A Taste of Winter: 1 (Red Masks) (5 page)

“You know the safeword,” he reminded her, dragging her
across his lap, groaning in an agony of want as she struggled, his cock poised
to take her before he had even started the fun.

Holding her firmly down with one hand, he slid the dress up
over her bottom, her whimpers only adding fuel to his fire.

“Please,” she begged when he pried her legs apart. “Please
don’t hurt me.”

Then he gripped the paddle and brought it down upon her
flesh with a resounding thud. She jerked and tried to rise but he held her
firmly as he brought the paddle down again, her skin growing hot and pink
beneath his hands. He spanked her solidly two more times before she screamed
and bit into his thigh.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached his hand
between her legs to find her so slick and wet with desire, he wondered if she
hadn’t already come. She squirmed as he fingered the tender opening of her sex
but he refused to grant her the release she sought.

Instead he opened his knees and let her fall between them,
taking her head in his hands as he guided her mouth to his cock. “Take me with
your mouth,” he ordered, spreading his legs as wide as he could manage.

He grabbed handfuls of her hair as she obeyed, resisting the
urge to thrust his hips and bury himself to the hilt down her throat. He needed
to be in complete control so he wouldn’t inadvertently hurt her. But by all
that was holy, she made it beyond difficult as she sucked him deep between her
lips—her tongue swirling over his engorged and needful flesh, her hands
reaching out to clamp so tight around him he felt his balls clench.

Knowing he was ready to come and couldn’t stop himself, he
slid farther into his chair, pulling her mouth away. “Finish me with your hands.”
He closed his eyes against the pleasure as she slid them up and down his shaft,
faster and harder. As his hips jerked, his legs spasmed and he bit his tongue
to keep from calling out her name as he let himself go and came into her hands.

“Thank you,” he said as she laid her head upon his thigh,
the smell of her arousal dragging him back from the edge. The night was far
from over. As his thoughts turned again to her pleasure, he felt his body
willingly respond.

Oh my dear Miss Winter, this time you will be the one to
scream.

“Now I plan to soothe that perfect ass of yours,” he
promised as he pulled her to her feet, his voice so rough she could barely make
out the words. “Give it a taste of penetration you have not felt before.”

Alaina felt her head spin as he led her across the room,
pushing her to her knees on a soft pile of rugs before folding her over the
edge of the bed. She trembled when he knelt behind her and spread her knees
apart, one hand pressing her forward against the sheets when she whimpered and
tried to rise.

“You know the safeword,” he reminded her in a patient voice,
moving to tie her left hand to the bedpost before securing her right hand in
the exact same manner. “Curse me, scream, beg me to stop—but unless you say the
safeword I intend to stuff my fingers as far up your gorgeous ass as I possibly
can.”

He chuckled when she tried to pull her legs together, his
own thighs forming an unmoving barrier between hers. “Relax, my beauty.” He ran
his hands up her back as he folded his body over hers. “As always, your
pleasure is foremost in my mind.”

Before she could force her frozen mouth to work, he curled
his arms around her, his hands molding over her breasts as he bit into her neck
like a jungle cat capturing its mate.

His lubed cock was a huge mass of heat where it settled
between the cheeks of her bottom, hard, solid—ready to split her to the core.

Despite a voice that shrieked danger in her mind, her body
responded as it always did—jerking to dark and defiant arousal, her clit
swelling and demanding to be touched, her cunt clenching in wet anticipation. Even
the too-tight opening to her ass burning with a need to open, take him, let him
tunnel deep inside no matter what the cost to her pride.

As his fingers clamped around her nipples, Alaina bit her
teeth against the urge to scream, beg him to stop, beg him to take her, beg him
to do anything if he would soothe the want that threatened to drive her mad.

Not that she would beg. Not tonight. Not this once.

But oh God in heaven, the sting between her legs grew worse
as he continued to roll her nipples between his fingers, the buds of flesh
elongating into desperate knotted peaks.

Again she tried to close her legs—do anything to ease the
pressure building in her cunt—but his legs were strong as iron, his growl of
displeasure a warning in her ear.

