4

"I'm hurt, Love. It's been thirty-two minutes and you haven't checked up on me once. What if some naive girl was here studying my allure and then my incredible mystique just happened to trap her? You could only blame yourself, you know." Klaus said with a roguish smile as he watched her behind the bar.

"That may be so but that would be your loss." she winked. "Because I'm still in my bikini and I was going to suggest a walk on the beach but if you have better things to do, Klaus..."

"Come here." he said leaning over the counter in a grave tone. "Look into my eyes."

Caroline did not object. She was surprised and intrigued.

"You could be naked, Caroline and I wouldn't touch you unless you gave me solemn instruction or requests. I'm afraid you'll run and I will always be afraid of that. So don't try tempting me with your exquisite body because I will not risk you."

Caroline's breathing stopped briefly until she investigated the dour face that almost touched hers. She inched forward moving deliberately slow. Her belly pushed against the bar and she kissed the corner of his lips.

"Ok." she answered whispering the word in his gaping mouth.

Klaus could taste the warmth of her breath. He ached to touch her and survived a hair rising sensation on his arms and at the nape of his neck.

"You will be the death of me, Caroline." he grimaced.

Taming the beast inside was gruelling and Caroline's eyes squinted and twinkled with delight.

"Did you just growl?"

"My apologies, Love but in my defense I'm not accustomed to your affection and friendliness. It's my instinct to be on guard."

"I'm not over thinking things, tonight, Klaus. You should try that, too."

"Well isn't this cozy!" Damon said slithering his way next to Klaus.

"Flirting with the enemy, Barbie? No offence...Tyler's got more of the Ken thing going on but it's your life. Let me just say...great legs, Blondie."

"Have a beer and shut up." Caroline ordered, passing him a bottle to keep him from talking.

Klaus was silent but Caroline knew he was fighting to control the rage. He was rigid ignoring eye contact or cordial banter. The white of his knuckles was shouting an attack mode.

"Beer? Nah, that's no fun. I was thinking about asking you for Sex on the Beach."

The killer was unleashed.

A whirl of frenzied wrath hauled Damon by the neck across the busy cabin. Klaus yanked him from end to end on the congested deck until he hurled him down by a lamppost, holding Damon with a clutched hand to his jaw.

Caroline suspected he would react at some point knowing Klaus could not let something go entirely. But the intensity she witnessed was a boiling rage blown over the top. His power frightened her.

"You should learn to shut your mouth, Salvatore. You preyed on the wrong girl, mate."

"It's a drink! Sex on the Beach is a drink, Klaus. I wasn't actually asking her for sex. Tell him, Barbie."

"Stop calling her that!" Klaus roared squeezing a clawed hand around his throat.

"Caroline, some help. Klaus look at your girlfriend." Damon moaned.

"Shut up, Damon! Just stop talking. He knows."

"He knows what?" Damon snarled and saw the expression on her face.

"O-oh...he knows...uh Barbie why'd you tell him? That's all in the past Klaus."

"I didn't tell him!" she yelled back.

"I know someone named Richard who actually goes by the name Big Dick, and let's say he's a fellow extremely larger than life. If I tell him to do the things you compelled Caroline to do, he'll accept with pleasure. I hope Sumo wrestlers are your type, Salvatore. We can arrange for Elena to watch if she's into that sort of thing. It will save me some time when I have to kill you both."

Klaus wasn't facing the picnic tables but he was obviously aware of the chains securing them to the cement weights. He ripped them and returned to Damon's crunched position.

"I'll just be tying your arms, mate because once I deliver you to my hybrid I have the feeling he would prefer your legs opened and free." Klaus smirked.

Damon's painful grunts were not sufficient enough for Klaus.

"I'm going to stab every limb you have, Salvatore. I will pour Vervain down your nose and watch it spill out of your mouth. Then I'll tear your laughable manhood off as a gift to Elena." he said striking Damon's back with the bottom of his fist.

Rebekah appeared with Matt, now both aware of the situation and the grounds for Klaus's motivation.

