Mask of Desire (Falling for the Billionaire #2) (4 page)

He didn’t speak much, only with
head nods, waves, and a few casual
hello’s
.  Those who dared to throw
their hand out for a quick shake were met with a vicious glare.  All but three
people took their hands back and Bradley shook the hands that remained.

At the front doors, two men opened
them and another came to take Bradley and Becky to the grand ballroom.

“I must say,” the short man with
white gloves said, “that it is requested all masks must be worn before entering
the gathering.”

“Of course,” Bradley said.

He slipped his black mask over his
head and then looked at Becky.  She slid the diamond plated mask over her face
and slid her arm into Bradley’s. 

“Perfect,” the man said.  “You two
look just perfect together.  Mr. Bradley… she’s going to make you such a happy
man.  She’s going to be the perfect wi-”

“Open the damn doors,” Bradley
growled.

The man apologized for speaking out
of tone and opened the doors to the ballroom.  As Bradley walked, Becky felt
pulled behind him.  She wanted to pause time and rewind.  She wanted to know
what the man had to say.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

Within two seconds of entering the
room, Bradley pointed across the room at a man and woman standing at a large
table.  They both wore large orange masks, the woman’s mask layered with
feathers.  The man’s mask was simple but had a glow to it that screamed
expensive.

“That’s our meeting,” Bradley
said.  “At least to start with.  Come.  Hurry.”

Bradley moved with swift movements,
cutting in and out of people needed, even slamming into the back of a man.  He
gasped for air and spun around, taking his mask off with a look of hatred.  His
lips curled revealing a set of yellowing teeth.  Nothing like the sorts of a
rich man.

“Do you mind?” he bellowed at
Bradley.

It was the only time Bradley
stopped.  He turned and lifted his mask at the man.  Becky never saw someone
retreat so fast in all her life.  The man’s eyes opened five times wide and his
mouth fell open.

“Mr. Bradley… I didn’t realize… I…
sir…”

“Do you mind?” Bradley asked.

“Sir.  No.  Sorry…”

Bradley pulled his mask down and
kept walking.  He leaned towards Becky.  “His company was three days away from
closing.  His wife had her bags packed to leave him.  His mistress had already
flown back to California.  Guess who stepped in with a last second investment
that saved him?”

Becky didn’t answer.

Through the crowd they hustled and
when Bradley moved his hand down to hers, he didn’t just hold her hand, palm to
palm, he opened his fingers, letting his interlock with hers.  It sent a warm
rush through Becky’s body.  She wanted this to be… this.  Right now.  Tonight. 
Tomorrow.

“Good evening,” Bradley called out.

There was soft stringed music in
the background.  It was a soothing sound even though it didn’t sooth Becky one
bit.

“Well now, who do we have here?”
the man asked.  He removed his orange mask and set it upon the table in front
of him.

He was a portly man with a thick
black moustache.  His eyebrows matched, looking dangerously close to
connecting.  He had a thick mop of unkempt black hair too.  His eyes were large
and happy looking.  The man looked goofy and the woman next to him stood a half
a foot taller than him.  She had thick blonde hair and stood with her hip
cocked out, a perfect figure of a woman.

It almost made Becky feel
uncomfortable.

“Mr. Carlello,” Bradley said as he
took his mask off.  “I’m happy to see you.”

“Ah, yes, Mr. Bradley.  I’m
surprised you’re here.”

“Surprised?  Why would I miss such
a party?”

“Well, I know how you feel about
social gatherings and all.”

“True, very true.  But I needed a
night out.  A night to show off my beautiful bride.”

Becky turned her head to Bradley. 

“Bride,” Becky whispered.

“Oh yes, that’s right,” Bradley
said as he looked back to Mr. Carlello.  “I’m in such husband mode these days. 
This isn’t my wife… yet.  This is my fiancée, Rebecca.”

6.

B
ecky,
now being called Rebecca again, had only been somewhat prepared for Bradley’s
need for her to be anything.  She assumed that meant something different than
the words
wife
or
fiancée
and if she had to be honest with
herself, she wanted it to be sexual.  It seemed the more time she spent with
Bradley, the more she wanted him physically.  She had never been the type to be
so wild and open, but when he looked at her, it was like he was opening her
mind, body, and soul.  All at once.  She couldn’t get enough of his sex, of his
taste, of the desperate need to pleasure him again and again.  She believed
that a man existed behind the steel wall of good looks and hunger for success
that Bradley put up.