“Not until you plead.” Alaina heard the catch in his voice
and knew his need was a match for her own. “Beg me to touch you—make you come.”
As she shook her head in stubborn refusal he moved one thigh to rub between her
legs, skimming over her clit, his skin slicked wet with the proof of her
desire.

“Yes, yes—please touch me,” Alaina heard herself whimper,
pressing her face into the sheets to hide the flush of embarrassment. “Please,
oh God, p-p-please.” She choked on her words as he slid one arm down her
stomach and between her legs, his fingers spreading, searching, coming at last
to strum across her clit.

Like an animal caught in the cage of its hunter Alaina
bucked beneath him, not knowing if she was trying to evade the aching pleasure
of his touch or to pull him in deeper to take her over the edge.

But he was not a man to rush his seduction, she had learned
from their previous encounter—despite the feel of his flesh along her bottom,
now so erect and engorged with blood she thought he must be in pain from the
pressure.

“Do you want as much as I do?” Alaina wiggled beneath him,
growing bold as she realized her power over him. “I know how much I please you,
Master. I know how you need to make me come in your arms.”

A groan escaped his throat, hurriedly muffled as he bit
again into her neck. But he couldn’t mask the shudder that shook him or the way
his body jerked in response.

“Keep that up and I will take you with my cock,” he promised
dangerously. Removing his other hand from her breast, he thrust his fingers
between her legs from behind, drenching them in the slick of her cunt before he
trailed the moisture back to her ass.

“And it would be a shame to take you fully before you are
ready. Unless you prefer more pain with your pleasure?” Without another warning
he slid his finger into the puckered opening. The shock of it thrusting through
the rigid ring of muscle was enough to make Alaina scream and jerk against her
restraints, only the soothing of his other hand at her clit keeping her from
struggling desperately against him.

But already the pain had turned to pleasure, her need a
wicked and brazen thing forcing her body to writhe against him—taking his
finger deeper and deeper, needing more pleasure, craving more pain.

She felt his thighs tremble as she whimpered her need and
marveled at his self-control, knowing hers was fading fast. “I need to come,”
she breathed against the bed. “I can’t control it any longer.”

But her Master had already made other plans. Before she
could suck in another breath he stuffed a second finger in her ass, forcing
another cry from her throat as he opened her even farther. But this time his
fingers clamped around her clit, pinching the inflamed pearl of flesh so hard
it brought her nearly to the edge.

Her cunt clenched as she felt the orgasm course along her
nerves, her ass answering in a pleasure she would never have anticipated and
the double stimulation beyond any bliss she’d ever anticipated.

“Let me feel you inside me,” she ordered, pushing back
against him, more than ready to take him all. “Do it now before I come without
you!”

And he obeyed, driving the length of him deep between her
thighs as his fingers thrust again into her ass, while he continued to strum
her clit. The combination was enough to send Alaina flying over the edge as the
orgasm ripped up her stomach to tingle in her hair.

She felt her body clench around his flesh, fisting him so
strongly he barely managed another thrust before she heard him suck in a breath
and felt his legs tremble against hers as he leapt to his own release.

When it was over and Alaina lay spent upon the bed, he rose
and turned off the lights, returning to untie her hands and remove her mask.

“You are more than I had dared to hope for.” His voice was as
gentle as she’d ever heard it. “Magnificent.” Then to her surprise he sat
beside her and pulled her into his lap, his hands raking her hair from her
face.

She struggled to make out anything of his features but the
room was black and she couldn’t see a thing. Tentatively she reached out to
brush her fingers across his mouth, growing bolder when he did not stop the
gesture.

“I wonder what you look like,” she admitted, the dark giving
her courage, “and whether I have ever seen you or passed you on the streets.”

He remained silent and removed, forcing a sigh from Alaina’s
lips. “It doesn’t matter,” she added haughtily. “I don’t have any plans to
track you down.”

His breath heaved out on a sigh. “To both our benefit,” he
said cryptically, crawling farther on the bed and pulling her with him,
snuggling them close as he’d never done before. “You have obeyed every rule of
the house. I admire you for that.”

“Mmmmmmm.” Alaina wanted to ask him if he’d played by the
same rules but then decided she didn’t want to know the answer. It didn’t
matter. Not now. Not when she felt closer to him than she ever had before.

