Page 11 of Peyton's Price

The money must have come from her Adstringo signing bonus. In the last month, Liam had done a lot of reading about the company. Even he had to concede the hotel must seem incredibly dull compared to the work being done there.

I should have given her more to do. Perhaps if he’d given Peyton more responsibilities, she wouldn’t have gotten bored. He could have easily matched whatever this Silicon Valley outfit was paying her.

Except you know it’s not about the money.Peyton had been determined to pay off that old debt for years, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Now she was closing the book on it…and him. It was now obvious why.

He gritted his teeth.Do not go there.

Liam was spectacularly good at compartmentalizing. It was how he’d managed to keep the family business going when his parents died. How he’d gone on to establish an incredibly successful hotel chain. He focused on what needed to be done, and he never let anyone or anything get in his way. For example, he hadn’t asked himself why Peyton spent so much of their time together watching him when she thought he wasn’t looking. And he hadn’t ask himself why he’d always pretended not to notice. Had it really been because he hadn’t wanted to embarrass her?

Reaching over, he fingered the small velvet bag next to him. He’d found the charm bracelet in Peyton’s old apartment. She’d been so excited when he’d given it to her. Leaving it behind had to have been an oversight. He’d brought it with him so he could return it to her.

A car turned the corner. He sat up straighter, waiting for it to stop in front of the two-story McMansion Peyton was supposed to be sharing with a roommate. He’d filched the direction from his sister’s address book when Maggie had hedged and made excuses not to give it to him.

Liam held his breath as the sedan passed the house, then continued down the street.

Damn it.This was insane. He needed to get out of here. Liam reached for the ignition. He was about to press the button that would start the ignition when a black SUV turned the corner. This one stopped in front of the house.

Peyton stepped out of the backseat. Her brown hair was in a messy ponytail, and she carried a leather messenger bag that appeared to be heavy. She waved half-heartedly to the driver before dragging herself up the walk, the exhaustion of a long day transmitting with every step.

Liam got out of the car. He didn’t stop to think. If he had, he might have stopped to consider what a woman alone would do if she heard heavy footsteps running up behind her.

Yelping, Liam ducked just in time to avoid a small terra-cotta planter being hurled at his head.

“Stop right there, whoever you are!”

He straightened. “Peyton, it’s me.”

She drew herself up to her full height, shaking her head. “What the hell, Liam? You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here?”

“I was on my way home from Sydney, but I added a layover at SFO. I’m…I’m here to see you,” he said, voice faltering.

Peyton’s face was drawn and pale. She was exhausted, but that was nothing new. They’d worked a lot of late nights together, but the way she watched him now was different. Then it hit him. This was the first time in his memory she hadn’t seemed happy to see him.

“It’s been a month, and you haven’t called,” he said when she continued to stare at him.

“I’ve been busy,” she muttered. “My new job is demanding. I called Maggie. Told her to say hi to everyone for me.”

“Did you?” For some reason, his sister hadn’t mentioned that to him. But it wouldn’t have made a difference. Liam had been used to talking to Peyton almost every day. Even when he’d been out of town or he’d sent her to another hotel to troubleshoot technical issues, he’d called her constantly for status updates.

“Can I buy you dinner?” He twisted his head to the moving curtain next to the door. Someone was there, but they didn’t want to be seen.

Peyton shook her head. “I ate at the office. There’s a big project due later this week.”

Liam frowned, wondering why her roommate was spying and hiding. “Then how about a drink?”

“I’m sorry, Liam, but you should have called. It’s not a good night—not even a good week.”

He ran his hands over the front of his coat because he didn’t know what else to do with them. “I did call. Twice. You didn’t answer.”

Smile tight and fleeting, she shrugged. “I’ve been working long and irregular hours. Sorry. I haven’t been doing great at keeping in touch.”

Liam took a deep breath. He’d bet she wouldn’t have said the same to his younger siblings. In fact, he was certain he’d seen Trick laugh at a text message from her just last week.

“Are you coming home for Christmas?” he asked, his voice sharpening.

Peyton winced. “I don’t think I can get away.”

Liam shuffled his feet, frustration filling him. There were a million things he wanted to say, but there wasn’t a single one he could think of that could breach the invisible wall between them. “Can I come in for coffee at least? It’s a long drive.”

---