Chapter 2

"Is that what you want?" Victoria challenged him. "To act properly? Do you think it will make a difference if you leave me with the de la Vegas now? The lancers have seen us riding away together, and it will be all over the pueblo by now. As you said, my reputation is ruined anyway." She put her arm around his neck and kissed him.

"You know we should not," he protested weakly when she intensified the kissing, "but I know a small lake where we will be undisturbed." She nodded in agreement, and he steered the horse away from the hacienda.

The small secluded hot spring was located on the de la Vega land and only a short ride from the hacienda. It had served him several times to relax his weary muscles after a hard ride as to Zorro.
Zorro dismounted at the entrance of the canyon and helped Victoria down. Leading her by the hand with Toronado following them on his own, he guided her to the small pool surrounded by rocks. A small meadow with a single tree provided to only exception to the rocky landscape.

Unsaddling Toronado, Zorro put the saddle aside and unfolded the saddle blanket on the ground.

Victoria didn't need an invitation to join him on the blanket and start the kissing again.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked while they were half-way through their undressing. Zorro had already removed his weapons belt and Victoria had started to open the buttons of his shirt while Zorro had done the same with her blouse.

"Yes," she said impatiently. "And then I will finally see your face."

"Oh no, I don't think that's a good idea." Zorro quickly took his sash that he had put next to his belt and held it in front of her head. "Close your eyes."

"But I want to see you face," she protested.

"Close your eyes and just feel my touch."

Victoria closed her eyes when he kissed her, and then he wrapped the sash around her head covering her eyes and tied it at the back of her head. Now that she could no longer see him, he didn't mind when she untied his mask and ran her hands through his hair.

"I wanted to do this for a long time," she whispered between kisses as her hands roamed across his body, touching his flesh.

"I don't want to wait any longer either," he whispered as he removed the rest of their clothes, marveling her naked body. "You are so beautiful."

"Love me! I want to feel you."

"Awake again? How do you feel?" he whispered after she stirred in his arms again much later.

"Wonderful. And sweaty too." Victoria let her fingers run across his naked chest that was covered in a slight film of sweat just like her.

"So what do you think about a bath?" While one of his arms was wrapped around her, he used his other hand to tenderly run his fingers across her cheek.

"A bath? I'm not sure if I want to plunge into cold water right now when I'm feeling so warm and relaxed now. I'd rather wait til I'm back home and have a warm bath in my tub." Before she could say more Diego had already picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the lake. As she became aware of his intentions, she started to struggle. "Please, let me down. I don't want to get thrown into a cold pool right now. I'd want to stay in your arms. Please."

"Don't worry, mi Querida. I won't do that. Didn't I mention that it is a hot spring?" Still carrying her in his arms, he entered the pool and gently immersed her into the water.

"This is wonderful." Victoria had stopped struggling as she felt the warm water around her. "It's better than my hot tub where it takes hours to heat up the water and clean up again."

"It's good to relax your muscles." Diego had sat her down on a small ledge in the water at the side of the pool.

"This feels so good." Victoria leaned back and let him support her with his arm while his hand gently washed the sweat from her body. "Now it's my turn," she said when he was finished. "I want to feel you too." She started to roam with her hands over his body that was only partly immersed in the water.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," he objected.

"Why not?" she grinned seductively under her blindfold.

"Because I can't withstand you when you're so beautiful." He leaned down and kissed her passionately.

"Then don't hold back." She pulled him down.

When he woke up again, he quickly started dressing. They had dried in the sun, falling asleep after Diego had carried her back to the blanket. His movements woke up Victoria and he quickly put on his mask again. "Querida, we should go. It's already late."

"What time is it?" Victoria pulled the blindfold from her head and looked at the setting sun. "Oh no. I should be at my tavern and prepare dinner." In haste, she grabbed her clothes and dressed herself. Zorro had already put on his clothes and his mask again, but when he wanted to take the sash lying next to her, Victoria snatched it. "I'll keep that," she declared, hiding it behind her back.

"Victoria, please, give it to me. I need to dress and put on my belt again."

Victoria rose from the blanket and faced him. "It's wet. You can't wear it but I'll give it to you in exchange for your mask," she said playfully.

"You know I can't show you my face. Give me the sash."

"I think I have a right to know your face after today. I'll give it to you if you show me your face." Victoria kept her hands with the sash behind her back.

Zorro stepped forward and reached with his arm behind her back, intending on taking the sash from her but at the same time one of Victoria's hand reached for the tie of his mask. "How much do you want it back?" She slightly pulled at the tie without undoing it.

"Fine. Keep it," Zorro gave in and put on his belt without his sash. Fortunately, the sash was mainly decoration and not necessary to keep up his pants.

"My offer still stands," Victoria said seductively. "Your sash for your mask."

"I think about it," he said, knowing that she was right that he should reveal his face to her after what happened between them today. "But let me take you back first. It's safer if I take you to the de la Vega hacienda. A servant or one of the de la Vegas will take you home."

Zorro had saddled Toronado again and mounted the horse behind her. Having her in his arms, he couldn't refrain from pressing her tightly against his chest and kissing her. "You're wonderful, and I don't want to ever let you go."

He urged Toronado into motion and soon they arrived at the de la Vega hacienda. "I love you, Querida," he whispered before he let her down near the front yard. After saluting her in his typical way, he rode away, hoping to beat her to the library and meet her as Diego.

But as it was his bad luck then mechanism to open the door from outside the cave was blocked by a stone under the pedal. He had to get down and remove it before he could enter the cave on Toronado. In the meantime his father had already opened the door of the hacienda and let Victoria in.

Through his spy hole he watched his father guide her into the library trapping him in the cave at the same time.

"Victoria, what a nice surprise. How did you get here?" his father asked.

"Zorro brought me here," Victoria said self-consciously.

"Then it's true? Did you spend the afternoon with Zorro? How could you do that, Victoria. Don't you know that your reputation is ruined?"

"I'm sorry," Victoria said, embarrassed. "We didn't think when we left together. Can you or Diego take me to the pueblo?"

"As a woman you should always think of your reputation. I had thought better of you and Zorro," his father chided her. "But it can't be changed now. I don't know where Diego is. I haven't seen him the whole afternoon, but I'll ask Felipe to take you home."