Inherited by Ferranti

Marco muttered a few words to one of his staff standing by the door, and then they were out in the hall, the air cool on Sierra’s heated cheeks. A few guests loitering there shot them speculative looks, but Marco ignored them all. He stabbed the button for the penthouse lift and Sierra held her breath until the doors opened and Marco pulled her inside.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE LIFT DOORS had barely closed before Marco pulled Sierra to him, her breasts colliding with his chest as his mouth came down hard on hers. He couldn’t have waited another moment, not even one second, to touch her, and the feel of her lips on his wasn’t the water in the desert he’d thought it would be; it was a match to the flame, igniting his need all the more.

He backed her up against the wall of the lift, his mouth plundering hers as his hands fisted in her hair. Diamond-tipped pins scattered across the floor of the lift with a tinkling sound. Marco couldn’t get enough of her. He moved his hands from her hair to her hips, yanking up a satiny fistful of her dress, needing to touch her skin.

He found the curve of her neck with his mouth and sucked gently, his desire knifing inside him as Sierra groaned aloud.

‘You’ll ruin the dress...’ she gasped.

‘I’ll buy you another. I’ll buy you a dozen, a hundred others.’

The doors pinged open and Marco stumbled backwards into the penthouse, pulling Sierra with him. She came with him, laughing and breathless, clutching his shirt as she tried to pull it away from his cummerbund.

‘I need to see you,’ Marco said. He tugged at the zip at the back of her dress. ‘Now.’ He tugged harder at the zip and the dress slithered off her, leaving her in nothing but a scrap of lace pants. Marco inhaled sharply at the sight of her pale golden perfection, the lights from the city gleaming on her smooth skin.

She stepped out of the dress, chin lifted, smile shy, wearing nothing but lace and stiletto heels. Marco had never seen a more magnificent sight.

‘This feels a bit unequal,’ she said with a little uncertain laugh. ‘I’m in my birthday suit and you’re completely dressed.’

He spread his arms wide. ‘Then maybe you should do something about it.’

‘Maybe I should.’ She stepped closer to him so he could breathe in the lemon scent of her hair; it had come undone from the pins he’d pulled out in the lift and lay in twists and curls about her shoulders. She pursed her lips slightly as she fumbled with the studs on his shirt; her breasts grazed his chest every time she moved.

Finally she’d managed to release the studs; she tossed them aside with a breathless laugh and then tugged his shirt out from his cummerbund and parted it, smoothing her hands along his chest. Marco closed his eyes, his breath hissing between his teeth. It amazed him how profoundly her touch affected him. He’d been with plenty of women over the years, gorgeous women with experience and expertise and plenty of confidence, but Sierra’s hesitant touch reduced all those women to a pale memory.

‘You’re very beautiful,’ she whispered, and tugged his shirt off his body before undoing the laces of his cummerbund. He wore only his trousers now, and he saw the hesitation in Sierra’s face and wondered what she’d do about it. Sometimes she seemed so innocent and inexperienced he wondered how many lovers she’d actually had. But it wasn’t a train of thought he enjoyed dwelling on, and so he made himself stop thinking about it. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that she was with him now.

‘Well?’ He arched an eyebrow, his mouth curving in a salacious smile. ‘I’m not naked yet.’

‘I know.’ She laughed again, a soft, breathy sound, and then tugged his trousers down. Marco kicked them off his feet, and followed with his shoes and socks. Now all he wore was a pair of navy silk boxers and his arousal was all too evident.

Sierra’s gaze darted up to him and she licked her lips. Marco groaned. Then she reached out a hand and touched his shaft through his boxers, her fingers questing uncertainly and then wrapping more firmly around him.

Marco clenched his jaw against the almost painful wave of pleasure that crashed over him. ‘Sierra...’

‘Is this okay?’ She jerked her hand back as if she’d hurt him and he laughed, albeit shakily.

‘More than okay. What you do to me... But I need to do some things to you.’ He reached for her then, because he needed her next to him. The feel of their naked bodies colliding made them both gasp aloud, her breasts against his chest, their legs tangled.

Marco kissed her deeply and she responded with all of her clumsy ardour, tangling her hands in his hair as he fitted her body more closely to his. Marco backed her towards the wall, pressing her against the sheet of glass as Sierra let out a soft laugh.