A/N: Let me thank EVERYONE who stopped by, took a peek, left me your thoughts, added to your favorites/alert list, many, many, many THANKS! I had to make some alterations to this chapter. Here is the latest. Enjoy!
These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith. No copyright infringement intended.
Bonnie wouldn't be sad about this. Going through four years of high school, listening to other girls describe their first time with the same hesitancy, despair, yet also euphoria that they officially left their innocent childhood behind, kept her on the outside looking in. Now she was apart of a much different crowd where she could do one of two things: sulk because Damon decided to act like a total prick, or merely hold her head high and have no regrets. She might do a little of both.
Her fingers grazed the abundant rose petals in the garden, the magnificent red looking purple under the relentless sun. Bonnie longed to see home again and felt her throat tightening when her thoughts turned to seeing Elena and Damon interacting for the first time. No matter what happened between her and Damon, Bonnie knew it would be eclipsed by what Damon felt for her best friend. He ignored the social rules of protocol that you don't fall in love with your brother's girl.
Elena was not completely blameless in all of this either. She had broken several cardinal rules and if Bonnie wanted to be honest about the whole thing, she would say she didn't like girls like Elena. Girls who pitted two guys against each other, but what made things even more scandalous was the fact the two guys she was involved with were brothers.
Bonnie shuddered as her thoughts rudely reminded her of what she saw and what she heard when she brought a bottle of black magic wine to Damon, and saw him embracing Elena like they were posing for the cover of a romance novel. That hadn't been all. No, she heard Elena call Damon, "Darling," a pet name that had been—at the time—reserved for Stefan. Stefan! The vampire Elena fell in love with on sight.
Did Elena not know or understand the ramifications if that information got back to the others? Yet it did anyways because they were all so deeply interconnected and intertwined. Stefan and Damon could read thoughts, and even if she tried to privately dissect what she was a witness to, Bonnie knew her mind was no safe playground. And she was a huge broadcaster, Stefan would know all he needed to know just by peeking behind the curtain of Bonnie's mind.
Her fears manifested in that place, tripled and quadrupled in number until she felt nothing but stuck in something of her own making. A pain sliced her heart when she produced scenarios of how Elena would greet Damon, when they were alone, away from prying, judgmental eyes. She imagined he'd call her "princess" and run his fingers through her golden hair, and Elena would attempt to be stern with him though she'd hold and call him "darling". Yuck.
And the pain within Bonnie only increased because she figured Damon would pretend he didn't sleep with her all so he wouldn't lose Elena.
A thorn pricked her skin and drew blood. That would have had her crying out and jumping around on one foot, but actually it had the opposite effect. It relaxed her. It took away from the tension that coiled her muscles into knots. It made Bonnie forget about the persistent throb she felt resonating in the center of her body that flowed out like ripples in the ocean to the rest of her limbs. It was a constant reminder that someone had invaded her body.
She pierced her eyes closed as flashbacks from the night before assaulted her. Damon had never held her tighter than he did last night. His lips couldn't stop kissing or worshipping her skin. Bonnie had no idea what she was supposed to do but things kind of came naturally. She allowed Damon to direct the show since it was so obvious he knew what he was doing, and he was very good at his job. A giggle bubbled without her permission which she quickly dismantled. She knew he was somewhere on the property trying to keep an eye on her.
Having lunch with him and Lady Ulma had been even more awkward than when she was slightly catatonic. Bonnie hated the fact she was so aware of him. Whenever he touched something she grew envious of it, wanting his hands and fingers to touch her instead. She could really dislike her situation because it made her feel weak and susceptible to his infinite charm. She also didn't like the way the maids always blushed whenever they had to ask him something. Damon, naturally, didn't really pay them all that much attention, still it was attention. Let's face it, he was a chick magnet, had been even when he was human, his vampire-ness only magnified what he had hidden within and brought it out on display.
