She relaxed and smiled. Kenna McFadden, Payton’s half-sister, was Fallen Crown’s tour manager, and the person Payton went to for suggestions on where to book people when the executives traveled. Kenna knew just about everyone in the tourist industry and was a wealth of knowledge when it came to travel. She was also a ridiculous snob and tended to fall on the side of only the best will do.
“So it’s going to be somewhere grand, then,” Payton mused.
“I bloody well hope so, for the price.”
Payton giggled. “If you really wanted to save money, Kenna’s not the person to ask, love. She has the same tastes as Max when it comes to the finer things in life.”
“Which is why I asked her.” He smiled and kissed her. “I also asked her because Niall hates Venice, so he’s a lousy resource.”
“Niall can go jump in the canal. He’s always so grumpy about everything.”
Brodie gave a mock gasp. “Something negative about the great Niall MacMillan? Say it isn’t so.”
Payton giggled again. “Let me rephrase. He hates to travel, hates crowds, and hates to eat exotic foods, so that translates into him being grumpy anytime they’re ready to tour. And to think, he let Max talk him into going on the road with Fallen Crown. Boggles the mind, really. If his mate loves to explore, he’s going to hate life.”
Brodie grinned. “Well, your mate knows you’ve always wanted to go to Venice, so we’re going to Venice. I want you to have a honeymoon to remember.”
She looped her hands around his neck. “We’re off to a smashing start.”
“Aye we are.” He swept her hair from her forehead. “Shall we try to go back to sleep?”
She shook her head. “I can’t sleep now, I’m too excited.”
“As I suspected,” he said.
“Past midnight snack?” she asked hopefully.
“Hokey pokey, perhaps?” he asked.
She clapped her hands again. “You didn’t!”
“I did. I had it flown in from New Zealand two days ago.” Brodie climbed from the bed and donned his pajama bottoms.
She stood on the mattress and jumped up and down. “Oooh, I can’t wait.”
Brodie laughed and held his arms out to her. “Are you putting your robe on, love, or are you going to walk down with me like that?”
Payton set one hand on her hip and tapped her lips with the other. “I don’t know. What would you prefer?”
“The staff’s surely asleep, so I vote nude.”
“Of course you do.” She grinned and let him lift her off the bed. “You’re forgetting about Heather and your mum, though.”
“They won’t mind.”
She laughed as she slipped on one of the robes she’d found in her newly stocked closet. This one was lavender satin with a paisley-embossed pattern in dark grey. It fell just above the knee and was the softest thing she’d ever worn.
Brodie slid his hands over her bottom and kissed her. “I think this might be my favorite so far.”
“You know you didn’t have to buy me so much. I don’t think there will be enough days in a year for me to wear everything in that closet.”
“I have to admit, I was surprised by the mass quantity the shops delivered. After checking the receipts, I was sure they’d sent more than I paid for.”
“Oh, why?”
He smiled. “Because I paid the same amount for three suits, six pairs of jeans, and two pairs of shoes, as our sisters did on everything in that closet.”
“Well, that might be because two-thousand pounds is a bit much for a pair of jeans, love.”
“Bite yer tongue. You love my jeans.”
“I do, but I love you in whatever you wear.” She ran her finger down his chest. “Or don’t wear.”
“If you continue down this road, love, we’ll not make it downstairs for the ice cream.”
“The ice cream can keep.”
Brodie kissed her, lifting her off the ground so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. The ice cream was quickly forgotten as Brodie fed a different hunger.
* * *
The next morning, Payton was up before Brodie and slipped into her private dressing room just beyond her closet. She dialed Alasdair’s number, desperate to know what had transpired in the middle of the night.
“Good morning, Payton. Or should I call you ‘Your Highness’?”
“If you do, I’ll skelp yer hide, Alasdair Ryan.”
Alasdair chuckled. “So you’ve said. We’ll stick to Mrs. Gunnach, then, eh?”
“Or Payton. Did you find out what happened with Bronwen?”
Silence.
“Ali?” she pressed.
“I can’t tell you that, Payton. You know that.”
“I know nothing of the sort.” She frowned. “She’s my friend, Ali. You can tell me.”
Not until he talks to me, love.
Payton let out a frustrated squeak.
“Payton?” Alasdair asked.
“Sorry, Ali. That wasn’t directed at you.”
“Hand me the phone, please,” Brodie said from the doorway.
Payton shook her head. “Ali, we’ll call you back.”
“All right.” Alasdair hung up.
Payton faced her mate and crossed her arms. “I know I’m going to have to adjust to a lot of new rules being bonded to a member of the royal family, but the fact that Ali can’t tell me things now doesn’t sit well with me.”
“He’s never told you anything relating to security.”
Payton raised an eyebrow. “He has so.”
“No. He hasn’t.”
She frowned. “And you know this how?”
“I don’t want to start a fight, Pay.”
“Too late.” She sidled past him and back into the bedroom.
He didn’t follow right away, which just managed to irritate her more. She paced the bedroom trying not to let her annoyance get the better of her, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She didn’t want to be the little woman expected to walk four meters behind her royal husband.
“It’s four steps, love. Not meters.”
