She had no idea as to why she had asked him. Well, she had one but there was no way she would be asking any other questions this evening.
Klaus found her amusing, that much was evident. He hadn't said it in so many words; in fact she wasn't sure he could speak more than a few words at a time.
He held out his hand to her as he made to stand, if only to assist her from her chair. She nodded with a small smile as she accepted his hand with her own.
She was pleasantly surprised when tucked her hand into his arm and escorted her as they bid their good-nights to the rest of the guests in the dining hall.
Her free hand shook as she fought not to look nervous squeezing and releasing her hand at her side where he couldn't see.
It was ridiculous really, she thought. She had spent her whole life reading, studying, proving clouded minds wrong about what women could do.
Yet here she was nervous as the night before she opened her firm. She whispered for guidance but found none as her eyes averted to his profile in the shadows.
She let out a slow breath drawing his attention. "You know Miss Forbes," he said surprising her with his address of her.
"It's Caroline, please," she requested as she interjected. He nodded accepting the change, something that was shifting to something more, much like them.
"Caroline." The way he said her name shouldn't have given her tingles but she couldn't deny it felt like when she opened the first page of a new case.
She was never a fan of the unknown she researched that how she prepared for every scenario but here, nothing was written out - she would have to wait and see how it was played out.
"I was thinking of asking you to sit with me out by the veranda," he confessed to her in a low tone, tilting his head towards her and searching her eyes. "I thought you might like a chat."
Caroline's bare face was magical; her eyebrows rose and fell her pink mouth perfection as it fell open at his suggestion as he admitted he craved her presence.
"You're an incredible woman," he complimented. "I don't doubt that you don't already know that. But before I praise you any further, I wanted to extend to you my thanks."
They reached the end of their walk the sun setting on one side and the moon rising at the other end. He sighed in quite consternation.
"Are you planning on elaborating?" Caroline asked with a half a smile looking up at him, "Words, people, or some people, like to use them."
"I was planning on it," he admitted as she took a seat beside the terrace bench that looked like it might break at any moment.
He decided to spare the bench leaning against the balcony crossing his arms across his front as he looked over at her.
"How can I thank you?" he asked the last few days flashing like a dream in death, like his consciousness had never left and he was living in a dream world with a woman he had barely known.
"Thank me?" she asked, turning in her spot her, leg grazing his leg to cultivate a fire deep within him. He nodded in all seriousness. "You can talk more," she quipped as she stood up moving in front of him then over to his side matching his position against the balcony.
Klaus tried to bite back a grin having heard Kol before through the thin walls of their hotel, "I'll take you anywhere you want to go," he said interjecting over her looking at her fully.
"Paris, Rome, Tokyo," he listed as his hands reached over the top of the terrace caging her in his grasp as she fought not to squirm.
Caroline settled for arching her back and crossing her arms as he settled closer, "Do you tell all of your conquests this?" she said.
Klaus grinned moving in closer enjoying the way the candle lights reflected as the moon came over them and he teased, "No, usually I just smile."
She tilted her head moving closer to his face, "I'm too smart to be seduced by you," she remarked licking her top lip.
His pupils dilated as she answered heat blooming in her belly. "You are, that's why I like you," he replied, their breaths mixing.
If she moved any closer her lips would just touch his. She felt her eyelids drift half close as she smelled the wine coming off him.
"Tell me what you want," he whispered his breath hitting her, making her open her eyes and sensing he was just as lost in this moment as she was.
"I want-" Caroline said softly. "I'm tired," she added changing her mind at the last moment. "I want to go to bed," she told him with a tight smile.
"Right," Klaus said just as softly pulling back to give Caroline her space to which she breathed a sigh of relief clearly in uncharted waters.
"I'll walk you," he murmured with his hands behind his back gesturing with his head to step ahead of him. He waited four steps before he followed after her.
He didn't touch her or try to engage her again. She cursed herself but knew it was the right thing to do, "Thank you," the words slipped from her lips as she found her room.
"My pleasure," he said but his words seemed hollow he took one long stride and he was beside her again. "Goodnight, Caroline," he whispered before kissing her cheek.
She shut her eyes, holding on to her door to keep from swooning or doing anything of the like. "And what was that for?" she asked with a shaky voice.
