Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to the show.

Author's Note: So I think I'll stick to updating this once a week, for the time being. I want to get more chapters written before I start updating more frequently. I just worry that I'll go through writer's block and I don't want to leave you guys hanging too long. It seemed to work relatively well when I posted my last story.

BrownieStick: I'm glad you liked it. I do enjoy writing (and reading) Elejah smut, because it's the only way we Elejah fans can get it. I hope I don't disappoint you as we get further into it.

Siberia21: See, I mentioned before that I originally wrote this to be a one-shot, so that's why I had it so straight forward. I didn't even think that I could, as you said 'start from the beginning.' I would worry that I wouldn't be able to write it while keeping the characters somewhat in character. If you liked that first scene, there's more smut to come.

Diehardromantic: Thank you for your compliment. I was hoping you would read this as well. Yes, multiple chapters here. I just don't have an end in sight yet, so I can't tell you how long.

SwanQueen4055: Thank you.

Dreio: I certainly hope you feel that way throughout the rest of this story. There's nothing worse than when a story starts off really strong only for it to die off later. I will certainly do my best to make sure that doesn't happen.

Casey: Oh, don't worry, I will definitely continue on with this one. As I mentioned in my note above, I'm going to keep the updates to just once a week until I get more chapters written out.

Callie8M: Thank you, and I hope I don't disappoint you later on.

*Warning: There will be smut towards the end of the chapter!*

Chapter 2

Fiddling with her keys, Elena stared at her companion as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip. "I'd invite you inside, but my house is messy."

Elijah arched one eyebrow and smirked at her words. He found it difficult to part from the young woman before him, and he was not yet ready to relinquish his time with her.

She noticed the amusement on his face as his eyes danced with mirth at the thin excuse. "No, really," insisted. "Tonight, something happened to Rick at the house and there was blood everywhere." She'd cleaned it up the best that she could earlier after taking care of Alaric, but she knew that it would take several deep cleans for every trace of what happened to disappear.

Elijah's good humor slowly turned into deep concern. "Elena, what have you gotten yourself into?" He asked, glancing around the porch to see if anyone was watching them. He took the keys from her hand and unlocked the door before letting himself into her home. As soon as he entered, the smell of blood and bleach immediately assaulted his nose. He followed the scent, taking in the horrifying scene in the kitchen. Blood still stained the cabinets and glasses were broken all over the counter and floor. "You were going to sleep here tonight? Alone?" How could she possibly think that was an acceptable decision? "This must have been a great deal of blood, Elena." While the bleach had been able to clean up most of it, his eyes allowed him to see what humans could not. "What happened?"

Approaching him from behind, she set down her purse and moved to the trashcan so as to clean up the glass that remained untouched. She and Matt had done their best to quickly clean up before bringing Alaric back to the comfort of his own apartment. She focused on the task at hand before her as she told him her story.

"Alaric and Damon have made a new friend in town. Her name is Meredith Fell. Not only is her family part of the council, but she is now. She um…she's a doctor at the hospital. Her boyfriend, or I guess ex-boyfriend, was the medical examiner."

He paid special attention to the use of her words. "Was?"

"His body was found, he'd been stabbed…with a stake." She watched him process the news, understanding why she'd started her story the way she had. "Um, there were a couple suspects, but nothing really panned out, and then it was revealed that the only prints on the stake were mine."

Concern and apprehension flooded through him. "How is that even possible?" He never entertained the thought that Elena was capable of murdering someone.

She shook her head. "I don't keep weapons here. Alaric keeps them at his apartment, but he's never brought them to the house. And even if he did, I certainly don't touch them." She remembered the lessons that Alaric and Damon had given her earlier on, and she knew how much force needed to be used to actually stake someone. "I'm not efficient with them, so if I was going to use a weapon, it wouldn't be a stake."

One side of his mouth tilted upwards as he considered her words. He'd love to spar against Elena to see what she knew about protecting herself. As a human that spent most of her time with vampires, she needed to know how to defend herself.

"And then I remembered my family's lake house. My parents kept weapons there, and when I went to double check, there was a stake missing."

