Page 1 of Conquering the Skies

Chapter One

Geneva’s eyelids fluttered in the hazy sunlight. She clenched them shut and tried to twist away from its source, but she was pinned in place. Stifling a yawn, she slowly opened one eye then the other, and tried not to recoil from the beams streaming through the window.

Beside her, Marcus lay on his back, staring straight up at the ceiling. The morning light bathed him in a muted golden glow, highlighting the messy strands of fine black hair falling over his forehead. His exposed chest rose and fell with slow, languid breaths, and she took a moment to appreciate the definition of his lean muscles beneath his tanned skin.

His eyes flicked to the side and he caught her staring at him. A smile crept across his face as he swiveled his head toward her. “Good morning,” he whispered.

She mirrored his expression. “Morning.”

She attempted to wriggle closer to him, but Ash’s heavy arm was slung over her waist, preventing her from moving. He stirred against her back yet said nothing to indicate he was awake. Geneva settled for reaching across the small gap and trailing her fingertips over Marcus’s shoulder.

He shifted onto his side to better meet her gaze, taking care not to disturb the covers. Behind him, only the top of Adele’s head was visible as she huddled into a tight ball alongside him, her tousled curls poking out from where she’d buried her face beneath the edge of the blanket. She, too, remained asleep.

“I’m glad you don’t have to go to work today,” he said, keeping his voice low. He entwined his fingers with hers, keeping her palm flush against his skin. “I missed mornings like these.”

“Me, too.”

She let out a content sigh as he rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. Sometimes it seemed as if their relationship was in a constant state of flux, but for the moment, she was satisfied with the level of intimacy they shared…even when they were also sharing their beds with other people. The warmth radiating from his touch enticed her. She wanted more. Digging her elbow into the mattress, she made one last effort to free herself from Ash’s grasp.

Her escape was successful. As she leaned her forehead against Marcus’s, he released her hand in order to brush the hair away from her face. She didn’t have long to revel in the stolen moment before he pressed his mouth to hers.

His kiss was gentle and unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world to spend together. Geneva trailed her fingers down the front of his body, letting them linger over his heart as they breathed in time with each other. His tongue slipped past her lips, swirling in lazy spirals. Everything about him was familiar yet exhilarating, and her pulse fluttered with delight.

She inched closer, seeking out more contact, but she sensed movement behind her. Ash followed her toward the center of the bed, his broad chest flattening against her back. She broke the kiss and tried to angle her head to look at him. His arm returned to its prior position, reclaiming her in his embrace. “Don’t mind me,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

His hold on her strengthened and his lips found the side of her neck. She gasped when his teeth grazed the delicate skin and narrowed her eyes at Marcus when he laughed at her reaction. “Like hell you didn’t,” she whispered, feigning annoyance.

The additional noises were enough to rouse Adele. She stretched her arms above her head and then turned over to face them. Marcus rolled onto his back, circling an arm around her as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Having fun without me again?” she asked, though her tone indicated a lack of sincerity.

“Never,” he said, delivering a salutatory kiss to her forehead.

Geneva settled against Ash and adjusted the covers that had bunched around their legs. “Sorry if we woke you.”

“It’s okay.” Adele tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. “I would have had to get up sooner or later. Even if it’s the weekend, it’s not like we can spend all day lounging around in bed anyway.”

“Speak for yourself.” Ash snuggled against Geneva’s back, giving her a squeeze. “I have to leave early tomorrow morning. This might be the last opportunity I have for lounging in a while.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Geneva said, wincing.

Marcus wound one of Adele’s curls around his finger, letting it spring into place when he released it before repeating the gesture. “Give me a minute, and then I can go get breakfast started.”

The memory of his kiss lingered on her lips. Combined with Ash’s breath dancing across her neck and his half-erect cock pushing into her, it negated any desire she had to leave the bed yet. “Why, what’s the rush?” Her fingertips returned to his bare skin, skating up and down his side. “Like we said, we have all day.”

His wicked grin reappeared. “Fair enough,” he said before turning his attention to Adele. “So, what sort of fun, precisely, did you think you were missing out on?”

She slithered upward, bringing her face level with his. Marcus’s hand tangled in her hair, and he steered her mouth toward him to capture it in a kiss more forceful than the one he’d greeted her with. Geneva tried to turn around to engage in a similar activity with Ash, but he held her firm. His next words came out in a low growl near her ear. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you were getting started without me.”

He punctuated the statement with a sharp bite to her earlobe. She inhaled, and his lips retraced their prior path down the side of her neck. As they traveled lower, one hand skimmed over her stomach, rising to cup her breast. His fingers sank into her pliant flesh, massaging and kneading as he kept her in position.

Geneva squirmed beneath his touch, heat spreading throughout her. She tried to allow enough space between them to grope at his stiff cock, but he prevented her from reaching it. His devilish chuckle resonated against her as he brushed the tip of one of her hardened nipples. Eyes closed, she let out a tiny whimper, yet he moved away from the sensitive point.

Every time she tried to touch him in return, to reciprocate some of his provocative acts, he blocked her efforts. With little else to do, she reached for Marcus again. Her hand found his, and she wrapped her fingers around it while Ash continued to manipulate her flesh. He attempted to pull her toward him, but Ash’s power was unyielding.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Adele peppering Marcus’s chest and neck with feathery kisses. She had pushed aside the blankets to expose his swollen erection yet paid little attention to it. “You know, I’m starting to think we’re being punished for being the first ones awake,” Geneva said.

He tensed when Adele’s lips floated over the flat disc of his nipple, though she never stayed in one place for too long. “Entirely possible.”

No one stopped her when she walked her fingers over the top of his thigh and traced a line along his cock from base to tip. Marcus choked back a groan, and she repeated the gesture. “Good thing I’d never be so mean.”

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