A/N: I'm writing this AN from the Salt Lake City airport. My flight was experiencing difficulty and I sat on the plane at the gate for 2 hours. So I read all your reviews again to keep me from going insane. So THANK YOU for that.

Also thanks to Layla Reyne who uploaded this chapter for me. Not only is she a rocking beta and soundboard and friend, she's a kick-A author as well. Go read her stories. You won't regret it.


I don't know what's happened between our night together and now, but Damon has been acting... strange. He's still been friendly - hanging out with me and the guys, grilling with us, lying on the beach with me and playing in the ocean - but otherwise he's maintained his distance. I wonder if I've done something wrong. Every night he walks me to my room and kisses me goodnight, but he never stays.

I want him to stay, so badly, even if it's just to hold him and feel his body cocooning mine.

I stare at him longingly across the flames of our beach campfire. The boys are happily lighting marshmallows and hotdogs on fire, but I can't take my eyes off of Damon and his boyish smile. I love seeing him and the rest of my guys like this. They're such badasses most of the time that I forget they are all just children at heart.

We laugh and joke with each other, teasing Stefan about his perfect hair and Matt about his baby face, as we eat hotdogs and s'mores until we are ready to explode. I can't keep the silly grin off of my face and my chest aches with the love I feel for each of my guys. Without them, I don't know where I'd be or how I would have survived the things we've faced together. They are my family in every sense of the word. We are a unit, an immovable wall, that is ready to defend each other at a moment's notice.

As the night stretches on, the guys get up, ready for bed. I'm still too wired to head in yet, so I hug each of them goodnight, noticing that Damon is sticking around. Jeremy notices too, his eyes darting between Damon and me, until he gives me a pointed look, a fierce hug and a muttered goodnight.

I lower myself back onto the cool sand, letting the fire warm my face. I can feel Damon's eyes on me, feel the invisible tether that binds us, but I say nothing. To be honest, I'm not sure what to say. He has me so tied up in knots. He sets me on fire with one look, but he hasn't touched me in seven days, save for his nightly kisses that end far too soon. I'm not sure what he wants from me or even if he still wants me at all.

I take a deep breath, knowing I should use this alone time to ask him what's going on.

"Did I do something wrong, Damon?" I blurt out. So much for attempting to be eloquent.

His head tilts to the side, making his hair fall over his forehead and tempting me to push it back and run my fingers through the dark locks.

To my immense pleasure, he gets up and moves closer to me, sitting so his thigh is against mine. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

Suddenly feeling awkward with his attention solely on me, I drop my gaze to my lap where I'm wringing my hands. "You've been so distant lately. Like you don't want to be around me."

His hand lands on mine, stilling them, and the other cups my cheek, forcing me to meet his hypnotic blue eyes. "Oh, baby, it's the exact opposite," he explains with a small smile. "I want to be around you, so fucking badly, but if we're alone, I won't be able to control myself."

His words lift my heart more than he could know. I needed this assurance that I'm not alone in these feelings. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I feel like he's going to turn away from me, push me away and break my heart. It's like a warning siren, but one that I choose to ignore. This is Damon, I tell myself. He'd never intentionally hurt me, not after all we've been through together.

I nuzzle into his warm palm, savoring the sensation of his skin against mine. I reach out and mirror him. His cheek is rough with the day's scruff and I love the feel of it.

"Damon, I'm not a kid, and we've done this before," I tell him. My voice drops to a whisper as I lean in closer. "I don't need special. I just need you."

He sucks in a breath and his eyes flutter close. I take advantage of his momentary blindness, leaning in to press my lips against his. They are soft and pliant against mine. My tongue snakes out, asking to be let in, asking him to let me in. With a groan, he opens to me and kisses me back, his hand burying itself in my hair and his arm banding around my waist. I breathe him in, loving the way he takes my mouth - assertive, possessive, worshipping. It's intoxicating being in his arms, being his. It's the only place I've ever wanted to be.

His body pushes me into the sand and he settles himself between my legs, pressing his hips to mine, letting me feel what I do to him through the thin material of his swim trunks. I gasp into his mouth and he does it again, moaning with me. My hands claw at him as heat blasts through me. I grind into him, grind with him. It's addicting. Damon is like my own personal drug. I can't get enough, can't get close enough, can't kiss him enough.

His hands fist into my hair as my nails sink into his bare back. I can't think about anything else. Not the cool sand at my back, not the warmth of the fire, not even the sound of the ocean. All I can focus on is Damon - the heat of his skin, the way he feels lying on top of me, the possessive way he kisses me, the sound of his strangled groans and pleasure-filled purrs.

