Payton's Woman (8 page)

“Another favor, Angel? You
haven’t paid your last debt to me.”

She cringed at the
reminder. “I’m sorry. I treated you shamefully after everything you’d done for
me. You most certainly saved my life and could’ve lost your own life by helping
me, but it wasn’t possible for me to stay another day.”

“You could’ve told me
that at the time instead of running off without a word. What’s worse is you
knew you weren’t going to keep your promise when you made it. You just stood
there smiling, lying to my face.”

“I know,” she said
softly. “I behaved horribly. I don’t blame you for being angry.”

“Do you have to be so
bloody agreeable?” His voice came out gruff. “Most women I know would be
falling all over themselves, making excuses, and telling more lies about how
they’ll never do it again.”

She smiled at his
concept of how women were supposed to act. “Would you prefer that I behave like
the other women you know?”

“No.” His lips curled
into a seductive grin. “I like you just the way you are.”

“How did you find me? You
didn’t even know my real name.”

He stared into her eyes.
“If someone owes me something, I’d track them across all seven seas to collect
that debt.”

Although his mouth
formed a smile, something glinted in his eyes. She believed his every word. “What
can I do to make it right?”

“Right?” One dark eyebrow
arched. “Pirates never worry about what’s right or wrong. But I do know it’s
going to feel good—for both of us.”

Her foot collided with
his when she missed a step, but she recovered. “What do you mean?” She was suspicious
of what he had implied. “I only agreed to have breakfast with you.”

“It was suppose to be
for the entire day,” he corrected. “That was before you reneged on your promise.
You also want me to lie to your friend. Now the bargain has changed to include
the entire night.”

Her mouth dropped
opened. She twisted her lips together as her temper flared. “You can’t force me
to spend the night with you.”

“Well, if you want me to
lie to your friend...”

Heat gathered in her cheeks
from anger, yet her conscious fluttered with a twinge of shame. He’d saved her
life that night and hadn’t demanded anything more than she’d willingly give. Her
reward for his gallant behavior had been to deliberately lie about spending the
day with him. But no matter what she owed him, she would not be coerced into a
man’s bed against her will.

“That’s blackmail,” she
blurted out in a hushed voice. “I never thought you’d resort to forcing me to spend
the night with you.”

The muscles in his jaw
bunched. His eyelids lowered as his gaze slipped away. “I’m sorry. I told you
once before that I’d never force you. I meant it.”

Startled by his apology,
she stared at his face. Perhaps he truly was a man of his word. Her shame
deepened, for she hadn’t kept her promise.

“Did you understand what
I said?” he asked when she didn’t answer. “I won’t mention anything to your
friend about where we met. My only payment will be that you spend the day with
me like you’d originally agreed.”

“Thank you. It reaffirms
my belief that you truly are a man of honor and decency. I’m only sorry I didn’t
behave as honorably. You can be certain that this time I will keep my promise
to spend the day with you.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Now
I’ll have to think of something to tell Sylvia. She’s bound to ask how we met.”

“Tell her it’s none of
her business.”

Laughter bubbled from
her lips. “Men always have such a simple solution for everything. When all else
fails, be rude.”

“I think this is the
first time I’ve seen you laugh.” His gaze lingered on her face. “It makes you
appear even more enchanting.”

The dance ended, but he
didn’t release her. Sylvia must have run across the dance floor, for she appeared
beside them almost immediately.

“Julia darling, you
really shouldn’t encourage a man to hold you like that after the music stops. It
borders on poor manners.”

She glanced at Payton. “Mr.
Tyler, since you are already acquainted with our Julia, you must know she is an
accomplished tease, but she never follows through. I can only imagine what a
bore that must be for a man with your obvious tastes.”

“Not at all, Mrs. Morton.”

“Morgan,” she corrected.

“I don’t mind the
teasing.” He gave Sylvia only a cursory glance before his gaze returned to Julia.
“I find the chase can sometimes be as exciting as the capture.”

“And just how is it that
you came to know Miss Anderson?”

Julia nibbled on her
lower lip while waiting for his response. He gave her a reassuring wink before turning
to Sylvia.

