Inherited by Ferranti

The steward dimmed the lights in the first-class cabin and Marco leaned over her seat to let it recline. Sierra sucked in a hard breath at the nearness of his body, the intoxicating heat of him. His head was close to hers as he murmured, ‘You should get rest while you can. Tomorrow will be a big day.’

She nodded wordlessly, her gaze fastened on his, and gently Marco tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was the merest of touches, it meant nothing, and yet still she felt as if he’d given her an electric shock, her whole body jolting with longing. Marco smiled and then settled back in his own seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him as his seat dipped back. ‘Get some sleep if you can, Sierra.’

* * *

Marco shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. It was damned difficult when desire was pulsing in his centre, throbbing through his veins. It had been nearly impossible to resist touching Sierra as they’d talked. And he’d enjoyed the conversation, the sharing of ideas, the light banter. He’d even been glad, in a surprising way, to have told her more about his past. He hadn’t been planning to reveal the deprivations of his childhood and he’d kept some of it back, not wanting to invite her pity. But to see her face softened in sympathy...to know that she cared about him, even in that small way, affected him more than he was entirely comfortable with.

He’d been glad to move on to lighter topics, and Sierra had thankfully taken his cue. He’d enjoyed talking with her seven years ago, but she’d been a girl then, innocent and unsophisticated. The years had sharpened her, made her stronger and more interesting. And definitely more desirable.

In the end he hadn’t been able to resist. A small caress, his fingers barely grazing her cheek as he’d tucked her hair behind her ear. He could tell Sierra was affected by it, though, and so was he. He longed to take her in his arms, even here in the semiprivacy of their seats, and plunder her mouth and body. Lose himself in her sweetness and feel her tremble and writhe with pleasure.

Stifling a groan, Marco shifted again. He needed to stop thinking like this. Stop remembering what Sierra’s naked body had looked like as she’d been splayed across the piano bench, her skin golden and perfect in the lamplight. Stop remembering how silky she’d felt, how delicious she’d tasted, how overwhelming her response to him had been.

Marco clenched his eyes shut as a sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. Next to him Sierra shifted and sighed, and the breathy sound made another spasm of longing stab through him. It was going to be a long flight. Hell, it was going to be a long three days. Because one thing he knew was he wouldn’t take advantage of Sierra again.

He must have fallen into a doze eventually, because he woke to find her sitting up and smiling at him. Her hair was in delightful disarray about her face and she gave him a playful look as he straightened.

‘You snore, you know.’

He drew back, caught between affront and amusement. ‘I do not.’

‘Hasn’t anyone ever told you before?’

‘No, because I don’t snore.’ And because he’d never had a woman stay the night to tell him so. Since Sierra, his love life—if he could even call it that—had been comprised of one-night stands and week-long flings. He’d had no intention of being caught again.

‘Not very loudly,’ Sierra informed him with an impish smile. ‘And not all the time. But you do snore. Trust me.’

Trust me. The words seemed to reverberate through him before Marco shook them off. ‘I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it. And I might as well tell you that you drool when you sleep.’

‘Oh!’ Mortification brightened her cheeks as one hand clapped to her mouth. Marco instantly regretted his thoughtless quip. He’d been teasing and it wasn’t true anyway; she’d looked adorable when she slept, her chin tucked towards her chest, her golden lashes fanning across her cheeks.

‘Actually, you don’t,’ he said gruffly. ‘But I couldn’t say you snored, since you don’t.’

‘You cad.’ Laughing, she dropped her hand to hit him lightly on the shoulder, and before he thought through what he was doing he wrapped her hand in his, savouring the feel of her slender fingers enclosed in his, the softness of her skin. Her eyes widened and her breath shortened.

Always it came back to this. The intense attraction that seemed only to grow stronger with every minute they spent in each other’s company. Carefully, Marco released her hand. ‘We’ll be landing soon.’

Sierra nodded wordlessly, cradling her hand as if it was tender, almost as if he’d hurt her with his touch.