DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Aug 30, 2022 21:12:43 GMT
If there was one thing Mystic Falls excelled at, it was celebrations. Even in Giuseppe’s time they’d thrown lavish banquets, celebrated in the name of whatever excuse they could come up with. Ball gowns, string quartets, the sort of music that could now put the wildest beast to sleep - Harry Potter style - meals that went on for what felt like days as Giuseppe pontificated at the head of the table. At first going to war and getting away from what felt the Founders’ own little Kingdom had been a relief, but Damon had soon come to realise that distance wasn’t everything. It was the circumstances that mattered. Pomp and circumstances in the right way, with the right person.
He'd watched her dress in the mirror, blue eyes fixed as the blessed silence in the boarding house had settled around them like a shroud. Far emptier these days, a relief after Stefan had practically turned the place into a home for any waif and stray he’d come across. It seemed as though some had merely scooted back out of town, others had gone on to the school Ric had set up, the one that bore their name – an added two fingers up to Giuseppe. Damon hoped he was rolling in his grave over it, well beyond being able to try and twist up his sons lives. Now everything he’d wanted was just dust on the wind. As if Giuseppe had really understood what was out there to start with.
His son falling for a vampire, scandalous. Just the sort he enjoyed now, instead of the knife blade twist of what had happened before.
As the car – something close to as glossy as the Camaro – pulled up outside the house, Damon had risen from where he’d sat, slipping his arms around Claire’s waist, pressing his lips to the nape of her neck. With his arm still around her they’d headed out to the car. Now he was slipping free of it again, half bowing to offer Claire his hand to help her out. That rakish grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. There’d been plenty of nights together since that first pool game at the Grill, but not many opportunities like this.
Fingers curling around hers, he straightened up and looked over his shoulder. They were celebrating Giuseppe along with all the other Founders, undeserved, but still, as a Salvatore, his place was here. As the black sheep of the family, it felt all the more satisfying. ”M’lady,” he crooned lightly. Bringing Claire’s knuckles up to his lips before he looped his arm through hers. ”Seems a little more sedate than the bachelor auction huh?” Amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth as he glanced up the stairs towards where wait staff, clad in sedate, almost invisible black, were already sweeping around the space, glasses of champagne balanced on trays as they great and good of Mystic Falls mingled. ”I’m surprised you weren’t called in to deal with the blood bath there, although, if you had been, I might’ve had to come break you out.” It wasn’t like Ares couldn’t have handled some scrap over who was willing to stump up an extra 50 dollars for a day with some Adonis, especially since he didn’t think the guy would be caught dead somewhere like this.
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on Sept 28, 2022 18:44:47 GMT
Claire had lived in a lot of different places over the years before she had made her way to Mystic Falls but the truth was that she had only ever lived on the outskirts. She'd gone through the police academy with Ares and she had gone to college a few times but she had never really let too many people get that close to her. For the longest time she had felt guilty about leaving her husband and children behind after she became a vampire even though she had known that it would be better for them in the long run to start over without her rather than have to move with her every few years and have to worry about people realising that she wasn't ageing but she didn't have to worry about that any longer. Damon had helped her open her heart again and she was happy so she knew she didn't want that to change. It had taken them a while to get to where they were now but he had been patient with her and she was beyond grateful to him for that. He hadn't once tried to pressure her into anything, he had been happy to take things slow and it had worked for them. Now Claire was all in and she knew that Damon was too. There had been something there between them when they had met back in London all those years ago but back then their lives were very different. Damon and Stefan had been at odds and Claire had been trying to make a name for herself as an actress while Violet had been trying to make it as a singer. Claire hadn't wanted to become a vampire but that decision had been made for her in the end. It had taken her right up until she made her way to Mystic Falls to realise that she might as well make the most of her long life but ever since then she had been trying to do just that and the truth was that Damon was a big part of it. They had been spending a lot of time together since the first date that Damon had surprised her with after he'd told her how he felt while he was dying from the hybrid bite but they didn't normally get to go to many formal events like this. As it was Claire was excited because in a way it reminded her of some of the parties they'd attended back in London but she knew that this would be so much better. She'd ended up getting ready at the Boarding House with Damon rather than at her apartment where they had spent most of their time and she couldn't get over how quiet it was. Normally there were plenty of people around but this time was different and she couldn't deny that she liked the privacy. Claire had been putting in her earrings when Damon's hands slipped around her waist and he kissed her neck. Turning in his arms she stole a kiss before they headed out to the car. "I knew you'd want to arrive in style," Claire said, a smile touching her lips as she looked over at Damon before climbing into the car. It didn't take the long to get there and Claire took Damon's offered hand as she climbed out of the car. "Why thank you, kind sir," she grinned, lacing their fingers together once she was on her feet. Claire's smile turned gentle as Damon kissed her knuckles. "Such a gentleman, who would have thought it?" she teased. Truth was that she would have done because Damon had been nothing but during their time together so far. Looking around them, she nodded as Damon asked if it was more sedate than the bachelor auction. "Definitely but to be honest I'd rather have this any day," she admitted as she took two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and held one out to Damon before taking a sip of her own. It was nice to get dressed up every once in a while and she was looking forward to seeing what the future was going to hold. "They wanted me to cover the auction but I managed to talk my way out of that shift. Having a boyfriend from one of the founding families has its perks, they didn't want you having to come here alone," she laughed. Anyone from Mystic Falls knew how important events like this were and she wouldn't have wanted Damon to navigate them alone. "Now I almost wish I had had to work, it would have been worth it to have you break me out," she grinned. "I'm actually surprised they didn't try and talk you into the auction. I've seen the way the women around here still look at you."DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Oct 14, 2022 21:04:56 GMT
The Camaro would’ve been fine if he’d headed to the ball alone – as it had been in those first days he’d been in Mystic Falls. He’d have slipped from it, handing the keys over to some spotty teenaged valet with a warning that there better not be one speck of dust on her when he emerged. It would’ve turned eyes, the way the car always did, but tonight, as he emerged from the town car out front of the event, all eyes were going to be on Claire instead – including his own. They’d come full circle from those lavish Victorian parties, although it had been a horse and carriage pulling up to the house then and they’d have had a hell of a lot more trouble getting Claire up into it, those skirts had been a hazard in more ways than one. Damon slanted Claire a grin now as he helped her in with just a light grip on her hand. They deserved a little of that style – one befitting of a member of the Founder’s council.