I'm so lost in him, so focused on how we move and fit perfectly together - my softness against his hard chiseled muscles - that when he pulls away abruptly, my whole body tries to follow him, tries to pull him back into our happy cocoon.

"Fuck!" he hisses, and it pulls me out of my Damon-induced haze.

He leaps to his feet, taking me with him, and that's when I notice the flash of light. If there was a single cloud in the sky, I would've thought it was lightening, but there's only one other place that flash could have come from - a camera. I feel so very exposed in my bikini as Damon shoves me behind his body, blocking me from their damn lenses.

He pushes me toward the house, his body pressed close to my back and his arms forming a protective circle around me. I'm too anxious to smile when he turns and flips them the bird before we hustle into the house.

I can feel the waves of tension radiating off of Damon as he walks me to my room. He's strung tight, probably pissed at himself for losing control with me, but I don't regret a single moment of it. Walking through the darkened house in strained silence, Damon's hands clench at his sides and mine itch to hold them.

We reach my door, just like we have every night this past week.

"I hate those people," he mutters, raking his fingers through his hair. All thoughts of the paparazzi are forgotten when he looks so goddamn fuckable. My insides clench, igniting all over again, and I'm right where I was when we were rolling in the sand. Damn photographers. If they hadn't interrupted... I sigh.

"Damon, it's not a big deal," I say, breaking the silence and trying to calm him down, but it does just the opposite.

"It is a big deal, Elena. It's a big fucking deal. They're going to publish those photos of you and drag your name through the mud," he seethes. His voice is low, but the heat in it nearly burns me.

"Damon," I reply softly, trying to calm him. When that doesn't seem to work, I step close and wrap my arms around his middle, resting my head on his chest.

He remains stiff in my arms for so long that I fear he's going to push me away. Just as I'm about to back off, his arms come around me, holding me to him. I smile into his bare chest. Finally.

"Stay with me," I whisper, angling my head so that my chin sits on his sternum and I can gaze up into his too blue eyes.

I feel his chest expand with a deep breath and then collapse with a sigh. My spirits deflate. I know what that sigh means.

"Not tonight, okay?" he says. It's obvious he's trying to be gentle, but it still sucks. I want to sleep with my man, damn it!

I pull away, my ego bruised again, and turn on my heel. I throw the door open with more force than necessary.

"Elena," Damon pleads, and oh, how I want to go running back into those arms, but I can't keep getting my hopes up that he'll finally be with me only to be let down again.

"Not tonight, Damon, okay?" I throw his words back at him mockingly right before I slam the door in his face.


With the morning always comes the realization of the idiotic things I said last night. With the morning always comes clarity.

I realize that Damon is only trying to respect me and show me that he doesn't just want me for my body. I also realize that what I said to him was bitchy, and he didn't deserve it one bit.

I puff out a breath of air, finally opening my eyes to the late morning light streaming through my bedroom window. I love this room. I wish it were mine permanently. Everything is crisp and clean and bright. The walls are a pale, pale blue and the bed is dressed with a huge white fluffy comforter and big white pillows that match the white antique furniture. It's girly and shabby chic and totally beach-house worthy.

I roll over to find a large rectangular box with a big red bow attached on the other side of my bed. A thrill of excitement goes through me as I sit up and pull the box onto my lap. I untie the bow, lift the lid and sift through the tissue paper to find a gorgeous blue lace sheath dress. It looks short, like it would hit me mid-thigh. Underneath the dress is a pair of nude heels. When I see a flash of red on the soles, my eyes bulge. These alone must have cost a fortune. I notice there is also an envelope with my name on it in the box. When I read the card, my insides go to mush.

I'm going to make tonight special. Be ready by 6pm.

-D

Oh. My. God!

I squeal a bit and hug the dress to my chest, my smile bordering on psychotic. My heart swells and excitement courses through me. I get to have my special night with Damon. Finally! My smile hurts with the thought that he planned this all for me.

I leap out of bed and run down to the kitchen, grabbing myself a late breakfast before running back upstairs for a shower. I spend the rest of the day shaving, blow-drying, nail painting, eyebrow plucking, moisturizing, hair curling, and make up applying. I live it up because it's been almost a year since I've had the freedom to be girly. There's no room for anything girly on tour with four grown men.

At 5:47pm, I'm finally ready. My hair is in soft waves and my eyes are perfectly smoky and mysterious, thanks to Caroline's hair and makeup lessons in high school. My long legs look miles longer in the dress and heels that Damon picked out, almost as if he knew that's exactly what would happen.

