"Not a bad idea," Dino said, boarding the airplane.
"Dino…" Stone warned.
Esposito helped the chauffeur stow the luggage into a forward area of the interior.
The party stepped into a cabin that looked like the living room of a New York City town house.
Stone was flabbergasted. "Where's the fireplace and the grand piano?" he asked.
An Armani-clad stewardess took their hand luggage and showed them through the airplane. Besides the big cabin, there was a conference room and, behind that, two sleeping cabins, each with its own bathroom.
Dino shook his head. "The wages of sin," he said under his breath, avoiding Stone's glance.
As if from a great distance, there was the sound of jet engines revving, and almost imperceptibly, the big airplane began to move.
Chapter 2
Somewhere over the Atlantic, Stone stirred in his sleep and turned over, bringing his chest against Dolce's naked back. He reached over her and cupped a breast in his hand, resting his cheek on the back of her neck. With thumb and forefinger, he lightly caressed the nipple.
At that moment, a chime sounded and the soft voice of the stewardess spoke. "Ms. Bianchi, we're two hours from our destination. If you and your party would like breakfast, it will be ready in half an hour."
"I think we're going to be late for breakfast," Stone breathed into Dolce's ear.
She turned over, put her feet on the floor, and stood up. "No, we're not," she said.
"You mean you're spurning your intended?"
"I mean I've decided to be a virgin until we're married."
"Isn't it a little late for that?"
"I can start over whenever I like," she said, "and I've just started over."
Shortly, they joined Dino and Mary Ann at the breakfast table. Scrambled eggs and smoked Italian bacon were set before them.
"That was the best nights sleep I've ever had on an airplane," Dino admitted.