All I Ask

by KT Webb

  Maybe Andrew had come back to New York to escape those rumors and start fresh. There was really no way to know for sure, but Christine had decided long ago that she didn’t care for him at all. While she was busy thinking about the number of reasons she didn’t want Aria to associate with Drew, the song had come to an end. Patrick kept an arm around her as he guided her off the floor.

  After an hour of dancing, drinking and posing for photos, Aria had enough. She took D’Angelo by the hand and led him away from the rest of the party. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest as they made their way toward the exit. She couldn’t wait to get him alone. D’Angelo intertwined their fingers, it felt more intimate than just grasping her hand. He couldn’t help but feel like every eye was on them. D’Angelo could feel Drew’s gaze boring into the back of his head while he followed Aria to the door. He noticed Madame Rossi watching them with a martini in her hand; she was the one person who knew who he was underneath the mask. Her expression was unreadable as the lovers left the venue. D’Angelo knew he could trust her; he knew she was on his side.

  Once outside, he stood in awe of the woman he’d not expected to have such an impact on his life. She’d given his music meaning, she’d given him meaning. His deepest desire was that one day soon, there would be no need for him to hide from her.

  D’Angelo pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Aria, I love you.”

  “I love you, too. We’ve got to get home, I can’t kiss you in that mask,” Aria whined.

  The couple could have hailed a cab to escape the April evening chill, but Durant Theater was only a few blocks away. Hand in hand, they ran until they reached the door. Inside, they would find the darkness that allowed him to be free of the mask. They would find the bliss of finally being alone after the revelations of the evening.

  Drew watched Aria leave with her strange new man. He wasn’t about to let her go off alone with the guy if he didn’t know who he was. He’d asked around at the party, but no one seemed to know his identity. Drew downed his drink and left the empty glass on the table. They would be too wrapped up in each other to notice if he followed.

  Madame Rossi noticed Andrew Overland leave shortly after Aria and D’Angelo. She knew enough to safely assume that he would not be going home right away. She grabbed her phone and dialed D’Angelo. The call went straight to voicemail.

  “It’s Lena, listen, Andrew Overland followed you and Aria home. Please be careful.”

  She hung up and made the impulsive decision to trail the man following the two most important people in her life.

  The lights were already off when they arrived. Aria took her mask off, waiting for him to make a move. She was still worried she’d do something to make him disappear again. As soon as her mask was off, D’Angelo reached up to touch her cheek.

  “Can I ask you a question?” She whispered.

  “Anything,” he replied.

  “Are you hiding your face from me because you’re afraid of my reaction?”

  “That’s part of the reason, but there’s more to it than that. There are things I need to solve before I can reveal myself to anyone,” D’Angelo’s tone was laced with regret, “I’m sorry, Aria. I think you’ll understand soon.”

  “I want you to know that what’s under the mask doesn’t scare me. What scares me is not ever knowing who you are. I feel I’ve known you much longer than the day we met in this theater. There’s something about you that feels familiar in a way I cannot describe.”

  D’Angelo wanted nothing more than to tell Aria everything about his past. He never thought he would be able to feel that way about anyone. If he showed her his face or told her his name, it could put her in danger.

  “I want to tell you everything, Aria. Right now, it’s too dangerous for anyone to know. I’m working on it, I swear,” D’Angelo practically begged her to understand.

  “I trust you,” she told him as she gently removed his mask in the darkness.

  Drew saw the couple go inside Durant Theater. There was something about the way her mystery man walked that set off alarms in his mind. He knew this man. There was no way he could follow them inside to catch a glimpse of his face. If they hadn’t gone straight up to the apartment, there was too much of a chance that they would see him. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell. He dialed the man he’d told to return to London, hoping he hadn’t followed instructions.

  Madame Rossi wasn’t an expert at tailing someone. She thought she’d been caught at least ten times but had somehow managed to appear nonchalant each time Andrew Overland glanced over his shoulder. When he continued down the alley, Lena managed to tuck herself into the shadowed space beneath the marquis. Drew returned moments later with his cell phone up to his ear. She said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t notice her.

  “Hey, are you back in London, or did you stick around?” Drew asked.

  A pause for the other party to respond, then he continued, “For once, I’m not pissed at you for taking your sweet time. I need you to do something for me, it’s going to be a challenge.”

  Lena waited for him to speak again, wishing she knew who was on the other end.

  “Well, there isn’t much to go on. I need you to stake out a building and follow the guy who leaves. I’m guessing he’s in for the night.”

  Drew went on to give someone the address to Durant Theater. Madame Rossi silently thanked her lucky stars that D’Angelo rarely came and went through any visible means. It would be difficult to follow someone who didn’t walk out of the front door.

