The Englor Affair (38 page)

A low growling sound came from the landing above them.

Payton’s head tilted up and he gasped.

The next thing Simon knew a sharp little elbow landed in his stomach and a foot swept both of his out from under him.

He landed on his arse. Pain shot up his back and down his legs and he couldn’t catch his breath.
Ow.

Someone laughed, followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying down the stairs.

Gasping for air, Simon looked up into a pair of glaring gray eyes. It was not Payton.

He was nearly as handsome, and he did look an awful lot like Payton, but the eyes were wrong, as were the cheekbones. Pay had higher cheekbones. This man was the same height as Payton, but his shoulders
were
wider. And Simon had been right. The smell was wrong. He’d never really paid attention to how people smelled, but he knew Pay’s scent, just like he knew hundreds of other intimate details about Payton.

“Nice takedown, boy, but you’ve just assaulted the King of Englor,” Nate said, barely containing his mirth as he continued down the stairs.

“Oh dust.” The young—not Payton—man offered Simon a hand. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I thought you were— Then I looked up and realized it wasn’t— Oh never mind.

I’m sorry.” He grimaced.

Simon stared at the younger man, who had to be one of Payton’s brothers, finally getting his lungs to take in air. He glanced down at the offered long-fingered, elegant hand, then hauled himself up on his own. “My apologies. I thought you were Payton.”

His cheeks heated and he shot a glance to the admiral, who was dressed for riding.

Nate stepped off the bottom step and squeezed the younger man’s shoulder. “It’s about time you came to collect your consort, Simon.” He grinned and looked down at the other man. “Told you he’d come.”

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“Yes you did, sir.” The younger man smiled and placed his hand on top of Nate’s where it rested on his shoulder, then his fingers drifted up to toy with Nate’s beard.

Sir? Bloody hell, it was Aiden, Nate’s consort.
Good going, Si. Not only do you
molest your brother-in-law, but you had to pick the one married to the scariest damned
man you know.

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty.” Aiden bowed.

“Simon. Please.” Simon bowed in return and offered his hand. “Please forgive me.

From behind, you look very much like Pay. You’re Aiden, I presume?”

Chuckling, Aiden nodded and shook Simon’s hand. “I am. Nice to finally meet you, Simon.” Letting go of Simon’s hand, Aiden sobered and cocked a brow. Simon got the impression he was being sized up. Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m going to assume by you being here that Nate is correct and you do love my brother?”

Simon swallowed, not sure how he felt about the inquisition, but if it would get him in to see Payton sooner… He glanced up at Nate, who was grinning broadly, and suppressed a groan. Nodding, Simon met Aiden’s gaze. “I do.”

“Then everything I’ve been hearing from Payton about you marrying him to get an alliance is false?”

“Yes. I—”

“Ease up, boy. He needs to be confessing this to Payton, not us.” Nate jostled his consort then kissed his cheek.

All Simon could do was stare in awe. Anyone who could make the fierce Admiral Hawkins look so—so, love struck deserved to be admired.
Poor Nate.
Simon knew the feeling.

Grabbing Aiden’s hand, Nate jerked his head, indicating Simon should follow.

“Come along. We’ll take you to Payton before we go riding.” Nate looked up at the slack-jawed under butler, whom Si had completely forgotten, and waved him away. “It’s all right, Thomas, carry on.”

The unease started up again as Simon followed.
Now. Finally.
He only hoped Payton would forgive him for being a blind fool. Simon rubbed his arse and winced. With any 266

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luck, Pay’s reaction would be less violent than Aiden’s. But at this point any reaction would be better than none. Simon had learned the hard way that an unresponsive Payton did not bode well.

As they rounded the corner, three teenagers and a little girl stood with their ears to a door. There were two ebony-haired teens, obviously Payton’s siblings from the looks of them, and a pretty blond, who was holding the redheaded girl’s hand.

Nate groaned and all four of them looked up at him with wide eyes.

The blond gasped, “Oh shit,” followed by the little girl turning toward him and pointing her finger. “Jeremy…”

Jeremy smiled at all of them and shrugged. “Whaaat? We were just—” His face blanched and he tugged the girl down the hall.

The smaller of the two remaining teens pointed at the taller one. “It was Colton’s idea.”

