Free Ruining Mr. Perfect (The McCauley Brothers) by Marie Harte

room?” Before she could answer, he hurried to say, “I have a suite. We’ll sit in the living area. Clothes on. Straight up—this isn’t a pass.”
    Even if I want it to be?
    “I could use someone to talk to, and I think you could too. What do you say?”

Chapter 5
    Cam was nervous. Normally with a date, he experienced sexual desire, a flutter of eager anticipation, not uncomfortable anxiety. Vanessa was different.
    When he’d overheard that dipshit talking to her as if she were nothing more than a toy to service him, he’d wanted to pound the guy until he lost those bright white teeth. Cam’s table along the wall had been close enough to overhear but discreet enough not to be seen in case dickwad had remembered him from the gym.
    Dickwad’s comment, “I know you’re single”—that had really bothered him. Cam didn’t want men thinking Vanessa was available. He wanted her off the market, clearly labeled as his .
    He hated the vulnerability in her eyes as she stared out his balcony windows at the ocean. He’d turned on the light in the far corner of the room, enough to give the room some illumination without being overpowering. But he could still see the hurt she tried to hide.
    “Nice view,” she murmured.
    “Yeah. The clients like it.”
    She turned to him and raised a brow.
    “You made me feel guilty about writing off this suite for pleasure, which of course I’d never, ever do.” When she snorted, he laughed. “So I arranged for three of my newer clients to meet me here in the suite to talk strategy. It was worthwhile, trust me. Since I don’t yet have a working office, I’m keeping this for the weekend. My getaway from the old man.” He raised his glass and took a sip, aware her glass remained nearly full. “Not thirsty?”
    “Not in the mood to get drunk. Alcohol is a depressant, and I don’t need the help.”
    “He really got to you, didn’t he? Want me to go smash his face in?”
    She blew out a breath. “Yes and no. I wanted to be the one to kick his balls through the roof of his mouth. But he’s not worth it.”
    “You got that right.” He sat down next to her. “Talk to me. What’s really going on?”
    “No. Tell me about your dad. Let me get back to you on my psychoses.”
    He shrugged. “Sure. In a nutshell, my father has bitched about every goddamn thing in my condo he could. My food is gross, my décor something that makes him more than uncomfortable, and I don’t get the requisite sports channels Mike does.”
    “So why the hell doesn’t he move in with Mike?”
    “Trust me. I wanted to tell him to leave, but Mom wants to be able to see Colin without running into Dad.”
    “Ah.”
    “Yeah.” He swallowed more Scotch, wishing for a heady buzz and only feeling the mellow release of whiskey. “We had a huge blowup yesterday and haven’t talked since.” He sighed. “I think he’s cheating on Mom.”
    “ What? ”
    “Yeah. He didn’t come out and admit it. Made a lot of bullshit excuses about all he’s sacrificed in his lifetime, how everything’s been for Mom. Then he went off on me like I don’t respect his work. When did I ever say I hated his job?” He was baffled as to the man’s thought processes. “I would have thought he was just deflecting except I swear he seemed really hurt.”
    “Well, you’ve said you and he don’t have that much in common. Maybe you aren’t the only one bothered by that.”
    “I guess.” He nursed the thought. “I just don’t see why he and Mom can’t work things out, talk to each other.”
    “Have they tried marriage counseling?”
    He snorted. “My father? You have met James McCauley, haven’t you? The man who knows everything about everything?” Was it his imagination, or did she flinch a little? “What? If you were in a relationship, say married, and you were having problems, wouldn’t you seek professional help?”
    “I would hope so. That seems like a rational and logical recourse. But then, I don’t