When he smiled at her after entering the dining room like the aristocrat he believed himself to be, Bonnie's heart melted. It really did. Like chocolate left out in the sun. She felt her face stretching to make a smile of her own, a flirty smile, but then she remembered that he tried to sneak out of her room, and lied about having an errand to run. Like seriously, she might be naïve but she wasn't stupid. Damon knew he couldn't risk going into the city, not after what he did back at the slave warehouse, so why lie about having some business to take care of?
Her dreams had let her down because Bonnie knew with absolute certainty that Damon would be there with his arms wrapped around her, offering up praise for handling her first time so maturely. Then, he would have the servants draw a bath and then order them not to bother them until Lady Ulma said it was time to eat. Bonnie would have sat on his lap, preferably without blushing, and they just would have enjoyed their time together and make plans about announcing their relationship to their—her—friends.
What happened instead when she woke up, she found Damon fully dressed and looking caught and guilty. She let him go without argument or explanation, and then she prepared for her day—alone.
She got her cry out once he left her room, and then afterwards made a vow with herself. She would no longer shed another tear for Damon, unless of course he came to her groveling for forgiveness and a proposal, but until one of those things happened, Bonnie would not give into the pain that was percolating in her system. It was time she embrace the full spectrum of womanhood and go about her business.
This was much worse. Damon thought Bonnie's endless silence was bad yet it was nothing compared to her cool indifference. At least towards him. She was perfectly cordial with the servants and of course their host and hostess, but whenever he addressed her, he was met with monosyllabic responses. And when she chanced looking at him, Bonnie had a way of looking through him as if he were nothing more substantial than mist.
Typically he wouldn't have stood for that kind of behavior, or he just would have ignored it, but Damon wasn't that much of a bastard not to realize that his actions this morning hurt her. It seemed that's all he was good at doing when it came to Bonnie. Either he verbally abused her, made fun of her, or he hurt her feelings.
He stood next to one of the columns, leaning against it, arms folded over his chest staring out into the garden when he felt someone standing next to him.
Lady Ulma offered him a warm smile that Damon did his best to return but was sure it didn't reach his eyes.
"My sentries were able to track down Sage. He'll be here in the morning to escort you and Bonnie to a gate that will get you back to your home."
Damon curtly nodded his head. He and Bonnie had spent more than enough time in the dark dimension and it was time they returned to normalcy although he couldn't call life in Fell's Church normal. He had no idea if the town had imploded already or not, and part of him wasn't exactly looking forward to returning, but maybe with him being back on familiar ground he'd be able to screw his head on straight.
His eyes instantly found Bonnie as she made her way back to the estate. She had a wreath of flowers in her hand as she held up her dress so it wouldn't trip her. Something quickened in his chest, guts, and loins as he stared at the way the wind blew her red hair across her face obstructing it for a moment. Bonnie was beautiful, Damon had always been aware of that, but her beauty was the kind that surprised you at odd times.
"Mr. Salvatore," Lady Ulma called for his attention.
He had forgotten the woman was still standing next to him. "Yes?"
"I'm having my annual viewing tonight. I'd like to extend an invitation to you and Bonnie as my esteemed guests. Do you think she'll be up to it?"
If there was one thing he knew for sure about Bonnie was that she loved parties, and any opportunity to flirt with men she'd jump on it. Yet for some strange reason witnessing a bunch of hooligans chase after Bonnie made Damon slightly pull his lips back from his teeth.
"I'm sure she'll love it."
Lady Ulma could see Damon was preoccupied with other thoughts and left him to it. As she walked through her estate, one of her seamstresses found her. "Esmeralda, do we have any more of that deep red velvet and chiffon fabric left?"
"I do believe so."
"Good, I need several yards of it. I've just been inspired by something." Lady Ulma had invariably been a prudent woman so it never escaped her the feelings Bonnie and Damon were fighting in regards to one another. She liked Bonnie and understood that Damon had deep feelings for Elena. Elena would always hold a special spot in Lady Ulma's heart, yet she also knew that a woman should never love two men at the same time. Someone was destined to be hurt, and from the brief time Lady Ulma had in getting to know Stefan, she was assured that Stefan's love for Elena was the kind of love Elena needed.
