Theodore dragged in a breath and thought over the past year they spent together. He couldn’t pinpoint the moment he fell in love with her. He believed it was a gradual deepening of emotion. Slow and steady rather than hot and fast.
Before long, they were having movie nights together with a tub of popcorn, feet propped up on the table clad in comfortable sweatpants. They took tennis lessons and teased each other over their bumbling inaccuracies and lack of coordination. He didn’t remember when he stopped grieving his wife and looked toward the future. A future he wanted to share with Hailey.
Theodore began to pace. He’d been officially friend-zoned and cock-blocked. To much time had passed before he realized he wanted her naked and in his arms. He watched her date a variety of men with a knot in his gut. At least, she rarely got past a few dates. The man would always demand a certain level of intimacy, and Hailey would come back to him; her safe, comfortable friend. But whenever he felt courageous enough to take their relationship to the next level, he sensed the distance within her and he always backed off.
She’d never let him be her lover.
Hailey was too comfortable in their routine to risk a change. Too comfortable taking a chance and ruining their friendship. She wanted the safety of their relationship and the guarantee she’d never be asked for more.
He cursed under his breath. Hailey was his other half. So eager to control all aspects of her life, that life began to control her. He’d pursued the same path after his wife left him. But now he wanted Hailey enough to take a leap – even if it meant losing her forever.
Theodore knew she was afraid to let go, and admitted he became intrigued by becoming the man to tap into those hidden parts. Her body screamed sex, but her aura kept men firmly away. Soon, the friendship became torture, until he’d leave her home in an agony of sexual frustration, with no way to get what he wanted.
Until now.
He’d noticed a change in her the past few weeks. A restless gleam within those sky blue eyes; a distraction in her work. He watched her talk with other men and found she was more open; more flirtatious. Like a juicy fruit on the vine, Hailey was ready to be picked; savored; eaten. After all the years of celibacy, she’d reached her explosion point. Rage wrenched at him when he heard of her plan. He’d lose her. Somehow, she was finally ready to take a chance and explore her sexuality, but not with Theo.
Instead, she’d picked a stranger with a heartless reputation who would use her and throw her away. Theodore did not intend for that to happen. If his lady wanted to be seduced and fucked, he planned to give her exactly what she wanted.
On his terms.
Theo stopped pacing and stared in the mirror. The stage was set. He’d studied Demitris’ photo and carefully changed enough of his appearance to his satisfaction. Contact lenses turned his brown eyes to blue. He’d slicked his hair back away from his face in the style that made Ciro famous for female fantasies, and pierced his left ear with one diamond earring. His cloak and mask would cover his body, though he was similar height and weight.
But he knew more than his appearance needed to change.
Theodore shook his head when he thought of the past year and his behavior. He always played the protector, not the seductor. This weekend would give him the opportunity to slip into a more dominant role. Demitris was a loner. Probably a control freak. Used to getting women and weary of the games they played. He would take all of those elements and use them for the role. Hailey confessed she wanted to be free to become a different woman.
He intended to be a different man.
Hailey expected the billionaire and wouldn’t search for similarities to her safe, dull friend. He felt confident she wouldn’t recognize him. The rest he’d leave to Fate.
Theo switched off the lights. He knew Hailey would never give him the opportunity to please her. The need was always a distant glimmer in her blue eyes, a need he intended to satisfy this weekend. And when it was all over, and he unmasked, if she turned him away at least he would have the memory of her to warm the cold nights ahead. The memory of her breasts in his mouth; his dick thrust deep inside her heat; her screams echoing in his ear. Anything was worth that.
Anything.
CHAPTER TWO
Hailey reached the mansion after sundown.
She looked up in wonderment at the white washed stucco gleaming under the first splash of moonlight. Set on a hill, surrounded by palm trees and thick vegetation, it reminded her of a place out of a fantasy. Multiple decks hooked around the first and second story, offering visitors an enthralling view of the beach. Hailey breathed in the fragrant air scented with exotic florals, picking her way over the curving pathway. The sounds of laughter, music, and the crash of waves caressed her ears and called to her as if in a dream. She paused at the steps and took in the scene before her.
People gathered on the decks and throughout the gardens, sipping champagne. Colorful masks and brilliant costumes filled her vision and added to the dreamlike quality. And she realized for the first time, she could explore the real Hailey Ashton, who was safely hidden behind her mask and would not have to be exposed until the final night.
She grabbed a glass of champagne and made her way deeper into the gardens, seeking a moment to gather her composure. Erotic statues scattered the grounds amidst a Koi Pond and several waterfalls. A few people bumped her from behind, pushing her forward. She glanced around, trying to be brave, and wondered how she was going to find him. The man could be anywhere.
Maybe she’d go inside the house and explore each floor. Work her way up and search every room, even though there may be a hundred. If she focused on?—
Someone was watching her.
Hailey spun around. She searched through the flickering lights and dancing shadows. Her skin tingled and burned, as if touched by the sun. A whirl of masked faces blurred her vision as she began to walk, slightly stumbling over the hem of her dress. The music surrounded her along with dim shouts of laughter and gaiety, and then her gaze caught on a flash of white which pierced through the darkness.
He stood on the balcony overlooking the garden. A black cloak covered his body. His hair was slicked back from his forehead, the strands inky black and blending with the darkness. Catlike eyes gleamed through the carved holes of the stark white mask.
Hailey sucked in her breath as a current of raw, sexual energy sizzled in the air. Most of his face was covered, leaving only his mouth and eyes exposed. But as her gaze met his, Hailey felt his isolation as he stood alone, watching her. Dressed as the Phantom, he was a man who kept to the shadows, presenting a civilized veneer to the world which masked the violence, and Hailey knew then she gazed upon Ciro Demitris.
Minutes ticked by. Frozen by the sheer power of the electricity crackling between them, Hailey waited, torn between the need to flee and the need to stay, as their eyes met and locked.
Then he turned and with a sweep of his cloak, disappeared from the balcony.