For long moments he held her, silent and still and Alaina
had almost fallen asleep, soothed by the sound of his breath against her cheek,
until he rolled over and sat up, leaving her cold and alone.

“Good night,” he murmured, trailing a last caress across her
cheek before he rose and headed for the shower.

Unsettled after he left her, Alaina rose and got dressed in
haste, this time being the first to leave. As she drove herself home she felt
the very first stirrings of regret, already wanting more to the relationship
than a series of sexual encounters. Better to be the one to break it off than
wait for him to dump her, she thought miserably as she navigated the empty
streets. At least then her heart would be broken of its own accord.

She doubted he would miss her for longer than it took him to
find another partner, one who was just as anonymous behind her mask—one who
would please him just as well.

But her heart wasn’t buying any of her attempts at reason and
Alaina lay sleepless until well past dawn, wondering when he would send for her
again.

Alaina had been thrilled that Zayne had given her carte
blanche on the garden design despite the fact she had no real experience in the
field. But her instincts had been perfect. She allowed herself to gloat and she
could already tell how the flowers would look finished and in full bloom. Today
she was transplanting the old-fashioned rosebushes, pruning them into some
semblance of order along the back wall of the property and trying to save as
many of the original perennials as possible before the big machinery came and
plowed over everything as the main renovation work began.

Three weeks had passed since her last night at the Red Mask
Society. Three weeks of torture and longing and waiting for her mysterious
lover to call. But when the phone stubbornly refused to ring she’d put her
misery out of her head and turned to work instead.

Besides, she had Ryan to keep her on edge.

He’d taken an overly keen interest in her new job, showing
up at least once or twice a week to criticize her work or offer some suggestion
on how she could better maximize her time. His latest obsession was with her
work on restoring the gardens. On occasion, he actually rolled up his sleeves
to dig in the dirt or muscle out a weed that proved particularly stubborn.

Now she could see him out of the corner of her eye talking
with Zayne and she was struck again by the feeling she’d had when she’d first
seen them together—the sudden clench of her sex becoming a growing ache of
longing as she thought about the two men together making mad passionate love to
her.

Silly thoughts for a silly girl.

Her erotic nights were officially over. Until she could gain
some perspective on her recent past at the Red Mask Society, Alaina was in
celibate mode. No men, nowhere, no how, most especially the two she was working
with so closely—even if in her darkest desires she wanted them above all
others.

Which was entirely ridiculous. Ryan was the last man she
would ever have a relationship with. She could just picture him judging her
every move, giving her lessons on exactly how he liked to be handled, his mouth
pressing into that glorious frown that meant he was displeased—just like the
stranger behind the concealing mask.

A tremor of recognition shook her as she watched Ryan turn
and stride toward her. He was the same height. The same weight. The same—

It could not be possible.

Surely the fates would not be so cruel as to have thrown her
into Ryan’s bed then have her relish every second of the night.

Her legs shaking so bad they could not bear her weight,
Alaina was grateful she was already kneeling on the ground so she wouldn’t face
even more humiliation by dropping like a stone at his feet. And she was more
than glad her sunglasses hid her sudden shock.

Digging her hands deep into the muddy flowerbed to hide
their trembling, Alaina waited in dread as he approached, not knowing how she
was going to manage to carry on a casual conversation when every nerve she had
urged her to run screaming for cover—or screaming into his arms, whichever came
first.

Determined to ignore his presence and hope that by some
miracle he would walk on past, Alaina buried her head in the thorny bushes with
their beautifully scented blossoms until the man came to stand so close behind
her she could feel the heat that radiated from his skin.

“Good afternoon, Miss Winter,” he said, kneeling on the
ground beside her, looking all too delicious in a formfitting white t-shirt and
faded jeans—a marked change from his usual Italian suit attire. “I was just
speaking to Zayne about adding a fountain near the main entrance.”

“Uh-huh.” It was him, she realized with a certainty as she
recognized his voice. How in hell had she missed the signs? How in hell could
she have been so stupid? Her head spun with the knowledge, her stomach roiled
and she felt like she was going to pass out as he knelt beside her, reaching out
to touch her shoulder.

