chapter 17

We sat facing each other on the leather sofa in my office. Amanda reached into her bag, pulled out a small compact mirror and her favorite lipstick, and began touching up her lips with slow, deliberate strokes. She added the barest hint of blush, snapped the compact shut, and dropped both items back into her purse. Then her eyes locked onto mine.

“You disappoint me, Teddy,” she said quietly. “After everything… all for what? That woman? I made you, Teddy.”

“Enough, Amanda.” I stood up abruptly. “I’m tired of your constant nagging. Face reality for once. I’m in love with Payton—completely, head-over-heels in love. There’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it.” I tapped my temple hard. “Get that through your head.”

She rose slowly, a thin smile curling her lips. She clapped twice, softly, mockingly.

“Like I said before… you’ll get bored of her soon enough. And when you do, you’ll come crawling back to me.”

“We’ll see about that.” My voice was flat. “And for the record—you don’t own me.”

Her smile sharpened. “We’ll see how your precious Payton feels when she learns the truth about everything.”

My stomach dropped. I lunged forward and seized her upper arms, fingers digging in harder than I intended.

“Teddy—let go. You’re hurting me.”

“If you breathe one word to Payton,” I said, voice low and dangerous, “I will destroy you. Everything you’ve built, everything you care about—I’ll burn it all down.” I squeezed tighter for emphasis.

“Fuck, Teddy—let go!”

I held her gaze, unblinking. “This is the last time I’ll ever see you again. Now get out.”

“You’ll regret this,” she hissed, wrenching free. She snatched her bag, turned on her heel, and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her with finality.

I collapsed back onto the sofa, one hand pressed over my mouth. My pulse hammered in my ears. Confusion and dread coiled tight in my chest.

Payton couldn’t know. Not now. Not ever, if I could help it.

A darker thought slipped in, cold and uninvited:

Should I make sure Amanda stays quiet… for good?

I stared at the empty doorway, the question hanging heavy in the silence.

I called Tom Payton, private investigator, shortly after Payton left my office. He works for me, but Payton had no idea.

“Hello, sir. It’s done.”

“Good.” I hung up.

Excitement surged through me. I knew Payton would be furious when she saw those pictures—and that fury would drive her straight into my arms.

And eventually, it did.

We spent the entire night together at my place while Richard was away traveling with Elizabeth. I did everything I could to be gentle and loving toward her all through those hours. That night, I realized I was truly in love with her. I couldn’t imagine life without her anymore. I needed her by my side every single day. She felt so precious to me, in a way I still don’t fully understand—even now, it confuses me.

After hours of intense, passionate sex, we finally fell asleep.

I woke up not long after and noticed Payton whispering in her sleep. She was drenched in sweat. Then, suddenly—

“Mia… Mia, I’m sorry…” she murmured over and over, her voice breaking.

“Mia!” she screamed, half-awake, and threw her arms around me, clutching me tightly as sobs wracked her body. “I killed her… my baby… it’s all my fault…”

“Payton, stop—you didn’t kill anyone. Shhh, it’s just a nightmare. I’m here. I’m right here,” I whispered, holding her even tighter.

She struggled for a moment, still caught between sleep and terror, then slowly relaxed. Her breathing evened out as she drifted back to sleep in my arms, a small, peaceful smile on her lips—like she was finally safe because I was there.

Watching her like that broke something inside me. I had no idea how much pain she had been carrying since losing her daughter. Seeing her suffer so deeply hurt me in ways I hadn’t expected. She was too precious, too fragile, to be drowning in this kind of guilt and stress.

Anger flared hot inside me—directed straight at Richard. How could he let her go through all this torment, knowing full well it wasn’t her fault? Why wouldn’t he just tell her the truth about what really happened that day?

I decided then: I had to do something about it.

Around 5:00 in the morning, I woke up and lay there quietly, just staring at Payton.

She was still fast asleep, her breathing soft and even. Careful not to disturb her, I slipped out of bed as gently as I could, grabbed my phone, and stepped into the hallway.

I called Eric.

“Place the fire report documents—the ones about Payton’s baby—on their gate,” I told him. “Make sure only she sees them. No one else.”

After the call ended, I padded back into the bedroom. She was still asleep, looking peaceful in the faint pre-dawn light. I couldn’t help but smile. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. I slid back under the covers, leaned over, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips.

She stirred beneath me, murmuring something incoherent at first. Slowly her eyes fluttered open. When she saw me, a bright, sleepy smile spread across her face—radiant, unguarded, and completely disarming.

In that moment, my heart ached with how much I wanted her, how deeply I loved her. This was different from anything I’d ever felt before. For the first time in my life, I was madly, completely, helplessly in love with someone.

“What time is it?” she asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“It’s still early,” I said, smiling widely at her.

“Someone’s in a good mood this morning,” she murmured, turning to face me and cupping my cheeks in her warm hands.

“Of course I’m in a good mood. Last night was amazing.” I leaned forward and kissed her deeply, my hand sliding up to cup one of her breasts, thumb circling and gently rubbing her nipple until it hardened under my touch.

“Mmm… you’re so good at this,” she breathed.

“At what?” I asked, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes.

“I don’t know, Teddy,” she whispered, voice soft and a little shaky. “I just know I enjoy you so much… maybe too much.”

“Hmm, really?” My mouth found her chest again. I kissed her soft skin, trailing slow licks across the swell of her breast until I reached her nipple. I sucked one, then the other, alternating gently. Her fingers threaded into my hair, tugging as a sharp gasp escaped her lips.

I tossed the blanket off her body so I could see all of her—every beautiful curve glowing in the soft morning light.

“Payton,” I murmured, pressing a finger to her lips. She bit down—not hard enough to hurt, just enough to send a jolt straight to my cock. I groaned low in my throat.

In one smooth motion I rolled on top of her, kissing her hungrily while I rocked my hardness against the silky skin of her inner thighs, teasing without entering. She grabbed my face with both hands, pulling me down so our eyes locked. The way she looked at me at that moment… it felt like she was already all mine.

I wanted her the way I really liked it.

I kissed down the column of her neck, across her cheek, then—playfully—licked lightly over one closed eyelid, then the other. She trembled beneath me, breath hitching. I pressed a final soft kiss to her forehead and pulled back to look at her.

“Can we try something else?” I asked quietly.

She smiled, curious. “What is it?”

I slid off her and sat at the edge of the bed, opening the nightstand drawer while holding her gaze. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside.

“Teddy… those are handcuffs.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” I said, voice dropping, already starting to close the drawer with a touch of disappointment.

“No—no, wait.” She crawled across the sheets toward me, wrapped her arms around my back from behind, and pressed her bare chest to my skin. Then she gently turned my face to hers… and dragged her tongue slowly, deliberately, along my cheek in one long, filthy lick.

I completely lust it.