It was not her place to say this, but Lady Ulma knew that young Bonnie was in love with Damon. Did she think they made a better match, of that she couldn't speak with absolute certainty. But as much as Damon prided himself on being a formidable vampire-and he was that-there was also a gentle, caring side to him that only few people had been a benefactor of.
Bonnie being on that very short list.
Tonight would probably end up being their last night having one another at their full disposal, and Lady Ulma would do her part to make sure it wasn't wasted.
Later that night, Damon tugged the wrist of his black button down shirt under his suit jacket sleeve as he eyed his appearance in the mirror. Lady Ulma got his measurements just right that his tuxedo fit his body like a glove. Down below the party was already in full swing. Damon believed in making an entrance and he abhorred being the first to arrive to any social function because in his mind it showed an unattractive eagerness to be apart of a crowd that may or may not accept you.
He already knew that Bonnie was downstairs. He had listened intently as the maids, seamstress, and Lady Ulma praised her for looking stunning in whatever new creation their benefactor invented for her this time. All Damon really knew about Bonnie's attire was that it was red. He'd get more details once he saw her for himself, and just thinking about it made some strange flutter take place in his belly. He frowned and then ignored it as he swiped his tongue over his extended canine.
Two maids had been generous in allowing him to take a sip of blood from their veins. They were young girls, had never been kissed in their entire life, and if his situation were different he probably would have, but now…kissing someone else or merely the idea of kissing another woman made him frown with distaste.
Damon rolled his eyes and stuffed a hand in his pocket. It was time to go and break some hearts. That made him wince again as he slipped out of his room.
As he walked through the large galleries leading to the formal ballroom, Damon tried not to think of the fact that he and Bonnie probably hadn't spoken more then twenty sentences to each other since last night. He had fully expected her to rage at him, guilt trip him, but she did none of the above and actually showcased a maturity and gracefulness in her constant rebuff of his advances. He quite literally had no idea what to do or knew what to say and this irritated him to no end. Damon had never been without a keenly word spoken or a trick up his sleeve to bend something in his favor. He was totally lost on how to proceed with Bonnie. He likened her to being a black widow spider. If he got too close to admire her beauty she'd pump him full of poison, if he stayed away, that would only give her more power over him.
And she did have power over him.
Their secret alone could ruin all of his plans and place him on several hit lists, but at the end of the day it was still a risk he was willing to take.
The ballroom was packed with hundreds of people. Damon hadn't imagined that a gala hosted by Lady Ulma would be of his magnitude which would make tonight all the more bearable. If it had been a measly crowd, then naturally that would have forced him and Bonnie to try to communicate, talk to each other because options would have been severely limited.
Now he wouldn't have to worry so much about charming her or placating her fears that he was, in essence, done with her.
He wasn't, but Damon wasn't exactly sure what he wanted from her at the same time.
He growled lowly in his throat which still earned him some curious glances. So far as he crowd surfed he saw some of the same faces of nobles and noblewomen from the gatherings he and the others crashed as they searched for the fox keys. Damon sighed deeply and moved through the crowd. He didn't bump into a single soul, smiled at a group of ladies who couldn't keep their eyes off him or his black-on-black attire, confiscated a flute of black magic wine, and stood near the edge of the dance floor.
Several men and women were entertaining the crowd with their footwork and grace, however, one such dancer immediately caught and held Damon's attention.
Her back was to him as it was being showcased in a beautiful deep red gown, the kind of red that reminded him of spilled blood. The lady's hair cascaded down her back in red waves, brushing against her creamy, unblemished skin. Damon looked around the room trying in earnest to find Bonnie, but soon grew distracted when the dancers shifted now facing him and the mysterious woman in red was revealed to his shocked eyes.
Damon's jaw plopped open as his eyes took a tour of Bonnie. The dress Lady Ulma had designed for her reminded him of that infamous red dress that Jessica Rabbit wore. It had a plunging sweetheart neckline, and clung to Bonnie's curves like a possessive lover. It left the graceful slope of her neck and shoulders bare for all the world to marvel at as well as her waif-like arms. The recessed lighting of the room caught flecks of shimmering gold thread that added a nice touch of sparkle to her deep red dress that swept the floor in a four foot train. The only jewelry Bonnie wore was gold chandelier earrings and a ruby and diamond encrusted ring.
