Under the Mask: A Multi-Genre Collection

by Monica Corwin

  “Hi, Kade. Thanks for the drinks.”

  “No problem. Can I join you?”

  Carly nodded then smiled. “Anytime.”

  Kade pulled the empty chair out and sat down.

  “You shouldn’t pay for our drinks all the time.” Maddie stared at him with a serious expression on her lovely face.

  “I know, but I love to. Looks like you need someone to keep an eye on you two. You work too hard.”

  “How’d you know?” Maddie asked.

  “First, your eyes are bloodshot, looks like you both hadn’t eaten in hours and you smell like old scrolls.”

  Maddie stared at him, mouth agape with incredulity.

  Kade touched Maddie’s chin to close her mouth. It was a mistake. The simple touch served as a fuse to ignite his whole body. His fucking attraction to her was heading to a higher level. After giving her lower lip a gentle swipe of his thumb, he lowered his hand—or else, he might do more than just a caress. “Am I right?”

  “You’re right about the hungry part.” Carly nodded.

  “I don’t care if we smell like old scrolls. I’d wear that scent all the time,” Maddie retorted with a straight face.

  Kade grinned. “I’d love it, too.” For a minute, they stared at each other without saying anything. Damn, they were so close, all he had to do was lean over and he could kiss her. Her sensuality filled his senses. Wow. Just thinking about taking her to the exclusive underground organization in Seattle called Erotic Whims made his cock rock hard.

  The group, founded by Irish and Celtic members, had limited membership. If your application got rejected, then that was it. Didn’t matter if you shat money. An Arab prince had tried to join, thinking he could buy his way in. Didn’t work. And no member wanted to sponsor him as a guest, which would have been the only way for a non-member to get a glimpse of what was happening inside the exclusive and most whispered about organization.

  This year, they were having a masquerade. It would be fantastic if he could take her with him. Many times, he imagined her under the mask, wearing a Greek goddesses like seductive gown that barely covered her. Oh, yeah. She’d make the other goddesses jealous when she sauntered into the room. Men would turn their heads and for sure, would want a taste of her.

  Just like me. Kade’s cock throbbed. Fuck me! “So how’s work today?”

  “Busy.”

  “We received a lot of mind-blowing antiques from a donor who wants to remain anonymous. He’s probably someone who likes to travel the world and didn’t mind getting dirty.”

  “He?” Kade looked over at Maddie. “How’d you know?”

  “His handwriting.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Maddie is already in love with him because he writes in bold letters. He actually used a fountain pen. Who the hell uses that in this day and age?”

  “In love with him?” he asked without looking at Carly.

  “Yes. Maddie read his letters a million times already, as if the letter came from Alexander the Great or Richard the Lionheart.”

  “Really now.”

  “Dig this, the letters were like personal. All addressed to Maddie as if the donor was giving everything to her and not to the museum.”

  “Well, maybe that is his intention.” Kade grinned at Maddie.

  “You could be right, because the donor talked about how he hoped Maddie would enjoy looking at the artifacts,” Carly continued. “Oh, and you should see the stationery the donor used. It would put the queen’s to shame.”

  “Carly…”

  “And Maddie dreamed about him, imagining his handsome face, his muscular body.”

  Kade laughed. “Wow.”

  “Based on the donor’s handwriting, she believes that he’s a lefty. A thing that she finds so sexy.”

  “Very interesting.”

  “Carly, you know I can hear you, right?” Maddie asked with exasperation.

  “You dream about him, Maddie?” he asked.

  “Only a woman without imagination would not wonder who he is,” Maddie replied. “He sends us beautiful, old and out-of-this world things. I love them all, but it makes one wonder why he’s donating them.”

  “So you like anything moldy, dusty and old.”

  “Oh, laugh all you want. I don’t care. You wouldn’t understand anyway. I’m hungry. Should we order, Carly?”

  “Yup. You joining us, Kade?”

  “He’s not. He’s leaving.” Maddie stared at Kade.

