Bizarrely, she got the distinct impression that this stranger would bend for no one. A crazy thought to have about someone she’d only met for mere seconds. Someone whose face she couldn’t even see. And crazy that it should send another shiver of excitement down her spine.
A hum of electricity infused her blood. Yesterday evening, when Benjamin Carter had precipitated similar sensations, she’d escaped as fast as she could. And now she was feeling all those things again. It was almost a relief—proof that his effect on her wasn’t exclusive.
The crowd seemed to be pressing in around them, pushing them closer together. Heat prickled over Lia’s skin in earnest now. A little panicked by her strong reactions, she said, ‘It’s getting claustrophobic in here, don’t you think?’
‘Would you like to get some air?’
Lia nodded, heart hammering. He expertly divested her of her half-empty glass and put a hand under her elbow. She found herself trying to assess if his palms were smooth or callused, but the crowd was jostling them too much. Then he was opening the French doors and leading her outside. It was late autumn, not quite yet winter, and the air was fresh. She moved away from him and gulped in deep breaths, her head feeling light. She put it down to the sparkling wine and the sudden rush of oxygen.
She went and put her hands on the stone wall, aware of the man coming to stand beside her, but keeping a distance that she appreciated. The lights of Manhattan sparkled around them, and Central Park was a dark shadow in the distance. There was silence between them for a moment, but it wasn’t awkward. This unexpected encounter was taking on an unreal quality.
‘I could never get tired of this view even if I lived here,’ Lia said.
The man turned towards her. ‘Where do you live?’
She glanced at him, finding the mask disconcerting but also a little...thrilling. Not knowing who she was speaking to was freeing, in some way. As if the normal social niceties could be ignored. The sheer breadth of his chest under his shirt made her hands itch. She felt very feminine next to his tall, broad body.
‘I live just outside London, in Richmond.’
The man made an appreciative sound.
Lia smiled. ‘You know it?’
She heard an answering smile in his voice. ‘It’s a nice place. Expensive.’
Lia commented dryly, ‘The tickets for this event start at a cool six thousand dollars, so I’m guessing that you’re no stranger to the more salubrious end of the property scale.’
Now he shrugged lightly. ‘I can’t deny that.’
Lia thought she saw the glitter of light eyes behind the mask and her heart beat a little faster. This felt risky...dangerous. But still thrilling.
She had never felt comfortable flirting, not having had her mother to guide her. She’d been so young when her mother had left them, and the all-girls weekly boarding school she’d attended hadn’t done much to help her grow more comfortable around boys and men.
But at least by the time she’d left school the acute shyness that had blighted her earlier years had been largely a thing of the past. Although even now that awkward stuttering girl still lurked deep within Lia, reminding her of the fact that a lot of what she projected was an elaborate act.
It was an act so effective that her ex-fiancé had been incredulous to discover that she was a virgin when they’d had sex for the first time, which had only added to the mortification she’d felt when the experience had proved to be painful and generally underwhelming.
But now she felt confident, and a little reckless. ‘So, is your role tonight to be as enigmatic and unrecognisable as possible?’
‘Is it working?’
His tone was light, but Lia could sense an edge. It added to the air of illicit danger and excitement.
‘Well, you’ve got the unrecognisable part down to a T.’
‘Ouch,’ he said softly. ‘Clearly I have to work on being an enigma.’
Once again Lia had the distinct impression that being enigmatic came all too easily to this stranger. And he knew it. Even without seeing his face she could sense his sheer command and charisma. He was somebody.
She felt even more reckless as she said, ‘Are we going to exchange names?’
‘Do you want to?’
Lia nodded, and then shivered lightly. It was as if she could feel his gaze on her now, even though she couldn’t see his eyes. It was like a caress across her skin.
Obviously misreading her shiver, he took off his jacket and settled it around her shoulders before she could protest. The heat from his body felt absurdly intimate, and she was acutely aware of his fingers brushing the bare skin of her shoulders.
Was it her imagination, or had they lingered a moment? ‘Thank you.’ Her voice was husky.
He was closer now—close enough that she could see his stubbled jaw under the mask. It looked strong, defined. His scent was masculine, woody and musky.
To her surprise she felt her lower body clench in reaction, and a rush of damp heat between her legs. That very physical reaction sent a dose of reality rushing back. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t a usual state for her to be in... For a second she wondered what had changed inside her. How could she be reacting so wantonly to two men in the space of two nights?
The stranger cut into her thoughts with his deep voice. ‘Are you sure you want to exchange names?’
Lia wasn’t so sure now. That slap of reality had reminded her that she was out of her depth here. But she wasn’t ready to burst this sensual bubble yet. She was pretending to be something she wasn’t—confident. Experienced.
Feeling absurdly regretful, she said, ‘I’m not sure if I do...but we can’t hide for ever...’
She heard the smile in his voice again. ‘It’s tempting, though, isn’t it?’
She nodded, feeling something melting inside her at the sense of kinship she felt. She desperately wanted to keep pretending to be someone else for another small moment, and helplessly she found her feet moving closer.
He seemed to reach for her at the same time, and his hands cupped her jaw, thumbs caressing her cheeks. ‘You’re exquisite—do you know that?’
Lia shook her head, embarrassed. She knew without false modesty that she was pleasant enough to look at, but she’d never felt truly beautiful. She looked at women sometimes and saw that they owned their innate sensuality in such a way that she envied them. And it had nothing to do with being the perfect size or having a pretty face.
But right now...even though half her face was obscured by a mask...she felt an inkling of it. For the first time. Her mouth tingled and she imagined his gaze on her there. Her lips parted and his hands tightened on her face. An urgency seemed to infuse the air around them...the atmosphere grew thick and heavy.
Excitement rushed through her. Lia reached up one hand, to touch his mask. Her heart thumping so hard she wondered if he could hear it, she started pushing it up, desperately wanting to see him, wanting his mouth to touch hers.
She caught a glimpse of his lower lip and then one hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her. His voice sounded rough. ‘You might not like what you see.’
Lia shook her head. She knew, just knew that she needed to see who he was more than she needed to draw breath. She pulled her hand free and was about to tip his mask up again when a voice broke through the thick tension.
‘Lia! There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I’m having a total crisis—you have to help me.’
The mood snapped instantly. The man stepped back and Lia’s hand dropped to her