His eyes traveled over her face. Her makeup was tasteful only bringing color to her lips, and cheeks, as thick black eyelashes made her brown eyes stand out like garnet jewels. Her red hair had been styled in a classic wave made popular by actresses in the 1940's. Gone were those doll-like curls in her attempt to make herself appear taller than her five foot three frame.
Damon reluctantly brought his eyes to the man she was dancing with. It was easy to see he was a vampire, possibly older than Damon and much higher on the vampire food chain. Standing next to Bonnie the man was a giant but he was distinguished, handsomely wealthy no doubt, but there was ruthlessness to his dark green eyes. He kept leering at Bonnie and she just kept smiling at the man.
The glass of wine in Damon's hand cracked and he found a passing waiter to take it away, but he prevented the young server from leaving.
"Excuse me," Damon said. "Can you tell me the name of the gentleman that's dancing with the redhead in the red dress?"
"Oh, that's Monsieur Nasir de la Fuehrer. He is quite possibly the richest man here tonight in attendance."
Oh wonderful, Damon thought and motioned with his head for the server to go away.
Damon looked behind him and spotted another circle of ladies who were whispering behind their hands, gossiping about him. He threw them his cinematic smile and approached. They immediately began to coquette, flamboyantly tossing their hair over their shoulders, ruffling their detailed gowns, behaving like peacocks.
"Ladies," Damon bowed before them and quickly assessed which one would be his dance partner for the evening. Automatically he reached for the blond with the blue eyes, but checked, because she reminded him too much of Elena, and instead went for her brunette counterpart with the electric green eyes. She squealed happily which told Damon the girl was used to being looked over in favor of her blond friend.
Damon sighed deeply.
He and his partner, he didn't bother to ask her name, quickly joined the other dancers, easily falling into step. Damon kept his eyes on her yet his ears were listening to every spoken work between the man and Bonnie.
"You should really see my gardens, Bonnie."
Damon winced because the man pronounced her name as Bon-nay like she was the artist Monet.
"They are twice the size of Lady Ulma's although her roses do outshine mine. They aren't nearly as brilliant."
"Well, I happen to like the size of Lady Ulma's garden. I don't like big things because I'm already tiny enough."
The man laughed boisterously. Even Damon had to snicker at that.
"I meant no disrespect, milady."
"I'm sure you didn't but Lady Ulma is a dear friend. She's been there for me when…when I needed someone to help take care of me. She's like another mother to me."
Nasir bowed his head in supplication and continued dancing with Bonnie. She was far different from the pedigree of women he was used to entertaining. She was human, that much was obvious, and extremely vulnerable but she held up a strong veneer, and the scent of her blood was hypnotic. Already his gums began to pound maddeningly so.
"I still find it surprising that you have no gentleman with you," he folded his frame to whisper in her ear. "It's almost an insult that no one has made you an offer of endless devotion. But I'm the type to profit from others follies."
A tiny smile creased Bonnie's mouth. "I thought there might be someone, but he's of the finicky sort. I have no room in my life for such indecisiveness."
Damon's hand inadvertently tightened on his partner's and she hissed in pain.
"Sorry, love," he said sheepishly.
"Then I offer you my total adoration, milady," Nasir grinned. "How long are you planning on remaining a visitor in my realm?"
"Not long, I'm afraid."
"Pity, because I would like to get to know more about you."
Damon kept his smile in place towards his partner although on the inside he was a volcano on the verge of erupting.
Bonnie stared up into those green eyes and inwardly shivered. Men like Nasir who bend and broke rules and possibly limbs to get their way always made her uneasy. Yet she had a part to play tonight.
