by Sloan Storm
My breath stuck in my chest.
Marco stood there with his back to me for a moment. Finally, he lifted his head and turned in my direction. When he did his face held no emotion. Zero.
What could’ve happened between them to cause her such pain and him such emptiness? I looked at him for another moment, and then, just beyond the doorway, my attention turned to the sounds of Serena’s sobs… growing fainter by the second.
DANI
Marco reached up towards his neck and began to undo his tuxedo tie while he walked towards me.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, Dani,” he said, passing by without looking at me. “Serena is… she’s an emotional person.”
I shook my head.
“There’s no need to apologize, Marco. Really, I-I don’t want to be involved. I should just go. I’m more than happy to discuss the agreement at a later date and…”
Marco pulled his tie away from his neck and tossed it aside with a casual flick. It landed, sliding across the slate-colored marble of the kitchen counter top and spinning to a stop.
“No,” he said, interrupting me. “There’s no reason for you to go anywhere or for us to delay our discussion.”
I took a deep inhale, holding it for a moment before speaking again. Awkward though the situation might’ve been, I’d come here to get the contract signed. If he was prepared to do it now, then who was I to argue? I wasn't certain why I’d had such a strong reaction to Serena’s breakdown, but it didn’t matter. Marco's personal problems were none of my business.
“Okay,” I began, looking around the immediate vicinity. “Where would you like to talk?”
Ignoring my question, Marco walked into the kitchen and headed in the direction of a large wine refrigerator. After reaching it, he turned and looked at me.
“Red or white?”
Still slightly buzzed from the cocktails I’d had earlier, I hesitated for a second or two. The look on his face suggested I didn’t have an option.
“Um, red,” I replied at last.
Marco nodded, opened the door and reached inside. A few seconds later he gathered up wine glasses and a bottle opener.
“Join me,” he said, gesturing with his chin for me to walk towards the kitchen.
After walking inside, I placed my clutch on the kitchen counter. The sound of wine gurgling in the glass caused me to look in his direction. Marco pinched the stem of the wine glass between his thumb and forefinger, extending it to me. Taking the glass from him, I lifted it towards my nose and inhaled. It was magnificent. I’d never smelled anything like it.
“What should we toast to, Dani?” Marco asked, breaking my concentration on the full bodied aroma wafting from the crystal.
Marco stood there, leaning against the kitchen counter in a casual pose. His glass remained on the counter while he looked in my direction, waiting for me to reply.
I shrugged. My mind went blank.
“How about…” he began, squinting in concentration. “To trust?”
Trust?
There had to be some meaning to it, but in the moment I had no idea what it could be. Marco didn’t give me much time to think. Instead, he picked up his glass and gestured for me to do the same. We cheered, and I took a sip.
The liquid rolled across my tongue, coating the inside of my mouth with a smooth feel and a heavy oak flavor. The taste confirmed what the aroma hinted at – it was spectacular – unlike anything I'd ever had in my life.
“Mmm, delicious,” I said. “It’s amazing.”
“It should be,” Marco replied. “It’s from my father's private collection, a ‘51 Penfolds Shiraz. One of only twenty in the world. Well, nineteen now.”
I swallowed hard.
“Oh my God,” I gasped, horrified at the possible price. “How much…”
Marco swirled the wine in his glass before lifting it to his mouth and tossing it back in one gulp.
“Not sure, actually. Somewhere in the range of thirty thousand a bottle, give or take.”
My hand trembled. Growing up like I did in Pennsylvania, it wasn’t uncommon for people to buy homes for not much more. Every time I thought I’d adjusted to the extremes of wealth, moments like this happened and I realized it was something I’d probably never get used to. I wouldn’t say I felt guilty for drinking it, but knowing how much it cost definitely changed my state of mind.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Marco.
“What’s the matter, Dani? You’re not enjoying the wine?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s just that…”
“What?” Marco asked, cutting me off and filling his own glass again at the same time.
“Nothing,” I replied, shaking my head. “It’s nothing. It's delicious, Marco. Thank you.”
