A/N: I've decided to keep going with this story for a while longer. I guess I got carried away while writing this chapter. As always, I have to ask you to please forgive me for any mistakes you might find!

Thanks to everyone who has read the first chapter. :) I think this second one gets a little bit more into what the story is really about, so I guess I'll see what the reactions will be like. Your feedback is very much appreciated! Let me know how you feel. :))

Caroline doesn't take on new clients all the time. It's rare for her to do so these days. Back in the beginning, Katherine used to bug her all the time about her client list. Now she understands the value of keeping her most sought-after escort exclusive. In this business, you are your own product. If you don't make yourself valuable, no one else will. Intrigue and exclusivity, as in all luxury markets, play a huge part in the deal. The waiting list for Caroline's services is endless and the longer it gets, the more wanted she is, the more money they're willing to pay - and that's really all Katherine cares about.

Because of that, Caroline gets a special privilege not many people working under Katherine get: handpicking her clients. Katherine is like a puppet-master with her escorts, deciding where, when and who for each and every one of them, shaping their clients lists according to logics that make sense to no one but herself (she calls it 'character building'). Not Cara, though. Almost every time Katherine's phone rings, it's someone after a date with Cara. Everyone who gets a chance with her comes back for more. But Caroline only ever keeps the best ones. With her, the client has to work to make sure she's happy, too.

Once a week or so, she stops by to check on her schedule. Because she makes so much money for the agency on fees, she reserves herself the right to, from time to time, go AWOL for a while when she doesn't feel like working. Which is exactly what she did two weeks ago, since the party at Mikael's penthouse.

When she does show up, Katherine welcomes her with an affected little smile and a deadly sparkle in her eyes.

"Oh, look," she says, slumping back against her extravagantly large chair and crossing her legs. Her office is pristine and very tastefully decorated with incredibly expensive items. She runs the most high-profile escorting agency in New York, and a huge chunk of her money has come from Caroline herself. Her service has personally paid for the chair Katherine is sitting on, for the vintage desk in front of her and even the Louboutin's on Katherine's perfectly manicured feet. Cara is something like the Kim in this Kardashian family, which Katherine is very much aware of. She tries not to boss Caroline around too much, allows her a leeway none of the others get to enjoy and tries to keep her discontentment to herself when Caroline refuses to take on all the big names who phone in asking for her.

She tries, but doesn't always succeed. Her bad temper tends to take the best of her more often than not.

"The prodigal daughter returns," she adds, bleeding irony.

"Don't I always?"

"How was your vacation? Sunny, I hope. You could use some tan."

"What vacation?"

"You just went radio silent for two whole weeks without telling me. I assumed it was for a good reason. A sunny reason, at the very least."

"I've been busy."

"Busy with what, exactly?" Katherine narrows her eyes suspiciously. "You weren't freelancing again, were you?"

Caroline rolls her eyes. She got herself in real trouble with Katherine when she decided to sidestep the agency and take on some jobs on her own. It's been a while, but Katherine never lets it go. She was genuinely hurt at the time, or as hurt as that woman could ever get. Enzo thinks she felt betrayed, but she thinks it had more to do with Katherine's golden eggs goose leaving the nest. Either way, Caroline does look forward to repeating the experience. Katherine's excessive whining was the least of her woes.

When guys discover they can call you directly, they never stop. Caroline's patience ran out pretty quickly, and so did her polite ways of telling very persistent men who thought money was the answer to everything that she was not going to see them again. She gained some more respect for what Katherine does, actually. Caroline had no idea how hard it is to deal with those assholes. Katherine handles them, negotiates the fees, takes care of all the logistics and arranges for body guards to accompany all her escorts whenever the situation inspires concern. In this business, you never know. 25% of Caroline's earnings plus clients' fees seem like a decent price after all.

"I told you a million times already that I am not doing that anymore. Can't you just drop it?"

"Then what could you have possibly busied yourself with?"

"What I do with my free time is none of your business, is it?"

