Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter x

"We're all going to the lake house next weekend?" Elena questioned, taking a sip from her coffee

"Yes, and it's going to be great! The weather should be lovely, we'll have a barbeque, go hiking, swim in the lake. It will be so good before the whole wedding chaos finally kicks in." She looked over at her friend, clutching at her own cup of coffee in her hand.

Caroline's family had a lake house located in Holmes, just on the outskirts of New York City. It was a place where the girls spent most of their summer whilst they were in high school. Elena loved being surrounded by nature and being woken up by birds singing. It was a place where you could really combe through your thoughts and enjoy the silence, forgetting about the quick pace of life in New York.

"I guess I could really do with some days off, but I doubt I'll be able to get off work. It's been quite hectic recently." She grimaced, as she shifted in her seat.

"That's why you have me, silly! I arranged everything already and you are free to go for 4 days." The grin on her face widened as she kept her eyes eagerly set on Elena, awaiting a response.

"Are you serious? Elijah just agreed, no questions asked?" You could hear the slight disbelief in her voice. Elijah wasn't a monster who didn't allow for days off, but they only had a few lawyers working at the firm and it had recently began to attract a bigger group of clients, thus the workload had significantly increased.

Elena and Elijah met when she was doing work experience at a commercial law firm in New York, where she got to work alongside of him. He was five years older than her, handsome, mature and knew what he wanted from life. The guys that she had dated before Elijah were the opposite of him, they lacked ambition and the maturity that she had admired.

It wasn't love at first sight and she wasn't blinded by the feeling, but there was a spark between them and an undeniable connection. After Elena passed the bar, Elijah and Klaus had suggested that the three of them should open a law practice together, which is how they became business partners and formed "Mikaelson & Gilbert". Whilst they all held equal shares and were of equal importance, she respected that Elijah and Klaus had far more experience and knowledge in the field, so it made sense for one of them to manage the place.

"Well duh, plus I got Klaus on my side so there wasn't much to discuss." Elena laughed as Caroline rolled her eyes. "He can't expect you to devote every single second of your life to work, just because he does. You need to live a little, Lena."

"I know, I just feel so guilty every time I see him, it's like the world stopped spinning for him ever since the break-up."

"It's been a year, you've moved on, a number of times might I add." She arched her brows suggestively. "He will never move forward if he still thinks that there's a chance that you'll come back to him."

Elena pursed her lips together, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "There isn't a chance. Not after everything that happened. It couldn't have ended in a worse way. I wasn't the only person that he lost in all of this."

Caroline reached out her hand and placed it on Elena's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "I know sweetie, but he wasn't the only one that lost something. Don't blame yourself for what happened, Elijah has never once thought that it was your fault."

"But it killed him, ever since that day something inside of him just broke and he's never been the same again. I did that to him, and now he's constantly unhappy because of me. Sometimes I really think I should just quit and find a new job. As they say out of sight, out of mind." She fought the tears welling up in her eyes.

Caroline grabbed a box of tissues and handed it to Elena. "Don't you dare give up on that place so easily. You are business partners Elena, he is 33 years old and should know how to separate his personal life from work. Maybe you should talk to him about all of this, like once and for all make things perfectly clear."

"Well hello my beautiful ladies, what are you gossiping about again?" Klaus' British accent echoed through the kitchen, as he walked in carrying grocery bags. The cheeky grin on his face and eyes that lit up at the sight of Caroline spoke for the happiness that he was feeling. He placed the bags on the counter and strolled over to Caroline, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

She eagerly kissed him back and then looked up to meet his gaze and return the smile. "Actually, we were just talking about going to the lake house next weekend. Elena is totally on board with the idea."

"Really Elena, you don't mind having to drive for over an hour and a half with Damon, in the same car?" He smirked and sat down next to Elena, playfully ruffling her hair.

She gasped in surprise and turned to look at Caroline. "Damon? Since when is he going to the lake house?"

Caroline sent a glare in Klaus' direction and mumbled something under her breath. "I haven't told her yet! I was about to and then you just casually barged in here." She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's the plan that Klaus and I had come up with last night, right baby?"

"Huh, oh yeah, of course. We were planning all night long." He replied jokingly, holding in a laugh. When Caroline had her mind set on something, there was no backing down. So naturally, Klaus had gone along with whatever she had planned. After all she had her best friend's interest at heart and he also cared a lot for Elena.

Elena glared at them both. "Are you trying to set me up?"

"No, of course not!" She immediately shook her head. "I just thought it would be nice for you to have someone there. Otherwise you'd be stuck with couples, because Bonnie and Enzo will also be there. And Damon is Enzo's best friend, so we thought it's a good opportunity to get to know each other." The words rapidly escaped her lips one by one in a nervous manner.

