This chapter is quite longer than normal ones. I just didn't want to split this up. This chapter is rated mature, so please proceed with caution.

Thanks for reading!

-CL

P.S. Oh, and the stats graph is back up!

I inspect myself in the mirror one last time. My dress looks amazing, sexy, and honestly, I don't recognize myself. I'm wearing a honey-blonde wig which I loosely curled, and I lightened my eyebrows. My makeup includes a deep red lip and dark smokey eyes with gold glitter. I contoured my face sharply, hoping that it also disguises me. I put the masquerade mask on, perfectly tying together my bright dress and my dark makeup. I take off my wedding ring, wanting no one to recognize me. I take a deep breath in my mirror, admiring how the dress hugs my curves. "You've got this, Bella," I whisper. And then I head to the ballroom.

"Lady Cat Alarie," the guards announce when I enter the ballroom. I curtsy and walk down the stairs, trying my best to be seductive. That way no one can recognize me since I'm usually timid and shy. I hope my name also helps me do that.

I see multiple men turn toward me, some of them with predatory looks in their eyes. I just hope one of them will ask me to dance the first dance. "Lord Darien Tress," the guards announce. I turn to see a man in a deep navy suit, almost black, walk down the staircase. You can tell that he has a high ego from the power emitting from him. The black masquerade mask accents his sharpness and his mysterious aura. His long, blonde hair hits his mid-back and balances his dark ensemble perfectly, giving him a god-like quality. I see his bored gaze bounce from one lady to the next until his dark brown eyes land on me.

He, Darien, walks up to me slowly, taking me in, his eyes greedily roaming over my body. He bows and takes my hand in his, the huge garnet ring I'm wearing twinkling in the chandelier light, kissing it. "My lady, may I have the honor of the first dance?" he asks, his deep voice rumbling through me. I discreetly shiver, the sound somehow familiar.

I curtsy back, not taking my eyes off of him when I lower myself. "I would be honored, my lord," I respond in a British accent. I don't need anyone to recognize my voice. He pulls me out of my cursty, placing his hand on the small of my back.

We stand in position, waiting for the music to start. We hear the orchestra start and begin to sway. The piano enters and we start to waltz. "May I have the honor of knowing your name, my lady?" Darien asks, dipping me.

"Cat, my lord. And if I heard correctly, you are Lord Darien?" I ask, bringing my hands to his face. There is a tad bit of blonde stubble on his cheek and I resist the urge to rub my hands up and down his face.

"You are correct, Lady Cat," Darien responds. He twirls me outward, my dress swirling, revealing the huge slit. I feel his eyes dart to my leg and my center becomes warm. I hold back a shiver as he pulls me closer, his hands on my lower back inching closer to my ass. He spins me around and pulls me close. We walk together before he pulls me back and starts waltzing. We split apart, and I feel his touch on my back. I lean into him, lifting my arms. He gently lifts me up, his hands on my hips. He spins and turns me, my dress swishing when it touches the ground again. "You're beautiful," he murmurs. We waltz again before he dips me lower, my hair touching the ground.

"Why thank you, Lord Darien. I don't get that compliment often," I say back, careful to keep my British accent up. I spin outward, Darien's arm guiding me, before I melt against him, placing my hands back on his face.

We sway back and forth, waiting for the finale. Darien's hands inch toward my ass until they're on it. He holds out his hand and I take it, spinning multiple times. My dress flares out around me and he puts his arm under my waist to help me dip. He twirls me back near him, placing his hands on my lower hips, our foreheads touching. The song ends and we are both panting.

"Thank you, Lord Darien, for the dance," I say, not pulling away. "It was lovely."

"You're lovely," he murmurs back. And that's when his lips crash into mine. He surprises me, but soon I lean into the kiss, not realizing until now how much I was craving it. I deepen the kiss, my fingers running through his hair. Something just feels so right. His fingers trace a line down my chest, nestling in the gap between my breasts. I gasp and pull him toward the wall, finding the secret room that juts out from the main ballroom. He pushes me against the wall, his hands greedily tracing my body. I remember, barely, the last time I was in this secret room…with…Maxon…

I shove away, panting. I realize what I have done. "Shit," I whisper under my breath.

