The Man Behind the Mask (10 page)

‘Eduardo…' Her voice thick with emotion, she uttered his name. His dazed, aroused gaze seared her with
palpable heat as he rose to join her. With an awed look Marianne placed her hands either side of the stunning masculine face that she knew would be imprinted on her heart and mind for ever. ‘That was wonderful.'

‘It was my pleasure.'

‘What can I— How can I—? I mean, now I want to make
you
feel good too.'

He chuckled softly. ‘Believe me, my angel, I have not felt this good in a long, long time! But do not worry…we are not finished yet.'

Although his glance was wry, there was deep purpose in it. Sitting back a little, he started to ease the navy silk pyjama pants he still wore down over his arrow-straight hips.

Watching him, Marianne felt her mouth go dry. It was a revelation to her that a woman could lust after a man with the same fervent desire with which a man could want a woman. But suddenly she remembered his injured leg and, concerned that he might be in pain and keeping it from her, she frowned and leaned towards him, her intention to assist him in whatever way she could.

‘Be careful!' she en treated as she saw him briefly wince. But never had a man wanted help
less
than Eduardo did right then, she saw. His look no longer wry, he threw her a brief hard glare. ‘I invited you to my room to be my lover tonight…not my nurse! I am no invalid who needs your care and attention as your husband did!'

Stung by the harsh ness of his reply, Marianne felt her
cheeks burn hotly. ‘Why do you have to be like this?' She made a little motion of despair with her hands. ‘I know very well you're not an invalid. You're—you're everything I ever dreamt a lover would be, Eduardo.'

‘Then come over here.'

She didn't even have a moment's hesitation. Her body was still filled with languorous heat from his love making, and she had a great need to give him pleasure too. She knew that that was her genuine desire, so his huskily voiced command could do nothing but thrill her.

He tipped up her chin. ‘I did not mean to scold you,' he said gruffly. ‘Sometimes I just react too quickly. Perhaps you would like to help me in another way?'

The glimpse of despair she'd seen in his haunting blue eyes had now been replaced by a spine-tingling boyish grin, and Marianne saw that he was opening a small foil packet and extracting the contents. Her heart skipped a beat as he looked her straight in the eyes.

‘I know you have never done this before, but I will guide you if you like.'

‘All right.' Her voice had dropped to half its normal strength.

Revealing himself in all his magnificent glory, Eduardo guided her hands to the latex protection and helped her sheathe him. Touching and seeing him like this, feeling the silky hardness and the heat that radiated so powerfully beneath her fingers, Marianne couldn't help but tremble. Inside, a tumult of feelings flooded her. Yes, she was nervous—but she was undeniably excited too.
She was also a little concerned that there
might be some pain.
Above all she was grateful that her lover had thought about the practicalities of the situation—because, to her shame,
she
hadn't.

‘It will be all right
namorada
…trust me,' Eduardo soothed. ‘I will be as gentle as I can.'

Sitting astride her hips, he bent his head to claim another passionate, hungry kiss. The harsh graze of the stubble round his jaw scratched her a little, but Marianne didn't care. Lost in the sheer enjoyment of what was happening, she jerked as she sensed Eduardo's hands firmly guiding her slender thighs apart and his fingers probing her. Scalding heat rushed straight to her core and she couldn't help the sensual little moan that was breathlessly ejected from her lips. Her own dampness and readiness stunned her, and now her thighs parted of their own hungry volition to invite the ultimate attention from her lover.

Eduardo's aroused sex explored her tentatively at first. Then, seeing how ready she was, he pressed into her more firmly. Marianne shut her eyes to absorb the unfamiliar sensation of penetration. There was a momentary feeling of stinging discomfort followed by a sense of voluptuous fullness. Then, as he started to move more easily and rhythmically inside her, she relaxed, surrendering totally to the pleasure that was filling her.

Pale blue eyes had now darkened to cobalt, focused fixedly on her face, and Eduardo's in credible body was seized by one consuming purpose. Once more tension built inside her, and Marianne anchored her hands on
his tight bulging biceps as he thrust into her again and again, until all thoughts were swept away on a stunning erotic tide that lapped force fully through her as if it would never cease. She must have cried out, because when she did the man above her stilled for a moment, then pierced the now musky air with a deep, guttural groan of his own. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his brow and shoulders, and his mouth curved in a sensuous smile.

