She sucked in deeply, wondering why she was even going there. Why was she imagining Cameron as her baby’s daddy? He should be the last person that she would envision in that role.
Suddenly her pulse kicked up a notch and she quickly glanced around. Most of the people Chance and Kylie had invited to their dinner party were family members and close friends. She’d overheard Donovan mention to Bas earlier that Cameron had left Charlotte a few days ago to check on problems he was having at his company in Texas; he wasn’t expected back for another week or so. Upon hearing that news, she had immediately let her guard down and relaxed, thinking she didn’t have to worry about seeing him here tonight.
But now…
She recalled Kylie had gone to the door and she turned toward the foyer. Her breath caught. Cameron was standing there, leaning in the doorway, staring at her. Under his intense gaze she felt tense, exposed, taut, and she turned around, intending to leave the room. But before she could take a step, Cameron was there, standing behind her.
“Vanessa.”
His voice, deep and husky, made goose bumps rise on her skin, and she could feel the heat of him standing so close. She knew it would be rude to walk off now, so she was forced to turn around to face him.
“Cameron.”
The moment her gaze locked on his face, up close and personal, she felt her heartbeat kick up another notch. This was the face she had awakened to each morning in Jamaica. This was the man whose body had cuddled so close to hers at night. The man who could make her scream out at a mind-blowing orgasm—anytime, anyplace and in practically any position.
She felt her cheeks flush at all the memories that flashed through her mind. She dragged in a deep breath and forced herself to speak. “I thought you were out of town.”
“I flew back for a few days then I’ll be leaving again.”
She nodded. “Is everything all right? I understand you left town because you were having problems at one of your companies.”
“Yes, there was the matter of a small explosion I had to deal with.”
Vanessa gasped. “An explosion?”
“Yes.”
“Was anyone hurt? Was there much damage?”
“Luckily no one was hurt and the damage was minimal. I gather whoever set it didn’t intend to hurt anyone, they merely wanted to make a point.”
Vanessa raised a brow. “A point?”
“Yes, to me.”
Vanessa was about to ask what he meant by that when Kylie walked up. “I guess you thought I had deserted you, Vanessa, but I wanted to check on everything in the kitchen. Jocelyn’s sister Leah is a sweetheart for volunteering to come to Charlotte and prepare such a feast for everyone. She’s a fantastic cook.” She then reached out to relieve Vanessa of Alden.
“Yes, I heard that she was,” Vanessa said, gently placing the baby into his mother’s arms.
“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes so the two of you can continue to enjoy yourselves until then,” Kylie said, smiling at the both of them before walking off to join her husband who was talking to one of their neighbors.
Vanessa knew there was no reason she should feel nervous about being with Cameron. She certainly knew him well enough. Just thinking of all the things they had done together was downright scandalous. And she knew that although they were here together, neither one of them had actually broken their agreement. She couldn’t blame him for his relationship with her family and it would be unfair to do so. Today they were victims of circumstances, and it would not be right to expect him to stay away from various functions and events just because she might be there.
“How have you been, Vanessa?”
She looked into his face but tried not to gaze directly into his eyes. “I’ve been fine. What about you?”
“I’ve been doing okay. Did your sister return to Jamaica in time to finish overseeing the construction of her pool?”
“Yes. I talked with her a few days ago and the pool’s almost completed. They’re putting water in it next week.”
She suddenly felt tense and swallowed deeply, then she flicked her tongue out to wet her lips. When she saw Cameron’s gaze latch on to the movement of her tongue, her stomach clenched and intense heat settled right smack between her thighs.
She inhaled deeply. The more they stood here talking to each other, the more they were playing a game of self-torture, wanting something neither could have again. It was time to move on. “Well, I think I’ll go talk to Sienna for a while. It was good seeing you again.”
And without giving him a chance to say anything, she quickly walked off.
Later that night, after her shower, Vanessa slipped between the cool, crisp sheets. She stared up at the ceiling, her mind consumed with thoughts of the time she had spent this evening at Chance and Kylie’s home.
There was no way she could deny there was still a very strong attraction between her and Cameron. In fact, it was possibly even stronger than before. How else did she expect her body to react when it came within ten feet of the man who had indulged it, made love to it?
It seemed that no matter where she had gone in Chance and Kylie’s home, all she had to do was turn around and Cameron was there, staring at her with those deep, dark eyes of his, though always keeping his distance. That hadn’t stopped her body from desiring him, though, from wanting him and from needing to indulge in the forbidden just one more time with him.
She flipped on her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. How could she even consider such a thing? She had risked an affair with him before and she was paying dearly, mainly because he had brought her body back to life. He had made her aware of places on her body that could stir feelings within her from a mere touch.
His touch.
She shook her head, determined to get under control these hot emotions she was experiencing so that when she saw him again she could handle herself in a totally professional manner. Any other reaction toward Cameron was unacceptable.
