Peyton’s Price: A Singular Obsession Novel

by Leroux, Lucy

  Unacceptable. “No way. If this is going to work, you and I are the only ones who can touch her.”

  “Isn’t that up to Peyton?”

  Liam glared at Matthias. “Yes,” he spit out from behind gritted teeth.

  “She’s going to put up a fight, you know. She’s incredibly angry with you.”

  “Has she been talking about me?” If Liam was on her mind, it couldn’t be all bad.

  “Actually, she hasn’t mentioned you at all.”

  Liam’s shoulders dropped. After a moment, Matthias took pity on him. “I’ll reassign Ha-eun. She won’t enjoy the transfer to the Sha since my aunt never invites anyone less than sixty to her outings, but I’ll soften it with a pay bump. Peyton can get her massages from Newberg.”

  “Newberg’s the gay one, right?” It was hard keeping track of Matthias’ staff, but he’d made the effort to get to know them when he’d spent a lot of time on the boat a few years back.

  “I believe so, but you don’t have to worry about him hitting on you. You’re not his type.”

  Liam snorted, standing on his tiptoes in search of Peyton, but the deck at the prow was too spacious. From here, all that was visible was an expanse of well-scrubbed hardwood. “Well, you better not be his type either. You know I won’t fucking share you with anyone but her, either.”

  Matthias watched him with an inscrutable expression. Liam reached out, taking the man’s arm. “Peyton’s not the only reason I’m here. If she were with anyone else contemplating a threesome, I wouldn’t have come.”

  Matthias nodded once. “Thank you for that. I admit this isn’t how I saw things going if we ever reconciled—if that’s what we’re doing.”

  “If it’s only the two of you, I want to be here,” Liam confessed. “Here and nowhere else.”

  “Good.” Matthias seemed pleased, but it had always been hard to read him when his guard was up. “However, are you sure you’re going to be able to handle me touching her in front of you?”

  How the hell was Liam supposed to know until it happened?

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  They eyed each other. Memories Liam had buried broke loose. He blinked, wondering what the hell he should do now.

  The fucking question of my life.

  “You’re certain you don’t want to wait?” Matthias asked after a long moment. “Perhaps you would care to take a nap first?”

  Liam blinked a few times. “A nap?”

  Matthias put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Don’t get me wrong—you always look good to me—but it’s obvious you haven’t slept in days. Kudos for showering at least. But do you want to face Peyton at anything less than your best? Plus, it might be a good idea for me to soften her up before we let her know you’re here. We can tell her after a fabulous dinner…some wine. Lots and lots of wine.”

  “Don’t you dare get her drunk,” Liam growled, his overprotective instincts kicking in automatically. Liam could never let anyone take advantage of Peyton. Not even himself. Especially under these circumstances.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. Peyton should be sober when you take her virginity.”

  Liam had made the mistake of taking a step away from the doors. He tripped, but he caught himself before he fell flat on his face.

  He spun around so fast he made his own head swim, shock etching his features.

  Matthias smirked at his reaction. “I never told you what I paid to get her back.”

  “How much?” Liam’s brow creased.

  “The exact sum is unimportant. Just know I paid a premium for a verified virgin.”

  Liam’s heart stuttered. Flipped. Squeezed painfully. He’d have never suspected… “I didn’t chase away all her boyfriends.”

  Matthias raised a brow.

  “All right, I did,” he conceded. “But only the ones I knew about. Surely there were more. She and Maggie excelled at sneaking out at night when they were in high school. They nearly drove me into an early grave.”

  “I guess there weren’t any men of consequence,” Matthias hazarded. “Regardless, I didn’t share that very confidential piece of information to gossip. But you need to know what you’re getting into.”

  “Why didn’t the two of you, err, consummate your relationship?”

  Matthias snorted softly. “Because it wasn’t worth my life to initiate her on my own. Peyton’s going to be furious, of course, but I knew I couldn’t go forward without giving her what—who—she truly wants.”

  “And what if things don’t work with the three of us?”

