Page 17 of Cameron's Contract

“You’re not serious?”

“I am.”

“But Cameron?”

I kissed her nose. “You’ll cave.”

To show she was up for the challenge, she arched her brows defiantly.

“We’ll see, Madam,” I said.

She twisted her mouth thoughtfully.

“Mia, never again keep anything from me. Understand?”

“Yes.”

I cupped her face with both hands and stared into her eyes. “I demand honesty from you. It’s the only way I can protect you.”

“I’ll never let you down again.”

“It’s not because I’m some egotistical bastard who likes to keep track of his lover to the point of obsession. It’s because of the family I was born into.”

Her pupils remained dilated. Those soft blue irises were easy to fall into.

“My family is rich and powerful. What you don’t know, or could never know, is what this truly means.”

She reached out and grasped my forearms.

“Mia, we’re talking the kind of money that brings great power. Friends are actually your enemies.”

“Why do it then?”

“We bring tea to the masses. The company has grown into a global brand. With that comes unprecedented power. The benefits include bigger homes, faster boats, private jets, and enough champagne to drown in. The grandest prize of course is the prestige. The political power one has access to. The ability to influence world affairs.”

“Your father?”

“His first born was Cole Tea and we are constantly reminded of the fact.”

“I know he loves you.”

“Perhaps now you understand why I wanted no part in it other than the charities?”

“You prefer medicine.”

“There’s plenty of good the business does, and its charities have thrived because of my parents philanthropic pursuits.”

“You never considered going into the business?”

“It’s a life I’ve avoided.” I let out a long sigh of regret. “Yes, there’s the power I lord over Enthrall and Chrysalis, but that’s nothing compared to what it would be like to run Cole Tea. I love my life. I love you at the center of it.’

Mia was my light. My oxygen. The very air I breathed.

I pressed a fingertip to her lips. “I ask for honesty. I owe you the same privilege.”

Her frown deepened.

“The reason we’re flying to New York is serious.”