Air of Seduction (Elemental Enforcers #3)

Chapter 11

Payton

I sit bolt upright, my eyes trying to focus on my surroundings. It takes me a few moments to remember where I am.

Ronan’s bedroom. He carried me here when I broke down in sobs. And then he held me until I fell asleep. It would have been romantic if I wasn’t so worried about Olivia.

Getting to my feet, I look around for my shoes. I find them neatly placed by the foot of the bed.

Lifting my gaze, I take another look around the room. Nothing is out of place. In fact there are hardly any personal items visible in the room at all. Whatever he owns must be in the large wardrobe built into the wall opposite the window, but I resist the urge to verify my conclusion.

I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep, but judging by the light outside, it’s already late afternoon. Which means I’ve wasted precious time in my search for my best friend. I can only hope that Ronan has made some progress while I slept.

I make my way into the living room where I woke up on the couch this morning, but there’s no sign of Ronan. Or anyone else for that matter.

After just a moment of hesitation, I leave the suite and head down the corridor toward the stairs. This house is huge and from our excursion earlier, I now know it’s located in the middle of Mayfair. If Aidan really is the owner of this place, he must be extremely rich.

I wasn’t even aware there are private residences like this in this part of London. Apartments sure, but not entire houses. But then what do I know? The area I grew up in isn’t known for its wealth, and I don’t have any rich friends.

When I arrive in the first-floor foyer, I stop and turn in a slow circle. There’s no one around to ask, and I don’t really feel comfortable searching the various rooms to try to find Ronan. It feels too much like snooping around.

There’s one room I know, though, so I head in the direction of the dining room. But when I arrive, it turns out to be as empty as the rest of this place I’ve seen so far.

Biting my bottom lip, I let my eyes take in the details of the room. It’s beautiful, but what impresses me the most are the large paintings on the ceiling. It’s like something you would find in a cathedral. Except…is that Ronan?

I move until I’m directly below the image. It’s definitely Ronan, but he looks different. He’s got long hair falling in waves down to his chest, and the loose white shirt and dark-brown breeches looks like something a man might have worn centuries ago.

I cock my head to study him from a different angle. There’s a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. How old is he? He looks so at home, like he was alive back then and this is a real depiction of how he looked at the time.

“Do you like it?”

My whole body jerks violently, and I let out a scream. Then I spin to face the man who just snuck up on me and spoke next to my ear.

I take a couple of quick steps back when I don’t recognize him. He’s tall and wide like the other men in this house, so he might well be one of them, but he wasn’t at breakfast with us this morning.

The wide grin on his face disappears and is replaced by an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I scared you. It wasn’t my intention. I was just happy you seemed to enjoy my painting.”

His painting? My gaze automatically lifts to the ceiling again. Did he really paint that? Because if that’s the case, he must be a renowned artist. The level of detail is amazing.

“Can you find me up there?” There’s a smile in his voice. “I painted myself along with my brothers.”

I scan the large painting for someone looking like the man in front of me. Someone who looks like a younger version of Idris Elba. If I wasn’t already so taken by Ronan, I probably would have drooled over this guy.

Then I spot him. He’s peeking out from behind a tree, looking like he’s about to creep up behind the man I recognize as Aidan and scare him like he just did to me.

“Yeah.” I narrow my gaze at him. “I think you enjoy scaring people.”

He throws his head back, barking out a laugh. “You got me there. I do.” His grin is wide when his eyes lock on mine. “It’s always interesting to see how people react.”

He takes a step toward me.

I frown and take a step back.

Licking his upper lip, he tilts his head to the side. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you here before. Are you working for Aidan?”

I cross my arms over my chest and take another step back. It’s not that he frightens me exactly, but I don’t trust him like I, for some reason, do the others I’ve met in this house. Perhaps it’s just a reaction to him startling me. “I’m Payton. And that would be a no.”

“Okay.” He draws out the word while he studies my face. “Are you one of the mates? I just arrived, so I haven’t met any of them.”

Mates? He must mean friends. But I’m not sure I can be classified as one.

An image of Ronan pops into my head, but I quickly push it away. “I might be more of a passing acquaintance.”

He purses his lips, a crease developing between his eyebrows. “Really?” He doesn’t look convinced.

But his expression suddenly changes into a broad grin, and he sticks out his hand. “I’m Noah. Pleased to meet you, Payton.”

I take his hand in a firm handshake. “Likewise.” Although I’m not quite sure I am. There’s something about this man that makes me want to put more distance between us.

“I look forward to spending more time with you.” Noah winks at me.

“Payton. There you are.” Ronan stalks toward me, his eyes blazing with anger. And I mean that literally. His eyes are glowing like they’re lit from within.

I can’t look away. His eyes are mesmerizing, and his body looks even bigger than before with all his muscles bunching. Something warm brushes against my skin, and my pussy clenches with sudden need.

Tearing my gaze away from his, I look down at my feet. What the hell is wrong with me? Ronan is a beautiful man, and it’s not strange that I’m reacting to him. But for some reason my body seems to respond more acutely to him when he’s angry, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

Ronan’s arm comes around my shoulders, and he pulls me against his side. “Noah, you’ve finally decided to grace us with your presence I see. What took you so long?”

I peek out from beneath my lashes.

Noah’s face hardens as his gaze darts between me and Ronan. “A couple of rowdy shifters in Japan. I can see that a lot has changed in my absence.”

Ronan’s fingers dig into my shoulder. “The master is back, yes. And I think he’s gearing up to be worse than before.”

Noah’s gaze narrows on me, and he looks like he wants to object, but instead he gives a sharp nod. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Then let’s go to the living room. That’s where everyone is gathered.” Ronan starts moving, and I let him guide me.