Chapter Thirty-One

 

Payton didn’t understand it, but she’d given in. She’d have to get more clothes from her apartment. She couldn’t make do with just the single outfit in her duffle bag, and the jeans and tank she’d worn on stage. She’d need clothes for work, if nothing else. Her workbag and her shoes. And someone would need to water her plants. She wasn’t prepared to be away from her apartment.

But she somehow doubted he’d let her go home.

He must have known what she was thinking; instead of having the driver take them straight to his great Fortress-of-Solitude, the limo turned toward her apartment building.

“Why are we going this way?”

“I want you to get what you’ll need for a week or more. I thought you’d be more comfortable with your own things.”

“Thank you.” Was he being thoughtful, now of all times? She studied him for a long moment. He sprawled everywhere, long legs taking up so much of the floorboard. And his shoulders were so broad for such a lean man. She knew every inch of him was toned and strong, though. His clothes were definitely deceptive. And his face was so like a statue of an exotic prince from some island nation of old.

He was so beautiful, so perfect looking. And he was so maddeningly irritating. And for a woman who’d grown up with eight brothers, saying that was saying a lot. She’d been the butt of so many pranks and jokes by her various brothers, she should be immune to a man like Luc. But she wasn’t, was she? All he had to do was be himself, and to look at her a certain way, touch her a certain way, and she gave in. Just like that. Weak, pitiful. She thought she was stronger than that!

Inside her apartment she hurried through grabbing the things she’d need. Her place—small enough to begin with—seemed shoebox sized with him prowling around. He was looking at her photos, fiddling with her plants, and then testing out her couch. “Has some bounce. Want to try it out?”

“Not happening. I told you I’m not sleeping with you again. So just forget it.”

He grinned. “Oh, you’ll sleep with me again. Probably tonight. If not, then definitely tomorrow. We’ll have the entire day together. We can spend the day in my bed doing all sorts of wicked things, if you like. I think that sounds like a wonderful plan.”

She looked at him. “No. Not going to happen. We’re going to finish going through all of those bills-of-sale, find what you need to go to the authorities, and we’re going to finish this.”

She didn’t say anything else about it, just grabbed the rest of her stuff. “I think this is it. I’ll need to grab my work bag.”

He opened the door, and the bodyguard Chase came in. He carried Payton’s bags, while Terrance accompanied her and Luc back to the limo and the waiting driver. Would she ever get used to him having shadows who went with him everywhere?

She wouldn’t be around him long enough to get used to it. She would make sure they both understood that. He wasn’t getting the opportunity to use her and discard her again.

His home gleamed in the distance, from miles away, though it was located very close to the heart of the city, and close to the river.

Ren and Rath met them as they were climbing out of the limo. Both dogs were dignified and respectful of the distance, staying well out of the way. They were very well-trained, but Payton knew what they wanted. Luc called them over and she greeted each one.

“Damn animals forget their training when you’re around. I think they’re hopelessly in love. I know how they feel.”

She didn’t say anything until they were inside and away from Chase and Terrance. He’d had Chase carry her things to a bedroom; she hadn’t seen which one. It better not have been his.

“We’re here. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Horny? I’d like to meet all of your needs this evening.” Luc said it so casually, did he joke about everything? He carried the bag that had her grandmother’s quilt, the one Payton had grabbed on impulse before leaving her living room. It usually covered the back of her couch. She half-thought she’d need the familiar token of security in the strange place that was Luc’s home, his life. His house was so devoid of anything truly personal…

How could he live like that?

He poured her a glass of soda—he had his own fountain machine in the bar area—and brought it to her. Instead of handing her the glass he sat it on the end table next to the couch. He wrapped his hands around her waist and tried to pull her toward him.

Payton held up a hand. “No. I want to make it very clear about something, Luc.”

He stepped back. “You’re angry.”

“Aren’t you perceptive today? Of course I’m angry.”

“I’m sorry you were dragged into my personal battle.” True regret was in his eyes, and she found herself believing him.

“That’s not what I’m angry about…” Payton crossed her arms over her chest, needing that bit of distance between them. “I’m furious with you, Luc.”

“Tell me why.”

“Because you thought nothing of just pushing me away weeks ago. Nothing. I know what it was that happened between us, and I know that I’m not the kind of woman you usually—”

 

***

 

Was that how she thought he saw her? He knew what she meant, and the pang of shame and remorse hit him hard. He hadn’t wanted her to leave him three weeks ago thinking that. “Payton, I never...” He needed to make her understand. Somehow. “Didn’t mean to treat…I never…”

“Never what? Had a one-night stand and then blew the woman off? Well, that’s exactly what it felt like.” And the hurt that had caused was written all over her beautiful face.