Klaus gave her a small smile as he took a step towards his room, "Sometimes a kiss on the cheek is better than one on the lips," he informed her.
His expression grew wry as he looked her over opening his door, "It lets you, everyone, know there is affection that it could grow to love if you nurture it," Klaus said as he shut his door.
"I'm going to dream about this aren't I?" she sighed as she shoved through her door dramatically as she began undressing and sorting through her luggage to find another night gown.
Caroline avoided Klaus all the next morning, making a point to only talk to him when it seemed inappropriate to sit in silence.
Kol noticed right away and Klaus seemed to be reveling in her change of behavior towards him. She longed to smack the smug look off of his face.
She struggled with her suitcase and makeup bag. Hearing him chuckle in the distance the sound was like nails on a chalkboard.
"Need my help with anything love?" he asked without moving to approach her knowing she wouldn't like it if he tried.
"Nope," she withheld a growl as she spoke and her book fell on the floor not making it into her purse. She preferred him far away rather than up close with flirtatious glances.
She put down her suitcase to reach for her book, his hand coming over the cover before she could take it from him. His eyebrows rose at the title.
He handed it back to her without a word reaching for her suitcase. "I'll get this," he said reaching for both of her luggage bags.
Kol appeared behind her with his own bag, half hugging her before they heard the last call. "Did you ask him?" he said incredibly loudly considering Klaus was only a few feet away.
Klaus turned his head as she fumed, "No, she didn't," he said winking at her before he began whistling as if he wasn't obviously listening in and interjecting as he liked.
"Shut," she said as she looked at Klaus then turned her head at Kol, "up," she warned them as she marched passed them in the direction of the ramp and her only way home.
Kol grinned in delectation, dancing around her as she went. "Last chance old girl," he warned her as if it was for her own good.
Klaus followed them up the ramp, shoving past other guests to get to his younger brother. "Another word and I'll tear out your liver," he warned him.
Kol gasped looking from his older brother to his oldest friend. "Caroline are you going to let him?" Caroline's eyes narrowed further their faces matching as they looked at him.
"Another word and I will join him," Caroline cautioned him as she placed her hands on her hips. "Leave," she told him as she went to check them in.
Kol huffed stomping towards the bar, wishing he was back on the dock instead of trapped on a boat home with Caroline and Klaus.
She ignored him as the workers took their luggage. "Yes, Forbes and Mikaelson," she said receiving her keys as she moved away from the check in booth.
"Are you really not going to talk to me?" Klaus asked his hand slipping on to her arm tugging her back without causing a scene.
"I hadn't decided yet," she told him truthfully as she faced him, the tightness in his chest releasing as she spoke.
"Ask me," he whispered, the moment turning romantic as they lived in their bubble gazing at one another even surrounded by so many people.
"No," she told him, her features changing as she tried to pull away subtly. "As much as I want to, I can't. I have a life, a job, to get back to," Caroline told him.
"One month," he offered, lessening his hold on her arm making her chose for herself. "Come with me and I'll show you art and beauties such as yourself in cities and sites."
"My work-" she tried grasping for words even as her eyes shimmered with excitement. "I can't just go away with you. It would be-" she began.
"Inappropriate," he finished for her mockingly, letting her go to give her her space as she had in so many words requested.
"Don't mock me," she cried quietly. "It's easy for you; you're a man," she shook as he turned back to look at her almost surprised by her reasoning.
"And you are a woman," he said matching her tone. "You are strong- I daresay stronger than I," he praised looking at her directly. "I couldn't do what you do every day."
"You have a mind that astounds me," he admitted. "You have my blood boiling one instance and the next I'm in need of the bottom of a bottle in order to keep from doing what I'd like to do," he murmured recalling they weren't alone.
She gaped up at him but he continued, "You have a way of sneaking into my mind and crawling into my actions, you're noble and kind. I enjoy you."
She was speechless and stumped as he was raving about her. "You're so strong. You're beautiful," he murmured against her cheek.
She grabbed him by his collar and pulled him down the hall hearing him grunt but choosing to ignore it in order to get to the bottom of whatever game he was playing.
