Good, Michael wanted to say but didn’t. No need to fuel an already volatile conversation. He didn’t know Dylan, but he wanted to get his hands on the guy for breaking Peyton’s heart.
“So tell me, Peyton. Why are you so pissed about Luke and Jerry showing up?”
“Because I can take care of myself. They embarrassed me, acting like I’m some helpless female when the situation didn’t warrant them being here, Michael. Had you not called them, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Peyton, I have no doubt you can take care of yourself, but when you abruptly hung up on me, I didn’t know what to think. I did the first thing that came to mind, and that was to call for back up. I’m sorry if you were embarrassed or if I overstepped, but I did what I had to do.” And he would do it again.
Peyton huffed out a breath. “Okay, I can see we’re getting nowhere with this discussion. I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Hmm, our first argument as a…” He started to say as a couple, but they weren’t a couple, thanks to him.
“Michael, you and I are friends. I get it. I respect your reasons for not wanting more, but with that, you have to understand that you don’t get a say in anything I do, or anyone I talk to. Yes, Dylan hurt me and yes every time I hear his voice or see him I have flashbacks of when I walked in on him and his assistant, but I survived. So until I’m your woman, stay out of my personal affairs.”
Michael stared at the phone when she disconnected.
“Damn. She is mad.”
Chapter Fifteen
“I had a nice time today,” Landen said to Peyton, dividing his attention between her and the road. He steered his BMW into her neighborhood and slammed on the brakes when a boy on a blue dirt bike dashed across the street. Now that the weather was a little warmer, children were outside running across neighbors lawns and playing in the street. “I would love to take you out again. Can I call you sometime?”
Peyton hesitated. Toni had set her up on the blind date insisting she needed to jump start Peyton’s social life. Landen, a COO for a mid-level tech company, was a nice guy, but there were no sparks. Peyton hated comparing him to Michael, but that’s exactly what she did the whole time they were together. The men were opposites in every way, from the type of work they did to the way they dressed. Where Michael was cocky and laid-back, Landen was geeky and straight-laced and no longer her type.
Instead of turning Landen down outright, she said, “You can call me, but I have to warn you. I go back to work in a few days, and I’m sure I’ll have some serious catching up to do.”
“I know what that’s like.” He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up on his nose. “We can play it by ear.”
Landen turned onto Peyton’s street and stopped for Mrs. Hill, who was backing out of her driveway. Seconds later, he pulled into Peyton’s driveway, and her heart did a somersault when she spotted the lone figure standing on her stoop.
Michael.
She tried to play it cool, but the butterflies in her stomach went crazy, fluttering around like wild birds. It was as if thoughts of him had conjured him up.
“A friend of yours?” Landen asked.
“Uh, yeah. I didn’t know he was stopping by.” That was an understatement. She wasn’t expecting him for another two weeks, Memorial Day weekend. Frustrated with the long distance between them and still a little peeved about him sending Luke and Jerry to her house three days ago, she’d kept the telephone conversations with Michael brief. Talking to him only made her miss him that much more and she was tired of torturing herself.
Landen parked in front of the two-car garage and before she could stop him, he exited the vehicle and opened her car door. After the way Michael reacted about Dylan, Peyton decided to say goodbye to her date at the car.
“Landen, thanks so much for a very nice afternoon.”
“It was great meeting you, Peyton. I look forward to us doing this again sometime.” He waved his hand toward her front stoop. “Can I walk you to the door?”
Michael stood in the walkway, his arms folded across his chest. He looked so dangerously handsome that Peyton wondered if something was wrong with her for falling for someone like him. A man who had no fear and did whatever the hell he wanted.
“That’s not necessary, Landen. Thanks again. It was nice spending time with you.”
“Same here.” He bent down and kissed her cheek. He was an old school gentleman. Her grandmother would love him.
Peyton watched as her date pulled out of the driveway. Her heart did a giddy up when she turned, and her gaze met Michael’s. Still standing in the same spot, he didn’t look too pleased. What was she going to do with him?
“Well this is a surprise,” she said, the breathiness of her tone betraying the coolness she wanted to portray. He looked delicious. The gray T-shirt molded against his muscular upper body and his black jeans hung low on his hips, the pant legs sticking partially out of a pair of black Timberland boots. “What are you doing here?” She stopped in front of him. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, his five o’clock shadow tickling her palm. Peyton loved this look on him.
Michael still didn’t speak. His gaze bore into her with those light-brown eyes that she dreamed about every night. He turned his head and placed a kiss in her palm, still not speaking. Instead, he pulled her against his hard body. His expert lips touched hers, and every cell within Peyton came alive.
Peyton dropped her handbag, unfazed by the thunk the purse made when it hit the concrete. Her arms went around his neck, and she held on to the man she loved. He was the one she wanted. No one else.
“I’ve missed you so damn much.” The huskiness in his sexy voice held so much emotion. She was glad that he had been just as affected by the distance between them. “I don’t like it when we argue.”
Peyton leaned back and smiled. “It’s only been one argument.”
