Chapter 3

Diego was miserable. Not only had he possibly harmed his friendship with Victoria, but his father was now furious at him for not only ruining the evening he had planned, but for hurting Victoria's reputation, as well as his own.

He buried his hands in his hair as Felipe walked around the corner. The mute was smiling widely but Diego couldn't bring himself to even acknowledge the boy's presence.

"This isn't funny, Felipe."

The dejected tone in his friend's voice wiped the smile off Felipe's face instantly.

"They saw me kiss Victoria on the cheek." Diego finally admitted with a heavy sigh. "But because of the shadows, the women swear that it was a far more . . . intimate kiss."

Felipe sat down opposite Diego and simply listened. He knew Diego was replaying the conversation he'd had with his father not long ago.

"My father believes me, us. But he's the only one. I don't know how I'm going to salvage Victoria's reputation from this mistake." Diego closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.

Felipe signed rapidly and Diego's eyes narrowed. "My reputation? I couldn't care less. If I don't marry Victoria, I will marry no one and my father will not get these grandchildren he so nonchalantly inserts into our conversations whenever given the slightest chance."

Felipe signed slowly, deliberately, to make sure Diego understood.

"Marry her? Now?" Diego stood and began to pace. "She would sooner risk ruining her reputation than marry me, Felipe."

Felipe signed again.

"Her reputation has not been ruined already due to her love for Zorro." Diego repeated with a snarl of annoyance. But he stopped mid-stride and glanced at his friend. "Has it?"

Felipe shrugged and pointed at the rack that held Zorro's clothes.

"I need to speak to her. I need to find out what she's thinking." Diego pulled open the buttons on his white shirt and pulled it off his shoulders. "If I were seen in the tavern after tonight's events, that would be it. She would have to marry me. Since she can't talk to Diego, hopefully, she'll talk to Zorro."

Victoria couldn't sleep. She lay in bed, eyes wide open, clutching the thin blanket to her neck. Her mind was racing. She had seen movement out of the corner of her eye when Diego had bent to kiss her. Why had she not moved away from him then?

Because you wanted him to kiss you.

Victoria scowled and closed her eyes, willing for the voices to stop warring in her already fragile mind.

"I did not," she hissed at herself.

You've been looking at every man differently since your last rendezvous with Zorro.

"No I-" Well, yes she had. After what he'd revealed about his identity during their picnic, she couldn't help but want to find the man behind Zorro's mask to assure him that she was not only in love with the legend, but the man of flesh and blood as well.

Before she could further reflect on the events of the evening, a small tap outside her window alerted her to the presence of her masked love.

She quickly tossed the blanket aside and reached for her robe. She had just tied it around her waist before she was enveloped in a tight, comforting embrace.

"Zorro!" Victoria whispered. "What are you doing here at his hour?" She carefully kept her voice down since the tavern was completely full for the evening.

"I wanted to see you, hold you," His breath was warm on her cheek. "Kiss you." His lips brushed hers and she responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck and sliding her fingers into his hair beneath the mask.

Recognition tugged at the back of her mind but she was so caught up in the tide of his passion that she ignored them. Only when his hands began to caress the small of her back did he find the strength to pull away. "I'm sorry, querida." He heaved a huge breath and stepped away. "I didn't mean to be so - unrestrained. Please accept my apology."

Zorro!" Victoria touched her hand against his cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I welcome your kisses and only wish -." She let her voice trail away, slightly embarrassed to voice her true desire aloud.

He smiled at that and enveloped her in his arms again. "There is nothing I want more than to take you to my bed and show you just how deeply I love you."

Victoria trembled at his bold honesty and chaffed herself for not voicing her own. She could feel him sigh but she flattened her hands on his chest and then stopped, remembering doing the very same thing with Diego earlier in the evening. His erratic heartbeat reverberated through her small frame and she was struck with such a strong pang of familiarity that she gasped aloud.

"What is it?" he asked softly and Victoria trembled at the familiarity of the voice.

"N-Nothing," Victoria breathed and embraced him without saying anything further.

"I heard about your - difficulties this evening." He finally said after a few moments of silence.