  “Perfect. Of course, I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll send you an advance in a few minutes. Wait for my call,” Drew disconnected the call, stuffed the phone in his pocket and looked at the building one more time before stalking off into the night.

  Madame Rossi waited until he was out of sight before she left the shadowed area and hailed a cab to take her home.

  Aria couldn’t get enough of D’Angelo. At first, they kissed passionately as they had in her dressing room. He trailed kisses down her neck as she gripped his shoulders. His hands traveled down to her waist as he continued to explore her chest with his lips. Aria grabbed his face and brought it level with hers; she kissed him deeply.

  “Let’s go to my apartment,” she told him.

  “Aria. . .” he began, “I’m happy just being able to kiss and touch you, we don’t have to do anything more.”

  “Do you trust me?” Aria asked.

  “Without a doubt,” he replied.

  “Then trust me when I tell you this is exactly what I want,” Aria took his hand and led him across the stage.

  When the apartment door closed behind them, Aria felt the desperate need to lose herself in D’Angelo. The sobering remembrance that the large windows in her apartment let in more light than he would be comfortable with caused her to shove him against the door. Her lips covered his again as though she needed to taste him more than she needed oxygen. D’Angelo spun her around until her back was to him, and she was facing the door.

  “I love you,” he whispered between kisses that trailed from behind her ear to the crook of her neck.

  His hand found the zipper to her dress. The sound was almost as loud as the thundering beat of her heart. Once her back was exposed, D’Angelo’s feather-light caress traced from the base of her spine to the straps that held her dress in place. Aria felt the energy dance between them as he gently pushed the straps and ran his hands along her sides to help remove the skintight garment.

  Aria gasped when the tips of his fingers brushed against the edges of her bare breasts. D’Angelo’s body was already responding to the barrage of sensations that had them both enthralled. When his hands reached her hips, he pulled her close against his body and placed one hand flat against her belly; allowing his fingertips to graze the tender area that connected to thousands of sensitive nerve-endings. Aria’s response was almost too much for him to handle. She leaned into his body, pressing herself against his gr
owing erection. He slid the dress down to the floor, taking her black lace thong with it. Aria turned around to face him again.

  She reached out in the darkness to find the buttons on his shirt. D’Angelo had never been in the position to be undressed by anyone, allowing Aria to remove his clothing meant they were on the verge of crossing a line he had never dreamed he would cross. Each button undone was another step over the threshold. Aria didn’t stop at the shirt buttons, she continued on to unbutton and unzip his pants.

  As she brought her hands back to his chest, he gripped her wrists, “Wait, before you touch my skin, you must know that the terrible disfigurement of my face is not. . .”

  Aria stopped him with another kiss, “When are you going to realize that I don’t care? I love you.”

  D’Angelo released her wrists and allowed her to softly place her hands on his chest. She found the same texture on the right-hand side of his chest that she found on his face. Aria removed his shirt. His sharp inhale told her he wasn’t prepared for the gentle kisses she placed all over the ruined skin. None of it mattered to her. She was with the man she loved.

  Aria slid her fingers underneath his waistband, gently pulling his boxer-briefs and pants down far enough that when she let go, they collapsed around his ankles. D’Angelo slipped off his dress shoes and socks in two fluid movements. They stood naked, wanting, in the dark entry of her apartment. He was ready to take her to the bedroom, but Aria launched herself at him. They pulled and gripped at each other’s bodies as though nothing would be close enough for them to fulfill the desperate need they shared.

  They slammed against the apartment door, D’Angelo gripped the back of her head as they crushed their lips together and intertwined their tongues. He lifted her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He could feel her against him, warm and inviting; Aria broke their kiss and leaned her head against his. Both were panting, caught up in the passion they’d been pushing aside for too long. With their foreheads pressed together, they passed the point of no return.

  Everything inside him was alive with need, D’Angelo gently pushed himself into Aria as she released a low moan. Nothing in his life had prepared him for how it would feel to be completely enveloped in the woman he loved. Aria was caught between the initial discomfort of the sudden fullness that accompanied his entry and the utter bliss of every inch as she pressed herself against him. She’d never been with anyone and felt with complete confidence that she was his first.

  “Are you sure you want this?” He whispered without moving.

  In answer, Aria’s lips found his again as she carefully shifted her weight to slowly glide him out of her until his tip was resting against the place she wanted it most. He couldn’t control his own muscles as he naturally pressed against her for re-entry. Aria lowered herself onto his length again.

  “I want you inside me, don’t stop.”

