A Lover's Mask

by Altonya Washington

  Hissing a soft curse, Contessa brushed the towel to the floor and stomped inside the shower.

  The glass enclosed shower was spacious and tall, yet it seemed uncomfortably small when Fernando stepped inside. County discovered it wasn’t the amount of space that was uncomfortable. Several times, her gaze had grown fixed on his magnificent form. Massive and cut with taut muscles, he was a specimen of what every man dreamed a gym would do for his body. The broad chest, abdomen cut like a rigid six-pack, and the breathtaking extent of his sex pulled more than a few unexpected moans from her lips.

  Fernando went about his showering and was even kind enough to pass Contessa the shower gel she’d brought into the bathroom. When she began to use it, the scent of lavender teased his nostrils unexpectedly and rendered his hands weakened by need.

  “You’re too damn big to be sharing a shower,” County grumbled, angry with herself at being too lust-driven to keep her eyes off him. “This is ridiculous,” she added.

  Fernando rolled his eyes and held his head beneath the water spray. “Too bad, because we don’t have another choice,” he said.

  County decided not to argue or satisfy herself by ramming his head into the black tiled shower wall. Instead, she concentrated on lathering herself in the scented gel.

  Fernando was now the one tortured by sight and felt his already stiff manhood swelling even more. He tried not to gawk, but looking away from her was next to hopeless. Watching the creamy white foam sliding across her curvaceous honey-toned frame was almost as satisfying as touch.

  Almost, but not even close, he thought while stroking his hair roughened jaw and the tight muscles in his neck. Soon, his need was at full attention and he had no choice but to keep his back to her.

  “To hell with this,” he muttered finally, frustrated by painfully swollen desire and desperate to do something about it.

  County gasped when he turned suddenly and crowded her against the back of the shower. As angered as she was by the chain of events, she had no thoughts of resisting anything he had in mind. Her lips parted, aching for his kiss. She moaned unashamed when his tongue thrust repeatedly and deeper each time. One of his hands cupped her breast while the other settled to the back of her head to keep her in place as he explored every inch of her mouth.

  Moans and soft cries of need filtered over the sound of water hitting the tiles and glass of the shower. County arched herself upon him, hungry for the taste and feel of him as her arms encircled his neck. She whispered a scandalous taunt to drive him on, but Fernando needed no encouragements. He filled his big hands with her round bottom and lifted her progressively higher against the wall. His mouth trailed her neck, down to her breasts, his nose encircled her firm nipples, and he chuckled when she brushed them across his mouth in an unspoken plea for more attention.

  Contessa barely noticed she was being lifted higher, until she was sitting on his broad shoulders. Her legs draped across his back and the part of her that was aching and wet for him was in direct alignment with his gorgeous face.

  Fernando held her there trapped between himself and the glistening black tiles. His hands curved around her thighs—locking them in his firm grip as he helped himself to the taste of her body.

  County couldn’t move, completely overcome by his strength and power. Her eyes wouldn’t stay open and she bucked softly against him, overcome by the feel of his tongue penetrating her femininity with such sweet, rotating lunges. She cried his name repeatedly feeling a rush of moisture stream forward as an orgasm hit her hard and fast. He didn’t stop, only drinking in the proof of her satisfaction as he pleasured her even more eagerly.

  Splaying her hands above her head, County flexed her inner walls around his tongue and literally cried when she climaxed more powerfully the second time. Fernando uttered a ragged groan inside her, before dragging the erotic kiss across her thighs.

  They were both thoroughly weakened by unsatisfied desire. Fernando uttered a curse and pulled her down from the wall and into his arms. Kissing her savagely he left the shower running and carried her out of the bath. Stopping near the nightstand, he tore through his black leather valise until his fingers closed over a packaged condom. Still kissing heatedly, he set Contessa to her feet and went about putting protection in place.

