy. He wouldn’t know how to please a real woman if she bit him on the—”
“Gran!” Startled, Logan shot a glance at his grandmother.
An impish gleam lit her knowing gaze. She’d learned to use shock value to her advantage, he thought wryly. “I think that’s enough.”
“You never used to be a prude.”
He stifled a laugh and chose to warn the irrepressible older woman instead. “And you never used to go so far. Better watch yourself.”
The white-haired woman gave an unrefined, unladylike snort. “If you aren’t careful you’ll end up a stuffed shirt like your father.”
“With your influence? Not a chance.” He drank from a glass of hundred-dollar cham pagne, tasting bubbles and little else. Damn waste of money. A cold beer would taste a hell of a lot better, especially on such an unusually hot and balmy May afternoon. “So tell me why you summoned me to the annual Garden Gala.”
He’d hoped he could ignore the formal invitation, hand-delivered to his house, as it had been hand-delivered to dozens of others. Although the Garden Gala was as much a part of Montgomery tradition as baseball was a part of spring, Logan didn’t feel the same sense of anticipation for this event. His grandmother, Emma, was a different story. He adored her.
“Because of her.” His grandmother waved a wrinkled finger in front of his eyes. “Over there by the Dogwood tree. She catered this whole party herself. Talent personified.”
Logan narrowed his gaze. He couldn’t see much besides the overwhelming sea of floral prints on the female guests and the stark black-and-white uniforms worn by the help. “All I see is a bunch of penguins,” Logan muttered.
“I believe waiter or waitress is the politically correct term,” Emma said.
“Couldn’t you get the judge to relax the dress code for God’s sake? These poor people look like they’re attending a formal wedding, not serving cocktails on a spring day.”
He liked parties as much as the next guy but this uptight excuse for a gathering wasn’t the way he’d choose to spend a Saturday afternoon.
“Your father has his standards,” Emma said in her haughtiest voice, in imitation of her son, Judge Montgomery. “He believes the help should dress as such. Ridiculous,” she muttered. “The man ought to come into the twenty-first century. Anyway, enough about Edgar for now. Look around. What else do you see?”
Logan took two steps to the right so he could see around a ridiculous-looking parasol held by one of his mother’s friends, to protect her skin from the nonexistent sun and impending rain.
“Well?” A bony elbow nudged Logan in the ribs.
He looked once more and was rewarded by what he saw at the elaborate bar set up in front of the pool house, on the perfectly manicured lawn—a delectable-looking creature in uniform. She stepped around the bar and into full view. The clouds had begun rolling in but this woman radiated pure sunshine.