Under the Mask: A Multi-Genre Collection

by Monica Corwin

  “So, tell me again. You spent a wonderful night with Kade?”

  “Yes. Eating my favorite food, thanks to you.”

  “And then you invited him over to visit your parents?”

  “I did not invite him. He invited himself.” Maddie sighed. She didn’t feel like going to work today. All she wanted to do was sit around her apartment in her pajamas, eat the fruit that Kade brought and watch movies on Netflix. She kept replaying everything that had happened in her mind.

  Things between her and Kade happened so fast. She hardly knew him. What Max had told her was basic—he’d had been a regular at Fifth Av, drives a very expensive car, and was constantly asking about her. After a wonderful weekend with him though, she felt as though their lives had crossed before.

  “You like him, so the point is moot.”

  “I know. But—”

  “You still have reservations about who he is.”

  “A weekend with a guy is not enough to learn everything about him.”

  “Well, at least, you got the story behind his tattoo.”

  “Yup.” Maddie clicked her mechanical pen repeatedly.

  “Did he tell you that he’s a Princeton grad, no criminal records, and his parents were explorers and super rich?”

  “World explorers?”

  Carly nodded. “Yup. So, you are right. Your lover is not just a man who likes to hang out at Fifth Av. He’s more than that. And for that info alone, you are buying me lunch.”

  “Fine.” Explorers. Kade mentioned that they’d traveled the world. Rich. Could it be that the donor and Kade were one and the same? Suspicions started forming in her head when the museum receptionist came in. “Hi, Gen. Good morning.”

  “This is for you.” Gen handed Maddie a beautiful deep red envelope. “I’m supposed to deliver this personally to make sure you get it.”

  Maddie and Carly exchanged looks.

  “Who is it from?” Carly asked.

  “No return address.”

  “Thank you, Gen.” Maddie stared at the envelope. It wasn’t like one of those adverts they often got. It had a one Mark stamp from Germany with a 1920 date on it. The stamp was unused. Running her fingers over the bold letters, she knew where the envelope was from. “Did we get anything else from our wonderful donor?”

  Carly shot out of her swiveled chair. “Anything else?”

  “This is from him. Same handwriting.”

  “Let’s see it. Oh, yeah. Holy mother load! That’s a One Mark stamp! Man, I have to research that. Might be worth over a million.”

  “Seriously? Maybe he gave the museum money this time,” Maddie mused aloud.

  “Wait…let me take a pic, so I can scan it.”

  Maddie waited for Carly to take the picture, but her fingers were itching to open it. When she felt the envelope, shivers passed through her. As if someone touched her skin, caressing her. And the weirdest part of it was, she thought of Kade instantly. Why?

  “All right. Open it. Maybe there’s more inside.” Carly handed her the envelope.

  Careful not to tear the stamp, Maddie opened it. Inside, was a glittery white high quality paper with a picture of a black mask on the side and in the middle were bold embossed words that said YOU ARE INVITED. “An invitation for tonight.”

  “Oh, look. It’s a mask ball or party. E.W. Do you think that’s the donor’s initials? Or the place?”

  “I don’t know. Doesn’t say where it’s going to be. A limo will be at my apartment at nine.”

  “Damn. Who in the world is this donor?”

  Kade’s name sat at the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t say it. He said his parents traveled the world, but to donate millions? Was he that rich? “I don’t know. But I’ll find out tonight.”

  Carly frowned. “Should you? Do you think it’s safe? I mean, we don’t know the guy. Damn. Too bad. I’m not invited.”

  “I know. Don’t worry. I’ll take pictures. Limo plate number, chauffeurs driver’s license. If he refuses, then I won’t go.”

  “All right. But, Maddie, you know what this envelope means right?”

  “No. What?”

  “This stamp is yours.”

  Kade hung up the phone. His trusted limo driver was already outside Maddie’s apartment waiting. The package safe in his hands.

