Masked Desires (5 page)

Instead, she closed her eyes tight, her face a mask of concentration. ‘There’s been a big upheaval in your life very recently,’ she said at length. ‘I see new surroundings, somewhere with music playing, and old wooden furniture. Does the name O’Malley mean anything to you?’

With a chill, I thought of Sergeant O’Malley’s portrait, hanging above the bar at Eddie’s. ‘Actually, it does.’

‘It’s not what you’re used to, but it makes you happy.’ Opening her eyes, she smiled at me. ‘And so does he.’ He? Could she be talking about Eddie? ‘But trouble is coming, and you need to ignore those who wish to make mischief. Listen to your heart.’

Now that sounded like a line from one of the corny pop songs the band had been playing earlier; vague and insubstantial where her previous pronouncements had been strangely accurate. Before she could add anything that might make her statement clearer, Eddie reappeared, standing at the side of his occupied chair and looking from the interloper to me with a quizzical expression. The fortune teller broke her grip on my arm, and stood. ‘I’ll leave that for you to think on.’ With that, she moved on to the neighbouring table, no doubt looking for another dinner guest with an enticing aura.

‘What was going on there?’ Eddie asked, plopping himself down on the chair by my side.

‘I got my future told.’ I took a sip of coffee, letting its rich taste ground me back in the real world. ‘She said a tall, dark man would appear in my life – and here you are. So I can’t fault her for accuracy.’

On the little stage, the band struck up again, launching into the opening bars of a 70s disco classic. Drawn by the music, people rose from their tables and headed for the dance floor. ‘Wanna dance?’ Eddie extended a hand. When I hesitated, he continued, ‘Come on, Summer. I’m sure Heather’s keeping an eye out for me, and I want her to see us having a good time. She’s gonna be reporting back to Mom the first chance she gets.’

‘OK, then let’s give her something to talk about,’ I said, and followed him on to the dance floor.

To my surprise, he moved well; not one of these flashy dancers who’s determined to be noticed by everyone around them, but someone comfortable with the beat and his own body. I’ve heard it said how a man dances is meant to be an indication of what he’ll be like in bed, but I don’t hold much store by that. Todd was never much of a dancer, but in the short time we were together he proved he knew what to do between the sheets well enough.

‘You know, I never figured you for someone who could dance,’ I admitted, as the music slowed, changing to a number designed to encourage couples to hold each other close.

‘Used to do a bit of boxing when I was a kid,’ Eddie replied, wrapping a brawny arm around me. Even in my heels, my head only came up to the point of his chin. ‘You need to be light on your feet when you’re moving round the ring.’

‘You don’t fight any more?’ I asked.

‘Nah. I keep a punchbag in my basement for when I need to let off a bit of steam.’ He grinned. ‘It gets you into less trouble than punching a customer.’

As we swayed together, Eddie’s body pressed tightly against mine, I saw Heather standing by the edge of the dance floor, in conversation with a man in a white tuxedo. She’d given a small speech of welcome once we’d all been seated for dinner, thanking us for attending and giving a brief outline of how our donations would be used to provide life-saving equipment for those suffering a rare form of degenerative heart disease. Remembering her comments to Eddie in the bar, I’d wondered as she’d been talking whether this disease was what had killed his father, but somehow it didn’t seem the right time to ask.

Now I looked at her again, ash-blonde hair styled in a sleek up-do, and wearing a sheath dress of ice-blue and silver tones that flattered her cool colouring. Her face was hidden behind a silver half mask that curved up over her left eye in the shape of a crescent moon, but from the movement of her head it was clear she was watching Eddie and me. I wondered whether she bought the act that we’d been together for a while – the lawyers on our table certainly seemed to think that, though they’d never met us before tonight.

And as Eddie held me a little closer and I rested my head on the wide expanse of his shoulder, I wondered just how much of an act this was. We might be able to fake some aspects of our so-called relationship, but the steady pressure of his rising cock against my belly was all too real. Grinding against me as we danced was clearly turning him on. The thought of what that cock might look like, freed from his formal attire and standing proud, made my pussy clench with desire.

Maybe I should have pulled away, made some excuse to go back to our table in an attempt to defuse what had the potential to become a pretty awkward situation. After all, we were only pretending to want each other so badly – weren’t we?