When the musicians stopped playing, the dancers bowed before one another as the other occupants in the room began clapping. Nasir took Bonnie's hand once again and brought it up to kiss. He maintained eye contact with her the entire time and she was sure her cheeks began to color over. She was ready to look at some of Lady Ulma's dress and jewelry designs that were displayed in glass cases throughout the lower level of the house; however, Nasir wasn't so ready to let her go.
Another song began to play.
"Indulge me," he said with a charming grin on his face. "The night is still young and I feel I've barely gotten to know you."
Bonnie offered another smile, clasped hands once again, and was spun around the room.
Damon was probably two dancers away from Bonnie, so that when Nasir turned he caught the barest whiff of her perfumed skin. This dance required lifting on the mens part, so up his partner went into the air, throwing her neck back beautifully like a trained dolphin. Damon had to snicker at his own analogy as he lowered the woman back to the ground.
When Nasir lifted Bonnie, she gasped in surprise and delight and giggled. That sound was heaven to Damon's ears but he couldn't enjoy it the way he should because he wasn't the one who made her elicit the sound.
"Are you really not going to tell me your name?"
Startled his partner spoke to him, Damon stared down at the girl. "Excuse me?"
"We've danced for two songs and we haven't exchanged names. My name is Alessandra. You would be?" she prompted.
"For what's in a name by which a rose called by any other would smell just as sweet," Damon paraphrased horribly but whatever.
Alessandra stared at him blankly. Of course she wouldn't know Shakespeare—not here.
"Never mind," he said broodingly.
"You keep staring at the lady in the red dress. Is she a friend of yours? Paramour? A meal?"
That dark gleam returned to Damon's eyes which effectively silenced Alessandra. "Who she is, I promise is no business of yours. Now stop talking and dance prettily like you've been doing."
Around and around they rotated around the room. And each time Bonnie was in grabbing distance, Damon tried to capture her attention by dancing as flamboyantly as he could. When he realized what a fool he was making himself out to be he toned things down.
When the long, drawn out song finally concluded, he bowed gallantly before his partner and disappeared before she even had the chance to blink.
Bonnie had managed to get away from the overbearing Nasir. Now armed with a glass of black magic wine, which she probably shouldn't drink, but sipped, she walked through the gallery staring at Lady Ulma's creations. Other attendees would stop and ask Bonnie her opinion, and she would proudly tell them she was wearing a Lady Ulma original. She would preen for them and gush as she was pummeled with compliments, yet her attention was invariably split.
She would have had to be blind not to see the way Damon danced with that woman. But she was quite proud of herself for ignoring him although it was harder than learning to spell in Russian. He was an attention seeker, could draw it even when he held up a wall. When he moved it was next to impossible to keep your eyes from cantering over to Damon.
Damon moved through the crowd always keeping Bonnie in sight. Right now she and another lady of privilege marveled at a royal blue cloak, whispering back and forth with one another in conspiracy. It took a moment for him to realize what he had been doing.
He had been hunting Bonnie.
His body would stiffen any time he caught another man twisting his neck to gaze or stare at Bonnie. And several times Damon had to stop himself from luring those men away when they reached out to touch Bonnie to garner her attention. It brought back memories of seeing those bastards touching her as she stood in next to nothing on full display at the slave warehouse.
The night wore on, the hour was outrageously late, and the black magic wine as well as the little finger foods Bonnie sampled was making it difficult to stay awake. She found Lady Ulma in the crowd to say goodnight and refused an escort to her room. She was still aware enough of her surroundings to let out a piercing scream if anyone tried anything.
Damon saw this as his opportunity to strike.
He hid himself well in the shadows, blending and becoming invisible because he wasn't exactly sure where Bonnie might be headed. For one wild second he thought she might be rendezvousing with Nasir, but he spotted the charlatan speaking with what Damon could only assume were businessmen.
Bonnie entered her room, closing the door gently behind her. The night had been a nice one. Her life hadn't been on the brink of being placed in danger, and she had an overall lovely time. It would have been made even better if Damon had asked for a dance. That would have given her the chance to either accept or turn him down. Would it make her a bad person if she said the thought of rejecting him thrilled her?