  “Then they don’t.” Matthias sighed. “But I owe it to Peyton and myself to find that out. I owe it to you, too. But, seriously, you need to go for now. Sleep. Meet us after dinner.”

  Liam wanted to argue, but now that he was here, he was feeling those long, sleepless nights. “Are you pulling up anchor?”

  Matthias hesitated. “Why don’t we see if Peyton throws you overboard first? It’ll be a much shorter swim if we’re still in port.”

  Liam snorted. Matthias was right. After everything that had happened, everything he’d done, Peyton was far more likely to punch him in the face than kiss him.

  Liam raised his head, gesturing to the deck. “Um, you know what? I have an idea about that…”

  He told Matthias his plan.

  The other man was incredulous. “That’s the route you want to go with? It’ll only buy you a minute.”

  “All I need is a minute.”

  He hoped.

  Chapter 26

  Peyton giggled, resisting the urge to reach up to rip off the blindfold Matthias had insisted on.

  “This better be a good surprise.” Not that anything could ruin this night. It had been a fabulous evening. Dinner had been light and delicious, served under the stars. Each small course had its own wine pairing, but Matthias had insisted she only sample each to get a quick taste. He didn’t want her drunk. Which meant tonight was special.

  She couldn’t wait. Her time on the Ormen Lange had been fun, and Matthias had been great company, but she was getting frustrated. She needed more.

  “Well…” Matthias hesitated as he guided her down the few steps that separated his bedroom from the deck. “I think it’s a good surprise, but taste is subjective.”

  Somewhere, someone laughed. Peyton reared back, but Matthias’ hand on her arm kept her from falling on her butt.

  “Who is that?” It wasn’t one of the staff. Matthias wouldn’t have used a blindfold.

  Instinctively, she reached up to the mask, but Matthias moved behind her, putting his hands on her upper arms, effectively restraining her.

  “I told you I was going to invite a friend to meet you. This is him.”

  Peyton scowled under the mask. Matthias had told her all about Bryce Brogan. His picture had been intriguing; however, this was a strange way to meet him. “I’m not allowed to see him?”

  “This was a special request of his. It will only take a minute.”

  “O-kay, fine. Whatever.” It better only be a minute.

  Stiff as a board, she stood there in her light satin gown. The dress was another recent gift. Peyton had stopped arguing whenever Matthias expanded her wardrobe because he enjoyed the dresses on her more than she did. This one was a gun-metal grey sleeveless number that felt like heaven against her skin. However, it was also very light, and she felt exposed to this stranger’s gaze.

  Peyton’s skin was already tingling when a second pair of hands skittered across her face, touching her cheek. She almost jumped out of her skin. For some reason, the small contact filled her with apprehension. It was electric…

  “What the hell—” she began, but a firm pair of lips cut off the rest.

  Her head began to spin, but her heart was racing out of control because it knew what her senses were screaming at her. It was his scent. Only one man smelled like this, of spice and leather with a hint of ginger.

  Peyton ripped off the mask with one hand, shoving
at Liam’s chest with the other. “Absolutely not.” She spun on her heel to glare at Matthias. “How could you?”

  Matthias winced. “Peyton, just listen to what he has to say.”

  “I don’t care what he has to say. We agreed on anyone but him.”

  “But, Peyton—”

  “No!” Her voice bordered on shrill. She threw her arms up, knocking Matthias’ hands away. “What are you even doing here, Liam? Shouldn’t you be planning your honeymoon?”

  “I called off the wedding.”

  Peyton put her arms down. “What?”

  Liam didn’t answer. He looked amazing and exhausted. The circles under his eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them. But his shoulders were just as broad as ever and his hair was still too long, enough for the ends to curl.

  “I called off the wedding. Or to be honest, Caroline beat me to it. But it’s over. I’m not getting married.”

  Her body flashed hot and cold. “That…that doesn’t matter. You need to leave.”