  D’Angelo’s body reacted in response. He pressed into her as she tilted her hips to grind against him. He could feel her tightening around him as though her body was anxious to merge with his. The rhythm they fell into was slow and intentional. One arm wrapped down to help support her from underneath, the other held onto her back urgently.

  Aria released a breathy moan as he trailed kisses down her neck. She could feel a promising ache building inside; he groaned into the base of her neck. D’Angelo needed her more than he needed anything. He relished the feeling of her hands gripping his shoulders, the sound of her soft cries as she whispered the only name she’d known to call him.

  He pulled away from her neck to kiss her again as he felt himself nearing the edge. Aria groaned into his mouth before breaking the kiss to cry out. She pulsed around him, bringing him to the edge. He continued to move with her as he felt the pleasure building in him until the sweet release left him frozen. Aria gently moved up and down as though her body couldn’t stop. They shared another kiss that told him she was just as awed by him as he was by her.

  “I love you,” she told him softly.

  “I love you, too.”

  He carried her to the bedroom, kissing her deeply and never removing himself from her. By the time they reached the bed, he was ready to explore every inch of her until he could claim her as his again.

  D’Angelo woke in the early morning, knowing that Aria would sleep for a few more hours. The sun would rise, and light would fill the apartment to an uncomfortable level. He looked at the woman he loved. She slept so peacefully that he dared not wake her to explain why he wouldn’t be there when she woke. It felt wrong to leave her after the night they’d shared.

  When Aria did wake, she wouldn’t feel like he’d abandoned her. D’Angelo was accustomed to being silent as he moved, it had become necessary for him if he planned to remain hidden. He dressed in the clothes he wore the night before and made his way down to the sub-basement for a quick shower and fresh clothing. The home he’d built for himself was a functional space. Madame Rossi saw to the more complicated pieces of the renovation that allowed him to have an actual bathroom and small kitchen. Before he allowed himself to grow close to Aria, Lena Rossi was the only friend he had in the world. She helped him live independently and in isolation. The scars on his face were only part of the affliction that kept him from showing himself to the world outside.

  D’Angelo removed his costume and stood in front of the mirror. It was something he did every day to remind himself of the things that changed his life forever. What remained of the right side of his face was a mockery of the completely untouched left. It was painful to look at even now that the physical agony was gone. The raw skin was again visible on his shoulder and crept down to his forearm. That was all that remained of the life he knew before. The healing process was more than skin deep; the psychological wounds ran much deeper. Changing his name was only the first step in hiding himself away from the world that could do him harm.

  Once he showered and dressed, D’Angelo grabbed his cell phone and powered it on. A message from Madame Rossi arrived almost the moment it finished loading all the applications. From the way it looked, Lena had called him around the time he left the party with Aria. He held the phone to his head to hear the message.

  “It’s Lena, listen, Andrew Overland followed you and Aria home. Please be careful.”

  Every inch of his body was alert with the realization that Andrew may have entered the theater while he was wrapped up in Aria. He cursed under his breath; he could only hope Andrew hadn’t decided Aria was a threat to him now that she’d chosen someone else. D’Angelo queued up the outdoor security footage to see if Andrew made it inside. To his relief, the man had decided not to follow them, though he did make a phone call before leaving the premises.

  It was too early for him to call Lena Rossi to talk about the situation. He had to put it aside for the time being and focus on Aria. There was something he wanted to give her, but he knew it would complicate things if he didn’t wait for the right moment. In his vault, he kept something that would be precious to her; something that may give him away. It wasn’t time to give it to her yet, not until he was closer to revealing his true identity. Instead, he gently clipped another red rose and sat down to write her a note.

  When she awoke, Aria was still basking in the afterglow of a night well-spent. Before she even looked, she knew D’Angelo was gone. The large windows with perfect eastern exposure allowed light to flood her apartment each morning. She knew he hadn’t left her as a result of the night they shared, but the sting was still there. Aria wanted desperately to believe she could accept a life just like that.

  On her nightstand, a red rose lay on top of yet another note. Aria opened the envelope, hoping what she found inside would put her mind at ease.

  My love,

  Leaving you alone in that bed this morning was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Last night was the most perfect night I’ve ever spent. I can still feel you in my arms, taste you on my lips.

  As I write this, I am faced with an awful si
tuation. I must leave you for some time. I know I promised I would never leave you if you wanted me here, but this is unavoidable. The timing is terrible, but there are things I must do if I ever hope to show you who I am beyond the darkness. Please know this is not the sequence of events I would have chosen, and the idea of leaving you after everything we shared yesterday causes me physical pain.

  I love you more than you will ever know, Aria.