Reaching behind her back, Bonnie lowered the zipper to her gown and sighed as the soft fabric grazed her skin as it pooled around her feet. She stepped out of the garment standing in nothing but her corset and matching panties. On her feet were five inch jewel encrusted Mary-Jane pumps.
A hand covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream as a strong arm wrapped around her waist pulling her flush against an equally hard body. Bonnie was fully prepared to give the intruder hell before passing out, but then she felt his lips brush the shell of her ear and that cool, accentuated voice sung like a melody.
"You've denied me a dance tonight, Bonnie. How should I punish you for such insolence?"
Bonnie smirked against his hand and settled down. Damon dropped his hand, waiting to hear what she had to say.
"Nasir?'
Damon growled and spun Bonnie around. If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes she would have toppled over.
His glare was ferocious that it became a little difficult for Bonnie to swallow. "You were expecting him?" he nearly shook her.
A rosy tint worked its way from the center of her chest, up her neck, before settling in both cheeks. "Damon, please let me go."
He denied her request. "Did you have plans to kiss him tonight?"
Inwardly Bonnie laughed. Was he being serious? Of course he was. Did it mean she was a little flattered by his obvious jealousy—naturally. Did that mean she had to be careful—absolutely.
"I don't see how it is any business of yours. And what kind of girl do you take me for? That I give myself to someone and the next night kiss a total stranger? Get out!" Bonnie attempted to shove him already knowing Damon wouldn't budge.
Damon dropped his hands from her person yet he didn't put any space between them. "There you go trying to get rid of me."
Bonnie rolled her dark brown eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "That's because you're always being an idiot."
His nostrils flared at the insult. Damon felt torn. He couldn't decide if he wanted to throttle her or kiss her.
His eyes, however, had their own agenda and began to give Bonnie a thorough once-over. He knew which buttons to push to make her blush and feel all of two years old.
She gulped audibly as his dark eyes deepened until Bonnie saw nothing but black as they focused on her breasts. She wanted to cover up her meager chest made a little more voluptuous by the corset. Damon may have discovered all of her secrets last night; it didn't mean she wanted him to review them.
Oh, what was she saying? Of course she did!
Suddenly the quiet was disrupted by a flash of lightening followed by the boom of thunder. Bonnie shrieked and without thinking, threw herself in Damon's arms. He caught her and held her tightly. With her warm body pressed intimately against his, and the scent of her delicious perfumed skin rising to his nostrils, it made his stomach growl and his dick harden.
Bonnie gasped again when she felt Damon's length pressing against her belly. A wave of pleasure and lust raked her body and all she could focus on was that delectable mouth of his.
Damon crushed her even closer as he sealed his mouth over hers. Bonnie eagerly wrapped her little arms around his broad shoulders wishing he wasn't wearing all his clothes, wishing they could get closer.
"Open your mouth, Bonnie," he dictated and moaned as she obeyed him.
Her tongue tasted like honey and Damon had to fight against his instinct to bite down and draw her blood into his mouth.
Damon picked her up bridal style and placed her on the bed. Bonnie accommodated him in their new position as he aligned himself against her curves.
She tunneled her fingers through his ink-black hair. Bonnie's eyes opened when Damon disengaged his mouth from hers.
Wait, wait, wait, this wasn't exactly what she wanted to happen. At least not like this. Bonnie pushed at his shoulder, fighting really against drawing him closer.
"D-Damon, wait."
He only paused in his ministrations.
"I want to change."
Damon finally lifted his head. "What for? I'll only end up disrobing you again."
She laughed yet kept pushing at his chest. Damon reluctantly rolled off of her. "I mean change into my night clothes because I want to go to sleep."
He was simply flabbergasted. "You mean you actually want to sleep just to be clear?"
Bonnie nodded her head and hopped out of bed. "Did you honestly think I would reward your appalling behavior of trying to sneak out on me this morning?"
Damon was speechless. Speechless and pissed off. "I told you I had an errand to run."