“I know, and I didn’t like it.”
“Me either. Let’s go inside and you can tell me what you’re doing here.”
*
Michael grabbed an overnight bag from the trunk of the rental car and followed her inside. Just as he expected, the inside of Peyton’s home was just as pristine as the manicured lawn.
“Nice place.” He set his bag just inside the door and strolled farther into the house. The light colored walls, sparkling hardwood floors, and white furniture made it clear that she didn’t have children running around.
“Thanks.” Peyton turned on lights now that the sun was setting. She closed the blinds, telling him to make himself at home.
“So who was the guy in the Beemer?” He asked, leaning against a nearby wall, his legs crossed at the ankle. It took all of his willpower to stay put when the guy helped her out of the car and then kissed her. Michael knew that if he had approached her at that moment, he would have lost her for sure. He had already feared that he’d blown his shot with her.
Peyton turned to him, her gaze taking him in. He loved it when she looked at him the way she was now as if she wanted to rip his clothes off. But seeing some other man kiss her, even on the cheek, had his blood boiling.
“My date,” she said. She walked into the kitchen without elaborating and pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “Do you want something to drink? Are you hungry?”
He pushed away from the wall, searching his mind to choose his next words carefully. “I didn’t realize you were dating.”
“I wasn’t. Not until Toni told me that I needed a social life and set me up on a blind date.”
Michael cursed under his breath. “How long have you been seeing him?”
She took a swig from her drink. “Not long.”
“Dammit, Peyton. What the hell? I thought we had something here. So what was up with you saying that you missed me every time I called? You playin’ me?”
Peyton’s brows drew together, and she set the water bottle down on the counter. She approached him, her eyes narrowed. She had the same expression on her f
ace the day he first met her, the day he had offered her two hundred dollars for her airplane seat.
“Michael, you’re the one who told me you weren’t relationship material. You’re the one who called us ‘friends.’ And you’re the one who doesn’t want a commitment.” She jabbed a finger in his chest. “So don’t come to my house expecting to get something you’re not willing to give! I’m thirty-five years old, and I’m ready for the next chapter in my life. That includes marriage and hopefully children.”
“Peyton, I’m—”
“Yes, I’ve missed you. My heart aches every time you call. I can’t stare into your beautiful eyes when you talk to me on the telephone. I can’t get all hot and bothered when you touch me because you’re not touching me when we’re on the telephone.” Tears swelled in her eyes, hitting him like a steal beam to the head. He never wanted to be the cause of a woman’s tears, especially one that meant as much to him as Peyton. “I can’t keep going like this with you.”
Panic lodged in Michael’s throat, and he struggled to swallow. It had taken him a lifetime to find her. He couldn’t lose her now. Not like this. Not because he was afraid of one day hurting her.
He was torn on how to deal with his inability to see into the future and know for sure whether or not he’d be just like his father and grandfather. Was he willing to take the chance? Was he willing to risk Peyton’s life or his own? He didn’t know what scared him the most, being in a committed relationship or losing her.
“I can’t keep longing for you from afar,” Peyton continued. “If you don’t want more than a friendship with me, that’s fine. But don’t you dare come here and question me about going out with someone who does. I care about you. You mean so much to me, but you’re crazy if you think I’m going to sit around forever and wait for you.”
He stared at her, and his heart swelled. The emotion in her voice and the sadness in her eyes pummeled his insides.
He stepped to her and cupped her face in his hands. “You’re right, I am crazy. I’m crazy in love with you. Baby, I don’t want to lose you. Whatever I need to do to prove that to you, consider it done.”
He didn’t give her a chance to speak. His mouth covered hers as he kissed her with everything he had in him, hoping she could feel how much he loved her. Home. That’s what it felt like having her in his arms. He meant what he said. He would do whatever it took to prove to her that he was ready for a commitment.
With one last peck on the lips, he dropped his hands, giving them both a chance to catch their breath. She didn’t move, her gaze steadied on him until a small smile touched her kiss-swollen lips.
“What?”
“You said you loved me.” Her voice was airy, a slight tint to her cheeks.
“I know.” Saying the words out loud hadn’t been as hard as he thought they would be.
“You do know that means you’re stuck with me, right? No take backs.”
He laughed, shaking his head. Some of the tension clawing through his body only minutes ago dissipated.
He reached for her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “I can think of worse things to be stuck with.”
The smile on her face could light up the darkest night. Luke might have been right. Peyton was good for him. She was definitely what he needed, what he wanted.
“I love you too.” Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck, and his went automatically around her waist. She felt so good in his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“The last few days of not talking to you longer than a minute made me nuts. I couldn’t wait until the end of the month. I needed to see you today. I needed to hold you.” He placed a lingering kiss against the side of her head, breathing in her fresh scent. This was where she was supposed to be, in his arms.
Michael leaned back and did something he wanted to do from the moment he saw her in the driveway. He pulled out the pins holding her bun in place and set them on the nearby counter. Fluffing her hair, he tugged slightly, forcing her head back so he could look into her eyes.
