Page 25 of Dark Masquerade
“That was incredible,” he said, ramming his hips hard against hers, his cock reaming her into submission. Elli came again and again, feeling woozy and like her body wasn’t her own as she fucked Aldo. They had attracted an audience, and Eli found she liked the feeling of being watched as she was made love to. Four other men made approaches, and she gave permission for two of them to fuck her. The men she turned –down—mostly out of exhaustion—simply nodded, shook her hand, and moved on. Elli was amazed how safe she felt in this bizarre, erotic situation. Never had she dreamed she would be a part of this world.
Hours later, she and Aldo left the erotic party on their way to Maceo’s own gala, via their favorite pizza restaurant first.
“Did you enjoy that, my darling love?” Aldo asked over a cheesy bite.
“It was …out of this world. But I am glad it’s only once a year. I think I broke my vagina.” She grinned up at him, her eyes soft with love.
Aldo chuckled. “It will weird to go back to normal life for a few hours, I warn you.”
Then he eyed her dress, which she’d put on after showering their earlier antics away. “I thought you were going to wear that red dress again?”
Elli looked down at the lilac, form-fitting dress she wore, grateful she’d kept all traces of pizza off it. “You don’t like this?”
“You look beautiful …I just love you in red, is all. No problem.” He grinned and kissed her, but Elli had thought, for a moment, she had seen something else in his eyes.Anger. What was that about?
But he chatted away to her, and clearly, there was nothing bothering him now, so she brushed it off as her imagination. They wandered the streets, finishing off their meal before arriving at Maceo’s water-front gallery. It was already packed with people, some of them still wearing masks from the various Carnival parties around the city. Elli hoped that she wouldn’t recognize any of the masks from the orgy.
Orianthi Bartoli broke away from the crowds and threw her arms around Elli as soon as she spotted the couple. “I’m so glad you came!” she exclaimed, kissing Aldo’s cheek before whisking Elli off to introduce her to some people, who, Elli found, had already been briefed about her. Some of them knew about the nasty op-ed about her and were firmly on her side. “I’ve read all your work for the last few years,” said one rather stately gentleman. “And whatever idiot wrote that piece is a fool.”
Several other people said the same, and Elli was starting to feel appreciated and valued as she talked to the people Ori introduced to her. She spent what felt like hours discovering the artists and artisans who worked with Ori and Maceo and was introduced to some of their international friends too. Grady Mallory and his wife Floriana, Theo and Jessica Storm, and Maceo's best friends, Benoit and Lisander, both alone, as their wives were both home with their children.
Ori grinned at Elli. “They have a million kids between them—personally, I don’t know how Shiloh and Kate keep up.”
“Do you have plans for any more after this one?”
Ori glanced down at her swollen belly. “Right now, I’d rather shove needles in my ears, but ask me again when this little monster is two or three. Of course, by that time,” she said in a stage-whisper as she saw her husband approach. “Maceo will be way toooldfor any more kids.”
Maceo, gloriously handsome in his early fifties, chuckled. “Yeah, well, that’ll teach you for marrying an old man.”
Ori chuckled. “Myold man,” she said and kissed him. Elli grinned at the happy couple and excused herself to find Aldo.
She saw him talking to Theo and Jess Storm. Jess smiled at her as Elli took Aldo’s hand. “Hello again …oh, are you two together?”
Elli nodded, smiling. She looked down at Jess and Theo’s daughter, Lily, who stood shyly at her mother’s side. “Are you having a good time, Lily?”
Lily blushed red and nodded, half-hiding behind her mother. Jess chuckled, looking apologetically at Elli. “She’s still a little jetlagged. We only got to Italy this morning.”
“How long are you here? It would be lovely to have lunch sometime.”
Jess looked regretful. “Only until tomorrow, I’m afraid, but if you ever get over to Seattle, I would love to see you.”
Seattle. There it was again.Elli smiled at Jess as she, Theo, and Lily said goodbye. Then Aldo turned his attention back to Elli.
“I take it those were your Seattle friends you mentioned?”
Aldo smiled. “Yes, and now that you’ve met Theo and Jess, maybe I can persuade you to take a break with me there?”
Elli laughed at his mischief. “You can, but not just yet. We have a busy month coming up.”
She was starting to feel tired now, and noticing,Aldo kissed her cheek. “I just have to go speak to someone,” he said. “I’ll be back in a moment, and we’ll go home.”
Elli used the time alone to look around at the art works, wondering why she’d never come here before. She was staggered by the beauty and artistry in the gallery. Maceo Bartoli had certainly put on an exquisite show.
Elli finished her drink and looked for somewhere to set her glass down. She moved through the audience and found a table. She was putting her drink down when she heard a man talking. His voice was low, mellifluous—and heartbreaking familiar. All the breath left her lungs as she turned and saw him. From the back, his hair looked shorter, neater, and not as wild, but still that glorious dark brown. The person he was talking to was distracted by someone interrupting, and the brown-haired man turned around, his bright green eyes fixing on her.
Elli saw him pale a –little—he looked as shocked as she was—but still, he was the most gloriously beautiful man she had ever seen. At that moment, and with a sinking heart, Elli realized there was, and always would be, onlyoneman she truly loved, and he was standing right in front of her.
Indio.