"Well, if you're in that sort of mood, your time off can't have been that nice."

"I'm not in a mood."

"What, is that supposed to be your happy face?"

Caroline sighs wearily. Katherine doesn't really understand the fine line between Caroline and Cara. In here, she's the prostitute Kat sets up with clients. Outside, whatever the hell she does with her life is none of Kat's concern. Living this double life thing is exhausting and the less she lets both get mixed up, the better. Kat only ever needs to know the part that relates to Cara; Caroline, the loving daughter, good and respectful neighbor and model citizen, is not under her jurisdiction.

"Can you just tell me what I've got?"

"Certainly. Where would you like to start, this week's pile or last week's?" Katherine opens a large book where she writes down all the contacts, jobs and calls she receives, all perfectly organized by escort, client relevance and priority with codes that only Katherine understands. Caroline's asked her a thousand times to digitalize the whole thing and send the schedules through e-mails, facilitating the whole process for everyone, but Katherine is way too doubtful to trust electronics. She thinks someone might hack into their system and fuck with their lives completely. Not only would she go to jail, but Caroline and the rest of the boys and girls would be completely exposed - as would all the high-profile clients. A book is easy to carry home every night and even easier to burn in case all hell breaks loose.

Caroline would still prefer to get her weekly jobs conveniently on her inbox, but she can't deny that Katherine has a very good point there.

"That many?"

"You're the star of the company, Cara."

"Maybe it's time you get another star."

"Feeling overwhelmed?"

"No. But I'm just one person. My body is not made of steel; I can't take on 50 guys a week."

"Don't worry about that. I'll pass the ones you don't want to the other girls. I should say, though, I think you made a very good impression at that Mikael gig. Several of his partners have called asking for you."

"Well, that's a surprise, considering I only screwed one."

"One? You're getting picky, Cara."

"It was part of the job. Mikael asked me to only do this one guy."

"That's new. He usually passes you around like candy."

"Can't say I was disappointed. Did Stefan call?"

Katherine huffs out in annoyance. Stefan is probably her least favorite under the sun; Katherine hates him with a passion she reserves for very few things.

He's the one guy Caroline is always willing to make concessions for. She'll cancel anything and anyone for him. Stefan used to call her directly whenever he was in town, but started using Katherine's line when she threw a small tantrum upon finding out. Caroline doesn't even think of him as a client, really. The fact Stefan pays her is a formality. She wouldn't mind if he didn't - in fact, she's told him as much several times. He always insists - and leaves her some of the fattest tips she gets.

What Katherine hates about Stefan is that he isn't like the other clients. For the longest time, she was convinced she'd end up losing her star to a relationship with him, but they've never gone there. Stefan has her private number, knows where she lives, calls her by her real name, but they're not a thing. They've never been. He was Caroline's first ever client, long before she became Cara. She was a mess. Nervous, inexperienced, had no idea what the hell she was getting herself into. But she couldn't have asked for a better first than Stefan. He was understanding and encouraging, sat with her for hours, just talking, asking about her life, and, for some reason, Caroline trusted him, this man she'd never seen before who had hired her for a professional booty call. They became sort of friends after. Except they slept together and he paid her afterward. He tried to convince her to leave the work several times, but Caroline was determined. She had to. So he made a few phone calls and got her in touch with Katherine's agency, which changed her life forever.

Now every time he's in town, he stops by to see her. Their meetings have become more and more sparse over the years, but they never cease completely. It doesn't make a lot of sense except for the two of them.

In spite of having Stefan to thank for, Katherine can't stand the man, sees him as a sort of rival. The fact Stefan keeps mocking her every time he calls doesn't help, but Caroline has never asked him to stop. She actually enjoys seeing Katherine all riled up. Any chance to see that woman's thrown out of her perfect poise is a chance she'll take.

"Wasn't Stefan here like three months ago?" Katherine acts dismissively.

"Yeah."

"Then it's too soon for you to be asking about him."

"He said he might come back sooner."

