ARIEL
I hang up the phone with Lucia, turning around with my bag and dress in hand.
Why am I a virgin? I feel pathetic every time I ask myself that. Because I have no idea.
Griffin walks out of his room, dressed in a crisp charcoal suit, hair in place. He seems so perfect all the time. So put together. So fulfilled and self assured. The exact opposite of me.
He looks at me, his gaze burning with a strange look of, I can't put my finger on exactly what I see in his eyes. It's something between trepidation and possessiveness? I don't know. I might still be hung over.
"Are we leaving?" I ask him. He blinks.
"Sí." He simply says, leading me out. I follow behind him, the ever attractive sight of his muscles straining against his suit makes me smile to myself.
We silently sit in the car and he starts driving. The silence is deafening. The awkwardness weighs heavy in the air confusing me to no end. Our last conversation was about leaving together. Nothing particularly awkward happened. Then why is he acting like I told him my most embarrassing sec-
Oh my god.
"Did you hear my conversation over the phone back there?" I ask, my voice horrified.
I observe his demeanor. His body language gives nothing away, no twitching face muscles no tensing shoulders. He didn't look fazed at all.
"No." He says. I squint. Hmm. He might just have a really good poker face. Or he could've overheard that I-
No he didn't. I choose to believe that. For my peace.
"Okay." I hum.
We drive a little longer and then the Russo house comes into view. My eyebrows furrow.
"How did you know I live here?" I turn to him.
"I know most things." He says, turning to me in return. I frown.
"But how do you know so much about me? I've been to your house and I couldn't tell you where it is." his face becomes amused.
"That surprises no one, tempesta." he gets out of the car, walking around to open my door. I get out of the car, crossing my arms.
(Storm.)
"What is that supposed to mean." I ask. I feel like I should be offended. "And what does tempesta mean?" I ask. The word doesn't sound half as sexy when I say it.
"It's supposed to mean exactly what it sounds like." he says only answering my former question. I frown. Griffin glances to his left, then looks back at me. "Go inside." his voice turns low, dangerous.
"No, tell me what you meant." I glare.
"Go inside before I have to murder that son of a bitch." He grunts, turning to glare at the neighbors son. The poor guy pales, running inside from his yard.
"What did he do?" I ask.
"He was staring at you like you were the last woman alive." His angry glare sets on me next.
"He's 19. It's harmless even if he was."
"Yeah? You let every 19 year old stare at you in nothing but a barely long shirt?" He presses me into the car.
"No." I roll my eyes. "I was just saying, it doesn't hurt me if he does."
"It might hurt him." He snarls, his mouth so close to mine, I feel his breath fan my face. I look up into his green eyes, the sun making them look like pretty jewels.
I look back at his lips, then at his desire filled eyes again. He's going to kiss me again. The worst part is, I want to feel him again. To feel the strong, but somehow tenderness of his mouth become softer on mine. The way he grabs my neck and dominates everything from my hair to my toes.
"Go inside. Do not let me do something messy" his voice comes out dark and warning. I look up at him again. He groans. "Ariel." He warns. I breathe out, snapping out of my trance.
"Okay. Bye." I push him off, running into the gate of the house. I feel the heat of his sharp gaze on my back but I don't turn around. I just run into the house.
Thankfully, no one was around and I was able slip into my room with no one seeing or questioning me.
I only sigh in relief when I close my bedroom door behind me. The low purr of a distinctive McLaren engine driving off catches my attention. He just left?
God what is going on with us.
__________________
"Ariel." Uncle Marco says that night, as I sit in the living room waiting for Lucia to bring us popcorn.
"Hi Zio." I smile.
"Hi pricepessa, where were you yesterday? We do not want to tell you what to do but the city is a dangerous place at night." He says. I sheepishly smile.
"I was at a club and then we got really tired so I stayed at a friends place. I'll make sure to not make a habit of it." I reassure. He looks at me with an expression I can't quite understand. The scrutiny from his gaze makes me nervously look away.
"The people here are dangerous aswell. No one is what they seem. You are here for a short amount of time and I don't want anything to marre that experience." He says. I nod, not knowing what else to say.
Soon, he walks out of the room, leaving me confused. Could he somehow have known I was with Griffin? But how would he know? And why was it so bad if I was?
You mean besides the fact that you're supposed to have a work relationship and that he has confusions about you?
Right.
"What's got you so tense?" Lucia asks making me break out of my thoughts.
"Nothing." I smile.
That was strange.
