Page 17 of Allure
Syra turned to see Esme excuse herself, and she felt Marco move closer to her. She could feel his heat engulf her. His sandalwood scent and something else she could never figure out teased her senses. Her body hummed and opened itself up, feeling Asli close the distance as well. The faint scent of cinnamon that seemed to linger on his skin added to the air she breathed—a wave overpowering her, and she fought her body’s natural reaction to push back into both men.
“One more thing, ladies, before Esme gets back.” Marco spoke up, drawing the attention of Kat and Delilah. “Asli or I will need to pick you up. While Orchard Tree is known. The address is kept private for obvious reasons, and guests need to show up with the person who invited them.”
Delilah nodded. “That’s fine. You have my address on file. Just tell us what time you need us ready and meet us there.”
Esme came back ready for business, and Syra shuddered, feeling Marco’s breath dance down her neck. “I can’t wait to see what you wear to Orchard. I’m sure it’ll be something to drive everyone there into a madness they’ll beg more of, estrellita.” She bit her lip, her heart rate spiking at the heat in his words.
“I bet it’ll be enticing,” Asli was in her other ear. The two of them made her stomach tighten as they spoke. “Something to bring a man to his knees and kiss every inch of your sweet skin.”
“Until you’re writhing against someone’s tongue.” Marco’s fingers barely touched the back of her arm, and her body swayed. She was feeling lightheaded, needy, and she tried to stay strong—tried to stay steady on her feet—but her knees buckled, and she wasn’t sure whose hand was on her hip. She didn’t care, as long as they kept her upright.
“Or maybe someone’s cock if they’re lucky.” Asli’s low chuckle had Syra sucking in a sharp breath. “We can’t wait for Orchard Tree, little star.”
In the back of Syra’s mind she knew she should be worried about the promises in their words. She knew she should be putting distance between the two men at her back and paying attention to what Esme was talking about, but her mind couldn’t keep up with what she should be doing, and that scared her.
How was she going to survive working with a man who knew how to make her body needy for him and his best friend who seemed to entice a similar hunger in her?
“Mr. Brown only needs to sign the paperwork and the building on Elm is his.” Evelyn looked down at her tablet, crossing items off their morning to-do list. Marco tried to sit there and be present, but his mind was elsewhere—the faulty security alarm on the buildings in Industrial City, Colton’s presence in Lockwood, and of course, Syra. She had taken up residency in his mind and also his heart. That stupid organ hadn’t gotten the memo that she left him high and dry for Joel once upon a time. It was just glad she was back in their orbit, willing to dive into her again and never resurface.
Marco had been keeping his distance, choosing not to go into Sirens when they were there both at her request to draw a line in the sand between them and because of his need to give himself space. She hadn’t been wrong about their need to find pleasure in each other as soon as they were close. He hadn’t been around her in a week and yet all he could taste and smell was her. Even now his cock had thickened thinking about the little gasps she made when he touched her and about what she was going to wear to Orchard Tree.
He was addicted to her.
He needed to drown in her, bring smiles to her face, and show her how easily the world could be hers if she ever asked for it.
And he hated himself and her for it. The lingering voice in his head—the one that hadn’t been enamored with her told him not to get too excited. It was only a matter of time before she got what she needed from him and left like she did before.
“You okay?” Evelyn tapped her stylus against his arm, pulling his attention.
“Yes, why?” He looked at her, wondering if he had missed something she said.
“I just asked for a million dollar raise and you said sure. What’s going on?”
Marco rubbed his eyes, leaning back in his seat. He faked a yawn and smiled at her. “Just exhausted, though with all the work you do around here and for this company, that raise isn’t completely out of the question.”
She chuckled. “Don’t try to butter me up. I’ll grab us some coffee.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Asli strolled in with a tray of coffee in his hand and a plate of mini chocolate croissants for Evelyn.
“I come bearing gifts.” Asli laughed, watching Evelyn make a beeline for him. She clapped her hands, doing a little happy dance before she grabbed the coffee and croissants.
“You’re a godsend.” She sighed around the cup.
“Why don’t you take an early lunch?” Marco dropped the stack of papers he hadn’t been paying attention to. He knew whatever work was supposed to be getting done wouldn’t, not with his mind in other places.
Evelyn hesitated a moment. They were in the middle of their workload and getting her to leave before it was finished was almost impossible—even if he was mentally done. He admired her work ethic but knew the importance of taking a break. “Go, Evelyn. I need to talk with Asli about something.”
She nodded and grabbed her things, thanking Asli on the way out. As soon as the doors closed Asli was in the seat she’d just vacated, handing him his coffee as he spoke. “I checked out the buildings in Industrial City with Fletcher. We can’t find the source that’s setting off the alarms. No pests, nothing is being left behind to make me believe it’s a squatter situation. I already put in a call with the security company to see if there’s a defect in their system.” He paused long enough to take a sip of his own coffee. “On their end they don’t see anything being an issue, and they told me they won’t be able to get a technician out to us till Tuesday, the earliest.”
Marco tapped his fingers on the desk. He didn’t like not having a tangible answer to a problem. There had to be a reason the alarms kept going off, and he didn’t like that the technician couldn’t come out till Tuesday; it felt too late. He had an inkling that something nefarious was going on—this was the trail of breadcrumbs leading up to an attack they’ll look back on wondering how they didn’t see it coming. He wasn’t paranoid by nature, but something about all of this felt off. He felt off.
“You think something else is going on? Like someone is breaking in? To do what?” Asli asked, reading his mind.
Marco dropped his head in his hand, trying and failing to get a lead on exactly what it was he was feeling. He couldn’t put it into words, but all this felt familiar to him. Maybe it came from his lingering fear that Garrison Inc would fail like his first company did. This was his baby—one he held with an iron fist. He crossed all his t’s and dotted all his i’s to make sure there was no mishap like the first go-round. He felt confident Garrison Inc had a good leg to stand on, but the initial fear that one day it was going to disappear like the first company never fully went away.
“Let’s not worry about that for right now.” He waved a hand in front of his face, trying to dispel the nervous energy he could feel building in his stomach. “It could be nothing and I’m being paranoid. You find anything out about Colton?” Marco took a sip of his caffeine, wondering if the reason he was feeling the way he was had to do with Colton still being in town. The man set off various alarm bells, and it didn’t help that he’d been so close to Syra.
Had they run into each other after Gregory’s?
