| Damon |

My mind was running on overdrive and I kept trying to think of ways in which to explain how I felt to her. What exactly happened in her kitchen earlier that night...Truthfully I was still trying to get a grip on everything myself but I knew she deserved an answer, thats the least I could do is comfort her after being such a coward and walking away. I didn't know what was going through that beautiful mind of hers but I wanted to know. Her eyes held pain but her stoic face told me she wasn't happy with me in the least.

I glanced over at her in my passenger seat as we drove through the backstreets of our town, our town of Albany was huge but where I had decided to take her was no where in our town but in the smaller town over. My eyes decided to glance her way over so often and watch her as the yellow city lights glowed over her face or simply as the overcasting of the moon shadowed her features. She looked so beautiful and she was dressed so simply but that was the normal with Ariel, she was a simple girl and she wore it beautifully. It was extremely sexy to find a girl that can turn such a simple outfit into the most ravishing thing.

Her hair was up in a loose ponytail with fallen strands of hair cascading down her neck and a few laying on her cheeks. She had very little make up on if any, I couldn't exactly make it out but her eyes more prominent as if there was a glow to them. She was wearing some light blue, loose fitted jeans, torn at the knees and rolled up at the ankle with a white tank top and a striped button up shirt over it.

Again the style was so simple but it had me white knuckling my steering wheel in order to gain some control of my body and not tear every article of clothing off of her gorgeous curves.

I had to push all our sexual tension to the back of me mind and just focus on her — our friendship tonight. Damn, even thinking the word gutted me and I had no idea why. My emotions were a mess and they have been for the past two months.

I wanted her to smile at me again. I wanted back her fire, her growing confidence. I saw a difference, there was a difference from the Ariel I once knew and the Ariel she is today and I craved it like a fish craves water.

But tonight she seemed dejected, she didn't seem as confident or flirty with me and it was killing me because I knew it was because of my rush to leave her house earlier. It was my mission to make her smile with me again tonight and I knew just how to do it.

I had my fingers crossed that  she was still a sucker for Mediterranean food because that was my first stop. I needed to get her dinner, she was probably starving since we had skipped dinner at Emmas. I swerved into a parking spot and parked the car, cutting the ignition a smile broke on my face as I looked over at her.

Her lips were parted in shock and her eyes widened. "Árdanas?" Her teeth nibbled on her lower lip before she finally turned her head and her eyes met mine. It was the first time she looked my way the whole car ride. "Damon this place is way out of my price range!" She almost squeaked out in shock.

I knew very well how expensive this place was but I also knew how much she loved the food and I knew she would enjoy every bit of it here. Money wasn't an option with her, the fact she even thought she was going to have to pay sent my blood boiling. "Don't worry about the prices. Im paying tonight and any other night I take you somewhere, understood?" My voice was firm with authority and my rose a brow questioningly.

Her eyes squinted with suspicion "If you think your way of making this up to me is to buy me — "

I held my hand up cutting her off, she was getting me more pissed off and I didn't know if it was purposely or not. "No. That is not what I am trying to do. I know you have an obsession with Mediterranean food and this is one of the best places around, I just want you to get the experience, enjoy the food."

Her lips parted in shock once more but shut closed. Her eyes were still wide with shock but they softened a bit. Her anger for me dissipated, even if it was only the slightest. She gave a small smile, one she tried to force away but didn't succeed. "Thank you Dae." She mumbled.

I nodded my head towards the entrance and smiled "Come on, I cant wait to see what you think..."

| Ariel |

I wanted to stay strong and show Damon it wasn't going to be easy for me to forgive him for the strong feeling of rejection her gave me, it washy going to be a piece of cake to get me to feel as comfortable with him as I have been and truth is, I've been more comfortable with him than any other guy I have associated myself with. He was teasing and flirty but when I got to see the man behind all that, I loved it and even though I had only seen it once I wanted to see more...

If he would stop running. Was it me he was running from? What was wrong with me?

I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and come with him tonight and spend the night with him. When we showed up at Árdanas, my breath caught in my throat and I almost choked on my saliva. This place was a five star Mediterranean restaurant and the worst part? My heart melted a little bit more for the man when he remember this was my favorite food and as he said, all he wanted me to do was enjoy.

As soon as we entered the place and took a seat in a quiet booth, I immediately fell in love. It was a dimly lit restaurant, almost as if the lighting that surrounded us gave off a romantic ambiance. The soft white light that hung low from the ceiling were round shaped and the walls were of a white makeshift fence with pots of decorative plates placed in strategic positions. There was nothing but hushed whispers and the rare clattering of pots and pans from the kitchen. The windows from outside shown nothing but the moonlight and bright lights from passing cars.

The booths and tables were of a dark cherry wood and placed a great distance apart to give each customer a sense of privacy. It was very romantic and quaint in here. I looked down at the navy colored menu with the name of the restaurant written in a fancy style calligraphy.