At the ball the car was just one in a whole line of them – mostly glossy back, their interiors spotless for the night. He’d been right about eyes swivelling in their direction. Under the twinkle of lights, Claire was even more stunning than she had been half dressed, her hair and make up not yet done. ”It’s my pleasure,” he rumbled softly. Straightening up, he brought her knuckles up to his lips, civility never forgotten, just occasionally set aside. As he lifted his head Damon tried for a pout at her little jab. He stood a little taller, shrugging his shoulders like a peacock puffing up in indignation. ”Everybody who knows me,” he said aloofly before he grinned. Not a single one of them would’ve said it, the opposite being the absolute truth. Getting to know him was realising that Damon Salvatore was a self-confessed, and proud of it for the most part, asshole.
That wasn’t him for tonight though. The Damon that once would’ve been happy to stir up trouble here – getting his brother’s best friend staked for example – was packed up at the back of the closet, the sting of pride easing enough that he could detach himself from it for tonight. ”You’re not anxious to sell me off to the highest bidder yet?” Amusement had one brow winging. ”I’m sure I’d bring in a few bucks at least.” Although most likely wouldn’t be as interested in an afternoon of fun, as one of torture, paying him back for the crimes he’d committed as that asshole.
If he had his way Ares probably would’ve signed him up for it, saving his partner from an eternity of what he would’ve seen as a misery – if he hadn’t put himself forward, that puffed up ego leaving the guy believing he was really something. Damon’s laugh rolled out in an echo of Claire’s. ”So kind of them. I’m guessing you sent the knuckle dragger instead?” Ares was currently flying solo – although what had previously gone on in the guy’s life, Damon had no interest in hearing – which made him prime bachelor, and work slave, material. Pride had Damon swaggering just slightly as he drew Claire up the stairs and into the ballroom, his grin growing as he snagged two of those glasses of champagne from a passing waiter. ”We wouldn’t have looked half this good though. I’m glad we got tonight to do this.” A low hum slipped from him as he sipped his champagne. ”I might have told them I had a date already and I didn’t want her emptying her bank accounts to fight the competition on winning me. Maybe I should’ve signed Stefan up instead?” His brother was just as settled these days – major shocker, with Bonnie Bennett of all people – and Ric was married. The town’s roster of truly eligible bachelors was shrinking.
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on Nov 27, 2022 15:32:14 GMT
Claire had been to a few events like this over the years but she didn’t doubt that this one was going to mean the most to her. This time she and Damon were going together rather than their paths simply crossing while they were there and she knew that she wanted to enjoy it. She didn’t doubt that she would end up getting a few dirty looks thrown her way for attending with Damon but that was something that she was more than ready for. She had seen the way the women of Mystic Falls looked at Damon but the truth was that it didn’t bother Claire one bit. Most of them were drawn to him because he was handsome but none of them knew him the way that she did and at the end of the day she was the one that he had chosen to be with so that was good enough for her. As long as he was happy being with her rather than anyone else then that was all that mattered to Claire. She knew that it had been a big step for both of them to take that leap of faith and admit how they felt but Claire was so glad that they had done it. Climbing out of the car once she had taken Damon’s outstretched hand, Claire felt a smile touch her lips as Damon said that anyone who knew him would have thought that he was a gentleman. “If you say so,” she teased, her expression turning to one of amusement as she looked over at him. She knew that Damon was only joking, he had a reputation around Mystic Falls and it definitely wasn’t for being a gentleman but Claire wasn’t the kind of person who cared what anyone thought and she knew that she never would be. If she had been then she knew that she never would have gotten together with Damon in the first place but she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from being happy now. For far too long she had let her guilt about leaving her husband and children behind dictate how she lived her life and she knew that she didn’t want to do that any longer. She knew that it was for the best, she’d compelled them to think that she was dead and move on with their lives and she knew that it was for the best considering that they would have only been hindered by the fact that she didn’t age. As Damon asked if she was anxious to sell him off to the highest bidder yet, Claire pretended to think about it for a moment. “Well, I had thought about it but I guess I’ll keep you for now,” she teased, letting her hand rest against his cheek for a moment before leaning forward and pressing her lips lightly against his. It was nice being able to be like this around Damon now and she knew that she wouldn’t have it any other way. As Damon called Damon a knuckle dragger, Claire hit his arm playfully. “Be nice,” she chastised. She knew that Ares wound Damon up in return but they both meant the world to her and that wasn’t going to change. She had gone from having no one in her life that she truly cared about to having a lot of people around her that she loved and she knew that she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I think he might be stopping by at some point but to be honest I’m glad to have an excuse to have a night off,” she admitted, unable to remember the last time they had been able to do something like this together. Heading up the stairs, Claire took one of the glasses from him and felt a smile touch her lips. “Thank you,” she said as she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. “I am too. Things have certainly changed a lot but this is going to be fun. This place looks incredible,” she admitted as she looked around them, taking it all in. “Well, I appreciate that,” she grinned as Damon said he told them that he had a date already. “I don’t think Stefan would have appreciated that and neither would Bonnie. It’s not wise to get on the wrong side of a witch,” she teased. “I guess the eligible bachelors are all starting to be snapped up, at this rate there won’t be any left.”DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Dec 20, 2022 18:48:18 GMT
Claire wasn’t the first to question his charm, although outside of Stefan she was the first to mean it as nothing more than a joke. Damon’s smile bordered on a smirk at her words, one blue eye winking at her as he drew her close with their joined hands. The car was already gliding away, the next lot of partygoers emerging from the vehicle behind, a seemingly never ending stream of the town’s great and good. Those who knew him would probably still end up staring in Claire’s direction, wondering what defect in her mind left her wanting to be with him. It didn’t matter that years had passed since he’d come here looking to destroy his brother’s life, since he had destroyed Sheila Bennett’s. Bonnie and his brother had grown close since, although that didn’t mean either Bonnie, or Caroline had found any sort of forgiveness in their judgy little hearts for him. It didn’t matter though, because the people who did matter didn’t look at him the same way.
