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Description
Elle glanced around the wide expanse of the ballroom, suppressing a yawn with the back of her hand. It was just after eleven o'clock and she was eager for the night to end so she could go home and crawl into bed. She wasn't normally one for these types of parties, but she had promised her friends that she would attend this illustrious costume ball that they had been planning for the past several weeks.

She shifted from side to side, grateful that the long crimson skirt of her ball gown was long enough that she was at least able to wear her favorite pair of comfortable flats. Her friends had all opted for sexy high heels, but Elle knew that after an hour of that her feet would begin to feel like they were being twisted in a vice. The bodice of the gown, however, gave her nothing but trouble. It was so tight she could hardly breathe, with a neckline so low that she felt completely exposed. Her friends had assured her that she looked ravishing, but she felt ridiculous and more than a little irritated with the occasional leering glance at her cleavage.

Leaning back against one of the pillars, she looked around for any sign of a familiar face, but her friends had abandoned her hours ago, eager to dance with their boyfriends and mingle. The occasional man would drift her way, drawn in no doubt by the allure that her cleavage provided with just the act of breathing, and she always managed to chase them away with a snarky comment or remark that seemed to fly right over their heads. She sighed, wondering why she had such a knack for deterring the opposite sex.

Her whole body flushed when she recalled the incident just a few days ago. She had been sitting on a park bench dreaming of a man like Mr. Darcy, when she was instead greeted by a darkly handsome man who had no concept of personal boundaries.

She had played over what had happened about a million times, and was angry with herself for admitting that she had thoroughly enjoyed his kiss. Never before had a man been so bold, or shown such a desire to touch her. She touched her lips as she remembered the heat of his kiss, and the passion in his eyes when he looked at her.

She shook her head to reign in her senses. 'Get a hold of yourself Elle! The pervert manhandled you without even a word! How can you be so naïve?'

Taking a deep breath, which earned her several appreciative glances from a nearby group of men, she glanced around the room with a sense of purpose. She was determined to get her mind off of the mystery man and have a good time.

~~~

Mias scanned the room, completely bored and ready to leave. He had arrived only moments before, hoping that a night of drinking and dancing would clear his thoughts, and finally take his mind off of the honey haired beauty that haunted his every waking hour.
He had tried in vain to find her, relying on all of his magical prowess and a few of his less than savory connections, but still nothing. It was as if the girl had vanished off the face of the earth.

He sipped absently at his drink, glaring at all the lovers in the room, dancing and laughing together. He raked a hand through his dark hair, wishing he could just find a random blonde among the crowd to slake his unrelenting desire. But he knew that would never work. Even now as he closed his eyes he could see her beautiful eyes and full lips.

He cursed himself for being so weak. How could a mere woman affect him this way? How could he be so consumed with the need to find her and have her as his own? Looking around at the happy faces which mocked his agony, he felt hot anger boiling up inside him. He knew, knew, he was superior to everyone in the room yet he was miserable while they were happy. How the hell did that happen?

The sight of so much enjoyment and pleasure when he was so completely miserable was too much. He simply had to find her. What Mias wants, Mias gets.

The music ended abruptly and shifted to an arrangement of heavy bass and classical music, and that's when he spotted her. She was straight across the room, leaning against a pillar looking as if she didn't have a care in the world.

The drink he held slipped from his hand, and he pressed forward into the crowd. He pushed past dancers who yelled angrily at him as he stepped on the edge of dresses and the occasional foot. But he didn't care, his eyes were on her.

His gaze raked over her body appreciatively, the crimson gown against her fair skin and golden hair drawing him in. Her hair was pulled back from her beautiful face, tumbling down over her shoulders in waves of gold. Her lips were parted slightly and she twirled a lock of hair absently, oblivious to a group of men at her left who ogled her longingly. Mias was grateful that he had left his weapons at home, for he would surely have slit every single one of their throats for even daring to glance at her beauty.

As if sensing him, her eyes snapped up and met his, but she didn't look very happy to see him. He didn't really care. He had found her. He would have her. She was his.

~~~

Elle couldn't believe her eyes. The mystery man was staring her down with a devilish grin that made every warning bell in her head go off. He was clothed all in black, his dark cape billowing around him like a cloud. If the way he was staring at her hadn't been so unnerving, she would have been very impressed with the detail and elegance of his costume.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched him shove dancing couples out of the way, not even flinching when they shouted profanities at him. His eyes never left her. She took a deep breath and his eyes darted immediately to her chest.

Damn dress! She thought, just as she began backing away several steps with each long stride that he took. He was just feet from her now, and she turned to flee, but he captured her wrist and whirled her to face him.

"We meet again," he murmured, that lusty grin still on his face.

"So it would seem," Elle said flatly. "Unfortunately I was just leaving."

Elle turned to leave but Mias held her wrist tightly.

"You're not getting away that easily."