He must felt her tremble for his face grew pale with concern
as he took the clippers from her hand and forced her to face him. “Alaina, are
you well?”

“Take off your shirt,” she demanded.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Take off your damned shirt.” Her heart
hammered as she raised her eyes to his face, hoping against hope she would see
nothing but confusion in the eyes staring back at her. To her horror she saw
both guilt and regret in the clench of his jaw and the muscle that jumped at
the corner of his mouth. Before she could stop herself she clawed the collar of
his shirt, ripping it down to his stomach and baring the tattoo for both of
them to see.

“Alaina, please,” He reached out to catch her before she
could run but betrayal and humiliation gave her a newfound strength and she was
on her feet, grabbing the garden shears once again.

Shaking her head, she held the clippers before her like a
weapon as she backed away. “You knew. You knew, you bastard, you knew right
from the start.”

“I knew.” He rose to stand before her, his hands held out in
supplication. But I can explain—“

“Explain?” Alaina’s rage rose to beat back her shame, her
gaze glued to the shadow of the tattoo beneath his shirt, the exact same one
she had traced with her fingers—had tasted with her tongue. “No, you can’t
explain. Not now, not ever. Get away from me before I call the police. And you
had better not mention a word of this to Zayne or I promise I will have you
arrested for stalking. And don’t you ever,
ever
, show up here when I am
working or make any attempt to contact me at all.”

Refusing to acknowledge the pain she saw flicker in his
eyes, Alaina turned and ran, needing to get away from him as fast as possible—no
longer caring whether she looked like an idiot or not.

That ship had already left the harbor and headed out to sea.

* * * * *

Zayne proved entirely immune to her tirade when he met her
for dinner later that week. “Ryan was a man who wanted his woman very badly.”
He shrugged, reaching out to take her hand. “I would have done the same in his
position.”

Alaina shook her head. “You are too much a gentleman to pull
a stunt like that.”

“Am I?” He took her chin in his fingers, forcing her to face
him, his eyes as black and deadly as sin. “I am a man who takes what he wants
and doesn’t give a damn about the consequences. Believe me when I tell you that
I have done much worse for love and suffered the consequences accordingly. But
I have also suffered a very great loss and I would sell my soul to the devil
himself if I could have just one more minute in her arms.”

With a grunt of dismissal he sat back in his chair.
“Politeness has no place between a man and a woman, at least not when the need
to possess is stronger than civility. Ask yourself if what you really desire is
someone who asks permission to touch you or who begs your pardon as he thrusts
between your legs.”

This was an entirely new side to Zayne. But she was also
aroused by his passion and torment and began to appreciate that Ryan had such
feelings for her he was willing to go to extreme lengths to have her in his
arms.

“Should I forgive him so easily then?”

Zayne’s chuckle was dastardly. “Oh no, you should make him
pay in ways I cannot begin to speak of.” With that, he reached into his pocket
and handed her a note. “Think well before you let him go. We do not desire a
thing with such desperation until after it is ripped from our grasp.”

With that he stood and tossed a wad of bills on the table.
“Good night, Alaina.”

After he had taken his leave, she sat for a long time
staring at the paper in her hand, noting the elegant way he had written her
name. Then, before she could change her mind, she tore the note open.

“The god in me and the beast in me

And all deep things come up to light;

And I would barter my soul to be

The prize of love for a single night.”

~George Sylvester Viereck

I know you think me more the beast but I have never felt
so much a god than when I had you in my arms. I miss you. I need you. Please
meet me again. You will remember the place and time. Ryan

Glancing at the clock, Alaina realized that if she didn’t
leave that instant she would never make it to the Red Mask by eight. And he had
always been a stickler about punctuality. Madame Brisson handed her the mask
when she arrived, her smile holding both apology and concern.

“We will have a little chat later.” Alaina snatched the mask
from her hand. “But right now I can’t afford to be late.”

“You know the way.” Manette opened the door that led to the
private rooms. “I wish you pleasure,” she whispered as she helped Alaina don
the mask.