Elena tilted her head and eyed them up carefully. "Yeah right, that doesn't sound suspicious at all. But whatever, fine. I don't mind. At least I won't have to deal with you two being all lovey-dovey in the back of my car."

"Hey! We're cute and you know it." Caroline laughed and threw a pillow at Elena's face.

The quick city getaway seemed like a really good idea and something that Elena needed. She couldn't remember the last time she went on a proper vacation; the previous year had been difficult and full of unpleasant events. As a coping mechanism she threw herself into a cycle of work, going to the gym and the casual one nightstand with a dreamy guy who knew exactly which buttons to press. It was numbing in a good way, for a while at least. But she had learnt the hard way that being numb to pain was better than experiencing a full on blow every time.

To her surprise, Jenna, her cousin invited her out for dinner. Elena was thankful to have Jenna in the city, she looked up to her and treated her like an older sister. Especially after her break up, Jenna was the only single friend that she had, and it felt good to have someone who didn't have it all figured out yet. However as of recently, Jenna started seeing Alaric, an accountant that she met at a party and she seemed to be really smitten with him. The guy was good looking, Elena thought. He had a well-built physique, ashy blonde hair, a golden complexion and light blue eyes. There was a certain warmth that emanated from him and he genuinely seemed like a good person.

It was 5pm and she had just stepped out of the shower, her body wrapped in a white Egyptian cotton towel. She blow-dried her hair in the bathroom and went on to apply passion fruit scented moisturizer all over her body. The outfit she had picked out was laid out on her king-sized bed: she decided to go with a grey and red tank top, paired with high-waisted washed out jeans, red pumps and her favourite black leather jacket. To finish the look off she picked out a small red purse to throw over her shoulder. She had decided to keep her dark chocolate hair straight and simple, a slight change from the usual curls.

Jenna picked up Elena from her place, as it was difficult enough to find one car parking space in the City. The girls arrived at the restaurant first, and they stood waiting outside the entrance.

"He should be here any minute." Jenna said loudly, pulling out her phone and checking for any messages.

"Okay." Elena nodded and gave her a brief smile.

Her eyes began wandering around in search of Jenna's boyfriend. The city was very much becoming alive and the streets were completely flooded with people. Among the group of strangers, she recognised Damon, who seemed to be approaching the two of them.

"Shit." Elena mumbled under her breath. He must have thought that they were someone else, right? Why else would he bother coming up to her? A thousand thoughts swept through her mind.

"What?" Jenna dragged her eyes away from the screen and looked over at the startled Elena.

Before Elena had the chance to speak up, Damon was already standing next to them, a wide grin on his face. He was wearing dark blue Levi's and a dark grey v neck t-shirt. The clothes were a slim fit and they complimented his muscular physique.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Jenna was the first to break the silence, clearly, she hadn't expected him to be there either.

"It's double date night, isn't?" He winked at Jenna, before finally setting his gaze on Elena. He instantly picked up on the surprised expression on her face. Her doe eyes were completely focused on him and her pink lips slightly parted. Could she be any more perfect?

"Elena, it's good to see you again."

It took a second to process that the words leaving his mouth were aimed at her. In fact, the only thing she could focus on was his mouth, and the way his lips had looked so soft and tender - so kissable.

She quickly cleared her throat and gave him a sweet smile. "I guess you're a man of your word."

"You guess correctly." He pressed his lips into a flirtatious smile.

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks, as she desperately tried to keep her smile from widening any further. He did not need to know how easily his words affected her. For a matter of fact, she didn't understand herself why she was acting like a teenager who was about to lose her virginity to her high school sweetheart.

"I have no clue what's going on here and how the hell you two know each other, but Alaric's here so let's go!" Jenna exclaimed, gesturing at them to follow her.

The evening went by in a friendly atmosphere, with a whole lot of laughter, amazing cuisine and fine red wine. It felt natural and comfortable to be around Damon. He was easy going, he made her laugh and she felt like she could be herself around him. Even Alaric turned out to be a good company. It was really obvious that him and Jenna made a good couple - they couldn't keep their hands off each other, kept sharing secret kisses and glances. Their sweet relationship was something she found herself envious of.

It was almost 22:00 when the group decided to call it a night. Jenna was staying over at Alaric's, so they went off together, leaving Elena alone with Damon.

Damon picked up Elena's black leather jacket from the chair and handed it to her. "Here, put it on. It's probably gotten cold."

"Thanks." She gave him a fleeting smile and took the jacket from his hands.

"I'll walk you home, you shouldn't be walking on your own at this time."

Elena didn't protest. It was a nice gesture and she didn't want to part ways just yet.

He awkwardly jammed his hands into his pockets, not knowing what to do with them as they began walking. The sky was clear, and it was not supposed to rain, so despite the chilly breeze the weather was perfect for a walk.

