by Hadley Quinn
Finally Camryn pressed her head against the tile wall and looked Teague in the eye. She came fast and hard as he threw her other leg around him and moved into her deeper until he was about to follow suit.
He pulled out and finished against her stomach, enjoying each second of his release. He pressed his mouth to hers and let it relax him into a state of contentment.
“I told you I’m on birth control,” she said quietly, kissing the side of his face as he gently set her down.
He leaned his head against the wall next to hers and whispered, “Will you still sign off my time?”
She laughed and turned her head to look him in the eye. “Hell yeah. I’ve got the sexiest intern ever. You do the job perfectly.”
“Heh, I’m perfect,” he tried to gloat. “That’s a first.”
She smiled at him and said, “Perfect for me.”
Teague lacked a response as she reached for the body wash. He decided to just savor the moment without ruining it, so he moved along with her as they cleaned up, and then he washed her hair. After hearing her sensual moans from that, he was hard again and was ready for another round. It ended up on his bed, where hearing her come for him again totally sent him over the edge. With a condom, he could at least enjoy a release while still inside her.
It was only seven-thirty but he was exhausted. After the time spent with Camryn, dealing with his family, job hunting, and then driving in between, he was ready to sleep through the night. But hearing Camryn’s stomach growl brought him back to reality, so he got up and put on a pair of shorts.
“Wanna order some Chinese?” he asked, smiling at how cute she looked in the middle of his bed.
“That sounds amazing,” she agreed. She pulled some clothes on and followed Teague out of the room. “So this is your house, huh,” she stated. “Do you plan on keeping it or…?”
“Yeah, I’ll probably keep it. Um, yeah, there are some things I still want to talk to you about, okay? Maybe after we eat we can—”
He did not expect to see Kellie in the house today, but there she was, leaning against the kitchen counter with a bowl of salad in her hand. She eyed them both with a smirk but particularly looked Camryn over.
“Ah, so you’re the screamer,” Kellie stated with amusement.
Camryn’s face flushed instantly and Teague could tell she was horrified. He looked at his cousin without hiding the fact that he was pissed. “So fucking uncalled for, Kell. Apologize. Now.”
“Teague, it’s o—”
Camryn didn’t even get it out before he growled, “Now,” quite a bit firmer.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Kellie said, looking shocked that he was being such a dick. She glared at him for a second but looked at Camryn and said, “We just say stuff in this family. I’m sorry, uh…?”
“Camryn,” she answered quietly.
Kellie almost choked in mid-bite. “Camryn?” she managed to get out, eyeing Teague at the same time.
He didn’t even answer and brushed past her to reach for a delivery menu. Putting his arm around Camryn, he led her to the TV room and said, “I usually order a bunch of stuff because I like leftovers, but what do you like in particular?”
Camryn was looking over his eighty-inch flat screen TV. “That doesn’t surprise me now that I know this house belongs to a man,” she smiled. “Chow Mein and orange chicken, but now I feel like watching a movie.”
“Yeah, of course,” he finally smiled. “Pick one out of that cabinet right there,” he pointed. “I’m gonna order and go talk to Kellie quick; I’ll be right back.”
“Teague please don’t bring up the, you know… Comment.”
He smiled and said, “No worries. I have something I need her to do for me, actually.”
“Like she’s gonna want to do you any favors after yelling at her like that,” she joked.
“I didn’t yell at her. And she has to do shit for me when I ask. She works for me.”
Camryn raised her eyebrows and turned around to face him. “She works for you?”
With a nod he answered, “Yeah, she lives in my house so… Well, I want to talk to you about some stuff later, but first, let me go talk to her quick, we’ll eat and just… Talk. Okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
She nodded, but Teague could tell she was worried. He was worried too, but tried to talk himself out of it. Camryn was different, and he needed to have faith in that.
When he returned from his chat with Kellie, Camryn was on the phone. From what it sounded like, it was the dog’s owner, and Teague sat down just as she said, “Okay, Henry. See you then.”
