ARIEL
"What were you doing talking to him?" Hardin asks after we are sufficiently away from Griffin.
"It's a long story. The short version is, I cannot stand him." I huff. I look up to find Hardin looking at me with narrowed eyes. "What?" I frown.
"Stay away from him, he's not a guy to be messed with yeah?" Hardin says. My frown deepens.
"What do you mean. Is he a criminal?" I ask. "He can't be a criminal he's related to Alana." My eyebrows furrow.
"You don't have to be a criminal to be capable of bad things. Just, he's not the safest person to be around. Grandfather asked me to look after you. Im just looking out for you okay? Stick to the women. And the really scrawny looking boys" He makes a funny face. An uncharacteristic but welcome expression from him.
"Okay, I don't even want to talk to him." I shrug. Hardin gets called away by Aunty Anya while I hang back, standing near a back exit, sipping champagne I picked up from a passing waiter.
"Greetings." My perusal gets interrupted by a silky voice. I look at the man, his hair styled to perfection, tall frame and bright blue eyes, glinting in boyish charm. I can't help but smile at his lazed flirting.
"Hi. Do I know you?" I ask him. I don't. It's just a way put off guys when they're flirting. It doesn't seem to effect this guy though.
"No, but I don't know you either, and this is my fathers ball so.." he trails off. My face heats.
"Oh, Im Ariel Russo, I came with my Grandfather." I tell him.
"Mr. Russo, ofcourse. You seem to be frazzled by my comment. I didn't mean it in an offensive way. Merely wanted to get to know a beautiful girl I saw-"
"Damon." I hear the now annoyingly familiar voice. I turn and glare into the cool green eyes giving me a plain expression.
"Griff," Damon, as I now know him, smiles.
"Ares is looking for you, they are going to head out." Griffin gestures behind him. I curiously peak over his shoulder, no ones there. Damon's eyes glint in amusement.
"Non mi ero accorto che stavo abbaiando contro un albero abbattuto An?" Damon says, his smooth voice gliding out into the atmosphere. I think I swooned a little.
(Didn't realize I was barking up a taken tree.)
Italian men, am I right?
Well except one.
I did not understand a single word but my god. Was that hot.
Griffins annoyed green eyes look at me, then look back at Damon.
"Continua a muoverti, stronzo." Griffin spits. Damon chuckles, patting his shoulders.
(Keep it moving, asshole.)
"Ms. Russo, a pleasure. I hope to see you often." He says with a sly wink and a charming smile before he's gone.
"Don't ever tell him, but I have the biggest crush right now." I sigh, dreamily looking at his retreating back.
"What?" The rasp of anger is enough to snap me out of my Damon induced daze.
"What?" I ask innocently. "Comeon, he is so cute and that accent? The way he speaks Italian in that smooth accent? Ugh." I huff.
Griffin's expression darkens.
"I have the same accent." He says, face unimpressed.
"Yes but you're different. You're mean. He's so charming. Especially in Italian." I smile. "Granted I don't understand a word." I shrug looking up at him.
He takes a step towards me, making take one back. A natural reaction to his intimidating advances. He takes another one forward, another one back for me, until my back hits a stone wall and I realize we're out in a hallway, away from the rest of the party.
"Umm, what are you doing?" I scowl. "You are so mean, are you trying to scare me? I am not scared of you-"
"Cosa farei con quella bocca se potessi fare a modo mio." he says. This voice, smoother then Damons ever could be, drapes around me in a warm embrace and I can't help but stare at him mesmerized.
(What I would do with that mouth if I had my way.)
Our faces were so close I could feel my small puffs of breath bounce of the fabric covering his chest. This close up, I could see his face. The contours of his face, the defined lines of his unworldly jaw structure and his perfect nose. And the deep setting of his emerald green eyes.
My eyes fall to his lips, the proximity making it impossible to think of anything but them. I look back into his eyes, then back at his lips.
Oh god.
GRIFFIN
Her light puffs of air, the way her chest rises and falls in that dress, even her fucking erratic heartbeat. I can feel everything. Her big, gray eyes look innocuously confused as she stares in a daze, her eyes falling to my lips.
I let my own gaze wander to the her plump set of lips, then downward to her rapidly moving chest. Her breaths come out short and unsteady, with no apparent concern for our proximity, rather a desirous look to her face.
My hand that is next to hers brushes just barely against her skin, and she whimpers a needy sound.
"Fuck it." I growl, dipping my head to kiss her puffy lips. I let myself delve in the lush softness of her lips, letting my senses be overtaken by her breathless, needy moans of pleasure.
My hand makes it's way to the back of her neck, the daintiness of it going straight to my head. My palm easily covers her whole neck and then some. I could so easily break her. I deepen the kiss, pulling her in by her neck.
"Mmh!" she moans, this one is louder, more urgent.
What the fuck am I doing?
I pull away, snatching my hand away from gripping her slender neck, the feeling of her warm flesh burning in my hand still.
Ariel breathes heavily, putting a hand to her stomach.
"I kissed the big green eyed mean bird." She whispers.
"What?" I can't help the spike of amusement that burns through me.
"N-Nothing!" She says. "Why did you kiss me? Oh my god," She panics, taking a few steps away. "Is my hair ruined? You-" She stumbles over nonesense mostly.
"Ariel." I stop her rambling making her freeze and look at me, her eyes swirling with uncertainty. "That was a mistake." I say, not knowing what else I could say.
Her face drops, no hints of panic or fear. Just plain annoyance and anger.
"A mistake?" She asks. "Wow. You are unbelievable." she says forcefully, almost running off towards the bathrooms.
"Wait-" The door slams shut.
What the fuck did I just do.
