by Leroux, Lucy
Peyton nearly threw out her neck twisting so fast to face the doorway. Matthias stood there with his hands in his pockets. His expression suggested he’d been there for some time.
“How much did you hear?” Liam asked.
Frowning, Matthias scratched his head. “Enough to know you’re both misinformed. My ex-wife didn’t suffer a miscarriage. She terminated her pregnancy.”
Chapter 29
Peyton felt as if someone had slapped her. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Matthias shrugged. “I got over it a long time ago. And in the years since, I’ve learned to appreciate the fact there’s not a child being used as a bludgeon by two bitter exes.”
Peyton mumbled inarticulately. She didn’t know what to say to that.
Liam didn’t have that problem. He crossed his arms over his wide chest. “I’m not going to let our kids be used as fodder in any fight.”
“Our kids?” Matthias raised a brow.
“You’re the one who said we have to be up front about what we want. Peyton likes kids. I want at least two. I’d like one or more to be biologically mine, but if they end up being yours—and unless we go the petri-dish route, that’s just as likely—I’m still claiming them as my own.”
Matthias cleared his throat. “Well, thanks for being clear.” He turned to Peyton. “And you’re worried about this why?”
“I didn’t want him to scare you with the baby talk. He’s scaring me a bit.” She tweaked Liam’s ear. “But that’s just how he is. When Liam decides he wants something, he wants it now. However, in this case, he’s going to have to wait. It’s too soon.”
Smile widening, Matthias went to an innocuous-looking cabinet against the wall. When he pressed a button, the door slid open, revealing a miniature bar. He grabbed some glasses and a bottle of something dark gold and expensive looking.
“In the interests of full disclosure, I should add my wife felt justified in getting an abortion. I didn’t agree with her at the time, but I didn’t have much of a leg to stand on in our arguments.”
“Why not?” Peyton couldn’t imagine anyone ending a pregnancy out of spite.
“She divorced me for cheating. With a man—not Liam,” he added.
“Ah.” It was all starting to make sense. Matthias’s insistence on a three-way relationship was a result of past lessons learned. He’d said something to that effect earlier. At the time, though, she hadn’t had all the details. Now she knew everything.
“That is everything, right?” Peyton needed to be sure. “There are no other secrets or skeletons I need to know about?”
“Of course there are,” Matthias said with a little huff. “But none that seem relevant at the moment.”
“Good,” Liam declared. “Glad we got that out of the way. Can we all have sex now?”
Matthias downed the rest of his drink. “I second that.”
Peyton laughed. “I’m going to get my bathing suit. Meet me in the hot tub in five minutes.”
She hurried out of the room, but not before she heard Matthias ask why she was bothering with the suit.
“She can’t go around naked,” Liam protested.
“Why not?”
“Because Peyton in all her glory is for our eyes only.”
“I would fire all the staff,” Matthias said, following him out the door, “but I’m afraid three people can’t man the Ormen Lange alone.”
Chapter 30
Despite his best efforts, Liam had been forced to resume traveling for the hotel. The trip was only supposed to be for a few days, but he’d been inevitably forced to extend it to more than a week.
Peyton missed him like crazy. Thankfully, Matthias had kept her busy. So busy she had woken up past noon today. Matthias must have been up for hours. Like Liam, he appeared to only need four or five hours every night. If Peyton didn’t get at least seven, she was a grouch for the rest of the day.
However, after spending the afternoon making strides on her bug hunt, she decided to bust into Matthias’ office for a little R&R.
If I can find it. She knew it was on the top floor somewhere, but his office was his sanctum. To date, she hadn’t been inside.
Well, it’s time that changed.
However, she didn’t feel as confident a few minutes later. One of the stewards was kind enough to point out the way, but his reluctance was obvious. She could tell he wondered if he should stop her. It made her second-guess the likelihood of a welcome.