  Whether he was still attached didn’t make a fucking difference. He didn’t belong here. His very presence was a slap in the face.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Liam’s voice sounded like he’d been gargling with gravel.

  “You still haven’t explained what the hell you’re doing here,” she snapped.

  “I’m here for you,” he rumbled, stepping closer. Peyton backed up a step only to hit the wall that was Matthias’ chest.

  Figuratively stuck between a rock and hard place, Peyton froze as Liam’s head bent and he took her mouth.

  Fire raced up her spine, melting her bones into liquid wax. It went on and on, blistering her soul, then his hand tugged her chin down, his tongue demanding entrance.

  Peyton jerked away, slapping him as hard as she could before she lost all her pride. The sound was very loud in the quiet. Matthias hissed in sympathy, but she’d deal with him later

  “I waited years for you. It’s too late.” Peyton’s breath hitched, but she would rot in hell before she cried in front of him.

  Damn it, she hadn’t meant to tell him that. Yes, it was an open secret, but he didn’t need to hear it from her.

  “I know.” Liam grimaced. “And I lied to myself for years, pretending it wasn’t true. I wasn’t good enough for you. I’m still not.”

  “On that we can agree,” Matthias chimed in, obviously trying to lighten the mood. Both she and Liam turned to frown at him. “Not the time for jokes, I see. But we’re going to look back on this later. While we may not laugh aloud—”

  She held up a hand. “There will be no trips down memory lane. Liam is leaving now.”

  Peyton whirled on the man in question, who was still rubbing his face. “Peyton, I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t care. I’m done with you.”

  For the first time, the brash and confident Liam she knew resurfaced. He cocked his head, his eyes unreadable. “No, you’re not. We’re just getting started.”

  “Unbelievable—”

  “I will not apologize for coming here, but I will apologize for cutting your G-string bikini into pieces and throwing out your Gucci perfume.”

  Peyton’s drew up straight in surprise, and she gaped at him like the lunatic he was. “What?”

  Liam gave her a tight smile. “When you were nineteen. We had just opened the Caislean in Boston. It was sweltering and you and Maggie were going to join the guests at the pool, so I made up an errand to delay the two of you. Then I went after your suit with scissors.”

  “Why?” Matthias asked.

  “She was going to go out there in a white G-string bikini. I had to. She would have caused a riot.”

  Matthias laughed, but he subsided after she shot him a dirty look. “And my perfume?”

  The first bottle had been a gift from Maggie. Peyton had loved the scent and wore it often, but then the small vial had disappeared.

  “I drove you home one night, then asked to go to the bathroom. I nicked the bottle when you were grabbing me a soda for the road.”

  “But why?”

  “Because it made you smell fucking amazing. And you were too fucking irresistible as it was. Maggie was going to give you another one for your birthday to replace it. I had to steal that one, too.”

  He reached up to touch her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. His fingers traced her collarbone, leaving a trail of tingling skin in his wake.

  “Later, I told Maggie that particular scent gave me a headache. She bought you a purse instead.”

  This time when he crowded her, Peyton didn’t move by choice. He stared deeply into her eyes. “I haven’t slept in days,” he admitted,

  “I told you to nap,” Matthias muttered.

  Liam raised his head. “Well, I couldn’t.”

  He returned to Peyton, who was watching him with her heart somewhere around her knees. “And I’m not going to be able to sleep until I’m balls-deep inside you.”

  “Holy shit.” Peyton’s voice was little more than a squeak, but she didn’t get anything else out before Liam kissed her again.

  If Matthias hadn’t moved to hold her waist, she would have fallen down.

  Peyton could count the number of times Liam had kissed her on one hand. Two were forehead kisses on her birthday and the rest were cheek, except for that one time he’d been tipsy and had missed, pressing his lips against the corner of her mouth instead. She’d cherished that accidental caress for longer than she’d cared to admit. For years, she’d wondered what it would be like to be really kissed by Liam Tyler. But her fevered imaginings couldn’t compare with the reality.

