Page 176 of Enthrall Shadows
“A woman like her might be intimidating, even for a man like you.”
There was no denying that her confidence left me spellbound.
I broke Mia’s gaze by focusing on the fireplace. “Can you get me into the next party at Chrysalis?”
Mia set her mug down. “You’re going to fight for her?”
“I’m going to make it up to her. I’ll find a way for us to be together. If that’s what she still wants.”
“Am I allowed to tell Cameron? About the party, I mean.”
“No.” I reasoned my foray into their secretive world should remain covert.
She shook her head. “I must tell Richard. He’s the boss.”
“He’s not my biggest fan.”
“The more of an asshole he is to you the more he adores you.”
“That’s strangely comforting.”
“Something tells me you still have Richard’s masquerade mask.”
I smirked. “Might.”
Mia gave a nod of excitement. “Lotte’s worth it.”
“She is,” I said. “If she’ll forgive me.”
She shook her head, amused. “Drink your tea. Let’s talk about how to get you in, and what you should expect when you’re there.”
“I appreciate this.”
“Can I give you some womanly advice?”
“Sure.”
“Flowers.”
My shoulders slumped. Could the answer be that simple?
“Just don’t go back to Chrysalis until you’ve made up,” she added. “Women need to see that you respect their boundaries.”
At nine o’clock at night, the tea lab was deserted.
This is where all the magic happened for Cole Tea—where new brands were concocted and where specialists like Meg Mills and Felix Jones proved their worth.
They’d gone home for the evening leaving me to experiment.
I’d been trying to capture a unique flavor. I had several jars containing the finest ingredients within reach.
There, on the wall, hung a two-hundred-year-old wooden banner from one of my ancestors, my great-great grandfather’s merchant tea company. This building may be new but our family legacy went back generations.
The rest of the staff had left the building, except for security and office cleaners. The lights dimmed within the tower.
The lab remained silent.
I didn’t want to go home to that big house echoing my loneliness. Working late was the best distraction.