“I have a confession to
make. I’ve never met Miss Anderson before tonight. I only used that ruse to
gain an introduction and a dance.”

“Mr. Tyler.” She tapped
him playfully with her closed fan. “You are a scoundrel. I would be worried
about Julia if I didn’t know her so well. But I fear you will tire of the chase
long before she allows herself to be captured.”

“I don’t tire easily,”
he said. “In fact I have a great deal of stamina.”

A shiver seemed to
overtake the older woman. She let out an audible moan.

“Are you all right, Mrs.
Munson? Shall I get you a glass of champagne?”

“Yes, please. And it is
Morgan,” she corrected again.

“Certainly.” He retrieved
a glass from a passing waiter.

“Thank you, Mr. Tyler.” As
Sylvia took the champagne glass, her fingers lingered over his. “I must return
the favor sometime.”

“No need. Now if you’ll
excuse us, I must get back to the chase. I owe Miss Anderson another dance.”

Chapter Seven

Payton swept Julia up
onto a waltz. He moved her across the dance floor until they neared a doorway.

“Shall we go outside for
some fresh air?” he asked even though he’d already led her through the double
doors. “We can talk better out here.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tyler,”
she said when they reached a secluded area on the bricked terrace. “Or would
you prefer I call you captain? I seem to recall you had that title.”

“I’d prefer Payton. And
may I call you Julia?”

She nodded. “Thank you,
Payton, for making up that story to tell Sylvia.”

“It was my pleasure. I
think I would’ve lied to her even if you hadn’t asked me. There’s something
about women like her that really sets my teeth on edge.”

His remark surprised her.
“Most men find her very attractive.”

“She’s about as
attractive as a cat in heat. I’ve seen sharks go into a feeding frenzy at the
scent of blooded meat. In comparison to her, the sharks seem almost subtle.”

He so accurately described
Sylvia that she couldn’t suppress her laughter.

His lips curved into a
smile as his irritation seemed to fade. “How did you come to be friends with a
woman like her?”

“She isn’t actually my
friend. She’s a friend of my employer.”

“You work?” His gaze
scanned over the expensive silk gown she wore. “Exactly what kind of work do
you do?”

“I’m a secretary and
companion to an elderly woman.”

“She must pay you very
well in order for you to buy all this finery.” He rested his hand on her bare
shoulder. His finger jiggled the pearl dangling from her earlobe.

The touch of his hand
sent a flash of heat through her body. His nearness caused a fluttering in the
pit of her belly. “The pearls belonged to my mother,” she managed to say
despite her growing desire.

“And the gown?” He
turned his hand and caressed her skin with his fingertips.

“The gown belongs to my
employer. She lets me borrow them for these types of occasions.” She looked
away from his face and stared at his white, knotted tie so she could concentrate
on the words that came from her mouth. “She was injured a while back when she
fell down her front steps. Now she has difficulty getting around. I accompany
her on many of her social engagements. She insists that I dress accordingly.”

“I see.” The back of his
knuckles glided along her chin. He tilted her face upward so she had to look at
him. “I’ve missed you, Angel. I didn’t realize how much until this very moment.”

His admission startled
her, but not nearly as much as the fire blazing in his brilliant blue eyes. She
lowered her gaze to his lips only to realize her mistake. The memory of his
kisses rushed back to her.

Visions of him had
invaded her dreams every night since they’d first met. Now he stood directly in
front of her, warm and real. She wanted to reach up, thread her fingers through
his dark hair, and pull him to her.

She opened her mouth,
about to blurt out her deepest longings when the reality of the situation hit
her. This moment didn’t occur inside a dream. This man wasn’t a shadowy
illusion she could vanquish simply by opening her eyes. She bit on her lower
lip to prevent any words of suppressed desire from tumbling out.

“You still owe me three
kisses.”

Her head jerked back up.
“Not here.”
Not anywhere.
His kisses were far too devastating to her
self control.

“Then let’s get out of
here.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I
can’t leave.”

