Payton's Woman (17 page)

“Is everyone ready to go
into dinner?” Olivia asked when she returned to the room.

“Mrs. Collins, I believe
I’ll have the Duke escort you. He has such a strong shoulder for you to lean on.

“Miss Anderson,” she
said to get Julia’s attention. “My husband would like to introduce you to his
very good friend.”

Although the Duke stood
between them, she heard Betsy suck in a loud gasp of air.

“No need for an
introduction,” Payton said as he stepped from behind Gerald Baxter. “Miss
Anderson and I have already met.”

Baxter gave him a good natured
slap on the back. “I should have known, Tyler. You always did have an excellent
eye. That’s why I used you as lookout on those foggy nights onboard my ship.”

“How marvelous.” Olivia
placed Julia’s hand on Payton’s outstretched arm before turning to Betsy. “Then
you’ve met Captain Tyler also?”

The shock on her face
turned to a glare of contempt. “Yes, I’m well acquainted with the captain. It
seems we have a mutual interest in one, or two people.”

A cold chill crept up her
spine when Betsy turned to her, for it looked like an evil smile smeared across
her face.

“I do hope you enjoy
your weekend with the captain,” Betsy said in a haughty tone. “I’m certain the
experience will do you a world of good.”

“Then you have no
objection to Captain Tyler seeking a friendship with Miss Anderson?” Olivia
asked.

“Of course not. After
all, you are the one vouching for his good character.”

“Yes, I am.” She waved
her arm in the direction of the dining room. “Shall we dine?”

Payton pulled back on
Julia’s arm and allowed the others, including Betsy and the Duke, to leave the
room.

“And how are you this
evening, my lovely angel?”

“I don’t like this,
Payton. Mrs. Collins knows you arranged this meeting.”

“That was exactly my
intention.” His jaw clenched. His eyelids narrowed to a squint as he glanced in
the direction of the dining room. “I wanted her to see how relentless I can be
when I go after something.”

“Do you mean me?”

The muscles in his jaw
relaxed, and his lips curved into a smile. A sparkle glistened in his brilliant
blue eyes. “Of course I mean you.”

“I don’t believe that
for a moment. And neither does Mrs. Collins. We both know Lawrence Dunbar is
who you’re really after. That’s why I’m so worried. Whenever you see me, she’ll
be close around. It could be dangerous for you.”

“If you’re so worried
about me, why don’t you quit working for her? Then I can see you without ever running
into her.”

“And spoil your
elaborate scheme?” She made a scoffing sound. “If I quit working, you won’t be
able to flaunt your victory in her face.”

“If my victory is to
have you by my side, then I don’t mind flaunting you to the whole world.”

The sincerity shone in
his eyes, but she knew he wanted more than just having her beside him. She
wondered what he might demand from her in return. After all, she had promised
him anything for his help.

“I don’t know what you expect
to gain from this,” she said in a subtle attempt to discover his intent. “You
defied her direct order. There’s bound to be trouble.”

“That’s why I’m keeping
you close to me. Trouble seems to follow you where ever you go.”

She arched one eyebrow. “The
same way you’re always following me?”

His mouth curved in a
grin. “That’s the only way I can keep you safe.”

“I’m still worried.”

“There’s no need to
worry. My plan worked perfectly. The Baxters are wonderful people. They wanted
to help.”

“I’m certain they are.
Mrs. Baxter seems like a very sweet lady. I like her already.”

“She likes you, too. Otherwise,
she would’ve never consented to helping us.” His lips curved into a crooked grin.
“And she loves playing cupid.”

Curious about his
remark, she watched his expression when she asked her next question. “Has she
done this for you often?”

“There’s never before been
a need. But then I’ve never met a woman like you.”

“You mean no other woman
has ever told you to go away because she never wants to see you again?”

“Ah, but I knew you didn’t
mean it. But even if you did, you promised you’d do anything if I helped you
keep your job.”