"Oh, isn't that wonderful." Kat gives her the fakest of fake smiles and moves on. "Tyler called twice last week."

"Oh. Tyler's good."

"Thought you'd say so. I have you scheduled with him on Friday."

"How come you've scheduled me without my approval?"

"Stop complaining, Caroline. Tyler Lockwood's one of your best clients. You've been ignoring his calls for months. Continue to do so and you'll lose him to someone else. You need to learn a few things about loyalty in this business."

Caroline barks out a laugh. "Oh, please. Tell me all about loyalty within prostitution."

"You're way over your head, Barbie. Tone down the arrogance, yes?"

"You taught me everything I know in that department."

"I know. I'm very much aware that I have created a monster."

"Anyone else?"

"Alaric?" Caroline makes a face, Katherine opens her mouth to protest, but decides it's not worth it and just crosses the name on the book. "More work for Hayley... How about Jackson?"

"He cries during sex. I'm in no mood to play therapist."

"Seriously, Caroline?" Kat sighs and crosses out the name as well. "John?"

"Which John?"

"Gilbert."

"Are you fucking kidding me? He bit me!"

"So? A little biting is part of the drill."

"No, he actually bit me. As in, we weren't even started yet and he just dug his teeth into my neck. It drew blood! The guy's crazy. Send him to Hayley. She likes the crazy fuckers."

"I think it might be good for you to remind yourself that you're a whore, Caroline. An extremely well-paid one, but still a whore. If someone gives you money to bite you, you should let them."

"I'll let you know when I'm in the mood for vampirism. Who's that?" she asks, leaning over the desk and pointing to a name she hadn't seen before.

"One of the new ones."

"What's the name?"

"Ansel. No last names."

"No last names always sound important."

"It does. This one said he wanted to meet you at the Ritz."

"The Ritz?" Caroline's eyes widen in surprise. Not that she's not used to the fancy five-star hotels and all, but the Ritz-Carlton - that is really high profile. She's only ever been there twice, and only because the clients she was seeing were already staying there. No one has ever booked a room at that hotel only to see her. Clients enjoy their luxury suites and perfect room service, but they usually go for slightly less expensive rooms since they're already spending a small fortune for a few hours with a prostitute who will, for obvious reasons, put out wherever they want. "I'm intrigued."

Katherine smirks. "I was hoping you would say so."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Nope. Just that."

"How do we know it's safe?"

"We don't. He did use the safe line, and he mentioned he saw you at Mikael's party. But I can send someone to watch your back, of course."

"Ok. Sounds interesting."

"Can it be tonight?"

"That's too soon."

"He sounded desperate. The sooner, the better, he said. And it's been a while since he last called. He could give up."

Caroline bites on her lower lip and considers the idea for a moment. She wasn't exactly looking forward to going back to work just yet, but she hasn't seen anyone since Mikael's associate. Maybe it's time to make some money. And, well, it's the Ritz. Sounds like a good enough reason to take a job.

"Fine," she decides. "Tonight at nine. Text me the room number when you have it."

"Perfect!" Katherine says, sounding way too excited for her own benefit, immediately taking the phone to call Ansel back. "I'm so happy you're finally taking on a new client I could kiss you."

"I'm way too expensive for you, Kat."

Katherine laughs. She used to be a call girl herself before she realized her talents were better applied elsewhere, but Caroline has never really seen her with anyone. She doesn't even know if Katherine goes for men or women. Maybe her I could kiss you quips aren't all that innocent.

"Oh, hello. Is that Mr. Ansel I'm speaking to?" she smirks at Caroline, her eyes sparkling with lechery. "I have good news for you, sir. Cara will see you tonight."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Ansel is new.

New guys always make Caroline nervous. Doesn't matter how many years she's been doing this, she always gets antsy before meeting a new client. In some ways, it's a bit like going on a blind date. There are expectations to be met.

