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Elena sat at her cubicle trying to appear busy and doing her best to avoid Andie's suspicious looks. A few moments after she left Damon's office, Andie followed and Elena could only imagine all the accusatory thoughts running through the blonde's head. If her looks of sheer annoyance were any indication she could safely assume that she wasn't Andie's favorite person at the moment. Her own head was still spinning with the events of that morning, and a feeling of uneasiness quickly settled at the pit of her stomach. Just what the hell was going on?
Nothing about her previous conversation with Damon Salvatore indicated that he'd even consider letting her work with him, in fact he made it perfectly clear that she just wasn't what he was looking for. Now suddenly he's telling her that he's reconsidered? Of course the only explanation for this sudden change of heart had to be the events that followed their conversation. These were the same events that she tried to burry so far in the back of her mind, until she could convince herself that they never happened. But of course the first thing he did that morning was remind her how real it all was, making sure to return the jacket that she left behind in her attempt to flee the scene as quickly as she could.
"So the William Forbes project huh. That's a big deal." Andie spoke, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"Yeah I guess so." Elena answered.
"Are you sure you're up for it? I mean these things are a lot of work, especially if you don't have the experience."
"I think I'll be okay." It didn't take Elena long to figure out what Andie was up to. The woman didn't seem to have a genuine bone in her body. Andie was fishing for some kind of explanation as to why Damon would put her on such a huge project and Elena wasn't about to bite. Not that she had any idea anyway; it was all very much a mystery to her too.
"You must have made some kind of impression on him." The blond woman answered with a knowing smile that was about as genuine as her inflated breasts. Who could miss all the implications loaded in such a statement? It didn't surprise her however; of course Andie would think that she'd stoop to such a low to get ahead especially when that's exactly what she herself had done. But that went against everything Elena believed in, and if Damon thought for a second that their little episode in the elevator meant something more, she wouldn't have a problem letting him know how wrong he was.
Deciding not to answer to more of Andie's baiting, she chose to smile politely instead. Before the blonde could get out another word Alaric called her into Damon's office.
Her nerves were already starting to get the best of her. Her entire body tensed up and she nearly felt sick, the feeling at the pit of her stomach grew more intense. Keep it together, she told herself as grabbed her purse and rose out of her seat, tugging her skirt down and adjusting her stockings in the process.
Of course it had to be today of all days when she allowed Rebekah to catch her before leaving for work. Her best friend promptly dragged her back upstairs to her bedroom and dressed her like one would a five year old, forcing her out of her gray pant suit and into a short black skirt that she kept pulling down self consciously, a purple sleeveless blouse along with black stockings and pumps to match. Never one to expose her body, having the full length of her legs and arms out on full display made her extremely self conscious. Taking a deep breath she attempted to remove all feelings of doubt from her mind. This is just work.
The only sound in the office was the incessant ticking of the clock and the shuffling of papers. An awkward silence ensued as soon as Damon handed Elena her assignment and she'd gotten right to work.
"Let me know if you get stuck on anything." He offered.
She looked nervous enough so he decided not to overwhelm her any more than she was. It was her first day; he'd take it easy on her at least where the work was concerned. The assignment was fairly simple, they needed to research zoning laws, building codes for the new project and Elena assured him she was on top of it so he was free to move on to more important matters.
Except he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the moment she walked in the room in that short skirt that hugged all the curves he never got a chance to appreciate before. He'd known there had to be a gorgeous body underneath all those clothes she usually hid under. He'd seen the evidence himself after their little moment in the elevator but now looking at those legs that seemed to go for miles he found himself loosing focus. Ironically enough Elena hadn't done anything at all except take a seat in front of him yet he found it more distracting than any of Andie's famous foot jobs.
She sat there tentatively as he stared at her unapologetically. Everything about her seemed to captivate him. Years of sexual debauchery left him mostly unfazed by women's attempts at getting his attention. He'd seen everything and done it all, but every little innocent gesture by the brunette in front of him had his pants feeling uncomfortably tight. Every time she ran her delicate fingers through the silky strands of her chestnut hair, he'd imagined they were his hands. Of course there were those wicked thoughts that ran through his mind whenever she'd slip the top of her pen between those perfectly pouty lips. Get your shit together Damon, he chastised himself, twenty minutes in and he'd barely even looked at his own work.
Every now and then she'd look up and catch his eyes on her but they remained fixed on her daringly, offering a challenge that she refused to accept as she eventually averted her brown ones and looked down at her assignment. Each time she looked away a small smile played on his lips. He just knew it was only a matter of time before she'd finally crack and give in. The sooner the better, he wanted to relieve this awkward tension between them even though he was mostly the cause of it.