"Surely they know that you had nothing to do with it…"

Elena nodded. "Sheriff Forbes knows I didn't do it. Because the police were turning an eye to me, Alaric and Damon turned their interest to Meredith. She may be a council member, but Damon's learned that she heals her patients by using vampire blood."

The Original pursed his lips. It sounded like he would be making an unscheduled trip to the hospital. Who was supplying the good doctor with blood? And more importantly, why was she stupid enough to use it on her patients? Didn't she consider the possibility that things happened, and any one of those patients could have died with the blood in their system?

"And then Caroline's dad came back to town. Tyler Lockwood attacked him and he was treated by Dr. Fell."

"Gave him vampire blood, did she?"

"And then he was stabbed afterwards, thus beginning his transformation," she finished. "Mrs. Forbes knows the circumstances behind that and is aware that I had no part of it, but it still leaves them with a suspect out there."

"And Alaric was attacked here in your home?" Unless Elena had invited an unknown group of vampires into her home, it meant that the killer was more than likely human. "What possessed you to think that staying here by yourself was a wise idea?" Honestly where was her sense of self-preservation?

Elena finished cleaning up the glass and set the trashcan back down where it was normally kept before she turned around to face him. "Honestly, I figured that whoever it was wouldn't return back to the scene of the crime." Also, she didn't want to bother her friends. Caroline was still dealing with the fallout from her father's decision not to turn and Bonnie had just reunited with her mother. She didn't want to bring Matt further into the situation, and she wouldn't step foot inside the boarding house and possibly cause even more drama with Stefan and Damon.

Elijah studied her form. "I'm not leaving you tonight, Elena."

"Elijah, I'll be fine," she waved away his concern, though she felt humbled by it. From the moment that they made their first deal, her trust in the Original had never waned.

He shook his head, not at all ready to believe her. "I don't think it's a coincidence that the killer used something of yours against those people." Perhaps if she'd been a normal girl, but Elena wasn't normal. With her involvement with the supernatural…it was too coincidental. "The victims are also becoming more personal to you." First her best friend's father was grievously injured and then her guardian? He considered the rest of her friends and wondered if any of them would be next. "You don't need to be alone right now." He wasn't quite sure what it all meant, but he was going to investigate it further.

"But your family…" If Rebekah was awake then that meant his brothers were as well.

"Will still be there tomorrow," he inserted, not at all worried about them. Klaus was there, and he was sure that by then, Rebekah had returned home with her tail in between her legs. The two of them could help Kol, Finn and their mother adjust to the new times.

"I'm sure that they will be. I only meant that this is the first night that you have all been reunited." He'd made no secret of his desire to have his family back. "You should be spending it with them." She wasn't trying to talk him out of his decision, but guilt snuck into her conscience.

He took a moment to consider her words. While he was anxious to spend time with his brothers, he found himself more interested in the brunette before him. "There's nowhere I'd rather be right now," he replied in earnest. "It's been a long night, Elena. Why don't you shower and get ready for bed, and I'll finish cleaning in here?"

When he immediately spun away from her, she stood stalk sill. She didn't like feeling as if she'd been dismissed, and she felt anger simmering below the surface. How dare he? "Excuse me?"

"I mean it, Elena. We'll talk shortly." He didn't know how to tell her that he needed a couple minutes to himself to gather his nerves. He knew that if he didn't, there would be a strong possibility that he may something he'd regret.

He felt mounting anger at his human companion. He was amazed by her ability to find herself in potentially dangerous situations without any common sense. Not only was her recent revelation worrisome, but so was her flippancy about it. Either she didn't understand the threat made against her, or she didn't care; both reasons served to fuel his anger. His feelings for Elena had grown exponentially over the course of their acquaintanceship. He didn't fully understand it himself, but he did know that just the idea that she could be injured was enough to send his demon swimming up to the surface.

Taking in the stiffness of his body, she let out a weary sigh. "Elijah…" She trailed off, unsure of what she could possibly say in that moment. Something told her that even if she could put her thoughts and feelings into words that they wouldn't be well received in that moment. "Whatever…" Turning around, she left the room.