She spends a lot more time getting ready before new clients, trying out different clothes, fixing her hair to perfection, making sure she has her beauty nap in the afternoon so she'll be fully energized by night. She has to be at her absolute best to make a good first impression; it has to be love at first sight, otherwise the magic in undone. Caroline appreciates clients whose sweet spots are all well known, but figuring out what makes a person tick is particularly exciting for her. Where to touch to make them writhe under her hands, where to kiss to make them hard in anticipation, just how exactly to moan or roll her hips to make the other person scream in pleasure. She loves that part, the fascinating beauty of discovery.

It's been a while since her last new client, and Caroline wasn't feeling all that eager earlier in the day, but now that she's at the hotel, she's in the zone. The Ritz-Carlton is just that great. That guy knows how to impress a girl. Cookie points for him.

Caleb, the towering body guard Katherine sent, is casually waiting at the bar. If anything goes wrong or she suspects the guy isn't legit, all she has to do is press a button on the pager in her purse and he'll be up there in a second. She also carries a pepper spray with her, just in case she has to buy some time.

A muffled voice speaks from inside when she knocks on the door. "It's open!"

With a rush of adrenaline going through her, Caroline goes in.

"Ansel?"

"In a minute!"

Caroline takes in the room as she gets out of her jacket. It's absolutely stunning. It's as big as an apartment and fit for royalty and Hollywood A-listers. Or really expensive prostitutes, apparently. The 21st floor view of the Central Park is breathtaking.

"Do you like it?"

She shifts around, ready to say something lewd and totally inappropriate, when her eyes meet the very self-satisfied figure of Mikael's son.

"You!"

Niklaus laughs, clearly very impressed with the look of utter shock on Caroline's face. "Am I doing it right this time? Talking didn't do the trick for you, so - you can see I've done a great investment," he says, motioning his hands around the room.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Caroline's tone is ice cold as she tries her best to remain civil. All the excitement of a second ago obliterated from her body to make room for indignation.

"Why would it be a joke?"

"I told you, I don't want your money."

"Well, it didn't seem to me like you would take me for no money either, so I had to take my chances."

"I'm not sleeping with you."

"Why not? I'm a client, same as all the others. You can't turn me down."

"I can turn down whoever the fuck I want."

"You wouldn't do that to the son of one of the most powerful men in this city, would you?" Niklaus cocks her an ironic eyebrow. Caroline balls her hands into fists to keep from punching him right there. "I don't think that would make for very good publicity."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Not at all. I'm merely offering some perspective."

"There's a body guard downstairs. If I call him up here, it'll take exactly five seconds for him to beat the crap out of your arrogant face."

"Oh, come now," Niklaus says, moving towards a table in one of the corners where a champagne bottle rests in an ice bucket that might actually be made of gold. "Don't be so grim. You're crushing the mood"

"You gave a fake name just to trick me into coming here."

"Usually my name opens doors, but in this particular case... I'm not proud of that myself, but I didn't think you'd come otherwise. Besides, my last name kind of gives it away a bit too easily. Here, have a drink."

Caroline hesitates but ends up snatching the champagne flute from his hand. She came all the way here, might as well enjoy whatever bit she can from what is already a ruined night.

"You look thirsty," he comments as she downs the whole thing at once.

"I look like I want to hit you with this glass, it's what I fucking look like."

"You have to admit I've outdone myself," Niklaus says. Caroline feels the blood boil in her veins. These rich boys... They're all the same. Why did she ever have the impression, however flimsy, that the spawn of Mikael would be a decent human being? So far he's proven himself to be no different than all the other spoilt brats Caroline knows. Nose way up in the sky, thinks he owns the goddamn world - and everyone in it. "Mikael's penthouse is all right, but have you seen the view from here?"

"Is that what this is all about then? Mikael? You want to outdo your daddy?" Caroline starts, a quiet fury simmering behind her words. "You're just another sad rich kid, resenting his father for not getting enough attention. Does it make you angry that he spends more time with prostitutes than he does with you? All this pathetic pantomime," Caroline gesticulates frantically. "This is all about hurting your father, isn't it? You went after one of his prostitutes because you think you can taint me somehow and ruin this for him, thus proving some ridiculous spoilt kid's point."