“That’s better.”
“I agree.” She lifted her hands to his face, warmth traveling through his body. “Have I ever told you that I like this look on you?” She rubbed the hair on his cheek.
“You might have mentioned it a time or two.”
“It fits this bad-boy image you have going on.”
He chuckled. Of course, Miss Prim and Proper would like his look whereas others saw him and assumed he was a troublemaker. The rugged appearance played well when he took on certain types of cases, like the one he started four days ago. Some skittish informants were more willing to share information with him when he wasn’t clean shaven.
“So what does the rest of your evening look like?” Michael asked.
“Well,” she ran her hands down his chest and farther down to his belt buckle, “I thought that maybe I could show you my bedroom, and we could get reacquainted.”
“Mmm, I love the way you think, Boss Lady.” Michael bent slightly, palmed the back of her thighs, and lifted her. A squeal slipped through her lips. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight. He couldn’t wait to get reacquainted.
Chapter Sixteen
“Are you still going to my grandparents’ house with me tomorrow for Sunday Brunch?” Peyton pulled pork tenderloin and roasted potatoes out of the oven and set the dish on the stove top. She and Michael had established a comfortable routine since his arrival two days ago. They’d spent that time touring Cincinnati, dining at some of her favorite eateries like, Skyline Chili and lounging around the house. “Michael,” she said when she realized he hadn’t responded.
“Baby, I’m going wherever you go,” he said absently. He’d been sitting at the kitchen table working on his laptop and sending texts back and forth to his assistant for the past forty-five minutes. No way was she going to complain, though. She was glad he was there. “You guys do brunch every Sunday?” he asked.
“Yep, every week. Rarely do any of us miss a Sunday brunch and if we do, it’s because we’re out of town. And if we’re not out of town and don’t show, we can expect to hear from my grandmother Monday morning.”
Michael nodded.
An anxious flutter scurried through her stomach. Peyton hadn’t invited a man to Sunday brunch in a long time. Michael attending with her would be like announcing to the family that she was serious about this man.
*
Michael closed his laptop and set it aside. He had to tell Peyton that he’d been doing some digging into her ex-husband’s life, but he worried about how she would take the news. The day Dylan had shown up on her doorstep, Michael’s protective instincts kicked in with a vengeance. Initially, he hadn’t found much, but he found enough to make him dig deeper.
“What’s on your mind?” Peyton set a plate in front of him. Her cooking skills were second to none, one of many things he was learning about her.
Michael inhaled the delicious aroma. His mouth watered at the sight of the pork tenderloin. A meat and potatoes kind of guy, he appreciated the way she indulged his healthy appetite in more ways than just food.
“Michael?”
He lifted his head. “Yeah, babe?”
“What’s going on? What’s on your mind?”
After a slight hesitation, he stood and pulled out the chair next to him. “Have a seat.” He slid her plate in front of her. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Concerned covered her beautiful face. “What’s wrong? Are we—”
“We’re fine.” He held her hand, surprised that it was freezing. He squeezed it, hoping to reassure her that everything between them was okay. “It’s about Dylan.”
Her brows furrowed. “What about him?”
“Don’t be mad, but I’ve been doing a little investigating.”
“Michael.” Peyton slammed back against the chair. “I told you. There is nothing between Dylan and me. You have nothing to worry about. You’re the only man I want.”
> He chuckled and kissed her. “I’m glad because I wouldn’t want to have to take some dude out for stepping to you.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Okay. You’re right. Not funny.”
“So why are you looking into Dylan? He’s not a part of my life.”
“I know. But it was bothering me that he kept calling you and then showed up here. Based on my experience, an ex-husband doesn’t do that after three years of no contact unless he wants something.” Michael wasn’t sure if Dylan wanted Peyton back or was after something she had. Either way, her ex-husband was in for a rude awakening if he thought he was getting her back.
Peyton shook her head. “I don’t want to know. Whatever is going on with Dylan, is none of my business. He and I are done. He can fall off the face of the earth, and I would be okay not knowing. So whatever you found, keep it to yourself.”
Michael continued debating with himself. In his line of work, anything that stood out and seemed unusual often pointed to a problem. He could leave Peyton in the dark since what he found so far wasn’t much, but it was enough to raise suspicion.
After saying a quick prayer over the meal, Peyton picked up her fork and stabbed it into a potato.
“Dylan has a million-dollar life insurance policy out on you.”
Peyton’s hand stalled, the fork halfway to her mouth. She didn’t speak as she lowered it to the plate. “Why?”
Michael shook his head and grabbed hold of her hand again. “I don’t know, baby, but I plan to find out. In the meantime, stay away from him. This could be nothing, but it could also be something. I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself. Okay?”
She nodded, and he squeezed her thigh under the table.
“It looks as if Dylan had the policy while you guys were married, but raised the amount six months ago.”
“How is that possible? Wouldn’t the insurance company require me to take a physical or something?”
Seducing the Boss Lady Page 15