They didn’t look at him the way Claire did when she was teasing him. That hesitation as she mulled over selling him off had Damon pouting, his dark brows furrowing as he let out a little grumble of complaint before she let him off the hook. That grumble turned into a hum. Damon reached up to curl his fingers around hers, kissing her palm, then her mouth as she leaned in. ”But the option’s always open?” he asked, knowing that the chances were slim. They were well past the squabbling stage of a hundred and fifty years ago where Claire might’ve done it just to drive him crazy. Now, him and Ares … well, they were still fixed firmly in the squabbling stage, two men asking for one person’s attention, behaving like jealous toddlers at times. Damon rolled his eyes, but grumbled out some sort of agreement to play nice. At the admission that he might be stopping by at some point Damon glanced around as though they’d find him. ”If you couldn’t have gotten the night off, I’d have made it happen. Especially since I’ve got some pull with your boss.” He’d have kicked Ares under the bus then, making sure that the guy took the hit of a shift on a night like this so Claire could be cut free.
Trying to make the most of the time, he took Claire’s arm and followed the steady stream of people up the stairs. The room was already filling, ballgowns and black ties as far as the eye could see. He’d give it to the council, they certainly knew how to throw a party, and he knew how to enjoy one. Damon sipped at his champagne, glancing around the place. ”They definitely have,” he murmured. Starting with Claire. He found her hand, squeezing lightly. It had started before Claire had come back, but she’d certainly been the biggest push since. Stefan had found his own – and not in Elena either, those doppelgangers were catnip to many, but were more like arsenic, dangerous to taste. Bonnie had her own dangers, but none like that. Damon peeled most of his fingers off of his glass, held them out, snorting at Claire. ”Been there, done that, would prefer not to do it again.” He doubted that Bonnie’s hatred of him had entirely disappeared yet. ”Your partner’s still single isn’t he? Maybe you should’ve signed him up instead.” There might not have been many bachelors supposedly left in town, but there were plenty of names on the list up by the stage. Including Elena’s … well, since she and Stefan had gone their own ways, he supposed the expectations were back to lay heavy on her shoulders.
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on Jan 29, 2023 16:36:29 GMT
Claire knew that Damon had done some awful things over the course of his life and some of those had been done during the time that he had been in Mystic Falls but she knew better than to hold that against him. She had known him for a long time and she had seen a different side of him in London. He had helped save her life even though they hadn’t known each other at the time and even though Violet had ultimately lost her own life when she had tried to kill Stefan, Claire knew that she was never going to regret meeting the two brothers. Ever since she became a vampire and left her husband and children behind she had been searching for something, she had struggled to connect with people a lot of the time and even when she had she had struggled letting them get close to her. She had thought that she would only end up losing them in the same way sooner or later and if she was honest she hadn’t thought that she’d deserved to be happy after leaving her family behind. Ares was the first to work his way through the walls she had built up to protect herself and what was left of those walls had all but come tumbling down when she had reunited with Damon and Stefan. Finally she had found what she had been searching for all along and even though it had come as a surprise to learn that Damon had feelings for her she had known that she would only end up regretting it if they didn’t see where this could go between them once he was back to full strength. As it was things were going well between them, better than she had ever thought that they would in fact, and Claire was truly happy. She knew that there were people who thought that she was crazy for being with Damon after everything that she had done but the truth was that she didn’t care what any of them thought. She was more than old enough to make her own decisions and she had done just that when she had decided that she wanted to be with him no matter what. That didn’t mean that she wasn’t still going to tease him when she had the chance though and naturally she did that at any opportunity that she could. “You know, you’re cute when you pout,” Claire teased, a smile touching her lips as her eyes met his. As he said about the option always being open, Claire nodded. “Of course, so make sure you don’t annoy me too much,” she grinned before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips. “That or just make sure you give me plenty of those,” she added as she kissed him once more. There was no chance that she was ever going to decide to auction Damon off now and she was pretty sure that he knew it, back in London they had bickered so much but there had never been any malice behind it and there wasn’t behind the teasing that passed back and forth between them now. Damon meant the world to her and she knew that she wasn’t going to want to give him up now that they were together. As Damon spoke again, Claire’s smile returned. “I don’t doubt that if anyone could make that happen then it’s you,” she nodded. “The Sheriff seems to love you, sometimes I wonder if perhaps I should be jealous.”Looking around them, Claire couldn’t believe just how much the place had been transformed. There were already a lot of people around but she knew that there would be plenty more still to come. Some of them were sure to be familiar faces but right now there was only one person she was interested in and he was the guy whose hand she was holding. “I bet. I wouldn’t be surprised if you still have the scars to prove it,” she said gently. Not physical scars perhaps considering that he was a vampire and would heal but mental scars were a different matter entirely and she knew that she didn’t want Damon getting hurt again. She knew that Damon and Bonnie had a complicated history but it had been the same with Stefan for a while and she had managed to see past that and want to be with him so that was enough to give Claire hope that there was still a chance that she and Damon might be able to make things right as well. As Damon mentioned Ares, Claire shook his head. “I think something like this would probably be his worst nightmare. I want him to be happy but not like this. It might be better if I start him off slowly, a blind date perhaps,” she mused, sipping her drink before setting it down on the side and turning to look at Damon. “Will you dance with me?” she asked, holding the free hand that wasn’t holding his out to him. DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Feb 13, 2023 16:53:45 GMT
Compulsion and violence had been the easy way to get what he’d wanted. Walk into town, get Caroline wrapped around his little finger while Stefan pulled his Romeo and Juliet act with Elena. It’d given him a distraction and leverage over his little brother all in one go, and had pissed the rest of the town off royally. There was nothing cute about him to them. He was a thorn in their side, the walking, talking, boasting reminder of everything that he’d cost them. It took work to let the shields down and show them that the asshole act was a shell on the outside, even then some still looked at him like the other shoe was going to drop at some point, revealing that all of this – the redemption, the mending of his relationship with Stefan, his relationship with Claire – was all just another game. He’d have questioned their sanity, but Damon knew that for some there was never a way to entirely escape the opinions they had. He had to shrug it off, the same way he eventually had done Katherine’s clawed grip and the choking weight of Giuseppe’s expectations.
