Page 67 of Peyton's Price

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.”

“Ourkids?” 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 theOrmen Langealone.”

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.

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