A tight knot clinched in
her belly when she heard his demand for compensation. Somewhere deep in her
heart, she wanted to believe him a man of honor and decency, but she now feared
she’d been mistaken. She hoped he didn’t expect her body as his reward. “And
just what do you expect as payment.”

“The payment I expect
from you is the same as it’s always been.”

One blonde eyebrow raised
in question. “Which is?”

“My reward for helping
you is that you have to give me whatever I want.”

She remembered making
that promise the first night they’d met. “So you expect me to spend the day
with you?”

“Not just a day. This
time it’s for the entire weekend.”

“An entire weekend?” she
questioned. “Is that all?”

“That’s just the start.
I also get to see you as often as I like. Doesn’t that make you happy?”

“I’m thrilled.” She
hoped he caught the sarcasm in her voice.

“You should be. You get
to keep working for Betsy. She gets to meet royalty. Everyone is happy.”

“Not everyone.” She cast
a speculative eye at the doorway where Betsy had disappeared. “Although I must
admit, she did look happy to have the Duke on her arm.”

“The only thing you have
to worry about now is if Betsy begins to believe her sudden popularity has
nothing to do with you. Then she might start leaving you at home by yourself.”

“That’s not very likely.
You see, Mrs. Collins isn’t very good with names and faces. She needs me to
supply the pertinent information about anyone she thinks is important. Then she
can start a conversation as though they’re well acquainted.”

“You’re overlooking
another very significant purpose you serve and probably the real reason she
brings you to parties. You have a radiant glow that attracts people to you like
spellbound moths rushing to a shimmering fire.”

“If that were the case,
aren’t you afraid of getting too close? You might get burned.”

His lips curved into a
provocative smile. “Julia my angel, I burst into flames the first moment I saw
you.”

Chapter Sixteen

Julia had been at the
Baxter’s ranch for three marvelous days. And most of that time had been spent
with Payton.

At first, she’d been
leery of spending the weekend with him. She’d half expected him to remind her
of the promise to do anything in exchange for his help, but he’d not done so.

Olivia Baxter had been a
wonderful hostess as well as chaperone. She’d watched over Julia as if she were
her own granddaughter. Proper behavior was expected from all her guests. Any
time Payton, or for that matter one of the Duke’s friends, had become overly
familiar with her, Olivia had intervened. She would sternly tell that person
Julia was her special charge and misconduct or lack of good manners was not
allowed.

If Payton had been the
one receiving the reprimand, he’d graciously apologize to both Olivia and Julia,
although he always seemed to have an amused look on his face.

Olivia’s interference
pleased Julia. There were times when she had difficulty controlling her own
behavior. Payton could be so attentive, so protective, not to mention roguishly
handsome and devilishly playful, that she’d found herself succumbing to his
subtle advances.

Ages had passed, or at
least it seemed that long, since he’d taken her in his arms and kissed her in a
way that made her melt into a pool of liquid fire. She craved his closeness and
anticipated his touch. She’d even found herself wondering how it would feel to
be in his arms as he made love to her, but she’d quickly pushed those thoughts
from her mind.

Tomorrow it would end.
Monday morning she had to return to her work as Betsy’s secretary.

Quietly, she moved
around the room as she prepared for bed. She didn’t want to awake Melissa, the Baxter’s
twelve year old granddaughter who shared the room with her. A short time ago,
the young girl had fallen asleep.

Just as she crawled into
bed, light drumming of fingertips tapped at the door. In the dark, she managed
to find her dressing gown. She slipped into it on her way to the door.

To her surprise, Payton
stood on the other side. He dressed casually with no jacket or tie, only a white
shirt and black trousers. The shirt was unbuttoned at the throat, the sleeves
rolled up to his elbows.

She stepped into the
hallway and pulled the door closed before she spoke. “What are you doing here so
late at night?”

“You’re leaving tomorrow
to go back to town. Since we haven’t had an opportunity to be alone, I thought
this would be the perfect time. I have something planned for us that I hope
will prove to be a very memorable night.”

A sparkle of
anticipation gleamed in his eyes as he waited for her response.

