August in Florence was sweltering and all the bodies crushed inside for the Medici's Masquerade Ball were making the heat even worse. Her silk dress, the same shade as her peacock fan, was lined with black fur wherever possible, not to mention the emerald that hung between her breasts was the size of her thumb. It was not the best choice for summer, even if it was the most beautiful dress she had ever owned.

Ilaria slipped out the door to the inner courtyard, hoping no one would catch her. She had to get some air. As her eyes adjusted to the faint torchlight, her breath caught in her throat. She should go back in, but she couldn't pull her eyes away as they caught sight of the couple in the alcove.

Poised under the only torch, Ilaria could remain in the shadows while she was given a view of a woman with her dress raised high and deft fingers caressing greedily. Ilaria fanned herself faster. Her legs beneath the layers of her heavy clothing were bare and an unfamiliar wetness flooded between her thighs, adding to the stickiness she felt with the heat.

It wasn't long before the woman panted heavily and buried her mouth in the shoulder of the man. The sound of her cry made Ilaria's stomach tighten with want. Almost as soon as the woman was done, she returned herself to respectability. Ilaria pressed herself further into the shadows to remain unseen, even as her own breathing was ragged at the thought of what she had witnessed.

The man remained on the bench, the torch illuminating the fact that his erection remained unsatisfied in clear detail. The need to feel him inside her grew with every beat of her heart. She could help him relieve his situation nicely. Ilaria didn't care about the consequences as she stepped out of the shadows.

Vaguely she registered a door opening somewhere, but it was the shrill voice that ruined the moment. "Antonio, I do believe the courtyard is occupied. We'll have to find somewhere else." Through an open ballroom door, Ilaria could faintly see the woman smile, a wicked smile. "Or perhaps they wish to join us?" The woman asked.

Ilaria watched as the man on the bench looked right at her, noticing he had company for the first time. His mask hissed like a dragon. Thank god, it was a masquerade ball and she was only distinguishable as a peacock. Ilaria fled.