The old man would’ve been all puffed up like a peacock for a night like tonight. Holding the crowds in his sway, the mask he’d slip on in public hiding the truth from them all. Luckily for them Stefan had killed him for ripping that mask away to shoot his own sons for their near escape of him and this town. It’d left a door wide open for him to finally step through with Claire on his arms. Damon tried for another pout, but he couldn’t keep it up for five seconds, not with her teasing that way. He pursed his lips again, blue eyes narrowing like he was considering her warning, but it all melted away as she kissed him. ”I don’t think that’s possible,” he drawled lightly, his other hand curling around the nape of her neck to hold her there, anchoring her in the added kiss. She was gonna have no problem with that, things had been shifting between them from the moment she’d turned up back in town and nothing was gonna have the two of them stepping back. ”That is though,” he promised, his voice low and gravelly as he pecked a kiss at the corner of her mouth. He was back to smirking as he drew back, pretending to look for Forbes in the crowded space. ”Of me and Liz?” Dark brows rose before he pressed his lips to Claire’s temple, then her ear. ”There’s nothing to be jealous of. The only one I love is you.” Forbes had been a means to an end once, even if she’d become something more like a friend now.
Forbes would be here somewhere, although maybe only as added security, a visible uniform in the room rather than another council member swaying around in one of those princess gowns. She certainly wouldn’t have been one of those queueing up to auction themselves off for a good cause, although Caroline might. Remembering the last time he’d put himself on the block, Damon squirmed faintly, pretending to try and look down his back. ”If anybody can tell if they’re still there, it’s you,” he murmured. He knew she hadn’t just meant the physical though. What Katherine had turned him into had meant that those didn’t linger, but being a vampire didn’t take care of the mental ones. Those had to fade in their own way, with the right people around him. He wouldn’t have called Claire’s partner one of them, but knowing she had someone totally on her side out there with her was a relief. ”Have you got some poor sucker you’re thinking of sweet talking into meeting him?” he teased lightly, knowing Claire would never let him pick. She knew Ares, knew him, knew how to divert him from the topic. Damon dipped into a half bow to her as he set his glass down on a passing waiter’s tray. ”I thought you’d never ask. Watch your toes.” It was an empty warning, they’d slipped together like this before, threading their way through the dancers for him to draw Claire close. He swayed to the music, one hand at her hip, the other still holding hers.
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on Mar 5, 2023 19:53:46 GMT
After she became a vampire and had to leave her husband and children behind Claire had spent such a long time regretting what had happened that she hadn’t even realised that she wasn’t really living her life. She had drifted from one place to another refusing to make any meaningful connections to people or let them in because she hadn’t felt like she had deserved to have anyone in her life after leaving her family behind. She had known that compelling them into believing she had died and having them move on was the best thing for them, she had stayed with them for as long as she could but eventually people had started to notice that she wasn’t ageing and Claire knew that that was the curse of being a vampire. It was only when she met Ares while they were going through the police academy together that she had started opening herself up again and finding Damon and Stefan again had resulted in the floodgates being opened. Claire had seen the looks that other women gave her whenever she and Damon were together, it was like they couldn’t understand why Damon had gone for someone like her and the thought had crossed Claire’s mind as well but she was confident in herself and she knew that she didn’t need to worry. She and Damon were friends first and even though they could have lost that if things had ended badly the truth was that they were still going strong so she knew that they would be just fine. Going to an event like this was something that Claire had loved when she was human and having Damon on her arm now was enough to make her love it again. There was something about being able to dress up like this and move around the dance floor with someone who meant the world to you that couldn’t be denied and Claire wanted to make the most of every moment of it. “Oh really? You’ve that confident in your ability to charm me, are you?” Claire asked, her expression playful as her eyes met Damon’s. He was right, there was no way that she would ever auction him off but she couldn’t resist teasing him nonetheless. Kissing Damon back, Claire felt a smile touch her lips at his next words. “I could get used to this,” she admitted. They weren’t normally like this in public but there was something about tonight that was making it special and Claire couldn’t deny that she liked the fact that neither of them cared that there were others around. As Damon said there wasn’t anything to be jealous of between him and Liz and that she was the