Mask of Desire

PROLOGUE The night was cloaked in silence, safe for the soft rustle of the evening breeze that crept through the slightly open window. Moonlight streamed in, casting a silver glow across the room, highlighting the soft, delicate features of Emily as she stood by the window, wrapped in a sheer nightgown that flowed down to her thighs. Her heart pounded in her chest, a nervous rhythm that echoed in her ears as she tried to calm the growing tension within her. But she knew it was futile-especially e when He was near. He stood just a few feet away, his imposing presence filling the room like a storm cloud threatening to break. He was dressed in a black button up shirt, leaving two buttons open, showcasing his slightly tanned chiseled Chest, as if he had just returned from a business meeting, yet his attention was solely on her. His piercing silver gray eyes were locked unto Emily, studying her every inch of her, drinking in her innocence with a hunger that made her breathe hitch. His lips curled into a half smile, one that sent shivers down her spine, a mixture of danger and allure that she found impossible to resist. “You shouldn’t look so nervous, mi pequeña.” His voice was smooth, dripping with an intoxicating warmth that left her knees weak. He moved closer, his steps deliberate, slow, as if savoring the moment before the inevitable. “You know I won’t hurt you…unless you want me to.” His words were laced with seduction that left her feeling dizzy. Emily’s breath caught in her throat as he closed the distance between them, his hand brushing a loose curl behind her ear before trailing down her neck. The heat from his touch seeped through her skin, igniting a fire deep within her that she couldn’t extinguish, no matter how much she tried. “I…” she whispered, unable to form a coherent thought. The scent of his cologne filled her senses- rich, dark and something overwhelming. “I didn’t expect you to be here tonight.” “I couldn’t stay away” he murmured, his fingers now tracing the line of her collarbone. His touch was feather light, yet it left a burning trail in it’s wake “not when you’re here, waiting for me”. His hand descended, brushing against the fabric of her nightgown. It was a subtle, almost innocent caress, but the way his fingers lingered hinted at something far more intense, far more dangerous. “You look breathtaking, mi ángel” Emily felt her resolve crumbling with each word, each tantalizing touch. There was something about him, something she couldn’t explain, that made her want to surrender completely, to give into the allure of his darkness, to trust him despite the voice in the back of her mind that warned her to be careful. But Tonight, that voice was drowned out by that deafening beat of her heart, by the desire that clouded her thoughts. “Alejandro…” she breathed, her voice trembling as she looked up at him, her eyes wide with uncertainty. “What are you doing to me?l “Only what you’ve wanted all along” he whispered back, his lips brushing against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “You don’t have to pretend, Emily. I see the way you look at me, the way you crave my touch. You want this as much as I do” Her chest tightened, every rational thought slipping away as she felt herself being pulled deeper into his spell. He was so close, his body a tantalizing presence that she couldn’t ignore, his breath warm against her skin, making her feel as though she is drowning in him. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. Time ceased to exist, and all that mattered was the magnetic pull between them, the undeniable chemistry that made her want to close the distance, to let go of everything she knew and lose herself in him. And as his hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing against her lips with gentleness that contradicted the intensity in his eyes, Emily felt her last shred of resistance melt away. She was ready to give in, ready to surrender to the man who held her heart captive, even if she didn’t fully understand why. “Let go” Alejandro’s voice was a low, velvety command, one she found impossible to disobey. “ Let me show you how good it can be.” And in that moment, as his lips hovered just inches from hers, Emily knew she was lost. Lost in the dark allure of a man who could both save and destroy her with a single touch. She closed her eyes, ready to take the plunge…ready to fall. . . . Emily had always been the girl who lived in the background...from a poor status ever since she lost her dad, ordinary, unnoticed, bullied. But everything changed the moment she stepped into Elena Ortega's world. What started as a simple friendship had drawn her into the orbit of the powerful Ortega family, and now, her life was anything but ordinary. Alejandro Ortega, with his piercing gray eyes and commanding presence, was unlike anyone she'd ever known. He was magnetic, untouchable, and always surrounded by mystery. Emily knew she was out of place in his world of luxury and influence, yet there was no denying the pull she felt toward him. Now, as she stood on the edge of a whirlwind she never saw coming, Emily had to ask herself one question: was her previous life better off than what she had grown to know and feel Or had she already fallen too deep to turn back?