Hearing her footsteps trail away, Elijah dropped his head. His hands balled into fists and he pounding them against the counter once. He ignored both the feeling and sound of the ceramic tile (as well as the wood cabinets) splinter underneath his fists. "Damn it!"

Exiting the shower, Elena grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her small body before letting down her hair. She brushed her teeth before moving to her room to find something to wear. She tossed on violet-blue tank top and a pair of yoga pants. She'd almost considered wearing sleepwear, but her choices consisted of sexy articles and far from sexy articles. If she grabbed the former, she thought it would be trying too hard, and she was even sure if she wanted something further to happen that night. If she picked the latter, she was afraid it would tell him that she wasn't interested at all.

Making her way downstairs, she found Elijah leaning against the island counter in the kitchen. Knowing that she didn't need to make extra noise to announce her presence, she waited for him to address her. She was still feeling slightly miffed by his words before she went upstairs, and she refused to cave in first.

Gracefully, he moved towards Elena, drinking in her appearance. Her skin was still flushed from the hot water of her shower, and he discovered that he found her just as beautiful without make-up as she was wearing it. The only thing he didn't like was that she no longer smelled of him. "I'm sorry about earlier," he spoke softly. When she refused to meet his gaze, his hand moved to her chin and he tilted her head up. "I was…Elena, don't you understand the potential danger in this situation?" His hand traveled to her cheek.

Closing her eyes, she fell into his touch. "It's not that I don't, but if I stressed over every single situation in my life, I'd have had several mental breakdowns." She was very aware of the seriousness of it. "It's just…compared to everything else that my friends and I have dealt with, it seems almost inconsequential, you know?"

"And you decided to stay here alone instead of going somewhere else…why?" He needed to know that she wasn't as reckless as she appeared to be.

When his hand dropped from her cheek, she shook her head. "I didn't want to bother anyone else. Matt isn't as involved with all this as the rest of us, and I didn't want to pull him in. And Bonnie and Caroline are dealing with family issues, they don't need my stuff on top of it."

He noticed that she didn't mention Stefan and Damon. While he despised both of them, one more than the other; he knew that they both wanted to keep her safe. "And your Salvatores?"

When his eyebrows rose in a pointed manner as he said their name, she almost winced. "I've already caused enough damage there. I know that they'd let me stay with them in a heartbeat, but…I also know that it would only cause more drama between them."

He nodded at her excuse. He didn't care for it, but knowing Elena the way he did, her decision made sense. "Before I leave in the morning, I will give you the number to my cellular." When she cracked a smile of amusement, he shook his head. "What can possibly be so amusing about that?"

Nibbling on her bottom lip over the choice of his word, she bit back her smile. "Nothing," she denied softly. Looking around the room, she noticed the near spotless kitchen, bar for the blood that still stained the cabinets, and then she noticed the condition of her counter. "Is there a reason why you felt my counter had to die?" She couldn't find it in herself to care much. As far as she was concerned, the kitchen had already been tainted by Alaric's blood. She watched his reaction, interested when he ran a hand through his hair.

"I've prided myself on always being in control," or at least keeping the appearance of it. "Yet, I find that I lack that certain trait when you are involved. I will have it repaired of course."

"You really don't have to. I think this room is in need of a major facelift." She felt sorrow as she looked around the room. Ever since her parents died, she and Jeremy had kept the house as a sort of shrine; afraid that if they changed anything, that their lives with their parents would be forgotten. She didn't look forward to that task.

"You are not looking forward to it…"

"We haven't changed the house since my parents died," she admitted softly. "Jenna and Rick's room aside, nothing else was done." Clearing the unpleasant thoughts away, she looked back at her companion. "Are you ready for our conversation now?"

Gazing into her eyes, he offered her an open smile. "Yes, I imagine you have a few questions." He held a hand out for her, entwining their fingers as he led her towards the direction of her room.

Silently she followed behind him. Considering the fact that he'd only been in her house a handful of times, he appeared extremely comfortable. She didn't feel uneasy in the least as he led her through her own house as if it was his own; in fact, it felt almost normal.

Elijah pulled Elena to the mirror in her room, moving them so he towered over her as they both faced it. "What would you like to know?"

