Page 15 of Sweetest Sin
The line moves forward, and Peyton’s taxi arrives. With a quick glance back at me, she slides into the back seat and takes off.
Since I didn’t book a town car—too busy dealing with Peyton and then the phone call from my brother—I grab a taxi to take me to my meeting.
Me: You think the commercial flight was bad? You should see me inside of a taxi.
Matteo: Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?
I arrive at my meeting on time, and it goes smoothly. The other investors and I sign the contracts, and it feels good to know that the deal has none of my father’s tainted blood on it.
I’m walking out of the meeting, toward the town car that’s waiting for me, unsure if I’m going to head to the airport or book a flight to the DR, when a notification catches my eye, alerting me of a new email from Victor Rosa. He’s a business associate of ours in the DR. We’ve been handling his shipments into Harbor Point for years, and our contract with them is due to be renegotiated.
Usually, Victor would make the trip to Harbor Point, and I’d have my brother with me since he recently started handling the port, despite our father’s objections.
But my brain goes to a certain red-haired, green-eyed woman who will be flying to the DR tomorrow, and my decision is made.
I shoot a text to my brother, hoping he won’t see through my lie, and then tell the driver I’m going to be staying in Coral Bay tonight, so I’ll need to be taken to a hotel.
Me: I have some business I need to attend to in the DR, so I’m going to handle Rosa’s contract renegotiation while I’m there.
It shows he read it, but he doesn’t respond for several minutes. When he does, I can’t help but groan because it’s like he’s Big Brother.
Matteo: Any chance the flight attendant is accompanying you to the DR?
Me: Focus on handling the fucking pilot.
Matteo: Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t mentioned her name. But I’ll let you keep your little secret for now. Have fun, bro … but not too much.
Since I don’t have any clothes with me because it was only supposed to be a day trip, after getting checked in to my hotel, I have Janet order me clothes and a carry-on suitcase to be delivered to my room, and then I spend the rest of the evening working.
Several times, I consider finding a way to contact Peyton to ask her to dinner, but I don’t because spending time with her here would feel too personal. This is where she lives, but the DR will be neutral ground. We’ll spend some time together, and I’ll show her the sights. She’ll be a good distraction, and we’ll go our separate ways. Then, I can focus on the important shit, like ending the ties between the three families so we’ll be free from our father once and for all.
“That’s all I need,” I tell myself. “One night with Peyton to get her out of my system, and then we can both move on.”
5
Peyton
I’m almostpositive I agreed to have a one-night stand with Dominick Antonov, the gentleman from business class. It wasn’t mentioned outright, but I’m pretty sure thesightsDominick wants to show me don’t include the local museums and parks.
As I shave my legs, I tell myself that he was messing with me. No sane man is going to take a commercial flight to the Dominican Republic with the sole purpose of getting laid. Chances are, I’m going to get on the plane, and he won’t be there, but …
I continue to shave, because I’ll be damned if, after going through a six-month dry spell, I’m going to be caught with prickly legs, hairy pits, and bushy lady bits.
The man is gorgeous in a suit, and I have very little doubt that he’s any less gorgeous without it on. I’ve met plenty of men like him before—confident, sure of himself, knows his place in this world. Unlike Dale—who I’ve been told is all dad bod—Dominick doesn’t try to flaunt it or throw himself at women because men like Dominick know they can have sex anytimethey want, and they don’t have to harass or beg or threaten women for it to happen.
After finishing in the shower, I turn the water off and go about drying off and blow-drying my hair. I apply my makeup, laying the red lipstick on thick to match my naturally red hair, fully aware I’m doing it for a certain man I’m hoping will be on the flight.
My results came back, and I’m STD-free—thank God. But I’m not risking that shit again, so I pack a few condoms I keep on hand. I need to get on birth control, but that’s for another day.
I consider what to pack, wondering if it will look presumptuous if I bring lingerie. This past year has been rough, and with Mom’s medical expenses, I haven’t had the money to buy much for myself, but when a friend of mine from college was getting married a few months ago, she bought her bridesmaids a sexy set of lingerie to wear under our dresses. She said it was so we could be clichés and find a guy to hook up with after her wedding. At the time, I laughed since I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to have casual sex, but now, I’m thankful for her little gift.
I grab the bra and panty set from my drawer and toss it into my bag—because who cares? The guy is clearly looking to get laid, and I’d rather be prepared than have him see me in my flowery cotton underwear.
“Peyton, you look beautiful,”Mom says when I roll my overnight bag out to the living room, where she’s reading a book and drinking her morning coffee.
“I was feeling good this morning,” I tell her, not completely lying since the thought of an orgasm that’s not self-induced does have me feeling good.
Mom smiles warmly at me, and I lean down to give her a hug and a kiss on her cheek.
