Page 18 of Allure
Had he seen her before?
If the rumors about him in college had been true, Marco didn’t want him in the same time zone as Syra.
Asli shook his head. “No, from what I was told at the club, he checked out last night and shouldn’t be back for a couple of months. That could very well be a lie, you know how those people are. You know…,” he started and stopped, which wasn’t like Asli at all. When he had something to say, he said it without holding back.
“Spit it out,” Marco grumbled.
“I can’t find any instance of those rumors following him out of college.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s not happening. You know as well as I do how someone with that much money can get away with pretty much anything.” And that’s what bothered Marco the most about Colton. He was an all- around prick but one with more money than should be legal to have, and he could use it to buy his way in and out of anything.
It made him worry about Syra, more than he thought was possible. He didn’t like the way Colton watched them in Gregory’s and wished he’d gone out there and put his head through the concrete. He made a mental note to ask Syra about him—for peace of mind and to make sure she knew to stay as far away from him as possible.
Asli made a low humming noise that made Marco’s eyes narrow. Asli was watching him like a bug under a microscope, and he hated it. He hated it when Asli paid too close attention to him. Being friends with someone for a long time had its downside—he couldn’t hide anything. Asli saw right through him most days, and before Asli could open his mouth, Marco knew what he was going to say.
“I’m fine,” Marco grumbled, grabbing his coffee. He leaned back in his chair—hoping foolishly the desk would be a barrier to what Asli saw.
“No you’re not.” The bastard chuckled. “You’re on edge. You have been like this since you walked into our conference room to greet the women of Sirens. Tell me,” he sat forward, leaning his arms on the desk, “did you even realize you balled your hand into a tight fist just now? I know you and Colton have bad blood but not enough for you to get violent.”
Marco looked down at the hand that wasn’t occupied and cursed when he saw it was still clenched in a fist. “I’m not violent. The guy is an asshole, and he shouldn’t be around women, period.”
“You’re right, but you usually do a better job at trying to fight him on his level. Money talks with him, your fists won’t. Your little star brings out your baser instincts. I like it.” Asli smirked. “How many times have you thought about her since Gregory’s?”
Marco sat quietly, not giving Asli the satisfaction of an answer. He knew if he lied, Asli would call him out on it, and if he spoke the truth, it would be out in the air between them. He wasn’t ready to put words to what was going on in his head. The war he was in, to hold on to his bitterness at her versus giving in and letting this be some fresh start for them to get it right this time.
“You know, you once told me my words hold weight because I don’t speak often. The same could be said about your silence,” Asli murmured. Marco cursed, which only made Asli smile more. “If it makes you feel any better, she looks for you when we’re at Sirens. Every time she sees me, she looks for you.”
That did make him feel better, but he wouldn’t voice it. It gave him a deep satisfaction knowing she created distance between them but wanted him close by just the same. It also made him realize that she was starting to see him and Asli as a unit. That idea sparked to life one too many fantasies he wondered if he’d get to experience when they were all behind the closed doors of Orchard Tree.
“And how does she see you, Asli?” Marco taunted. He was going to enjoy turning the tables on his friend. “Has she snuck heated glances your way while she thinks you’re not paying attention? Have you seen the way her eyes flash with memories of that night from six months ago?”
He leveled a look at Asli, wondering if he would take the bait. He knew how unhinged watching Syra made him—how desperate he’d been to crawl on his knees just to taste her as Marco brought her to climax in his living room. He enjoyed the way Asli watched her when they were at that first meeting and again when they met with the contractor. He had a hunger in his eyes that matched the hunger in Marco’s body for his estrellita.
If Marco was addicted to Syra, Asli was well on his way, ready to dive into the temptation that she was.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Marco,” Asli grumbled.
“How does denial taste, huh?”
“Not as good as the little star does, I bet.” Asli’s eyes darkened. “Speaking of, what’s the plan for Orchard? I know you’re not waltzing in there after all this time just to network.”
“You’re working in one of the rooms, right?” When Asli nodded, Marco felt his body harden at the idea taking root. He tried not to get too excited, tried not to think about how their night could end. He pitched the idea for Orchard Tree as an expedition to get the lay of the land and ideas for Sirens. He should have kept his focus on business matters, but he could already feel Syra wrapped around him. The taste of her was so potent on his tongue it was as if he had her spread out on his desk, spilling her secrets for him.
He tried to hold on to his sanity—to the bitterness he still had toward her—as he told Asli what he had in mind. The excitement on Asli’s face, which mirrored his own, made that impossible. He knew he’d have Syra as his again even if it was only for one night.
Christina Benson has been missing now for five days. Police say she went out for a morning run and never made it back home. She was last seen wearing purple running pants, a black compression top, and white running sneakers. She had her phone on her, but the last location that was pinned was around Bleecker Street. If you have seen Christina or have any insight to where she could be, please call the number on the screen.
Syra glanced at the TV as she tried to figure out what to do with her hair. She usually left it long and down her back, but she wasn’t sure if it would get in the way with the party tonight. Her gaze stayed on the photo of Christina Benson. This was the fifth time she heard the news plead for the public’s help in finding the woman. Her face had been shared all over social media with requests for any information as to her whereabouts. Syra had seen a few flyers up around town with Christina’s smiling face on them, and every time she stared at the stranger in the photo, Syra couldn’t ignore the way the woman favored her in looks. They didn’t look like twins by any stretch, but the similarities had been strong enough to fill Syra with a sense of unease. She remembered the run-in with the stranger at the coffee shop, and her overactive imagination had conjured up a boogeyman out to get her.
What if Christina had been taken because she looked like me?
Had I been the intended target that day, and Christina was snatched instead?
Syra pulled her gaze from the TV, ignoring the wayward thoughts in her mind. She felt silly for jumping to conclusions when there was no real evidence to support such a claim. It was a coincidence that Christina resembled Syra—barely. The creep she ran into was just that, a man who hadn’t heard the word no ever in his lifetime. She didn’t need her mind to make her anxious. Tonight’s party was making her nervous enough without the news of the missing person’s addition to it.
“I can’t believe you got invited to Orchard Tree’s forbidden fruit party. Those parties are legendary.” Raven’s voice echoed in Delilah’s kitchen. She was on a video call with D and Kat who were already dressed to kill while Syra struggled to get herself together.
Syra was grateful for Raven’s voice being a distraction to her dark thoughts but once she looked down at what she wore, a different set of thoughts settled in her mind. The black dress wrapped around her body snuggly, enhancing the roundness of her ass and the fullness of her small breasts. The sides of the dress were crisscrossed, exposing her skin, and she tried to see what was actually there—tried to hold on to what Kat and Delilah told her was actually there, but she couldn’t escape the whispered words in her mind.
