The voice came sometimes in the middle of the night, a swirl of sexual images of naked men in a tangle of limbs, sucking at her breasts, thrusting their fingers deep inside of her as she screamed for release. The dreams were relentless, until she would wake in the middle of the night, bucking her hips upward into empty space, the tension pounding through her body until she moaned in agony and waited for the feeling to pass. With an iron-willed control, she never let herself go, never pleasured herself.
How many times had she tried with a vibrator? Desperation pushed her to experiment with letting go of her inhibitions, but something inside her immediately shut down the moment she began to near orgasm.
Yes, she was messed up. She’d thought about going to a sex therapist but hadn’t taken the leap. Hailey had grown up with an overpowering need to control her life to the last detail, which included her sexuality. Much easier to deny the wanting then pass over the edge of no return. Because the voice that came to her deep in the darkness always reminded her once she plummeted into her sexual fantasies, she’d never come back.
But the voice was growing stronger. She’d always been able to keep the echo to a low murmur. Now, the roar crashed through her mental barriers at night and left her aching for so much more.
She admitted to obsessing a bit over Ciro Demitris. Once she’d seen his picture in the company’s quarterly newsletter, something had clicked inside. Looking into those stunning blue eyes, something had happened to her. The article in Fortune magazine sketched him as a private eccentric who lived an isolated life. He was well-known for his sexual appetites—talking openly that sex should be a way to achieve pleasure, and there was no right or wrong way. It was in exact contradiction to her parents’ beliefs. Since she saw Ciro, she’d been dreaming of him nightly and how he could eventually free her.
Hailey wanted him to be the one to do all the things she fantasized about. She didn’t want to be afraid any longer of losing control.
She sensed he’d be experienced enough to know what to do. Maybe he’d even see her as a challenge. Her instincts screamed he was the one meant for her, and this time, Hailey intended to follow her gut. When the invite arrived, she knew the time had come to take a chance.
Her life was perfect on paper. Strong financial background. Solid career path. The ability to choose any path she craved. Yet, she felt unfulfilled and empty as she moved through her days. She admitted she was now more scared of being trapped in her ideal life than she was of embarking on a reckless affair.
Theodore was her safety net. The friend who had her back, in work and in her personal life. He was sweet, and supportive. But he’d never understand her hidden dark fantasies, or the struggle to finally be free.
“I’ll be fine.” She said the words firmly but a quiver in her belly screamed she was a liar.
He nodded, obviously deciding to accept her decision. “Okay. So, what’s the plan?”
“I already know where I can rent my costume and mask. The party starts Thursday night, and ends Sunday. Everyone unmasks at dawn on the final night. The map was enclosed with the invitation so I know how to get there.” She brightened. “Why don’t you come with me? This party could help you, too.”
He winced. “Boy, you’re full of complements this morning. I happen to be satisfied with my dull life.”
“You need a woman, old friend. I think your last date was six months ago, almost the same time mine was,” she teased.
“Sorry, the Bulls game is on. No glamour queen can compete.”
“You’re still hung up on her, aren’t you?” she asked softly.
He stiffened, then consciously relaxed his fingers around the invitation. “My faithless ex-wife is off having a grand old time with her boyfriend. I never give her a second thought.”
“It’s been two years, Theodore.”
He gave a lopsided grin, full of his usual charm. “She never let me watch the basketball games. How could I possibly miss her?”
She let him coax a smile from her. “Okay, I give. I should know by now you’ll never be one of these tortured heroes like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. I’ve got to stop forcing that role on you.”
“Deal,” he said. He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a meeting at ten. Davidson has a new software program he’s still working kinks out of and my head’s on the block. Our charming
boss will fire me in a heartbeat if I don’t get it working. Hmmm, maybe if you two hit it off you can put in a good word for me.”
“Cute, real cute.” She paused, then bit her lip as she tried to broach the subject. “Theodore, I’ve got to ask you for one small favor.”
He rubbed his fingers against his temple as if anticipating a headache. Black strands of hair ruffled under the motion, then settled back into place. “Why am I afraid to ask?”
“Well, since it’s a masquerade ball, and you so intelligently pointed out I don’t really know what our boss looks like, I need to know what he’ll be wearing.”
He blinked. “There’s going to be hundreds of people in that mansion. All in masks and costumes. How am I supposed to get this information?”
“Oh, come on, you’ve got the inside on all the top people in this firm. We both know this party is presented as a social occasion, but it’s still about business. Executives are going to want to get the ear of Ciro Demitris. I bet there are people who’ll know exactly what his costume is. I just need you to be one of them.”
“You don’t ask for much. Just the impossible.”
She grinned cheekily. “Use your charm. That’s why you’ve been promoted to Director, isn’t it?”
“And your smart comebacks are why you’re still a lowly manager.”