  Heat like she’d never experienced coursed through her body. If she didn’t stop this, she was going to pass out. Peyton put her hands up, breaking the kiss so she could get air into her burning lungs.

  Liam’s face could have been carved from stone. Then he shifted, nodding over her head.

  Starting, she glanced at Matthias, feeling guilty for forgetting he was there.

  Matthias met Liam’s nod with one of his own, then reached to pull the straps of her satin gown down.

  The air hit her bare breasts, making her nipples peak.

  Liam’s eyes widened at the sight. She wanted to explain that this kind of dress couldn’t be worn with a bra, but she couldn’t find her tongue long enough to speak. Peyton wasn’t even sure if she were breathing.

  Matthias pushed the dress all the way down. The silky satin pooled at her feet, leaving her standing in nothing but her heels and lace panties. Peyton grabbed his hand—not to stop him, but out of the sudden and irrational fear that Liam might make him leave.

  But Liam had other plans. “Get her on the bed,” he ordered.

  Matthias wrapped his arms around her. The room spun. She landed on her back in the middle of the bed, losing a heel in the process. She kicked off the other one, still trying to catch her breath. Behind her, clothing rustled. She knew Matthias was undressing, but Liam was, too, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  Always keep your eye on the biggest predator in the room.

  She’d seen Liam in swim shorts. Even in his boxers a few times during the old B&B days, but that had been years ago.

  Matthias pulled her into his arms, resting her back against his front. His chest was bare, but he might have still been wearing boxers. She twisted at the waist, intent on checking, but he wouldn’t let her. His hands held her down, effectively trapping her against him and the mattress.

  Peyton thought she was too far gone to panic, but her throat damn near closed up when Liam continued stripping. He stood a few steps from the bed, yanking at the bottom of his shirt. His eyes never left hers as he took off his pants, revealing a pair of dark red boxer briefs.

  It was what filled his briefs that made her glad she was being held down—else she might have humiliated herself by running out of the room. Matthias must have felt her tension because he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’s going to be all right, prinsessa mi. Liam�
��s not going to hurt you.”

  Liam tugged at the shorts, pulling them off and throwing them aside. Matthias coughed. “Well, he’ll try not to hurt you,” he amended a little too honestly, bending over to press a kiss to her lips.

  The caress distracted her, but her attention swiveled back to Liam when his weight depressed the bed. “Be careful,” Matthias told him.

  Peyton forced her breathing to slow. Liam had been starring in her bedroom fantasies for years. And he was perfect. His chest was a work of art. The number of ridges on his abs seemed impossible. Her fingers itched to touch him, but him holding her down was too exciting to protest.

  Matthias had only spent a few weeks flitting through her dreams, but his gold-dusted masculine beauty rivaled Liam’s dark and rough elegance. Peyton knew there wasn’t a single woman in the world who wouldn’t give anything to be in her place at that moment, but her heart was racing too fast for her to be able to appreciate it.

  “I don’t know if I can handle this.” Or at least, that was what she tried to say. Her breath was so short she strangled the words.

  “Peyton, look at me.”

  Almost panting, she obeyed. The look on Liam’s face, the hunger and fire, was almost frightening. “I love you,” he whispered.

  She stared at him, shaking her head slowly.

  Liam crawled over her, covering her body with his. His hot skin almost sizzled when it touched her much cooler one. “You heard me. I love you.”

  Tears stung at her eyes, and Peyton shuddered. She wanted to deny it, but the truth was there for her to see. He wasn’t hiding it from her anymore.

  Matthias squeezed her arms, and she moved to hold his hands instead. In front of her, Liam reached out to pull down her panties, exposing her to his hot gaze.

  Peyton cringed, instinctively moving to hide her secrets, but Matthias forestalled her. His ankle hooked around hers, spreading her legs wide. Liam smiled—a hungry, almost feral, expression.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, reaching out to part her pussy lips with his fingers.

  She strained forward, arching up as he stroked and explored. Peyton’s nipples stiffened in response, inviting him to touch. He cupped one breast, leaving the other for Matthias.