“Well, I’m not doing that either!” she snapped, and glared up at him. She hadn’t heard him approach, and his ability to sneak up on her was disconcerting.
Brodie smiled. “I don’t expect you to.”
“What did Ali say?”
“Cole found Bronwen, but chose to watch instead of engage. Something’s going on that’s not quite right.”
“What does that even mean?” Payton asked in desperation.
“Honestly, I don’t know everything just yet. Cole hasn’t debriefed with Alasdair and isn’t planning to for at least a week.”
“Why couldn’t Ali just tell me that?”
“His sense of confidentiality, I’d imagine.” Brodie sighed. “But we’ll work on that, sweetheart. Because there really was no reason for him not to tell you that, other than the fact his ethics are centuries old. You have to admit, having Samantha, Pepper, and you come into the family is going to take an adjustment. For him,” he added quickly.
“Why? Because we insist on being respected and treated equally?”
“Yes,” he droned. “Because Alasdair doesn’t respect you, or treat you as an equal. He’s an awful, awful man.”
Payton wrinkled her nose. “Okay, maybe not an awful, awful man. Just really old and stuck in his ways.”
“He’s younger than me, love.”
“He is?”
Brodie nodded. “By almost a hundred years.”
“Then why isn’t he a little more evolved than you?”
“Oh, so I get credit for being evolved?” he asked, with a sexy grin.
“You’re assuming that by me saying he’s less evolved than you, I’m saying you’re evolved. Nice try.”
Brodie laughed. “Touché.”
Payton grinned. “I do happen to think you’ve come a long way. So, perhaps you have evolved more than I’ve given you credit for. Either t
hat, or I’m a magnificent teacher.”
“Probably the latter,” he retorted. “How did I manage to change your mind?”
“You bound me,” she retorted.
Brodie laughed. “Had I known it would be that easy, I would have bound you five years ago.”
“Had I known the wonders of being bound, I would have let you.”
“Oh, if only that worked, eh?” He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close.
She ran her hands through his hair. “I have spent the last five years feeling as though you didn’t love me and that I couldn’t trust you. I feel like an idiot now.”
“Payton,” he whispered. “Don’t say—”
“No, let me speak. I will acknowledge that you could have done a few things better, but I could have as well. I could have let you explain yourself the night of your party, instead of running home, but I was putting a wall between us because I didn’t want to trust you. I was so frightened of getting hurt, I didn’t give you a chance. That was unfair.”
“You had to go by your logic, sweetheart. You hadn’t reached your ár mökun, so there was no way for you to fully grasp the truth. I never blamed you for that.”
“I know you didn’t. But now that we’re bound, I can’t believe I didn’t trust you. With the situation with your parents, I assumed you had it in you to be unfaithful. Now I know better.”
Brodie chuckled. “Well, I have a little of that assumption to confess as well. I threatened Niall on occasion.”
“You didn’t!”
“I’m not proud of it, but, aye, I did. I hated that you two were…are…so close. I didn’t want to kill my closest friend, but would have if he’d touched you.”
“Oh, Brodie. He knew he wasn’t my mate. He reiterated that fact often, and was always the perfect gentleman. He’s closer to me than a brother, but that’s the only way I’ve ever viewed him.”
“Why would he need to reiterate that fact?”
Payton felt her cheeks heat. “Because I complained that it would have been easier to be in a relationship with him.”
Brodie frowned but quickly relaxed. “How do you feel now?”
“The same as I felt before.”
“That it would be easier to be in a relationship with him?” he asked in horror.
“No,” she stressed. “I have loved you since the moment I met you at the castle. You had me at fourteen, love. I may have grumbled to Niall on occasion, but ultimately, my absolute devotion to you never changed. There’s never been anyone else but you.”
“Good answer.” He smiled and kissed her.
“Just promise me you’ll be patient with me.”
He frowned. “About what?”
“The stuff earlier.” She grimaced. “I kind of assumed you’d try to make me quit my job, and then I got mad about the security brouhaha. I shouldn’t have thought the worst.”
“I think we both have to deal with a learning curve, sweetheart.” Brodie chuckled. “If I’m being honest, I would prefer you to quit your job, and I absolutely don’t want you to know what’s going on with the security—”
“But…”
“But,” he continued, “I also know that your job makes you happy, and even if I don’t want to admit it, your idea when Pepper was missing, to follow her with Cole, was a good one. And the way you handled yourself during the incident at Jenners’ was remarkable. That being said, I’d rather you not put yourself in danger in the future, but I’m finding you’re more dangerous when you’re uninformed.”
Payton grinned. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“Can we make a pact then, that we’ll endeavor to communicate?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Especially when you want to play the big strong alpha male and protect me?”
“Aye, especially then.”
Payton nodded. “Yes. I would love to make that pact with you.”
“Excellent.”
“Now. What’s the deal with this party today?” she asked.
“Wow, talk about a segue.” Brodie laughed. “Who told you?”
“Fiona. Last night.”
“Hmm, too bad your memory hasn’t lapsed since last night.”
“I wouldn’t be good at my job if my memory had a tendency to lapse.”
“Very true, love.” He smiled. “A picnic at the loch with just family. Very small.”
