Page 104 of Dangerous Contract: Part 1

Raz swallowed, afraid of where she was going with this. Afraid that she was going to say she didn’t want to pretend that his family was good in order to be with him.

“My family isn’t good, Raz. They hide behind the light of the Bible and commit their sins in the dark. They throw scriptures at me when they want me to do things their way. But they ignore those same scriptures when it comes to their own lives. One of the things I hate most in this world is hypocrites. Another thing I hate is disloyal people. People who will turn their backs on others for personal gain. I don’t want to be with that type of person again. If you’d turn your back on your family for me,you’d turn your back on me for something or someone else. So, I’m glad that’s a hard no for you. I don’t even expect you to change your career for me, Raz.”

“You don’t?”

“No, baby.”

It was the wordbabythat made him smile and eased the tension in his body.

“I don’t fear what you do, Raz. I just need to know that you’ll choose me if it becomes a problem for us. I don’t expect you to choose me over your family. I would never ask that of you. I just don’t want you to ever make me feel like I’m not as important to you as everything else you have going on. I don’t want you to hide things from me or keep secrets to protect my feelings. I want all or nothing. I want every part of you – the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful, Orazio.”

Was her sexy ass trying to make him tear up?

“Can you give me that? Can you share all of you with me? Even the things you think will scare me? And can you choose me if the bad and the ugly threaten to tear us apart?”

“Every time,” he told her in a rush, not needing to think it over. “I’ll always choose you. There is no choice but you, Monique Rose.”

A tear dripped down her cheek. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Raz, I’m choosing to believe in you, to believe in us. And though it’s scary as shit, I’m choosing to start over and try love again. Are you sure you want this? Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“Baby, I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want a life with you.”

Nodding, she wiped her cheeks. “I choose to believe you, Raz. But...”

“Wait, why is there a but?”

“But,” she continued. “I want it in writing.”

“In writing?” he asked, confused.

“A contract. I want a contract that says, if your family businesses become a problem for us, you will choose me. And that you’ll share everything with me, no matter what it is.”

“You want a contract with me?” he asked in disbelief.

She nodded. “Your last contract was a dangerous contract. No woman in her right mind would sign that. But this contract will be one that protects our hearts and our feelings for each other. In it, it should state that if your business becomes a problem for us, you will choose me. But if you can’t leave your businesses behind or fix whatever the problem is, then you will leave me behind and never contact me again. No kidnapping. No blackmailing. A clean break.”

“But...”

“All or nothing, remember? I’m choosing to give love a chance again after vowing I never would. I’m choosing you after only spending one night with you. This is a huge gamble for me. I need something to protect me in case this doesn’t go the way we want it. I need it for my own peace of mind because I’m scared as shit of getting back out there and making myself vulnerable again. I need this. I need this promise, this vow. So, are you willing to sign a contract like that, Orazio Cattaneo?”

“But, you just said you believe in me, in us.”

“I do. But I also believe in protecting myself and my mind. Since you like contracts, and you do like contracts, remember the one you tried to make me sign?”

Raz shook his head. “I don’t remember. A lot has happened since then.”

“Liar,” she said, smiling. “Since you like contracts, you should be okay with this one.”

“But it feels like a business deal instead of the beginning of our love story.”

“Oh, really?” She cocked her head to the side. “Was the one you wanted me to sign romantic? Was it the beginning of a love story?”

“Why do you keep bringing up our past, Rosa?”

Her laughter filled the room. “Say you’ll sign the contract so we can officially seal the deal.”

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