Bonnie gave an undignified snort as she headed over to the floor-to-ceiling armoire and opened it up. "And what errand might that be?" she jerked the clothes on the rack searching for something modest to throw on but all she saw were frilly night pieces that were appropriate for a married woman.
She stopped searching and turned back around. "Don't bother answering the question because you don't have a valid reason. If you were going to regret what we did why do it in the first place? To cure a curiosity?"
Damon rose from the bed. He did his best to keep his gaze locked on her face.
"You know I would never use you like that, my little red bird. Things spiraled out of control between us last night, I'll be the first to admit that, but it doesn't mean I regret what happened. Bonnie, I haven't been able to get you out of mind. If I cared nothing for you then what happened last night wouldn't have left an impression on me. Yes, my behavior this morning is inexcusable and I really have no excuse for it."
Bonnie dropped her eyes and shrieked. She turned around and started searching through the racks again.
With her distracted Damon approached. Bonnie stiffened when his cold hands slid up her arms, rounding her shoulders before they collected her hair in a ponytail to hold it off to the side. Damon pressed butterfly kisses against her bare shoulder and her neck.
"Can you find it in your heart to forgive me for my barbarian behavior?" he whispered.
And that whisper was a caress against her skin that was growing warmer and warmer by the second. Forgiving too easily had been Bonnie's Achilles Heel, but Damon sounded so sincere and she was one of few people who knew he never apologized because all of his actions were justifiable.
"I don't know," she half moaned. "People only do to you what you allow them to. If I give in so easily you'll think all you'll have to do is kiss me and ask for forgiveness. What's going to happen when we make it back home? Are you going to go back to trying to steal Elena from Stefan? Are you going to go back to treating me like I'm stupid?"
Damon pressed his forehead against the back of her head. Those were questions he could honestly say he didn't have a clever answered prepared.
"I can't treat you like a simpleton because you're not. And I can't worry about tomorrow when today has it own set of problems. Love, you are no longer a child in my eyes. You're all woman and you quite literally have me by the balls."
Bonnie allowed a tiny, giddy laugh to escape. "If that's so you won't have any problems going to sleep in your own bed tonight."
Damon resisted although barely from stomping his foot on the ground like a petulant child. He took a giant step away from Bonnie.
"Fine," the word dripped acid. "I'll go like a chastened child off to my room. Have your things ready because we leave at dawn."
And like the wind he was gone.
Hmm, that hadn't been what Bonnie expected him to say or do, but she was alone. And again she didn't want to be alone but she needed Damon to know he couldn't treat her like a common whore and expect everything to be honky-dory between them.
Bonnie ripped the next garment her hands landed on off the hanger and thrust her arms and legs into it. She climbed into bed and pouted up at the ceiling. The rains started to come down in heavy sheets, and the sound of it was able to lure her into sleep.
Damon for his part listened to her soft sighs and her labored breathing while he was stretched out against the black satin sheets of his bed. He nearly drained Alessandra dry when he stomped back downstairs to rejoin the party that was drawing to a close. But Alessandra hadn't seem to mind and wanted to stay the night. The dog in Damon would have taken her up on her offer, but he couldn't do that to Bonnie.
And that would have been distasteful on his part.
This woman-child had changed and altered his behavior in the span of months that living on earth for the last five-hundred years hadn't been able to accomplish. He should be really angry about that, but he couldn't muster up the strength to act accordingly.
Bonnie rolled over and her eyes snapped open. It was still raining outside but not as heavily as before. She left one of the windows open and the heady aroma from the garden permeated the room. She kicked the covers off her legs and then rolled to a sitting position on the bed. Bonnie ran a hand through her scarlet hair and climbed off the bed. She padded over to the open window and sighed in delight as a gentle breeze ruffled her gown against her nude body.
"Damon," escaped her lips before she could even stop herself.
The vampire heard his name and stopped thinking for a moment. Bonnie wasn't breathing as if she were in deep sleep. He was up and on his feet, across the hall, and entering her room before he even became aware of the fact he moved at all.
If he had breath in his body it would have got lodged in his throat. The sight Bonnie presented made his eyes stretch to the max.