‘I think I was just in paradise,' he told her, a husky catch in his voice.

Carefully lowering himself, he kissed Marianne full on the mouth again. There was such sweet ness in his kiss that tears surged into her eyes. Blinking them away with a shy smile, she saw as Eduardo raised his head to study her that there was a concerned look on his face.

Brushing away the trail of moisture from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb, he stroked his fingers through her hair and frowned. ‘I hope I was gentle enough for your first time and did not cause you pain?'

‘I don't know why I cried. It wasn't because you hurt me Eduardo. I just feel a little emotional right now.'

‘Then let us get into bed together and I will help you relax. I will hold you in my arms all night, if you wish, and you can fall asleep there.'

‘Are you sure? That you want me to spend the night with you, I mean?'

‘Of course! Did you think I would send you from me so soon?'

‘What about Ricardo?' Marianne asked, suddenly
remembering that Eduardo's valet was due back from his trip the next day.

‘What about him?' A dark blond eyebrow lifted quizzically.

‘What if he sees me coming out of your room in the morning?'

Eduardo shrugged, clearly dismissing her concern. ‘If he did he would not even comment on the fact. I can totally depend upon him to be discreet, so do not worry.'

‘If you say so.'

‘I do say so. Now, come and get into bed and stop searching for problems where none exist!'

He grinned disarmingly, and Marianne's heart turned over because in that moment he looked happier than she had ever seen him…

E
DUARDO
woke, astounded to find daylight pouring into the room. Realising that he had more or less slept through the whole night, apart from once drowsily opening his eyes to make sure that Marianne was still sleeping beside him, he could hardly believe what had occurred. Moving a little to test his limbs, he realised that there was very little discomfort or pain to be found anywhere. The knowledge amazed him. Instead of hurting, his body felt rested and replenished.

Contemplating the reason for this miracle, Eduardo turned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow to study the slumbering and enticing slender form next to him. His heart seemed to miss a beat. Even with the full glare of the morning sun exposing every feature and hiding nothing she was simply
ravishing
. How could she not be, with skin as smooth and unblemished as the most perfect peach, and her honey-coloured hair softly framing her face to fall gently over her shoulders in a silken tangle? Such a sight to start the day would surely make
any
red-blooded male rejoice. Once again Eduardo mentally framed the picture she made,
knowing without conceit that if he were to shoot it, it would be much coveted by all who saw it.

But of course if he were to take Marianne's picture he would never consider selling the result or giving it away.
He would keep it for his own private delectation.
An almost irresistible urge gripped him to go and find his camera—a top-of-the-line professional Nikon, the one he had hidden away in the trunks that contained his belongings from Brazil. No matter how much he tried to tell himself that it was part of his old life, not the present—that it was probably best to just leave it alone, as he had vowed—as he rested his glance on Marianne Eduardo was not quite convinced that he should
keep
that vow after all. Smiling as he recalled how willingly and passionately she had surrendered the astonishing gift of her virginity to him last night, he sensed his blood heat, and slumbering desire stirred to commanding, aching life as he continued to appraise her.

‘What's the time?' As if sensing his observation, Marianne opened her eyes. A cornucopia of dazzling green and gold dazzled him.

‘Who knows? Does it matter?' Shrugging, Eduardo stroked his fingers gently down her flushed cheek.

‘Of course it matters! I have to go back to my room and get ready for the day.' Pushing herself upright, Marianne swept back her hair with her hand, her anxious glance seeking out her scattered night wear. ‘It must be at least eight or eight-thirty, and I have to make break fast and light the fires or the house will be stone-cold. Oh, Eduardo! Why didn't you wake me?'

‘I did not want to disturb you because you looked so peaceful and beautiful lying there, my angel…like Sleeping Beauty herself. Can I be blamed for simply wanting to gaze at you?'

‘But I'm not Sleeping Beauty, am I? In case you've for got ten, I'm your house keeper—and I've got work to do.'

Her grumpy response to his compliment merely amused Eduardo. He would forgive her just about
anything
today after the pleasure they had shared last night. Spying her night gown at the end of the bed, Marianne reached forward to grab it, yanking it unceremoniously down over her head—but not before Eduardo had a very edifying glimpse of her perfect blush-pink tip-tilted breasts and hour glass waist. He sat up, his arms possessively circling that lovely waist. Kissing the back of her head, he let the amber scent of her shampoo fill his nostrils even as her silken flowing hair tickled his nose.

