Free Masked Desires by Alisa Easton Page B

the dance floor breathless and dizzy. It wasn't just the fact that he'd given her no choice, there was something about his commanding touch and the way his stare penetrated her when he looked down into her eyes. She shivered as he pulled her close and inhaled his scent deeply. He smelled like the ocean.
    "I don't know how to dance," she mumbled as he attempted to lead her into a waltz.
    "Then I shall teach you."
    He spun her around making her feel giddy and then brought her back to him so that her chest pressed into his and her breath caught in her throat. All of her prior thoughts of leaving were erased in that one simple motion. Her new companion captivated and entranced her so that she could hardly take her eyes off him.
    Maybe it's the drinks, she thought, as the music paused and she tried to catch her breath. He caught her just as she swayed off balance. She thanked him, and made her escape to the restroom where she could try to put logic and reason ahead of whatever strange curse had afflicted her. The moment that she pushed open the door to the small enclosed space was the moment she couldn't seem to catch her breath unless she knew that she could see him again. She hurried out of the bathroom and panicked when he was nowhere to be found. All she saw around her was the sea of masked faces.
    Just as she'd given up on her mystery man and was getting ready to leave, someone grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, dropping her back to her feet again as she squealed in delight. She spun around and pushed him playfully.
    "Don't do that."
    He laughed and she wanted to get lost in the sound of it. It was as though no one else in the ballroom existed except for the two of them.
    "I didn't get a chance to thank you for the dance," he said, "Would you do me the honors of another?"
    "I ... I'm not a very good dancer."
    "I disagree. I believe we moved in perfect sync."
    She took the arm that he held in offer and followed him onto the dance floor knowing that secretly, she wanted nothing more than the excuse to be held so close in his arms again. She cursed the gloves that kept her from feeling him under her fingertips as they moved across the floor. One dance became two and two became more until Clara had lost count of the minutes that punctuated the evening, like the pursuit of a love that can never be captured.
    The dancing would have continued longer into the evening if she hadn't ungracefully stepped back and tripped over something unseen, landing squarely on her behind. Although she wasn't truly hurt in the process, her face flushed in embarrassment and she worried that her companion would no longer look at her with the same reverence.
    "We should rest," he said trying to encourage her to move toward the steps.
    "No, I'm fine really," she insisted but as she tried to turn back to the dance floor, she tripped again and sank gratefully into Adam's arms as he caught her. "Maybe you were right."
    A little rest certainly couldn't hurt, especially if it meant getting some time alone with her new friend. She moved toward the steps, parting the crowd as she went, and took the stairs two at a time in search of a retreat with Adam close behind her. The alcohol made her head swim with the quickness of her steps and once again, she stumbled as she neared the top of the steps and would have taken a turn for the worse if Adam hadn't been right behind her.
    He took her hand as they walked the length of a long hallway.
    "Do you know the person who owns this house?" she asked.
    "A little."
    "It's a huge house for one person."
    "Maybe that's why he likes to have these parties," he said with a shrug.
    Adam pushed open a partially closed door and allowed Clara to enter before him. He closed the door behind them and reached over to switch on a small bedside lamp giving just enough light so that she could see the curiosity in his eyes as they reflected the light. She sat down on the edge of the bed with her elbows on her knees and her head