When she got to her room, she slammed her door hard and locked it for good measure. She didn’t for one minute believe that Galen would try to enter her room or ever dream of forcing himself on her, or anyone, for that matter. She might symbolically be shutting him out, but if she was being truly honest, she was shutting herself in because right now she could barely trust herself around him anymore.
Today had been a mistake from start to finish. First the kiss, then the sailing, then the idiotically romantic walk on the beach after an equally romantic meal together. Even just thinking about it made her want to turn around and head back out that door and find him again. Pretty much every cell in her body was calling her every kind of stupid for leaving herself hanging like that when Galen had been so close to giving her the pleasure her body craved.
Peyton stomped across her room and into the bathroom, snapping on the shower faucet and shucking off her clothes, leaving them at her feet. She had to scrub this urge out of her right now, before she did something idiotic like follow her instincts. She wasn’t here to fall in lust with the man and she certainly wasn’t going to allow herself to do anything as dumb as fall in love.
All love ever did was hurt people and she wasn’t going down that road ever again.
* * *
The flight back to SeaTac was smooth but Galen still couldn’t shake the questions that filled his mind over Peyton’s desertion the other night. Things had been coming along nicely between them. He knew she’d been there with him every step of the way. After all, hadn’t she been the one to start it in the first place? And then nothing. It was as if she’d turned herself off like a tap. The next time he’d seen her, over breakfast the next morning, she’d been even more distant than before and she’d made every effort not to be alone with him again during the rest of their honeymoon.
And now they were nearly home. The helicopter that had transported them from SeaTac to the hotel landed smoothly and Galen assisted Peyton and Ellie off the aircraft. A porter from the resort came forward with a luggage rail to relay their cases to his apartment.
“Home sweet home!” Ellie said as they entered the private apartment at the top of the residence wing of the hotel.
“Speaking of home, I’ve contacted an agent to give us a private viewing of a few places tomorrow. You both up for that?”
He’d taken the liberty of organizing it without consulting Peyton or Ellie. He knew Ellie would be excited to check out potential new homes but he hadn’t wanted to give Peyton time to find an excuse not to come with them. Telling her about their appointment tomorrow in front of Ellie, where she could scarcely say she was unavailable, was probably underhanded, but he was determined to get her input on the subject.
“Yippee!” Ellie said. “What time?”
“First thing, so make sure you get plenty of sleep and are up early tomorrow. It shouldn’t be a problem with the time difference between Hawaii and here. In fact, you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in.”
His gaze clashed with Peyton’s. She didn’t look impressed. The moment Ellie was out of the room she started in.
“I won’t be coming with you. I have work to do now that we’re back. I’m behind on my project.”
“Surely, you can spend a few hours with us. It’s the weekend, after all. Can’t you get back to work on Monday, like regular people?”
“Galen, I’m self-employed. My hours are my own and sometimes that means I work on the weekends.”
“So tell yourself you need the time off. This is important for us—as a family.”
He let the last three words hang on the air between them, saying nothing more. She shifted uncomfortably before responding.
“Fine, but don’t expect me to enjoy it.”
“And why wouldn’t you? Doesn’t every woman want to create a home?”
“I can’t believe you actually said that.”
He shrugged. “Hey, I’m not being deliberately sexist here. I want to create a home, too. I just think it’s important that if we’re going to create one together, we all need to have some input on the subject, okay?”
“Whatever,” she said, completely unimpressed. “Where am I staying? Does this apartment of yours boast more than two bedrooms?”
“Luckily, it does. You can take the master, though. I can sleep in the guest bedroom. I impressed upon the agent that we needed to look at houses that were ready for immediate, or near-immediate, occupancy.”
“Then it won’t matter if I take the guest room, will it?”
He looked at her, prepared to argue the point, then decided that he needed to pick and choose his battles if he was going to get past that solid wall of ice she’d erected between them since the night on the beach. His hands tingled at the memory of touching her the way he had. He’d been so lost in the moment, lost in her, that when she’d shoved him away he’d been slow to react. Certainly too slow to persuade her not to run away from him again.
“If that’s what you want. By the way, remember the welcome home party tonight.”
Would she attempt to find an excuse to skip that, too?
“Ah, yes. That.”
“You don’t sound thrilled. Some of the family is flying in specially for it.”
“Well, they needn’t have on my behalf. To be honest, it’s a bit over-the-top, isn’t it?” She sounded irritated as she began to pace the room. “They only just saw us a week ago.”
“And they want to share in the joy that we’re married.”
“Your grandmother only wants to make sure she hasn’t made a mistake matching us.”
“You don’t seem too fond of Nagy. Why’s that?”
“I don’t even know her.”
Peyton crossed her arms and planted her feet in what he took as a more aggressive blocking stance. As if to say, You can ask me all the questions you like, but you’re not getting anything out of me. He sighed.
“Look, after this we don’t need to see them all until Christmas, if you don’t want to.”
“If we’re still together by Christmas.” She lifted the handle on her suitcase and started to roll it down the hallway. “I’m assuming my room is down here?”