He dragged her onto the dance floor and pulled her against him.

"Let go of me!" She shouted.

She tried to pull away but Mias had his hand firmly pressed against her lower back. Far too low, in Elle's opinion.

Mias stared down at her with a look of pure amusement, which only aggravated her more. She tried to twist her hand free of his but he held it firmly, yet with a tenderness that confused her.

"You will dance with me," he grated.

Elle hesitated, looking around for some means of escaping. Her shouting and clear "damsel-in- distress" display had gained no reaction from anyone in the room, so she doubted that screaming at the top of her lungs would do much good. Everyone around her was either too drunk or busy making out to have a care in the world about her current situation.

Elle tried to relax and gave the mystery man what she hoped was a look of pure disgust.
"That's better," he said with a grin, pulling her closer still.

They swayed along the dance floor, Elle trying desperately to look anywhere but those dark sexy eyes which hadn't stopped staring at her for a second.

"So do you have a name or should I just call you creep?" Elle asked, glaring up at him.
He laughed, and Elle wanted to rip her hair out for thinking that it wasn't an altogether unpleasant sound.

"You may call me Mias," he murmured. "So do you have a name, or shall I just call you sexy?"

Elle gasped when he gave her that devilish grin again, the hand at her back sliding lower.

"You are truly the embodiment of a scoundrel," she said through clenched teeth.

"A name, my sweet, or I will simply call you sexy," Mias said.

"It's Elle," she said, reaching behind her and grabbing his hand which she then placed higher up on her back.

"Well then Elle," Mias said as he twirled her and pulled her abruptly back against his chest, "what do you say we get out of here and go somewhere more, private?"

Elle pulled herself from his grip and pushed at his chest. Who did this guy think he was? The first time they met he had practically climbed on top of her, and now after just learning her name he expected her to leave with him?

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Elle shouted, barely able to hear her own voice over the music which had grown louder with every second. Mias had clearly heard her because his features darkened, and he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up against his chest.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, sweetness," he said calmly. He pressed his hand gently to the side of her face, and she felt a warm, tingling sensation that made her feel as if she had had too much to drink.

"Get your hands off of me," she said with as much firmness as she could manage, but to her own ears she sounded completely hammered.

"Never," Mias said from somewhere far away.

Elle could feel herself slipping, down into a haze, the room spinning around her wildly. Mias held her tightly to him, his dark eyes the only thing that seemed to pierce through the fog that consumed her, until there was only darkness.

Description
Elle glanced around the wide expanse of the ballroom, suppressing a yawn with the back of her hand. It was just after eleven o'clock and she was eager for the night to end so she could go home and crawl into bed. She wasn't normally one for these types of parties, but she had promised her friends that she would attend this illustrious costume ball that they had been planning for the past several weeks.

She shifted from side to side, grateful that the long crimson skirt of her ball gown was long enough that she was at least able to wear her favorite pair of comfortable flats. Her friends had all opted for sexy high heels, but Elle knew that after an hour of that her feet would begin to feel like they were being twisted in a vice. The bodice of the gown, however, gave her nothing but trouble. It was so tight she could hardly breathe, with a neckline so low that she felt completely exposed. Her friends had assured her that she looked ravishing, but she felt ridiculous and more than a little irritated with the occasional leering glance at her cleavage.

Leaning back against one of the pillars, she looked around for any sign of a familiar face, but her friends had abandoned her hours ago, eager to dance with their boyfriends and mingle. The occasional man would drift her way, drawn in no doubt by the allure that her cleavage provided with just the act of breathing, and she always managed to chase them away with a snarky comment or remark that seemed to fly right over their heads. She sighed, wondering why she had such a knack for deterring the opposite sex.

Her whole body flushed when she recalled the incident just a few days ago. She had been sitting on a park bench dreaming of a man like Mr. Darcy, when she was instead greeted by a darkly handsome man who had no concept of personal boundaries.

She had played over what had happened about a million times, and was angry with herself for admitting that she had thoroughly enjoyed his kiss. Never before had a man been so bold, or shown such a desire to touch her. She touched her lips as she remembered the heat of his kiss, and the passion in his eyes when he looked at her.

She shook her head to reign in her senses. 'Get a hold of yourself Elle! The pervert manhandled you without even a word! How can you be so naïve?'