"You love it princess."

Damon tore me from my wonderful surroundings with his question. It actually wasn't so much a question as a statement, I was sure he could see the adoration in my eyes. "I do." I whispered softly, my eyes taking one more glance around the room.

"Why don't we order and then we can talk?" He suggested almost hesitantly. I looked back at him and his arms were folded in front of him at the table, his menu already open but it seemed as if he was waiting for me to choose first.

I nodded in agreement before opening my menu as well. I looked over all the different and I'm sure delicious food items, there was a greek and Italian feel to this menu, maybe some Spanish influence as well. I smiled at all the choices. I took a few minutes, quietly trying to scope out the menu and figure out what I was getting.

"Having a hard time choosing?" Came Damons amused voice. I looked up at him and his fist was covering the hidden smile on his lips "A lot of good choices?"

I dared to crack a small smile and looked back down at the menu with blush covering my cheeks. His soft chuckle vibrated around the table which made me fight to bite back a smile. Great now I looked like a fatass because I couldn't make up my mind, it seemed like I wanted everything and truthfully I wouldn't mind trying a bite of the full menu as if this were a food tasting.

Then it hit me like a punch right to the gut, I couldn't get just anything, this wasn't the time or the place to stuff my face with delicious food. I had the most devilishly handsome man sitting in front of me and I could stand to loose a few more pounds. My heart sunk and I suddenly felt self conscious.

"Hello Im Ian, I'll be your waiter tonight." A young boy, no more than 18, came up to our table ready with two glasses of water for us and a genuine smile.

"Uhm, the water is fine for — "

"Uh," Damon grabbed my hand lightly squeezing it and stopping me from speaking any further, he then look up at the waiter and asked "What is your best recommended greek wine?"

I stared at him in shock, what was he doing and how the hell did he know I liked wine, most of all anything greek?

The waiter rambled on about some white wine named Anatolikos fine Assyrtiko and a red wine, Skouras Saint George.

"You prefer white or red Ari?" He whispered over to me.

Snapping myself from my trance, I quickly tried to explain "Oh, uhm, Damon water is really fine, I cant — "

He quickly rose a brow cutting me off and I groaned internally, this wine was going to add extra calories I just didn't need, as much as I was dying to try it and taste it with my food, I really didn't need it but I also didn't want an argument in front of the waiter with Damon.

"Uh, okay," I let out a breath and nodded "I like white." And it was true, there was something about red wine that I hated, it just wasn't for me and I couldn't put my finger on why but truly I hadn't been drinking long anyway, I wasn't a big drinker at all but a bottle of white once in awhile was nice.

The waiter nodded taking our order of wine and as soon as he was about to leave, Damon stopped him, telling him he could take our food order already as well and bring it all out at once.

"Princess," he caught my attention again "Your ready to order?"

I cleared my throat and made up my mind on getting something with the least amount of fat but still quite delicious, at least to me. "Yes," I said before muttering off my order of Pan roasted halibut and greek salad with dressing on the side, to the waiter.

"Would you like the large plate or the appetizer."

"Oh the appetizer is fine." I smiled up to him before handing him my menu.

Damon recited his order out to the waiter as well and he scurried off to put in our food items. When I looked over at Damon the look on his face was anything but happy, it was more confused and upsetting, he was watching me as if he was trying to figure me out.

Finally he spoke. "The appetizer Ariel, really? Will that fill you?"

I swallowed hard. I was hoping he wouldn't question me about the small plate options, I was trying to be good with my meals especially since running on the treadmill and lifting weights seemed like a chore.

"Yeah, I mean I have the salad too." I shrugged and took a sip of my water, trying my hardest to not make eye contact.

He sighed "Ariel, I wanted to ask you at the bbq last weekend but we never fell into that topic, you seem like you lost weight, more so now."

My eyes stayed on my glass of water "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, if you're doing it the right way it's not and for the right reasons." He paused and it was enough of a pause to get me to look up at him, when I did he questioned "Are you Ariel?"

"I-I, well I think so..."

"You think so?" He groaned "Shit princess, you better be. Did you not learn anything from what Emma went through?"

I sighed, suddenly wishing we weren't here in this restaurant, surrounded by food. "Im not doing anything like that Damon, just eating less and working out."

His jaw visibly clenched and he licked his lips with a shake of the head. He seemed to be having just as a hard time with this conversation as I was. "How much is less Ariel? The serving size for a damn kid?"

I groaned now getting frustrated "It doesn't matter Damon. We aren't here to talk about my eating habits! In fact, we are here because you so desperately needed to give me an apology and an explanation."

His eyes bore into mine "Stop changing the subject," he shook his head "I know why we are here and Im going to get to that but right now I care about this." His voice was firm and demanding and it sent chills straight up my spine.