  County tried to help, but could do little more than caress the silk over steel length when her fingers grazed his swollen sex. Curving his hands around her thighs as he’d done in the shower, Fernando lifted her against the doorjamb and thrust upward. County held onto his shoulders, her nails digging into the flawless caramel skin that glistened with sweat and steam. She angled her neck to give his seeking lips more room to explore. A jolt of power surged through her when she heard the helpless grunts of pleasure he voiced just below her ear.

  A steady stream of her moisture engulfed his manhood, increasing his penetration. Fernando prayed he wouldn’t lose the ability to stand. Contessa was draining his strength and replacing it with an abundance of desire. His thrusts grew faster and more heated and almost frenzied in their intensity. Several times he asked if she was okay—if he was too much. Contessa’s lusty cries in response brought arrogant smiles of confidence to his lips.

  County moaned her disappointment, locking her legs around his back when he pulled her from the door. It was off to the king-sized four-poster bed shielded by gauzy white drapes. They practically fainted from exhaustion when they fell upon the beautiful coverings.

  Their lovemaking was far from finished and Contessa reveled in everything Fernando did to her. In the midst of it all though, she couldn’t help but feel that he’d been making love to her as though he might never do it again.

  The cocktail party held before that evening’s dinner was in gear by the time Fernando and Contessa arrived.

  “Welcome!” Cufi greeted, taking Fernando’s hand in a firm shake while appraising Contessa in the airy blouson dress with an uneven hem that played around her shapely calves and hugged her alluring frame. “My compliments, Mr. Simons, the lady looks very relaxed.”

  Fernando turned a leering gaze toward Contessa as well. “When I break ’em in, I do it right,” he said, joining in when Cufi laughed at the remark and the fire in Contessa’s eyes.

  “A man who takes pride in his work,” Cufi commended, slapping Fernando’s back when a serious look crept into his eyes. “Now, we have business to discuss my friend. I had hoped to present the idea to both you and Mr. Frinks, but he never arrived.”

  “Cold feet?” Fernando guessed, already knowing the answer.

  Cufi shrugged. “I suppose, but it’s his loss. May we take a few moments?” he asked, waving his hand.

  “She’ll be fine,” he added, noticing the look exchanged between Fernando and Contessa. “I promise you, no one will touch her. Everyone here knows she’s yours.”

  Fernando was still on edge about going, but he finally tugged on the cuffs of his midnight blue suit coat and followed Cufi from the elegant candlelit dining room.

  County’s lashes fluttered then and she celebrated their departure. Focusing on the situation at hand, she honed in on one of the only women that appeared to be alone in the room.

  “Incredible place, huh?” she asked the woman and prayed she could put her celebrated skills of conversation to good use.

  “Yeah…” the girl drawled, absently bobbing her head to the beat of the house music that throbbed in the air. She couldn’t have been more than eighteen and was clearly in an induced state, but flashed Contessa a bright smile upon answering the question.

  “Been here before?” County asked, gazing around the room as though she really wasn’t over-enthused by the girl’s response.

  “No, it’s my first job, but it’ll be great preparation for my acting career,” she said, slapping her hands to what little material made up the skimpy white shorts she wore. “Cufi promised to help me get started,” she added.

  “Mmm, he must have lots of connections?” County inquired lightly.

 
The girl’s eyes widened. “Money and contacts, that’s what it takes. And lots of exposure. Cufi promised lots of that.”

  County rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet.”

  “Did you know that he owns a villa in Nice? That’s where I’ll be staying, can you believe it?”

  “Is that where you’ll be filming?” County asked.

  The girl popped her chewing gum and gave a quick toss of her blond locks. “I’m not real clear on that. Cufi’s being so secretive,” she laughed. “I think he wants to surprise me.”

  County really didn’t need to hear more. Clearly, this was just as Spivey said it was. She felt sick inside.

  “Here’s that drink.”

  County and the young girl turned to find a petite round woman watching them with suspicion in her eyes and a wine cooler in her hand.

  “Thanks Jessie. Oh! This is Jessie,” she told Contessa and then began to enjoy her drink.