She hung up the phone as Teague put his arm behind her on the couch. “Henry, huh? Sounds like a stuck up asshole.”
She smiled at his need to be a smartass. “Well I don’t know anything about him except he’s cute. And he’s a lawyer.”
“A lawyer, huh,” he scoffed playfully. “Pssh, not your type.”
“And how would you know,” she grinned, handing him the remote.
“Because you need someone like me,” he answered. “Someone that can keep up with that sassy mouth of yours.”
“Aren’t lawyers supposed to be clever like that?” she teased.
“You need someone that has a bit of a dangerous side.”
“Lawyers hang out with criminals.”
“Someone that’s equally as sweet.”
“Henry owns a dog. What’s sweeter than taking care of a helpless animal?”
He gave her a level gaze. “Someone that can make you cream your panties with one look, and heaven help me, Camryn, if that guy achieved that, I’m going to take you back to my room and the neighbors will hear you scream this time.”
She dropped her jaw with feigned disbelief, and blinked her astonishment. “Well Teague, I do believe you’ve been holding out on me, then.”
He laughed instantly, dropping his head back against the couch. He looked upward and quietly said, “God, what good have I done in this world to deserve this magnificent woman?”
In a deep voice, Camryn replied, “Nothing, you arrogant bastard. You need all the help you can get.”
Teague laughed even more. “That was the sexiest voice-of-God I have ever heard in my life.”
He looked at her and shook his head with a smile, still unable to fathom how this girl could make him feel. He’d never felt so at-peace with his life until he met Camryn. And now that he had her, he couldn’t stomach the idea of ever being without her. It made his past scream for attention every day of his life and he couldn’t ignore it, but he wasn’t going to let history repeat itself. No. Not this time.
“Rawk! Hey fatty!”
Camryn rolled her eyes, almost forgetting entirely that the bird was in the front room.
“Did you just call me fatty?” they heard Kellie’s voice say. “Listen here, fucker—”
“Kell, he’ll copy what you say,” Teague warned her.
She came into the room and scoffed. “Did he seriously call me fat?”
“Join the club,” Camryn smiled. “He used to live with a chauvinistic son-of-a-bitch, and he’s probably lost brain cells from second-hand everything.”
Kellie snorted. “Nice. Does he say anything else?”
“Um, he says ‘pretty bird,’ of course. I’ve heard him say ‘gimme that’ once. He says ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye,’ but usually not for the right occasion.”
“And he says ‘Fucktard,’” Teague told her proudly.
“No way!” Kellie laughed. “Oh my God, that is awesome!”
“Don’t teach him anything new while he’s here,” Teague advised.
Kellie held up her hands. “Hey, I’m not the one with the filthy mouth.”
“Right,” he scoffed.
“Okay, filthiest mouth,” she said, eyeing him.
“That would be Jay.”
She barely nodded her head as she considered it. “You’re right. Definitely keep my brother away from the bird.”
Chapter Twen
ty-Two
Camryn sighed and buried her face deeper into Teague’s chest. Why did she fall asleep so easily when she was with him? This time she was aware that he’d carried her to bed after the movie because she’d still been half awake.
Thinking about her shirtless man taking her to his room that way made her sigh, and she felt Teague’s hand against her backside, pulling her closer to him.
“That smile’s kinda cute,” he told her. “You dreaming about me, Camryn?”
She smiled even bigger but kept her eyes closed. “What time is it?” she mumbled.
“Eight-thirty.”
“Mmmm,” she replied, sliding a leg over him as she held onto him tighter.
“You’re clung to me like a baby monkey,” he said, squeezing her firmly.
“I just want to ride you again.”
“Ooh, there’s that clever mouth again. You just might make that wish hap—”
“Well now there’s my son at his finest,” a sarcastic voice cut through the room.
Camryn’s eyes flew open and she automatically grabbed for the blanket to cover herself up. She was dressed in just a cami and panties, and the man looming in the bedroom door didn’t seem to care.