"Im not starving myself Damon..." I mumbled out.

"No you're not. Not in my presence."

The waiter suddenly came out with our bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured them for us and placed them in front of each of us.

"Ariel," His husky low voice came again and the tone shook me right to my core. When I looked up into his eyes they were blazing with something but I couldn't tell what it was, they seemed darker and I didn't know if it was this lighting or if his emotions were surfacing.

"You better be doing this for the right reasons. If you want to be healthy thats great but don't you dare do it for anyone but yourself, least of all because of the lies that phsyco of an ex used to brainwash you with." His eyes wander from mine and trailed down my exposed neck and rising chest. He was doing it again, he was undressing me with his eyes, I could feel it and heat was slowly pooling inside my lace panties. His stare was so intense it made me throat go dry.

"Your so damn beautiful and it's a damn sin that you don't see that. Those curves add to your beauty, don't think that shit isn't sexy because it is..." his voice lower another interval and he rested his arms on the table once again, leaning closer to me this time. "You truly have no idea how hard it is everyday for me to be so close to you and so far away. You're a damn temptation Ariel and there are days where I want to forget about what is right and drown in you, all of you. I want to give you every single pleasure you have never had before."

My breathing was rapid, my heartbeat was through the roof, my belly was a burning inferno, and my panties were officially soaked with desire. I closed my eyes shut trying to clear my mind of the arousing words he threw at me. He was lying, he had to be...If he think of me in such a way, why pull away earlier today? I was so ready to let my heart do the talking and give myself up to him. I couldn't stop myself anymore, my love and desire for him were too strong.

Now was my chance. We were having this conversation now. My eyes snapped open and his green ones were instantly there, looking at me with that same desire I felt in the kitchen.

I took in a deep breath and cleared my throat. Shaking my head, my eyes glared his way. "Im beautiful, Im a temptation, it's so hard not to give in," I mocked him and crossed my arms over my chest "But yet it was so easy for you to run away?"

His hands curled to fists on the table and he gritted his teeth looking away "You think that shit was easy Ariel?" His eyes blazed and looked up at me again. "I was having an internally battle between right and wrong. Every bone in my body was screaming to lift you over my shoulder and carry you to your bedroom like a caveman. My mind was clouded with desire when I left your house. Desire only for you, it was anything but easy!" He hissed.

"Then why leave?!" My voice exclaimed louder than intended, I looked around to make sure none of the other customers were paying attention and became relieved when they weren't.

It didn't seem to bother Damon one bit because his eyes didn't stray from mine. The vein in his neck pulsed and he took a deep breath. "I had to princess," his voice calmer now, he pushed away from the table and ran a frustrated hand through his slicked back hair. "Its not right. You're in love with me Ariel and knowing that would make me the biggest asshole to just fuck you and leave. You're not like the others."

I was shocked by his honesty but I was also grateful for it. I wanted him to be honest with me. Always. "Would you though? Just fuck me and leave, if you say Im not like the others?"

He swallowed almost nervously before speaking his next words "No. And there in lies the next problem, I know one time wouldn't be enough, I know I would keep wanting you and thats not right either."

"Why?"

He licked his lips and said nothing. He was quiet for a long moment as if having a debate in his mind. "That doesn't matter, what matters is you. I cant hurt you Ariel. After all is said and done, I couldn't live knowing you were walking around hurt because I cant give you what you want. At least this way you don't know what your missing..."

My heart clenched and I closed my eyes trying to fight back the burning tears. He was right, about everything and I knew he was but it hurt so much to think that he could never love me. He was deathly attracted to me, which I was over the moon about but attraction means nothing without love, at least for me.

Why wouldn't it be right if we gave in to our desires more times than once? What was his fear when it came to that?

I bit my lower lip and searched his eyes. He said nothing and allowed my eyes to wander his. He gave me time to absorb everything and waited. I wanted so badly to know what he was thinking but I couldn't read minds, what I could do is give him everything I was thinking.

"I wanted you Damon. So much. I wanted to drown in you too." I whispered in confession, my cheeks burning from slight embarrassment but that didn't stop me. "Just know I wanted it too, even if it was just for one night."

His eyes widened slightly and blazed with lust but before he could say anything more, our waiter came happily with our food in hand. 

Okay guys! So sorry about the earlier confusion with the posting of the chapters! 🤦‍♀️ I had posted chapter 17 by accident and I was just able to complete both of them now. So I had to split them up into two chapters because it just ended up being so long. Stay tuned for chapter 17, it should be posted shortly after this one!👏

What did you guys think? Do you think Damon had sense in leaving Ariels house earlier? Was it coming from good intentions. We know he cares about Ariel and he doesn't want to hurt her but will he truly be able to continue being good and not give in? ❤

Whats next to come for them tonight?🤔

Don't forget to comment and vote🌟! 

XOXO
L

isamariee 💋