A/N: Angel, buy2222, Lit Lover 101, and guest, loved your reviews (and a shout out to all those how liked the story and put in their favs); they definitely prompted me to write more of this story quickly. Am really loving the chemistry between Bonnie and Kai and hope they have more hawt interactions., so here goes...as always reviews and comments are always appreciated! Luv you all!

2.

After New Year's

It's the day before her birthday, and he's at Damon and Elena's again, regaling them with exploits of his troubled youth, while Bonnie sits on the opposite end of the table, curiously feeling that her friends are trying to push Kai and her together. So, she smiles politely, passes the ham, and doesn't pick a fight with them at the table.

She does not like this 'set up' her new year's been started with.

Elena keeps tutting away her attempts at helping in the kitchen, smiling in an overbearing kind of way, which only serves to infuriate her more. Bonnie's sure Kai is fully aware of her friends matchmaking intentions because he gives her quiet meaningful looks from time to time she has no idea of how to interpret. He was polite and courteous the entire time, but would get intensely quiet when Damon and Elena disappeared from the table. It's as if he was trying to have a telepathic conversation with her, but she couldn't translate any of the messages, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to have the conversation.

After about ten courses and some measured sips of chardonnay later she says goodbye to Elena and Damon. They're beaming and rosy, either from the booze at Dinner, or at the misguided idea that their matchmaking routine had been successful. She tries to be selfless and beam back at them, not wanting to part ways irritated or congested with annoyance at both of them.

Her car is cloaked in darkness and by the time she walks up to it-a good two streets away, she realises sharply that Kai left half an hour before her, so it's not a complete and utter shock when she finds him leaning against the hood of her small, dark blue, hatchback. He watches her walk up with a slight upward quirk of lips, resolutely unfazed, not making the effort to move away and at the same time effectively blocking her from going anywhere.

Now she regrets parking the car too damn far away from prying eyes.

Bonnie could feel the slight uptake of her pulse, her heart beating a little stronger than usual, her breath lighting up the distance between them with short bursts of white puffs. He straightened up, off of her hood finally, all 5'11 inches of him trying to bridge few inches of gap between them by meeting her halfway while she pulled her jacket around herself consciously, trying to gather both warmth and a sense of control about her.

With the distance between them sparse and him showing no signs of getting out of her way, she stopped walking abruptly, leaving more than an arm's length of space.

'You're still here?...' She starts awkwardly because the silence is worrying her and she finds it creepy that he waited outside for her for half an hour, in the cold, no less.

'I was wondering when you'll show up...it's crazy cold out here. Wanted to make sure you're okay to drink and drive' He say's grinning, and Bonnie relaxes a little, finding herself smiling back and feeling ridiculously paranoid about his intentions out in the dark.

'I'm fine... I didn't really drink a lot. Figured I should lay off if I want to get home without running myself off the road...' She tells him conspiratorially, trying to be cool about her previously wildly thumping heart, his grin calms down to a gentle smile in response, an almost serious one. The slight change in his demeanour is so sudden that she almost misses it.

'So, Damon thought we would hit it off famously...' He says, coolly coming to the point while pocketing his car keys, the tell tale jangle was soothing to hear. It meant he was leaving soon. Oh god! this was awkward, she hated blind dates that ended awkwardly...Elena was going to get an earful for trying to set her up with Kai Parker.

'Yeah, they just got married; they like to do that...you know? Set up single people...' She trailed watching his eyes shift to a squint, studying her curiously. 'But you don't like me.' It was a statement, not a question, he was serious, she could tell and that threw her off, she felt defensive suddenly feeling as though he was accusing her of some terrible crime. 'I don't know you Kai, it's nothing personal, I mean ...' He cuts her off though before she can cover any of the other excuses she had practised mentally when they were all having dinner.

'You don't know me... yet, you don't like me.'

She tried to smile calmly to the quip, not meeting his intense gaze as it flicked from her conflicted face to the hint of cleavage showing through her short jacket she'd stupidly decided to wear tonight. It seemed rude to try and zip up now even though the impulse was pretty strong. 'You know women, they generally like me... 'He said pausing mid sentence, checking at his watch as Bonnie fought the urge to roll her eyes and tell him to grow up, but then he continued with a patient smile, 'I don't know, maybe it's the money, or they like the face, or it could be both...' Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest trying to not to be obvious, 'Well, it's always good to be self aware...' she said lightly, trying to prise herself away from a sticky situation.

Kai just carried on as if he hadn't heard her, '...but you just seem indifferent... and scared. I've never met anyone who's both.'

The last part was almost a whisper, and she felt goose bumps break out over her arms as his words, however trivial and childish they might have been, managed to implant a suggestion of fear somewhere deep inside her. It wasn't exactly full blown panic, but there was definitely a tremor of something worrying trying to worm itself within the confines of her heart. She felt her cheeks flush and opened her mouth to say something gently dismissive and final, but he beat her to it again, 'I'm not complaining, Bonnie...' He said closing the arms length distance between them, invading her personal space like he was entitled to being close to her. She tried to take a step back, feeling the inviting heat from their closeness, but felt one of his hands close around her elbow, firmly keeping her in place.

'Shhh...it's okay, I'm just saying...don't be scared, I don't bite.' But then he paused, smiling apologetically, adding 'Well, not always...' She waited for the punch line, but the jab didn't seem light hearted at all and she looked at him, face openly blossoming with fear, unsure of whether to whip back and slap him, or to just wrench away and make a run for it in her debilitating black heels. 'Kai...' she started warningly, when he quickly pulled out something small from his jacket pocket, presenting it to her with a flourish, 'Ta-daa!...happy birthday...'

Thrown for the moment, she stared opened mouthed at the small key ring with a small stuffed bear that suspiciously resembled her ms. cuddles at home. She must have reached for the impromptu gift because he simultaneously let go of her when her hand closed around the tiny bear. And Just like that the heat emanating from his grip on her dissipated, replacing her with intense cold all over.

'Umm...thanks' She managed in a normal voice when he quirked his eyebrows in expectation. 'But it's not my birthday yet...' He smiled and consulted his watch casually taking a few steps back, finally leaving her to the safety of her car, 'It's after midnight...' he told her, his eyes sparkling with mischief and she felt almost faint, as if he were slowly sucking all the calm out of her. Which is why, it always came out like a plea, 'I need to go...it's late.'

'Okay, I'll be seeing you...' He promised with a wink and strolled into the darkness, disappearing like a ghost, leaving Bonnie somewhat breathless to scramble for her car. It's only then she notices a small note stuck on bear with Kai's number casually scribbled on it.