And now…

“Your beautiful fiancée,” Carlello
said as he clapped his fat hands together.  “Please take your mask off.  I need
to see you…”

Becky looked at Bradley before
listening to Carlello.  Bradley’s word was the final word.  He nodded at her so
Becky took the mask off.

“Look at you, my lovely dear,
you’re beautiful.  What a find.  What a steal!”

Becky raised an eyebrow and looked
to Bradley.

Bradley half smiled.  His face was
smug, knowing damn well that he had set this whole thing up.

“She’s an angel,” Bradley said, his
eyes locked on Becky’s.  “She sort of appeared from nowhere really.  She was just
there one day…”

Bradley’s other hand reached for
Becky and he faced her.  All their fingers were interlocked, Bradley taking the
lead, sliding his fingers up and down along Becky’s fingers.  The move was
subtle but it was laced with so much erotic meaning that Becky felt her face
burning. 

“Bradley,” she whispered.

She didn’t get her moment to
finish.

“She took my heart, and my life. 
All together.  The final piece to my puzzle I guess you could say.” 

When Bradley looked back to
Carlello, Becky found herself on the brink of tears.  Her heart raced, and no
matter how much she wanted to doubt what Bradley had just said, she couldn’t
help but note that he was still holding her hands.  They were still
interlocked, holding each other.  His fingers still moving along her fingers. 
His palms, sweating. 

He was nervous.

“I promised I’d be settled by
thirty, didn’t I?” Bradley asked Carlello.

“That you did, that you did. 
You’re pushing it, but good for you.  Hey, why don’t we go into my room, talk
more?”

Carlello raised an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Bradley said.

“The women can wait for us while we
talk business.”  Carlello moved his stare to Becky.  “Drink all you want, my
love.  Eat all you want, with consideration, of course.  Enjoy the party, and
please, keep to the one rule… the mask stays on.”

Carlello put his mask back on as
did Bradley.  Becky followed next and before she could speak again, Bradley
grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug.  His lips were
at her ears again.

“Stand here, and wait.  Don’t
move.  Don’t speak to another person.  You’re doing wonderful, dear Becky.  I
promise… your reward is going to be…”  Bradley’s tongue flicked her ear.  “…
amazing
…”

With that, he released his hold,
spun, and was gone.

As Becky watched Carlello put an
arm around Bradley’s back and pat him, she couldn’t help but wonder what was
actually at hand here.  No matter what it was, it certainly excited her.  Her
heart reminded her that with such excitement comes a climax, followed by pain,
but Becky ignored that.  She simply looked around the room, realizing just how
extravagant this party was.  If it were actually a party.  Becky didn’t need to
be rich or successful to know what the purpose of this party was.  People were
talking, dealing, sharing, backstabbing.  An excuse to gather the richest of
the rich together to swap secrets, tell tales, and perhaps handshake and ink
the next big deal or investment.

The meeting
, after all the
build up, the talk, the dress, the mask, and standing in the ballroom for what
felt like hours, came to an end less then thirty minutes after Bradley
disappeared with Carlello.  They came walking back, this time with Bradley
having his arm around Carlello.  Their masks were off and both men had smiles
on their faces.  Bradley had a much more satisfying smile than Carlello, who
looked forced into smiling.

When they arrived back to the
table, Bradley hurried to grab for Becky’s hands.  He pulled her close again
and embraced her, not letting go.

“It’s done,” he whispered. 
“Perfect, and done.”

“What’s done?” Becky asked.

“Soon.”

He faced Carlello now and extended
his hand, shaking with Carlello. 

Carlello put his hand to
Bradley’s.  “You’re a good man Bradley, and you’re going to make a great
husband.  Glad to see you settled.”

Bradley put his hand on top of
Carlello’s.

It looked like an old cartoon Becky
remembered where two characters would put their hands on a baseball bat and
keep going up and up until there was no more baseball bat left to grip.

“I’m glad we’re settled,” Bradley
said.  “It’s about damn time.”

