She needed my strength above all things.
I rose from the bed and went over to lock the door. Yes, I was needed out there, but Mia needed me too. As I stripped off my clothes, I vowed I’d give my family every second of every minute of time when I was in New York.
Whatever they asked of me and for however long.
“I don’t think you truly comprehend how your happiness affects mine,” I said.
“Am I still your submissive?”
“Without question. It’s the only way I can keep you out of mischief.”
Her eyes widened and she held that caught in the headlights look I adored.
“Cameron, that’s a lot of money for a piece of jewelry.”
“Not when it comes to you, Mia.”
“Your idea of comfortable and mine are two different things.”
“I’m not easy to live with. I have unusual needs.”
“Like what?” She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip.
“Well, for a start, I demand complete obedience.” I took the glass from her and set it down.
She sat up, wrapping the sheet around her, and bowed her head.
“That’s a good start. As you know, my submissive must obey me.” I tugged back the sheet and exposed her, reaching for her bra and easing it low to reveal both breasts. “She must respond to all orders swiftly.” Taking my time, I tweaked her nipples, playing with one and then the other.
I climbed onto the bed and moved back up against the headboard, pulling Mia toward me. She straddled my lap and faced me.
“You need a cuddle,” I whispered, and buried my head into her nape, breathing her in.
“I love you,” she whispered.
I pulled her away from me. “I told you I’d protect you.”
“How did you find me?”
“Your love was a beacon.”
She thumped my arm.
I laughed and reached for my jacket and pulled out that envelope I’d stuffed in there before leaving home. I slid out the contract and unfolded it. Arching a curious brow, I reviewed her signature.
Then I saw the number. “You amended the document on the hard drive?”
“Might have.”
She’d taken off the last two zeros of the amount offered in the NDA agreement, lessening the settlement to 2,500 dollars. A small token should we not work out, and the legalese to protect me from a ‘tell-all’ down the line.
Though Mia would never do that to me. I knew this with certainty. It was Dominic, my lawyer, who insisted on it.
Mia peeked down at the form. “I’ll only need a few thousand for a deposit on an apartment. If we don’t work out.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“Well that’s what’s it’s for, right?” She shrugged. “I’ve always been independent. That’s never going to change.”
“I warned you of the consequences.”
“Something about punishing me with your—” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“No, I distinctly remember telling you there’d be no further access to my most valuable asset.”
“Should have been clearer.”
“You took a risk.”
“Goes both ways, Cameron. If you want a pass to my pussy, you’re going to have to—”
I kissed her hard. A fierce fucking of her mouth with my tongue that silenced her rebellion.
“Remove your panties.”
She slipped them off, her gaze moving from me then back to her nakedness. Her vulnerability was glaring.
With my hands on her hips, I directed her sex along my cock, and she trembled with pleasure as her clit stroked back and forward along my full length.
“Enjoying that?” I asked huskily.
“Yes.” Her lips parted and her eyelids lowered.
“I’m a man of my word, Mia.”
She titled her head back slightly to better look at me.
The hum of the plane’s engine and the warmth in here lulled us.
I gripped her hips and lifted her so she stood on the bed looking down at me.
“I’m merciful at least.” I kissed her sex.
She leaned against me, pressing both palms on the curved wall for balance.
I devoured her, suckling, swirling my tongue over her, and her thighs trembled, her breathing grew ragged. I imagined she was silently begging me not to cease my flicking and I gave in to her need, ignoring my own. Flicking faster, now and again I stopped so I could gently nip her clit. Then I let go, allowing that delicate nub to engorge and bring a wave of pleasure. Her soft moans willed me on. Mia rocked her hips, caressing herself over my tongue. Her shuddering was endless as she came hard, with a long moan stifled as she bit down on her hand.
She lowered herself and sat on my lap and reached for my groin.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled it away. “As soon as you sign the original document.”
“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.”
“Oh?”
“There’s an unprecedented attack on my family’s business. It’s what’s known as a hostile takeover.”
“What does it mean?”
“An acquisition company has gone directly to the shareholders in an endeavor to remove my father’s hold on Cole Tea. A tender offer was placed to merge with another company. We rejected it. We’re under attack from a proxy fight. If there’s a simple majority vote agreeing within the shareholders to replace the management, the takeover will happen. The shareholders listen to the board. The board is moving forward with the takeover.”