Marco nodded and raised the glass to his mouth again. After a drink, he placed the glass on the counter with a clink and looked at me.
“Wine is meant to be drunk, Dani. Eventually, say in another five years or so, it will begin to lose all of its character and body. Right now, it’s at its peak, offering you and me something that’s close to natural perfection and almost priceless.”
While he spoke, I took another sip.
“You seem tense, Dani.”
Tense was an understatement.
I’d spent an entire evening with him, feeling things I shouldn’t have and wanting things that, well… And then, to come back here only to discover the drama with Serena. All the while my entire future with the firm hinged on whether or not I could get him to sign the deal.
No? Tense? Why would I be tense?
I shook my head before the lie sputtered from my lips. “I’m fine. Really.”
Marco studied me while I responded. He picked up his glass and took another drink. Afterward, without speaking, Marco took one big step in my direction. On instinct, I backed up, brushing against the marble. The coolness of the surface traveled through my gown with ease, sending an icy chill down my spine. He angled his head down at me until at last, our eyes met.
“Tell me about yourself, Dani.”
Now clutching my wine glass in both hands, I swallowed hard.
“Me?”
Marco nodded. “Yes. After all, you can’t expect me to just sign over billions of dollars to someone I hardly know. Can you?”
A surge of adrenaline coursed through me. I glanced at my purse for an instant, relieved I’d trusted my instincts enough to bring the signature page. It was the first time he’d given me any hint he was actually going to sign with us. And just when my mind wandered off course, filling my head with fantasies of making partner and all the spoils that come with it, Marco snapped me back to reality.
“Be authentic with me about yourself, Dani,” he said, his voice deepening, almost…ordering. “No. Bullshit.”
I looked at him and shook my head.
“No, I-I wouldn’t do that.”
I felt like I’d been caught, thinking thoughts I shouldn’t have.
“Good,” he said, holding his gaze on me for emphasis. “Trust is important to me, Dani. It’s the only thing that matters. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Yes. It’s important to me as well, Marco.”
With that, Marco raised his eyebrows, looking at me expectantly.
“Well, um,” I began, suddenly remembering what he’d asked about. “What do you want to know about me?”
He inched closer. I swallowed, searching my mouth for moisture.
“Well for starters…” Marco said, his voice a throaty whisper. “I want to know how you taste.”
He reached for me, touching the side of my neck with the tips of his fingers. I glanced towards him, meeting his eyes with mine for an instant. Without thinking, I turned my gaze at the freshly exposed skin beneath his unbuttoned shirt.
My nostrils flared. Something primal stirred inside.
Marco snaked his fingers into my hair, setting the skin where he touched alive with a ti
ngling sensation. I watched him, unable to take my eyes off his smooth, natural gestures. All the while, he edged nearer, a shadow drew across his face, defining his strong jawline in sharp relief. The seconds dripped by until at last his lips met mine with certainty, like it had been his plan all along.
The silky smooth feel of his mouth against mine sent my desire for him into overdrive. Yet, in the midst of those first precious seconds, doubts nagged at me, and thoughts streaked across the last shreds of consciousness I still had.
What if I gave in to him and he didn’t sign? What if he went to the partners and told them I’d come here, kissed him and…? The truth was, I had no idea what kind of person I was dealing with in Marco Rhys.
Panic flooded my awareness. This was a bad idea. A terrible one.
Wake up, Dani! Stop!
“Marco,” I began, breaking my mouth free of his with a gasp. I pushed my palms flat against his chest. “I can’t… Please don’t.”
His jaw flexed. He wrapped his fingers around the stem of my wine glass, prying it from my hand. Once he’d set it aside, Marco reached for my waist, snapping his hands around it and lifting me off the ground. Before I realized it, he’d placed me on the counter, spread my legs and forced himself between them.
My breath caught in my throat.
“Marco, I-I…” I said, nearly begging.