  He gave her a sad puppy look that made them all laugh.

  “Fine. The more the merrier.” Maddie nodded.

  Kade raised his hand to get the waiter’s attention. Maddie was right. Their anonymous donor was a lefty. He glanced at Maddie. She was staring at him. He winked. She blushed. Oh, baby. He hoped Carly was right that Maddie was in love with the donor. Him.

  Chapter Three

  Dinner was great. Of course, Kade insisted that he pay for everyone and won. Well, the waiter wouldn’t take her money and Max who sat with them said Maddie could pay for their dessert, which Kade paid for anyway. Kade was persistent, funny, smart, and…gave her warm feelings just by looking at him.

  After a few minutes of spending time with him, she noticed his knowledge of history. He spoke like a gentleman, too. But Maddie couldn’t shake off the feeling that Kade was more than just Kade.

  “Should we ask for another bottle? What about another round of dessert?” he asked.

  “You guys decide. I’m good.” Carly yawned. “Wow. I’m tired. Well, I’ll leave you two share your historical knowledge. Time to go home. See you tomorrow, Maddie.”

  “Goodnight, Carly. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  “Tell Bree hi.”

  “Will do.” Carly gazed at him now. “Night, Kade. Thanks for the food, dessert and wine. Tomorrow?”

  Kade laughed. “Sure. Good night.”

  As soon as Carly left, Kade told the waiter to bring them a bottle of sparkling water. “Do you look at the stars at night?”

  “Many times. Since I was a little girl.”

  Kade laughed. “Smart kitty.”

  His laugh was rich, masculine, and caressed Maddie’s skin. “Is that supposed to be a better version of smartass?”

  “Something like that.”

  Maddie grinned. “Yes, I have looked up at the stars. I’m afraid it’s a habit actually. Not interested about the scientific facts about them though.”

  “Just the myths about the zodiac or other constellations? And the romance among the stars like Perseus and Andromeda?” he queried.

  “Aren’t the stars more interesting if you think they were aligned in the sky based on the gods and goddesses?

  Kade shrugged.

  “You’re such a boy.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. So, why do you ask if I look at the stars?”

  “I want to ask you to come with me to The Sky View Observatory. Forecast shows Seattleites have a good chance of witnessing meteor showers tonight. We could go up to the observatory.”

  “Tonight? Wouldn’t it be closed?”

  “I already talked to Carlos, my Filipino friend, who works there. He’ll let us in.”

  “You talked to him before asking me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he’s waiting right now. This late?”

  “He won’t go home to his wife until I call to tell him we are coming and Gilda is probably waiting for Carlos to tell her that I got you to come.”

  “Is there a bet?”

  “Kind of. Gilda said she’d make me eggrolls and Filipino Pancit if I get you to say yes. Pancit is like Chow Mein, by the way.”

  “Ah. What if I said no?”

  Kade stared at the fork he’d been twirling between his fingers. “Is it a no?”

  The Sky View was the tallest public viewing area in the Pacific Northwest that offered a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier, Bellevue, the Cascade Mountains, Mt. Baker, El
liott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, Space Needle, and the city of Seattle. To top it all off, the building’s roof was all glass. Of course, it would be the best place to be to watch the shooting stars.

  Maddie nodded. “Okay, I’ll go. On one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “I want to try Gilda’s eggrolls and Pancit.”

  “She’ll be over the moon.” Kade opened his wallet, pulled out three twenty dollar bills, then left it on the table. “Carlos wants to see that I’m not bullshitting him when I said I met a very enchanting siren.”

  “Ah. So why not take her with you?”

  “Ha. Ha.”

  “Wait, I’m the siren? Temptress, seductress, flirt?” Maddie pretended to be surprised.

  “A woman so alluring or fascinating but also a danger to any man’s sanity.”