Colton sputtered for a few seconds before turning on the smaller man and doubling up his fist. “Tarren…”

Tarren took off down the hall where Jeremy and the little girl had disappeared.

Colton gave chase.

Glancing back at Simon, Aiden laughed nervously, a blush staining his cheeks. “Um, please ignore them.”

“Yes, please do.” Nate chuckled and shook his head. “Come on.” He opened the door and stepped aside.

A man’s voice Simon didn’t recognize trailed off, but Simon didn’t catch what he was saying. Simon’s mind was already going a mile a minute, wondering how Payton would react. Stepping forward, Simon looked into the open door.
Payton.
He stood there with his back to Simon, but Simon knew it was him.

How could he have mistaken Aiden for Pay? Sucking in a breath, Simon clenched and unclenched his hands. He wanted to reach out, yet he didn’t. His stomach fell to his feet and a drop of sweat slid down his temple. Simon was sure his heart stopped. He was scared in a way he’d never been scared before. His whole life rode on this.

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“Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Simon started at the unexpected greeting and noticed the stiffening of Payton’s spine.

It was like a knife to the gut. What had he expected?

Wiping his sweaty hands on his trousers, Simon swallowed the lump in his throat.

He glanced up at the man sitting on the edge of a desk directly in front of Payton. He wasn’t sure what made him think so, but he suspected he was looking at the King of Regelence.

Simon knew he was being rude by not greeting the man, but he couldn’t seem to make himself react. He was vaguely aware of another man standing from a love seat and going over to the desk, but he returned his attention back to that beloved dark head of curls in front of him.

As if in slow motion Payton turned around. Simon couldn’t even blink. All he could think was
This is it
. Everything hinged on the next few seconds. Payton would either send him packing, or he’d welcome him. Simon was terrified. He felt as though he were about to cast up his accounts. It was funny actually, no danger he’d faced as a marine in all the horrors of war he’d seen had ever made him feel like this. He wasn’t afraid of dying, but the fear of Payton’s rejection…

Payton’s yellow eyes widened, then a smile flitted across his face.

Simon smiled back. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. He made his way to Payton and stopped in front of him with only a few inches separating them. He inhaled, taking Payton’s scent into his lungs. The rightness of it hit him. He’d missed that smell.

Payton’s gaze lifted and his smile fell. “What are you doing here?” Reaching out, he nearly touched Simon’s chest, then dropped his hand.

“Your letter said if I ever needed anything…” He clasped Payton’s hand, bringing it to his chest, needing the touch.

“You could have called and I’d have seen to it. You didn’t need to come all this way.” His teeth covered his bottom lip.

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Until that moment Simon had had his doubts, but that telltale sign… Pay was as nervous as he was. Tears gathering in his eyes, Simon nodded and touched Payton’s cheek. It was like drowning. He gazed into those Englorian yellow sapphire eyes and gave in to the inevitable. He was so lost. “Yes, I did. I had to come because what I need is you.”

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He came all the way to Regelence for me.

—from the journal of Payton Marcus Townsend

“What are you writing?”

Payton closed his journal and glanced up at his consort. “Just writing in my journal.”

He set it on the nightstand by the bed. “Did you get the alliance ironed out with my father?”

“I did.” Si tugged his cravat loose and began unbuttoning his evening coat. “He’s a hell of a negotiator, but I finally wore him down.” Tossing his coat onto the chair by the bed, Si started on his waistcoat. He’d been here for two whole days already, but Payton couldn’t seem to overcome the oh-Galaxy-he-really-came-for-me feeling.

“He is. What did he give you a hard time with?” Getting his knees underneath him, Payton crawled to the edge of the bed and tugged on the ends of Si’s cravat, making him come closer.

“You.”

Payton kissed him and frowned. “Me?”

“Yes. I told him I was only agreeing to an alliance if you came as part of the deal.”

“What?” Confusion and happiness warred within Payton. “What do you mean? You actually had him put it in writing?”

Nodding, Simon shrugged his waistcoat off. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

Pulling Si’s cravat off, Payton tossed it aside and sat back on his heels. His nightshirt stretched tight at his shoulders and he had to shrug to loosen it. “Why? Why would you want that in the alliance?”

