Page 65 of Peyton's Price

That was something Peyton had learned from the Tylers. “Liam always made it a point to learn the name of everyone who worked for him, even when he was an insufferable know-it-all teenager. He has a memory like a steel trap. I haven’t nailed everyone’s name as well as he has.”

“You could have fooled me. From what I’ve seen, you haven’t stepped wrong in that respect at all in the last week.” Priya hesitated. “I hope you won’t mention I was the source of your new knowledge, even though I don’t believe there’s a reason to hide it. As I said, it’s an open secret on the boat, but it might be somewhat uncomfortable for me if Matthias believes I was gossiping about him.”

“He’ll never know it was you. I swear.”

Peyton was dying to ask her more details about Matthias ill-fated marriage, but Priya was done for the day. She excused herself before Peyton could work up the courage.

Peyton spent the rest of the afternoon on the deck with her computer, coding in between breaks to reapply sunscreen. However, she was too distracted to get much work done. The mystery wife consumed her thoughts.

Matthias showed no signs of mourning, so his marriage must have ended ages ago.Ended in tragedy.Peyton winced, picturing a beautiful blonde Nordic goddess, the female counterpart to Thor-lite.

She was going to have to talk to Liam. Peyton needed to make sure he dropped the subject of babies. Matthias was obviously sensitive about the subject—and rightly so. It would also be a good idea to shut down that kind of talk for her sake.

Yes, she wanted children. Liam had laid out her most secret desires with his declaration. But things were more complicated now. Matthias was now a part of her dreams of the future, and she would be damned if she were going to let their third’s bluntness threaten their potential.

But Liam was a force of nature. Keeping a man like him in check would be like trying to stop a tsunami.

Well, there’s no time like the present.Determined to stay ahead of any problems, Peyton set aside her work to hunt Liam down. It was easy. He was in the northern port-side conference room, his makeshift office.

His eyes lit up when he saw her. He pushed away his laptop—a first in her experience—and beckoned her with his finger.

Flushing, Peyton hesitated. It was almost as if a bright spotlight had been thrown on her. “I came here to talk, not have sex.”

Liam threw her a wicked grin. “Why can’t we do both?”

Rooted to the spot, her body flashed hot and cold, amazed she wasn’t running to tackle him. This had been her fantasy for years. Every time she had walked into his office at the Caislean, she had wanted him to throw her on the desk and ravish her.Damn his timing.

She found her voice a beat too late. “Because…I’m not sure it’s a great idea to leave Matthias out of our sex so soon.”

Liam cocked his head. “As long as we make time for him, too, he’s not going to have a problem with it. He said as much during our ground-rules talk. Besides, he’s smart enough to know you and I are going to need some one-on-one time. We have years of repressed desire to work out. And yes, I know that’s my fault. But he’s not stupid. Why else did he wait until I was on board to take your virginity?”

Peyton risked getting closer to him. She leaned against the edge of the wide oval table he’d commandeered. “You have to stop gloating about that. I don’t need you strutting around like a plundering Viking.”

“Am I not allowed to be happy you waited for me?” Liam batted his disgustingly thick lashes at her.

“No. Because I very nearly didn’t. It certainly wasn’t my intention. You’re just lucky that men suck. I can’t count the number of times a guy stood me up on the second or third date.”

Liam grunted something unintelligible.

She frowned. “What?”

He swore, slumping in his chair. “I said they didn’t all stand you up. I may have been…redirecting their attention elsewhere.”

Peyton rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”

She should have been angry, but, frankly, she was past that. Those half-hearted efforts to date had been sad attempts to forget the man in front of her. Now he and Matthias were hers. If she could just keep them both on track, that was.

“Well, just imagine if you’d let one of those guys keep that date. I might never have been kidnapped and sold at a virgin auction.”

His eyes darkened, his hands fisting in front of him. “Don’t say that. Those monsters would have taken you anyway. A lot of terrible things could have happened to you. Your virginity was the only thing protecting you.” Liam straightened, making a visible effort to control his temper. “But that’s all in the past. You’re safe now, and both Matthias and I are going to make sure you stay that way.”

It was almost a declaration of war. “Simmer down, gladiator. I’m under no immediate threat. Except maybe from you.”

His head drew back. “Me?”

“I learned something. Suffice to say, you have to stop talking babies in front of Matthias.”

He frowned. “Why?”

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