Niklaus looks stunned as she speaks, perhaps not expecting her outburst. Clearly he was thinking this was all just a funny anecdote, that they'd have a laugh together and then she'd lie back for him. But Caroline's anger is far from subsided, so she ploughs on. "Let me tell you something, you despicable asshole. I'm not one of your stupid puppets that you can just toy with for your own selfish benefit. This is not a joke - I am not a joke, and you're wrong if you think I'm going to take part in any of this. You can take your and your father's money and shove it, for all I care. I don't need it. I don't give a flying fuck if I never see his face again, or yours. I'm sick of idiots with daddy issues and I do not want to be a part of your silly family drama. If you need to get treatment, go talk to a fucking therapist."

By the time her rant ends, Caroline's nearly spitting on Niklaus' face. Somehow she managed to keep her voice in a relatively civil tone, but her words were exploding with vile. The man stares at her completely dumbstruck; he's got no idea what just hit him. His half clueless, half flabbergasted expression makes Caroline think she might have exaggerated a little. It wouldn't be the first time a guy does something stupid and inappropriate to get with her. She has no idea where all that flaming ire comes from. That man has been sparking some strange feelings in her since they met. It's almost like she feels... betrayed. Which makes absolutely no sense.

He's hardly the first guy to hire a prostitute just to hurt someone else and he will not be the last. As long as she's getting paid, Caroline couldn't care less. Except she does now, apparently. She understands how inadvisable it is to engage in any sort of relationship, professional or not, with her most important client's son, especially a son that is shady and complicated, as far as she knows. But deep in her core she knows none of this is about Mikael. Her rage, her outburst - it's not about Mikael at all. Caroline's reactions are powered on everything but reason.

It's so annoying to be this mad about something and not know why.

"Wow," he says after a while, still baffled. "That was... I'm not sure what that was. Definitely unexpected. Frankly, I think I'm a little hurt."

"Good."

"Fair enough." He raises his palms in the air signaling a truce, asking for his turn to counter-argue. If there's one thing Caroline's learned about this man in the very short time she's known him, is that he's got a sharp tongue and he's not afraid to use - for better or for worse. She knows she shouldn't listen to anything he has to say, she's got no reason to. She should just turn around and yell at Katherine for being so negligent - even though it's not really her fault; Caroline just needs someone to be mad at about this.

Instead, however, she crosses her arms over her chest and lifts her chin, stubbornly.

"I admit it was beneath me to use the daddy card on you. I was never going to tell him anything. He has no idea I'm here and we're both better off with him never finding out that I even have your contact number. I don't ever want to talk about what I had to do in order to pry the information out of his secretary. This would probably be the excuse Mikael has been desperately waiting for to disinherit me. I bet he'd keep you, though. He seems to like you more than he's ever liked me. And before you say anything about this being a cry for attention - it's not. Mikael and I are not close and that's just the way it is. I don't care; he's not my real father. I promise I'm not trying to get to him."

Caroline's eye roll is stopped mid-way by the not my real father part. Instead, she finds herself frowning. "Not your real father?"

"That's not important," he says quickly, distracting her by slowly coming closer. "About the other part..." he continues, fixing her under that deep stare of his, the one that makes her breath hitch and her heart skip a beat, although her poker face remains unflappable. "I know I said something that you didn't appreciate the other day, but I still have no idea what exactly about it bothered you so much - and I do not mean this as an insult. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Perhaps it wasn't the smoothest of approaches, and trust me, sweetheart, I'm usually a lot better than that. But... I knew what you are, of course I did. I wasn't trying to be offensive, I just thought you would like to know that you'd be getting paid for your time. Just as I thought that booking a room with a view at the Ritz was a good way to tempt you to come, and I was right. I don't mean it in a bad way, Cara, I just really wanted you here. Now... What else am I supposed to do? Just tell me and I'll do it."

