Sinfully (28 page)
Authors: Leighton Riley
“Not that.”
“Oh, well could you be persuaded? I can be
hard
to resist.”
“You’re so cheesy. No, I just wanted to let you know that I feel completely happy and have never felt this…euphoric. And now, when we go to Vegas, we can be that happily in love couple that everyone hates.”
“Sounds perfect, Payton. Anywhere you want to go, I’ll be by your side, unless I’m behind you.” He gives me a wink and I know we need to get inside so he’ll settle down.
“I was thinking about how we haven’t christened the media room yet. Just something to think about while we’re at dinner.” With that, I walk in, but have to wait for Ryder so he can look at see if Tristen is here.
Ryder looks toward the back left corner and immediately starts heading that direction and I follow suit.
“How’d you know where he’d be?” I hadn’t seen him texting his friend, but with the amount of people and tables in this place, it’s like
Where’s Waldo
in here.
“We kinda have our own table. It’s not necessarily reserved, but if Karissa knows we’re coming, she doesn’t let anyone sit here. Jackson, her husband, runs the kitchen and Karissa runs the front. From our table, you can see the ocean without obstruction and watch the surfers during lunch time.”
As we get closer, my eyes land on a lean but muscular surfer boy with beach-blond hair and the most striking green eyes I’d ever seen. The problem is, I recognize those eyes.
Shit. Fucking shit.
My instincts to run kick in and I back up a step before realizing I can’t run from this. Tristen is his best friend.
How do I have the worst luck ever?
Me and my stupid slutty ways. This is going to look bad.
“Payton? No way, this is
your
Payton?” I can hear the surprise in Tristen’s voice.
“Wait, you…you know her? You know each other?” Ryder asks, standing between his best friend and me. I’m looking down, scared to look into Ryder’s eyes and willing Tristen to disappear. I can feel them staring at me.
This is
so
not going to be good. Will Ryder believe me? I just got him and am now going to lose him.
I shouldn’t have let him in.
I need to get this over with, to rip it off like a band-aid. A really big band-aid that might leave me raw and exposed afterward.
“We met in Vegas. It was a while back, though, before we met. But we didn’t sleep together, I promise!” I yell it out a little too loudly and a few people at nearby tables turn to see what was going on.
Neither of them say anything and I finally work up the nerve to look up. Tristen seems apologetic yet silent and Ryder looks crushed.
My eyes stay focused on Ryder and I wish we were alone so we could talk about what happened. He’s staring into my soul and I hope he sees my despair and regret.
“Let’s have a seat. And a drink.” Tristen motions for us to sit down and I’m not in the position to argue.
“I want her to explain. Then you, Tristen. No bullshit, either.” Ryder is calm but his fists are clenching and unclenching slowly.
“We met back in September I think? He was sad and lonely so we had dinner and walked around together. He said he didn’t want to talk about his problems but wanted to just have a day without having to deal with the past. We went to Serendipity 3 and shared a Deep Fried Oreos and Ice Cream sundae, went and saw the Jabbawockeez show before finishing off the night by me teaching him how to play Texas Hold ‘Em against the dealer. Pure, innocent fun. He needed an escape and that’s the whole reason I was there, anyway.”
“Really?” Ryder looks at Tristen incredulously while Tristen nods in confirmation.
“The pants stayed on, man. Scout’s honor. I was in a bad place and she made me forget for a few hours.” Tristen is relaxed as can be. I envy him.
“Waiter, two beers and a margarita, please.” Ryder looks back to me after ordering and asks, “That okay, babe? You’re not on any more pills, right?” He seems concerned with my well-being which is a good sign.
“I’m dying for a margarita, baby, but I shouldn’t right now.” His hand finds its way over to mine and he intertwines our fingers gently. Maybe everything will be okay.
Once our drinks are served, Ryder takes a sip of the margarita and moves his beer aside. “What? Liquor before beer and you’re in the clear. I’ll drink the beer afterward.” He acts like the bomb we just laid on him is no big deal and is ready to move on.
I bring my lips to his ear and whisper, “I love you, baby, always and forever.” Squeezing my hand just a little tighter, he murmurs, “Always and forever, Payton.”
I hold out my water for a toast, “To our past, which will stay in our memories, and to our present, which has created our future.” I’m quite sure how obvious or subtle my toast is, but I get confused stares by both men at the table.
Tristen doesn’t dare say a word, but Ryder squints his eyes as if it will help him figure it out.
“Uhh, babe? Whatcha mean by created our future?”
I just chuckle and move our clasped hands over my stomach. His jaw drops open and I nod in response.
“Really? Like…for real?”
“I’m only six weeks along, so it’s still early. I never put my NuvaRing back in after the accident. Surprise?” I look into Ryder’s eyes and he is almost teary eyed.
“We’re gonna have a baby? Tristen, we’re gonna…
oh shit.
Bro, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about how this might affect you but I had no idea.”
I sit here, unmoving, confused by what they are talking about. Then I remember how Cami was pregnant with Tristen’s baby when she died. I’m a shitty person. I doubt Tristen knows that I know, though.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting to announce it so soon, but I thought maybe you could be his or her godfather?” Worry consumes me as I wait for Tristen’s response.
With a laugh, he comes back with, “Hell, I’m going to be his uncle. Welcome to the family, Payton.”
“Thanks, Tristen. It really means a lot that you want to be there. Looks like I’ll be moving down to San Diego permanently. The city could use a new publisher in town, anyway.”
“So you’re okay with this, baby? I know it wasn’t planned, but you’re the one for me and I can’t wait to have a mini-Ryder running around one day.” I wasn’t sure how Ryder would react to our news but he is ecstatic.
