Payton's Woman (13 page)

“Eddy lost his father
when he was young, the same as I did, although I don’t think it would’ve
mattered. He really liked those tattoos. Both his arms were covered with the
likeness of wild animals. He thought they made him look more intimidating,
although he was pretty fierce looking without them. He was a big man with
flaming red hair and a face that could change the direction of the wind.”

“Your friend had red
hair?”

He confirmed it with a
nod. “He went by the name of Red Eddy. Or Ready Eddy because he was always
ready for a fight, or a good time. It didn’t matter which.”

“My brother had red
hair, but he was nothing like your friend. He was a handsome man, very quiet
and reserved. Fighting was something he was against. When he was home, he used
to give sermons with Father about loving one’s fellow man and turning the other
cheek.”

“It’s curious that you
would say that. I remember more than once Eddy looking a man dead in the eye
after being hit and offering his other cheek. Of course he’d always add, ‘If
you’re ready to meet your maker’.”

“Oh, dear. That must’ve
taken a lot of courage for your friend to do that.”

“More than I had,” he
admitted. “But he put the fear of God into many a man.”

“Where’s your friend now?”

He lowered his eyelids
so she couldn’t see into eyes. “He’s dead.”

“Your friend passed away?”

“Passed away?” he repeated,
as if unable to comprehend the meaning. He looked directly at her. Fire seemed
to flash in his eyes. “That seems like such a benign description for the agony
Eddy endured. He’d been shot in the belly and suffered in excruciating pain
before he finally died the next day.”

Uncertain what to say,
she blurted out her heartfelt condolence. “I’m so sorry for the loss of your
friend.”

“He was more than a
friend. He was like a brother.” A look of suppressed rage boiled just beneath
the surface of his expression. “He was shot when pirates tried to take over my
ship.”

“That’s how my brother
died.” The same rage built inside her, but she kept her voice low when she
spoke. “I used to have nightmares as a child about his ship being attacked by
pirates. But in my dreams, I never foresaw his death.”

He leaned closer to the
table. His hushed voice sounded like a growl. “Piracy is the same business Dunbar’s
group is involved in. If your brother was still alive, I can only imagine how greatly
he’d disapprove of you working for a woman like Betsy Collins?”

Her lower lip trembled.
She blinked her eyes in an attempt to vanquish the threatening tears.

“I’m sorry. I had no
right to say that. I know how deeply my words must have hurt you.”

“Why bother to apologize
when you are right? He’d strenuously disapprove. Probably as much as he would disapprove
of me having dinner with a man like you.”

“Why would he be opposed
to me? I’m a seafaring man, the same as he.”

“It’s your intentions to
which he’d object.” She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “Your primary
goal seems to be getting me into your bed.”

A grin tugged at his lips.
“I can’t argue with that, but considering the way you respond when we kiss, I
don’t think you’d object if you found yourself in my bed. You’re going to deny
it?” he asked when she sucked in a gasp of air.

She lifted her chin to a
defiant level. “That’s not likely to happen since you’re leaving Sacramento
soon.”

“Where did you get that
idea?” The heat in his eyes came up a degree. “I plan to stick around here for
a very long time.”

“It doesn’t matter
because I’m not going to allow anything further to happen between us.”

“Be careful what you
say,” he challenged, “or you might prove yourself a liar the next time we kiss.”

“That’s not going to
happen because I’m certain I can control myself.” She hoped he caught the cold
determination in her voice. “All I have to do is remind myself that you are a
seafaring man.”

He cocked his head. “How
will that make any difference?”

“Seafaring men always
return to the sea. They leave behind the ones who love them. I won’t let that
happen. I will not allow myself to fall in love with a man who loves the sea
more than he loves me.”

“I think you’re a little
confused. What you feel when we kiss has nothing to do with love. It’s called
lust. That’s a pretty powerful emotion, especially if you’re not familiar with
it.”

“I’m certainly glad you
clarified that.” She scrunched up her napkin and flung it on the table. “It
reaffirms my belief that you only want one thing from me, the same as all the
other men.”