“Yes, third on the left. Can’t miss it,” he said in defeat.
Whatever had come over her that night on the beach hadn’t changed. In fact, there was a bigger distance between them than on the day they’d met and married. He shook his head and walked over to check his phone messages. He didn’t know what had come between them but he had to get past it.
He didn’t want Ellie to be disadvantaged by his decision to find a partner the way he had. The last thing he’d wanted to do was parade a string of girlfriends by her while he searched for a suitable wife, which was why he’d used Match Made in Marriage in the first place. Nagy’s hit rate had been 100 percent—pretty damn impressive in this day and age. She didn’t make mistakes.
So why did Peyton already want out? Obviously, she didn’t think they stood a chance. But why wasn’t she prepared to at least try? Maybe he’d moved too fast while they were in Hawaii, but she’d been the one to put the moves on him that night. He’d held himself back until he could hold back no further. And he knew she’d been as invested in their lovemaking as he. More, in fact. The sounds she’d made, her physical responses... All of it had driven him to near madness. He groaned out loud in frustration. For the first time in his life he’d found the one woman he couldn’t charm, and he didn’t like it one little bit.
* * *
“At least try to look as if you’re enjoying yourself,” Galen whispered in her ear as she stood to one side surveying the room full of Horvaths.
A small gathering, he’d said. She growled internally. There were at least twenty-five people here, all of them close relatives of his. Ellie was in her element, showing off her tan and telling everyone who’d listen about swimming and pony riding and her
new friend she’d made. It seemed she knew and loved everyone at the party and that those feelings were strongly returned.
“I’m enjoying myself,” she retorted.
“Then would it kill you to smile a little?”
“Like this?” She bared her teeth at him.
“Well, I guess that’s better than looking like you’d like to barbecue us all on the nearest spit. You know you could have invited your family, too. This wasn’t supposed to be a one-sided thing.”
“My father was otherwise occupied,” she answered.
Or at least he probably would have been if she’d even told him about this.
“Look,” she continued, “I’m just tired and cranky. Go, enjoy the crowd. I’ll be fine here for now.”
“Are you sure? You’re not going to run out on me, are you?”
“Of course not. Go, please.”
She felt her body sag with relief when he did what she said. The past couple of days had been a trial. While she’d determinedly kept away from him, her body tormented her by being on high and hopeful alert for whenever he was near. It left her exhausted during the day, and then at night, a recurrent dream of being on the beach with him, of finishing what they’d started, plagued her. Every darn time she had the dream, she woke hovering on the edge of orgasm and feeling as unfulfilled and frustrated as it was possible to feel. This morning she’d given in and brought herself to climax, but while the physical stimulation had brought her release, it certainly hadn’t brought her satisfaction. If anything, it had only left her even more aware of Galen’s proximity and of how often he brushed by her with a casual touch that seemed to leave him unaffected but reduced her to a taut set of jangling nerves every time.
Ten
Alice watched the newlyweds. All was not well in the state of Washington if their body language was anything to go by. Again, she felt that frisson of foreboding that had struck her before their wedding. Something wasn’t right, but they couldn’t give up. She detached herself from the group she’d been talking to and made a beeline for Peyton, who submitted to Alice’s kiss on the cheek.
“Mrs. Horvath,” she said in acknowledgment.
“I thought we’d discussed this before, my dear. Call me Alice, or Nagy. We’re family, remember.”
“Of course,” she replied with a smile that was more caricature than genuine.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, you’re hardly the picture of a blooming bride. What’s wrong?” Alice asked bluntly.
“Wrong? Why should anything be wrong?” Peyton hedged.
“Based on our analysis of your suitability to be matched with my grandson, absolutely nothing. However, it’s clear that you’re not happy. What is it?”
While Alice knew Peyton was hardly likely to tell her the real reason why she was so out of sorts, she couldn’t help but ask. She watched as the girl shifted her gaze and sought Galen across the room. He lifted his eyes and met hers. Peyton visibly stiffened and a bloom of color filled her cheeks. Good, Alice thought. There was a connection between them. There was hope this would still work out.
“I guess it’s hard to put into words,” Peyton finally admitted.
“Of course it is, dear. Look, do you mind if we take a seat over there? My stamina isn’t what it used to be.”
“Sure.”
Alice led the way to a group of chairs and sat down heavily in the nearest one. “I’m not as spry as I used to be,” she said as Peyton settled down opposite her. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing you can help with, I’m sure.”
“I have a fair bit of experience behind me, my dear. Try me and see.”
“Look, I’d rather not talk about me. Can we talk about you instead?”
“Me?” Alice feigned surprise.
“Yes, you. You’re fascinating. You built a successful business into an empire. That’s not a feat many women get the opportunity to achieve.” Peyton was full of admiration but to Alice’s ear it sounded forced. “I imagine you made some tough decisions along the way.”
“I worked hard and I made sure that I never lost contact with the heartbeat of the business. Every department reported to me personally. Plus, I made sure I had the right people in those departments. Those that weren’t right, left. Thankfully, there were only a few.”