"You said that you marked me…" She met his gaze unflinchingly through the reflection of the mirror. "What did you mean?"

"Has Stefan not told you about this?" He wondered about her naivety when it came to vampires. She really should have taken the time to study and learn about them before she decided to run with them.

She shrugged. "He hasn't exactly been available lately, either emotionally or any other way. And before then, he'd asked me about turning, but when I told him that I didn't want to, he just…got quiet." Looking back, she regretted her decision. At the time she had no desire to change, she didn't even know how she felt then; but shouldn't she be open to the possibility?

He had to admit, he felt confused by her statement. She always appeared so eager to play the part of a martyr. She wanted death but not a transition? Her best friend was a vampire, her ex-boyfriend and whatever the hell Damon was to her, were vampires. He respected her decision, but he didn't like it. It would be something that he planned on prodding at a later date.

Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, he began with an apology. "I must begin by apologizing, Elena. It wasn't a conscious decision on my part." He supposed that the decision had been made by his animalistic side more so than him. "Because of that mark on your neck, I have essentially claimed you. That mark will protect you against others of my kind, warning them away from you."

She frowned and turned her attention towards the mark on her skin. "I don't understand. Klaus drank from me to the point of killing me. How is that different from what you did?" If his mark was meant to deter others, then how had it gone unnoticed for so long?

"He bit you to drink from you. A claiming mark is different." Drinking from people tended to get messy, so bites tended to be more careful.

"How so?"

Nuzzling her neck, he pushed her hair away and focused on licking and nibbling the mark he'd left. Her reaction was instantaneous and felt her shudder against him. His hands moved to her waist, holding her closer to his body. "For one thing, the bite is deeper. It's meant to be a little messy so that even when it's healed the scar will remain. When I bit you, I pushed a bit of venom into you."

Her eyes closed as pleasure welled up inside her. She reminded herself that she would need to ask him more about her reaction to him. "Venom? What? Whenever Stefan and I were…" She trailed off, feeling a rumble of his chest as he growled against her.

Relieved that she rightly trailed off with his reaction as she spoke of her activities with Stefan during the course of their relationship, he forced his growls down. He'd known the day that he'd first taken her, that she'd known the intimate touch of another, maybe even more than one. He also knew that as a vampire, Stefan wouldn't have been able to withstand the lack of sex for long. The young Salvatore may not have considered himself a youngling, but Elijah still viewed him as such. Lust of any kind was still a fairly dominant trait in vampires younger than two hundred. The rational side of his thoughts understood that, but he had a strong desire to fuck her until she forgot that there had ever been another man. Realizing that his thoughts would more than likely make her uncomfortable, he turned back to his explanation. "Because claiming is an instinctual reaction, the venom is more closely tied to the demon inside a vampire. It isn't just something that can be conjured at will. The venom also serves to make the mark more noticeable."

"But I hardly recognized it, and no one else did either…" Klaus had been close enough to it the night of the sacrifice and she'd spent more time with Damon than ever before. How had they not seen it? She knew that the mark was light for her human eyes, but weren't vampires gifted with excellent eyesight?

Pulling away from her neck, he met her gaze once again through the mirror. His hands were splayed over her stomach and he closed the distance between their bodies completely. "And this is something that I've thought on. While it's true that the desire to mark someone is instinctual, it's usually discussed by the couple beforehand." While he'd never experienced it firsthand, he knew of it happening between acquaintances if his through the years. Each party involved always knew the consequences beforehand. "If you'll remember that day, we did not discuss that. And I believe that because I did not originally intend to mark you, I was not as thorough in my actions."

Elena met his gaze through the reflection of the mirror as her hands moved to settle over his. "What does that mean?"

He stared at their joined hands and he wondered if she even realized that she'd done that. "Honestly, I have never heard of such a thing." He hated admitting such a thing to anyone, but he couldn't lie to her. She would need to know everything about the situation since included her. Based on her reaction to him when he touched his mark, he knew that she was definitely feeling the effects. "It either happens or it doesn't. I'm afraid that this is new territory, even for me." There was also the added twist that she was still human and that also left him with more questions.

"But you gravitate to that spot…" As soon as she spoke, he once again nipped at the area before licking and nibbling over it.