  “Well, I better go find my man,” County explained quickly, pumping Jessie’s hand in a quick shake and hurrying off before any questions were asked.

  Fernando felt even sicker following his discussion with Cufi. He decided that his first order of business would be to contact Jeff Carnes and get rid of his piece of the cursed ship. His agitation mounted further when Contessa wasn’t where he’d left her. Before he completely lost his composure, he found her on a secluded area along the deck outside the living room. He walked right up behind her, took her hips in a possessive hold and pulled her back against him.

  “Let’s dance,” he suggested.

  Whirling around, County landed a cracking slap to the side of his face. “Son of a bitch,” she hissed.

  Grabbing her wrist, Fernando jerked her close. “Dammit, are you crazy?” he whispered.

  Contessa pounded her fist against the front of the plum shirt beneath his suit coat. “I’m not afraid of you or your deranged friends. Promising young girls fame and fortune as a ruse to trap them into a life on their backs? The girl I talked to couldn’t have been more than eighteen.” She fixed him with a scathing look. “I’m pretty sure there’re some even younger.”

  “Then knowing what kind of people these are should encourage you to keep it together,” he advised.

  “Go to hell, I’m not afraid of them or you.”

  “Hell, County do you think who you are is going to keep you safe?” he asked, tempted to shake her into acknowledging the danger of the situation.

  “Who I am?” Contessa breathed, shaking her head in disgust. “Let’s talk about who you are, Fernando Ramsey? A shameful bastard making money off the rape of young girls. And here you’ve got everyone fooled into thinking your father’s the bad guy when it’s you and your sick friends.”

  “County—”

  “No. Let me tell you something,” she said, slamming her fist against his chest again, “you forget everything about me. Forget we ever met. I don’t want to hear from you. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

  The hate oozed from her voice and her eyes like daggers and Fernando didn’t like it. His grip had weakened around her wrist and County used the opportunity to wrench herself free and turn her back on him.

  He knew he could get her to listen later, Fernando assured himself. It was now that frightened him. Hearing her say how much she despised him was almost too much.

  “Just like your father and murdering uncle,” she muttered, staring out over the moonlit ocean. “But I think you’re worse Fernando—to condemn a woman to a life like this? How many have there been?” she inquired absently, her expression clearing suddenly. “And I let myself fall in love with you,” she admitted and then grimaced, “in lust is probably more accurate. You’re a man who thinks woman are prizes, objects for the pleasure of men.” She turned to face him. “I should’ve seen that so long ago. After all, you do own a strip club.”

  Fernando bounded toward her and Contessa straightened, readying herself for another heated verbal exchanged. Bracing his hands along either side of her against the railing, he bent to look directly into her eyes.

  “You’re so very wrong about me,” his deep voice rumbled and matched the depth of emotion in his heavenly light brown eyes.

  “Yes, I was, wasn’t I?” she reciprocated.

  Fernando blinked at the defeated tone in her voice.

  “Dinner is served!”

  Each thankful for the interruption, Contessa allowed Fernando to lead her from the deck.

  When they were gone, Jessie, Cufi Muhammad’s personal assistant, emerged from the shadows.

  The delicious-looking dinner of Cornish hen, pecan dressing, steamed spinach and pumpernickel rolls had a nauseating effect on Contessa. She didn’t even pretend to have an appetite and many of the feasting guests noticed.

  “I think she’ll be happier in bed!” Fernando remarked, rousing a roar of laughter from the long candlelit table. He excused them and quickly escorted County back to his cabin.

  Inside the suite, County wanted to mentally block all visions of her time spent there with Fernando. Of course, that was impossible when they’d made love in every corner of the place. Made love, she thought, made sex was a more precise observation in her mind—regardless of what her heart said.

  “Do you need help out of this?” Fernando asked, trailing his fingers along the bodice of her dress.

  County flinched and jerked away from him. Seconds later, she disappeared into the bathroom.

  Fernando stood debating on whether to go after her, when his cell phone rang. “Yeah?” he snapped into the receiver.

  “It’s me.”