Caroline watches him studiously for a spell. That man could talk his way out of hell. And those are always the most dangerous ones. The moment those fancy English vowels start coming out of his ridiculous lips... It's hypnotizing. Yet another reason for her to keep a safe distance.

"Ok. Here's what you should do. Call Katherine. You don't have to book the Ritz, anywhere will do. Even the back seat of your car, if you name the right price. Tell her you want a girl. Tell her what you like - anything you have in mind. She'll book you someone perfect. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"Someone who's not you, you mean."

"Exactly."

"Then there's no way I'll be satisfied."

"If a prostitute is not what you want, then I suggest Tinder."

"I want you."

Caroline huffs out in annoyance. "What's your problem?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you so keen on refusing me?"

"Why are you so keen on having me? There are millions of girls out there you could have instead. Why me?"

"Because -" Niklaus stops, swipes his tongue across his lower lip, weighting his words. "Because you're different. This isn't about sex and it's not about hiring a prostitute either. It's about you."

"Different?" Caroline asks, all cynicism. It's so cliché. Different. If she made a dollar for every time she hears that... Could he have an emptier excuse?

"I saw a kindred spirit in you, at the party," he explains. "You seemed like you'd rather be anywhere but there, too. I knew what you were, but you didn't... Feel like the other girls."

"You're not making any sense. You want to be with a prostitute but you want one who - what? Won't feel too slutty? You want to feel like this isn't a paid service?"

"No, that's not -"

"Because Katherine can get you someone who'll even pretend to be your wife, if that's your thing. She has a whole list of girls who are pro at role-playing."

"What - role playing? No. That's not at all what I'm saying."

Well, fuck. It's not the first time Caroline stumbles upon a confused and hurt client, but this guy is... Something else. Usually all it takes to get them sorted out is a good blow job. Works like magic. The problem with Niklaus is that this is not just a regular client-escort situation. It's not about Cara. It's Caroline and some guy she's incomprehensibly attracted to and who seems to have very unorthodox feelings about prostitutes. It was Caroline who turned him down at the party and it's Caroline who's refusing to have him now when it should be Cara all along. Cara can deal with this kind of shit in her sleep, but Caroline... She hasn't got a clue.

Things are all upside down with this guy. For once, she might be the one who needs to get sorted, not the client. She's the one who needs to wash this guy out of her system and get on with her life. The issue is that he isn't some random dude she's picked up at a bar; it's someone she met at a job. It's her two worlds colliding in a manner that's never happened before and it's messing her up.

What she has to do right now is think with Cara's head, put the resentment she's been harboring towards the guy aside and do what any high class escort would in her place. Cara would just fuck him, give him something to remember and then erase him from her memory completely.

And maybe that's what he needs, too. He thinks his obsession stems from her being different, but it's all really the same as with any other spoilt prick who grows up with ponies and mini-BMWs for birthdays: he wants what he can't have.

Caroline's pride still says she shouldn't, but Cara says otherwise and whilst Caroline makes a lot of mistakes, as evidenced by the situation she currently finds herself is, Cara is almost never wrong. So there you go.

"Fine," she announces at last.

Niklaus frowns. "Fine?"

"Yes. You want to do it? Let's do it." She takes off her boots and proceeds to remove her tights. It's the unsexiest undressing she's ever done in her life. She doubts it will be one her most memorable performances, but Niklaus hasn't exactly earned a show here. He's lucky she's even doing it at all.

"Do it?"

"Yes. It's why you called, isn't it? You want to fuck a whore. I'm a whore, let's do it."

"You've got this all wrong, sweetheart. It's not what I -"

"You don't have to explain anything to me. This is the job. You have a clock on this and your time is passing, so let's get it over with or it's gonna cost you extra."

Without further delays, Caroline launches forward and crushes her mouth roughly against Niklaus'. It's not pretty or sexy; too much tongue, too much teeth, two heads turning to the same side at the same time. But they're hungry as their tongues battle much more avidly than the first time they shared a kiss.