only one he loved, Claire felt her breath catch in her throat. “And you’re the only one I love,” she said gently, letting her hand rest against his cheek as she leaned forward and stole another kiss. There was a time when she had thought that she would never get to hear those words from Damon but now she knew that she would never grow tired of hearing them. She knew that what they had was special and Claire knew that she was never going to want to give that up. “No physical scars. Your body is perfect, you know that,” Claire said, a smile touching her lips as she ran her hands lightly down his arms. Damon knew how handsome he was and Claire had seen the way that so many other women tried to picture what was beneath the suit he was wearing now. There was a time when he probably would have quite happily showed them but Damon really did seem to have changed his ways with her and Claire was grateful to him for that. She never had to worry that he was playing her or that she would find out that he had hooked up with someone else, she trusted Damon completely and that was never going to change. “I might have someone in mind,” she grinned as Damon asked if she had someone she was thinking of talking into meeting Ares. “He’s like me, he isn’t good at any of this,” she added. Claire had been on her own ever since leaving her husband behind but finding out how Damon felt about her had changed everything. She knew that Ares deserved to be happy and if that meant that she had to give him a little helping hand the way he had given her on more than a few occasions then so be it. “Oh please, we both know my toes are safe,” Claire laughed, curtsying in return before wrapping her free arm around Damon’s shoulders and moving with him to the music. “It feels like such a long time ago that we last did this.”DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Mar 20, 2023 21:26:23 GMT
A lack of confidence hadn’t been a problem for him in centuries, and they all knew it. Some of it might not have been more than surface deep, but that didn’t mean he had to make it obvious. Like so much else with Claire, what he knew about their relationship ran deep, little threads of it stretching back through the century they’d spent apart, burrowing deep in his chest. Damon went for innocence as she question it now, pursing his lips as he pretended to consider it for a moment. His eyes narrowed in the end, his smile growing cocky. ”Oh, I know I can. You’ve always been a little susceptible to it.” It’d driven them both mad then though, an itch that hadn’t been scratched, now the way it was being now. It had taken an acknowledgement of what was really there to have it changing from pure irritation to so much more.
Warmth slid under his skin, under the starched cotton of the tuxedo and stiff white shirt. He had gotten used to this, a miracle considering how hard he’d avoided looking for anything like it thanks to Katherine. ”Good,” Damon murmured, his voice a low rumble against her lips. His thumb swept up the side of Claire’s neck as his confession of love earned one back from her. He hummed into that kiss, feeling each of those words stamp their claim on him. ”I guess that makes me the luckiest man in her tonight.” He would’ve swept the room, marking out those who already had their eyes on her, but that wasn’t a fight for tonight. It was about celebrating instead, doing his civic duty and stealing this time with Claire all at once.
Jesus, by the time she was done his head wouldn’t fit out the door, and that was probably already an issue if you listened to half the people in here. His ego was in no danger of vanishing, especially not with Claire laying the compliments on thick. Damon hummed lightly as she ran her hands down his arms. In her eyes he was perfect, but he knew that those early years here were stamped on his bones and skin – being turned didn’t remove everything, just what came in those last moments and afterwards. ”I think you’re probably a little biased,” he crooned. ”I’ll take the compliment though.” Later he imagined he’d feel her hands trailing over each of those spots, erasing what there had been before, overlaying it with what she saw in him.
Surely someone would eventually do the same for Ares, although he might end up worrying for their sanity if they felt half as much for the jerk as he knew Claire felt for him. Dark brows rose, his eyes fixing on her as he straightened up from his half bow. ”Oh really now?” he asked. ”What blackmail have you got on her to talk her into it? It’s gotta be something big.” Or Claire was just that convincing. She’d told him bits and pieces about the guy before, enough that he trusted Ares to have her back on the job, not enough to make him like the guy yet. Claire would probably wear him down on that eventually. Damon slipped his arms around Claire’s waist as they came to a stop out there in the middle of the dance floor. His palms pressed low on her back, drawing her in close. ”Every bit of you is safe from me,” Damon practically bragged. Was it bragging if it was true though? ”We should do it more often. There are enough of these things … if you’re up for being dragged along to every dog and pony show in town.” If he could stomach them. Once upon a time Giuseppe had revelled in events like this, ones where he could show off both his wealth and his sons – one of them at least.