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Simon took his shirt off, then sat on the bed next to Payton and began removing his boots and stockings. “Because this way no one, including you, can claim I married you for an alliance.”

“But—” Payton got his feet out from under him and turned sideways to see Si better.

“Are you saying you didn’t marry me for an alliance?”

Kicking his boots aside, Si caught Payton’s chin, forcing him to make eye contact.

“No. I did not marry you for an alliance. The fact that marrying you almost certainly guaranteed me one was a bonus. It was also a way to justify it to my people, but I’d have married you anyway.”

Payton didn’t know what to say. He just sat there with his mouth hanging open. His chest hurt, and it had nothing to do with fear or anger. It was hard to breathe. Simon had wanted to marry him for him. It was more than he hoped for and everything he dreamed of.

Chuckling, Simon kissed him again and let go of his chin, standing. “I didn’t mean to leave you speechless.” He unbuttoned his trousers and shucked them and his underclothes. “I thought you knew that. I’m sorry that I was so busy with everything else I didn’t see your doubt sooner.” Standing in front of Payton gloriously naked, he reached out, a small smile on his lips.

Glancing at Si’s hand, Payton put his own hand in it and looked up into Si’s face.

Si drew Payton up, let go of his hand, grabbed the hem of his nightshirt and tugged it over his head. “I love you. I have for awhile.” He wrapped his arms around Payton’s waist and pulled him close, bringing their naked skin into contact. “I loved you way before I married you, Payton. Why do you think I got so mad when you kept trying to talk me out of it?”

Payton’s mouth was dry. A tickle feeling started in his stomach, and the sound of blood rushed through his ears. His eyes filled with tears and he blinked them away. He’d had no idea. He figured Si cared, but… He wrapped his arms around Simon’s waist and buried his face in Si’s chest, holding on for dear life. The hair on Si’s chest tickled his www.samhainpublishing.com 271

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nose, and the sound of Si’s heartbeat thudded steadily under his ear. It was perfect, and now that Payton had this, he was never letting it go.

Maneuvering them to the bed, Si got them lying down with Payton on top of him.

“Pay?”

Still awed, Payton sat up, straddling Si’s hips. He stared down at the man beneath him, amazed this strong, handsome, smart man loved him.
Get it together, Pay, you’re
acting like a ninny.
He nodded. Why was he nodding? Si had broken his brain.

Grinning, Si ran his hand down Payton’s cheek. “Say something. Tell me that you forgive me and you’ll come back to Englor with me.”

Again Payton nodded, leaning into Si’s touch. “Yes. I’m coming back to Englor with you. I love you too.” More than he ever thought possible. He was going to spend the rest of his life with this man, raise a family with him… It was a good feeling. Payton smiled, resisting the urge to laugh, he was so happy.
Wait. Family?
Yeah, yeah he could do that.

Was anyone truly ready for a family? At least they loved each other.

Payton realized his head was bobbing up and down and forced himself to stop. He was still scared, but they’d get through it together. Simon was right. Englor needed another heir. Aldred was a great man and would be an excellent leader, almost as good as Si, but the likelihood of him outliving Si— “If you want we can stop by the procreation clinic before we leave.”

Si shook his head. “No. I won’t ask that of you. Not yet. You aren’t ready. And besides…” He grinned. “I can make Oliver my heir.”

Payton stiffened. He’d decided that it really wasn’t important, that he wasn’t going to ask, but…

Chuckling, Si pulled him down, kissing his forehead, then let him sit back up. “You should see the look on your face. Relax. He’s not my kid. I adore Dru, she’s a wonderful friend, but good galaxy, the thought of her like that—” Simon shivered. “Oliver’s father was my mother’s cousin. I’ll talk to Aldred about making Oliver his heir, until he convinces Clay to marry him and they have their own children.”

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Tension eased from Payton’s shoulders and he felt suddenly silly and petty, but it didn’t keep him from grinning at his relief. He liked Oliver and he liked Dru. And as awful as it was, he liked them even more knowing their true relationship to Si. A picture of Oliver popped into Payton’s head, with his cute little grin and his big blue eyes so like Simon’s. The image morphed into a little redheaded boy with those same eyes and Si’s nose. Oliver was a good kid, he looked up to Si and— No, Payton wanted
his
son to be
his
consort’s heir.