Eddie didn’t seem in the least embarrassed by his growing erection. His hand trailed down from its relatively chaste position in the small of my back, coming to rest on my ass cheek. His palm felt hot through the satin and lace of my clothing, though that could just have been down to my feverish imagination magnifying every sensation. I wanted him to stroke that cheek, squeeze it, maybe even give it a hard slap or two to stimulate the little, hidden part of me that got off on a man displaying his dominant streak. Then I shook my head. I shouldn’t be having fantasies like this; not here, not now.

Except Eddie must have been having similar fantasies too. Just for a moment, his hand smoothed over my ass in possessive fashion. His caress set me tingling, and when I looked up, his lips curved in a secretive smile and he bent to kiss me, angling his head so our masks wouldn’t become tangled together. The touch of his warm, soft lips on mine was the most delightful shock, more unexpected in its way than when he’d kissed me in the bar to make a point to Heather. But this time it didn’t seem like he was kissing me for anyone’s benefit other than his own, and I melted into his embrace, letting his tongue push between my lips to take ownership of my mouth. We’d stopped moving, oblivious to the couples still dancing around us, both of Eddie’s hands on my ass now and my body a breathless, needy mess as his teeth nipped gently at my lower lip.

When we finally broke apart, he sounded almost apologetic. ‘Summer, I didn’t mean to – That is, I saw Heather keeping an eye on us and –’

So as far as he was concerned, it had all been part of the act, and I’d been a fool to react to his kiss as strongly as I did. But that didn’t explain why his cock was harder than ever, nudging urgently at me as if seeking to bore its way through my dress, or why his eyes glittered with lust behind his mask.

About to turn and leave the dance floor so I could gather my thoughts and decide whether going home now might be the most sensible option, his next words stilled me in my tracks. ‘But once I started kissing you, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to stop. Summer, I don’t know what I thought might happen between us tonight, but all I know is I want you more than I’ve wanted anyone for a hell of a long time.’ He took my hand, his thumb gently stroking my palm. His voice was low, deliciously insinuating a path all the way down to my tense, aching pussy. ‘You can say no and we can call an end to this right now, or I can go to the front desk and see whether they have a room available for the night.’

Maybe I’d had the odd fantasy where Eddie and I shared a taxi home at the end of the night, and we’d found ourselves having coffee – and more – at my place, but I’d never seriously dreamt I might find myself being asked so blatantly whether I wanted to sneak away in the middle of the revelry to sleep with him. “No” had no place in my vocabulary at this moment; this might be the only chance I got to spend the night in Eddie Quinn’s arms, and I had no intention of turning him down. There might be repercussions, but I was a big girl; I’d deal with them when they arose. Now all I could do was nod and say, ‘Let’s do it.’

He led me off the dance floor and out of the ballroom. My heels clicked on the lobby’s marble tiles as I scurried to keep up with him. It seemed once Eddie had a plan of action in his mind, he was determined to carry it out as soon as possible; he’d claimed he wasn’t as single-minded as his stepsister, but looking at him now, he had his moments.

Following a brief conversation with the perky brunette on the front desk, while I waited on a low and extremely comfortable leather chesterfield, Eddie turned to me with a grin. He clutched a key card in his hand. ‘We’re in luck. They must keep a few rooms back for ball guests who overdo it and aren’t in any state to get home. We’re in Room 914.’

Holding out a hand, he helped me up from the sofa. My heart thudded in my chest as we waited for the elevator, so loud I was sure Eddie could hear it; I was giddy with anticipation. The doors opened; there were no other passengers, and Eddie pushed me up against the glass wall of the elevator and picked up where we’d left off on the dance floor. His mouth devoured mine with hot, greedy kisses, and his hands skimmed my breasts, my nipples all too hard and obvious even the layers of clothing I now desperately wanted to be rid of.

The elevator climbed swiftly, but I barely noticed the floors passing, lost in the touch and taste of Eddie. His leg nudged its way insistently between my thighs, my dress hiking up in the process, till the ridge of his kneecap rubbed against my panty-covered mound, the dull friction sparking fresh prickles of sensation throughout my body. My fantasies of what it would be like to be kissed by him, to have him take charge in this way, had been good, but they couldn’t match the reality.