The cold of the marble stung me through the sheer fabric of my dress, adding to my anxiety and sharpening my focus on the sexually menacing presence in front of me. Undaunted, Marco moved closer, the closest yet. He reached down, grabbed hold of my inner thighs, and spread them apart. I resisted but was no match for his strength. Control slipped. I struggled to catch my breath and do something, anything.
What are you doing, Dani? Scream! Slap him! Do something!
“Marco!” I exclaimed, another wave of panic breaking across me.
He released his fingers from my thighs, placing his palms on the counter top, just outside of my hips. Marco looked at me, his brown eyes darkened with intent. He didn’t respond.
My entire body tingled. Shaky breath sputtered from my mouth.
Having him between my legs thrilled me, but for some reason I couldn’t quite explain, also frightened me. Marco stood there in silence, his chest rising and falling with rhythmic ease. Apparently uninterested in easing my discomfort, he waited for me to say something. I struggled to find the words but at least he'd stopped.
For now.
Staring into his eyes, I swallowed hard. The taste of him lingered inside of my mouth, tempting me. All around, Marco’s scent clung to my consciousness, daring me to surrender, give in and let him do what he would. I don’t know how long we sat there. With a final inhale, I gathered myself.
“Marco,” I began, speaking in a voice hardly above a whisper. “I’m flattered, but I don’t think I should do this. No, I-I, I know I shouldn’t.”
While I spoke, Marco looked at me. At the same time, he placed his hand on top of my thigh and began to slide it underneath my dress. He squeezed my leg, communicating more with the firm grip of his fingers than I could say with a thousand words.
“Marco…” I muttered. “I…”
“I’m going to fuck you, Dani. Right here, right now. Tell me ‘no’ if you want to leave. But I’m warning you, it’s your only chance.”
DANI
While I sat there reasoning with myself, heat pooled in the middle of my thighs, soaking straight through the flimsy fabric of my underwear.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Oh. Fuck.
I bit my lip, flinching and trying to close my legs together. Squirming and desperate, I fought every urge I had to let him do whatever he pleased. I didn’t even know why any longer.
Stone-faced, Marco shook his head back and forth and curled his fingers hard, digging deep into my flesh, holding my thighs open. It hurt, but in spite of that, a whisper of pleasure escaped from my lips.
I looked away from his face and turned my focus to his hands, now dangerously close to a point of no return. While I stared down, Marco climbed my thighs with his fingertips like a maestro’s might slide across the keys of a piano. Well-worn, and calloused from handling two hundred mile an hour G-forces, Marco's masculine hands squeezed and kneaded my flesh, growing more aggressive with each passing second. Within moments, they’d both disappeared, vanishing beneath the fabric of my dress.
I gasped, snapping my gaze back towards him again. Now with only inches between them and my undoing, my thighs betrayed me. They trembled, goosebumps breaking across them in uncontrollable waves. I was falling, losing the last remnants of my resolve. The entire time I suffered, Marco’s gaze never left me. His eyes narrowed, flickering with certainty while my willpower crumbled.
I glanced back towards his hands, those two marauding lumps beneath my dress. For every millimeter he edged further, my breath came in shallow rasps, bordering on gulps. My entire body flexed, pulsing with tortured curiosity and an overwhelming need.
And then – he stopped. Less than an inch from my…
I drew my eyes towards his again. After a slow blink, I opened them to see Marco directly in front of my face. I swallowed, parting my lips in apprehension. In the next instant, Marco rotated his hands, sliding his fingers over the outsides of my thighs, bringing them to a stop behind me. He grabbed my hips like he would the steering wheel, controlling me. Using the same focused determination he did on the race track, he began to pull me in his direction with a slow, unrelenting motion.
On instinct, I placed my palms flat on the counter, attempting to somehow, someway keep myself from… Marco wouldn’t have any of it. At the first hint of my resistance, he yanked me, crashing my hips against his waist. No sooner had he done so than he hooked his fingers inside the fabric of my underwear and tugged at them with a single, violent jerk. He grunted, tearing away at them, accidentally scratching my skin in the midst of it. I moaned, leaning towards him, the rigidity in my body giving way to surrender. At last, the material gave way, ripping under the stress. Seconds later, Marco flipped them aside without a care.