  The first time he saw Maddie, she just walked past him. His initial reaction to her was pure admiration at the way she carried herself. Simple and yet there was an underlying elegance. He thought about his parents and what they would think about her. They would’ve liked Maddie. And then the more he saw her, the deeper his attraction went. The need to find out more about her had kept him awake all night after he met her.

  Maddie McEntyre, the woman who loved history, with awesome parents, delectable, and couldn’t be tempted to take something she believed didn’t belong to her was the one he’d been waiting for, the one he wanted to share his secrets with.

  Oh, yeah. His source at the museum had told him Maddie declared the stamp on the invitation and logged it as a donation. Trust and honesty were important to her. If he wanted to make her his—heart, body and soul, then she deserved to know who he really was.

  Kade gazed at the clock. His heart thudded against his chest. He could hardly wait to see his goddess.

  Chapter Eight

  Oh, my. Maddie stared at the costume laid out on her bed. The theme for the masked party was Gods and Goddesses. She and Carly thought she could be a Greek goddess wearing a floor length black dress with a matching black-feathered mask. Not like this.

  When she came home this afternoon, a limousine was parked outside her apartment. The driver stood beside it holding a big box. He smiled at her, handed her the box and explained that it was a gift from her donor.

  She didn’t know what to expect. Now, she knew. Maddie ran her fingers over the most exquisite material she’d ever held in her hands. Hera, the queen of gods wore a wispy white gown with gold trim. She was one of her favorite goddesses because she could order Hercules to do ridiculous things to show his strength.

  Maddie picked up the gold mask. It was very simple and sparkly with stardust diamonds. Tonight, she’d be the Queen of Gods, but would she command respect and adoration? My, this costume would be well suited for a night of fantasy play. Was that where she would be going tonight? An ancient style Grecian mask ball?

  Chapter Nine

  Holding a wine glass, Kade watched the scene below. This was one of the oldest organizations founded by the Celtics and Greeks. Believed to be made up of the Freemasons, past presidents, and chieftains members and they’d participated in Erotic Whims’ underground play. And who wouldn’t want to? The organization was founded with one thing in mind—escapism.

  Members were supposed to leave the real world behind and spend a night here free of their identities, bindings from marital status, to seek distraction and relief from the unpleasant realities of life. Everyone here sought entertainment. They engaged in fantasies, otherwise impossible to achieve in the real world.

  He found out about Erotic Whims when an old acquaintance of his father met him. At the time, he was reeling from pain of losing his parents that no amount of drinking and hanging out with friends could alleviate. But his female acquaintance brought him here where he found solace. His mind diverted and it had helped him get past all that pain.

  Kade watched the scene below. Masked and dressed in their best gods and goddesses outfit, members and guests flirted. Some wandered along the corridors. Others were busy performing consensual sex against the wall, behind the curtains, on the stairs and couches. Women lounged on the antique sofas, their breasts bare and legs spread apart for everyone to see. They were beautiful.

  “Aren’t they magnificent?”

  Kade turned to look at the man that stood beside him. He, too, hid behind his blue mask and a blue toga. “I see you’re wearing your favorite mask, Duke.”

  “Of course.”

  “It’s a hideous mask, my friend.�
�

  “I’ll have you know this is a long nose Venice mask. My—”

  “Yeah, yeah. Your great, great, great grandfather used that mask and slept with over a hundred women. Got it, but why not add your personal touch to it?”

  “If I changed any part of this mask it would lose it story, its appeal and value.”

  He knew someone who would agree with the duke. Kade smiled. “Fine. If you want to look like a Venetian that contracted leprosy, eczema or dermatitis, suit yourself.”

  “I know you, Kade. You don’t want competition. And you know that women are attracted to this mask. Peeling paint and all.”

  “True.”

  “Well, a toast to a wonderful night.”

