Page 81 of Visions of You

Her face reddened. "Jaron Tymera." Her voice rose. "Do you think this is a joke? You've put our entire family at risk with your foolish actions!"

There she went, being dramatic again.

"Do you understand what you've done?" she demanded. "This scandal could ruin us! How could you be so selfish?"

Jaron's fists clenched at his sides. "Selfish? For finding love? For following my heart?"

Her voice grew shrill. "Love? This isn't love, Jaron. This is madness! You're jeopardizing everything we've worked for!"

He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Enough, Mother." He held up a hand. "I'm not a child anymore. You can't lecture me and expect me to just sit here and take it."

She froze, her mouth half-open in mid-rant.

"I've made my decision," Jaron continued. "You need to accept it."

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "You think you can just walk in here and demand acceptance for this… this abomination?"

"Yes," he replied calmly. "Because it's my life. Not yours."

She took a step back as if he'd struck her.

"And another thing," Jaron added, taking advantage of her silence. "I'll be discrete about my relationship with Keegan. I'll give you time to do whatever damage control you need. But only if you do me a favor in return, otherwise I'll shout my love from the rooftops."

"What do you want, Jaron?"

"I need to borrow Dad's credit card for a day."

His mother's gaze bore into him. "And what, pray tell, do you intend to buy with it?"

Jaron crossed his arms over his chest, matching her gaze. "I can't tell you that."

"You can't or you won't?"

"Both," he replied, maintaining his stance.

She considered him quietly, her displeasure contained but not concealed. The silence stretched.

"If I'm going to stay quiet for the sake of the family's wealth," Jaron continued, "then I want access to that wealth. Isn't that only fair?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. The weight of her disapproval bore down on him, but he stood firm.

Finally, she sighed and straightened her shoulders. "Very well," she said slowly. "But there are conditions."

Of course.

There were always conditions.

"You have to agree to wear a suitable outfit for the next month," she said, predictably. She was always on him about his clothes. "And you have to keep quiet about this… arrangement for at least that long."

His jaw clenched. "A month?"

She nodded curtly.

He glanced out the window, then back at his mother's stern face. It was infuriating to have to negotiate like this over the truth of his mating, over something that felt so right and natural to him, but he knew better than to push further.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Her expression softened slightly, but only just. "I'll get your father's card." She rose from her seat and left the room without another word.