She watched as Peyton chewed over her words for a moment.
“You must have made some enemies along the way.”
“One or two. No one ever reaches the top of their field without upsetting a few apple carts. There are some things I regret and they weigh on me now that I’m older, but I stand by my decisions.” She met Peyton’s gaze head-on.
“You’d retired from Horvath Corporation. What led you to establish Match Made in Marriage? Was it a financial decision or did you do it just out of boredom?”
Alice laughed out loud. She adored how blunt Peyton was. “Oh, my dear, you are priceless. I have to admit, I admire your forthright nature. It reminds me of myself, actually. In answer to your question, once I retired from Horvath Corporation I found I lacked a challenge. Since so many of the couples I’d introduced over the years went on to form lasting partnerships, I decided I may as well enlist the help of some experts and make it official.
“It’s not every dating agency that can boast a one hundred percent success rate. I don’t hold with these modern notions of dating apps and swiping left and right based on a few words and a photo. It takes strength and fortitude to build a marriage, together with like-minded thinking and a fair amount of physical attraction. My grandson is a handsome man, yes?”
“Oh, yes,” Peyton agreed automatically. “When you say one hundred percent success rate, are you basing that on couples who have continued to stay together for years, or merely on couples who have survived the three-month minimum marriage period?”
“Continued to stay together for years, of course.” Alice contemplated Peyton seriously. “It’s a wonderful thing, you know, to find someone’s perfect match. I was thrilled when your profile came across my desk. I knew you were perfect for Galen, and he for you. And Ellie?” Alice nodded across the room. “Well, she’s just the icing on the cake for you both. Such a delightful child—I love her dearly. A family isn’t only about those born into it, Peyton. It’s about everyone.”
After a little more small talk Peyton excused herself. Alice stayed where she was, watching her walk away. Had she done enough? she wondered. Or was it already too little, too late?
* * *
“I think I’ll stay home today,” Peyton said at breakfast the next morning.
“Don’t you like us anymore?” Ellie asked quietly from across the table.
Galen watched for Peyton’s response.
“Of course I like you,” Peyton protested.
“You’re acting different since we’re back,” Ellie persisted.
“That’s because now that we’re back, I need to return to work. Life isn’t a perpetual holiday, you know.”
“What’s perpetual mean?”
Galen interceded before Peyton could respond. “It’s something that’s never-ending. How about you look it up in your dictionary and see if you can use it in a sentence when you get back to school tomorrow?”
“Good idea,” Ellie said and, fired with purpose, she pushed away from the table and went to her room.
Galen took her seat and turned it to face Peyton.
“Your opinion is important. It’s going to be home to all three of us, so of course we need your input. Please come.”
He watched as she waged some internal battle.
“Fine, I’ll come,” she grumbled.
They both rose from their seats at the same time, bumping into one another. Galen put out his hands to steady her and she looked up at him. He saw confusion in her eyes and then a flare of something else—quickly masked as s
he pulled away. He let his hands drop down to his sides, wondering why she was so determined to continue creating as much distance between them as possible.
“Peyton, what have I done to upset you?”
“Upset me? You haven’t upset me,” she said, taking another step away.
“Really? Because it feels like you can’t stand to be in the same space as me anymore and, to be honest, I thought we were making progress.”
She looked startled but at least she didn’t leave the room immediately.
“Progress?” She spoke the word as if she was feeling it on her tongue, as if it was a foreign concept to her. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you married to create a more stable home environment for Ellie, did you not?”
“I did,” he agreed.
“And you said you weren’t looking for the heights of passion or anything like that.”
“I may have said words to that effect, but that doesn’t mean that given the clear attraction between us we can’t make something of that and build on it.”
“To be honest, Galen, I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’ll send a confusing message to Ellie if she sees us embarking on a romantic relationship when we barely know each other.”
Galen wanted to argue but he could see she had a point. “Yes, that’s true, but she took delight in us kissing a couple of days ago. To her it’s normal to see the people who care for her care for each other, too.”
“I can’t believe you’re using that to try to get me into bed.”
Peyton’s words hit him like a bucket load of icy-cold water. “You’re accusing me of using her?”
She stared back at him for a moment before answering. “Well, aren’t you?”
“Look, you’re taking this out of context. Yes, all I wanted was an uncomplicated union with a like-minded individual. Match Made in Marriage promised me that. I was unexpectedly delighted to meet you and marry you.” He paused, unsure whether it was a good idea to lay his cards on the table now, or to hold them close to his chest. He opted for the former. “I won’t lie, Peyton. I’m so fiercely attracted to you that I can barely think straight. That night, on the beach, that was magical. Yes, I can understand we probably moved too quickly for your liking. I get that you don’t want to race into that side of marriage, but at least give a man some hope for the future. If we were matched it was because we had similar interests, similar likes and dislikes. Please don’t tell me that I’m wrong, that we have nothing in common, or that you don’t find me attractive, too, because I can’t believe that.”
Vengeful Vows (Marriage At First Sight Book 3) Page 8