  He clinked glasses with the duke. He wanted to tell the man that women flanked beside him because of his title and not the hideous mask, but who was he to destroy the man’s illusion?

  “Ah, I see the goddess I’ve been waiting for all night. Later, Kade.”

  Kade watched the duke go down the steps in a hurry. “Good luck, man.” He leaned against a beam while watching members and conduct transactions down below—sexual or business. Most of the members had closed deals here. They said that a man without inhibitions was more likely a trustworthy kind. They have nothing to hide.

  He was adjusting his lace-up armband when people started turning heads. Kade followed their line of vision. His heart nearly stopped beating when a goddess in white appeared from behind the shimmery curtain.

  Maddie didn’t know whether to take another step on run back outside. She’d read about masked balls in the historical books that she loved reading over and over, but none of the authors had described anything like this. She didn’t expect to see anyone walking around naked or practically naked, couples having sex in the open, women getting pleasured, and vise versa. She looked around. The room was elegantly decorated. If she were to guess, millions of dollars were spent to make the whole place look like a replica of old Greece. In the middle of the room was a huge king size bed. She didn’t want to think what the bed might be for, but it was hard not to.

  Lustful stares from the masked men along with obvious and jealous glances from the women were thrown at her feet. Maddie felt her body getting warm from the mixture of embarrassment and excitement.

  Oh, god, Please show me a sign that I made a good decision to come here tonight.

  She felt so nervous, unsure if she’d made a good decision when she spotted someone up on the balcony staring down at her. His intense stare was enough to make her hot all over. From where she stood, all she could tell was that he was a warrior of some kind with a brown mask. She watched as the hunk warrior slowly took the steps while staring at her. He was shirtless and wore a leather studded short skirt that covered only half of his thighs. The accent pieces of lace up armbands and cuffs, along with the collar made him look like a badass warrior. She liked his laced-up leather sandals, too.

  Maddie couldn’t tell if she’d seen him before. However, an odd feeling that she knew him knocked at her chest. The closer he got, the faster her heart beat.

  No. Couldn’t be.

  When the warrior reached her, Maddie felt a shudder of excitement ripple through her.

  “Welcome to Erotic Whims, Goddess Hera.”

  Maddie just stared. His height, his lips, body and those eyes behind the mask—his voice. Kade. He was the donor just as she suspected after she put two and two together—rich, parents who were explorers and played significant roles in many discoveries around the world. But to actually face the truth about him made her tongue-tied. Then, she heard someone elicit a loud moan from somewhere behind her. “What is this place?”

  “Erotic Whims is a place where everyone’s fantasy comes true.”

  “This dress I’m wearing definitely made my dream of becoming goddess Hera. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. You put a totally different meaning on the word gorgeous.”

  “You look damn fine yourself. What are you supposed to be?”

  “Hercules. A warrior who would do anything to please my goddess.”

  “You mean goddesses?”

  “No. There is only one I want to serve.”

  “What’s going on, Kade? I know this is—”

  “Want a tour?”

  Letting out a sigh, she nodded. “Sure.”

  Kade took her hand and escorted her toward the table laden with food. “Wine?”

  “Thank you.” Maddie stared at a woman who walked by them. Her nipples were covered with sheer lace. “She makes me feel lacking.”

  He placed his hand on the small of Maddie’s back. “Those are not real.”

  “What about those?” She pointed at a woman lounging on the couch.

  “Real.”

  “You know that how?”

  “They’re too close to each other and way up high. If you get close to those, you’ll even hear them sloshing.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup.”

  They went to another part of the room where pristine long white silks hung from the ceiling. A round bed covered with gold sheets sat in the middle of the room. Masked men and women began to gather around the bed. “What’s going on?”

  “Just watch.”

  A couple that looked to be in their mid-twenties came in the room hand in hand. They were both tall, curly blond, and just perfect. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think they were really immortals that descended to earth. Then the couple began stripping each other. Maddie couldn’t take her eyes off of them.

