This Intensity
Chapter 3
"The Insatiable Hunger"
It was half past three when Elena sifted through her bangs and eyed herself in the windows before entering the Library. It had been a welcome change to have a different hair style after so many years of the same ol straight one. She'd even added a few red streaks to her brown waves, layers, a jean jacket and some boot heals. Man, I feel over dressed for studying. Her jeans outlined her nicely toned legs while the tight shirt was just the right shade of red to enhance the whole thing.
This was the normal Friday group meeting the photography class met at to display their work, get ideas on projects, and turn in work. The classroom, normally a building over, was undergoing repairs. Rather than cancel the class, the teacher simply moved them into here. To be honest, the AC was a helluva lot better and Elena was happy about the change.
Still, her ever wandering mind kept circling back to the stranger. That's why she'd gotten her hair done. Really, Elena?
She was briskly walking in, bag over her shoulder, when she spotted a dark head leaning over several books. There was no reason to stop, not really, she told herself. It was something about the head itself that drew her in to stop. This is madness, she cried on the inside. She stopped right in her tracks as realization dawned on her. For some odd reason, her stomach coiled; she reconsidered, turned and gently grasped the edge of the nearest book shelf. It's him, she thought bewildered.
Do I have sex radar or what? Just look at him, like a god, so sure of himself. Why does he…make me feel this way, she wondered. The fact of the matter was, it irritated the living crap out of her. No matter what, it was like she knew when he was near. It had gotten to be so bad over the last few days, she felt as if someone were watching her. Carefully, she watched through a series of books as he and Rose chatted. What they were saying, she wondered. His fingers strummed against a book he held just near his chest. It hadn't helped that she wanted to ease that dull burning ache he'd created. The shower had been her only solace, and that was a moot point by now. Watching those fingers roll in that smooth harmony brought back memories of them against her…
Stop it, she scolded herself. Her body simply responded to him on such an acute level that nothing else mattered.
How come I've never seen him on campus? Elena slowly peered around the corner with her death grip on the bookshelf. Her breath came in heavy gasps that she struggled to keep under control. She felt like a needy animal in heat just waiting for its mate. That earned her a tight clench, and some closed eye lids. God I want him, her mind begged. No man had ever made her react like this. Her hands began to sweat, shake with nervousness, and her eyes blinked several times. Ok, do it….look.
Elena glanced over enough to see who he was talking to. Rose? Hell Rose was awake this time of day? They were laughing jovially, handing papers back and forth. Well, no wonder you're never home. If that was tutoring, sign me up. Rose took that particular moment to look up causing Elena to jump. Shit, Elena cursed under her breath.
Her bag slid off her shoulder and nailed the floor in a rather noticeable thud. Both sets of eyes stopped and looked her way.
"Elena?" Rose stood with an unfamiliar face, while Damon watched her. "Holy crap it is you…your hair! Me likey!"
Mortified, Elena picked up her bag holding it over her center. It was like she was caught red handed but unsure why she felt ashamed. Well, you were spying. She stepped forward in awkward form, one hand on the bag and the other in a tiny wave. "Hi, ah….sorry. I thought I heard you, but didn't want to bother you…."
Damon smiled an almost hidden secret smile at her, and she was curious if he'd noticed her before Rose.
"C'mon Elena," Rose gave her that don't be silly look. "You of all people hiding around a corner like that is almost funny. OH!," she exclaimed next. Rose turned and moved aside. "Elena this is Damon, he's my tutor for history. This guy knows everything about the renaissance and…"
Elena's mouth went dry when she saw how he was looking at her. In her informal silence, Rose looked back between them when nothing happened. He stood then, piercing blue eyes and all, and extended his hand her way. "Yes, we met at the bar the other night… very briefly." He smiled faintly and her insides rolled, "Pleasure is all mine."
Rose wacked Elena in the arm knocking her out of the stupor she was stuck in. She jolted aware and smiled over at Rose nodding briefly. "Uh yeah…it was nothing." She managed to laugh quickly. "But glad to see you again," she said to Damon. Oh my, that sounded so stupid…he had his fingers in your panties and that's all your gonna say? When Damon's hand met hers, it was like heaven. Even her vision went tunnel-like. Her lips parted and he followed the motion without pause.
Table…she eyed the table with books as the images rolled through her. Rose kept chatting, and Damon also looked at the table, then back to her. His brows rose only slightly though. It was just like the bar…only this time she didn't want it-or him- to stop.
"I have to leave now Rose," Damon began. "But call me when your next assignments due." Damon handed her a card, and Rose gave him a brief smile.
Rose, being ever cleverly added to Damon's back, "Hey I love bars. We should all go out sometime."
He turned slightly, eyes meeting Roses, but lingering on Elena's, "Sure. Sometime."
Once he was out of ear shot, Rose smacked Elena's arm again.