‘You do not have to work today. I am giving you the day off,' he told her.

Marianne jerked her head round in astonishment. ‘That's all well and good, but—'

‘What?'

‘You can't just give me the day off like that when there's work that needs to be done! You need a housekeeper, Eduardo, and may I remind you that's why you hired me?'

‘Housekeeper or no, what I need right now is
you
, here in my bed.'

Eduardo was sure desire thickened his voice and blazed from his eyes, and he made no attempt to disguise it—because as well as feeling aroused beyond measure, a great need had arisen inside him to be totally frank with this lovely woman.

‘I've just realised something.' A dawning look stole over her face.

‘What?'

As she twisted round in the bed so that she was facing him properly, Marianne's glance was one of joy and wonder. ‘You slept right through! You didn't wake once…or at least if you did I didn't hear you. Did you wake? Did the pain in your leg disturb you?'

Grinning, Eduardo tenderly framed Marianne's face with his hands. ‘It is perfectly true. I
did
sleep through the night. I woke just once—not because I was in pain, but just to make sure you were still there beside me,
namorada
.'

‘I promised you that I'd stay,' she answered shyly, her gaze momentarily lowering. ‘And I'm so glad you weren't in any pain. You've endured so much, coming through nine operations. You surely deserve some relief.'

‘It has not been an easy time, for sure.'

‘It must have been the most dreadful accident.'

Slowly Eduardo withdrew his hands from Marianne's face. He had no desire to ruin what had started out as a beautiful morning by confronting the terrible event that still haunted him and had left him a near cripple—yet he had made a vow to himself to be totally frank with
Marianne. After the gift she had given him last night, she at least deserved to know how he had sustained his injury.

‘It was. The worst day of my life.' He winced.

‘Will you—can you tell me about it?' she probed gently.

He nodded. ‘Yes—I will tell you.' Reaching for Marianne's hand, he examined it for a moment before continuing. ‘It was late at night, and we were returning home from a party.'

‘We…?'

Meeting her speculative glance, Eduardo steeled himself. Her sultry warm scent penetrated the air around him just then, and he almost suggested they forgot about the past and just enjoyed what they had right now.
But to his credit he did not.
With new resolve, he carried on relating the story.

‘My wife Eliana was with me. She was driving. I had bought her a new sports car for her birthday—she had a thing for fast cars, and she had insisted that we take it to the party. I drove on the way there, to help go through the controls with her and give her some tips on how best to handle it. It was a powerful model that she had desired for ages. I'd had my doubts about buying it for her, but somehow I ended up doing just that.'

Unable to suppress the flash of guilt that jolted through him whenever he recalled Eliana pleading with him to let her have the car, knowing that he should not have allowed her to drive it until she had had more
experience with it, Eduardo winced. There was a momentary ache behind his eyes.

‘Anyway…when it was time for us to return home, she insisted I let her drive. Everything was fine until we were about ten minutes from our house.' Swallowing hard over what felt like dozens of tiny hot prickles layering his throat, he grimaced. ‘There was a patch of oil on the road and the car spun out of control. I yelled at Eliana, to tell her what to do, and leaned across to help. But she was screaming in fright—her hands practically frozen on the steering wheel. It all happened so fast. We were on a mountain road and we hit a barrier at speed. She was killed outright. I lost consciousness. When I briefly woke up it was to find myself in the emergency room at the hospital, being prepared to be taken down to the operating theatre.'

‘And after the operation—that's when they told you about your wife?'

‘Yes.' Eduardo sighed.

With a distressed sound, Marianne laid her hand on his arm, gently stroking it over his skin, her eyes shimmering. ‘It must have been awful for you to lose someone you loved very much so suddenly like that—and in such a terrible way.'

‘Yes. There was a time when we were closer than close, but…'

‘But what?'

‘I—it doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is you and I,
namorada
. I am tired of dwelling on the past. Today is a new day, and I have enjoyed the
most satisfactory of nights…in
more
ways than one. That being the case, I want to enjoy the day equally as satisfactorily.'