Caroline felt him touch her waist. She bit her tongue as she shoved him against the wall. Clearly he let her - he was a soldier there was no need for him to be carted away like this.
He grinned as she moved in close. Her face was guarded and blocking the sun behind her at the end of the boat. "You're full of light," he finished his hands coming over hers on his chest nudging her off. She felt her heart pounding in her ears as she fought to keep her composure. "And since you won't ask me, I will ask you," Klaus finished before she could construct a damn sentence.
He stood up straight dropping another kiss to her cheek before he took the keys from her hand astounding her as he walked away.
She finally got her wits about her before he disappeared again. "Aren't you going to ask me?" she shouted at him making him turn.
"Not right now, I'm not," he said as he waved to her disappearing over the other side of the boat where he was lost in the crowd to her eyes.
"Infuriating man," she muttered in loathing, as she looked around and realizing they no longer had their bags. They had been carted away while she was ignoring him but thankfully had her room key.
Yes, she thought, that is where she will go. She will ignore, sit with her work and her books, hoping to not run into him once on the way back home.
Two days he realized he hadn't heard her laugh or looked into her eyes. Now she was truly avoiding him and Klaus wasn't going to let this stand.
It was impossible that she had found a way to steer clear of him on a boat. He more he thought about it the more annoyed he got.
He shuffled the deck of cards so hard that half of it flew at Kol and the other half into the water. Kol was wise in his silence but even that was irritating him.
He let out an exasperated breath. Caroline was amiable and earnest, but spoke her mind. She demanded attention just by walking into a room.
She was a joy bubbling with personality and glimmers of a woman that was beyond something superficial.
She had a way of consuming him with questions and big ideas; something he never wanted or craved with any other.
Caroline, for the life of her, couldn't figure out why Klaus hadn't come to see her yet. It consumed her with questions, suggestions and ideas. Mostly about the gun he carried with him.
She took another drink despite the looks she was getting. She held her gaze with one woman until she looked away.
Caroline supposed it wasn't fair; her note had been discreet and he may not even have gotten it, but it still burned her a lot harder than the whiskey.
She grew entirely frustrated after the first day of not seeing him. She threw one of her books out of the window. It took a lot of willpower to not dive in after it.
After that she crawled back into her bed and reviewed his case. Adventurer, traveler, soldier, possibly a privateer. He owned three different properties.
She shut her eyes and pictured how lovely it would be to be whisked away, even if it was by a man she barely knew or had spent any time with.
Her mind went to the night he was released, their walk from dinner out to the balcony. She snorted unattractively, annoyed at the butterflies in her stomach.
She looked around before she let herself back into her room, the last of the ocean breeze hitting her cheek before she entered.
"Caroline," Klaus' voice submerged her room as she opened her eyes leaning against her closed door. He grinned, having surprised her.
"This fell out of Kol's pocket," he began, his hand going into his suit jacket taking out a piece of book paper that was tucked away in his pocket.
"It's dated two days ago," he said looking it over, "in your print." He stood up without drawing an eye to her. "It seems I'm late," he remarked as he tucked it back into his jacket pocket.
"Yes," she hissed without meaning to. "What are you doing in my room?" she asked with a hand over her chest, hiding the bottle she was drinking behind her back as she moved along the wall.
He eyed her looking vaguely amused by her antics, "What are you hiding?" he asked in the same tone mocking her lightly relishing her shaky stance.
He watched her, enjoying catching her off guard. "You first," she replied with a raise of her eyebrow, albeit childishly but rightfully so. Klaus conceded with a bow to his head striding closer to her.
"I came because I was curious about you," he answered, drawing bigger questions into her head as he reached around her taking the bottle from her hands.
"Hmm," he sighed softly, inhaling the lingering scent of alcohol in between her parted lips. "My favorite," he whispered though she was unclear if he meant her lips or the bottle as his eyes flickered to both.
"I came for your confession," he said it simply as if that was the only thing he needed to say and she would understand. He felt like a soldier again - interrogating, needing answers only she could give.
"Confession? About what? I haven't done anything," she said honestly. Their almost kiss popped into her mind and she shrugged it away as she tried to move past him.
Klaus raised a finger in warning, shaking it back and forth, "Yes, you have. Maybe without meaning to but you have nonetheless," he answered her.