Mia cringed. “Oh no, you
were running all over L.A. looking for me.”
“A slight detour.”
“There must be something your family can do?”
There was a knock at the door.
“Yes?” I said.
“Dr. Cole,” came the Irish lilt of Irene, our overly formal stewardess. “Your presence has been requested, sir.”
“Tell them I’ll be right there.” I hoped Shay and Henry had found something of use.
“Yes, sir.” Irene’s footsteps fell away.
“Cameron,” whispered Mia. “What can I do?”
“Be you.”
“I’ll make you proud.”
“You already do.”
“It’s going to be rough, isn’t it?”
“It’s going to be bloody.”
“We’ve faced worst monsters, Cameron.”
I stared into her eyes.
“The ones inside our mind can do just as much damage,” she whispered. “If we let them.”
“True.”
“I believe in you. If anyone can save Cole Tea, it’s you.”
“With you by my side.”
She reached for my cock and I slapped her hand away.
She gasped in surprise.
I grinned as I studied Mia’s soulful expression and I reached around to the back of her head to grab a handful of locks. Shifting my hips, positioning my cock at her entrance, I then slid all the way in, enveloping myself in the snugness of her sex.
Her breath stuttered. “Cameron.”
I pulled her toward me and whispered, “Forget the contract. We’re never going to need it.”
CHAPTER 5
LAUGHTER CARRIED UP the aisle of the plane.
Shay and Henry were sharing a joke and laughing hysterically, their legs stretched out on their footrests. Both of them were covered in a tartan blanket.
“I was told you wanted to see me?” I frowned at them playfully.
Shay beamed. “We’ve been tucked in.”
My gaze followed his toward the cockpit and settled on Irene, our redheaded stewardess. She seemed busy with the post take off checks.
Two hours ago she’d welcomed me, Shay, and Mia aboard the flight with a big Irish smile and the confidence to match. Her hair was up in a neat chignon and her stewardess uniform showed off her curves and provided an air of professionalism. Her makeup was flawless and made her look younger than her early thirties. Those deep green eyes fixed on our every move until we’d secured our seatbelts.
Irene had disappeared inside the galley, giving us all a moment to catch our breath after the day we still hadn’t quite caught up with, and for us to steady our nerves after that turbulent takeoff. I agreed with Henry. Irene hid her bad girl tattoo somewhere and something told me Henry would find out exactly where later.
“She scares the shit out of me,” he said with a smirk.
This sent Shay into another round of laughter.
I fell into the big seat next to Shay’s, laughing just as hard. It was great to see Henry relaxed considering the circumstances of why we were on this flight.
“We were making too much noise,” said Henry.
“She told you that?” I said.
“Irene asked us to be a little quieter,” explained Shay.
“She was concerned you and Mia were sleeping.” Henry arched a brow.
“Mia’s asleep now,” I said. “Coffee?”
We ordered drinks and Shay and Henry righted their chairs and pulled their blankets off them.
Shay had already filled Henry in on the Herron brothers and our final hours in L.A. Watching Henry’s reaction made me realize Decker was lucky he’d had to deal with me and not Henry. Decker would have been hospitalized had Henry met him.
“We’re handling them,” I told him.
Shay leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Adrian’s working as a security guard. His spare uniform was on a hanger.”
“Do we know where?”
“His ID gave it away. Burbank Mall.”
“We have him.”
“How did he get a job working there?” asked Henry.
“He’s a criminal without a record.”
Shay confirmed with a nod. “A DUI in Charlotte, fifteen years ago. That’s it.”
“Still drug dealing?” I asked.
“We’ll know soon,” said Shay. “I’ll have them tracked.”
“Fill me in on any developments. Let’s keep Mia out of this for now.”
“Sure.”
We moved into the conference section and took advantage of the table surrounded by six fixed chairs then readied ourselves for the long night ahead. Henry opened his laptop and we sat around with a clear view of the screen. He brought up the list of names for all ten board members.
“Here’s what we know so far,” he said. “Two weeks ago the board members were each approached and offered some kind of deal.”
“We have a spy?” I said.
“Not a member of the board,” said Henry. “Javier Marcotte is Dad’s old executive assistant and now works for Jeff Livingston, one of the board members. Javier still keeps Dad updated on the rumor mill.”
“Impressive,” said Shay.