"Ow, can you stop that?" She laughed. Rubbing the spot absently, "You pack a hard punch. Careful or I'll look all bruised."
"You didn't tell me you met him! That guy has it for you-totally ignored me. And your hair!"
"One, you were butt ass drunk that night, and two," she flared a fine red color, "you like?"
"Ah ha, there's that spunk. Not just me honey. Did you see his face?"
Elena quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "No your ass was covering him in your shock." They both laughed. "So how do you know him?"
She gave Elena that I know what you're doing face. "OOO, Elena has the hots for a guy. Steal me dead now," she enacted an overly dramatic pose.
Damon stood a safe distance away listening to the girls gibber jabber. He'd known the moment Elena came in through the door, with her sweet smelling fragrance and mystery. As she passed, noticed him, he could smell the excitement and lust waver through the air and head his way. He'd had to roll his eyes to stifle the desire that flooded his system at her nearness. What the hell was it? Why was she able to do this to him?
She was so beautiful in the light, with her hair all done, the red shirt and the boots. Those jeans left everything to the imagination. And when she'd eyed the table, he knew very well what she needed. What she wanted.
Rose was not a vampire he knew overly well, and he was trying to gauge her interest in Elena from the get-go. She seemed to not have laid a claim thus far, even going so far as to invite him out. What was her game? She had to have a few years on him-centuries really. Either way, he'd tread lightly. Whatever Elena's previous reservations were, she seemed as driven as he was.
Rose had it right, but she lived with Elena. How many times had he just wanted to get into that room…It was the perfect way to survive. Free food, late nights, and the simplicity of getting lost in the crowd. Damon had one thing Rose did not, however, and that was a daylight ring. If there was one thing Damon knew, it was that he didn't need a bed to please a woman.
Elena passed the time tapping her pencil on her backpack. It's too pretty a day to be inside, she thought suddenly. Once the ten minute class break came, she grabbed her things and strode outside. The sky was a clear blue with only various spatters of clouds here and there. The air was warm and crisp as it blew her hair aside. She closed her eyes and took in a large breath, feeling it relieve all the tension from her body.
"Love the new look."
Elena stopped dead in her tracks with wide eyes and a flushed face. She'd just been thinking about this enigmatic stranger. "Damon?"
He smiled, looking down briefly. He was standing right behind where she had just walked passed, hands in pockets, and cleaning into the rail. Holy hell, he's so beautiful. When he raised his head, those eyes saw right through to her. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, while Damon watched in fascination. He drew even closer then, and she didn't push him back.
"Yes, it's me. I debated waiting hoping you wouldn't think I was stalking you."
Daring, Elena began to flirt. "Are you?"
"Would you like to get some coffee?" Of course he deflected coming even closer. With each step, her heart began to pound harder. "It's just coffee, Elena."
Biting her lips, she debated. Well, you obviously want him, and he's interested. Why not get to know him? Stop making excuses…"Ok, I'm not a Starkbucks girl though."
"A little walk then." He held out a hand for her to begin walking and she did. When he stepped in stride with her, it felt so natural, it was odd. She subtly noticed the way he moved, the grace with which his limbs moved in time to hers. He looked over once, smiling as if he knew what she was doing. Flaring a faint pink, Elena began to feel uneasy again.
Damon walked beside this woman, feeling her emotions spiral out of control. Apparently, his presence did the same to her as her had to him. Should I move her against the nearest building and kiss her? Should I let her wallow in the emotions? Will we even make it? I could really use bourbon right now….
"Elena," he said softly, pulling on her arm just enough to stop her and turned her towards him. The touch garnered a swift intake of her breath, and he could see the response of her body through her breasts. His eyes trailed over the lovely red shirt, and it was like she could feel his gaze. "I really don't have a thing for coffee…" his eyes lingered on her lips. He could hear the way her heart fluttered and hammered in her chest. He eyed that glorious red shirt, and the way her nipples were clearly displayed.
She's stuck again…the wind offered the perfect opportunity to touch her then. A wisp of wind knocked one of her knew red layers down from behind one ear. He reached for it, "I know you're not that type of girl. But I have to say…" He touched her hair, following the stand to its end.
"Damon?" Her sweet voice was so lost. His finger trailed further starting on the top of her shoulder, then lower.
Lower.
Then his fingers slid past her nipple. It was barely a touch even, yet Elena came alive. Pupils dilated, that sweet scent roared around him, and he could smell her desire. The sound she uttered from his touch sent him into sensory overdrive. He wanted to throw her up against the wall and make her come.
In that moment she looked ready to pass out. "Breathe, Elena, breathe." Once it took hold, he embraced her in a firm but comfortable hug. "Shh, its ok." He rubbed her back gently as her bag slide from her hands. She buried her head in his shoulder, her arms circling his back. It was all he could do but to kiss the top of her head. Just like that, he rocked her ever so slightly.