Taking a deep breath, which earned her several appreciative glances from a nearby group of men, she glanced around the room with a sense of purpose. She was determined to get her mind off of the mystery man and have a good time.

~~~

Mias scanned the room, completely bored and ready to leave. He had arrived only moments before, hoping that a night of drinking and dancing would clear his thoughts, and finally take his mind off of the honey haired beauty that haunted his every waking hour.
He had tried in vain to find her, relying on all of his magical prowess and a few of his less than savory connections, but still nothing. It was as if the girl had vanished off the face of the earth.

He sipped absently at his drink, glaring at all the lovers in the room, dancing and laughing together. He raked a hand through his dark hair, wishing he could just find a random blonde among the crowd to slake his unrelenting desire. But he knew that would never work. Even now as he closed his eyes he could see her beautiful eyes and full lips.

He cursed himself for being so weak. How could a mere woman affect him this way? How could he be so consumed with the need to find her and have her as his own? Looking around at the happy faces which mocked his agony, he felt hot anger boiling up inside him. He knew, knew, he was superior to everyone in the room yet he was miserable while they were happy. How the hell did that happen?

The sight of so much enjoyment and pleasure when he was so completely miserable was too much. He simply had to find her. What Mias wants, Mias gets.

The music ended abruptly and shifted to an arrangement of heavy bass and classical music, and that's when he spotted her. She was straight across the room, leaning against a pillar looking as if she didn't have a care in the world.

The drink he held slipped from his hand, and he pressed forward into the crowd. He pushed past dancers who yelled angrily at him as he stepped on the edge of dresses and the occasional foot. But he didn't care, his eyes were on her.

His gaze raked over her body appreciatively, the crimson gown against her fair skin and golden hair drawing him in. Her hair was pulled back from her beautiful face, tumbling down over her shoulders in waves of gold. Her lips were parted slightly and she twirled a lock of hair absently, oblivious to a group of men at her left who ogled her longingly. Mias was grateful that he had left his weapons at home, for he would surely have slit every single one of their throats for even daring to glance at her beauty.

As if sensing him, her eyes snapped up and met his, but she didn't look very happy to see him. He didn't really care. He had found her. He would have her. She was his.

~~~

Elle couldn't believe her eyes. The mystery man was staring her down with a devilish grin that made every warning bell in her head go off. He was clothed all in black, his dark cape billowing around him like a cloud. If the way he was staring at her hadn't been so unnerving, she would have been very impressed with the detail and elegance of his costume.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched him shove dancing couples out of the way, not even flinching when they shouted profanities at him. His eyes never left her. She took a deep breath and his eyes darted immediately to her chest.

Damn dress! She thought, just as she began backing away several steps with each long stride that he took. He was just feet from her now, and she turned to flee, but he captured her wrist and whirled her to face him.

"We meet again," he murmured, that lusty grin still on his face.

"So it would seem," Elle said flatly. "Unfortunately I was just leaving."

Elle turned to leave but Mias held her wrist tightly.

"You're not getting away that easily."

He dragged her onto the dance floor and pulled her against him.

"Let go of me!" She shouted.

She tried to pull away but Mias had his hand firmly pressed against her lower back. Far too low, in Elle's opinion.

Mias stared down at her with a look of pure amusement, which only aggravated her more. She tried to twist her hand free of his but he held it firmly, yet with a tenderness that confused her.

"You will dance with me," he grated.

Elle hesitated, looking around for some means of escaping. Her shouting and clear "damsel-in- distress" display had gained no reaction from anyone in the room, so she doubted that screaming at the top of her lungs would do much good. Everyone around her was either too drunk or busy making out to have a care in the world about her current situation.

Elle tried to relax and gave the mystery man what she hoped was a look of pure disgust.
"That's better," he said with a grin, pulling her closer still.

They swayed along the dance floor, Elle trying desperately to look anywhere but those dark sexy eyes which hadn't stopped staring at her for a second.

"So do you have a name or should I just call you creep?" Elle asked, glaring up at him.
He laughed, and Elle wanted to rip her hair out for thinking that it wasn't an altogether unpleasant sound.

"You may call me Mias," he murmured. "So do you have a name, or shall I just call you sexy?"

Elle gasped when he gave her that devilish grin again, the hand at her back sliding lower.

"You are truly the embodiment of a scoundrel," she said through clenched teeth.

"A name, my sweet, or I will simply call you sexy," Mias said.

"It's Elle," she said, reaching behind her and grabbing his hand which she then placed higher up on her back.

"Well then Elle," Mias said as he twirled her and pulled her abruptly back against his chest, "what do you say we get out of here and go somewhere more, private?"

Elle pulled herself from his grip and pushed at his chest. Who did this guy think he was? The first time they met he had practically climbed on top of her, and now after just learning her name he expected her to leave with him?

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Elle shouted, barely able to hear her own voice over the music which had grown louder with every second. Mias had clearly heard her because his features darkened, and he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up against his chest.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, sweetness," he said calmly. He pressed his hand gently to the side of her face, and she felt a warm, tingling sensation that made her feel as if she had had too much to drink.

"Get your hands off of me," she said with as much firmness as she could manage, but to her own ears she sounded completely hammered.

"Never," Mias said from somewhere far away.

Elle could feel herself slipping, down into a haze, the room spinning around her wildly. Mias held her tightly to him, his dark eyes the only thing that seemed to pierce through the fog that consumed her, until there was only darkness.