Caroline keeps telling herself that this is about satisfying one stalker's need to see if it'll get him off her back but, as they tumble back towards the bed, bodies pressed firmly together, hands roaming all over and desperate to get any piece clothing out of the way, she realizes she wants this a lot more than she'd anticipated.

She pushes him down on the bed and, standing between his knees, lifts her pencil skirt so she can straddle his lap, holding his head so she can take his lips into another plundering kiss. The fire behind the man's eyes sends a tingly sensation up Caroline's spine and gets every little hair on her body standing to attention. His hands slide down her back until he grabs her ass, fingers digging into her flesh.

In a swift movement, he rolls her over to lie on top of her. His predatory gaze makes her writhe. She wants to kiss him again, to bite those plumpy, red lips of his, but Niklaus pulls away again, leaning on his arms to lift his weight off her.

"We don't have to do this," he says, voice almost a purr. He's trying to be a gentleman, for whatever reason, but he's not so subtlety begging her to continue. She can feel his erection pressing against her thigh.

"I know," she says, cupping his face with a hand and looking very deeply into his eyes. She can't understand how the two of them could ever be kindred souls, but she can see the same fire she feels burning on her inside lighting up his eyes, the same passion. "But I want to." The honesty in her own words surprises her. There's no affection or calculation in her voice; this isn't Cara boosting a fragile male ego. Caroline really does want him, like she hasn't wanted anything or anyone in a long time. And in spite of all the reasons why she shouldn't do this, the sheer novelty of the fact fuels her desire.

It is different. He is different.

She pulls him into another kiss, slow and deliberate this time, like the one they shared on the balcony of Mikael's penthouse. They stay like this for a while, entangled together, just savoring the moment, and when he finally breaks the kiss, it's with a wolfish smile that makes Caroline's insides churn away in anticipation. Soon enough he's moved his mouth to her chin and then to the curve of her neck, down, to her collarbone. He undoes the buttons on her shirt, pulls is open just enough to enough expose her bra.

"Too many clothes," he mumbles, and then proceeds to remove every piece of fabric standing in his way with the dexterity of a person who's undressed many women in his life. Niklaus takes a second too long admiring the view of her naked body, his eyes sparkling with hunger, before going down on her.

Caroline gasps. It's nothing she hasn't done before a million times but, for some reason, it feels new. His scrutiny makes her fidgety. If she didn't know better, she'd say she's getting shy in front of him.

She props herself up on her elbows and, with lips parted and suppressed moans. He's very good at this - very good, and this is no exaggeration coming from her. In her work, Caroline's used to always giving more than she receives. Some clients take pleasure in watching her writhe and come hard as well, but those are amongst the minority. Normally, this part involves a lot of pretending from her. Oh yes, this is the biggest cock I've ever seen! Oh God, you make me so wet! Don't stop, don't stop! Whether the sex is good or awful, Caroline always has to make it seem as though it's the best fuck she's ever had. Her orgasms always have to be the most intense, awful orals always need to be incredible, her moans always have to sound as though her brain is melting, even when it's nearly falling asleep from boredom. They come, she screams and then it's over. Other, rarer clients, however, know exactly what they're doing - like Niklaus, who, in spite of his spoilt brat act, has probably spent a lot of time learning how to please the women he's bedded.

A part of her was really hoping he'd be a lousy fuck she'd laugh about when trading cards with Enzo, but holy shit. She's not faking anything. Quite the opposite; Caroline is trying very hard to hold back just so he won't get too full of himself, which is becoming increasingly hard as he moves his tongue around her folds. This isn't escort sex. Niklaus isn't kissing and sucking a whore, and Caroline is not replying as though she's trying to impress. He's just damn good with his tongue and she's enjoying herself for a change.

When he pulls away, his lips glossy and full, he shrugs out of his own clothes to reveal something that is, well... Remarkable. He's not just a pretty face, after all. The whole package gets an A+.

