Page 113 of His Two Hidden Masks

Robertoand I stopped in the cupola just inside the main entrance of the palace. People danced and laughed all around us, migrating like a flock of beautiful birds or a school of fish.

Inside the ball, the costumes — or lack of costumes — became even more elaborate. A few people walked through the room in nothing but silver and gold paint. The lights inside shimmered, shifting from blue to red to green and back again. Contortionists bent and twirled while suspended from golden rings overhead. STOP HERE

“We did it,” I said, leaning against the wall beside Roberto. “I can’t imagine what my father and James are going to say when they find out they can’t close today.”

The walls vibrated as a band played in the main ballroom. The dancing would continue until sunrise. A couple stopped in front of us, embracing in a passionate kiss. The woman’s head dipped back as her lover lowered her toward the ground in a slow-motion dance move.

They looked so in love and I was now married to the wrong man for the right reasons. My breath caught as my adrenaline plummeted. The stress and the rush to get here hit me. My body craved sleep, and I felt sad surrounded by true love.

I closed my eyes. “Can we go home now?”

“Touch me,” A voice said.

My eyes snapped open. Roberto stood in front of me, his head lowered, the hood of his cape obscuring his face.

“Touch me,” he repeated.

I froze, my mouth dry. “Say that again,” I said, my heart pounding.

He stepped closer. “Touch me, Bella.”

A finger traced across the lace and up the length of my arm. Chills rippled through my body. The way my body responded to his touch was undeniable.

This was a man who knew how to love me in ways I’d never imagined. His every touch felt like foreplay. He lowered his hood exposing his golden mask and lifting his mask so I could see his face.

“Dylan,” I said, feeling as though I couldn’t breathe. “No. Why are you here? I don’t understand.”

“Hello, clever Bella.”

Stunned I looked into the deep brown eyes of the man who made me come and shake harder than any lover before him. He gave me pleasure beyond my wildest dreams. Climaxing in his arms, I fell through stars.

He also lied to me, deceived my family, and now pretended to be my fiancé for what reason, I did not know. Dylan Street was the man I just married.

In a nanosecond, my desire and anger formed an emotional tornado that I unleashed. “You lying son of a bitch,” I shouted, and slapped him in the face.

He caught my hand on the recoil.

“Listen,” he said.

“Are we married?” I asked, shaking. “Did you just fucking marry me on the steps of Doge's Palace?”

“I couldn’t let you do it,” he said.

“You don’t get to let me do anything. You don’t understand what you’ve done. Roberto and I are going to stop this acquisition. What is wrong with you?” My eyes filled with tears.

“I do understand, Bella,” he said. “You have to trust me.”

“Trust you? You lied to me the night we met. You lied to me about your brother’s intentions and now you’ve tricked me into marrying you.” My hands balled in fists at my side.

I didn’t know what to do. What was I supposed to do? Where were Leo, Lissa and Roberto? I needed to fix this now. “You need to get the fuck away from me.”

“Listen to me, Bella,” Dylan said.

I put both hands on his chest and pushed him away. “I just married you under false pretenses.” Looking into his dark eyes, I wondered how I ever mistook this man for Roberto.

“You can do undo everything with a quick divorce, Bella,” Dylan said. “You never wanted to marry Roberto. Your goal was to get the votes you needed to stop the acquisition.”

“I don’t need you to mansplain my life to me,” I said. “I know why I was marrying Roberto and you have just fucked it all up. Your family has a really bad habit of destroying things that don’t belong to them. Well congratulations. You’ve done it. Your brother wins.”

---