He dropped his head a bit, and I lost control, sliding my hands into the thicket of hair on top of it. Marco pushed the material of my dress up my thighs, exposing me to him, removing the last shred of my defense.
The cool air licked at my folds. I rocked in place. My eyelids flickered.
He paused for a fraction of a second. I released my hands from his hair, gliding them down, caressing the sides of his angular jaw. I felt no hesitation, shame, or doubt about what would happen - just a single, unmet desire.
“Marco,” I moaned with a whisper. “Kiss me.”
Tilting his face up, Marco crashed his lips into mine. With relief, I leaned into him, taking him inside of my mouth. He kissed me, gliding his tongue across the smooth surfaces of my cheek and the angular ridges of my teeth. We continued for several minutes, only separating long enough to gasp for a quick breath.
I’d draped my arms around his shoulders, crossing them and digging my fingers into the hard bulges of his upper back. Time ticked by, and Marco pulled me ever closer, laying his claim to me with a vice-like embrace. My awareness drifted. Between the heat of his kiss and the strength of his hold on me, I felt myself sliding into a state of bliss. The flavor of him slid across my taste buds, his scent swirled around me, overwhelming my senses. I fell further, nearly losing myself entirely when a distinctive sound riveted my attention.
Marco broke his mouth free of mine. My hands fell away from his shoulders just in time for me to catch his fingers releasing their grasp on his zipper. Half-dazed, I reached up, brushing my hair away from eyes and glancing down for a better look. Before I even had an instant to focus, Marco wasted no time and slid his cock inside of me. Already soaked from a long night of fantasizing about him, I grimaced while he pushed his way deep within. However, that’s not to say that he went in with ease.
Far from it. The man was immense.
“Ooohh ahhhh!” I cried out, my h
ead falling back.
Shocked and searching for a breath, I reached for his shirt with one hand, clutching the fine material and ripping at it. Battling a new kind of pain, I mewled a guttural groan, lurching forward and collapsing against the hard musculature of his upper body. Marco seemed unaware or unconcerned with my discomfort. Wasting no time, he began to thrust with aggression. With each pass, Marco seemed to grow angrier, almost to the point of being enraged. No man had ever taken me like this before, banging against me with a visceral, wild rage.
I should have been, at the least, concerned if not fearful. But, I wasn’t. Far from it. I found the challenge of taking him, all of him, thrilling… Primal.
Raw.
With a flash of his palm, Marco reached for my chest. He pinned me flat against the counter top, slipping his other hand just behind my head before it collided with the granite. Soon after, he lifted my legs up and hooked them around his waist. He paused, grunting a warning at me.
“Don’t let go, Dani.”
Our eyes met long enough for me to offer my wordless reply. I rocked my head back and forth on the marble. Overcome by an unexplainable urge, I reached for him. He grabbed me at the wrist, pinning my arms flat against the unrelenting cool of the marble. Wasting no time, he began to drive himself in and out of me again, reaching a new level of speed and aggression. His length, the girth, the steel-like hardness…
Before long, my preoccupations turned inward. I fought for breath, comfort… sanity. I grimaced, biting my lip hard while Marco impaled me. He released his grasp on my forearms. I stretched them straight, folding them across each other at the wrist like they were bound together by an imaginary rope. He tipped forward at the waist, changing the angle of his body and the ferocity of his strokes.
“Marco!” I screamed, lifting my head off the counter. My body rippled with shocks. “Ahhh! Oh God!”
Marco bunched the fabric of my dress up in his fists, grinding his pelvis hard against mine. He held me in place, pinning me like an animal. And then, without changing the pace of his thrusting, he let go, holding me with only one hand. I rolled my head to one side, delirium overtaking me. Within seconds, I felt the pad of his thumb press into my clit. I cried out, throwing my head back and pressing into the hardness of the marble underneath. Marco touched me like a man who knew exactly how to get what he wanted. While he clutched my dress hard in one hand, I rocked my hips back and forth, causing my toes to curl in anticipation.