The glance he gave Marianne was full of meaning. But at that exact moment there was the sound of a car coming up the drive, followed by the front door closing.

‘Ricardo,' Eduardo identified, tunnelling his fingers through his already sleep-dishevelled hair. He looked over at her ruefully. ‘He must have returned from his trip. I will have to see him for a few moments.'

‘Well, then…I'd better get back to my room and take a shower before I see to break fast.'

‘I will talk to Ricardo down stairs in the sitting room. Give me a couple of minutes, then you can leave—yes?'

‘All right.'

Quickly dressing, Eduardo sensed Marianne's avid gaze on him. Briefly, and perhaps vainly, he wished that his body was as it had been before the accident…when he had taken much pride and pleasure in the supreme level of fitness he had achieved through running on the beach, swimming, surfing and working out in his own private gymnasium.
How did Marianne perceive him as he was now?
he wondered. Did she see a still vital and fit man in his prime, or did she see a man who had too easily succumbed to uninterest and despair about his future because of the physical ravages and mental agony suffered after his accident? Then he remembered what she had said about age and looks or any of that not
being important—it was the
person
that mattered, none of the rest.

Eduardo wished no more interruptions were possible—either from distressing memories of the past or someone needing his attention. Because what he wanted more than anything else in the world right then was to spend the day alone with Marianne—to keep her preoccupied and tangled in his silken sheets, to make wild passionate love to her until, sated and sleepy, once again she fell asleep in his arms…

 

Glad that she had the distraction of several house hold tasks to occupy her, Marianne still had to try hard not to keep glancing at the time on her watch as she worked. In her heart she longed to keep the flame of the in credible intimacy she had shared last night with Eduardo burning, and she literally ached for his presence and for him to hold her again. But he and his valet had been ensconced in the sitting room for quite some time now, and only once during all that time had her lover come to find her, to request she make them some coffee. When she had taken the carafe to where they sat, along with two mugs and a plate of home-made short bread, he had barely even glanced up to acknowledge her. She had slipped quietly out of the room again, oddly hurt that he seemed too preoccupied to give her so much as a smile.

But Marianne had every intention of holding true to the vow she'd made.
She wouldn't regret a thing
, she reminded herself. Even if she
did
become just another
in a long line of women reaching back through the ages who had loved and lost the man they had given their heart to. She gasped softly as the idea crystallised in her mind. She didn't
love
Eduardo…she
couldn't
! She must be delirious or something. After her father had walked out and Donal had died she'd sworn to keep such a guard round her heart that no man would ever again penetrate it. In the matter of self-preservation she
must
and
would
adhere to that vow.

Just because she'd surrendered her virginity to Eduardo, it didn't mean that she loved him. Events were merely making her get a little carried away, that was all.

Seeking to drown out her troubled thoughts, she switched on the radio. Letting the mellifluous voice of the female presenter announcing the afternoon's programmes flow over her, she prayed that the upcoming offering of the play of the day—a gothic ghost story—would help distract her mind sufficiently to stop it from dwelling on one subject and one subject
only
as she worked…Eduardo.

Only seconds later, whilst examining the contents of the huge double-doored fridge to see what she could prepare for lunch, Marianne closed the door on her task, her thoughts ensnared by the remembered revelation that Eduardo had been married, and that his wife had been killed outright in the accident that had maimed him.

There had been something else he had almost shared with her about his wife, she recalled, frowning. There had
been a time
when they were closer than close, he had
said…That suggested that they had been no longer close at the time of the accident. Why? Had the marriage hit difficulty? Had one of them perhaps had an affair? What if it had been
Eduardo
? A wave of painful protest swept through her. He was such a vital, good-looking man. If his marriage had been on the rocks there surely would have been no dearth of interested women to console him?

Marianne groaned out loud, as if the sound itself could push the distressing thought away. For she could no longer fool herself about the truth… She had fallen as hard as it was possible to fall for this man, and if he was bereft of the ability to stay faithful then she couldn't possibly involve herself with him any further. In the past she had had a good friend whose husband had had an affair, and she had witnessed first-hand the destruction it had wreaked. Most of all the massive dent in self-esteem and personal worth that her friend had suffered, making her lose confidence in practically every area of her life and struggle to get through the day. Marianne had already experienced low self-worth and a lack of confidence, and she had no intention of revisiting either ever again…