“ALMOST HOME,” BRODIE whispered.
Payton’s face pinkened as she nodded and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. “Sorry,” she said.
Kade had offered the use of his plane for the party to fly back to Inverness, and they’d been in the air for almost an hour.
Brodie smiled. He could see she was having a difficult time keeping her eyes open. “Sleep, love. We have some time.”
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. Kade’s plane had two private bedrooms, but Payton didn’t want to sleep alone or give the wrong impression by letting him sleep with her, so sleeping “on” him was the best she’d take until they were bound.
Her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep within minutes. Twenty minutes later, he was almost asleep as well when he caught his sister watching him, and he raised an eyebrow. Their mother was immersed in a paperback away from the rest of them.
“She’s perfect for you,” Heather said.
“It’s a good thing she’s my mate, then, isn’t it?”
“Aye. I just hope you’ll like mine as much as I like yours.”
Brodie kissed Payton’s temple and smiled at his sister. “Are you worried I won’t?” he whispered.
“No.” She smiled. “Not really.”
“But?”
She shrugged. “Mikko’s just different than you. He’s also much, much younger.”
“You’re not still worried about that fact, are you?”
Heather’s mate was twenty-five. Barely a year older than Payton. Brodie knew Heather felt insecure at times about the age difference, despite the fact they were destined for one another. Mikko had arrived from Finland on the cusp of his birthday, and ended up at Slàinte, throwing Heather into an emotional spin. As soon as midnight struck, he knew exactly who she was, and thus began their love story.
“He’s so young, Brodie. It doesn’t seem right. As old-fashioned as this might sound, it should be the man is older than the woman.”
“Is this why you’ve been stalling the bonding?” he asked.
Heather grimaced. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Is he your mate?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Then you need to get over this.”
Payton stirred beside him, laying her palm against his chest and patting gently. “You can’t tell your sister to get over it, love. She feels what she feels.”
He kissed her crown. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I am.” She snuggled closer. “You’re dreaming… or I am, anyway.”
Heather chuckled. “Thank you, Payton.”
“We’re beginning our descent,” the captain said over the loudspeaker. “Please secure your seatbelts. Meghan, prepare for landing.”
Meghan, their pretty, blonde flight attendant made sure the foursome were buckled in before checking on the security detail Alasdair had sent with them. Two men, Karl and James, both handsome, Cauld Ane, and cocky.
Arriving at the Inverness airport, Brodie followed the women off the plane and into the waiting SUV. He climbed into the back after Payton, while his mother and sister sat in the row in front of them. Karl, head security for the evening, sat in the passenger seat, with James, second in command, driving.
Brodie pulled Payton closer as James guided the car away from the airport and headed toward his home. “You should sleep,” Brodie whispered.
She shook her head. “I’m too excited. Besides, I slept for almost an hour on the plane. I couldn’t fall back asleep if I tried.”
He grinned and kissed her quickly, their jaws colliding as the car hit a rough patch. “Sorry,” he said.
Payton laid her hand on her mouth. “There are worse ways to get skelped.”
Brodie laid his palm against her cheek, removing the pain and any injury that may have occurred. “Better?”
“Yes.” She grinned and laid her head on his shoulder. He shifted, pulling her against his chest.
As the SUV drove through the private gate onto his property, Brodie gave Payton a gentle squeeze. “When I say so, you need to close your eyes.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I said so.”
Payton grinned. “Oh, right. I forgot about your importance. Sorry, my liege.”
As they veered past the loch, Brodie whispered, “Now. No peeking.”
She closed her eyes and kissed his chest. When they were clear of his surprise, he kissed her temple. “You can open your eyes now.”
* * *
Payton opened her eyes and sat up straight, unable to hide her excitement as they approached Brodie’s home… her home in less than three weeks. The twenty-eight-thousand-square-foot lodge overlooked Loch Gunnach and was surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains in Inverness.
She’d been to the house only a few times over the years, but typically to drop papers off when traveling with Duncan. The one time she’d had the freedom to explore was when she and Fiona came during one of the Gunnach parties at the castle. Brodie was still away, and he’d asked his sister to check on something… at least, that’s what Fiona had told Payton.
After a few minutes of standing nervously in the large foyer, and once Fiona cajoled her mercilessly into exploring, Payton had roamed the halls of the home, imagining what life would be like if she could live there with Brodie. Silly, young girl wishes that now seemed surreal as they pulled up to the lodge. This would be her home. At least during holidays and weekends.
“Ready?” Brodie asked.
“Definitely,” she said.
The doors to the SUV opened and Brodie followed the ladies into his home. His head housekeeper, Erin, stood with her daughter and directed everyone to the guest wing, the opposite side of the house from what would be Brodie and Payton’s quarters.
“Guest rooms are ready, Your Highness,” Erin said.