She jumped when the phone on the nightstand rang. It was her landline. Most people called her on her cell phone; few had her home number. Glancing at the caller ID, she smiled. It was Taylor. Neither Cheyenne nor Taylor had made it to the dinner party tonight. It was unusual for either to miss a family function of any kind. Chance indicated both had called with their regrets. Cheyenne had come down with a stomach virus and Taylor was knee-deep in trying to work out a large business deal for a very influential client.
Vanessa quickly picked up the phone. “Okay, Taylor, it’s not my birthday, and there’s no such thing as Sister’s Day, so why do I deserve the honor of a phone call?”
She could hear Taylor laughing on the other end of the line. It wasn’t that Taylor never called, she just didn’t call as often as Cheyenne. But lately even Cheyenne’s calls didn’t come as often as they used to. And there were times she couldn’t be reached at all. Donovan had once teased her about leading a double life, which was something Cheyenne hadn’t thought amusing at the time. She had simply explained that as a model she would often frequent countries with poor cell service.
“Don’t mess with me, girl,” Taylor said. “I shouldn’t be calling now. I still have tons of work to do on this deal I’m trying to close for my client.”
“It’s that big?”
“Bigger. With the commission alone I’ll be able to buy that place I’ve been eyeing for a while in D.C. The one that’s right on the Potomac.”
Vanessa smiled. Taylor had fallen in love with the nation’s capital when she’d lived there while attending Georgetown University. At the time, she’d had an apartment in Virginia, but had always had dreams of returning one day and buying a place right in the heart of D.C., preferably on the water.
“Hey, I’m not mad at you. Go for it,” Vanessa said, knowing what a workaholic her sister could be at times.
“Speaking of going for it, I talked to Cheyenne earlier and she told me that you and Cameron finally hooked up.”
Vanessa frowned. Cheyenne h
ad a big mouth. And she didn’t know the full details of what had transpired between her and Cameron those two weeks. Since Vanessa hadn’t told her youngest sister anything, she’d evidently drawn her own conclusions. “Cameron and I have not ‘hooked up.’”
“Sorry. I was just going by what Cheyenne said.”
“And you of all people should know better than that. He bought the house next to Cheyenne’s in Jamaica, so he was there at the same time I was. No big deal.”
“Sure, if you say so,” Taylor said chuckling. “You know I’m not one to get in anyone’s business, Van.”
“Please, don’t start now.”
“I won’t, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I know the man wants you. Now, whether or not he’s finally gotten you is your business. But I think he’s cool and handsome and everything you need.”
“And just what is it that you think I need?”
“The same thing most women need. A good man in your life. A man to hold you close at night, keep the demons away, be there when the going gets tough.”
“And you think Cameron would do all those things?”
“I don’t know why he wouldn’t. He seems like the type of guy who takes his obligations seriously. You could do a whole lot worse.”
Vanessa fought the urge to tell her sister that at one time she had. And “worse” was a man by the name of Harlan Shaw. Before Harlan there had been Dr. Derek Peterson. She’d met Derek at a party right after returning to Charlotte from college. She had liked Derek and had quickly accepted his date, although her cousins had warned of his reputation.
Derek had come to pick her up one Saturday night and they hadn’t been out of her driveway five seconds before the good doctor began growing hands. They were hands he intended to use on her at every traffic light and stop sign. The words, No, Behave yourself, and Keep your hands to yourself, had fallen on deaf ears. By the time they’d reached the restaurant she had taken as much as she intended. As soon as he came around to open the door for her, she had kneed him in the groin so mercilessly, that the restaurant manager had thought they needed to call an ambulance. An embarrassed Derek had assured everyone that he was okay before literally crawling back into his car and leaving her stranded. She had called her cousins to come get her, and to this day there was still bad blood between them and Derek.
“Vanessa?”
She remembered she still had her sister on the line. “Yes?”
“Think about what I’ve said about Cameron and I promise that will be the last time you hear anything from me on the subject.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Touchy, touchy.”
“Only when people get into my business. I can’t wait until you get a love interest so I can get into yours.”
“Is Cameron a love interest, Van?”
Before Vanessa could utter the denial on her lips, Taylor giggled and said, “That’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything. It’s your business. So tell me, how is Sienna doing?”
Vanessa was glad for the change in subjects. The mere mention of Cameron had ignited a throbbing between her thighs and that wasn’t good, especially since she would be sleeping in her bed alone tonight. But later, she would have her dreams.
“Yes, X, I’m flying back to Texas tomorrow. I returned to Charlotte because there was a function I couldn’t miss attending.” And a person I couldn’t miss seeing. “Arrange a private meeting between me and McMurray. What he’s paying his thugs to do has to stop,” Cameron said angrily, rubbing a hand down his face. “It’s time for him to know who I am, why I took his company away and why I intend to keep it, no matter what he does.”
Hours later, a tense Cameron couldn’t sleep. His restlessness had nothing to do with his ongoing problems with McMurray, but with a certain young woman by the name of Vanessa Steele.
He had needed to see her again. He had needed to know that that same potent chemistry he’d felt all during their time together in Jamaica was stronger than ever.