“I’m not like the other men
you’ve known.”

“Aren’t you?” she asked,
skeptical of his assessment of himself. “You just admitted your main goal is to
get me into your bed. How is that different from what the other men want of me?

“It seems you also want
to control me as well as use me,” she continued. “When you tire of me, you’ll
just discard me. Then you’ll return to the sea. I’ll be alone with no one who
truly cares for me. That’s not much inducement for me to give myself to you, nor
to any man. No matter how persuasive you think you may be, I’m equally
determined to wait for a man who will love me and not just use me.”

“Love? Is that what you want?”
he asked, but didn’t wait for her to answer. “It wouldn’t be too difficult for
a man to fall in love with you, but I wonder if any man would ever have your
love in return. Could it be you’re like so many of the other women I’ve known?
They try to make a man love them just so they can control him, or manipulate
him.”

“What a surprise.” She
hoped he caught her sarcasm. “I thought you said I wasn’t like the other women
you knew.”

“You aren’t.” His lips
curled into a seductive grin. “And I’m not like other men. Perhaps that’s what
makes us so perfect for each other.”

“Perfect?” A laugh
escaped her, but she didn’t feel amused. “You certainly have a high opinion of yourself.”

“Not me—us,” he
corrected. “We’re perfect for each other.”

“And what is so perfect
about us?”

“I don’t think you need
me to point it out.”

“I’m afraid I do.”

He relaxed back in his
chair. His anger subsided, and his mood softened. “I care about you. Perhaps
more than you realize. And it’s not just because of your obvious charms. My
feelings for you run far deeper than your physical beauty. From the first night
we met, I’ve protected you and kept you safe. Some people might call that love.”

Her mouth almost dropped
open. Had he actually confessed he loved her?

“And apparently, you
care about me,” he said. “You agreed to see me tonight because you were worried
about what might happen to me.”

Her mind whirled in
confusion. She tried to sort out her feelings for him, but they were jumbled up
in her head. She cared about his life and wanted him to be safe, but she couldn’t
admit anything more to him—nor to herself.

“Let’s just say that I
care enough about you not to want to see you hurt by these people. But that
doesn’t mean we’re perfect for each other.”

“I disagree.” A sensual
heat gathered in his brilliant blue eyes. “You’re my woman. And I find you perfect
in every way.”

Chapter Twelve

Julia waited in the
foyer of the restaurant for Payton to retrieve her wrap. As he helped her
fasten the cloak around her throat, he leaned close to her ear.

“Don’t look too quickly,
but there’s a man standing right outside the door,” he said in a low voice. “Do
you recognize him?”

She touched her hand to
her hair and pulled the loose stands free of her cloak so it seemed nonchalant
when she looked in the direction he had indicated.

“Yes, I know him,” she
said when she turned back to him. “His name is Gilbert. He’s the coachman for
Mrs. Collins. Perhaps he’s here to see me home.”

“I doubt that. Collins probably
sent him to observe us. She doesn’t know anything about me. She’s probably
curious about my character.”

“Your character?” she
repeated in astonishment. His personality seemed so complex she doubted anyone
could figure him out simply by watching him. “Shall I tell her that you’re a
man of courage and honor?” she said half jokingly.

“It would suit my
purpose better, if she believes just the opposite.” He winked. “Perhaps we
should put on a little show so he’ll have something to report.”

He wrapped her arm
around his. His other arm extended in front as an invitation. “Shall I escort
you safely away from here, milady?”

Her forehead crinkled. “Is
this your idea of being charming?”

His lips curved into a
smile. “No, it’s my idea of being Shakespearian.”

When they reached the walkway
outside, Julia noticed the coachman had receded deeper into the shadows of the
building. Payton might be right about being observed.

“What a marvelous night.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they walked to the
curb. “Just look at that moon. It’s the perfect evening to be with a beautiful
woman.”

She shrugged off his
arm. “You’re holding me too tight. I can’t walk without tripping over your
feet.”

“But I don’t want to let
go of you.” His hands grasped at her waist as he took a step closer to her. “I’m
afraid you’ll escape, and I don’t want to lose you. You’re going to help me
make this an unforgettable night.”