“Okay with this? I’m in love with you and lil-bit. Thank you, Payton, for showing me how much life there is to live and how sharing it with the people you love makes everything worth it.” Ryder pulls me close to him and kisses my forehead.
Everything is going to be okay. I took the chance and fell in love with the man of my dreams, or emails, whichever.
Turn the page for a sneak peek into Tristen’s story…
Tristen
My best friend is going to be a dad. I should be a husband
and
a dad right now but it was taken away from me. Not that I’m bitter, it’s just not fair. Cami was my soul mate, my everything. While we hadn’t told everyone about our relationship, we had been together for years and before that we were best friends. She was my first; I thought she’d be my last.
How do you move on after your whole world is swept away from you? Sure, girls are available for me if I want them, offering to get my mind off her for an hour or two. I’ve never been the guy to hook up with some random girl at a bar—it isn’t my style.
Ryder and I had grown distant after Cami’s death and I am partly to blame. Every time I see him, I see Cami. It was hard to deal with seeing so much of her in his mannerisms, his face, and his personality. Being twins, they were more alike than different. I haven’t been a good friend, and I probably would have dealt with her death better if he’d been around, but that didn’t happen. I’ve made some mistakes but I’m learning from them.
Meeting Payton in Vegas had been by chance and it was like she recognized my pain and knew what I needed. She was genuine and passionate about Vegas—she said that it was her place to escape.
After that short weekend in Vegas, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. Cami ruined me for other women. I compare every girl I come close to having feelings for to her. It isn’t fair to me or the girls. There is this one girl. She scares the shit out of me. Well, the feelings I have scare me. She’s incredible, but I’ve probably fucked that up, too. Can you love two people? Is it betrayal?
Acknowledgments
To Erin, you were the first person I told my crazy idea to on Black Friday about writing a book. You supported me throughout the process and have been my fan since day 1. We met by chance and I treasure our friendship. We’ve both grown a lot over the past year and can’t wait to see what the next year holds for us!
To Ashley, my writing buddy. We both are learning the ropes together and I love how creative and open-minded you are. Having someone to talk to who’s also writing their first book has been a great help and I love bouncing ideas off you. Our sprinting sessions and critiquing has made me looking at my writing in a different light and I couldn’t have done it without you. The cover turned out amazing and will be using you for Tristen’s story! Oh, and thanks for Tristen’s name!!!
To Karina, my always happy beta reader. Your excitement and passion for the story kept me writing. I couldn’t wait to see what you thought about what I had written that night and you’ve always been supportive of all my crazy ideas, even though I won’t bring people back from the dead! <3 Littlebird
To Dusty, you are hilarious! I love how curious you are and I’m glad you were persistent because I’ve gained a great friend out of it. You think of things I missed and have given me great ideas and feedback. I’m glad my location wasn’t turned off and you found out where I lived! You’re also a friend by chance and I am grateful every day for our friendship.
To Amy, you got my love for reading started by giving me
Fifty Shades of Grey
and I’ve become addicted! We’re alike in more ways than should be allowed and am so glad you bought a house from me and let me in with open arms. You’ve seen me grow as a person and remind me to stay focused on what I want and to have fun in the process. You made fun of my word choice and made me describe things I’d rather not describe but it was the right decision and it made the book better. Love you girl!
To Brittany, Michelle, Shelly, Dusty, Anna, and all of my beta readers, you are awesome at catching stuff I never saw and asking all the right questions! I loved your ideas and recommendations and am grateful for each and every one of you. You girls caught the random stuff I looked over and I needed it!
To Tiffany, you are a rock star editor and I am grateful to have found you! You understand my randomness and help keep me in line. Thank you for all your ideas, enthusiasm, and honesty in all of our chats. You’ve given some really great advice and I’ll be putting you to work again soon!
To my mom, for being open enough to read my story and not judge me. I was scared to have you read my sex scenes but after you corrected a grammatical error within one of those scenes, I knew I could come to you with ideas and talk openly with you about it. Thank you for being there for me and supporting me throughout the process! Love you mama
To Yara, Natalie, Jamie and Randi, you are all crazy and fantastic in your own ways and love being able to come to you with ideas and to talk about our favorite book boyfriends. We may not have ever met if it weren’t for her, but I’m glad to have you all by my side! ;)
To my street team, you all rock and am forever grateful for your passion and creativity!!
To my readers, I never expected anything to come of my idea to write a story but with Payton and Ryder’s story, I’ve realized a lot about myself. There are areas of the story that stem from my life and my experiences which made me take a step back and analyze my choices and path I decided to take. Both of these characters are people you’d actually see in real life and deal with real life issues. Thank you for taking the time to read their story and I can’t wait to share Tristen’s story next!
About The Author
Texas born and raised, I found my love for dirty books rather recently. I work in real estate for my normal job and I write contemporary romance. I plan on having
Sinfully
be the first of three in its series. I would like to do a standalone after, but we’ll see! I love sweet tea (made right!), cookie cake, and anything with chocolate and peanut butter. I have a few guys at my gym that are my TDF’s (tall, dark, and fuckable) but also have a HSB (Hot Sauna Boy), because let’s be honest, they’re my motivation while I’m there! I go to Las Vegas often but I swear I don’t have as much fun as Payton does. Although, if I found myself a Tate there, I might change my opinion!
Authors such as Katy Evans, SE Hall, Angela Graham, Jasinda Wilder, and Jillian Dodd have been a large influence on me and I’m forever grateful. I decided to write
Sinfully
on Black Friday in November 2013, on a whim. I thought I’d get bored after a few pages but was captivated by the characters and it developed into something I am truly proud of. When it comes to book boyfriends, I love those who are strong but with a little imperfection or tragedy in their past (Remy, Kellan, Q, Twitch are just a few of my favorites). I LOVE talking to my readers so feel free to message me on Facebook. <3
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