When Elisabeth asked her question, simply on the outside but full of implications, Lucent wanted to be angry. Did she truly think so little of him that his intentions, that he had gone so far to make clear to her, threatened he life over, nearly stopped to begging for her to return, would change so easily in such a short time? Perhaps if she were just anyone, that would be the case. Relationships, of the romantic sort, were not the sort of thing Lucent Mane spent much thought on.
He had seduced, and allowed himself to be seduced, by those who's affection and loyalty could be valuable to him, only to cast them aside when they became inconvenient. And some girls had genuinely fallen for him, with his attractive features, fine tastes, and aura of danger and confidence...until they learned how much of that was simply an act, that outside of calculated gestures he was a man consumed by work and ambition who would never give them more than the barest minimum of his time he set aside for frivolous pursuits.
In this, too, Elisabeth was unique. While the absolute confidence of a love-struck girl who so happened to sit at the right hand of his closest ally and rival, one in the same, Savic, would have proved useful, she had dashed any hope of that in her earlier rejections. And even so, he had kept at it, set aside a day that he could have spent doing a million other things trying to woo her, and when that hadn't worked, he had tried to simply enforce her submission from a position of power....and failed, completely and utterly. Perhaps that should have been enough to change his mind. But still he found himself drawn to her, and there had to be some reason for it.
"Dearest Elisabeth, nothing has changed since that night...." He started, and then leaned in, burying his face in the chocolate river of her hair in order to speak directly into her ear, taking in a deep breath of her oh-so familiar scent that stood out even through the sea of perfumes, colognes, and pheromones that choked their air upstairs, and gave him the utmost confidence in what he was about to say. "..I showed you weakness, and if I didn't think I might love you, I'd have to hate you for it. And if I hated you, you'd already be dead." He whispered softly, with finality, placing the barest kiss on the crook of her neck. And then, suddenly, the moment was gone. He pulled back, with much difficulty, from that compromising position, and turned on heel, heading back towards the stairs.
"Keep that in mind, Mrs. Vaughn. Food will be served soon, and then the show starts." He called back, very formally, over his shoulder, all business. And still not indicating what was so special about whatever was going to happen next, but leaving no doubt that tonight was about more than formal introductions and civil discussion.
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