She was fighting him. He could feel it every time their eyes met. He knew he was gambling, but he had to believe their island affair meant more than just sex to her, just as it meant more to him. She might not be able to put it all together now, but eventually she would. Although he would keep their agreement, he intended to be at every function that she attended if he could. His flights back and forth to Texas were becoming a nuisance, costing him valuable time; time he should be using to get on the good side of a certain woman.
That was why his ongoing problems with McMurray were unacceptable and had tried his patience for the last time. For some reason the man believed that if he kept up his dirty work Cameron would eventually throw in the towel and sell the company back to him.
McMurray couldn’t be more wrong.
John McMurray sat at the conference table beside his attorney with his arms crossed over his chest and fixed Cameron with a mean, level stare. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Cody, and you don’t have any proof, so don’t waste your time accusing me of anything.”
Cameron sat at the head of the table, with Xavier Kane on one side and Kurt Grainger on the other. “But we do have proof, McMurray, which is why one of your men is behind bars now.”
McMurray’s attorney touched his client’s elbow, cautioning him from saying anything more. He then spoke on his client’s behalf. “Again, Mr. Cody, contrary to whatever proof you think you might have, my client is innocent, which means you are mistaken.”
A smile split Cameron’s face. “Then ask your client if the name Samuel Myers means anything to him?”
The attorney didn’t have to ask McMurray anything. The nervousness that darted into McMurray’s eyes was a dead giveaway. However, the attorney said, “My client doesn’t know a Samuel Myers.”
Cameron leaned forward. “Myers says differently. Let’s cut the bullshit. Frankly, I’m getting fed up with this entire ordeal. Your client lost his company.”
“You took it from me!” McMurray yelled out in anger.
Cameron nodded. “Yes, I took it from you and do you know why?”
When neither McMurray nor his attorney responded, Cameron said, “Because you don’t deserve to have a company, McMurray, and how you solicit loyalty in a few of your employees is beyond me. But then, for the right price, anyone can be bought.”
“Are you accusing my client of bribery?”
“Yes, for starters. Does the name Fred Cody ring a bell?”
John McMurray’s face twisted with more anger. “I wish you would stop throwing out the names of people I don’t know. Judging by the surname I can only assume he’s some relative of yours.”
Cameron shot the man another forced smile. “Yes, he was my grandfather. He had worked for your company for over forty years, and right before he was to retire—less than a year before, in fact—you had him fired. That was almost twenty years ago.”
“Twenty years ago! You’re getting back at me for something I did twenty years ago? Hell, I was in my late thirties. Whatever I did then was because I was following my father’s orders. What else was I to do?”
“Have a conscience. That year you released six men from your employment, men who had given Global Petroleum their blood, sweat and tears, yet you fired them without any compensation or benefits. And when they tried banding together to take your company to court, you and your father paid people to harass them and their families, scaring them to the point where they wouldn’t fight the big corporation that had done them wrong. They barely had money to eat and live on, and you and your father made it impossible for them to afford to fight you any longer by deliberately dragging things out in court.”
“If we fired them, then there had to be a reason for it,” McMurray snapped.
“Oh, you had a reason all right. You and your old man didn’t want to give them what they deserved after working for you all those years. But now I will. For the first five years, any profit I make from Global Petroleum will go to those men and their families
. Of the six, four are still living, almost impoverished. So as you can see, McMurray, I’m trying to right a wrong that you and your family did.”
Cameron nodded to Xavier who slid a manila envelope over to McMurray and his attorney. “I suggest the two of you read those documents, ponder them,” Cameron said. “If I’m forced to expose them, I will. I have sworn affidavits from Samuel Myers, as well as from the woman who was your father’s secretary, Hannah Crosby. Ms. Crosby claims she was paid to falsify documents, and Samuel Myers has confessed to being one of your father’s henchmen. He’s provided us a list of all the bad deeds that your father paid him to do. If you’re willing to have the press dig into history and dishonor your family’s name, then go ahead, keep doing what you’re doing, in other words, basically the same tricks your father pulled years ago.”
Cameron leaned over the table and his smile was gone. Instead his face was a mask of pure anger. “The only difference is, your henchmen don’t bother me, McMurray, and I’m not going anywhere. Do you and your family a favor, accept your loss and take an early retirement. Otherwise, you leave me no choice but to send a copy of what’s in that envelope to every newspaper in Texas.”
McMurray jumped out of his chair, almost knocking it over. “You won’t get away with this, Cody.”
“I already have. You don’t own Global Petroleum anymore. I do. Accept it. And let me give you a friendly word of warning. If there are any more mishaps to my company that I trace back to you, instead of spending your remaining days in retirement, I’ll going to see to it that you rot in jail. Count on it.”
An angry John McMurray stalked out of the conference room with his attorney—who’d taken the time to grab the envelope off the table—following right on his heels.
Xavier shook his head and glanced over at Cameron. “That man is bad news.”
Kurt nodded in agreement.
Cameron released a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair. He had a feeling they hadn’t seen or heard the last of John McMurray.
Chapter 16
Risky Pleasures Page 13