Page 46 of Peyton's Price

“No!” Matthias hurried over, getting on his knees in front of her. He reached out to grasp her hands. “I’m explaining this very badly, but I do see a future with you. The thing is, I know myself. I told you—I learned the hard way that I’m a man with certain appetites.”

“Well, for a man with an appetite, you haven’t been indulging much,” she pointed out.

“Not yet. The thing is—I sense we could be happy long term in a different kind of relationship.”

She filled in the blanks. “You want a long-term threesome.”

“Yes, but not with you and another woman. I’d like you to consider adding another man to the mix.”

“Huh.” Of course he meant with another man. He’d told her about his affair with Liam. And he hadn’t been the only male partner. Matthias had mentioned others. No doubt there were plenty of women, too. Some at the same time.

Still, the idea had some extremely interesting benefits to it. Images of herself with Matthias and another man flashed through her head.Damn, if I were wearing panties, they would be soaked by now.

Peyton was certain her face was beet red. “Talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” she joked weakly.

“I know this is a lot to ask from you, especially given your level of experience. And no matter what you decide, I still wantyou. Nothing will change my mind about that. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since you came aboard. The potential for lasting happiness is here. But I wouldn’t want to ruin what we could have with an affair three or four years down the line because I wanted a man, too. I won’t make that mistake again.”

Again? Peyton absorbed that in silence. There was a lot he wasn’t telling her.

“So you want to see if I can handle a—a…”

“The word you are looking for is polyamorous.”

“Yes, okay. You want to know if I can handle a polyamorous relationship right off the bat?”

“I do…What do you think?”

“I think…um…I don’t know. This is kind of a lot to ask of a virgin.”

Matthias winced. “I know, but let’s look at it this way. You have a lot of catching up to do.”

Peyton snorted softly. The man had a gift for understatement.

Bracing his arms on either side of her, Matthias let his weight tip forward, leaning closer. “I may be wrong about this, but I sense you are well of untapped sensuality. It shimmers behind your eyes. I think you’d enjoy being with two men—a lot. Why don’t you take some time to think about it?”

“No.”

His face fell, but Matthias hid his disappointment with a self-deprecating laugh. “I see. Never mind. Forget I said anything—”

Her head swam, but Peyton gripped her hands together, interrupting him. “No, I meant I don’t have to think about it. I want to give it a try.”

His lips parted, but he shook his head. “Are you sure? I’m starting to think it was wrong of me to ask. You’re not ready.”

Peyton grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close enough to kiss. When he lifted his head, he had the most adorably bemused expression on his face. “I forgot what I was saying.”

“You were saying I get final approval on this other man,” she said.

His expression didn’t change much, but she could tell she’d surprised him. “Negotiating, are we?”

“Damn straight,” she answered. “It’s my body. And yours. We have to find someone who works for us both. And I get to use one of those black balls now—in advance.”

“For who?”

Wasn’t it obvious?

“Liam Tyler,” she said, raising her brows for emphasis. “I know you have a soft spot for him, but he’s off the table, so don’t even think about it.”

“Not even—”

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