“A billiards room?” she asked, clearly surprised, releasing her hold on him and wandering over to the green-baized carambole table.

He saw no point to answering the obvious. “Remove the mask.”

With a sigh, she swung around. “I told you that I can’t.”

He strode over to her until they stood toe to toe. “Then I’ll do it for you.”

This time her sigh was long and drawn out as she no doubt fought to come up with a scathing retort. “You’re so blasted annoying. That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“My man outside the room isn’t going to let anyone come in. There’s not a chance in hell that we’ll be disturbed. I won’t bed you if I can’t see all of you.”

“I’d have thought you’d be a man who’d enjoy the mystery of it. You could envision me to have an appearance most to your liking.”

“Are you hideous then?”

“Would it matter to you if I were?”

“No.” His answer came without hesitation, without falsehood. He was intrigued by her reasons, what she had revealed of herself so far. She could be a crone beneath that mask, and he wouldn’t care. Well, he’d care a bit.

“Then why your obsession with my removing the mask?”

“Why your obsession with keeping it on?”

“It provides a shield, makes it easier to do what I ought not.”

“That’s the thing, sweetheart. You’ve already divulged that you’re a widow. You’re not being unfaithful to a husband. Not a single reason exists for you not to take pleasure where you can.” He skimmed his fingers along her jaw, then down the nose of her mask. “I want to touch all of you. You can see the advantage to that, surely. Besides, I don’t fancy feathers.”

Blue ones adorned each side of the mask. He was tempted to count the seconds, but instead simply let them flow into eternity, ignored while he waited, while her eyes searched his face, her lips flattened. “Trust me,” he finally said, surprised his voice rasped so rough and raw, as though he’d gone his entire life without a drop of water ever touching his tongue. He despised the desperation he heard there, hoped she didn’t note it. He shouldn’t care that she kept herself hidden from him. Other women did, had. A mask wasn’t required for keeping oneself hidden.