"Breathe, Elena." His body was on alert. The urge to kiss her, touch her almost painful as she leaned into him. Her nearness, her skin and sweet scent invaded his every thought. Gums ached with the desire to feed, the need to have her consuming other parts of his body. Damon knew that if he moved to quick or gave in too fast, he could lose her.
And she tried to breathe there in the crook of his neck. He picked up her bag and guided her to a bench, seating them both down, holding Elena close still. "What is happening?" her voice was confused, needy, heavy with uncertainty.
He took her chin in his hand then, eying her from side to side. There was a fine sheen that covered her brow now. "What are you feeling?"
Her eyes fell to his mouth, and it was his turn to catch a breath. "I want…" she said breathless. Then more urgently, "I need…"
Oh I need you too. His other hand clasped her cheek so that her head was firmly between both of his large hands. She shivered in the sunlight. When their eyes met, the draw was so intense, Damon and Elena both moved forward. He felt something inside snap, his need becoming a beast of its own, while an unsure Elena continued to shiver.
Despite the hungry look in his eyes, Elena found herself giving in. She had to know what he tasted like; what those lips felt like against hers. It was like every moment had led her to this. To him.
His forehead met hers first, then his hands tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. There was no other place to look except into his fathomless eyes. It was then, as she felt her insides uncoil, she knew no man would ever make her feel this way again. There was a kinship between them, a need, and a rocketing desire. A sense of desperation filled her just as his lips melded into hers.
God it was so right! Without hesitation, once more she found herself eager to taste more of him. Much like her, he wasted no time indulging his own curiosity.
His tongue invaded her mouth just as quickly, their eyes still locked on one another. Her nails clawed into his forearms, and she pressed her chest against his. Damon moaned as her tongue met his again. "Elena," he sighed between kisses.
"Touch me again, please…."she begged quietly, yet fervently.
Liquid fire erupted throughout every vein, every hair, even the very essence of her being. Deep within, her center burst alive as his flesh met hers-even in the simplicity of a kiss.
"Get a room," a passerby yelled with a jovial laugh. Both Damon and Elena sat back quickly; unaware things had gotten that passionate in public. She could actually feel the wind rip between them, her arms felt unnaturally empty.
"Oh god," Elena moaned mortified. She hated when people made out so vigorously in public. Granted she never really understood how people could forget themselves, but this…this was nuts. She covered her mouth and stared up at Damon who was just as confused. When he reached for her, she sat back and waved him off. "I can't think." She watched with a degree of shame, as he rubbed his red forearms. "I-I'm sorry Damon." She let the hand fall and they stared at one another.
When she moved to jolt up, Damon's swift hand jetted out and grabbed her wrist. "Wait," he said searching for control. "We need to talk about this."
Against her better judgment, Elena responded to the urgent uneasiness in his voice. She sat back down and straightened herself, while Damon did the same. When he let her go, it was like his hand was on fire. After a second he looked around greatly taxed. "This seems to get out of control every time we get close."
"Yeah…" She shrugged with a loss of words. "It's never happened to me before. I'm sorry-you must think I'm a …a…"
"No," he said looking off into the distance. He covered his face with a hand, and then stared at her once more.
"I don't know what's happening to me. It's like all my reason just floats out the door. When your close….I just feel- this intensity- well up inside me. It's like unnatural."
That seemed to catch his diverted attention. Damon was desperately looking at anything but her until she said that. "It is the same for me. I just want to toss you against the nearest wall and-" Damon seemed to stare right into her with the extent of his feelings. "I think I may know what it is."
She waited, ducking her head to catch his eyes when he looked away again. He kept his gaze averted for some time holding that secret, growing even more acutely uneasy just as quickly. "Damon?"
She reached for him, yet he jumped back once more. "Elena," He warned her and turned then, hunger evident in his eyes. "If you touch me now there will be you, me, and that building and whoever watches. Are we clear?" His eyes were colder now, distant, and she let her hands knot in the center of her lap.
"Yes." Again the wind blew strands of her hair free, and she watched him catch his breath.
He shook himself realizing he was acting more the predator than a lover. "Sorry, I just want you. I don't care how or where as long as it's soon and in every possible way I can."
"Are you going to tell me? What is causing this?" He just stared at her intently for a few moments, and then Elena decided she wanted to share what she was feeling also. "I want you to do that to me. I don't know why I do." She watched him as he reached some sort of decision, stood and looked down at her.
"It will become evident in time, if I don't succeed."
Her face flashed wither confusion, "What do you mean? Where are you going?" She felt the insanity of his loss already. "Damon-please…"
"It's better if I stay away. Trust me on this one thing. If I touch you one more time-there is no going back. And right now-I don't think it's what you really want."
Rose watched Damon stand and walk away from a flustered Elena. Her smile was hidden by the darkness of the hallway. Though he spoke such sweet words to his dear little Elena, Rose had found just what she was searching for all these years.
Finally, there was a way to get to Damon Salvatore.