She sighed. “Oh, good. We should probably get dressed and face the day, eh?”
“Why? We have several hours before everyone gets here, and I’d like to take advantage of the fact you’re still undressed.”
“Dirty old man.”
“Strumpet of my heart,” he retorted.
Payton giggled. “Oh, that’s good, love. We should have that embroidered on a pillow.”
“You inspire me to greatness.”
“Have you told Kade everything about Abela yet?”
Brodie shook his head. “No. But I will.”
“We should probably do that this morning, eh? I get that our reception is supposed to be all about us and everything, but I would like to know your family’s comfortable. And at the very least, Kade should absolutely be told about what’s going on.”
“Because he’s my brother, your boss, or our king?”
“All three,” Payton said and headed to the bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
Payton faced him. “We are taking a shower and then calling your brothers and Fiona.”
He frowned. “But I want to take you back to bed.”
“I know you do. How about you take me in the shower?” Payton suggested and slid the robe from her shoulders. “We can get dirty and then clean faster.”
Brodie sighed. “If you insist.”
Payton laughed and turned on the shower.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
TWO HOURS LATER, Kade and Samantha arrived, followed shortly by Connall and Pepper. Angus and Fiona were already there, partaking of the vast spread of food pilfered from the kitchen. Payton hugged her new sisters and welcomed them into the giant great room overlooking the loch.
“This place is amazing,” Pepper said. “Connall and Brodie obviously used the same designer.”
Payton smiled. “I know. Their great rooms are similar. I think this’ll be my favorite place in the house.”
“Ours is certainly my favorite.”
“Did you ride over here?” Payton asked.
Despite Brodie’s aversion to horses, he still maintained a fully-equipped stable. Mostly for Connall who often rode to Brodie’s whenever visiting. Connall also used Brodie’s stable when there was overflow at his training and breeding facility.
“Yep.” Pepper glanced at Connall, who frowned. “Con’s not overly happy, since I’m almost due, but Jonesy needs the exercise and I feel great.”
Jonesy was the beloved Arabian Pepper had raised since birth and Connall had organized to be shipped over from Georgia. Her horse was more than just a pet to her, and she spent most of her spare time with him.
“I wonder why,” Samantha piped in. “Riding must be difficult at this point.”
“Please,” Pepper retorted. “Women have babies all the time and ride up until their delivery day. I promised Con I’d ride until it was uncomfortable and then he would take over. It’s all good.” She closed her eyes briefly, then shook her head toward her mate. Connall raised an eyebrow in response. “Excuse me for a second,” Pepper said. “Someone needs a verbal spanking.” She stood and made her way to Connall, dragging him from the room.
“Oooh, Con’s in trouble,” Sam said in a sing-song voice as she flopped onto one of the overstuffed sofas by the window. Fiona took a seat by the fireplace, and Payton sat in one of the chairs facing Sam, sliding her feet under her bottom.
“How are you, Pay?” Fiona asked. “After…ah…everything.”
Be careful how you answer that, sweetheart, Brodie said, projecting some of their more active moments from the night before, causing her to lose her breath.
Payton felt her face heat. “Amazing.”
You’re blushing, love.
Payton glanced at Brodie, who appeared to be deep in conversation with Kade. How he was sending the sexy images to her without reacting, she didn’t know. Well, I wouldn’t be if you’d stop thinking naughty thoughts.
Just a promise of what I’m going to do to you later.
Brodie!
He looked at her then, winked, and turned back to Kade.
“Pay?” Fiona shifted in her seat. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she said. “Brodie’s just being cheeky.”
“Oh, I hate it when Kade does that,” Sam complained. “He’ll get me when we’re at some official event and I just know my face is crimson. He “said” something to me that should never be repeated when we met the queen last month. I choked on my wine, started coughing, and just about passed out. He’s lucky he was able to ‘heal’ me from the other side of the room, or I would have spit it all over one of the foreign dignitaries.”
Before Payton could respond, Kade approached with a plate laden with food, and handed it to Samantha. “You need to eat, love.”
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting.” Sam took the plate and smiled. “Thank you.”
Samantha and Pepper had both been human before they were bound and often forgot the need to eat every hour or two, as their metabolisms had tripled when their bodies had gone through the conversion. Kade kissed Samantha quickly and rejoined Brodie. Connall returned, but didn’t appear to have been spanked, verbally or otherwise.
Pepper walked back to where she’d been sitting, swiping a piece of cheese off Sam’s plate as she passed by. “Thank you,” she said, and flopped into another one of the chairs.
“You’re welcome,” Sam said, and daintily bit into a piece of ham. “Did you discipline your man?”
“I tried.” Pepper snorted. “Didn’t quite go as planned.”
“He kissed you and you melted, right?” Sam observed.
“Yep.” Pepper groaned and then giggled. “Jerk.”
Payton grinned. “I wonder how long that will last, the ability for them to distract us.”
“You’d know more than us, Pay,” Samantha said. “You’ve known Brodie a lot longer than we’ve known Kade and Connall. How long can you stay mad at Brodie?”
Bound by Secrets (Cauld Ane Series) Page 20
