Dusk

22| untouched

Ava

I bit back a chuckle as I looked up at Elias, who stood like a statue beside me, jaw clenched, eyes storming. The heels made it possible for me to reach him without standing on my toes and I pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth. "I thought you liked the dress?"

"I goddamn love it." He muttered, tightening his arm around my waist. "But so will other people. Other men. I don't like the thought of them seeing you and thinking things only I am allowed to think."

"Well, if it's any consolation, they'll see me, and they'll see you. And they'll know I'm with you. So let's give them a show."

He tilted my chin up, kissing me square on the mouth without a protest for me. His tongue tangled with mine, caressing, a strange kind of fond in his mouth that moment. He tasted like a lazy summer morning, his lips pillowy soft, not making it easy for me to let go. I grasped his jaw lightly, and shivered when he grazed his knuckles against the bare skin of my back. 

"Show enough?" He murmured, curling a strand of my hair on his finger, letting his teeth sink into my bottom lip, making me groan softly.

"Mhm." 

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my waist again, then walking us to the ballroom. It was big and grand, rich. A huge chandelier hung in the very middle, people scattered everywhere. A server came to us with a glass of champagne and I looked at my surroundings with surprise. "Do you know any people here?"

"Ava?" I heard my name, and I turned around. Robert came to me with a smile, offering me a handshake. I'd heard he was a big softie at heart, and I'd begun to realise that was true since the day he came to my office to apologise. "What a surprise!"

"My friend's donating." I said. 

"That's wonderful. This is my wife." He gestured towards the woman at his arm. "She's wanted to meet you for a long time."

"She has?" I raised an eyebrow at the woman who smiled at me and gave me a handshake. I gestured towards the man beside me, feeling his dominant stare. "Elias, my boyfriend. That's Robert, a colleague. "

"Pleasure." He said, Robert smiled in return. The couple left in a while after making small talk, and we walked further inside.

Alexander met us at the far end of the ballroom, and he stood there with Paige. I watched through amused but wide eyes at their closeness, making sure to get the details afterwards. Paige looked at me and bit her lip, holding back a smile. When my eyes met Alex, he was smirking, innocently wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

Elias chuckled beside me. "Is it weird that I'm not surprised?"

"You knew she'd say yes?"

"I told you they understood each other. And they've known each other for a long time. We started with those aspects, you and I, look at us now."

I smiled, walking towards the both of them. Alex clapped Eli's back, then enveloped me in one of the warmest hugs I'd ever gotten. Aiden was travelling so he couldn't make it. Donors had to give a speech, so Alex left shortly after. 

"Tell me everything." I whispered to Paige.

"Well, we're taking it slow, but we're trying." She said. "I'd been a bit cautious about this ruining our friendship, but he gave me enough reassurance to make me comply."

"Slow is good." I said.

Alexander gave a beautiful speech. I'd listened to him in awe, wide eyes and an open mouth. I knew that was the reaction of most people in the room. He spoke flawlessly, almost unreal. One could almost feel themselves in that situation.