Page 40 of Air of Seduction

I push off the wall and walk toward her. “Thank you, Maria. I can take it from here.”

She returns my smile. “Very good, sir. I hope everything is to your liking.”

“It looks perfect. Thank you.” I take the cart and roll it over to Payton and Olivia’s suite before knocking on the door.

A few seconds later, the door opens, and I lay eyes on the woman I’ve been thinking about constantly since I left Olivia’s apartment. “Good morning, Payton. Ready for some breakfast with bacon?” I wink at her.

She chuckles. “Absolutely.”

“Then open the door for me, little rose.”

Her eyes widen, but she does what I requested.

Gently lifting the cart across the threshold, I look down to hide my own surprise at what I just called her. Where did that come from?

But the name suits her. Her full red lips remind me of the vibrant color of a red rose with its thorns representing her strength and resilience.

I lift my gaze as I roll the cart toward the dining table and catch sight of Olivia standing next to the table. “Good morning, Olivia.”

There’s a smile on her face when she approaches me. “You must be Ronan.”

She sticks her hand out, and I take it in a firm handshake. “I am.”

Payton reaches for the lid of one of the covered dishes on the cart.

Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I shake my head. “Oh, no. Let me do that. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving.” She pulls her hand back and lifts an eyebrow at me in expectation.

“Well. As promised.” I lift the first of five lids to reveal a large platter of crispy bacon. “And to accompany it.” I remove the next three lids in turn, showing the large bowls of cereal underneath.

Payton’s eyes widen in disbelief, clearly not expecting me to get very creative with the breakfast menu, even though she gave me permission to do so.

I chuckle. “I can see you’re not impressed, so it’s a good thing I had the kitchen prepare something else as well. And I know you like this with your bacon, since you recommended it yesterday.” Removing the last lid, I watch Payton’s face as the large bowl of steaming oatmeal comes into view.

Surprised laughter bursts from her as she shakes her head. “Recommended? It was more like a threat.”

“Really?” I feign astonishment. “I could have sworn—”

“Ronan.” Her smile is wide, but her eyes are glittering with mischief. “Please, take a seat at the table and close your eyes. You might’ve brought the food, but you’re still a guest in our suite, so it’s only right that I serve you.”

I throw my head back, laughing. I fucking love how she threw my joke right back at me. “I’ll let you serve me in a minute, but first I’ve got something more to show you.”

Throwing a glance at Olivia, I notice she’s following our interaction with a small smile on her face.

After putting the food on the table, I turn back and yank the long white tablecloth off the cart, revealing the lower level. Without removing the lids, I move the four plates to the table.

“Will you do the honor?” Looking at Payton, I indicate the still-covered plates.

She narrows her eyes at me. “More cereal? Rice pudding? Danish? I can think of several things that don’t go well with bacon.”

I chuckle. “You won’t know until you take the lids off.”

Without another word, she uncovers the dishes. A happy smile spreads across her face when she sees the pile of grilled red tomatoes.

“You seemed to be partial to those.”

She directs her smile at me, and my heart flutters in my chest, spreading a wave of heat through my body. “You noticed.”