A man of Matthias’ stature was never disturbed by his staff, not unless it was an emergency. Peyton believed it would take something catastrophic—like the boat sinking—for any of them to knock on that door. Caislean employees had been equally cautious about bothering Liam in his office.
It’ll be fine, Peyton told herself as she reached the double doors. It wasn’t as if he had warned her not to disturb him. She knocked, then waited for him to respond.
Nothing. She tried again, cracking the door open to peek inside. Matthias’ desk was at the end of a large, wood-paneled room.
“Hello?” Engrossed in his work, Matthias didn’t even glance up when she entered the room. Even closing the door made no difference.
He was poring over something that looked like a contract. Indoctrinated by years at the Caislean, she almost turned around and left before checking herself mid-step.
Hey, I’m not at the Caislean and Matthias isn’t Liam. Even Liam wasn’t that Liam anymore.
Deciding to have some fun, Peyton dropped to her knees, crawling beneath the front of the big mahogany desk.
She managed to get all the way under without Matthias seeing her. Marveling at the man’s singular focus, she bit her lip to keep from laughing. Wondering how far she could go without him noticing, she curled up close to his legs, leaving her hands free…
* * *
Matthias didn’t notice his pants had been undone until his zipper was halfway down. He glanced down to see a pair of elegantly manicured hands caressing him over his boxers. The short nails should have been a giveaway—programmers didn’t wear their nails long—but he was so startled he reacted without thinking.
Pushing the chair out, he shot backward so fast he hit the bookcase behind him with a bang, jarring a leather-bound volume loose. It glanced off his head, landing heavily on his shoulder.
Peyton gasped, poking her head out from under his desk. “I’m sorry! Are you hurt?”
Matthias rubbed his shoulder. “No.” He laughed. “I’m just lucky it was a first edition of Salinger and not Dostoevsky.”
She threw him an adorably abashed grin. “I thought you’d spot me long before this.”
“I tend to get sucked into my work.” Trying not to smile, he checked his watch. “I only intended to put in a couple of hours, but a few things have piled up and I lost track of time. My apologies. I didn’t mean to leave you on your own for so long.”
Peyton cocked her head. “That makes me sound like a guest. I’m your partner. You don’t have to worry about entertaining me every day.”
“That’s very understanding.” Matthias blinked, thinking how different Peyton was from the other women he’d been involved with.
“Although…” Peyton crawled out from under the desk, rose on her knees, and put her hands on his thighs. “There’s no rule that says I can’t entertain you on occasion.”
Heat coursed through him as she pulled his zipper the rest of the way down. “Well, as your partner, or one of them, it’s my job to make sure you have every opportunity…”
His voice trailed off as she tugged his boxer briefs down, taking hold of his cock with a firm grip.
Matthias swore under his breath, resisting the urge to close his eyes as Peyton’s full lips closed over the head of his shaft. He didn’t want to miss a second of this. Then her tongue rolled over him, licking the sensitive part under the crest, and he groaned aloud, his head tipping back to the ceiling.
“Helsike,” he said, swearing in his native
tongue.
She stopped for a second. “That’s not too hard, is it?”
“No!” He laughed, and Peyton blushed.
“You two never let me practice much,” she pointed out.
That much was true. Usually, the minute the three of them started up, Peyton absorbed their attention. She was just too damn beautiful—her glorious skin, full breasts, and waterfall of dark hair were simply irresistible.
Picturing her body made his cock throb. “Once you get naked, it’s hard to focus on anything else.”
Peyton bit her lower lip playfully. Slowly, she undid the buttons of her blouse. Heaven help him, she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Groaning, he reached to cup the full creamy mounds, but she moved his hands so she could bend over his lap again.
Her mouth flamed over him, moving up and down, alternately sucking and nibbling. Matthias took her hands, showing her how to hold him at the base until she was working him over with both her hands and her mouth. Each stroke was torture. Matthias gripped the arms of his chair, his fingers digging into the plush leather pads as the first warning pulses stirred.
