Ruining Mr. Perfect (The McCauley Brothers) Read online

  The four-thousand-square-foot home ensured her parents had enough room to spread out without feeling cramped and too close. Because God forbid they had to interact with each other more than twice a day—once at breakfast, and again at dinner. She doubted their routines had changed all that much.

  After letting herself into the house with her spare key, Vanessa took Cameron with her into the kitchen, where her mother had informed her she’d find further instructions.

  “This place is massive,” he said as he studied their surroundings. Hardwood floors, neutral shades of tan and beige on the walls, accented with calming blues and greens around the living room, meshed well with the understated elegance of the antique-white kitchen, stainless-steel appliances, and granite countertops.

  “My parents often have social functions here, catered, of course. So the house needed to reflect their wealth without being overly grandiose.”

  He gave her an odd look, and she realized she’d automatically reverted to the voice she used when back with her parents. Instructional, informative, and bland.

  She infused herself with a sprinkle of enthusiasm. “They moved into this place right before I graduated from college—the same college they work in, mind you. The same one I had to pay my own way through because apparently an education means more if you pay for it. I’m almost done with my loans, thank God.”

  “Really?”

  For what Vanessa made at her job, she could have afforded to live in a much bigger house than the one she shared with her roommates. But her student loan, in addition to the many varied investments she continued to make, took the brunt of her income. That and she liked living with Maddie and Abby, though she refused to admit it to her cousin.

  She cleared her throat. “Really. Anyway, I still have a room here, which is where we’ll be staying.”

  “You still have a room? I got the impression you don’t visit often.”

  “I don’t. They turned it into a guest room the day I graduated. But it’s got the best sunlight and the bed is quality.” She shrugged. After reading the note left for her on the counter, she handed it to Cameron and took a look in the refrigerator.

  “Well. This is…”

  “Perfunctory?” Her mother had welcomed her home, told her about different food choices, their meal for the evening—to dress for it—and the schedule, in detail, for the following day. Vanessa took out some carrot sticks and helped herself. “Want some?”

  “Sure.” He chewed and studied the house. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure people live here? It’s so clean and, well, the place looks like a show house.”

  “I know.” She snorted. “It was like that when I lived here too. I used to have to hide my stuff in my closet, because even my room had to be organized.” More like sterile. Was it any wonder she’d left State College as soon as she’d been able? “Come on. I’ll give you the tour.”

  She hadn’t been home in three years, and then only for the obligatory holiday visit, so that the family could continue their pretense of normality. After taking him through the open downstairs and into the spotless pantry and laundry room, she took him upstairs. “On that side my parents share a bedroom and have two separate studies.” They turned in the hallway that bridged the sections of the upper floor. “You can see downstairs from here. Nice, hmm?”

  “Beautiful. They certainly keep the place nice.”

  “Maids and gardeners. Makes you wonder why my parents have so much space if they never do anything with it.” She shrugged. She’d been wondering about that for years. “My room—excuse me, the guest room—is this way.” She walked to the large room in which sunlight patterned over the carpeted floor and pale blue walls.

  “Pretty. Very soft.”

  “Unlike me?” She dragged her bag with her and pushed it to the side. “You can take that armoire and I’ll use the dresser over there. Bathroom is through that door.”

  He left his bag on the floor by hers and moved into the bathroom. “Yep,” he called from inside. “Like the rest of the house. Spotless.”

  “Uh-huh.” She took off her shoes and sank back onto the bed, feeling exhausted. Between the flight and the tension creeping over her from being back home, she wanted nothing more than to take a nap, so she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

  She heard the faucet go on and off. Then Cameron returned. “So when do you expect them back?”

  “You read the note. Not before seven.” She opened her eyes.

  He glanced at his watch, one of the few men she knew who still wore one, and said, “We have three hours to kill. What should we do?”

  Recognizing that tone, she studied him. “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

  He grinned and removed his jacket, shoes, and sweater. “I was thinking… You ever have sex in the ‘guest room’?”

  Her heart raced and her entire body lit up at the thought. “No.”

  “Well, I think you’re due, don’t you?”

  “Cameron.”

  “No, honey. This is where you call me Cam, and then you get all breathless.” He removed the rest of his clothing, taking his time. And he was hard.

  “Close the door.” Exhaustion had left her the moment he stripped down to his bare chest.

  “Why?” He stalked her, then tugged her to the edge of the bed, her legs on either side of him. “This is a good height.”

  She flushed when his gaze settled between her legs. He took off her clothes slowly, but the door remained open.

  “Cam.”

  “Ah, there it is. That turns me on, you know. When you say my name like that.”

  “The…ah, the door.”

  “Let’s leave it open. Just imagine your parents coming home to see us fucking on your bed.”

  She gaped at him, not sure who the hell had taken over Cameron’s brain. He hadn’t given any indication he wanted to be watched. By her parents? The idea grossed her out, mostly. Except the notion of freaking them out, of playing the rebellious daughter, had more than its share of appeal.

  “Now spread yourself for me,” he ordered in a husky groan. “Yeah, let me see that clit.”