“What the fuck—You can’t just walk into my bedroom any time you want!” Teague yelled, making sure Camryn was covered at the same time.
“Spare me the false concern, Teague. Meet me in the kitchen. Now.” He slammed the door behind him, and Teague was plainly so pissed he couldn’t even respond.
“Um, I guess that’s your dad?” Camryn asked carefully, sitting up and tucking her legs under her. Teague was studying her closely, most likely because he was used to people freaking out over a Craig McCallan sighting.
But with a sigh he replied, “I’m so sorry about that. He’s obviously an asshole and never fails to provide proof.”
She smiled, even though her heart was pounding from someone barging into a room where she was half naked with her boyfriend. And her nerves were zinging everywhere because it really had been kind of weird to see that face standing in the same room glaring at her.
Teague climbed out of bed and pulled a pair of worn jeans over his boxers. “I’m going to take care of this. Um, I’d rather you not come out. I know that sounds terrible, Camryn, but it’s for your own good.”
She bit her lip but nodded her agreement. “Okay.”
She wanted to ask if she could just take the dog for a walk, but decided not to. Teague was already on his way out the door, and shut it behind him.
With a heavy sigh, she got up and decided to take a shower. As she was stripping her clothes off, she heard the voices in the kitchen rise even louder. She frowned, feeling bad for Teague and whatever it was he had to deal with when it came to his dad. She couldn’t believe that Teague came from such a jerk; a Hollywood god she’d only seen through a television or movie screen more than a hundred times in her life.
Ten minutes later, Camryn heard doors slam while she was getting dressed in the bedroom. She even heard the squealing of tires on the pavement outside. Teague entered the room a few seconds afterward, looking haggard and worn out.
He set a house key on the dresser and said, “At least I got that back. He probably has another copy, though.” He ran his hands through his hair and locked his fingers behind his neck. “You okay?” he asked, noticing that she’d taken a shower.
Just the sight of him standing like that—hair messed up, shirtless with jeans hanging low—was an image she wanted to keep forever. She just wished it were without the worried frown. “I’m fine,” she smiled, stepping to him so she could wrap her arms around him.
She could feel Teague relax when he sighed.
“Can we talk now?” he asked, placing his hands against her neck. He kissed her forehead and added, “I didn’t get around to it last night once the movie started. And I think we were both pretty tired.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Let me take the dog out for a little bit—”
“I’ll do that,” he cut in. “I need a cigarette.”
“All right. Can I make some pancakes, then? Do you have stuff for that?”
“I don’t know. We can check to see what Kellie’s got in there.”
She followed him to the kitchen and watched him open the pantry. He couldn’t find what was needed, so Camryn settled for eggs and toast. Teague headed for the laundry room to let Tucker out, and after the brown beast greeted Camryn in the kitchen first, he trotted to the backyard with Teague.
Camryn watched them from the kitchen window. Teague was lighting his cigarette while a very soft and clean Tucker—courtesy of Teague’s request to Kellie—sniffed around a tree. After his cousin left for the night, Camryn never imagined being ambushed by Teague’s father. She sighed and shook her head. Not exactly the first impression she would have chosen to meet a parent, but there was no changing it now.
She smiled at Teague talking to the dog outside as he puffed smoke in between drags. But he looked majorly jittery, and Camryn knew it was because he never smoked when he was around her. His last cigarette was most likely sometime before he met up with her at dinner the day before. She wasn’t sure how long he might’ve gone without nicotine had his dad not shown up. The man really knew how to push all of Teague’s buttons.
They went through the motions of breakfast together, but Camryn could tell Teague’s mind was a million miles away. She didn’t like how his dad affected him that way, but she didn’t know what she could do about it, or if she should do anything about it.
“Can we talk now?” he finally asked as he set their plates in the sink.
Camryn nodded and followed him into the TV room. He sat down on the couch and motioned for her to sit with him. The dog plopped on the floor in front of them.