"And you quiver in my arms every time," he returned in a husky voice.

"What…what happens to a couple that…i…is marked?" Her eyes were closed and she had difficulty questioning him. She felt her body coming alive in response to his actions and she was beginning to grow extremely aroused. Judging by the growing erection she felt against her backside, she wasn't the only one feeling it. When Elijah's head snapped up and she met his intense gaze through the mirror, she noticed that his eyes were a few shades darker than usual.

"I love your reaction to me," he purred against her ear, breathing into it. He was rewarded by the scent of her arousal permeating the air around them. He spun her around in his embrace. "You smell divine, and I want nothing more in this moment than to bend you over your desk and plow into you until you submit to me in every way." He held no embarrassment in sharing his desire with her.

Her arms easily moved to accommodate his nearness as her body easily reacted to his. She dropped her head against his shoulder as she whimpered. This…whatever this was, differed from their previous times together. She knew that she'd been seduced their first time. Tonight, it had been about reacquainting themselves with one another. Both times had been passionate and needful, but there was something almost primal and desperate between them in that moment.

"And you'd let me, wouldn't you?" He nearly purred as his arms moved around her and he grasped her bottom in his hands before pulling her against his growing erection. "Someone could be in this room with us right now and you'd let me take you any way I wanted…"

Mortification flooded through her in that moment. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. It was then that her insecurity took over. Next to him, she only had a handful of experiences to draw from. He must have been doubtlessly proficient in the art of sex and she was beginning to worry about her body's reaction to his ministrations. It couldn't possibly be normal! Did it have something to do with his mark? It must have something to do with it, because she'd never reacted in such a way to anyone before.

He watched several expressions flicker across her face before she settled on a frown. Claiming her mouth in a heart fluttering kiss, he pulled her from whatever thoughts that plagued her. "Don't mistake my words, lover. You have no reason to feel embarrassed or inferior about your reactions to me. I enjoy them very much." To make his point, he thrust against her. When her body relaxed from its tightly coiled position, he enticed her into another long kiss. "I want you, Elena," he breathed against her lips.

Vaguely she was aware that they were headed on a course away from their intended conversation, but she found little care for it in that moment. "And how do you want me?" She asked in husky voice, prepared to give him what he wanted. Her body was beginning to ache for him, and she needed it to stop and her instincts told her that he was the only one who could give her relief.

Elijah smirked at her choice of words. He already began conjuring up various positions for them to try out in the future. "Oh, I have a few thoughts running through my mind." The promise in his voice was clear. "But right now, I want you to ride me." She obviously understood that there was a world of difference between them as far as sexual experiences went, but he wanted to draw her out of her shell…he needed to. At least in this position, it gave her a semblance of control that he sensed she needed to feel.

When his lips trailed down her neck and he began sucking on her pulse point, her eyes closed and she willingly submitted to him. "What about our conversation?" At that moment nothing else mattered to her than feeling of his naked body against hers.

He didn't dare remove his lips from her skin as he replied. "Later." Questions still plagued both of them, but he couldn't find the desire to pull away from her in that moment. Kissing his way up to her mouth, he claimed her mouth with a renewed fierceness. His body ached to join with her, and without interrupting their kiss, he unbuttoned his shirt before unbuckling his belt and unfastening his pants. When he felt he was at his easiest point of shedding his clothes, he picked her up and carried her to her bed, gently setting her down.

When he released his hold on her, she took a moment to calm her body and catch her breath. She realized it was a futile effort however as Elijah shed his clothes in a matter of seconds. She gazed at him, mesmerized by all his naked glory.

"Do you like what you see, Elena?" He was in no hurry to cover his body or hide it away from her viewing pleasure. He'd always known that he was attractive and he always relished in his partners reception of his naked form, but he'd never craved the attention as much as he did in that moment. It pleased him endlessly that Elena approved of his body.

Not trusting her words, she nodded, her eyes traveling down the length of body. As awful as she felt to admit it, she couldn't remember what his body looked like. Their first time felt like a blur to her, and the only thing she could clearly remember was her body trembling in a mixture of excitement and prudence against his skilled form. Her only other point of comparison existed in a dark alleyway that bore them little light and even then they both remain semi-clothed.