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on Apr 23, 2023 17:11:09 GMT
Claire knew that there were still plenty of people who thought badly of Damon, in fact some of them had even tried to warn her off being with him but there were others who saw how handsome he was and that was all they needed to know about him. She had always prided herself on being able to make up her own mind about different things and different people and the truth was that none of them knew Damon the way that she did. She had known him before he had become the person who had done all of those awful things when he moved back to Mystic Falls and even though he had done some awful things back in London as well, he had also done plenty of good. He and Stefan had saved her life and she knew that she wouldn’t be here without the two of them. This wasn’t how she had planned on her life ending up, she hadn’t wanted to become a vampire and she hadn’t kept that a secret, but this was the hand that she had been dealt and now she no longer let herself be buried in guilt over what had happened to Violet or the fact that she’d had to leave her husband and children behind when she became a vampire she was free to embrace what was going on with Damon and the truth was that he really did make her happy so she didn’t care what anyone else thought. As Damon said she had always been a little susceptible to his charm, Claire rolled her eyes playfully. “Sure I have been,” she teased. “More like I’m the only one who hasn’t let you charm them. I’ve never fallen at your feet like most women do.” Back in London Damon had ended up getting on her nerves more than anything but they were both the eldest sibling so in that way she had always been able to understand him at least. Claire felt a smile touch her lips as Damon said it was good that she could get used to this. She had seen a lot of different sides of Damon during the time that they had known each other but the truth was that this one was by far her favourite. She knew how much Katherine had hurt him and yet here he was opening his heart to her and she was truly grateful to him for that. “Oh, it does. I’m always fighting men off with a stick,” Claire joked knowing that was far from the truth before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his once more. “Seriously though, I think I’m the lucky one here. I know the damage Katherine did to you but just the fact that you’re able to say those words to me shows how far you’ve come,” she admitted, her eyes locked on his as she brought her hand up and let it rest lightly against his cheek. “I’m proud of you for that and I really do love you.” There might be some who thought that Damon was incapable of loving someone or being loved by them in return or that he didn’t deserve either of those things but Claire knew that they were wrong, he had captured her heart and she didn’t regret that one bit. Claire couldn’t help but smile as Damon said she was probably a little biased but he would take the compliment anyway. “Perhaps but it also happens to be true. I’ve seen the way people look at you,” she said gently. There were plenty of people around town who only saw the bad things Damon had done whenever they looked at him and there were others who couldn’t see beneath the surface. More than a few times she had heard women making snide comments about how they wondered what Damon saw in her but as far as Claire was concerned it was only Damon’s opinion that mattered. They both had skeletons in their past and things that they would rather forget and when it was just the two of them it was sometimes easy to do just that. “No blackmail necessary. I know you don’t like Ares but he’s actually a great guy,” Claire admitted. Ares was like a brother to her and she knew that she wanted him to be happy so if that meant setting him up with someone and hoping that they hit it off then so be it. As he said that every bit of her was safe from him, Claire felt a smile touch her lips. “I know, I trust you,” she assured him. She always had and that was never going to change. “Maybe not every one but I definitely wouldn’t pass up the chance to see you dressed up like this more often,” she admitted as they continued moving to the music. DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Apr 27, 2023 18:46:30 GMT
Claire had been a challenge. At a time when women were still expected to be demure, there had been plenty willing to swoon for his charms. They’d bat their lashes at him, blushing at a single smile, not Claire though. It had taken strength to get here where she was and she let him see it every time she got one of his pick up lines back at him, making it very clear she wasn’t interested in taking his bullshit. Thanks to her sister, Henry and Samuel, there hadn’t been time for him to really pick away at her resistance. He liked to think he’d managed it since though. Damon hummed lightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners before he laughed. ”You can protest it now, but I know better. I’ve seen you swoon a little at least.” He’d seen her melt too, although he knew better than to discuss that here. What they had they’d both had to work towards, one slow step at a time.
Damon slid his hand down from Claire’s neck to her bicep, squeezing it lightly like he was testing it for her swinging ability. He’d seen her fight, and he’d seen the looks other guys gave her when they thought she wasn’t looking. She might not have believed it, but oh, it was true enough. ”Remind me to get you a bigger stick,” he grumbled as her mouth found his again. He pressed his cheek into her touch, electric blue eyes locked to her dark ones. Once upon a time Katherine’s name would’ve been enough to tie his gut into knots, but any hold she had over him was now long gone. ”How far we’ve come. I know how hard it was for you after you … after you were on your own too.” Damon turned his head, pressing kisses into the cup of Claire’s hand, the tender skin of her wrist. ”I love you too.” That little candle flame of pride that Giuseppe had once almost snuffed out burned a little brighter in his chest. It wasn’t too often he’d heard either of those sentiments.
Pressing his lips together, Damon left out a pffft. He had a health enough ego to admit that he was irresistible to some woman, but when you loved someone you didn’t pay attention to any of that, you feigned ignorance and you kept your gaze right where it was meant to be. Where you wanted it to be. ”And none of them matter,” he promised her. Any bit of him that would’ve been bothered by what others thought of that had been burned out of him by Giuseppe before he'd even fired those bullets at his sons and had permanently changed their lives. All of this – the ball, their return to Mystic Falls, Claire, had spiralled out from that one foolish decision that Giuseppe had made and Damon hoped he was eternally rolling in his grave for it.
Another of those low noises rolled out of him before Damon’s lips settled back into a faintly smug curve. He’d softened a little towards Claire’s partner, but neither one of them would be calling each other bestie any time soon. It was just the way of things. Damon shook his head, letting out a sigh. ”You know, one day you’ll say that and I might start believing it.” It just wasn’t today. He had other things on his mind for now, this slow dance being the first of them. Others around them were swaying to the music but they might as well have been invisible for all he saw of them. ”Ditto,” Damon murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead before he settled back into that sway. ”Maybe I could arrange that.” Dark brows rose, the eyes beneath lit up with amusement. ”What would you think of me coming down to breakfast in a tuxedo? Might give things a real flare, hmm?” Chuckling, Damon winked. Stefan and the others that were giving the house its name at the moment might start questioning his sanity, but that wouldn’t be new.
