Chapter 22

Peyton

Coming to terms with the fact you were a different person was something Peyton had never thought she’d have to do, but life had thrown so many curveballs at her that she no longer had a choice. In the years since Melina had died, she had been through so much and had become someone her sister wouldn’t recognize. But, Peyton bargained with herself, she knew her sister would be proud that she had survived and was willing to do whatever it took to stay alive.

But facing Eddie Poplar, thinking about how close they were to getting Demi…It had sent Peyton’s anxiety into overdrive. She needed a break from thinking about it, from knowing what was about to come.

“Where are we going?”

Hadina smirked. “Someplace you’ve never been.”

“Tell meeeee,” Peyton begged.

“Nope. It’s a surprise.”

Peyton sat on the edge of her seat with eagerness, watching the city through the window as they drove downtown. So many of the buildings were historical, beautiful looking, resembling old saloons and hideouts.

Hadina pulled over into a parking lot in the middle of town, a bunch of high rise buildings around them, throwing Peyton off the scent.

“Where are we?”

Hadina shook her head, tutting. She went into the trunk of her car, taking out a long piece of black material.

A blindfold.

“What are you up to?”

“Keeping your mind busy,” Hadina stated, walking behind her. She gently tied the blindfold over her eyes. She checked that Peyton couldn’t see anything—she couldn’t—before pressing a soft kiss to Peyton’s lips.

Peyton reached out to pull Hadina back to her, but Hadina laughed and stepped out of reach.

“Take my hand,” Hadina commanded, entwining their fingers.

Peyton’s heartbeat increased as they began to walk. She trusted Hadina and followed her lead, doing what she was told whenever Hadina instructed her to take a step. Before she knew it, Hadina pulled her hand free and told Peyton to stay where she was.

“Hadina! You can’t leave me here.”

Hadina laughed. “Relax, baby. I’ll only be a few steps away.”

Peyton stood, waiting rather impatiently, on the spot where Hadina left her. She could hear the passing of keys and Hadina’s low murmur of thanks. Her leg shook nervously—with a hint of eagerness—and she struggled against the temptation to remove the blindfold to see where they were.

“Guess who,” whispered Hadina’s voice, her lips pressed into the shell of Peyton’s ear.

A wide grin spread across Peyton’s face as Hadina led her by the hand again, guiding her forward. The warm, humid heat of Texas was quickly swept away as they stepped inside a building, the AC brushing their skin with a coolness that made Peyton sigh in relief.

The smell of popcorn filled the air as they headed deeper inside. Once they reached a stop, Peyton gripped Hadina’s hand tighter. “Can I take this blindfold off now?”

“ Mi reina, tenga paciencia! We’re going in an elevator and then you’ll be able to take it off.”

Peyton sighed dramatically, earning an amused laugh from Hadina.

The ping of the elevator door sounded and Peyton was dragged inside the elevator. She tapped her heel against the floor, impatience and adrenaline rising.

It felt like forever before they reached the top, the soft music playing in the background finally stopping.

The smell of food wafted through the air, making Peyton’s stomach grumble in response. She was hungry, but also way too excited to be able to eat.

She was relishing in this—time for just her and Hadina, ignoring the rest of the world and pretending like their problems weren’t happening.

“Okay, stop there,” Hadina commanded, letting go of her hand. “You can take off the blindfold now.”

With eager hands, Peyton tore the blindfold off, a gasp escaping her lips once she could see.

They were standing in the middle of the Tower of America, on the very top floor. Even from where they stood, Peyton could see the skyline surrounding them, visible through the large balcony windows.

“This is fucking beautiful! ”

Hadina grinned, slipping an arm around Peyton’s waist and bringing her closer. “A beautiful place for the most beautiful woman.”

Peyton rolled her eyes. “Hardly. But thank you.”

Hadina tsk ’d, shaking her head. She brought her hand to Peyton’s cheek, cupping her gently. “I won’t have that. You are beautiful and that is a fact. You made me feel so much the first time I laid my eyes on you, and that’s saying something.”

“You know, I used to call you Ice Queen in my head after we first met. You seemed so cold, so sharp, that the name just stuck. But I think I was wrong. I think you’re the opposite.”

Peyton placed her hand over Hadina’s beating heart. “You have this blazing fire roaring through you, bleeding through your veins and begging for release. And to curb it, you put on this front. But then you had to go and choose me, Hadi, to be the one to unleash you. You let yourself feel, let the fire go. I needed you to, and you did. I was burning, and you let yourself burn with me.”

Tears pricked at Hadina’s eyes and Peyton pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “ Thank you , Hadina. Thank you for making me feel more beautiful than I deserve, and thank you for giving me the pieces of yourself that you had locked away for so long.”

Hadina deepened the kiss, gripping Peyton’s waist tightly. When she pulled away, she had left Peyton panting.

“I would do anything for you, Peyton Dimitra. And I’ll spend my life showing you that your beauty is immeasurable, your kindness is indescribable, and that your heart is the most precious thing I could ever covet.”

They embraced again, this time with more passion and lust behind every move. Peyton craved to be owned by Hadina’s touch, her mouth, her love.

“Let’s go,” Hadina said, breaking the kiss with a sigh. “I have something planned.”

Peyton narrowed her eyes but plodded along behind Hadina, following her to the edge of the room.

“Stand right…here.” Hadina placed Peyton on the correct spot and then stood beside her. “This room spins, so that you can see the entire city from above. Isn’t it glorious?”

Words were lost on Peyton as they took in the sights. It was perhaps one of the most extraordinary things she had ever seen or done. Standing with her love, looking out across the city they called home. It made chills travel up her spine.

A young waiter guided them to a table on the revolving floor, seating them and immediately pouring them glasses of ice water.