He was a bastard, wasn’t he? In more ways than one. He’d never meant to hurt her. Ever. That was the one thing he’d tried to prevent.

She stood in the middle of his living room, her hair back in that ponytail that he loved playing with so much. She still wore the blue t-shirt she’d worn on stage, and it outlined her chest perfectly. And made her eyes look deeper, brighter. He wanted to touch her again, but the arms crossed over her chest shouted a big keep out! to him. “I thought you’d be better off staying away from me, to be honest.”

“Maybe. I think our current situation makes that abundantly clear. But…it was my choice to make. Not yours. I’m not stupid, and I am more than capable of making my own decisions. Can’t you understand that?”

Was there anything more that he hated than losing control, than having someone else decide for him? So why had he put her in that position? It wasn’t right of him—or fair.

“I won’t let you screw with me. In any way.”

“I’m not going to. Well, not besides the most literal definition.” He took a step toward her, and then another. He put his hands on her waist; she didn’t pull away. “Truth?”

“Truth. I want truth in all of my relationships, romantic, platonic, whatever. I want truth. If I can’t get that, then I’m done. And I’ll walk away without a backward glance.”

“Understood.” His plans would have to change. He knew that. Luc couldn’t just push his will on her, and expect her to go along with it. Even expecting that from the beginning was wrong. “I was trying to protect you.”

“From what? The guy who bombed your house? The one who took the photos? Are they the same guy? Are there others out there after you? Or were you trying to protect me from you?” Direct blue eyes met his again.

She made him want to squirm. “Payton...”

“That’s it, isn’t it? You said it before ‘men like me, women like you’. You really meant it, didn’t you? You think there’s some weird type of divide between us. Because of the money thing? So what? Tell me how.”

“I have everything that money can buy, Payton. I can give you literally any material possession your heart desires. And I would, willingly.”

“But have I ever asked for that? I don’t know why what happened between us three weeks ago happened; it could have been the stress of the evening, and I’m definitely not discounting that.”

Hurt struck him, sharp and unexpected. Was that all it was to her? He’d thought there had been real emotion on her part, and that was why he’d pulled away. He hadn’t wanted her loving him.

Payton loving him.

He hadn’t wanted it then, but now? Now nothing sounded better. “Maybe. It didn’t feel that way to me though.”

“How did it feel? Because other than your ‘goodbye, so long, thanks for the tumble’ that morning I don’t have a clue.” And the hurt of that goodbye he’d given her was still there, in her words, on her face. In the way she held her body.

Luc scooped her up until they were eye level with one another. It was easy to do; she didn’t weigh much at all. “Listen…I never thought of that night in that way. And I never will.”

“Then why—”

“I got scared, damn it. Terrified. A woman like you—”

“What kind of woman do you think I am?”

“A special one. A good one. The kind a damned asshole like me doesn’t deserve.”

“But that’s for me to decide. Not you.”

“Baby…” He wanted to kiss her, wanted it more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.

But when he looked in her eyes, he knew that was exactly what Payton was not wanting just then. And Luc knew he had to respect that. He contented himself with brushing a kiss against her forehead, then slowly lowering her to her feet. He let her body slide against his, needing the contact for himself, more than anything.

“Please don’t. Just show me the photos. I need to see them, and then we’ll get to work.”

“This late?” The clock read three, and he knew she was exhausted. “We can do this tomorrow, baby. We don’t have to do it tonight.”

“I have plans for tomorrow afternoon. Marianna and Ed are having a barbeque to celebrate her sons’ birthdays. It’s at two.”

“Then we’ll get up early and take a look at the photos, and you can go to your friends’. But I’m going with you. I’m not going to have something happen to you. No matter what I have to do, I will protect you.”

“Just let me see the photos. Give me an idea of what the threat might be. It won’t be the first time I’ve seen threatening letters, Luc. It’s kind of my business, you know?”

She was stubborn, wasn’t she? He just didn’t want her frightened on a night she should have been exuberant. “I’ll get the photos from my office. You curl up on the couch. I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, and settled onto the leather couch. Ren hopped up on the leather beside her—something the dog definitely wasn’t supposed to do—and she ran her fingers through the mottled fur. “Thank you.”

She watched him when he brought the files back, and the wariness in her eyes stabbed at him. Reminded him of exactly what his stupid fear had done.

They focused on the papers in front of them, and he didn’t push it. Pushing wasn’t what she needed from him then, and he knew that. So he gave her what she wanted, and when she excused herself to find the guestroom, he didn’t try too hard to change her mind.