Stepping closer to her, he leaned down and easily removed her shirt. However, instead of enjoying the view, he gently pushed her back as he easily maneuvered her out of her pants and underwear. Only then, did he stop to drink in the sight of her body. He'd noticed the change in her body when he first approached her earlier in the evening. She'd celebrated another birthday during the time that he'd been daggered, and mother-nature had been treating her well. Her waist was still slim and her curves had filled out. The only difference he could find was that her body was more toned and muscular since their first introduction.

"You are radiant, Elena."

She felt the sting of embarrassment in her cheeks upon hearing his compliment. She was almost tempted to hide her body away, but he appeared most sincere in his words. She'd been told she was beautiful before, but never in such a personal moment. "You act as if you've never seen a naked woman before." She wasn't fishing for compliments, but his words left her feeling uncomfortable.

"I've seen enough to know that I have never been so enticed before."

She shook her head. "Maybe so, but I am also a doppelganger." She was well aware of his previous attachment to Katherine.

Crawling over her body he captured one nipple in his mouth and began to suck on the nub. "And yet, until I seduced you, I remained unknowing," he whispered when he released the pebbled peak.

His thoughts conjured up a vision of Tatia, the originator of the doppelganger curse. She had been the first woman that he'd fallen for. There had been women before her and while he hadn't been a stranger to the secrets of a woman's body, there was never emotion on his side. The moment he'd met her, he was taken (as well as with her child). A cautious friendship grew before he shared his feelings with her, yet there had never been more than heavy petting and a quite a few kisses. He had wanted to respect and treasure her, and he thought he'd done the right thing by her. It wasn't until he stumbled upon Tatia and Klaus in an unsavory position that he realized she'd played him. She may have wanted him, but hadn't wanted only him.

And then there had been Katherine, who had taken him completely by surprise. He hadn't been prepared for the tidal wave of emotions that she brought with her. It didn't take long for his interest in her to become something more, but he always held back. During their entire acquaintanceship they'd shared one close mouthed kiss, which he initiated. When she didn't respond the way he had hoped she would, he attempted to tuck away his feelings for her. He'd had no choice in the matter. Klaus had staked his claim on her the very night Elijah introduced them. It had taken dozens of years for he and Klaus to repair the damage that had been done to their relationship because of Tatia, and he refused to let another woman come between them.

He'd been bitter upon the way that things worked out with them. He'd cared for both women more than anyone else (at least up until that point) and yet he lost out in the end. Staring down at the beauty beneath him he reveled in her mere closeness. The expression on her face was open for him to read and he was easily able to discern her lust, affection and excitement; however it was the trust that he saw shining through her almond shaped eyes that really captured his attention. Other than his siblings, he couldn't remember the last person to look at him in such a way. It was in that moment, he realized there was a reason why things had worked out that way for him. He was no longer spiteful about the end of his relationships with the Petrovas.

The expression on his face went from teasing to contemplation before settling on acceptance. There was no sign of anger or displeasure, but she began to grow concerned. What epiphany had he come to? "What?"

Her question pulled him from his thoughts and he shook his head. With superhuman speed, Elijah lifted her in his arms and adjusted their positions so that he was sprawled along the bed with Elena straddling him. "Absolutely nothing, lover," he denied with a lazy smirk. Worried that he'd killed the moment between them, his hands moved to her waist and he pulled her heat against his throbbing erection.

She sighed as she ground herself against his cock. Lacking any form of teasing or seduction, she lifted herself high enough to grab his impressive length and line it up with her body before dropping down over him. There had been no foreplay, and yet her juices provided enough lubrication to take his entire length in one single thrust downward. Throwing her head back, she savored the feeling of having him inside her once again.

As soon as he was fully sheathed inside her, he yearned to drill up into her and touch her as deeply as was possible. Her body was positively humming, but he sensed that she needed a moment to get her wits about her. The effort that it took not to thrust up into her was more difficult than she could have ever guessed, but he'd give Elena her moment.