She wasn’t certain what he
had planned, but she hoped he didn’t come to her door with the expectation of
her fulfilling her part of their bargain. There were times when she wanted him
as much as he wanted her, but not this way. She didn’t want to make love to him
as payment for a debt.

Unable to look at him,
she stared down at the floor. She feared her disappointment in him would be
reflected on her face. “I can’t let you in. I’m sharing the room with Melissa.”

“I know. That’s why I
found a quiet place for us outside where we won’t be disturbed by anyone.”

Her head snapped up. She
gazed into his eyes. The urge to give in to him grew so strong she actually
felt her body tremble, but she held onto her last shred of resistance. “Mrs.
Baxter takes her chaperone duties very seriously. She’ll be greatly upset if
she discovers we’ve gone outside together—alone.”

“I realize that.” He
touched her hair that was fashioned into a long braid. He picked up the end and
stroked the tip across his lips. “That’s why I’ve already obtained her
permission.”

“Her permission?” she
repeated in disbelief. “And just how did you manage that?”

“I simply told her
everything I planned to do with you. She hardily gave her approval.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

His dark eyebrows rose. “If
you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself.”

Without waiting for her
reply, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the stairs. She jerked
back on his arm.

“I’m not going anywhere
dressed like this. I’m not presentable.”

His gaze swept over her
body. “You look fine to me.”

“I’m wearing a nightgown
and no slippers.”

“If you’re afraid of
going barefooted, I can help with that.” He swung her up into his arms.

She gasped in surprise. “Put
me down.”

He ignored her demand.
She struggled to get free, but he held her securely.

When they reached the
foot of the stairs, Mrs. Baxter walked into the entry way, a worried expression
on her face. “Oh, it’s just you two. For a moment there, I didn’t know who was
making all that commotion.”

“Mrs. Baxter, this isn’t
my idea. Payton picked me up and carried me down here.”

“Her feet are bare,” he
said. “And I don’t want her stepping on any stickers.”

“My, isn’t he
thoughtful.” She smiled sweetly. “He told me what he has planned for you this
evening. Now, you two run along and enjoy the evening. Don’t stay up too late,
though.”

“But—”

“Don’t argue with your
hostess.” He carried her outside and across the yard.

“Where are you taking
me?” She squirmed around in his arms.

“Not far. Just over
there.”

His head nodded toward
the path he took, but when she looked in that direction, it was too dark to see
anything well. The night gave little illumination. The sliver of moon barely
flickered with light, although bright stars twinkled in the sky.

On the far side of the barn,
she spotted a wagon next to the corral. Hay covered the bed of the wagon. Blankets
and pillows were spread over the top. It looked cozy and comfortable.

He lifted her over the edge
and dumped her in the center of the soft bed of hay. She sat up in the wagon
and crossed her arms under her breasts.

“I don’t like this,
Payton. And I don’t believe you told Mrs. Baxter the truth about your
intentions.”

“But I did tell her.” He
placed his hands on the side of the rail. With one powerful leap, he bounded
into the wagon. He stretched out on the straw bed and patted at a spot beside
him. “Come here.”

He lay on his back, one
hand behind his head. His other hand beckoned to her. His lips curved into a
smile. His eyes sparkled from the starlight.

The urge to surrender to
him grew stronger. Her body shuddered in anticipation. He looked marvelous
lying there with his white shirt glowing from the sliver of moonlight. The
width of his shoulders, the swell of his muscular chest, were visible beneath
the material. He looked so handsome, so virile that she wanted to fall into his
arms. She wanted him to hold her. To kiss her. To touch her body and make her
burn. But he expected her to give herself to him. No, he demanded she give him
whatever he wanted.

She shook her head.

“I said come here.” He
moved so quickly she didn’t have time to react. He grabbed her arms and pulled
her down onto the bed so she lay flat on her back. He held her there, his leg
across her thighs so she couldn’t wiggle out from under him.

He leaned closer. His
mouth pressed to her ear. “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

Startled by his
question, she gazed at his face, but the starlight behind him didn’t allow a
clear view of his expression.