"Is this what you do in your free time, walk lonely girls home?" She arched her brow in amusement.

He laughed.

"The only lonely girl I care about walking home is you." Her heart flustered, but she did her best to ignore the feeling.

She crossed her arms over her chest, looked over at him and smiled. She felt empty for words.

"By the way, you look stunning tonight, if it isn't obvious." Damon leaned over her shoulder and whispered right into her ear. His voice came off husky and it sent a shiver of warmth down her body.

She grinned at his comment. "I must admit I didn't peg you for the romantic type. But thank you."

He chuckled. "That's a common misconception. I'm not as bad as they make me look."

"It wouldn't be such a bad thing if you weren't." She gave a nonchalant shrug. "But since I can get the answers straight from the source, who is Damon Salvatore and what is he like?" She bit her lower lip, eyes eagerly set on him, awaiting a response.

That surprised him. Not many women actually wanted to get to know him. They were always interested in how much money he made, what car he drove, where he lived. They didn't care for the person that he was. This was a nice change.

"Well, let's see." He furrowed his brows. "He's 30 years old and the CEO of Salvatore Inc. He's very strong headed. Sarcastic most of the time. A realist, doesn't believe in random luck. Pretty easy going - you don't want to get on his bad side though. And obviously, a sexy motherfucker. I'm not arguing with that." He chuckled lightly.

She let out a loud laugh at his last remark. "And the happy owner of a humongous ego. Don't worry, I'll let that slide." She tilted her head to the side and winked.

"Hey, I've been growing it for over 30 years, don't overlook the hard work."

"I can see that, Mr CEO. So, Salvatore Inc, huh? That's quite impressive. My dad always gets his suits from there, and he does not just shop anywhere." She rolled her eyes.

"What can I say, the man has a good taste. Let me know if he'd want an autograph." His lips pressed into a grin.

"I'll ask him the next time I talk to him." She hit his arm playfully. "But seriously, that's a big achievement at such a young age, Damon. Your parents must be proud of you." She was impressed, it was obvious that he wasn't just sex on legs. He was an intelligent man with a great passion for his job and the people involved in the business.

"It was actually my father who founded the company back in the 70's, I'm managing the New York side of things. Honestly, ever since I've been a little boy I've always dreamed of following the footsteps of my father. And to see the hard work, turn into something so meaningful and successful years later, is honestly the best feeling."

Elena loved hearing him being so genuine and seeing the happiness on his face as he spoke about his job. His voice softened ever so slightly at the mention of his father, it was clear that they shared a deep bond, and that made her feel happy for him. She never had a close relationship with her parents: they were loving and supportive, but also distant and always busy with their careers.

"Yeah, I understand. I kind of had that same feeling when I passed my bar and finally started working at the firm. I finally had something of my own to cherish and be proud of. That's why I love my job." She was looking down at her feet as they carried on walking.

"And that's why you're seriously good at what you do. I have heard a lot about your accomplishments, Miss Gilbert." Damon glanced at her.

She instantly blushed. Thank God that it was dark, and he couldn't see her face. "I'm assuming that Bonnie kept you informed?" Her lips lifted at the corner.

"Bonnie, Enzo, Jenna. It's honestly a mystery how we hadn't known each other until yesterday." He smirked.

"Well, if Bonnie had anything to do with it than I can see why that's the case." She laughed. "But I guess we're going to be catching up, I heard that you're coming with us to the lake house next weekend." She turned to face him, biting her bottom lip.

Damon caught the excitement beaming from her chocolate brown eyes. It made him feel happy, knowing that she didn't mind the idea of him joining the trip. Hell, maybe she had even liked it.

"Yeah, I am. How do you feel about that?" He questioned, keeping his eyes on her. He didn't really know why, but he wanted to hear her say that she wants him there. Or at least something to that effect.

"Good." She said softly. Although now that she heard herself, it came off quite seductive. They stood still, facing one another on an empty street. The cold breeze had gotten stronger, but her body temperature was soaring. All she could focus on was the overwhelming smell of his musky cologne, dancing around her. She could easily reach out to trace his jawline with her delicate fingertips or run her fingers through his thick raven hair. He was so close, yet so far.

"Good?" He replied in a hoarse voice. He couldn't be any sexier if he tried. She suddenly felt his warm fingertips holding her chin up, and she felt her chest gently rest against his. With has hand still under her chin, his thumb began to trace her bottom lip and her lips automatically parted. God, she just wanted him to kiss her already.

His stone cold blue eyes never left hers, his stare was penetrating deep into her soul. He heard her breath quicken and he was sure that her heart was almost beating its way out of her chest, just like his. The moment her lips parted, he knew she wanted him to kiss her.