Part 1 (1/2)

Unscrupulous.

Avery Aster.

The Manhattanites series.

At thirty-three, Warner Truman is one of the richest men on the planet, a spa mogul who buys and sells resorts at will. He holds powerful executives' careers in his well-groomed hands. Nothing is beyond Warner's reach...until he meets her.

Stunning, tantalizing and perverse, Taddy captivates Warner's carnal desire like no woman he's ever met. A self-made millionaire, Taddy is tougher than steel, more brilliant than diamonds and, at twenty-seven, she's never depended on a man for anything...until she meets him.

The more Taddy plays with Warner's affections, driving him to erotic heights, the more she is confronted by a dark past. Before she can love him, Taddy must meet her worst fears head-on or risk losing it all, including herself.

Dedication.

To my acquisition editor Krishan Trotman, an elegant Manhattanite who just happens to dress incredible in hot pink. You rolled out the red carpet welcoming my narrative voice to share in these stories with open arms into the Ellora's Cave family and I'm forever grateful. I luv u! We're going to have fun with this new series. I look forward to breaking all the rules.

Acknowledgements.

Much praise to my Development Editor Victoria Reese for making this novel special. Huge hugs to Ellora's Cave Art Director Syneca Featherstone for yet another gorgeous cover, and Publisher Raelene Gorslinky for all of the handholding while this series takes off. It's an honor to work with you ladies!

Big Apple love to Julie, for all your Taddy Brill contributions. Many kudos to my beta-readers, Nicole, Chrissy, Jackie, Jenifer, Kateria, Jodi and Jenifer for being the eyes in the back of my head. As well as to the book reviewers at S&M's Book Obsessions, I Love Lady p.o.r.n, Harlequin Junkies, Book Wh.o.r.es, Under the Covers, Midwest Book Reviews, The Book Enthusiast, We Love Kink, Romance Reviews Today, Ever After Romance, Swept Away by Romance, Tiffany Talks Books, USA Today Happily Ever After, Reviews by Crystal, Kricket's Chirps, Storm G.o.ddess, Jessica Loves Books, My Reading Obsession, Sensual Reads, Show Me the s.m.u.t, and Please Another Book for the wonderful media coverage on The Manhattanites series.

Brenda, thank you always for the unconditional support and for pus.h.i.+ng me forward. J.B., your humor through my plot twists helped me not lose sight for what mattered. Courtney Howell, your feedback and preparation meant the world to me. You kicked my a.s.s and I liked it. Lauren Jameson, my erotic romance gal pal, I'll always have your Hawkeye, boo! Marisa Corvisiero, my literary agent and lawyer, you are the best. And to my family and friends whom I ignored this summer to finish this novel, George, Pauline, Adam, Sara, Kelly, Shari, Edward, Manuel, Hector, Lynn, Michele, John, Holly, Nackie, Patrick, Ronnie, Bailee and Shane, I owe you many beach vacations.

Author's Note.

Manhattanites are noted as a jaded bunch. We own designer footwear in excess, overspend on vodka c.o.c.ktails and work sunup to sundown. By accident love takes a backseat but we always find time for s.e.x (wink). You'll notice the characters in my novels are no different. They are true to New York form. Often ruthless, always brilliant and without question built to include uberhigh s.e.x drives, they require a match who exceeds their expectations.

When Taddy Brill leapt onto the pages in Undressed (Book One) as Lex Easton's best friend, several readers who followed The Manhattanites series prepublication thought she was pretty fierce. I did too! If you didn't read Undressed, don't worry, you won't be lost. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone.

Readers asked, ”Why is Taddy so hardcore? And how did she meet the man she calls Big Daddy?” The answer is in Unscrupulous (Book Two), a prequel to Undressed. Writing Taddy's past left a hole in my heart, which you're about to read. She deserved something she never imagined, a lover. A close-to-trillionaire wealthy, Newport-Rhode-Island-sophisticated, Harvard-graduate-intelligent-Big Daddy (double wink)! You will see this couple throughout The Manhattanites series as the novels progress.

Break out the bubbly, pour yourself a flute and let's get our Park Avenue adventure started. Lex Easton, Blake Morgan, Vive Farnworth and the entire star-studded cast are thrilled to be back and share their stories with you. After you've read Unscrupulous, be sure to join Blake in Unsaid (Book Three) as he shares his s.e.xual fantasies with a Latin lover you'll find dominatingly caliente.

Feels like Forever, Avery Aster.

Cast of Characters: Major Players.

Warner Truman: (33) a billionaire widower who owns Truman Enterprises. He's tired of gold-digging hanger-on types.

Tabitha ”Taddy Brill” Adelaide Brillford: (27) an obsessive masturbator who is Lex, Vive and Blake's lifelong friend. She's a self-made millionaire and owns Brill, Inc.

Alexandra ”Lex” Easton: (27) fas.h.i.+on designer to the stars and founder of Easton Essentials. She's the late rock-n-roll legend Eddie Easton's daughter.

Blake Morgan III: (27) a gay, gorgeous top who is estranged from his husband. He co-founded Brill, Inc. and is the brains behind many of Taddy's accounts.

Viveca ”Vive” Farnworth: (28) a party girl who met Lex, Taddy and Blake in boarding school. Vive is the editor-in-chief of Debauchery Magazine and liquor heiress.

Supporting Cast.

Kelly ”Kiki” Ivy Kailyn Izatt: (21) a virgin Mormon a.s.sistant to Taddy Brill. She moved to New York from Provo, Utah, with dreams of making it in the big city.

Countess Irma Brillford: (51) Taddy's estranged mother. She's married to Joseph Graf and abandoned Taddy when she was thirteen.

Birdie Easton: (48) Lex's pill-popping addicted mother recovering from s.e.xual compulsive disorder. She's a former '80s playmate, heavy metal icon and former friend to Irma.

Sheldon Truman: (32) Warner's younger brother. A retired male fas.h.i.+on model, he travels the world jumping from one circuit party to the next.

Aunt m.u.f.fie: (age unknown) Countess Irma's sister who remains the only relative Taddy keeps in contact with. She was on the socialite scene in the '80s with Birdie.

The Companies Involved.

Truman Enterprises: The third largest hotel and resort chain in the world with properties on every continent ranging from upper mid-level to luxury.

Brill, Inc.: A Fortune 500 company and New York's eminent fas.h.i.+on, beauty public relations and branding firm that co-created Easton Essentials.

Easton Essentials: North America's fastest-growing luxury apparel brand for women seeking to contour their figures.

Debauchery Magazine: Read by four million people weekly covering all things salacious in the fas.h.i.+on, beauty and celebrity arena.

Part One.

Hot Topless Beaches in December or Bust.

”I used to strive to live my life for happiness, not money or status. I don't know what happened or why I stopped.” -Warner Truman, CEO of Truman Enterprises, and third richest man in the world.

Prologue.

Her Measurements 36C-25-35.

Fifteen Years Ago.

Upper West Side, New York City.

Tabitha Adelaide Brillford stood back from her bedroom wall where she'd measured her height with yellow tape then marked it in pencil. ”How tall is seventy-two inches?” she asked her best friend, Lex Easton, who sat on her pink canopy bed.

Lex put down the latest Manhattanite Times issue she was reading and replied, ”About six feet.”

”Holy s.h.i.+t! Mommy and Daddy are both under five ten. What other measurements did I give you?”