Temptation of her Flame ✔️

chapter thirty

omg it's been a week, i know, i'm sorry. school started and things have been a rush. next chapter will be out soon (i hope), no promises. ilysm for reading. we're almost reaching 3k reads YAYY ✨✨

also i have a test tmr wish me luck

(young and beautiful by lana del ray)

ARIA

Even before I felt him smile against my mouth, I knew this intimate image of us would be plastered on articles with lengthy descriptions. We looked perfect, and if the ball was a competition for the most magnificent pair, we were winning.

"I'm taking this off tonight," I murmured, tugging at his suit. It was obnoxiously golden, just like my dress.

"Can't wait." His face softened, a smile spreading on his face. He adopted the look one would receive after returning home from an exhausting day of work.

With a hand on my back, he guided me to the buffet table. Visitors that arrived after me were unfortunately disregarded, for inquisitive eyes were fixated on our every action. I was singled out as the topic of conversation.

I felt exposed yet powerful.

It took the crowd a few seconds to register my arrival and plan their next steps before a mass of many approached me. They held out their hands, introduced themselves, complimented me like their lives depended on it.

I recognised some of them. They had a status—one built from nothing. They either had a following large enough for a celebrity or a business high on the charts. They were intimidating, but not as much as Vincenzo. In his golden suit, he looked nothing short of rich and dominant. As prominent as the colour was, he managed to pull it off amazingly.

I was rather jealous. I wasn't sure I could pull off bright orange.

"I've never attended a ball," I told him. It was exciting, but lacking experiences could result in embarrassment. Emma had instructed me on the basics while preparing for the ball, but I still felt like a pretty snow-coloured wolf in a savage pack armed with survival skills.

"You're doing great, fuoco."

"But I just arrived," I retorted, plucking a cupcake from the stand. I had to scan for any odd looks before eating, just in case a rule prohibited consumption of food until all guests arrived.

"It's our ball. You can do whatever you wish," he said, observing my every act.

"No, it's your ball. I'm a guest, and I'm not quite sure how to act."

"Who says you have to act?"

"It's what everyone else is doing," I muttered, glancing at a group of models pining for the same man. Surely, they didn't like him that much. He did look extremely wealthy, though.

Just then, we were approached by a pair who dressed more like they were heading for a Halloween party than a ball.

They introduced themselves, patted my hand like grandmothers, and thanked us for the invitation. Neither Vincenzo nor I were in charge of that, and I wondered if Damon would be bitter if we stole the credit.