He knew she had questions, hell even he had questions. He wasn't even sure what compelled him to put her on the project but whatever it was had to be something fierce. The attraction was definitely part of it, he was attracted to her and it perplexed the hell out of him. Damon didn't do stuck up and uptight and Elena Gilbert seemed like the epitome of both those things. He usually steered clear of those, but color him intrigued because he was sensing there was a lot more to her than meets the eye. Underneath that rigid exterior he sensed a girl who was itching to break free of her confines. He couldn't mistake what he saw in those pools of chocolate. What he saw was something tempestuous that only became more relentless the more time he spent in her presence.
"What?" She sighed heavily looking straight at him and momentarily dislodging him from his thoughts.
"Excuse me?" He was still taken off guard despite expecting her reaction.
"You haven't stopped staring at me since I walked in here, is there something I'm doing wrong?" She looked at him and oddly it seemed like déjà vu; the conversation they were having was oddly familiar.
"Look if this is about the other day in the elevator—"
"What about it?" Damon cut her off. He wondered just where she was going with this.
"I'm sorry for putting you in such a weird position and possibly compromising our professional relationship." She rambled clearly embarrassed, and it was exactly what he expected.
He gave her his signature smirk, feigning indifference. "I've seen a naked woman before, Elena. It's hardly a big deal."
The look of complete disgust that passed over her delicate features didn't go unnoticed by him. Yeah, he probably deserved that one. Truth was it was more than just a big deal. No matter what he did that night he couldn't seem to erase the image of those perfect mounds of soft flesh from his mind. Instead improbable scenarios of them covered in everything from whipped cream to sticky caramel continued to plague his thoughts as he imagined how delectable she'd taste if only he could sample.
"I wasn't naked." She bit back defensively, hot blush staining her cheeks in embarrassment. He noticed her shift uncomfortably in her seat under the scorching heat of his gaze. He refused to let up, hoping to intimidate her with only his eyes. Damon didn't know what the hell he was thinking, bringing her in on this project. He couldn't concentrate on anything while she sat there all indignant and just so fucking hot. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time and as much as she pretended, he refused to believe she was this timid girl who was so unsure of herself. God he'd practically been hypnotized by the deep sea of chocolate that was her eyes, and after just a few moments with her he was almost like a kid who got his first taste of candy. In his mind he pictured all the things he could do to her while all the blood in his body rushed south.
"Like I said Elena, nothing I haven't seen before. Don't get yourself all worked up." He knew he was heading straight toward Dick Boulevard but hell he didn't care; it was his default setting, he was comfortable there and it came in handy in situations like this when he was completely dumfounded.
"Well fine then." Her voice was small, uncertain and he swore he detected a hint of hurt, and there it was again, that whole innocent girl routine that she seemed to have down to a science. In a second he went from not caring to feeling like complete shit for hurting her feelings. All naughty thoughts fled his mind instantly and he was staring at her for an entire different reason this time. Elena Gilbert was an enigma, the kind of contradiction he couldn't wrap his mind around and it was screwing with his head. A woman as breathtaking as she was could use her feminine wiles to get whatever she wanted from any man. He could admit even he'd fallen prey to a woman or two though nowhere near her caliber of beauty. But the girl in front of him appeared oblivious to the power she possessed. He'd preyed on insecure women like her in the past, and really there was nothing stopping him from doing it again.
"Look, I just meant—"he started but was cut short by a wave of her hand.
"No I got it. Nothing you haven't seen before." Her tone was slightly hostile, with reason.
He practically told her she was nothing special, probably playing on every insecurity swimming in that pretty little head of hers.
"Is there anything else you need me to do?" She was all business now and just like that she managed to switch it up once more, her demeanor serious and almost threatening, completely opposite of the uncertain girl that sat in front of him seconds before.
"I'll just take a look at these." With that she slipped the files in front of him, and looked on as he examined her work. He would never admit it, but he was impressed. He had to make zero corrections and she worked at record time.
The remainder of the morning things was spent in a strained silence. The air in the room felt thick with all the things that seemed to remain unsaid. Damon desperately tried to use that time to focus on his own work, but he was almost suffocating from the tension that managed to fill up the entire space of his vast office.
He was almost grateful when he heard the phone ring, but immediately he could tell something was wrong as Rose's voice faltered on the other line. "Spit it out Rose. What is it?"
"I have another Mr. Salvatore wanting to come and see you, should I send him up?" She asked with a hesitance and apprehension that only she and Alaric could understand being that they were the only two people he ever let get close enough.
"Fuck." He cursed loud enough to earn him a weird look from Elena who nearly dropped her pen in shock. What you've never heard a bad word before? He challenged her raising his eyebrows and giving her a look of his own.