Counting to ten in Chinese, he attempted to slow down his reaction, but Peyton was both gorgeous and a natural talent at everything.
After all those years of repressing her natural sexual desires, Peyton had thrown herself into their sex life with gusto. If she had any inhibitions, she had shed them faster than it took Liam to get her undressed. Now she was indulging every fantasy she’d ever had…and knocking down plenty of theirs, too.
Trying to slow down wasn’t working. His hard-on was like steel. Reaching down, he pulled Peyton to her feet with one hand, then shoved the antique pen holder and reports off the desk with the other.
Giggling, Peyton sat on the edge, her arms wrapping around the back of his head. He kissed her hard before lowering until his mouth was level with her breasts. Her breath hitched as he took one of the hard buds, lathing it with his tongue.
The lace underwear Peyton wore didn’t stand a chance. One hard tug and they were gone, giving him access to her soft heat. His blood pumped so loudly he could barely hear.
“Please, I want you inside me,” she panted, kissing his neck.
He was more than happy to oblige. “Not going to be an issue,” he said before kissing her, sliding his tongue in until she stroked back with hers.
Breaking away, he took himself in hand, running his cock against her clit before sliding down to coat the head in her moisture. Already aching, he thrust his hips forward, driving deep into her velvety heat.
“Shit,” he swore, his lust roaring. Pants down around his ankles, he began to fuck her, pistoning in and out until he established a rhythm that made her moan and pant.
Peyton whispered in his ear, nonsense words of desire and praise. They stoked the fire higher until something inside him snapped. The last vestiges of his control slipped away, his thrusts coming rougher and faster. Every time he buried himself inside her, she squeezed him tightly, rocking in matching rhythm.
No woman before her had ever done this to him. Peyton seemed perfectly attuned to him, her every move like a choreographed dance designed to drive him out of his mind. Matthias was ready to explode. She was way ahead of him—her tight pussy shivered and pulsed around him, her nails breaking the skin against his back as she climaxed with a sob in his arms.
Matthias took her mouth, driving himself to the hilt before he let go, groaning and swearing in Norwegian. His dick pulsed, rapture blinding him as his hot seed poured into her waiting womb.
Too weak to hold himself up, Matthias let himself fall forward, controlling their descent with a hand on Peyton’s back. She lay spread-eagled beneath him, her breathing rapid and shallow as she came down from her peak.
Matthias moved as soon as he was able, collapsing into his chair so he wouldn’t crush her.
A few long minutes later, Peyton lifted her head. She leaned on her elbows, surveying him with an expression of smug satisfaction. “That’ll keep you,” she said.
Matthias laughed. He must have looked wrecked, but her flushed face was getting him hot all over again. Either that or her exposed breasts—Peyton was blessed in every way.
He pushed the chair closer, rising to kiss her. “It will—for now.”
A flash of guilt flitted across her face. “I know we’re not supposed to feel bad about doing this without Liam, but I kind of do.”
“Truly?” He stroked the soft skin of her leg, running it all the way up to her thigh. “Because I think I can learn to live with the guilt.”
She giggled, but he could hear the tinge of uncertainty in it. “Relax, elskling. There will be times when I’m tied up and you and Liam will carry on without me.”
“And I’m sure there will be times when I can’t partake, and you and Liam will finally get busy with each other.”
Her less-than-subtle suggestion made him snort aloud. “Are you still angling for some man-on-man, my little voyeur?”
She smirked. “Can you blame me?”
“Not a bit.” He reached up to stroke her cheek. “And don’t worry. Sooner or later, you’re going to get your wish.”
Peyton glanced down at the pile of papers he’d knocked off the desk. “Should I help you clean up?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll do it.” He was only one who could put the mess in order—the contract was in Mandarin, one of the five languages he spoke fluently.
“Any chance of you being able to get away for dinner?”