“Do you not follow celebrity gossip and stuff?” he asked. “Entertainment media, Hollywood news and shit?”
She knew what he was getting at and she tucked a leg underneath her before she answered. “Teague, I know who your family is, if that’s what you mean.”
He stared at her for a long time without saying anything. In fact, he was quiet for so long, she had to say his name again.
“So you just played along that you didn’t?” he finally asked.
“What?” she scoffed. “You lied to me and told me your last name was Chandler. Obviously you didn’t want me to know the truth. Were you afraid I would gush ‘Oh my God, you’re Teague McCallan of the famous Hollywood McCallans!?’” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t give a shit about that kind of stuff.”
He studied her again, his eyes narrowing. “Well this was unexpected. I had no idea you already knew who my family was. Not once did you exhibit any kind of behavior that clued me in. When did you figure it out? Obviously I’m not as famous as my brother and my dad—well, famous probably isn’t the right word. I’m the rebellious fuckup, but don’t tell me it was that obvious.”
“Give me a break, Teague. I didn’t have a clue until two days ago, when Mel dropped a gossip magazine on my bed. Your picture was on it with your brother.”
He eyed her carefully again. “Two days ago? So…before you and I slept together.”
She popped up from the couch and pointed a finger at him. “Don’t you dare accuse me of sleeping with you to get in with your family! Screw you, Teague! I don’t give a shit that your brother is Max McCallan! From everything I’ve heard, he sounds like a major dickhead. And I definitely don’t give a fuck that your dad is one of the most famous actors/producers of his time! That was not a man I care to rub shoulders with!” she shouted, pointing out the window.
Teague stood and held his hands out. “Calm down, Camryn. I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just…trying to sort through my own fucked up head. You don’t even know what my life has been like if you don’t understand why I get worried about stuff like that. Unless, of course, you read all of that garbage—”
“I don’t read tabloids,” she growled at him. “I barely even watch T
V, I’m too busy. The magazine Mel had was from over a year ago. It was an article about your brother, actually. But you were mentioned in it and your obvious lack of interest in following your father’s footsteps.”
He studied her for a few seconds and then sighed. “I’m not the actor in the family and I never will be. My dad will never let that go, and why that is, I have no fucking idea. I mean I did some stuff when I was younger, but when I started to grow a brain, I realized none of it was for me. I surfed. That’s all I wanted to do. My dad couldn’t stomach the fact that I didn’t have a ‘real’ job in the family business. I did other odd things to earn a living because he kicked me out of the house when I was sixteen.”
Teague returned to the couch and sat back down. He patted the space next to him for Camryn, so she joined him. She could tell that talking about his family was difficult for him, but whatever it was he had to say, she wasn’t easily fazed. She hardly knew anything about the McCallan family but she had a feeling she was going to soon enough.
“My brother was the one that convinced me to double for him in Catching Waves,” he went on. “Same hair color and we were built the same, and since Max wasn’t even half the surfer that I was at eighteen, they wanted a stunt double. So…that’s how I ended up in Hollywood anyways, despite my efforts to stay out of it. But, you know, it was actually okay. I loved doing all the stunt work because it was fun—it was just like being my usual, adrenaline-junkie self—and I got paid for it. And the bigger Max got in the industry, the more I was needed too, and I spent a ton of time learning new stuff so I could be considered for more movies.”
“Do you go to school for something like that?”
“You don’t get a degree or anything, but you can go to stunt schools or work with the right people to learn special skills. Some guys are so good, they’re professionals in six different categories for stunt work. There are some really amazingly talented and fearless people in my profession. All I had was surfing and motorcycles, but I wanted to learn more, and when I did, it seemed like I was working on every single movie with Max. My dad was proud as hell, too. Of Max, I mean. He was the highlight of his life, front and center. But I was okay with it. I still am. I don’t like the limelight. I’ll take the action scenes, though. Motorcycles, fights, explosions, surfing…whatever.”
