Page 45 of Cameron's Contract

“If you must,” she said weakly.

Henry arched his brows.

“I need the key to this room,” I said. “No one, and I mean no one, enters here without my permission.”

Mom’s stare swept across the wall. “I’ll personally paint over it when we’re done.”

“Now let’s not go too far, Mom,” said Henry. “We don’t want there to be a crack in the space-time continuum.”

It was good to see her laugh.

CHAPTER 13

“YOUR BEAUTY, IT haunts me,” I whispered.

Mia blushed. “Such a romantic.”

“I’m serious. Can’t drag my eyes off you.”

“We need to focus.”

“I’m focused.” Reluctantly I pulled my hand away from hers. “Perhaps wearing FMBs wasn’t a good idea.”

“You bought them for me.”

“Technically, Penny did.” I yawned.

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

I leafed through the coffee table book featuring old photos of New York.

The answer wasno,but Mia didn’t need to know I’d been up all night, nose deep in that document, refusing to give up until I’d found what I was looking for. Whatever it was meant to be.

I was going on forty-eight hours without sleep.

We’d been invited in by Mrs. Malt and had been escorted into the sitting room and left waiting for her to go and arrange refreshments.

The minimalist décor reflected a couple who loved to travel and hinted this wasn’t the family home. White walls, soft browns, and elegant furniture reflected an older couple’s taste, along with those photos of grandchildren, some graduating college, others venturing into impressive careers. The Malts had a fighter pilot in the family, apparently. The young man’s smile hid the horrors of a cruise ship at war.

The view of the city was stunning. The vibrant vista had yet to light up the night sky and reveal why so many loved New York.

My gaze returned to Mia.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She smiled.

“I’m waiting for you to open those sliding doors, strip naked, and take a running jump into the pool.”

“I need to remain professional, Dr. Cole.”

“Pity.”

“I’m sure Mrs. Malt wouldn’t appreciate a naked woman doing laps.”

“Might work,” I said. “I’ll tell her you’re not getting out unless Doug overturns his vote. It may be considered one of my more genius manipulations.”

Glancing at my phone, I beamed a smile.

Mia leaned over to look. “They overturned it?”