“Thank you.” He squeezed Payton’s hand. “I’ll show Payton around while you take care of Heather and Abela.”
“Yes sir.”
“Brodie,” Payton whispered. “Let’s show Heather and Abela around, eh? Don’t make them fend for themselves.”
“Oh, we’re fine, lass,” Abela said. “You go with Brodie. We’ll catch up tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes. Go.”
“Thank you,” Brodie said, and kissed his mother’s cheek before guiding Payton towards the back of the house.
“I thought we were going upstairs,” she said.
He grinned. “I have a surprise first.”
Brodie led her through the back door and out to what used to be the carriage house. Fiona had told Payton it was now a nicely equipped garage, housing all of Brodie’s treasures. The garage had a second floor where his grounds-person lived with his wife and two children.
“The car?” she asked excitedly.
“Aye, lass.” He punched in a code on the door frame. Stepping inside, Brodie hit the switch and the lights illuminated the three thousand square feet of space that currently held six cars and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Payton let out a quiet squeak of delight as she headed for the Arrol-Johnston sitting proudly amidst a Ferrari, Cadillac SUV, BMW sedan, Mercedes convertible, and a vintage Rolls Royce.
“Is that a 1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Hooper?” she asked.
“Payton McFadden, you floor me.”
She giggled. “Hey, I like cars. I’ve always liked cars. Perhaps because I hate to walk.”
Brodie laughed. “Or you could admit you’ve been obsessed with me all this time.”
“Dream on, buddy,” she retorted as she studied and admired the cars.
When Payton had seen all she could for the moment, Brodie led her back inside and upstairs, taking her down one of the six hallways and into the master suite.
Payton gasped as she entered the room. “Oh, Brodie. It’s lovely.”
Brodie had transformed the octagonal bedroom into something far more feminine than it had been before. The ceilings were still pitched high, ten meters tall, with exposed beams meeting in the middle where a new chandelier hung. Well, new to her.
“Is that from the castle?” she asked.
“Aye. I know how much you love history, so I raided the dungeon for something from the fifteenth century. I found the chandelier and had it wired for modern light.”
“It’s gorgeous.” She ran her hands over the bedding. Light grey silk with lavender accents covered the bed, built by Niall’s father years before. Much bigger than a modern-day king-sized bed, the mattress and bedding had to all be custom made at exorbitant cost. Not that Brodie would have cared.
“Do you like the colors?” he asked, his expression hopeful as he awaited her approval.
“They’re perfect.” Payton grinned. “My favorites.”
“I know.”
She giggled. “Nothing goes unnoticed by you, does it?”
“Not when it comes to you.”
“I love it. It’s more than I could have wished for.” She grinned. “So where am I to sleep for the next week?”
“Here.”
“But this is your room, love.”
“I have always thought of it as our room, but I’ll be next door until our mating night.”
“Are you sure?” she stressed.
“Definitely,” he said. Payton started toward the window, but Brodie stopped her. “You can’t look out there right now, love. It’ll ruin the surprise.”
“But it’s dark.”
“Then what do you expect to see outside now?” he challenged.
“Touché, but do you really expect me to stay away from the window for a week?” She glanced longingly at the picture window, wanting even more to investigate. She knew the room overlooked the loch, but couldn’t remember much else.
He sighed. “I didn’t think that far. Give me a day, then you can look all you like.”
“All right, love. I’ll give you a day.” She smiled, closing the distance between them and settling her hands on his waist. “I can’t wait to unpack and see the rest.”
“Erin will unpack what you’ve brought, but the rest of your things arrived this morning.”
“My things?”
He stroked her cheek. “Aileen packed up your room, and your clothes and mementos were brought here this morning.”
“Oh.” She tried to blink away the tears that formed without warning.
“We’ll sort it out, sweetheart.”
“I know.” The rejection of her mother stung more than she’d like to admit. She smiled and took a deep breath. “In the meantime, I’d really love a shower.”
“Explore, love. I’ll make sure Heather and Abela are settled.”
Payton watched him leave, closing the door behind him, then headed to the closet to see what Aileen had managed to send along.
She let out a quiet squeak when she found racks and racks of clothing, shoes, and accessories floor to ceiling in a room the size of her bedroom at home. Familiar material was mixed in with the new and she was able to find every piece of her own clothing either hanging or folded neatly inside the wardrobe. A door at the back of the closet led to another large room set up as a nicely equipped dressing area with a full-length mirror, tufted ottomans, and footstools ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
Just when she thought about heading to the window for just a quick peek, her phone buzzed. She grinned and answered the call. “Hi, Fi. Perfect timing as always.”
“Oh? What did I stop you from doing? Something naughty?”
Payton laughed. “Kind of. Brodie asked me to stay away from the windows until tomorrow, and I was just debating on whether or not I could keep that promise.”
