“How?”
His gaze dipped to my cleavage, and his smile became dangerous. “Not only the obvious. You looked like someone on the brink of making tonight a time of no regrets. As if you were trying to decide if the mask would allow you to forget society’s boundaries and revel in your short-lived freedom.”
I swallowed, because he was right. My life was dictated by rules and expectations. I was always being watched, but tonight I was cloaked in anonymity. Soon I’d submit to my family’s demands, to society’s demands, and later to my husband’s demands—for a time at least.
“What kind of revelry could a girl entertain at a party like this?” I whispered.
His eyes flashed with eagerness. He lowered his head, his lips brushing my ear. “There are plenty of pleasures to explore, my dear.”
Heat pooled in my lower belly. “I’d need someone to explore them with.”
His grip on me tightened. “Come.” He pulled me away from the dance floor. Nobody was watching us; not like they would have done if they’d known I was Jean Whitney.
I followed him through the acrobat room until we arrived on a large balcony overlooking the vast premises, including a maze and a lake. We were alone. The party had only just begun, and people were busy eating or schmoozing up to one another. He led me toward the banister and positioned himself behind me, so close his warmth covered my back.
“What’s your name?” I whispered so as not to disturb the quiet up here. We were in a world of our own, and I wanted it to stay like that forever. Reality seemed an eternity away.
“You can call me Dark,” he murmured.
“Dark,” I mused with a smile. “You can call me Gigi.”
That was the nickname my friends at boarding school had given me. A cutesy form for Jean.
“Gigi, a cute name for a cute girl.”
I wasn’t a daredevil, and definitely more goody-two-shoes than seductress but tonight I wanted to be someone else. “Not tonight.”
“Hmm…” His lips lightly brushed my throat, and I shivered from the sensual touch. “Tell me Gigi, will I get in trouble if I do what I want to do with you?”
I tipped my head to the side to give him better access. “I’m of age.”
“That’s not what I mean. I’m going to be very blunt. I want to have my way with you tonight. Are the things I desire promised to anyone else?”
“No,” I said, because they weren’t. At least not as far as I was concerned. I hadn’t given my yes to Mr. Chanler yet, and as long as there wasn’t a ring on my finger, I didn’t feel committed to him. “My firsts are mine.”
He paused. “Your firsts?” His lips traveled up to my cheek. “What firsts can I conquer tonight?”
His palm pressed to my belly then slowly slid up to my ribcage. My nipples were almost painfully hard with anticipation. “All of them,” I got out.
“You’ve never been kissed.”
I bit my lip. “Not by a man. I kissed a girl in boarding school once because we were curious.” I’d never admitted it to anyone.
“How was it?”
“Okay, I suppose, but I’m not into girls.” My friend and I had giggled all evening over our awkward attempt at French kissing.
He shook his head, our lips inches apart. “Okay isn’t cutting it.”
I breathed out, and then his mouth was on mine, hot and demanding. His tongue parted me, teasing, tasting, forcing my own tongue into a sensual dance that made wetness pool between my thighs. He cupped my breast over the fabric, and I moaned into his mouth, shocked by his daring even if he’d warned me. His touch was firm, confident. He was, no doubt, a man well-acquainted with the female body.
Steps rang out, a pair of heels and maybe a man’s cadence, as well. I stiffened, and Dark pulled out of the kiss but kept his arm wrapped across my chest, his big palm cupping my breast. Turning my head to the side, my chin braced on Dark’s muscular arm, I spotted another couple stepping up to the banister at the other corner of the balcony. After a brief nod at us, they focused on each other and the maze down below.
To my utter shock, Dark hooked a thumb in my corset and pulled it down until my breast popped out. The cool night air pebbled my nipple. My eyes flew up to his, and he gave me a challenging smile, waiting for me to protest. His fingertip brushed my nipple before he snatched it up between his thumb and forefinger, tugging and twirling.
Wetness trickled out of me, from the touch and from the knowledge that we could be caught at any moment. Dark’s breathing was low and full of desire as he pulled me closer against him. Something hard dug into my ass. He pinched my nipple, and my mouth opened for a cry, but he swallowed the sound with a forceful kiss. The low murmur of voices reminded me of the other couples, of the risk of being watched.
He pinched and tugged while his mouth played with mine, making me a slave to his demands. His other hand slid down from my belly to my skirt. He pressed hard, but through the many layers of my skirt I could only feel a distant pressure. Cursing my heavy dress, I pressed my thighs together, seeking relief. He dragged his mouth away from mine, bowed his head, and latched onto my nipple. I gripped the back of his head. This felt strangely erotic with this masked stranger, as if I was indeed being devoured by a creature of the night. His teeth nicked my nipple, and I gasped in surprise.
My eyes darted to the corner of the balcony, but the other couple was gone. I wasn’t sure when they’d left. I didn’t care. I reached back, rubbing him through his pants. He was big and hard and scorching hot. I looked down at his still-smirking lips now wrapped around my nipple, sucking it hard and sending spear after spear of desire through my body. His teeth grazed my nipple again. I’d never known that the hint of pain could add to my arousal.
“I’m so close,” I pleaded. He jerked up, covered my breast with my corset and took my hand.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my mind hazy with need.
“Taking you to a place where I can make you come.”
I didn’t protest.
3
The Constantines had set up a jetty on their lake where golden, intricately decorated gondolas anchored. They drifted on the black surface, illuminated by an array of torches and the starry night sky. There was even a narrow canal breaching off from the lake with an arched bridge over it, reminding me of Venice. I wasn’t sure how they’d set it all up. I’d never seen their garden by daylight, but I doubted any of this extravagancy was usually part of it.
Dark led me down to the jetty. This part of the gardens, far from the music and buffet, was still mostly deserted, and the lake was vast. Another couple was gliding over the oil-black surface.
“This isn’t very private,” I whispered.
Dark flashed his teeth at me in a predatory smile. “Private enough.”
My heartrate picked up, and I wondered what I was doing following this unknown man toward a secluded part of the premises where he could just as well choke me to death.
Dark helped me into the gondola closest to us and kept me steady as I sank down on the plush satin-covered chair.
The gondola swayed gently on the water as Dark settled beside me. “Are you friends with the Constantines?” I asked into the silence while Dark paddled us away from the other couple.