Masked Desires by Elizabeth Coldwell Page B

triumphant for a second time.
    ‘Let me,’ I said, pushing him back on to the sofa. With fingers that trembled despite myself, I smoothed the cool latex down over his hot, hard cock. I straddled him, poising myself over his shaft and waiting a moment, letting the anticipation build, before slowly sinking down on to that thick, fleshy rod. My cunt welcomed him, settled round him like a glove, holding him tight. As I began to ride him, he reached up to cup my breasts in his hands, rubbing my nipples with his thumbs. No words were spoken as I shifted up and down on his cock; our eyes were locked together as I demonstrated my need for him. Being on top gave me the chance to set the pace, moving in a rhythm designed to suit us both.
    Faster and faster I ground myself down on him, feeling the friction, the heat between us rising as we fucked. Waves of pleasure rolled through my belly, and at last Eddie’s hips rose to meet my thrusts. With a long drawn out groan, he shuddered and came.
    ‘God, Summer, I love you,’ he murmured, when he was able to speak again.
    ‘And I love you too,’ I just about managed to reply, before a second orgasm, stronger than my first, caught me up and swept me away.
    When it was all over, we just held each other tight, whispering soft words that indicated how deeply we’d come to feel about each other, even in the few short weeks I’d been working for Eddie. I nestled in the crook of his arm, thinking just how close I’d come to losing this wonderful man and wondering how I could have been quite so stupid as to let fears of things that might never happen stop us from being together.
    Somewhere close by, my cell phone trilled. It took me a moment to locate it, still in the pocket of my coat, which I’d thrown over the back of the sofa. I caught the call just before my voicemail kicked in.
    ‘Hello?’ I sounded more than a little blissed-out.
    ‘Summer,’ Delia said, worry in her tone. ‘I got your call, honey. You sounded upset. Is everything OK?’
    I glanced at Eddie where he was slumped beside me, his shaggy hair falling over his face and his chest rising and falling in the slow, shallow motions that indicated impending sleep. ‘Oh yes,’ I assured her. ‘Everything’s way better than OK.’

Epilogue
    Eddie was in the shower, singing off-key as he soaped himself down. I lay curled in the bedsheets, wondering whether to go join him and see if he needed any help scrubbing his back. Or maybe I’d just roll over and sleep a little longer; after all, it wasn’t like I had to get up and go back to my own place.
    After he’d poured his heart out the morning after the Masquerade Ball, telling me exactly how he felt about me, I knew I couldn’t walk out on my job at his bar – or him – the way I’d planned to. He was right; it wasn’t important what Heather, or anyone else, thought about us. We weren’t pretending to be crazy about each other; we really were, and that was the only thing that mattered.
    That night, we’d announced to the other staff that we were dating; Penny squealed in delight and hugged us both, while Rudy’s reaction was a simple, ‘What took you so long?’
    And now, six months later, I’d at last taken the plunge and moved in with Eddie. It still didn’t quite seem real; even Delia couldn’t believe I’d made such a grown-up decision, though the fact my landlord had been making noises about getting the builders in to start remodelling the property might have forced my hand a little.
    Looking at him as he emerged from the bathroom, towel wrapped round his waist and his hair tousled and shower-damp, I couldn’t doubt I’d done the right thing. He smiled down at me. ‘Hey, sleepyhead, rise and shine. I was thinking we could go get breakfast at the diner on the corner of Hudson. I’m in the mood for blueberry pancakes with plenty of butter and maple syrup. What do you say?’
    ‘Sounds like a great idea.’
    He bent and kissed me, a kiss that