Carlello laughed and his large
belly shook under his suit.

They broke their handshake and
Carlello put a hand to his wife’s lower back.  She looked at him and stepped
closer.

Nothing real and for that matter,
Carlello’s wife had stood with her mask on like a statue.  He obviously had
full command of the woman. 

Becky had an image of herself being
like that.  Then again, if she were able to have Bradley and Bradley pleasured
her, she’d do anything.

“I’m going to let you tend to the
other guests,” Bradley said.  “You have a busy night… and a busy week ahead.”

“We both do,” Carlello said.

“Sure thing.”

The meeting ended there and Bradley
hurried Becky away.  They didn’t stop walking again until they left the
ballroom and went to the main bar of the hotel.  Bradley pulled a stool out for
Becky and helped her sit down on it.  It was obvious Becky wasn’t used to
wearing such a fancy dress and it took her a little bit to figure out how to
get comfortable without her dress pulling too tight, too uncomfortable, or
having her dress expose more than it should.

Bradley motioned for the bartender
and ordered two martinis.  Becky was more of a seven dollar bottle of wine girl
herself but she enjoyed the martini, appreciating the alcohol.  When Bradley
wanted a second drink, Becky smiled.  She needed it.  Bad.

Their silence finally broke when
Bradley began to speak.

“I’ve been dealing with Carlello
for a year now,” he said.  “He’s got a hold in Japan like I’ve never seen.  And
I want to be there.  And now I am.”

Bradley lifted his glass and
cheered the air, then drank.

“Why did I need to be here then?”
Becky asked. 

Bradley glanced at her and smiled. 
A real smile.  “Moral support.  And plus, look at you.  You’re stunning.  You
stole the breath out of the party.  And me.”

Becky had to look away.  She
finished her second drink and knew that if she looked back at Bradley, she’d
dive at him.  She’d kiss him.  She’d have him.  When she closed her eyes, she
did so to collect herself.  What she didn’t see was Bradley moving towards
her.  He spoke and made Becky jump.

“You were amazing.  I have a
surprise for you, us.”

“What is it?” Becky asked, keeping
her eyes shut.

“Upstairs.  In
our
room.”

Before Becky could speak again,
Bradley’s hands were around her, pulling her from the barstool.  She had to
open her eyes then and they walked to the elevator.  It made her smile,
thinking of how everything had begun because of an elevator ride gone wrong.

7.

T
he
room was small but elegant.  It fit the aura of the old building.  All that
really mattered though was that it had a large bed.  A bed that Bradley wasn’t
shy about using.  With the door shut and locked, Bradley walked up behind Becky
and walked her to the bed.  He stopped with a foot between them and bed.  His
body was pressed against Becky’s, his stiffness already present.  His hands
moved from her hips up her sides and forward, grazing her covered breasts until
he reached her skin.  Becky put her head back, feeling Bradley’s hard chest and
she closed her eyes.  She breathed heavy, letting out small sighs as his
fingers touched her neck and even sampled her lips.

When his hands came back down, he
pulled at her dress, wanting to expose her breasts, but he couldn’t.  The dress
was made perfect for Becky’s body.  He took a hand and unzipped Becky’s dress,
all the way down to the small of her back.  The dress opened and Becky felt
exposed but also felt comfortable.  The more she was with Bradley, the easier
it got, the more open she felt, and most of all, the hotter everything became. 

His hand moved into her open dress
and up, cutting across her right shoulder, forcing the strap down.  Becky bent
her arm and lifted, letting the side of the dress off her arm.  They repeated
the same move for her left arm without speaking a single word.  The silence was
erotic. 

With the straps off her arms,
Bradley moved back around front and pulled the dress down Becky’s body.  All
that remained now was a strapless bra that barely covered any of her aching
breasts.  It was there just to cover her nipples and Bradley easily pulled it
off, pushing it down with the dress.

Her breasts were fully exposed and
Bradley’s warm hands cupped her.  He thrust himself forward and groaned,
squeezing her.  His left hand moved from her breast, allowing all his fingers
to run along her nipple, teasing her to the point where she had to stand on her
toes.  Each time she stood on her toes and came back down, she felt herself
rubbing on Bradley’s erection.