When the elevator doors opened on the ninth floor, it didn’t register with either of us that we’d arrived at our destination. Only as they began to slide shut again did Eddie realise where we were, jabbing at the button to stop them closing fully. We dashed out on to the silent, thickly carpeted hallway, looking for a sign to point us in the direction of Room 914.

‘This way,’ Eddie said, pointing to the left. He found our room four doors along, and pushed the key into the slot. The light turned green, the lock buzzed and clicked, and we were inside. I took only the most cursory look at our surroundings, gathering an impression of heavy brown drapes at the window, muted wall coverings, and a bed heaped high with pillows. Eddie still claimed my full attention, peeling out of his jacket, and tugging at his bow tie, so the ends dangled loose against his shirt front. He popped open his top shirt button, then the one below it. Lust bubbled through me as the flat, lightly furred plane of his chest came into view.

He kicked off his shoes, and lay back on the bed.

‘Strip for me, Summer,’ he urged. Propped against the pillows, he looked like he was settling in to enjoy the show.

‘Don’t you want me to pull the drapes first?’ I asked. Our room was on the side of the hotel, with a view out to the buildings across the way, and I was conscious that someone might look out of one of the windows and see what we were doing.

‘Leave them,’ he ordered. ‘Maybe we’ll give someone a thrill. I mean, as long as we keep our masks on, who’ll know who we are?’

My mind flashed back to the morning I’d watched Tyler and his blonde girlfriend fucking on the fire escape, remembering how excited I’d got on that occasion. So this was how Eddie wanted to play it, was it? Well, I had no intention of disappointing him. Reaching behind me, I unzipped my dress, sighing as I was freed from its constricting hold. I let it slither to the floor in a rustle of lace, then took a couple of paces closer to the bed, unclipping my bra as I did. Eddie’s eyes, dark wells of desire, never left me as I removed the garment, holding the cups tight to my chest with one hand while I slipped the straps off my shoulders with the other, promising everything but revealing nothing. Shirtless now, he stroked himself through his trousers as he watched me, and I yearned for him to loose his cock so I could see it in all its glory.

At last, I let my bra drop, giving Eddie a brief, teasing glimpse of my breasts before clamping my palms over them once more.

‘Show me,’ he urged. ‘Show me everything.’

The raw need in his voice almost had me creaming my panties. Beneath his strong, masculine assurance lurked a vulnerable core; only when a man trusted you enough would he open up and let you see that side of him, and already Eddie seemed prepared to offer me a glimpse into his secret self. How long would it be before –? I brought myself up short. No point in thinking about what might happen in the future. This was all about tonight.

‘OK, but you’ve got to show me something too. Seems only fair, don’t you think?’

He conceded the point with a nod, and his hands flew to unzip his fly. Until now, I’d never thought a man could shimmy out of his pants in any kind of elegant fashion while lying on the bed, but Eddie managed it, kicking the garment off first one leg, than the next. His plain white shorts stretched tight across his groin, as if fighting to contain the delights within, a damp spot visible on the front bearing witness to his excitement.

He looked to me, expecting me to reciprocate by taking off something else, but I shook my head. ‘Socks and underwear. Really not a look that turns a girl on.’

‘So which of them do you want me to lose?’ He grinned.

I don’t care, I wanted to tell him. I just want you bare for me. Bare and hard. It seemed he didn’t need an answer to the question, though, because he was already bringing his legs up toward his ass, folding himself in half so he could peel off his socks.

‘Now you.’

This time, I didn’t stall. I made to roll down one of my stockings, but Eddie stopped me. ‘No, keep those on,’ he ordered. ‘And the heels. I love the way they look.’

That meant I had to take off my panties. Shy of revealing myself completely to Eddie, even though he’d already given every sign of liking what he saw, I wriggled out of the wet wisp of fabric as demurely as I could.

He said nothing, but the lust in his gaze told me everything I needed to know. I’d never felt so thoroughly desired as I stood there, waiting for him to respond in kind. Without any of the modesty I’d shown, he rose from the bed and shucked off his underwear. The expression on my face as I stared at his cock, revealed in its full majesty, must have rivalled his in its unashamed need, for he chuckled.