“Dangerous for Javier,” I said. “But necessary.”
Irene pushed her cart down the aisle and prepped the coffee.
“That better be Tempest,” said Henry dryly.
“Of course, sir,” she said. “We only have Cole Tea and Tempest Coffee on this flight.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Thank you for hosting our flight,” I said. “I know it’s late, and this was last minute.”
“I’m on call,” she said. “Your dad’s assistant told me this was important.” She looked over at Henry. “I’m sorry about earlier. Your father insisted we took off as soon as possible.”
“We needed Dr. Cole on board too.” Henry gestured to me. “Sorry I made your job more difficult, Irene. That wasn’t my intention.”
Her face softened and her blush rose. “No need to apologize, sir.”
“Henry’s a war vet,” Shay told her.
“I read that about you,” she said, looking over at him.
Henry winced.
“Which article was it?” I took the mug from Irene. “Thank you.”
“The one in the L.A. times. Mr. Cole senior gave me it to read during a flight from India a few years back.” She handed Henry his coffee. “Your dad’s so proud of you.”
Henry looked over at me.
“He’s the bravest man I know,” I said warmly. “Hell, he’s the most incredible man I know.”
Shay pointed at Henry. “We served in Afghanistan together. This officer put himself in danger to save his men. That’s the kind of man he is.”
“I’m not running for office,” said Henry. “So you can pull back on the elaboration.”
Shay leaned forward. “Henry, you knew men would die unless you entered that town to get them.”
“They were rescued because of you,” I said.
“And we all know what my reward was,” said Henry.
“A Purple Heart?” said Irene brightly.
Henry stared at her blankly. “That’s in a box now. Somewhere.”
“Did my father ever mention me?” I tried to change the subject.
“I’m sorry,” Irene stuttered. “I didn’t mean—”
“I rarely discuss it,” said Henry. “Forgive me.”
“I should get back.” She glanced toward the front of the plane.
“Some milk perhaps?” I said warmly.
She poured milk into my mug. “You’re a doctor?”
I ignored my brother’s knowing stare.
She added milk into their coffees too. “Dr. Cole, is it true you once finished the New York Times crossword puzzle in under four minutes?”
“Don’t remember that,” I said.
“You’re dad told me he’d only put the paper down for a few minutes and when he picked it up again you’d finish
ed it.”
“So nothing about my work then?”
Irene looked surprised. “You were nine.”
“Years old?” asked Shay.
“Yes,” she said. “Apparently.”
I shrugged. “So no mention of my work?”
“We don’t really talk that much. Sorry. Your dad works during each flight. He never sleeps. Never watches a movie. Makes calls. Works on his laptop.”
“This is great coffee,” I said.
“Of course it is.” Irene smiled, then she pushed her cart off up the aisle.
“She didn’t offer us peanuts,” said Henry.
“Nine years old,” said Shay. “Seriously, Cameron, how did you do that?”
“Must have known the answers.”
Shay leaned forward on his elbows. “When did you first realize you were smarter than everyone else?”
“Wouldn’t say that.”
“Then how would you say it?”
“Maybe it’s because of nut allergies,” Henry said.
Shay chuckled. “Bet you know the answer to that one too, Cam.”
I pushed myself to my feet. “I’ll get some.”
“How do you know she has any?” said Shay, impressed. “Residual salt on Irene’s fingertips from where she’s eaten a packet herself. An empty packet in the trash?”
I beamed at him. “They were on the cart.”
More laughter flowed.
Having calmed a devastated Irene over forgetting to deliver our snacks, I returned to my seat and was rewarded with cheers. I handed over the chips, peanuts, and chocolate covered pretzels. “We’ve been warned not to ruin our appetites. Irene’s bringing menus.”
“Dinner or breakfast?” asked Shay.
“Whatever you like.”
“So glad you got a taste of her bossiness,” said Henry.
I glanced back to make sure she didn’t hear. “Actually, Henry, she’s rather compliant.”
“What did you say to her?”
“I told her we valued her time.”
“And?” said Shay.
The look I gave Shay told him Irene leaned toward submission.
“Perfect,” said Shay. “With your permission, I’d like to set up a date?”
“I thought you had a girlfriend?” said Henry.
“Not for me.”
“In that case.” Henry rose to his feet. “I don’t mind if I do.” He headed up the aisle.
Cameron's Contract Page 3