"No, don't send anyone up." He commanded into the phone. "I'm coming down there." He slammed the phone down and grabbed his jacket. She flinched at the loud noise and Damon felt her eyes following him filled with puzzlement at his sudden change in demeanor until he walked out of the office.
Once in the lobby Damon let out a humorless laugh as Stefan appeared in front of him. Of course his father could never do his own dirty work. Like the coward that he was, he always sent someone else to do it, and his lap dog of a brother always felt honored. They barely greeted each other with Damon ignoring the small nod Stefan tossed in his direction.
"Make it fast." He ordered.
"Damon, look I know we haven't exactly been—"
"I mean get to the point of why you're here interrupting me at work, and I know it's not because you missed me."
"Fine." His face fell and Damon did his best not to let it affect him. "Dad and I are expanding the business overseas and we'll be out of the country for a few months." Stefan announced.
"Why are you telling me this?"Since when did they feel obligated to fill him in on their business endeavors? "What the hell are you getting at Stefan?"
"Dad wanted to be sure you could handle everything while we were gone."
Damon looked at his brother with a look of pure disbelief. "Handle everything?" A cold laugh left his lips. "I've been handling everything Stef, in case you haven't realized neither one of you have lifted a finger for her." He snarled.
"Is this why he had you come here?" Damon shook his head. "To make sure I can handle it. Since when did he give a shit?" He was practically shouting at his brother causing a few people to stop and stare at the commotion. "Since when did you care?"
"I care!" Stefan yelled back. "I can't help what Dad does okay? But I love her." Stefan's eyes filled with guilt, but Damon averted his. Stefan was a grown man now and he wasn't about to let his brother use that old trick to get him to feel sorry for calling them out on their crap.
"If you cared you wouldn't follow him around like a spineless puppy." Damon challenged his eyes shooting daggers at the younger Salvatore.
"What choice do I have after everything he's done for me?"
"There's always a choice Stefan. You just keep making the wrong one." Damon walked away leaving his brother standing in the center of the lobby a painful expression on his face. Not looking back, he barely made it to the elevator before deciding he was too wound up to enter that tension filled box that once was his office. Damon knew nothing good would come out of being in the same room with Elena especially with him suddenly in such a foul mood.
Rose sent him a sympathetic look as he pushed the doors open and felt the warmth of the autumn breeze blowing pass him. He needed some time to clear his mind. He needed to calm down and maybe in half an hour or so he'd be equipped to enter that seemingly hostile office of his. He walked right into Caroline's Bakery just a few feet from his own building. The smell of fresh bread and delicious pastries filled his nose. Until that moment he didn't even realize he was hungry as he heard his stomach make a grumbling sound.
"Uh-oh I know that look." The perky blonde eyed him amusingly. "Someone's in a bad mood."
"I don't want to talk about it." Damon warned.
Caroline held her hands up defensively.
"Hey, I can't say I'd be any help anyway, but I do have this mouthwatering chocolate cake that might be able to help with that." She held up the cake in front of him and the aroma was intoxicatingly sweet.
She set the plate in front of him and just as he was about to dig in with his fork, he heard the bells on the door chime and watched as Caroline's eyes lit up. Damon groaned audibly as the footsteps approached and she threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.
Mason Lockwood.
Both men eyed each other in disdain as Caroline stood there awkwardly between them. Damon's history with the Lockwoods wasn't exactly pleasant. Specifically with the man that sat on the stool beside him. After a year and a half, Damon's relationship with Caroline crashed and burned and within the following months she found solace in Mason's arms. Damon didn't have any hard feelings once he realized how wrong they'd been for each other in the first place. Above all they remained friends, at least once a week he'd pay her bakery a visit; they'd chat and catch up and he allowed her to cater for any events the firm held.
Mason however wasn't exactly the understanding type. Paranoid, he managed to convince himself that Damon was still hung up on Caroline and only helped her to get back in her pants. Damon rolled his eyes at the very thought. It didn't help that once Salvatore & Saltzman set up shop across the street, Lockwood Architects had lost some of their most valuable clientele. Damon had a feeling that was really where all of Mason's anger stemmed from, but of course the guy had too much pride to admit it. Damon was sure Mason's wild accusations would only continue once he learned that Caroline's wealthy father Bill Forbes had chosen Salvatore & Saltzman to design his hotels.
"I'll take this to go." Damon signaled towards Caroline not wanting to spend another second sitting next to her boyfriend as long as he could help it. Caroline shook her head her blonde curls bouncing about over her shoulders.
"Fine." She grabbed the slice of chocolate cake from where he previously sat and placed it in one of her signature to-go boxes.