  Maddie felt her whole body flush. Kade’s words felt like a wine going down her throat to warm her. She stared back at him not knowing how to respond. Her? Alluring? How? God, he made her so self-conscious.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  The observatory was impressive, but the man standing beside her muddled her brain. He smelled wonderful, liked to touch the small of her back, and was very, very seductive. All he had to do was smile and Maddie wanted to meow like a cat. Jesus. She had been so busy with work that she almost forgot how good it felt to receive a special attention from a man.

  They’d been exchanging hellos for the past weeks, but tonight had been the first time they really had a conversation. Although, he really tried hard. Now, she regretted ignoring him before. He was fun to talk to. Kade expressed concern about endangered species, global warming, showed knowledge about different parts of the world, and hardly talked about politics, which Maddie felt grateful for. She wasn’t one to follow the news unless it was about archeology or world history. However, when she looked at him, she got this strange feeling that something was behind what she was seeing. As if he wore a mask.

  Her desire to look for information, to find out details, started kicking in. She would find out more about Kade Laughlan.

  “Kade had been here many times, Maddie. Tonight is the first time he brought someone with him.”

  Maddie smiled at Carlos. He looked to be in his seventies with thin, white hair. He stooped a little but still moved as if he was in his fifties. She liked his smile. It made his eyes twinkle. She noticed, too, that he wore a nice pair of polished shoes, creased black slacks and a white long sleeved shirt that made him look so adorable. “I must be special then.”

  “Nah. I told Carlos I saw you sitting alone in the corner. Nobody wants to talk to you because you have cooties and horrible eczema,” Kade replied.

  Maddie looked over at Kade then pinched his side. “You’re horrible!”

  “Oww!” Kade grabbed her hand and didn’t let go. Instead, he laced their fingers together. “God, you remind me of my kindergarten teacher. She liked to pinch her students. Her name was Connie Crabbe.”

  “Crab? Yeah, right.”

  “True. C-R-A-B-B-E,” Kade spelled it out.

  “Well, maybe you deserved to be pinched.”

  “If she was as beautiful as you, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

  Carlos cleared his throat. “This building can withstand earthquakes and hurricane force winds, making it one of the strongest and safest buildings in the Pacific Northwest. So you guys are safe here.”

  “Thank you, Carlos.” Maddie thought about giving him a hug, but Kade wouldn’t let go of her hand.

  “You’re welcome. Okay, everything is locked. No one will disturb you here.”

  “Oh, you can stay and watch the stars with us.”

  Carlos chuckled. “My wife is waiting, dear. I haven’t seen her all day. She’s the only star I want to see tonight.”

  Maddie had seen the look in Carlos’s eyes before. From her parents. Even now, they would stare at each other with love in their eyes. “She’s a lucky woman.”

  “And I’m just as lucky. Well, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Maddie. Enjoy the view.

  “We will,” Maddie said.

  Carlos nodded. “Everything that you requested is there. Do you need anything else, Kade?”

  “No, Carlos. Thank you.”

  “Alright. Maddie, I don’t care if you have cooties, maybe someday, you can meet my wife.”

  Maddie laughed. “Thank you. And yes, I would love to meet your wife.”

  “Carlos, Maddie wants to have a taste of Gilda’s Pancit and eggrolls.”

  “She’ll be delighted to know that. Come by the house anytime. Oh, Maddie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for coming tonight. Goodnight, you two.” Carlos turned and walked back toward the elevator.

  Kade squeezed her hand.

  She rubbed her arm when shivers of excitement at the knowledge of being alone with Kade made her skin tingle.

  “You made him happy, love.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Still holding Maddie’s hand, Kade led her towards the glass walls.

  Together, they looked out at the glittering lights of Seattle. The tip of the Space Needle glowed bright while the buildings were outlined by the moon and blanketed by twinkling stars. Maddie was in awe. It seemed like she could just reach out her hand and touch the stars. “City lights and the stars are coming together,” she whispered.

  “I know, but why are you whispering?”

