Read Online Masks by Evangeline Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Evangeline Anderson
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continued, in a low, earnest voice. “I didn’t mean for it to go as far as it did. The idea was just to get to know you a little. See…” he cleared his throat self-consciously. “It’s hard to meet women sometimes, looking the way I do.”
Chloe wanted to say she thought he looked fine—very handsome in fact, but she bit her tongue and let him continue.
“It’s hard until they find out who I am and what I do.” Mark sighed. “Then they’re all over me because, well, my company’s been doing okay lately. But that seems to attract all the wrong kind of women.”
Chloe knew his company was doing more than “okay”. Geeks for Hire had recently been named one of the most successful new companies of the year in a prominent financial magazine. Mark was probably worth millions—no wonder the wrong kind of women were attracted to him.
“Anyway,” he continued after a moment. “I got to talking to your sister and told her my predicament. I just wanted to meet a woman who wanted me for me and for once I didn’t want to have to deal with this.” He motioned to the left side of his face. “She told me all about you—how sweet you were and how totally different the two of you were and it sounded like a perfect match.” He shrugged unhappily. “So I agreed to be set up on a blind date.”
Chloe looked down at the strong hand holding her own. “Well, you knew more than I did. Zoe told me she needed me to do her a favor and meet with a ‘client’ she didn’t want to lose. I had no idea about you being a friend of hers or being set up or any of it.” She frowned.
Mark groaned and covered his face with his other hand. “I thought you knew—that you were just playing along. Zoe told me to call you ‘Mistress Sensua’ and that you’d be wearing a mask too.” He moved his hand and looked at her. “But I never meant for things to go the way they did but when you started acting, well, the way you were acting—the way you were touching me…”
He shrugged and Chloe felt herself blushing again, remembering the wanton way all the wild things she had done. Things she never would have done under normal circumstances.
“I was trying to act like a dominatrix,” she admitted, looking down at her shoes. “I didn’t have any idea what I was doing, though—Zoe threw me in the deep end to sink or swim. To tell you the truth, I was terrified.”
Mark laughed gently. “I could sorta tell that. ‘Assume the position!’” he imitated, in a mock stern voice. He lifted Chloe’s chin so she had to look him in the eye. “That’s why I took over. Because I thought you wanted what I wanted but weren’t quite sure how to get to it.”
Chloe pulled away from him, blinking back tears. “I guess I wasn’t sure what I wanted until…until we were actually…” She shook her head, unable to continue. “Stupid, huh?” she said with a little sob. “I can do it but I can’t say it.”
“Look, it was my fault—all of it. I never should have assumed that you…” Mark broke off, shaking his head.
“It doesn’t matter now anyway.” Chloe pulled her hand away and used it to swipe the tears from her cheeks angrily. “It was just a one-time thing, wasn’t it? I guess Zoe thought she was doing us both a favor. No-strings-attached, anonymous sex with a hot stranger—that’s everybody’s fantasy, right?”
“Not my fantasy.” Mark’s voice was quiet and sad.
Chloe looked up at him through her tears. She saw such a mixture of pain and misery on his face that it stopped her from saying anything else.
“My fantasy was to meet a woman who wanted me for who I was, despite this,” he gestured to his face. “And not because of my company’s net worth. I wanted a woman who liked science fiction and jazz and hated Thai food and wanted me to take dance lessons with her. One who was a cat person and a morning person and was willing to let me teach her how to play chess.” He cupped Chloe’s wet cheek in
Chloe wanted to say she thought he looked fine—very handsome in fact, but she bit her tongue and let him continue.
“It’s hard until they find out who I am and what I do.” Mark sighed. “Then they’re all over me because, well, my company’s been doing okay lately. But that seems to attract all the wrong kind of women.”
Chloe knew his company was doing more than “okay”. Geeks for Hire had recently been named one of the most successful new companies of the year in a prominent financial magazine. Mark was probably worth millions—no wonder the wrong kind of women were attracted to him.
“Anyway,” he continued after a moment. “I got to talking to your sister and told her my predicament. I just wanted to meet a woman who wanted me for me and for once I didn’t want to have to deal with this.” He motioned to the left side of his face. “She told me all about you—how sweet you were and how totally different the two of you were and it sounded like a perfect match.” He shrugged unhappily. “So I agreed to be set up on a blind date.”
Chloe looked down at the strong hand holding her own. “Well, you knew more than I did. Zoe told me she needed me to do her a favor and meet with a ‘client’ she didn’t want to lose. I had no idea about you being a friend of hers or being set up or any of it.” She frowned.
Mark groaned and covered his face with his other hand. “I thought you knew—that you were just playing along. Zoe told me to call you ‘Mistress Sensua’ and that you’d be wearing a mask too.” He moved his hand and looked at her. “But I never meant for things to go the way they did but when you started acting, well, the way you were acting—the way you were touching me…”
He shrugged and Chloe felt herself blushing again, remembering the wanton way all the wild things she had done. Things she never would have done under normal circumstances.
“I was trying to act like a dominatrix,” she admitted, looking down at her shoes. “I didn’t have any idea what I was doing, though—Zoe threw me in the deep end to sink or swim. To tell you the truth, I was terrified.”
Mark laughed gently. “I could sorta tell that. ‘Assume the position!’” he imitated, in a mock stern voice. He lifted Chloe’s chin so she had to look him in the eye. “That’s why I took over. Because I thought you wanted what I wanted but weren’t quite sure how to get to it.”
Chloe pulled away from him, blinking back tears. “I guess I wasn’t sure what I wanted until…until we were actually…” She shook her head, unable to continue. “Stupid, huh?” she said with a little sob. “I can do it but I can’t say it.”
“Look, it was my fault—all of it. I never should have assumed that you…” Mark broke off, shaking his head.
“It doesn’t matter now anyway.” Chloe pulled her hand away and used it to swipe the tears from her cheeks angrily. “It was just a one-time thing, wasn’t it? I guess Zoe thought she was doing us both a favor. No-strings-attached, anonymous sex with a hot stranger—that’s everybody’s fantasy, right?”
“Not my fantasy.” Mark’s voice was quiet and sad.
Chloe looked up at him through her tears. She saw such a mixture of pain and misery on his face that it stopped her from saying anything else.
“My fantasy was to meet a woman who wanted me for who I was, despite this,” he gestured to his face. “And not because of my company’s net worth. I wanted a woman who liked science fiction and jazz and hated Thai food and wanted me to take dance lessons with her. One who was a cat person and a morning person and was willing to let me teach her how to play chess.” He cupped Chloe’s wet cheek in
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