"You can't do this to me, Klaus," she told him, trying to shrug his suggestions off. "You can't just come into my room and confront me about something you've made up in your mind."
"I made it up, did I?" he asked looking disappointed. "Do you really think so lowly of me?" he said stepping back and sucking in his bottom lip to keep from saying something he might regret. "There's a whole world out there waiting for you, Caroline." He made sure she was looking at him as he said it, "Great cities. Art, music, genuine beauty," he whispered touching her cheek.
He gestured to her with his bottle as he spoke backing further away in the direction of the door. "And you can have all of it," he finished as she took a step closer crossing her arms.
"Is this a new way of flirting because it-?" she started to say trying to sound unimpressed with his rather theatrical antics before he interjected again.
"All you have to do is ask," he told her taking a sip of her bottle before giving it back to her. She took it before it could fall to the ground.
"I thought you might," she told him, making him raised a questioning eyebrow. "Ask," she clarified taking a swig of her bottle without wiping off the rim.
Once more they were breathing in each other's air. It was hard for her brain to function. It felt as if he was making the air thin and she had to do something to get it back.
With a hard swallow, she took a short step out of their bubble and let out a slow breath. She fought to keep her wits once more; he drove her insane.
Klaus for his part was just as lost in their space as she was. His lips parted, even as he was forming something to say; unclear as to how to approach her without scaring her.
He licked his bottom lip, bidding his time until he felt her calming down as he moved a fraction of an inch closer. He saw her eyes widen. "Don't be afraid," Klaus whispered.
"I'm not," she tried to tell him, wringing her fingers until they were bone white. "I'm just, thinking," she informed him, disconcerted.
His hand reached out to hers before he registered it, rubbing them softly. They were cold and he didn't like that. "You think too much," he murmured before blowing on her hands to warm her.
"Is that a criticism?" she snapped taking her hands away from him as she turned her back on him. He would laugh if it wouldn't get him into deeper hot water with her.
Instead, he touched her arm. Caroline turned her face to look at him. "No, it's praise. You already know you want to, so just do it. Ask me anything, I'll give you anything you want."
"I-" she began, hope dawning in his chest. She turned, her confidence in him picking up where they left off days ago.
"Yes," he encouraged her with a smile, making her smile in turn. She lifted her hands, brushing her curls back away from her eyes to give him a lovely view of all of her.
If Caroline noticed she didn't mention it, opting instead to say what seemed to be the first thing on her mind, as usual. "I don't even know what to call you," she said.
She looked as if her comment was painfully embarrassing. He decided to make her smile at his expense, as he loved to see the lines of her mouth turn up. "Call me 'yours' to do with whatever you want."
His tone was light but flirtatious. He could tell she caught it by the way she looked at him. "Anything," she answered softly and he grew extraordinarily warm.
"Yes," he supplied gruffly, fixing his collar, not seeing as she moved closer. She took his tie and loosened it for him as he watched, frozen, because she had touched him.
When her fingers touched his collarbone accidentally, her knees almost turned to clay. Working quickly and efficiently, she finished and looked up at him.
"There," she whispered, taking a step back as she ran a hand over the side of her face. "When the boat docks I want you to take me here," she said and before he could grab on to her, the boat lurched.
In the next moment, she was meeting the floor ungracefully as her hands came out to break her fall. She felt a hand come around her middle.
Klaus had fallen along with her but using his reflexes he was able to catch her and break her landing. She fell on his chest with an unattractive grunt.
"Thanks," she offered shortly as she rushed, crawling past him. She heard him get up behind her as she grabbed a map from one of her oldest books.
She flipped it open and turned to find Klaus nearby. "I know you have a home here and I want to go with you," she explained excitedly as she looked back up at him feeling his stare.
Klaus smiled as he reached for the map, moving next to her on his knees. His eyes went from her face to the map in front of them. "It's an exquisite place to forget about the world," he commented.
Caroline grinned confidently, thanking her lucky stars. "I'd like that very much," she responded sitting down on the backs of her calves, finally resting.
Klaus nodded once. "Then it's settled," he said vaguely and with that, he left her room in a blaze, leaving her wondering just what on earth she had gotten herself into. Again.
Hope you enjoyed! :))