Page 31 of Dark Masquerade
He didn’t find it funny. “I’m just advising you because you haven’t traveled in the same circles as me and I don’t want you to behumiliated.”
Elli flushed with anger. “Are you concerned that I’ll be humiliated oryou’llbe humiliated? I’m sorry I’m such an embarrassment to you, Aldo.” She threw some of her favorite clothes into the case—pinks, browns, blacks, and lilacs—and then left him alone. She went out to the balcony to seeth, but five minutes later, she felt his arms slide around her waist and his lips on her neck.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m a jerk.”
“Big jerk.”
“Big jerk.” He pulled her back against him, and she felt his erection press into the small of her back. “Got a bigger jerk for you, if you’re interested.”
Elli had to laugh, and then he was pushing up her skirt. “Don’t turn around. Play our game. Pretend there are men down there, all wanting to fuck you.”
He was inside her, but Elli felt strangely disconnected. Sex hadn’t been the same since Indio, but she didn’t want Aldo to know that so she made all the same noises. And it wasn’t as if the sex was bad—far from it. She just felt exhausted all the time, drained of emotion.
Now, as she sat on Aldo’s private jet, flying over Paris at night, she gazed down at the lights beneath her. Aldo was watching her, a smile on his face. “Have you ever been?”
“To Paris? Once, a couple of years ago. I was invited to interview a candidate in the election. Why, I don’t know. Anyway, I did it, andLe Mondepicked it up after we published it.”
“Feather in your cap.”
Elli smiled at him. “It was, actually, although I never knew why he would choose an Italian journalist to cover his run in the French election. It did open a lot of doors for me.”
“Your talent did that, sweetheart. As for the Italian thing, your writing transcends nationality.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you, baby.”
Aldo got up and came to sit next to her. “Elli, we can be happy, can’t we?”
“Of course.”
“Because, right now, I don’t think you are happy.” He swept her hair back over her shoulder. It was on the tip of her tongue to lie to him, but then she just sighed.
“I’m trying, Aldo. I swear. It’s just with this stalker thing and the crap in the gossip rags about me …it’s getting to me.”
“And so is Indio Navaro.”
Elli leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m trying, Aldo.”
“I know. We’ll have fun in Seattle, I swear. I have a few meetings, but after that, we’ll go do the tourist thing.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing Jess Storm, I have to say. I really liked her.”
“Hmm.”
Elli looked up at him. “You don’t like her?”
“What’s not to like? She’s lovely. I just wonder at seeing someone who might remind you of the night at the party.”
Elli nuzzled his neck. “You know, seeing Indio wasn’t the only thing that happened that night.”
Aldo smiled genuinely then. “Yes, the Masquerade orgy …I was surprised you took to it so quickly.”
Was that a slur? She couldn’t tell, but chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I wanted to make you happy.”
He kissed her. “Watching you get fucked by those men …god, that was a turn on.”
Elli grinned at him. “Me and my vagina could tell.”
“Talking about your vagina …there’s a bedroom in the back and I’m feeling a little …”
