Woman Behind the Mask

By Q. Kelly

For Annie Hardesty, Zorro is a figure shrouded in the mists of fantasy. Whatever Annie does, from getting kidnapped on a cruise to adventuring in search of the Holy Grail, Zorro is in the picture. When Annie sees Zorro in the flesh at a Halloween party, she decides to make fantasy become reality.

Except Zorro turns out to be a woman.

Surprise doesn’t stop Annie for long, and she sets up a sexual liaison at a cemetery. While Zorro, a.k.a. a lesbian named Hayden, is nervous as hell, she’s game. The night doesn’t go exactly as planned, but it’s enough for Annie and Hayden to realize they have a genuine connection. Can they overcome obstacles such as Annie’s boyfriend and Hayden’s ex-girlfriend to discover who they can be together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Q. Kelly
• Release date: Oct 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310182082

Q. Kelly

I live in Washington state, where I am a writer and an editor. I also have a master's degree in deaf education. In my free time, I hike and savor frappuccinos.Fact One: I like corny jokes. If you have any good ones, send them my way!Fact Two: My favorite color is purple, but my writing is gray. Life is not black and white. I often write about issues and characters where there is no "right" answer.Fact Three: I'm weird. I like being weird.Email me at [e-mail]. I'd love to hear from you.Check out my blogs at qkelly.wordpress.com and qkelly.blogspot.com.

Book preview

WOMAN BEHIND THE MASK

Q. Kelly

© 2015 Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Blurb for Woman Behind the Mask

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Credits

If You Enjoyed This Book…

Blurb for Woman Behind the Mask

For Annie Hardesty, Zorro is a figure shrouded in the mists of fantasy. Whatever Annie does, from getting kidnapped on a cruise to adventuring in search of the Holy Grail, Zorro is in the picture. When Annie sees Zorro in the flesh at a Halloween party, she decides to make fantasy become reality.

Except Zorro turns out to be a woman.

Surprise doesn’t stop Annie for long, and she sets up a sexual liaison at a cemetery. While Zorro, a.k.a. a lesbian named Hayden, is nervous as hell, she’s game. The night doesn’t go exactly as planned, but it’s enough for Annie and Hayden to realize they have a genuine connection. Can they overcome obstacles such as Annie’s boyfriend and Hayden’s ex-girlfriend to discover who they can be together?

Chapter One

Annie

What a cliche. My knees went weak as Zorro stole in among the masses of Jesuses, Marys and haloed angels. Yeah, I admit it. Weak knees from across the church gymnasium for a man I could barely see (distance and dim lights cursed me). However, there was no mistaking Zorro’s mask, hat, cape and sword. There he was, attending a Halloween party at Meadows Lake Baptist Church for whatever insane reason.

I loved the way he walked—secretive and confident but also apprehensive. Plus, well, my Zorro fantasy. Hey, don’t judge a gal.

Okay, my Zorro fantasies. Plural.

In one, I’m on a luxury cruise when pirates ambush the ship. Lots of blood, gore and killin’ ensue. I’m taken hostage, and I suffer on the high seas for a week—with bravery upturning my chin. I am granted little food, the hard hot sun breathes down my neck, my lips crack, and my body begins to shut down. And then, lo and behold! The swish of a cape crackles across the bow of the ship, and Zorro slices down my attackers. Miraculously, I’m transformed from a withered scarecrow into a voluptuous, dewy maiden with heaving bosoms Pamela Anderson would die for.

Zorro! I cry, and he rushes over, sweeps me into his arms. We kiss passionately, and he presses me against the railings. Fade to black…

In my second fantasy, I’m a ruthless adventurer. Think Indiana Jones—only female and way more badass. A mysterious billionaire hires me to recover the Holy Grail. I track it to a dense South American jungle. Finally, it’s within reach. Yards away, on a pedestal. Gleaming. Ready for plucking.

Not so fast, a deep, masculine voice growls from my right. The cool, metallic tip of a sword meets the thin skin shielding my jugular, and my mind races. I curse my foolishness. Greed made me abandon my usual caution. Nevertheless, I didn’t get to where I am by being a shy desk dweller. Before my captor knows what happened, I have him rope-tied to a tree. I look him over—a fine specimen, indeed. He’s Zorro, dressed in black from head to toe.

Well, I say slyly. How quickly luck changes.

Go on! he declares. Go on! Have your way with me.

I do, and he’s good. Very good. I lift my hips to his, there’s lots of improbable straddling given the ropes, and plenty of moaning, groaning, sweating and more ropes. Do I end up with the Holy Grail? Hell if I know.

Annie? My boyfriend, Geoff, elbowed me back to Meadows Lake Baptist. I squirmed, pressing my legs together to stifle the tingling between them. I re-found Zorro across the room. Oh, what a creature.

Yeah? I asked, angling my head slightly to meet Geoff’s gaze.

Up for another doughnut-eating race?

Ah, doughnut-eating races. No! Save me, Jesus. Geoff and I had done two. The person running the booth hung doughnuts from a rod and put blindfolds on the participants. She counted down—3, 2, 1, GO!—and each person raced to finish his or her doughnut first. The winner got…nothing. Just a mouthful of doughnutty sweets. A mouthful of sugar. The point of Halloween, actually, come to think of it.

Later. I watched Zorro glide to the punch bowl and commander the ladle like nobody’s business. I imagined him drizzling punch onto my belly button and my heaving bosoms. The parched kitty between my legs lapped up that punch right good. MRRRROW!

We have to do something, Geoff said.

I don’t. I could stand here all night and let Zorro eff me in my fantasies. Again and again. Lots of boinking, lots of rumbling trailers, collapsed walls and snapped trees.

MRRRROW!

Okay, I should be nice to my boyfriend.

Hey, let’s dash to the bathroom and pull a few tricks before we get more treats, I suggested.

Shock rounded his eyes. "Annie! This is church."

Jesus doesn’t care.

Geoff snorted. "This Jesus cares. Annie, there are children here! Lots of children."

Like many of the guys at the party, Geoff had decided it would be awesome and unique and cool to come as Jesus. In fairness, I’d almost come as Mary—until I mentioned the idea this morning to my sister, Kylie. In horror, she exclaimed: You can’t go as Mary if Geoff is going as Jesus! It’s creepy to go as mother and son.

Excellent point, so I ducked into a costume shop on my way home from work. The problem? It was October 31, and the good stuff was gone. What remained basically amounted to a sexy maid costume, Spider-Man, and old-fashioned and frilly Annie Oakley.

I told myself that going as Annie Oakley would be great, especially since my name really was Annie. However, let’s face facts. Ever seen a picture of Annie Oakley? She was born in 1860 and was decent-looking enough, but her clothes would never fly as modern-day Halloween fashion. Sure, there are sexy and slim-fitting versions of Annie Oakley costumes, but the one dangling in front of me was real Annie. A cowgirl hat, a decidedly unsexy Little House on the Prairie-type dress, gloves, plastic shotgun, full-length stockings and heavy tan clompers that laced to the ankle.

Mary, mother of Jesus (and mother