  “God.” She was wet, and it was all his fault. When he talked like that, lost his veneer of civility, she liked him even more. Because it wasn’t a front or a pose, but another part of Cam she brought out in him.

  “I’m going to lick you up. You need it.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Yeah. You need to be mussed a bit. You’re too pretty, too controlled. How about we see what it takes to get you to scream my name?”

  “Yes.” She desired him like crazy, her arousal skyrocketing as he stared at her while he lowered his mouth to her core.

  Then he kissed her, and she closed her eyes, lost in sensation.

  His lips tugged, his tongue penetrated, and he rubbed her with abandon, his groans and grunts of pleasure stirring breathy cries she hadn’t realized she could make.

  “Yeah, that’s it. More, baby.” He gripped her thighs hard while he sucked her, and she rose to meet his demands, on fire to have him.

  Before she could come, he kissed his way to her breasts. His warm lips encouraged pinpricks of desire that caused her to writhe beneath him, especially when he closed his mouth around her left breast.

  As he teased her, he slid his thick cock over her clit, rocking against her arousal and pushing her past reason.

  “Please, Cam. In me. Come inside me. Now.”

  She gripped his shoulders, but he wouldn’t be moved. Instead he tormented her other breast, gliding close but still leaving her empty. She knew he wanted her, could hear it in his harsh breaths, in the furious tugging at her nipple. He was rock-hard and hot, so close. But not close enough.

  “Damn it, Cam.” She moaned when he left her breast and kissed her. He rocked over her, not quite penetrating but le
aving the tip of himself at her entrance. With short jerks he mimicked taking her, and she lost her mind as he continued to plunge in and out of her mouth with his tongue.

  “Fuck me. Cam, now,” she demanded, wishing she didn’t sound so damn weak.

  “Yeah. Oh baby. I have to have you.” He kissed her again, but this time he angled himself differently and nudged her thighs wider. In one hard thrust, he shoved the whole of himself inside her.

  She came like a rocket, crying out as he rode her orgasm into an impossibly long burst of pleasure.

  He continued to hit the bundle of nerves inside her while his groin grazed her clit, and she couldn’t stop the rush of ecstasy from obliterating all else.

  “Yes, Vanessa. Oh yeah. I’m coming. So hard. So fucking hard,” he groaned as he shoved one last time and shuddered. “Vanessa. Yes.” He thrust in and out a few times, milking himself in her tight sheath.

  She felt completely blown away, as limp as a noodle. Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, and she felt dizzy.

  “You totally destroyed me,” he murmured, making no move to withdraw. He leaned up, so as not to crush her with his weight. “Damn, Vanessa. I think this might just be hotter than Valentine’s Day. Doing it in your parents’ house. You’re such a bad girl.”

  She smiled. “I’d say something sarcastic, but I can’t think at the moment. I don’t even think I can move.”

  He kissed her cheeks, her mouth, her nose. “Why don’t you take a nap? You look beat, and I’ll just rest here with you. Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on the clock.” He chuckled. “Wouldn’t want your parents to meet me bare-assed naked.”

  She muttered something back, but she couldn’t have said what it was. Instead, she closed her eyes and sighed into his embrace, still joined, still a part of him. Where she always wanted to be.

  ***

  Cam had softened, but he didn’t withdraw. He pulled the blanket over them and stared down at Vanessa. He knew he could no longer even try to deny to himself how much she meant to him. He had to have her in his life. Permanently. She fit him in every way. Even her snit on the plane had entertained him, though he’d felt badly for her nerves.

  Seeing the house in which she’d spent some of her youth, he better understood her anxiety about the visit. Though she’d played it off as typical frustration with her parents, he could see something more bothered her. She kept expecting him to end things after meeting her parents too. Her attitude after reading her mother’s note had been odd, but he comprehended more than she probably thought.

  He kissed her cheek and rolled them to their sides, trying his best to stay inside her. She was so warm, so perfect around him. Their frames meshed, not too big or small for each other, but just right, especially when they’d sixty-nined it the other day.

  He’d never had such satisfying sex with one person before or experienced this kind of chemistry. Not that he’d been an orgy guy or anything; he’d had his share of girlfriends. But it was so much more than that with Vanessa. He was enchanted with her personality and quick wit. So smart and savvy, so competent. He found her incredibly sexy and wanted to know as much as he could about her.

  He couldn’t wait to meet her parents.

  Downstairs, he’d seen one family picture—everyone wore their Sunday best and polite smiles. Sterile. A lot like the picture-perfect house. He liked to be neat, but even he would have a problem in a place this devoid of personality.

  He rested with Vanessa for another hour, then removed himself to take a shower. After getting clean in the spotless glass shower stall, he shaved and splashed on some cologne, then dressed and moved to Vanessa again. In sleep, she looked beautiful. No lines marred her forehead or pinched her mouth. She seemed at ease, and though he hated to ruin her sleep, he knew she’d want to be prepared for her parents when they returned.

  “Vanessa. Honey, time to wake up.”

  She frowned and tried to push his hand away from her cheek. He’d make sure to tell her how cute he found her later, because she hated to be called “cute.” Her anger, like everything else about her, turned him on.

