Page 33 of Allure
Syra was on a sensory overload. There was a lot to take in, and she hated that she couldn’t keep a pen and paper on her to jot down all the questions she had and the things she saw she liked that they might want to add to Sirens. She tried to ask as many questions as she could to Marco, but there was almost too much for her to keep up with. This party differed from what Raven had done with Lush, and Syra assumed that was due to Lush being an actual club while Orchard Tree was someone’s home—a massive home, but a home, nonetheless.
It was a lot to take in. She wasn’t at Lush when it was operational, so she hadn’t really known what to expect outside of Delilah’s and Kat’s stories. Everything felt fresh and brand new, and she somehow felt like her friends had left out a lot of details when they had talked about what to expect in a place like this.
“You okay?” Marco whispered as they made their way through the fourth floor.
She had to say she was both impressed and maybe a little disappointed that he had taken her through each floor, letting her peek her head into certain rooms before whisking her away to other ones. She hadn’t been sure what to expect, but she somehow thought Marco was going to try something tonight—entice her to let herself go and tempt her into letting him touch and taste her till he brought her to climax several times. The fact that he had kept things professional made her a smidge mad. She should be grateful that he was sticking to the rules she set in place, but she kind of wished he didn’t and she refused to deal with the why of it.
“It’s a little overwhelming. I wish I had something to record on so I can take everything in. I feel like I’m going to forget something. Though I appreciate the no-phone rule. It respects people’s privacy.” Raven had the same rule in Lush, and she knew she was going to push for it to be a rule in Sirens too.
She thought she’d feel naked without her phone. The damn thing was glued to her hand most days, but not dealing with the constant buzzing from Joel texting and calling her gave her a reprieve she needed.
She still hadn’t answered any of his messages or looked at the letter he left her. She wanted to be done with him completely. She hadn’t heard back from her lawyer yet either, which frustrated her. She wasn’t sure what was the best course of action in dealing with Joel and wanted legal advice before she made a mistake that would bite her in the ass later. She made a mental note to call her lawyer one more time before she asked her friends for advice and their help. There was no need to drag things out further than they had been, and she was ready to legally be Syra Gutierrez again.
Syra felt Marco’s fingertips brush up against hers as they walked down a long stretch of hallway. Her body hummed as heat kissed the back of her neck. She peeked up at him from her mask, enjoying the way he filled out the suit he wore, and she wondered briefly if this was what their life would have looked like had she stayed with him.
Would their nights be filled with sex parties like this?
Exploring each other and watching when someone else explored them?
She chewed on her bottom lip, letting her imagination run wild the farther they got into Orchard Tree. She could see herself here—or even in a home she would have shared with Marco, entertaining guests until things got hot and heavy. She could feel phantom touches of a stranger against her skin—but once she let go of the reins, her mind conjured up images of her and Asli on Marco’s couch while he watched with a growing hunger in his gaze.
“You guys wanted to keep the rooms on the top floors of Sirens set up like individual hotel rooms, right?” Marco’s voice made her jump like she’d been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to and her footing faltered, causing her to trip forward.
Marco’s hand was on her elbow steadying her. “Careful, estrellita.” She looked up to see the corners of his lips turned slightly up into a smirk. His thumb made slow circles against her skin, causing her to shiver. “What was running through that head of yours that made you trip?” He seemed to get closer now, her lungs working overtime to get oxygen into her body as she got lost in the gruff timbre of his voice.
Every time he spoke it was akin to his hands on her body, and it turned her on more than she cared to admit. She could listen to him talk all day.
“Nothing,” her voice cracked, betraying her, and she ducked her head to avoid his knowing gaze.
He nudged her gaze back up toward his. She could see the fire that burned brightly in his eyes—it was a hunger that made her stomach tighten, and she shifted on her feet.
“Don’t get shy on me now, estrellita.” His breath teased her lips. “Si solo supieras los pensamientos sucios corriendo por mi cabeza.” The rawness in his voice wrapped around her and tugged her closer to him.
Her heart was a wild storm in her chest, and she realized how swiftly she could get swept up in him. The world slipped away, and it was just the two of them, until she felt the slightest touch against her back that caused her body to come flush against his.
“Excuse us,” a small voice mumbled behind her, and she turned in time to see a couple try to scoot past her. It was then she realized they had stopped in the middle of the hallway as if they were the only two to exist in this space.
“I guess we should keep it moving?” It wasn’t meant to come out as a question, but her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth when she looked back at Marco, and the blaze in his eyes still burned brightly. She felt his touch linger against her skin a moment longer before he pulled away, and she hated how much she missed the warmth of his touch.
They resumed their walking. The air between them charged, causing electricity to dance across her skin. It was a silly notion that she ever believed she could do this—Sirens and Orchard Tree with the man who turned her inside out. It wasn’t just the sex between them either, though that was part of it. It was this weird connection they shared—the ease with which they held space for one another. They were a body of water, an ebb and flow. She couldn’t figure out how they worked but knew that they just did; every one of his exhales had matched her inhales.
Their fingers brushed up against each other again, and her body moved on its own, wrapping her pinky against his. They weren’t holding hands completely, but when she felt him stiffen beside her, she tried to pull her finger from his but he stopped her.
“Worried you’ll trip again?” She had to lean in closer as they walked, his voice was too low like he was afraid to say something he would try and take back later.
“Would you catch me if I fell?” She tried for a joke—was almost desperate for it to break the tension growing in the space between them. She could almost feel things changing for them, and yet nothing was happening at all.
Why was it the small moments—those she didn’t really put too much weight behind when they happened—that shifted things? They pulled her in and made her feel cherished, valued, and she could feel him slipping in again, showing her how things could be if they were more than what they had become to each other.
She felt his fingers intertwined with hers, and emotion lodged in her throat. Her gaze shot to his as they continued their walk side by side. “Don’t worry, estrellita.” The reverence in his voice when he spoke her pet name tore at something inside of her. “I’ll always be there to catch you if you fall.”
Delilah and Kat walked arm in arm down the long hallway of the second floor. Delilah tried to keep her focus on what was going on in Orchard Tree. She tried to get lost in the ambiance of it all, take in what she thought would be beneficial to Sirens, but she couldn’t think past the fact that Brooklyn Pasetti was here.
“What are you doing here, Brooklyn?”
“I came to play.” Her smile was teasing, almost inviting D to come join in on the fun. “Enjoy your night, Delilah.”
There was some hidden challenge in her words, some taunt Delilah wasn’t sure she heard correctly. It was the same way at Essence Wellness, something in Brooklyn’s tone always gave her pause, wondering if she was asking for something Delilah couldn’t give her. They worked together, and she made it clear she didn’t mix business with her pleasure, but she couldn’t deny how she felt seeing Brooklyn here of all places and in that red dress.