“Sure…” He’d been downplaying the amount of work he had to do. At this rate, he was going to be here half the night, but if he ate quickly, he could manage some time away.
His tone must not have been convincing, because Peyton hurried off the desk. “Don’t worry about it. I understand if you have to keep going.”
“I could take half an hour to eat,” he suggested.
She dismissed the idea with a wave. “It’s all right. Don’t forget—I spent years in the upper echelon of the Caislean. All the Tylers work like dogs. Liam is the worst of the lot, so I get it.”
“Thank you,” he said, relieved. Peyton couldn’t get more perfect if she tried.
She bent to pick up her shoe, then hopped on the desk to slip the heel on. “Besides, I slept through lunch with Priya. She claims to have forgiven me, but I think dinner will go a fair way to making amends. Especially if we can raid your wine cellar.”
She leaned back with a considering expression. “What do you call a cellar on a boat?”
“The wine closet,” he said, his chest tightening as he realized she was going to eat with the head of his staff again.
Priya and Peyton had become confidantes. Priya had mentioned Peyton had been asking about their dealings with the traffickers. At first, he hadn’t seen a problem with his new lover knowing the details, but the more he thought about it, the more his misgivings he had.
Peyton was a fiercely determined young woman. In the brief time he’d known her, he’d learned to respect her intelligence and drive. Though it appeared she had come through her kidnapping without too much damage, he knew she was still dealing with what had happened.
Sometimes, she would go noticeably quiet. Her jaw would clench and her fists would tighten, but as soon as she saw him, she would paste a smile on her face and pretend nothing was wrong.
Deep down, Peyton was angry. And she might be looking to do something about it…
“Have whatever you like,” he said slowly, “but I would appreciate it if you would stop asking Priya about our experiences with the slave trade.”
Her surprise was palpable. “I…uh…I mean, I wasn’t planning to discuss that tonight, but we have talked about it before.”
There was a beat of silence. She gripped her other shoe awkwardly in front of her. “Sorry, you’ve caught me off guard.”
Matthias winced, but he had to be firm with her. “I don’t want to censor you, but you don’t understand how it was. I don’t need the staff
reliving the Belarus incident. Priya especially. She took it extremely hard.”
“Belarus?” Peyton frowned. “Oh. That’s where it happened…”
It had been a nightmare. Matthias blinked. Suddenly, he wasn’t seeing his lover in front of him. His mind was filled with the gruesome images of all those dead girls. Wincing, he squeezed his eyes shut, banishing the ghosts. He opened them to see Peyton watching him with concern.
There was another sharp silence.
“Just stop asking questions,” he said, his voice curt.
The line between her eyes deepened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Matthias scowled, his hands going to his hips. “Why don’t you understand?”
Peyton shook her head. “I just meant perhaps you should talk to someone. A therapist. There might be some—unresolved things.”
She reached for him, but Matthias jerked back. He fastened his pants and shirt with abrupt movements. “I’ve asked you to respect my wishes on this matter. I don’t need the staff getting any ideas. We are not getting back into that business!”
By the time he finished, he was yelling.
Rubbing her arms, Peyton climbed off his desk with slow precision. He didn’t like the look she was giving him. Like she could read his very soul.
“You think someone here sold you out.”
Staggering, Matthias reached behind him, knocking into one of the small iron sculptures bolted into the bookcase.
“Fuck.” He shook his hand out, sucking on his stinging fingers for a second. “No,” he assured her, striving for a calmer tone and failing miserably. “My people had nothing to do with it.”
His staff was the best of the best. Each one had passed elaborate background checks. Not to mention the fact they had been put through their paces by Priya.
Somehow, Peyton knew he was lying. Matthias hadn’t been able to face it, but there had always been a thread of suspicion. George Wheeler, his contact at Interpol, had been a pro—a decorated agent with years of success behind him. It had taken a while, but the man had gained Matthias’ confidence. His operation had been airtight.