  “Moses? What’s up?” he asked, only absently wondering why his brother was calling.

  “Have you seen any of the girls from the club?”

  “Not a one,” Fernando sighed.

  “Well, your time’s up. You need to get out of there and quick.”

  Looking away from the bathroom door, Fernando frowned. “I just got here. Ship hasn’t even set sail yet.”

  “Which is a good thing. Your cover’s blown.”

  “What? How the hell could you know that?”

  “You’ll never believe me, so I’ll explain the particulars later. Right now, you need to up and get your ass outta there.”

  Fernando raked a hand through his hair. “That’s not easy man. Contessa’s here.”

  “I know.”

  “And you’ll explain later?” Fernando guessed, too on edge to question further. “She doesn’t trust me, Mo—thinks I’m in business with these fools. I’ll never get her to leave willingly.”

  “Then you’ll have to make her.”

  “How? Go knock her out?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Mo—”

  “There’s chloroform and a rag in the nightstand drawer. Use it.”

  “How—”

  “Just do it, man! Save the questions for later. Get County and get to the starboard deck. Now!”

  Fernando slammed the phone shut, located the chloroform and the rag and headed for the bathroom. At the door, he closed his eyes. “Lord, please don’t let her kill me for this,” he prayed, and then uttered a relieved sigh that she hadn’t locked the door.

  Cufi Muhammad sat in his office. He was joined by several of his men and Jessie Stevens who supervised the women aboard the ship.

  “Now tell me again and slowly Jessie. You’re sure of this?”

  “I heard them talking.”

  “And she said his name was—”

  “Ramsey. Fernando Ramsey.”

  Silence filled the office for a long while, and then came the sound of Cufi’s fist hitting the desk.

  “Should I go after them?” Carlos McPhereson asked his boss.

  Cufi lifted a hand and shook his head. “Wait until we set sail in the morning. We’ll get rid of them once we’re at sea.” He reached for the phone. After a few moments, he spoke into the receiver. “What the hell is your son doing on my ship, Marcus?”

  Contessa woke with a lang
uid stretch across the crisp forest green bed linens. She took a moment to open her eyes and as they adjusted to her unfamiliar surroundings, she wrinkled her brow and tried her best to remember how she got there. Wherever there was, it wasn’t the last place she recalled being. Then, she realized that she was half naked beneath the sheets.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to sleep in that dress.”

  The rough voice sent her anger soaring. She turned to see Fernando leaning against one of the bedposts. He was fully dressed, a fact she took mild comfort in. Still, it did nothing to stop her from trying to bolt from the bed.

  Anticipating her move, Fernando caught her easily. They tussled for a while, the sheet twisting around her body did nothing to help County achieve her goal of escaping. He was pinning her to the bed, his fingers interlaced between hers as he pressed them down. His big hard frame almost cut off her circulation, but still she struggled.

  “Listen to me,” he urged, unmindful of her flailing legs as he rested between them.

  County managed to free one hand and landed a vicious blow to his cheek. “Jackass! Son of a bitch—get off me! Get off I said!”

  Pinning her free hand back to the tangled linens, he pressed his mouth to her ear. “You’re wrong, you’re wrong about me, you’re wrong,” he chanted, feeling her heaving breasts slow their exertions as she quieted.

  “Where am I?” she breathed.

  “A hotel in Kauai.”

  “How?”

  “Moses.”

  Blinking and searching his eyes when he looked down at her, she couldn’t even think of what to ask next.

  “Moses called when we got back to the cabin last night. He told me they were on to us. I’m not working with Cufi Muhammad.” He swore, feeling her stiffen beneath him once again. “I was trying to get evidence against my father. I knew he was involved in something shady, but I had no idea it was anything like this. I had to see it for myself,” he said and then quieted before moving off her.

  Contessa was still for a minute, before rising slowly from the bed. She kept the sheet folded tightly around her. Fernando watched her move to an armchair with the coverings bunched around her body. He felt his chest tighten with uncertainty and fear of what she might say.