"Lady Cat, is everything alright?" Darien asks. He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear, causing me to shiver.

"I-" I cut myself off. I can't reveal that I'm married. The whole point of this masquerade would be pointless otherwise. "I wasn't expecting you to kiss me. That's all," I lie. Even though I did lie, it doesn't feel wrong. You're fucked in the head.

"Am I moving too fast?" Darien asks. He moves closer to me and I can feel myself starting to become wet. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"No, no," I respond.

"Good," he says before his lips crash into mine again. This time his hand finds the slit in my dress and slowly, torturously, moves toward my center. Goosebumps trail his hand's wake. I thrust my hips toward him, and I feel him laugh against my lips. "Eager are we?" he says, in his deep, sultry voice and pulls away. I almost whimper at the loss of his touch. Maxon, Maxon, Maxon, a voice whispers in my head, almost like a mantra. I shove the voice away and focus on Darien, Darien, Darien.

"Lord Darien, I-"

"Just Darien, please," he responds. "I think we are intimate enough to call each other by their first names, don't you think?"

"Y-yes," I stutter. "Can we continue?"

He laughs again. "Of course, sweetheart." The new nickname makes me shiver and remember Maxon's: "My dear". I shove the thought away and focus on Darien's fingers circling my clit. "Do you like that, sweetheart? Do I know how to make you come?"
"Darien," I moan, grinding my hips against his fingers. "Please." I almost let my accent slip, but I remember to tack it on at the end. I'm leaning heavily against the wall, my legs shaking. I feel my orgasm climbing to its peak and grip Darien's hair, ruining his long locks. "Oh, God, Darien!" I shout as my orgasm rips through me, making my legs give out. Darien catches me with his other arm, holding me upright. I'm shuddering with pleasure while I ride out my orgasm. He pulls away and gently helps me to the floor. I see my cum all over the floor and grimace. "Let's clean-" but I don't get to finish before he sticks his fingers in my mouth.

"Suck," he commands. I do, tasting myself. I close my eyes and hear Darien groan. "Fuck, Cat, you're gorgeous."

I smile against his fingers and open my eyes. I notice the big bulge that he's trying to hide. I take his fingers out of my mouth so I can talk. "Let me take care of that," I murmur, gesturing to his bulge.

"A blow job the first time we meet? What will happen the next time we meet, Cat?" he asks, chuckling. The laugh goes straight to my center; I want him to ravage me so badly.

"Will there even be a next time?" I ask. "We better make do with what time we have."

"Well, if you put it that way-fuck, Cat." He abruptly stops talking when I undo the button on his pants and lick the arousal from his tip. I fully take out his hardened shaft and take it in. The sheer size of it…I don't know if I can take it. "You can take it, sweetheart," he says before shoving himself down my throat. I choke and gag, never truly having done a blow job. I try to acclimate myself to his size, but I can't.

I dig my nails into Darien's hips, hoping that he will stop and let me breathe. My vision is tunneling and soon I will pass out. He adjusts, allowing me to breathe. Soon I'm sucking and licking and teasing him. "Oh, fuck, Cat," Darien shouts. I feel him tense. I move my finger down myself, slipping it under my dress and panties. I start playing with clit ready to-

Darien swats my hand away. "Don't you dare Cat-" Darien roars, reaching his peak. His hands fist my hair, my wig, and shudders. He gasps, falling down from his high. I swallow every last drop of him before we both sink to the floor, panting. "Oh, fuck, Cat."

I turn to him and grin. "Did you enjoy that?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair. I can still taste him on my tongue.

"Did-You just made me roar, sweetheart. What do you think?" Darien asks, tracing circles on my hand.

"I-"

We hear a giggle and realize where we are. "Oh, shit," I whisper. I stand up on shaky legs. "We should head back to the ball."

Darien stands up and places his hand on my lower back. "Are you ashamed?" he asks quietly. He gently plays with my hair.

"No, no, not at all," I say quickly. "I promise, that was…"

"Fun?" Darien murmurs. I nod. "Well, until we meet again, sweetheart," he says, kissing my hand. He bows and disappears before I can say anything.

"Darien," I whisper, dropping my accent. And then I rejoin the ballroom, hoping to find a peek of him again. But alas, I don't see Darien the rest of the night.