"I can't explain it, but I already feel better," she confessed in a husky voice. She didn't know what it meant, but she knew that as soon as he filled her, the aching that she felt ceased. Instead of screaming at her, her body seemed to purr in contentment.

"You know what would feel even better?" He inquired as he felt her raise up before dropping down on him. He held onto her waist, following her movements.

"What's that?" Dropping down a little harder against him, she shimmied her hips, pulling him at a new angle which resulted in a gasp from him.

"Cumming around my cock as I explode in you…"

He was pure sin. Not only was he able to seduce her using his body, but his words had a similar effect on her. She'd never been one for dirty talk. Matt tried it once, but it didn't sound right coming out of his mouth. Stefan had done it during one of their more adventurous times, but it ended up making her feel more dirty than anything. However, when Elijah spoke such things, she felt empowered and desired.

He'd never been one to shy away from things that he desired. He may have had all the appearance of a gentleman in public, but behind closed doors, it was another matter. He was rewarded for his efforts when her pace increased. His hand traveled up her body and he palmed each breast. He squeezed and pinched and pulled at her nipples.

"Oh…the things you do to my body…" He knew exactly how to coax a response out of her and she vowed that she would learn the same trick where he was concerned. She wanted, needed, to know what he liked and desired.

"Oh we're just getting started, Elena. I have so much to share with you, lover," he finished his promise with a particularly strong pinch of her nipples. She clenched around him and moaned. He found his eyes closing in satisfaction as he allowed her to take full control of the situation. He'd been used to vampire lovers, who used their supernatural speed and strength, so the pace that she'd set was slow to him…but oh so enjoyable. He held fast to her breast, continuing to play with her nipples. When her hands settled over his he took particular interest in the way that she would flex them if she moved a certain way. Her breathing was a heady mix of moans and mewls of pleasure.

"I…" Elena trailed off panting as her pace began to grow deliberate. "You aren't deep enough," she whined. While just connecting with him was enough to ease the ache she felt earlier, another one had started to build. She wasn't just having sex, her body was reaching for something more than just a physical relief. She didn't understand it, but she knew it was there.

Sitting up, his hands moved to brace her waist. The next time she dropped down on him, he thrust up into her.

Crying out, she repeated her action. When Elijah met her thrust for thrust, her cries increased. She didn't know if it was because of their new position or the fact that he was easing the ache that plagued her. Either way, she was appreciative of his actions.

Groaning, Elijah leaned in to capture her lips in a breathtaking kiss. She moaned into his mouth and he eagerly swallowed every reaction, never breaking his hold on her.

"Still not enough…" Elena groaned, wrenching her mouth away from his. Her arms moved around his neck and she hugged him closer to her body.

Encircling his arms around her back, the pace of his thrusts increased. He continued to lick, nibble and kiss her collar bone and neck. Her cries grew louder and their bodies shuddered against one another. Moments later, Elijah felt his orgasm creeping up on him.

"I'm almost…" He trailed off with groan of unparalleled pleasure. He'd always been a generous lover; always bringing his partners to completion as well, a habit he refused to drop with her.

She jerkily nodded against him. "Me…ugh…too."

When she revealed her similar state, Elijah didn't bother to hold back any longer. As he thrust into her, he began pulling her against him, hitting her as deep as he possibly could. She mewled as her body shuddered against him and when he felt her walls clamp around him, he embraced his own orgasm. There was an overpowering urge to bite the mark he'd left, but he pushed it down. Instead, he nibbled against it.

Elena didn't know if her orgasm had ended or if it was being drawn out in length; but upon feeling his lips over her mark, another orgasm ripped through her, causing her still sensitive body to react powerfully.

When his thrusts stopped, and she slumped against him he continued to hold her in his embrace. Her head fell against the crook of his neck and he started running a hand through her hair.

Bringing her head up, she met his gaze. "This is going to be a problem, isn't it?" It may have come off as a question, but she knew it was a certainty.

Rather than confirm or deny her observation, he moved her off his lap as they switched positions. He stretched out and pulled her against him before he pulled the comforter over them. "Sleep, Elena," he ordered gently.

Elena closed her eyes and turned into his body. "And you'll stay?"

Placing an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her snuggly against his form. "If that is what you desire."