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on May 29, 2023 22:29:01 GMT
Even from a young age Claire had been the kind of girl who knew her own mind. She’d had dreams that went beyond settling down and raising a family of her own, she had wanted to become a star and when Damon Salvatore came swooping into her life she had been grateful to him for the part he had played in saving her but she had refused to fall at his feet the same way that so many other women had done. Back then he had been charming and he had always been handsome but she had refused to let herself get swept up in someone else after being trapped by Henry and Samuel and turned into their personal blood bag. Damon and Stefan hadn’t been getting along very well back then and in a way she had tried to play mediator for the two of them but otherwise she had tried to keep Damon in check. It wasn’t easy facing a new threat every time they turned a corner but now things were different. Now they’d had the chance to get to know the person the other had become and Claire had ended up falling for Damon. Truth be told she had felt something for him back in London but she hadn’t felt ready to admit it. Even after reuniting with him in Mystic Falls it had taken him almost dying and telling her how he felt for her to finally feel ready to admit it but ever since their first date they had been going strong and she really was glad about that. “Maybe a little but nowhere near as much as I’ve seen some women swoon when you shoot them one of your smiles,” Claire said, rolling her eyes playfully at him. She knew the power that Damon had over women, he always had done, but she knew that she was different. She would resist his charms when she wanted to but there were still times when she gave in to them, unable to deny that she loved the way he could make her feel. She had known that she hadn’t wanted to be just another in a long list of names of women he’d slept with, she had wanted things between them to be different and it had to be said that she was getting her wish and she couldn’t be happier about it. As Damon told her to remind him to get her a bigger stick, Claire shook her head in amusement. “I was only joking,” she assured him, bringing her hand up and letting it rest against his cheek as she kissed him. “Besides, you know you’re the only guy I’m interested in.” She hadn’t felt like she had deserved to be happy again after leaving her husband and family behind, it had been to protect them but she had still felt guilty about it even decades later. Damon had showed her the error of her ways, though, and now she was finally living her life again the way she had stopped doing for so long. “It was difficult but you showed me that I deserve to be happy even after all of that. That was all you.” Claire didn’t doubt that she would have remained closed off from the world had it not been for Damon so she owed him more than she could ever repay. Hearing him say he loved her too was enough to bring a smile to her lips, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he kissed her hand and wrist. “I know,” she said, her expression gentle as she opened her eyes once more and let them rest on his. As Damon said that none of the people who looked at him mattered, Claire’s smile returned. “You’re right. The two of us, your family and our friends - they’re the only ones that matter.” Other people in town could look at Damon however they wanted to and even though Claire might always feel a little jealous about it and perhaps a little insecure, she had no reason not to trust Damon so she knew that nothing would ever come of it. “Of course you will, I’ll wear you down eventually,” Claire teased, her expression turning to one of amusement as she looked over at Damon while they danced. It was so good to be able to joke around like this with him, she had come so close to losing him after he was bitten but now he was still very much here and she knew that she wanted to make the most of every moment. She really was glad when Damon said that he trusted her too and she hoped it showed in the way that she drew him closer still, making sure that there wasn’t any distance between them now. His next suggestion was enough to have her breath catch in her throat. “If you did that it wouldn’t be long before the tux ended up on the floor and I think that might defeat the purpose a little,” she countered, her smile playful as he winked at her. “It should be a crime for anyone to look as good in a tux as you do.” It had definitely proved to be a distraction for Claire, that was for sure. DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on May 30, 2023 19:03:46 GMT
One of those smiles emerged now, just a toe over the line of too smug, too bright. Most wouldn’t have called him on those parts of it, accepting it for just the glitter it offered. Claire wasn’t like any of them though, she could see through the smile and the bluster it offered. Like his confidence – overconfidence – it was a mask he could slip in and out of place. When you’d had a father tearing you down practically from birth, you learned how to disguise the cracks the damage had put right through you. Under Katherine’s hand he’d learned to turn all of that around on others, seemingly unbothered by the damage he’d done – although the regrets had been there when Niklaus had bitten him and he’d felt the poison inevitably burning its way towards his heart and brain. That moment had started to change so much, encouraging him to strip that mask away from time to time, to start to make amends, to finally take that leap with Claire.
Maybe that happiness was what the women around him could read beneath the superficial. Women were meant to be psychic that way, flocking to the unobtainable like moths to a flame – Katherine did, at least, although everything she did was born of jealousy. Maybe it was the opposite too, although a guy would have to be insane not to see what he did in Claire. ”I wasn’t,” Damon said, perfectly serious as he grumbled. ”I do, but they don’t know that.” His narrowed eyes swept the room behind her, his scowl deepened as he stopped on folks who weren’t paying any attention to the two of them. They didn’t know what it had taken them to get there. Looking back at her, Damon sunk into that knowledge, one corner of his mouth curling up. ”You wouldn’t have believed me if you hadn’t wanted it to happen. You can be just as stubborn as I can, the sort that doesn’t budge until it’s ready to.” He’d done plenty of coaxing though, the same way he did now. Damon let what he felt slither into his voice, stamping the words into place against Claire’s wrist. ”Exactly,” he murmured, his lips curving against her skin. ”Just keep focusing right here.” Curling his fingers, he tried to gesture between the two of them. When it came down to it the rest of the world would eventually fall away, taking everything that really didn’t matter with it.
”What was I saying about stubbornness?” Damon shot back with a smirk. He’d already reluctantly started to bend towards Claire’s partner being a decent guy – albeit one he was going to continue to bump egos with – but he wasn’t saying that aloud just yet. Whether or not Ares was going to be able to say the same was still up to the jury, but if he saw this – him and Claire on the dance floor, wrapped up in one another, around one another, maybe he’d realise that Claire really was loved. Heat bloomed under his skin, but Damon mock gasped as Claire threatened to strip him down at breakfast. ”Who said that wasn’t my intention?” he asked, winging a brow. Damon pursed his lips, snorting out his disagreement as the compliments started slipping out again. ”It won’t be one I’ll get arrested for, Forbes likes me too much for that. And, hey, I’ve gotta keep up with you, don’t I?” He glanced down at the two of them before looking back up. His lips touched the corner of her mouth, a small kiss, a promise of something more. ”You honestly look incredible tonight.”
