Moonlight Masquerade Read online

  When Sophie pulled a red silk corset out of the tissue paper, both women gasped. It would take two people to pull the cords that fastened it.

  “I . . . ” Sophie began as she held it up and looked at it. “I don’t think . . . ”

  Heather’s eyes lit up. Great. If this pretty young woman wore this very sexy costume maybe Dr. Reede would be so happy he’d stop snapping at everyone. “I think it’s perfect!” Heather said energetically. “And I can tell that it’ll fit you. Maybe it’s a little small on top, but some spillover will be nice.”

  “Spillover?” Sophie said. “This thing wouldn’t cover a preteen. I can’t possibly—”

  In Heather’s mind she was fighting for her future children. If something didn’t take away Dr. Reede’s bad temper she was going to have to quit, which meant that she’d have to get a job that paid less, which meant that she’d have to postpone having children. If it took coaxing a reluctant woman into a shiny red corset that left most of the top half of her exposed, so be it. It was certainly for a good cause. Maybe she’d name her first daughter after Sophie.

  “Is your real name Sophia?”

  “What?” Sophie asked as she stared at the corset. “My name? What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Nothing, really. Now,” Heather said briskly, “let’s get you out of those clothes and into these.”

  “But I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to wear something like this,” Sophie said. “I’m not sure—”

  “That’s okay. I’m a nurse so I’m used to nudity.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Sophie said. “I—”

  “I hear Dr. Reade is going to arrive on a black horse.”

  Sophie’s eyes widened.

  “Wearing a cape.”

  Sophie’s eyebrows raised.

  “And a black mask.”

  Sophie blinked a few times.

  “Oh look, there’s a blouse to cover the corset.” Heather held up a filmy garment that was made entirely of black lace. It was so transparent it wouldn’t cover anything.

  Sophie’s mouth fell open.

  Heather knew she was going to have to take a firmer hand. “He’s wearing boots!” she said loudly. “Tall black leather boots. He’s on a horse! He’s wearing a cape and a black mask! Now get out of those clothes!”

  Sophie got her face under control and said, “Yes.”

  By the time Sophie was ready, she found she was quite nervous. Heather had left, saying that Dr. Reede wouldn’t like for her to be there. From what Sophie had seen and heard, she thought maybe the real problem was that Heather didn’t want to see her beloved Dr. Reede with another woman.

  Sophie went out to the front of Kim’s house, but the cool air gave her goose bumps. The sky had darkened, as though there was going to be a storm, and in the distance she saw a strike of lightning. The mask she was wearing rubbed on her eyelashes, and she adjusted it. Heather had pulled the strings on the corset so tight Sophie could hardly breathe and her breasts were so high above the top she felt that she looked like a poster for the sale of melons. If it hadn’t been for Heather’s encouragement, Sophie never would have dared wear such a thing.

  She was dressed as though for a Zorro film. Besides the red corset and filmy black jacket, she had on an ankle-length silk skirt of red and black stripes with a slit that went halfway up her thighs. Soft black boots over black stockings completed the ensemble.

  With her hands holding her upper arms, she turned to go back into the house. But she halted. Coming out of the trees was a man on a horse. Both of them were dark, and against the background of the faraway light, they stood out dramatically.

  In an instant, Sophie forgot all her discomfort and stood there staring. In the last few days she’d felt she’d come to know this man, but there’d always been the missing visual of him. Her eyes seemed to devour him. He was the perfect Zorro to match her outfit.

  Even though he was high up on the big black horse, she could see that he was tall. A gust of wind plastered the shirt with its big sleeves around him, and she saw well-defined pecs, a flat stomach, arms sculpted by muscle. A wide black leather belt encircled his slim waist, and black trousers stretched across heavily muscled thighs.

  As Heather had said, his calves were covered by tall leather boots.

  Sophie looked back up at his face, but the upper half of it was hidden behind a mask and under a wide-brimmed hat. His eyes were concealed but his lips were full and beautifully formed. As he rode forward, he smiled at her, showing even, white teeth.

  A flash of lightning struck closer and, just like in a movie, the horse reared. As Reede fought to control it, she heard his deep voice, soft and soothing.

  “Down, girl,” he said as he leaned forward and stroked the mare’s neck.

  When he stopped near her, Sophie looked up at him, and for a moment they just stood there in silence, staring at each other, she at his big dark form and he at her barely concealed figure. It took another flash of lightning before he bent toward her. When he put his hand down to her, she didn’t hesitate. She stepped up on a low stone wall that bordered a flower bed, took his hand, and let his strong arm pull her up into the saddle behind him.

  As he led the horse around, he paused, as though waiting for something, but Sophie didn’t know what it was. For a moment she was puzzled, but then she slid her arms around his waist. Reede laughed, a soft, sultry sound. She’d got it right.

  He picked up one of her hands and kissed the back of it. “You are beautiful,” he said, his head turned so his cheek was near her face. He had a bit of dark whisker stubble, and she was tempted to kiss his neck, but she didn’t.

  In the next moment he urged the horse forward, its feet clomping on the asphalt road. When the horse yet again lifted its front legs off the ground, Sophie gasped in alarm, tightened her arms around Reede, and put her face against the back of him.

  “That’s my girl,” Reede muttered, and she didn’t know whether he meant her or the horse. Nor did she care. She snuggled her face against his back and closed her eyes for a moment. The man, the growing storm, the horse, were all a wonderful fantasy.

  They rode down the road for a few minutes, and if anyone came out of their houses to stare, she didn’t see them. Sophie and Reede may as well have been alone on the planet.

  They soon left the pavement and went into what Sophie knew was the nature preserve that surrounded the little town. Reede expertly led the horse down a rutted road, clicking at it encouragingly when he encountered a deep rut. At one jolt, he turned back to her. “All right?” he asked, and she nodded against him.

  Twice she sat up straighter so her breasts in the undersize corset weren’t pressed against him, but both times the horse jerked to the side. In fear of falling, Sophie clung to Reede. She thought maybe he was doing it on purpose, and when he laughed, she was sure.

  “Not far now,” he said softly after they’d been on the horse for quite a while. Sophie had an idea he’d taken them on a roundabout trip through the preserve. For her part she could have continued all day, but it was growing darker by the moment.

  When she felt the first drops of rain, he turned to her. “Ready to make a run for it?”

  Sophie looked up at him. His lips were beautiful and so very, very close to hers. All she could do was nod.

  “Hold on,” he said.

  Sophie’s arms tightened around him.

  “Is that the best you can do?” he murmured.

  She scooted forward another inch, moved her thighs even closer to his, and snuggled her nearly bare breasts so tight against his back that she could feel his skin through the cloth.

  Again Reede laughed, then he moved his heels into the horse’s flanks and they shot forward. Sophie wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but her arms pulled him even closer.

  All too soon, he slowed down. Ducking, he led the horse under an overhang that was attached to a small shed. After a moment’s hesitation he slid down and held up his hands to