  As soon as the couple sat on the bed, lights went out and they began to slowly rotate. What happened next made Maddie’s whole body burn. The sound they’d made as they began to explore each other’s bodies with their hands and mouth affected her senses. When the man licked the woman’s pussy and both moaned, Maddie swallowed. She and Carly had watched porn one time for her birthday, but they only laughed at what they saw. Not like this. What she was looking at was a man and woman making love as if they were alone. They spent time caressing one another, spending more time on places that gave them pleasure. As the minutes went by, Maddie began imagining she was the woman and Kade, the man. Good lord, they were hypnotic.

  The woman came while receiving cunnilingus and the man released his orgasm inside her. It was mesmerizing.

  She’d become so focused on the couple that she didn’t realize Kade’s hands were flat on her stomach. He was slowly caressing her exposed skin. Since her vision had already adjusted in the dark, she could see the audience, too. Almost everyone seemed to be involved in all kinds of sexual positions. Maddie tried to look back at Kade, but he stopped her.

  “Just watch, love. This is life, freedom from the bindings of social rules.” He kissed her neck hard as his body pressed close to her back.

  Maddie was sure she’d have a mark there, but she felt too aroused from sexual excitement to care. She wanted Kade to touch her the way the man on the bed touched the woman. She wanted his mouth on her breasts. She wanted him to suck her clit. She wanted him to claim her.

  “I know what you want,” Kade whispered.

  “Then give it to me.”

  As soon as Kade kissed her mouth, Maddie let loose of her inhibitions. She made love with him as if the air they breathed had been tampered with an aphrodisiac.

  When the smoke of passion had finally lifted, Maddie found herself in the softest bed she’d ever been on. It had a white canopy and covered with silk sheets. With her mind now free of lust and passion, she felt her inhibitions slowly coming back. She looked over at Kade lying on his side watching her. “What just happened?”

  “You left the real world behind, love.”

  “Now, I’m back. I can see why anyone would want to keep coming here.”

  “Most people wouldn’t understand unless they experienced what you’ve just been through.”

  Maddie scrunched up her nose. “Just so you know, I’ve never done anything—”

  “Shhh. I know,
babe.”

  “Kade, you’ve been our number one anonymous donor,” she stated matter of factly. “Why did you decide to let me know it was you?”

  “With two intentions. One to help the museum. My parents have been donating artifacts everywhere. I didn’t want their charity works to end. When I met you and learned that you worked for Seattle Museum, I started donating there.”

  “And two?”

  “You’ve made me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kade touched Maddie’s nose. “You see, my love. I was so attracted to you. It was so strong that I believe it was love at first sight. The moment I saw you, you stayed in my mind. Night and day, I thought of you. I’ve become obsessed about anything that had to do with you. Carly and Max helped, but what they told me only made my interest in you grow even deeper. And then as luck would have it, you finally talked to me, which led to a wonderful night. We made love under the glass roof with the stars as our witnesses and you invited me to your home in Kingston.”

  “I didn’t. You invited yourself.” Maddie smiled.

  “It had been the best move I’ve ever made. Got to know your parents, cousins, I agreed to becoming a godparent, and found out that you were a brat growing up, and a sensitive person who would invite a hobo in for a cup of coffee.”

  “I’ve done that only a couple times. Anyway, you haven’t told me the number two reason why you exposed your identity.”

  “Secrets. You said it eats away at your foundation. Listen, Maddie. I’ve been a member of this organization for years, but never told anyone about it. It’s because I’ve never met anyone I felt had been a part of my life. I know it’s crazy because we’ve just met. But before we start again, I want it done without secrets. I want you to know me for who I am.”

  “A man who takes pleasure in watching very expensive live erotic shows.”

  “Yes. I know a lot of people would judge me or anyone here negatively. Some would probably think we are devils. If, somehow, you’re opposed to this and wish to walk away and never look back, I’d understand.”