Fiona giggled. “Well, I guess I saved you from yourself, then.”
“Aye, you did. Are you responsible for my new clothes, by the way? I’m not sure if much was left at Jenners’.”
“Yep. Well, me and your other new sisters. I’ll admit we may have gone a little overboard, but when women are given unlimited funds to buy for their new sister, let’s just say, we took advantage and had a blast.”
Payton giggled. “I see that.”
“Look in the bureau, third drawer down. We put something special there for your mating night. It’s your favorite color and easy for Brodie to get you out of.”
“Fiona,” she whispered in embarrassment.
“Oh, please. We all know what’s going to happen. Might as well look as sexy as possible. Not hard for you.” Fiona sighed. “Jealous.”
“Oh, whatever,” Payton retorted. “This from the woman with the body of a siren.”
“What?” Fiona asked. “Who said that?”
“I overheard Angus talking with one of his friends when I was really young. I couldn’t understand why he would compare you to something that shrieks.”
Fiona laughed. “Well, he might think he’s a little closer to that description when we’re fighting. But it’s kind of nice to hear that he was talking sweetly about me when I wasn’t around.”
“Oh, I’ve known he adored you from the moment I was old enough to know what a romantic relationship was. You know him, he’s not a talker, but when your name comes up, he goes all quiet and gooey.”
Although Angus was a few hundred years younger than Fiona, he was still almost a hundred older than Payton, and he had been forced to wait to bind Fiona for a long time. Payton remembered his sadness at times when they were forced apart.
Fiona got a case of the giggles. “Not something I would describe him as being.”
Payton smiled. “Well, he’s much more settled now that he’s bound you.”
“Me too,” Fiona said quietly. “Okay, I’ve got to go.”
“Thanks for everything, Fi. Really.”
“Can’t wait until you’re officially my sister.”
“Me too,” Payton said.
“See ya.”
“’Bye.” Payton hung up the phone and opened the third drawer, lifting out a lavender see-through lace baby doll with tie closure at the bust and a pair of matching lace undies. She could see the ‘ungies’ she’d complained about were going to be a thing of the past.
*What are you doing, love?* Brodie texted.
*Nothing,* she responded.
*I feel your excitement.*
She grinned. *I bet you do. Stop feeling.*
*Minx.*
Still feeling the heat on her cheeks, Payton put the lingerie lovingly back into the drawer and made her way to the bathroom.
Payton took her time in the shower, dressing in jeans and a T-shirt before making her way downstairs to look for Brodie. She found him sitting with Abela and Heather in the great room, Abela in the middle of the siblings with a photo album on her lap.
Abela sighed. “I do wish photography had been invented when you were born, Brodie. I would have taken hundreds of pictures.”
He smiled. “I think I may have dodged a bullet, then.”
Abela chuckled. “Perhaps you did.”
Brodie caught sight of Payton then and rose to his feet, holding his hand out to her. “Hello, love. How did you settle in?”
Payton grinned and joined him. “Just fine. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Abela said. “I was just showing Brodie a few old photos. Unfortunately few and far between, except for the ones from the past forty years or so. I had to be careful how many I had developed in case we were being searched for.”
“I don’t know that I would have thought about something like that,” Payton admitted.
“It’s amazing the things you have to plan for when you’re on the run,” Heather said. “From an early age I had a script to follow. But Mum made sure I felt safe.” She squeezed Abela’s hand. “Which I’m grateful for.”
“Well, now that there’s digital photography and we’re all together, I can get as many photos as I like without worry,” Abela said with a smile. “If you don’t mind, of course.”
Brodie chuckled. “It’s fine by me.”
Abela blinked back tears and closed the photo album. “I think Heather and I should let you two have some time alone. We’ll make ourselves scarce.”
“Oh, please don’t feel like you have to do that,” Payton said. “We’d like to get to know you a bit better, wouldn’t we, Brodie?”
“Absolutely,” he said.
“May I see?” Payton asked, pointing to the album.
“Oh, yes, of course,” Abela said.
“Switch with me, love,” Payton said, so that she could be next to Abela.
Brodie did as she requested and Payton shared the book with her future mother-in-law. By the time the clock struck midnight, Payton had fallen in love with Brodie’s mother and sister. She didn’t want their time to stop, but could barely keep her eyes open, and Heather had already retired for the night.
“Okay, time for bed, love,” Brodie said. “I’ll walk you up.”
“We’ll talk more tomorrow,” Abela promised, and hugged Payton. “You are a good match, love.”
“Thank you,” Payton said.
Brodie walked Payton upstairs and kissed her before heading to his room. An hour later, Payton found herself unable to sleep without him and sneaked into his room, sliding under the covers. She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I love you, strumpet.”
“I love you, too,” she said, and allowed herself to succumb to sleep.