"I appreciate it." Damon smiled at her, nodded at Mason and exited the bakery. Not before hearing Caroline and Mason diffuse into argumentative whispers the second Mason thought he was out of ear shot.
Back at the office he was feeling a lot calmer but he still wasn't prepared to walk in and find Elena neatly rearranging everything that'd been sprawled out over his desk. His files were carefully organized in a single stack, his writing utensils had found their way pack into the cup were they belonged and the various other office supplies were arranged in an orderly fashion on his desk. What the hell was wrong with this girl? Not that he actually mind having some of the order restored, but he couldn't understand what the hell possessed her to do that.
"I'm gonna head out to lunch now if that's okay." She informed him, slowly getting up out of her chair.
He laughed at her naivety. "We don't take lunch breaks Elena, we multi-task. Eat and work."
"That has to be violating some kind of employee rights code." She glared at him.
"Maybe, but if your lunchtime is so precious to you, I can find someone else who wouldn't mind." He smiled impressed with himself when she sat back down and pulled out a small container and bottled water from her purse.
He took his seat right in front of her, and asked her to brief him on the most recent assignment. Two minutes in her briefing he completely lost track of what she was saying, his eyes focusing on her delicate fingers unwrapping what he assumed was her lunch. "What is that?" he asked genuinely curious.
"It's a sandwich." She looked slightly offended. "Cucumbers and cream cheese, it's healthy."
Damon made a face and his eyes roamed over the carefully compartmentalize container that contained some baby carrots and a low fat yogurt. Why did he expect anything else? Elena seemed like the typical overachieving control freak, apparently that lent itself to every aspect of her life.
"Looks appetizing." He mocked taking a fork full of the moist chocolate cake into his mouth. He watched her as she watched him disapprovingly.
"Are you seriously going to have chocolate cake for lunch?"
"Yep." He took another bite of the chocolaty treat as she stared at him in disbelief. "Why? You have something against cake?"
"It just doesn't qualify as a healthy lunch." She said matter of factly. "It's full of calories and way too much sugar."
"Who said I cared about it being healthy?" He asked.
"People who actually care about their well-being tend to care about that sort of thing." She retorted.
He couldn't help but laugh at the conversation they were having. It was the closest thing to a normal conversation they had all day even laced with mocking and sarcasm. Of course he was about to ruin it because it's what he did. He wouldn't have a single regret either because that's was just who he was, and he wouldn't apologize for that.
"You know what you're problem is Elena?" He saw a glint of something in her eyes and all it did was further fuel him.
"What's my problem?" She challenged. "You're all knowing and wise. Go ahead; tell me what my problem is."
"You don't know how to live!" He answered.
"I think I live just fine thank you very much." The look on her face told him she wasn't as confident as she tried to sound.
"Prove it." He challenged he watched as uncertainty crept on her face.
"Take a bite of this cake." He took a fork full of the fluffy moist chocolate cake and held it in front of her face.
"How does this prove anything?" She questioned.
"Prove that you're not a completely uptight and you can enjoy a simple bite of chocolate cake." Damon smiled in mischief as a look of bewilderment flashed across her face. He decided to test his theory; he was going to prove to himself that there was more underneath her little prim and proper charade.
Damon was willing to bet underneath all of that was a girl who knew how to have a good time, she just needed the right person to come along and force her out of that insecure little shell that she built around herself. Challenge accepted its all part of the learning process he told himself. When he was done with Elena, she'd have men eating out the palm of her hands. He was making it his mission.
She began to refuse but he let the fork hover closer to her, tempting her with the delicious treat. It smelled ambrosial, the frosting sat on top of the fluffy cake like dark cloud of chocolate. "Come on. I dare you." He egged on, feeling every bit of her resolve slowly crumbling.
Elena opened her mouth slightly, hesitating at first, but let him slowly push the fork full of the heavenly treat into her mouth, sliding it out ever so slowly. He watched a flash of pleasure flickered across her face as she indulged in the decadent treat. A slight moan escaped her lips and Damon thought it was the single hottest thing he ever heard. His eyes were glued to her face as her tongue slid over her bottom lip, licking the remaining frosting. He reached over and brushed his thumb over the corner of her mouth to wipe the remnants of cake there. His entire body tingled from the innocent touch. Somewhere along the way he ended up falling victim to his own plan as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair in an effort to relieve the tightness in his pants. His bright blue eyes were dark and hers brown ones almost black.
Somehow she managed to pull herself out of the lustful haze they'd created and gave him a triumphant smile. "There. I ate it." Damon could tell she was trying hard not to think about the professional lines they managed to cross in that single second. Somehow it didn't feel like just some silly dare, or just cake. He watched as she tried to eat the second half of her sandwich but her appetite was gone.
Once Again you guys, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review let me know what you're thinking. :)