"Oh," Victoria muttered, "it wasn't Diego's fault. It was a misunderstanding. Those women-"

Zorro chuckled and Victoria looked up at him sharply. "What's so funny?"

"Querida, don't worry." His gloves were off and she could feel the gentle touch of his fingers as they caressed her cheek. "Don Diego is an honorable man. He will not force you into a marriage simply because of what a few nattering women have decided was improper behavior for a man of his station."

"So you don't think badly of me?" The relief that crossed her face was not lost on him and he smiled sadly.

"Never."

"Oh!" She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. "I was so worried!"

He embraced his lady, soothing her fears with a gentle caress. "I do envy Don Diego." He pressed a hesitant kiss to her dark hair, and waited for her reply.

"Diego?" She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "But why?"

Zorro grinned and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Yes, indeed." His voice was like the sweetest caress against her skin. "He had the distinct pleasure of spending the entire evening with you."

She tilted her head and pressed her lips to his. "You could have that same pleasure, you know."

She heard him sigh heavily against her mouth before clutching her in his arms and deepening her kiss. Their lips clung and explored for several long, passionate moments.

"I long for it, querida." He gazed into her eyes and brushed his thumbs against her cheek. "But I believe you have a rumored betrothal to honor . . ."

Victoria closed her eyes, the romantic moment ruined. "I feel so bad for Diego. His father was so harsh on him."

Zorro smiled and tilted his head. "You care for him, don't you?"

Victoria's eyes snapped toward him and her lips parted to vehemently deny his words. But, for some reason, she couldn't voice them.

"I'm glad for it. He has been a true friend to you," Zorro finally said with a wry smile.

"He has," Victoria admitted. "And he doesn't deserve to suffer this humiliation."

"He's an intelligent man. I'm sure he'll think of something."

"Or I may just have to marry him!" Victoria pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips hoping to get a jealous rise out of the calm masked man.

"As I recall, I did suggest that once upon a time."

Victoria blinked. She'd been hoping for a little jealous response from her love but didn't receive it. "Are you telling me you'd rather I marry him?" Her heart plummeted into her stomach when he didn't answer quickly enough.

"He could give you more than I can right now." Zorro's voice dropped and with it, his eyes. It was unfair to make her wait.

"What?" Victoria blinked. Whatever response she was expecting, it wasn't that.

"He could give you a family, a name, children." Zorro cupped her cheek in his hand. "I - am not free to do so. And you deserve all of those things and more."

"I will wait for you." Victoria leaned into his touch. "You know that."

"I know, querida." He pressed his lips to hers once more and moved toward the window. "I need to go. You are forever in my thoughts."

Victoria opened her mouth to speak but he was gone before she could formulate the right words.

She slumped onto her bed staring at the window. Why did he have to bring up Diego? Repeatedly. Didn't he understand why she felt so badly about how things had gone this evening? She sighed heavily.

"I guess not."

You wanted to kiss him.

Victoria grabbed her pillow and screamed into it. Willing her conscious mind to stop warring with her subconscious.

Zorro rode Toronado hard as his mind warred with his heart. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to admit to her that all he'd wanted to do at the dinner this evening was stand up in front of all of those selfish, self-centered woman and declare his love for the beautiful tavern owner.

He'd nearly slipped in the garden. She had been so close. She'd even permitted him to kiss her cheek, hold her hands. He had slipped in a bit of his real personality tonight and he fervently hoped that she noticed it.

But then those nosey chaperones had insisted they'd seen he and Victoria in a less than honorable embrace and the evening had just gone downhill from there. A man caught with a women in a situation deemed to be inappropriate was expected to marry that woman immediately to save her from shame and a ruined reputation.

He would marry Victoria in a heartbeat but . . .

Zorro pulled hard on Toronado's reins and the stallion skidded to a halt in the middle of the dusty road.

"That's it!" Zorro cried into the darkness. "Dios! It's so simple!"

Tornado snorted and shook his head, annoyed at his master's apparent distraction. Zorro set his jaw and smiled all the way back to the hidden cave. He would put his plan into motion tomorrow and by the end of the week, he would be married to the woman he loved.

TBC