“And I can’t leave you
alone.” He slipped his arms around her waist. His hands moved over her back
until he touched her bare skin. He traced over the fine edge of her naked
shoulder blade with his fingertips.

The stroke of his
fingers sent ripples of pleasure through her. A heat gathered low in her belly.
Her body ached for his touch.

“Payton, please.” She
placed her hands against the front of his white, brocaded vest with the intent
of pushing him away, but instead, her hands slid around his waist. She moved
closer so she could feel the heat of his body penetrate through his clothing.

“What are you doing to
me?” she asked in a voice that contained wonder as well as dismay.

“Not nearly as much as I’d
like to,” he said just before his mouth covered hers. His lips brushed over
hers in a gentle kiss.

“Can you get away later
when the party’s over?”

“No,” she whispered just
before he kissed her again.

His hand moved to the
back of her neck. He turned her head, and the kiss deepened. He nibbled on her
mouth until he captured her bottom lip. He held the tender flesh lightly
between his teeth while he stroked it with his tongue.

“Then I’ll come to you,”
he said when he released her lip.

“No,” she repeated in a stronger
voice. “You can’t.”

“You’d be surprised at
what I can do.”

He leaned down to kiss
her again, but she pushed against his chest. “No, Payton. I can’t see you
tonight.”

“Then when?”

“Tomorrow, late morning,”
she said while gathering her thoughts. “I sometimes go for a walk. I’ll be
alone.”

“Where shall I meet you?”

“In the park. We can
talk.”

He let out a groan
before asking for clarification. “Talk?”

She nodded.

“All right. We do have
some things to discuss.”

When she felt him relax
his embrace, she tightened her arms around him. “Aren’t you going to give me
our last kiss?”

“Last kiss?” His voice
was tinged with bewilderment.

“You’ve only kissed me
twice. I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to kiss me in the park.”

“Where would you like me
to kiss you? Here?” He buried his face in the crook of her neck. His lips nibbled
on her warm flesh.

She sucked in a gasp of
air. His warm breath sent shivers of excitement through her. Her pulse raced,
her knees weakened. Her hands slid up his chest and gripped at his shoulders
for support.

“Or here?” he said while
moving his mouth down her neck and over her collarbone.

She tossed back her
head. Her spiral curls tumbled over her bare skin. The brush of her hair over
the sensitive skin on her back heightened her excitement. Her head turned from
side to side as if she could deny the heat gathering in her body. At the same
time, she savored every kiss, every nibble, every lick of his tongue across her
bare skin.

His lips blazed a fiery
trail across her naked flesh. His hand moved from her back. His fingers skimmed
across her ribcage until he cupped her breast. She sucked in her breath at the
exquisite touch.

He edged his fingers beneath
the bodice of her gown, but she didn’t possess the will to resist. A fire
ignited in her body when he captured her nipple between his fingertips. She
grabbed his wrist with the intent of pulling his hand away, but her thoughts
scattered at the startling sensation. Instead, her hand merely encircled his
wrist.

He tugged at the bodice
of her gown. His fingers pealed back the hemmed edge, exposing more of her
breast. His tongue followed, seeking her out. His lips closed around the taunt peak.
He sucked her nipple into his mouth.

A white hot bolt of lightening
pierced her body. Something melted in her belly. Her mind went numb, but her
body came alive. She tingled all the way to her toes.

“No, Payton, please,”
she begged, but she couldn’t push him away.

Her heart beat wildly.
Her legs wobbled. A shiver rocked her body. She stood in the arms of the only
man to ever make her burn. She slipped one arm around his waist to hold him to
her while her other arm moved to his neck. Her fingers wove through his thick,
dark hair.

Suddenly, his mouth
covered hers. His tongue parted her lips and thrust inside. Over and over he stroked
his tongue into her mouth. She moved her own tongue across his and circled him.
The texture felt like velvet, the underside smooth as silk.

Their kiss ended when he
turned his head. He put both arms around her in a gentle embrace and pressed his
lips close to her ear. “You must’ve cast a spell on me.” He spoke in a ragged,
husky voice. “Every time I kiss you, I want you.”