  “Come on, sleeping beauty. Time to rise and get cleaned up before your parents get home.”

  She groaned but woke, blinking up at him. “I need a shower.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  She froze. “Quick, get me a towel. I can’t mess the comforter.”

  He laughed at her panic and fetched her a towel from the bathroom. After helping her out, he ignored her scowl and watched her dart to the bathroom. “Love that ass,” he called after her.

  He missed the insult no doubt lobbed back at him, drowned out by the shower. Realizing she probably had stuff in her bag she needed, he opened it and grabbed what looked like a makeup kit just as she shouted, “I need my shampoo.”

  “Just use the stuff in there. I did.” Several nice-smelling bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel sat on the side ledge. The place seemed stocked like a hotel.

  “You’re not supposed to use it.”

  He rolled his eyes and handed her the shampoo. Then he left her to clean up. While using his laptop to catch up on his emails and read Flynn’s account about the latest mess embroiling Brody and his dog, he noted a message from his father as well. For his dad to use email… Cam had no words to describe his shock. He had hope, though. His father wanted their mother back, and he’d finally started trying to do something about it.

  Cam glanced at the steamy bathroom. “You people refuse to talk about what bothers you.”

  He knew his cease-fire with Vanessa would end again. If not during this visit, where she was bound to be defensive and off balance, then when they returned and he started to demand more of her. Cam wanted her closer. But asking her to move in with him would probably scare her. Maybe.

  With Vanessa, he was never quite sure what she could or couldn’t handle. At least she wouldn’t break up with him over the phone again.

  He grinned.

  Two hours later, he sat with her and Doctors Scott and Loretta Campbell at the dinner table. Not the relaxed kitchen island, but the formal dining table. A cook had delivered their food half an hour ago, and he had to admit it tasted amazing.

  “Thank you both very much for including me in your celebration,” he said with gracious appreciation. He knew how to handle their type—savvy intellectuals who appreciated finer things, when they could take themselves away from their passion. In Scott’s case, theoretical computational physics, and in Loretta’s, theoretical math.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet one of Vanessa’s friends.” Loretta smiled absently at him. She wasn’t cool, just not completely present. As if the joy had been leeched from her some time ago, and now she went through the motions, she seemed to smile without meaning it.

  He’d been studying Vanessa’s folks, and he readily admitted he found them fascinating. “Vanessa told me what a big deal the CAR-S Grant is, Loretta. You must be pleased.”

  “I am. That funding will do wonders for me. With it, I plan to hire another two post docs.”

  Scott nodded. “Smart move. I’m going to use mine for more time on the supercomputer. That doesn’t come cheap.” He’d earned a government-funded grant, and his status within his community had gone up several notches. “You’ll see at the party tomorrow night. You two are attending.” A statement, not a question.

  “Of course.” Vanessa ate with a slow, graceful politeness. She dabbed the corner of her cheek with a cloth napkin before lowering it to her lap.

  Cam remembered his mother’s last raise and promotion and recalled the family having a big old barbecue in the yard. When his father and Mike scored a huge contract a year ago, the family had enjoyed greasy ribs, played football, and laughed it up with friends over brownies and homemade pie. Very different from the Lobster Thermidor, grilled asparagus, and steamed baby red potatoes on his plate. Oh, and not
to be forgotten, the big, rich chardonnay accompaniment. He felt as if he and Vanessa were dining at a five-star restaurant, not her parents’ home.

  “And work, Vanessa?” Scott asked after a careful sip of wine to bring out the flavor in his lobster. “How is accounting life treating you?”

  “Well enough.” She continued to eat, cutting her food in small pieces. Eating slowly, one tiny bite at a time. She said nothing more though, and Cam frowned.

  “She’s on track to make partner,” Cam bragged. “The best accountant in the place. Bellemy Tech recently requested her to work with them. By name.”

  Her mother raised a brow. “Nicely done, daughter.”

  Vanessa flushed and mumbled a thanks.

  He didn’t understand why she didn’t make more of her accomplishments. She’d been quiet and unassuming all evening. So not like the woman who knew her own worth back in Seattle and wasn’t afraid to tell everyone about it.

  “I’m to assume you’re going to continue on your course in the private sector? No desire to join the faculty here?” her mother asked.

  Cam waited for her to shoot that down. But Vanessa shrugged. “I never say never. Keeping my options open. For the present, I enjoy my work. It’s financially satisfying, and I’ve made friends.”

  “A social group reinforces success.” Her father nodded. “Is Madison doing well? Her mother sent out notices that she’s become engaged.”

  It took Cam a moment to reconcile Madison with Maddie. “She’s engaged to my brother,” Cam announced. “They make a striking pair.”

  Scott nodded. “You know, people complain that surface attraction is no basis for compatibility. To an extent, I agree. However, after forming an association with Vanessa’s mother, we decided that not only would our combined intellect create amazing offspring, but that our physical coloring and biological framework would complement one another nicely.” He and Loretta studied Vanessa. “You’ll notice the girl has my build and her mother’s softer features. She’s quite beautiful.”

  “And intelligent.” Loretta nodded.

  Vanessa sat up straighter in her chair.