A buzz of electric energy hummed through her veins as she
made her way down the dark hallway, wishing she had a glass of champagne as her
mouth went dry, anticipation and nerves making her throat as barren of moisture
as the desert. As her mouth dried out her palms picked up the moisture, forcing
Alaina to run her hand down the side of her dress as she came to stand before
her master’s room.

Before her knees turned to jelly she rapped lightly on the
door. When he called for her to enter, her body began to shake, the now-familiar
ache between her legs growing to an unstoppable need as she turned the knob and
did as he commanded.

To her surprise the room was bright, several candles
throwing shadows along the walls as she stepped in and closed the door behind
her, seeing him standing across the room, unmasked, so she could read every
nuance of emotion that feathered across his face.

He looked amazing in a black tuxedo, bow tie undone and
shirt unbuttoned, one hand threading through his hair as he approached. She’d
never seen him do that before, never seen the tiniest hint of uncertainty in
his behavior and she could not tear her gaze away as he rubbed the stubble
along his jaw before he caught the gesture and dropped his hand to his side.

Before she could stop herself she’d taken a step toward him,
ready to comfort, ready to hold. Damn. The man made her weak with desire,
especially now when she knew who he was, remembered the way he’d made her feel,
the heat of his touch—the rasp of his skin.

If she was totally honest with herself she had to admit
there was a part of her that had always known who he was. How could she not
have missed the subtle purr of his voice or the way his eyes glittered wickedly
behind the mask? The same way they glinted when he was micromanaging on the
job, as if he enjoyed the game they played, liking the way she icily agreed to
his every command.

“Give me one good reason I should listen to a thing you have
to say.” She crossed her arms across her chest to keep from reaching out to
smooth his hair back into place.

“Because I cannot live without you, my beautiful Alaina,
either at work or in my bed. And I have a very great favor to ask of you
tonight.” He circled behind her, his breath hot and welcome against her skin.
“A very great favor for a very old friend.”

Alaina froze in place as she caught sight of the other man
sitting across the room, recognizing him instantly. Zayne Saladar. How had she
not noticed him before?

“Are you willing?” Ryan’s voice was beyond intent as he ran
his fingers through her hair, skimming his knuckles along her cheek. “You may
leave the mask on for now—but you will remove it before the night is over.”

Alaina let Ryan pull her back against him, his body already
taut and stiff with need. “Is he going to watch or do you plan to share me?”

“Which would you prefer?”

To her shame she remembered all the times she had fantasized
about being taken by the two men. The images once again took root in her mind
and latched on with such force she couldn’t deny the thrill that raced along
her flesh. Already she had grown so wet between the legs she thought both men
must smell her arousal and she wasn’t far wrong when Zayne stood and crossed to
stand beside her, one hand holding out his glass of champagne for her to sip,
the other running down her stomach as he brought his face close to her neck.

“You smell like paradise.” Some of her doubt must have reached
him for he pulled away and tipped her face to his. “You do not have to do this.
Just say the word and I will leave. But I would rather stay,” he added, so softly
she could barely hear. “I have been looking forward to this for many days now.”

He placed the glass of champagne to her lips, urging her to
drink. Needing the distraction, Alaina took a decent swallow and wondered how
the encounter was going to play out. Would they take turns? One man watch while
the other—

She didn’t have to wait long for an answer as Zayne nodded
to Ryan, who immediately grabbed both her wrists and pulled them tight behind
her. Now her breasts were raised for Zayne’s inspection and he wasted no time
in plucking at their tips, rubbing them hard between his fingers until Alaina gasped
in pleasure and pain.

Ryan’s body was like a rock against her back, the growing
length of his cock pressing between her legs as he pulled her even closer,
lowering his head to nip her neck with his teeth.

Not content until she was fully bared to both their gazes,
Zayne unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it over her shoulders as Ryan released
one of her wrists at a time and let the garment fall carelessly to the floor.

Her bra went next followed by her skirt and panties, leaving
her clad in only her stockings.

“On or off?” Zayne snugged his finger beneath one lacy top.
“Would you like to change places before you decide?”

“Most certainly.” Ryan waited until Zayne had moved behind
her and taken over the capture of her wrists before he moved to stand before
her, his eyes as dark as midnight as he studied her anew.