"Do you have condoms?" he asks in a husky voice.

"Purse," she says, nodding towards where she left her handbag.

He moves quickly away to retrieve a condom, slides it on and gets back in bed, pushing Caroline gently back to position himself on top of her once more.

"I want to look at you," he whispers. "I can't stop looking at you."

He fucks her with her thighs hugging him firmly and holding the headboard for support. They move in synchronized rhythm, Caroline pushing up against him with each thrust. It's slow and thorough, and they make it last forever. He leans over her half-way through it, moaning against her mouth, then digging his nose into the curve of her neck and scrapping his teeth against the sensitive skin under her ear.

"Niklaus," the name escapes her.

He stops moving, lifts his head and stares her straight in the eye. "No," he says. "Klaus. Call me Klaus."

"Klaus," she repeats, liking the way it rolls off her tongue. He takes her mouth into another kiss and starts moving again, faster, harder, making her shamelessly groan now.

He comes before her, but continues to ride his orgasm a while, burying himself deep inside of her and screwing her slowly while using his hand to touch her until she gets there herself. He collapses on top of her a second later and they stay like that, listless and in a mess of limbs and heat, trying to catch their breaths.

It's a while before Klaus lifts his head, looks at her with uncharacteristic fondness, and then kisses her gently. Caroline means to stop him, as she's been meaning to stop him from doing just about everything since she arrived, but, as with all the rest, she fails. There's a side of her that finds some measure of comfort in his kisses and caresses, in the way he looks at her. It's enough to quiet down the riot raging inside of her, the conflict between what she wants to do and what she should do.

He rolls off of her to lie on his back with a contended groan.

"I just realized something," he says, turning his head to the side to meet her gaze. "I don't know your name."

"Of course you do."

"Your real name."

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it. Not of even Mikael knows her real name. It's an unbreakable rule. To all of them, she's Cara. Caroline is never, ever in the picture. But for some inexplicable reason, it feels wrong for him to call her by her character name when it wasn't Cara he just screwed. He met her, not her alter ego.

"Caroline," she says, immediately kicking herself inwardly for giving in so easily.

"Caroline." He says her name as though it's a treasure, the most meaningful word he's ever spoken. "That's a good name. It suits you."

She doesn't say anything, just looks away from him, to the ceiling above.

He orders them room service when she goes to take a shower, but she doesn't stay for dinner. This isn't a date, and she can't bear the idea of sitting through a meal with him. Caroline has this agitation at the pit of her stomach, a sensation that if she doesn't move fast, if she doesn't get the hell away from him, something bad will happen, something she won't be able to change. The little control she has over the situation is falling away from her.

"Don't you want to take that with you?" he asks drily, pointing towards a brown envelope on the bedside table.

Caroline pauses. "Keep it."

"What?"

"I told you I don't want your money."

"But... I thought you said..." Klaus frowns, completely baffled. Caroline isn't too sure what she's doing either, truth be told. There's a large chance she will regret every decision she's made tonight. But nothing that happened in this room felt like part of a job to her. If she takes the money, she'll be acting exactly as Klaus expected her to back at the party, doing the very thing that made her so furious.

It's not about the cash. It never was.

"Don't call Katherine asking for me anymore; don't bribe anyone trying to find me. We will never see each other again. You can use that money on some other girl."

As soon as she's out the door, Caroline starts running. She doesn't even wait for the elevator, just flies down the stairs with her shoes in her hands and her hair still wet. She finds the body guard by the door and he asks if she's ok, if Caroline needs him to go upstairs to deal with the issue. She can see how she looks like something went terribly wrong - and it did, it really did. It's all more fucked up than she'd ever be able to explain to Caleb. She tells him everything's fine; she just slipped out while the guy slept before he could ask for another round because he was drunk and an awful fuck. Caleb laughs, Caroline laughs with him, but really just feels a lot like crying like right now, for reasons that are beyond her.

If she never hears Klaus' name again it will be too soon.

TBC