"I believe in an eye for an eye." she said to the strapping blond.

"I do, too most of the time. Besides, Caroline is there. She'll keep it under control. We should try to get the crowd back inside. Are you up for some team work?" Matt asked taking a leap of fate.

"Absolutely." Rebekah beamed and followed behind.

"Klaus, please!" Caroline pleaded. "Please, stop."

"Caroline, go inside."

"No! I'm staying right here with you. Damon is my problem. I told you I can handle him. He's just a big loser. Let's not waste our time on him. You promised you would leave this alone, Klaus."

"I did no such thing."

"Klaus, please." she implored.

Caroline advanced daringly to get a hold of the man she desperately wanted to understand. She stood behind him and slipped her hands around his midriff, digging them into the pockets of his black, waist jacket. She stretched the garment around his hard chest as her arms crossed to embrace him. Her touch and scent placated his wrath and being so painfully close to Caroline was suddenly more urgent than vengeance.

"Please don't let him ruin the night. I don't feel like explaining this mess to my friends. I rather spend it talking to you. Please, Klaus, for me? Come back inside."

Caroline could not detect if he was really listening. His eyes were still protruding and his nostrils were flared. Klaus's murderous glare was terrifying. She released her hold and walked to face Damon.

"This is your fault. You instigated this. After what you did to me you should never, ever talk to me that way. It's not a joke. You have a lot of nerve walking around like King Shit all the time. I'm sick of that! I know you saved my life but you never apologized. That's the hardest part, Damon and you skipped right passed that step."

"Barbie, you know I feel bad about that. I suck with words! I would never do anything like that again because of you. I hate what I did and I regret it, ok. I swear I do, Blondie."

"Say her name!" Klaus roared and it felt like the night air shuddered around them.

"Caroline! I'm sorry, Caroline, for compelling you and using you."

"Look at me, Salvatore. If I ever find you being disrespectful to Caroline again, no one will ever change my mind about what I'll do to you. I'm not in the habit of giving chances, mate so don't test me. You will stay here tonight for as long as I tell you to. You will defend Caroline to her friends if they give her a hard time about me. You will be at her beckon call by the jukebox and play every song she wants to hear."

Klaus released him.

"Congratulations, Love. You got yourself a puppy." he said tapping the top of Damon's head.

"Klaus, seriously!"

"Caroline, you have no idea what I could have done to him. But I didn't want you to see that side of me again. I'm picturing him raping you and using you as his blood bag and I want to tear him apart. You deserve respect and you must demand that from others. I'm tired of watching people push you around. I won't stand for it again, Caroline."

"Shhh." she said holding the lapels of his jacket.

"Thank you. I know you care and I feel safe when I'm with you, Klaus. Just breathe with me ok? Follow my breath and calm down. Use me for once." she said placing her chest against his. She felt no need to abandon the depth of his intent look this time.

"I want you to need me. When I saw you at the beach, I was already thinking about you, Klaus. I want things to be different tonight."

Klaus seemed worried and frazzled. He looked like he waited for divine intervention to tell him this was truly happening; confirming she was saying what he was hearing.

"Get inside!" Klaus yelled at Damon without turning to look at him.

"What do you want to hear?" Damon asked looking very annoyed with Caroline.

"You see, mate. That's not respectful. Should I remind you again about what I'll do to you if you treat her with anything less than respect?"

"Caroline, please tell me what you would like to hear so I can play it for you." he said bowing forward.

Caroline pressed her lips together struggling not to laugh but fell anyway into Klaus's shoulder giggling.

"I'm sorry, Damon. Uhm...ok...maybe some Coldplay, U2 or Muse."

"A rocker... I like that, Love."

"I have eclectic taste. I want to see you dancing to Pitbull and Rihanna later." she warned.

"You got your way once tonight, Love but I wouldn't get too used to it if I were you." he said putting his hand on her back.

"We can go back inside?" she asked somewhat surprised how quickly the state of affairs had regained control.

"Yes, Caroline but don't bend down." he growled once more.