“How did you do this?” Peyton whispered incredulously.

“I know some important people. And giving them a little extra money didn’t hurt.”

For hours, they sat at that table and just talked. Peyton knew it was a way for them to pretend they lived a normal life, doing regular jobs and being happy with the mundane. It was a fantasy they’d give into, just this once, but it wouldn’t last. They were not the kind of people to thrive under the regular circumstances everyone else did; Peyton knew that now.

“Are you ready for the next surprise?” Hadina asked, a sly smile on her face.

“This wasn’t the main surprise?”

Hadina shook her head. “Not even close.”

Reaching into her pocket, Peyton watched as Hadina brought out the blindfold she’d discarded earlier. She didn’t dispute it as Hadina stood behind her, carefully tying the material over her eyes again, her fingertips trailing down Peyton’s arms.

The whoosh of a door opening made Peyton’s knees weak, knowing that it was the balcony door as the noise of the city below filled the air around them.

“Hadina…”

“Trust, remember? I’ve got you. I’ll keep you safe.”

A horrible part of Peyton wanted to reply: What happened to keeping me safe when I was taken? But she knew that was an ugly, bitter part of herself that she would have to keep combatting. She had forgiven Hadina, but it didn’t make it easy to forget.

Shoving the snarky response down, she nodded and allowed Hadina to guide her. She knew from the step down and the way the air hit her that they were officially outside, standing on the balcony. Just the thought made Peyton’s knees wobble.

The wind wrapped around them, pushing Peyton back against the windows. She let go of Hadina’s hands and pressed her palms against the cool glass.

“Hadi, what’s happening?” Peyton’s voice drifted, sounding garbled through a gust of wind.

“Shhh, no talking,” Hadina whispered in her ear. “It’s time to just feel .”

To prevent her from responding, Hadina kissed Peyton. It was a slow, burning kiss that made every part of Peyton’s skin come alive. Hadina pushed herself against Peyton, her fingertips tracing down her arms and to her hips, where she held tightly.

Peyton couldn’t bring herself to move her hands from the glass. She was only too happy for Hadina to lead. Her skin felt hot and sweaty despite the cold air whipping at her. Every kiss and touch of Hadina’s soft lips made her feel like she was on fire.

“Oh, fuck ,” Peyton sputtered as Hadina slid her hand beneath the waistband of Peyton’s pants. Was this really happening? Having sex at the top of the Tower of Americas—on the balcony no less—was like a weird sort of fever dream, filled with fear and anticipation.

Hadina’s fingers teased at her through the thin cotton of her panties. She was wet already from the thrill of exhilaration, ready for more. Her mouth opened on a silent gasp as Hadina deftly moved the material to one side and began to toy with her, rubbing and tugging at her clit.

She wanted to beg for more, but Hadina was already a step ahead of her. A single finger slipped inside her, curling to elicit pleasure from her. Peyton’s breaths grew heavy, her chest rising and falling as she sucked in air.

The pressure built inside her, making her legs clench together. Desperation for release clung to her, but Hadina knew her body, and right as she was about to reach her climax, Hadi removed her fingers. Peyton was about to protest but Hadina crushes their lips together, her tongue prying open Peyton’s mouth. They moaned simultaneously, Peyton delighting in their embrace.

She was getting used to the back-and-forth of their mouths, the air between them short gasps when their kisses had gone on for too long, when Hadina’s hand returned to her pussy. Peyton groaned when Hadina wet her fingers using Peyton’s slickness, before pushing into her again.

Hadina’s pointed fingernails created a sharp sting inside her as she curled her fingers, hitting Peyton’s G-spot in the process. It was Peyton’s favorite kind of sex with Hadina; a little bit of pain mixed with her pleasure. She knew that Hadina knew that too.

“That’s it, baby,” Hadina cooed, working her fingers.

Peyton began to move her hips, riding on Hadina’s fingers to get more friction, more pressure. Hadina pressed harder into Peyton, moving her hand faster, her thumb entering the equation as she started to tease and flick her clit.

Hadina’s breath was hot against Peyton’s neck as she bit down, her tongue licking over the teeth marks.

“Take your blindfold off for me, tentadora .”

Her hands shook as Peyton did as instructed, removing the blindfold. She gulped in air when her eyes finally adjusted, seeing the San Antonio skyline for the first time in person. It was beautiful, with all its twinkling lights and different types of buildings. The whoosh of cars driving way below was carried by the wind, whispering in her ears.

“Oh, oh, yes ,” she panted, her hands now firmly gripping Hadina’s shoulders.

“Look down, love. See how high you are, how high you can soar.”

Peyton nodded—her legs like jello, supported by Hadina’s hold on her—and gazed below. Adrenaline filled her, her stomach filling with butterflies. Her body shuddered, her climax taking hold. She moaned, yelling Hadina’s name, as she let herself go. She fell over the edge of pleasure, a heady and terrifying feeling since there was a very prominent, deadly edge she could really fall over.

The danger mixed with her pleasure and Peyton felt every aspect of her body light up at the feeling.

By the time she had come down, Hadina was standing beside her, hand in hers, grinning that devilish grin.

“That was…”

“Incredible,” Hadina finished, licking her lips. “And just a taste of all the things I want to make you feel. Forever.”

Peyton’s breath caught in the back of her throat and she found herself at a loss for words. The forever Hadina promised was the thing she wanted most in life, and that scared her.

Both women looked out towards the city, their home. They had trouble coming their way, but Peyton and Hadina were strong enough to get through it. Once Demi was out of the picture, they could start living their forever.

“To building the forever life we crave,” Peyton said, before pulling Hadina into a kiss that she hoped was filled with every feeling she had. From the way Hadina responded, she knew it did.