“You’re talking too loud,”
she said in a hushed tone. She pushed against his chest. “And it’s not proper
for you to grab me like that in public.”

The doorman approached
them. “Shall I get you a carriage, sir?”

“No, we’ll walk,” Payton
said. “It’s not that far.”

She made a scoffing
sound. “Mrs. Collin’s house is almost a mile from here. These slippers I’m
wearing aren’t suitable for walking that distance.”

“But we’re not going
there.” A wide grin showed on his face. “We’re going to my hotel room for the
rest of the night.”

She didn’t know if he
teased, but she decided not to chance it. “I am not going to your hotel.” She spoke
each word clearly and firmly so he wouldn’t mistake her determination.

“But you promised that if
I bought you dinner, you’d spend the whole night with me.”

His voice boomed above
the street noise. She glanced around at the crowded walkway. Everyone on the
entire block must’ve heard him, for they all stared at her.

If he joked with her,
she didn’t find his comment amusing. “I never promised you any such thing,” she
said in a voice almost as loud as his.

“But, sugar cheeks, I
want you. Your body drives me wild with desire. You have to let me have you.” He
grabbed her and pulled her to him.

An unladylike squeal burst
from her lips when he nuzzled his face into her neck. Her arms were in front of
her, and she shoved at him, but he wouldn’t budge. “Stop that,” she demanded.

Just before he stepped
back, he put his lips close to her ear and whispered, “Slap me.”

“What are you talking
about?” she asked, not certain she’d heard him correctly.

“You’re so beautiful. I
have to have you.” The back of his knuckles brushed across the bodice of her
gown. “Your breasts are so lovely.”

“Behave yourself.” She
slapped at his hand.

He grabbed her arms and
pulled her to him. “Not my hand, my face. Now do it,” he said in a low voice.

She twisted loose of his
grip and stared at him. Was he serious about what he wanted her to do? He didn’t
look serious. A glimmer of amusement glinted in his eyes. He also had a silly grin
on his face.

“Do what?”

He rolled his eyes, as
if exasperated with her. “What do you think?”

“Is everything all
right, Miss?” the doorman asked.

“Would you get me a
carriage, please?”

“But, sugar cheeks—”

“Don’t call me that,”
she ground out between her teeth.

He came at her again,
but she put her hand in front of her and stiffened her elbow to keep some
distance between them. “Stay away from me.”

His mood turned
belligerent. “Don’t act so innocent. You know you want me.”

“At this moment,” she
said, her voice carrying a sharp edge, “you are the last person I would want.”

“So you’ve been teasing
me all night long,” he bellowed above the din of the crowd. He also had an
angry expression on his face. “You rubbed your body against me. You even put
your hand in my crotch.”

“I did not,” she said
hotly. His crude accusation shocked her so deeply that she turned away and hastened
to the waiting carriage. She had to get away from him. His loud, vulgar
language infuriated her.

Before she could climb
inside, he grabbed her arm and turned her to him. His other hand grabbed at the
bodice of her gown. He thrust his fingers beneath the hemmed edge and used the
material to pull her to him.

“All you women are
alike. You say no, but what you really want is for a man to rip off your
clothes and make passionate love to you.”

When it appeared as
though he intended to do exactly that, she slapped his face. Her bare hand
landed with a loud smack against his cheek. His fingers slipped from the bodice
of her gown.

The doorman pushed his
body between them. He hustled Julia into the carriage.

Payton hovered right
behind them. He handed the doorman a few coins. “I’ll see her home.”

The doorman looked at
Julia, waiting for her response.

She shook her head. Payton’s
outrageous conduct angered her. She didn’t want him anywhere near her. “I can
see myself home.”

“What’s wrong, sugar
cheeks?” His eyes sparkled with laughter. “Don’t you want to be alone with me?”

“No,” she said as
sternly as she could without yelling. To her horror, he attempted to climb into
the carriage. She shoved against his shoulder. “I don’t want you in here,
Payton.”