Damon couldn't recall if he ever saw Bonnie donned in black. She liked colors, mostly earth tones, but he couldn't outright say he ever saw her in black. But the color looked excellent on her. She had selected a night gown with inch wide straps, a satin empire bodice while the rest of the flowing material was sheer black lace that tapered off at her ankles.
The contrast of the two colors against her pale skin made her seem paler than usual.
Bonnie sensed that someone was standing in her room. When she peeled open one eye and saw it was Damon, she stood upright.
"Do you want me, Bonnie?"
It was a simple question that only required a simple answer.
Unfortunately her voice decided at that precise moment not to cooperate and work. She settled with nodding her head.
Damon cleared the space separating them and drew Bonnie back into his arms. When he kissed her, he did so languorously.
Bonnie managed to work a hand between them and wrapped it around his neck. She applied as much pressure as she could.
Damon stopped kissing her, a dark eyebrow quirked in the air.
"Don't sneak out on me again, Salvatore, or you will regret it. Got it, Salvatore?"
He laughed heartily and nodded his head. "Yes, maiden, I got it. Now can I go back to kissing you?"
"Yes, and make it good."
"I'll try my best," he nibbled her neck.
Bonnie angled her head to accommodate him. She sighed and giggled.
Morning came and this time Bonnie found herself locked tightly in Damon's arms, her head using his chest as a pillow. In a few hours they would be going back to Fell's Church. Bonnie wasn't sure what to expect. She didn't know if what she and Damon were doing would continue or things would end here. She didn't want that.
In her situation ignorance wasn't bliss. Bonnie couldn't see herself going back to not knowing what being kissed by Damon felt like. Including other things. How could anyone ask a mermaid who grew legs to walk to forget what that freedom felt like to return to having a fin? It just didn't seem right or fair. Yet something was telling her Damon was going to ask her to keep what happened between them a secret.
She didn't mind the secrecy because Bonnie was apt to know not everyone would approve of their union. But she would only promise to keep her mouth shut if Damon promised that nothing between them would change.
But she would enjoy these last few moments between them before they were sucked back into the maelstrom of Fell's Church. Her tiny hand began to trace every single abdominal. Bonnie had seen all of Damon and she was still undecided as to which part of him she loved the most. Everything! She thought giddily.
Damon twitched and then his eyes opened as a soft touch fluttered against his manhood. He shifted until he could stare down at Bonnie, a naughty grin taking over his face.
"Kitten, what are you trying to do?"
Bonnie bit her lip. "Nothing."
"I disagree. I think you were trying to take liberties while I slept no less."
Fast as lightening Damon caught Bonnie and pinned her. She squeaked and giggled before their lips found one another like magnets. So lost were they that they didn't know they were performing in front of a startled audience.
"Mr. Salvatore."
Damon froze and quickly threw the covers over himself and Bonnie who tried to cower in his chest. He looked over his shoulder and there standing all bronze and blond was none other than…
"Sage," Damon growled the name.
"So sorry to catch you unawares, but I wanted to let you know I was here and at your service."
"And you couldn't have knocked?"
"I did but apparently your attention was elsewhere. Hello, Miss Bonnie lovely to see you again."
"Go away, Sage," came the muffled reply. Bonnie was slowly dying of embarrassment.
Sage bowed and then backed his way out of the room. Bonnie didn't lift her head from Damon's chest until she heard the soft click of the door closing.
"Do you think we saw me?" her eyes were huge and round with mortification.
"No, but he got a lovely view of my backside," he chuckled and kissed her again. "We should get a move on."
Damon motioned to get out of bed but Bonnie caught him by the arm, pulling him back down again. "Not until after you kiss me properly."
He rolled his eyes. "I think I've gone and created a monster."
"Be happy with your creation, Damon. Be very happy."
Chapter end.
A/N:Not saying everything is resolved between Bonnie and Damon. The real test of their connection will come once they make it back to Fell's Church. The next chapter will be the final chapter in this small little story. I hope you guys liked it. Stay tuned for the next update. Thanks for reading!