  “I don’t want to disturb this.” She made a sweeping motion with her hand. “Something magical is happening. It’s like a different world and I’m on the outside looking in. Look at that blanket of stars. They are witnessing the ever changing world. And the cities…providing entertainment to the gods and goddesses up above, proving that humans are wonderful creatures. The heavens and the world below are compensating each other. Both different, but giving each other something to look forward to each day. Right now, everyone has set aside their differences. Even the gods and goddesses are probably sleeping in their beds of clouds. And—I. Am. Rambling.” Maddie laughed.

  “I love listening to you talk.”

  “You’re just saying that.”

  “No. I’ve had tutors, met renowned speakers, took classes under the best instructors, but none of them spoke with so much passion that each word you utter penetrates my soul. And I believe that is why you are so good at what you do. You give your heart to everything.”

  “Thank you.” They walked as if they had all the time in the world, even when it must have been midnight already. When they rounded a pillar, Maddie spotted a quilted blanket on the floor. On it was a wicker basket and a thermos.

  A midnight picnic. Wow. “What’s in the basket?”

  “Strawberries, chocolates, shortbread cookies and Sour Patch candies.”

  “Those are my favorites.”

  “I know.”

  “How?”

  “I got help.”

  “From someone with spiky hair, perhaps?”

  Kade grinned. “I twisted her arm, so don’t get mad at her.”

  “You mean, paid for our dinner and drinks, so you could get information about me.” Maddie raised a brow. “What else did she tell you?”

  “Let me see. You take long bubble baths at night and sleep without a stitch of clothing on.”

  “What?” She tried to pull her hand away, but Kade just tightened his grip. Maddie looked away when he grinned, otherwise, she might just kiss him. Holy sweet candy, he was so beautiful.

  “Just kidding. Carly is a true friend. She wouldn’t betray your secrets or divulge your private life to anyone. In fact, she threatened me.”

  “Threatened you with what?”

  “She would do something unimaginable, which I will not mention, if I made you cry or break your heart.”

  “She is wonderful. So, you always come up here?”

  Kade stopped to face her. “Yeah. Each time felt like the first. So I keep coming back. Kind of like the first time I saw you. I wan
ted to see you again. Even though you prefer to look at a brochure or use your phone to search for something that’s a hundred years old, rather than look at me.”

  “I’m sorry.” She reached up to gently swipe his bangs that fell to the corner of his left eye. “But a broken pot is more interesting.”

  “Witch!” Kade pulled Maddie against him, wrapped his arm around her waist then spun her around.

  Maddie screamed. “Kade!”

  “Take that back or I won’t stop until both of us are dizzy.”

  “I’m just telling the truth!”

  “Fine. We’ll keep spinning.”

  She buried her face against the crook of his neck, laughing. “Okay. I take it back. Please stop now, before I lose my dinner.”

  Kade stopped, but didn’t let go of his hold on her. “You’re beautiful.”

  She ran a finger across his hairline. “You’re beautiful yourself.”

  A heartbeat later, Maddie found her mouth covered with Kade’s. Like the wine she had tonight, it made her feel heady, warm and buoyed. Every part of her that he touched, sang with delight. His kiss was hurried as if he’d been waiting for this moment to happen. He tasted so good, Maddie couldn’t stop herself from returning his kisses.

  “Maddie…” Kade planted kisses all over her neck and shoulder.

  Maddie buried her fingers in his hair when Kade bit her lightly. The pain only caused her temperature to rise. She didn’t want him to stop. In fact, she wanted more. When she felt her bra loosened followed by a delicious feeling of his hands on her back—kneading, caressing, she didn’t protest at all. Slowly, he trailed kissed down her collarbone and the tops of her breasts.

  “Kade…oh, my.” Heat pooled between her legs when he licked her nipple through the material of her top. He spent a wonderful amount of time taking turns licking and sucking her breasts. What he was doing built up her desire, her need for his mouth to finally touch her skin. God, she’d never had anyone pleasure her breasts like this. It felt so erotic that blood pounded in her brain.

  “Maddie, you’re so hot.” He pulled the top over her head then stared at Maddie’s breasts. “Fucking beautiful.”