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CLAIRE DEVEREUX
Vampire
Posts: 163
Age:
25/156
Occupation:
Police Officer
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Damon Salvatore
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 27, 2024 1:11:51 GMT
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Post by CLAIRE DEVEREUX on Jul 23, 2023 18:58:49 GMT
Claire hadn’t thought that she would find this again, not after leaving her husband and children behind when she became a vampire. It wasn’t her choice and she had stayed with them for as long as she could but in the end the inevitable had happened and people had realised that she wasn’t ageing so she’d had no choice but to compel them to believe that she had died and move on with their lives. She hadn’t thought that she deserved happiness after that but Damon had shown her the error of her ways and not a day went by when she wasn’t grateful to him for that. She knew that he and Ares didn’t get along and together with Stefan they were the most important people in her life but being with Damon made her happy. Back in London they had butted heads a lot and she hadn’t wanted to take any of the lines he had happily fed other people but now things had changed between them and she knew that was a good thing. “If they think differently then they’re just setting themselves up for disappointment and I’ll quite happily tell them that. Right here is exactly where I want to be,” Claire said, wrapping her arms around Damon’s neck and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. She hadn’t even thought about letting anyone else into her heart after leaving her family behind and she hadn’t planned on it with Damon either but they had grown closer after reuniting and somewhere along the way those feelings of like had turned to love. Claire knew that Damon might be worried about the way others looked at her because the truth was she worried about the way women looked at him as well but on her part she knew that there really wasn’t anything for him to worry about because she wasn’t interested in anyone else. “I remember, that’s why things were the way they were between us back in London,” Claire grinned. Back then Damon had wanted to make Stefan’s life a misery and Claire hadn’t been afraid to tell him that he was being an idiot. “You’re right though, I’d needed to hear it but I think you’re the only one who could have convinced me,” she added. Now there was no need for either of them to feel insecure or jealous, not when they both knew what they wanted. As Damon told her to focus on the two of them, Claire felt a smile touch her lips. “You make that so easy to do,” she admitted. It was easy to lose herself in their little bubble and forget about the rest of the world when it was just the two of them but as far as she was concerned that was one of the best feelings in the world. As Damon mentioned her stubbornness, Claire couldn’t help but laugh. “You already knew that the first time you kissed me, it’s too late to change your mind now,” she teased. She knew that she was stubborn and Damon was too but when it came to Ares she could already see Damon starting to thaw towards him a little at times and she hoped that Ares was doing the same towards Damon. Claire knew that she wanted the three guys who were the most important to her to get along and she hoped that they were moving in the right direction. All Ares wanted was for her to be happy and Damon made her happy so if it didn’t see that already then it would only be a matter of time before he did. Claire’s smile returned as Damon spoke again. “You don’t need a tux to get me back into bed with you,” she said, letting her hand rest against his cheek as her lips met his. “You’ve more than kept up, you’ve outdone yourself tonight,” she assured him, a sigh escaping her lips at the small kiss he pressed to the corner of her mouth. “Thank you, so do you,” she said sincerely. DAMON SALVATORE
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DAMON SALVATORE
Vampire
Posts: 448
Age:
183
Occupation:
Member of the Founders Council
Status:
In a Relationship
Partner:
Claire Devereux
Played by:
ANGE
Last seen May 15, 2024 17:30:51 GMT
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Post by DAMON SALVATORE on Aug 19, 2023 19:36:29 GMT
Love for him hadn’t taken the same path as it had for others. What there had been of it in him had been tarnished before he’d even grown old enough to fall in it for the first time. He’d seen how it had been between Giuseppe and his mother. That hadn’t been love, not in the way it should’ve been. It had been something torturous and abusive. With that as his one example it was no surprise that he had fallen for Katherine’s twisted version of it. Now he could almost laugh about it, but then he’d been foolish enough to grab for the first taste of it anybody had given him. Claire’s experience of it had been almost the opposite. She’d had heartbreak, but she hadn’t allowed it to twist her. After they’d left London she’d found love, had managed a happy marriage and children before she’d been turned. That should’ve made her sane enough to run from him. Claire hadn’t though and that had been enough to start unlocking something else inside of him.
Oh, there she was claiming her territory, wrapping her arms around him, pressing that confession right against his lips. Damon smiled into the kiss, just a little smug about the whole thing. ”You’ll be breaking hearts through the whole state,” he crooned lightly. And she wouldn’t care a bit about it, because she had who she wanted, and he had the same. One brow rose a curve that echoed his smile. ”Because there were two mules kicking at one another? Yep,” Damon said on a chuckle. Those mules had softened a little, or at least improved their aim so they could get this close to one another without it descending into all out head butting. ”We’ll call it one of my greatest skills.” Damon winked at her, softening those teasing words. All of this was only easy because it was the two of them. Anybody else would have had them on edge – well, him at least, and that was another gift care of Katherine. She’d have hated to hear it, but all of this was because of the way she had broken his heart.
Damon muttered out a low agreement, but the smirk didn’t move from his lips. Unlike how it had been with Katherine, he’d known exactly what he was getting into when he’d finally tumbled into this relationship with Claire. ”Perhaps it slipped my mind, me being so dazzled by you actually being here and all …” That was bullshit, of course. He’d wanted that competitiveness, someone who wouldn’t just take his crap or twist him around until that nasty little part of him that Giuseppe had germinated in his mind like a seed started to grow again. Damon leaned in, pressing his lips to her ear for a moment. ”I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’m never going to change my mind.” Not that it was going to come as a surprise to either one of them. ”I don’t need it, but it doesn’t hurt?” Damon suggested. He straightened up a little, puffing out his chest like a peacock preparing to show itself off. Turning them slowly on the floor, he pressed another kiss to the other corner of Claire’s mouth, then drew back for just a heartbeat. ”Keep telling me that and my ego’s not going to fit on the door. Speaking of which … we could leave early? Continue the party back at the boarding house? Although that might mean we miss out on the speeches.” Which wouldn’t be such a tragedy in his book.
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