My phone beeps on the bed and I rush over to it, finding a text from Damon. Two words.

"Go outside."

I suppress a squeal and stuff my phone into my clutch before racing out the door, yelling a goodbye to the guys who are absorbed in their video game.

Outside is a black SUV with dark tinted windows. There is a smiling man in a suit, holding open the back door, who greets me by name. I slide onto the leather seats with that same stupid smile still on my face.

As we drive, I gaze out the window, marveling at the Hawaiian scenery. The green trees are so beautiful, occasionally giving way to glimpses of the ocean, and the descending sunlight makes everything seem to glow.

Twenty minutes later, we pull up outside of a resort. There is another man waiting at the peak of the circle drive who opens the door for me, helping me out of the car.

"Miss Gilbert," he greets me with a smile. "If you'll please follow me."

Grinning, I take in all of the gorgeous flowers and decor of the resort as the man leads me through the main building. It's airy and the epitome of Hawaiian luxury. We exit the building and I follow my guide down a stone walkway to a private bungalow, where he opens the door for me and then says his goodbye. If I thought the main resort grounds were beautiful, this bungalow blows them all away. The high-beamed ceilings, dark wood floors and open layout make my jaw drop.

I walk into the living area and see that an entire wall of glass has been pushed open so that the room is both indoors and outdoors. I can smell the clean scent of the ocean mixed with something delicious, so I follow my nose to the patio where I find Damon looking sinful in a suit and tie. He looks so crisp and well put together, yet his hair is still messy the way I love it, giving him a little edge. My insides clench at the sight of his blue eyes lighting up when they land on me.

Walking over to him, I notice the tiki torches surrounding the patio, the private pool and jacuzzi, the amazing sunset and the table for two set with our dinner. I've never seen anything like this. I can't believe he did it all for me.

"You clean up nice," I say, appoaching him. God, he takes my breath away.

He smiles at me, and I swear my underwear catch on fire. "So do you, but that's no surprise."

He comes around the table and pulls my chair out for me, helping me scoot it closer to the table after I'm seated. He pulls the silver domes off of our plates before sitting down himself.

Our dinner looks amazing. The filet mignon is cooked to my liking and our hearty sides of mashed potatoes and corn finish everything off splendidly.

I realize Damon knows my favorite meal, and on our special night together, he made sure I had it. My heart melts a little more.

We dig in, exchanging smiles while we eat. The food is more delicious than I could've dreamt. Everything is cooked and seasoned to perfection.

"Thank you for this, Damon," I say, when I can't possibly eat another bite.

He glances across the table at me, looking impossibly beautiful against the backdrop of the sun setting over the ocean.

"I loved planning this for you. Thinking about what you'd like, what you'd wear, how you'd look. Yet the reality blows away all of my expectations," he says, and his words totally rock my world. I feel like the air has been knocked out of me. I have no response. I can only stare at him with my mouth hanging open.

"Dance with me?" he says after several long moments.

I finally recover from my speechlessness. "There's no music."

"So…" he says mischievously.

I don't even fight the smile that pulls at my lips as I place my hand in his. He pulls me to my feet and right into his arms, holding our intertwined fingers over his heart and pulling me close with his other arm around my waist. I grip his shoulder as we start to sway, resting my cheek against his. He starts to hum a melody I don't recognize, but I just close my eyes and let him lead. I've never felt more loved or protected than I do right now. Damon holds me as if I'm the most precious thing he's ever touched.

My nerves ratchet up a notch when I imagine just where this night is going to lead us. I'm ready for it, ready for him. I want to live our first time over again, but I'm nervous. What if I'm not good enough? Not experienced enough? What if he wants someone who is kinky? I'm definitely not kinky. At least, I don't think I am. But worst of all, what if he rejects me again like he did on the plane?

I force those thoughts from my mind and just let myself enjoy being with him, relishing the feeling of his body pressed against mine. As he hums and we sway in perfect sync, my mind tells me that there is something familiar about this. That we've danced like this before, only dirtier. I try to find the memory, try to match it to something, anything, but I come up empty.

"Elena," he whispers, pulling his face from mine, but still holding me close. I can feel every plane of his chest and the hardness between his legs. It's thrilling and sends my heart rate through the roof. "I'm going to kiss you now."

He leans in and my eyes flutter shut, my lips parting in anticipation of his kiss, but I only get a brief swipe of his open mouth on mine.

"Then," he continues, his voice low and gravely and causing heat to pool deep in my stomach. "I'm going to strip you."

His fingers trail from my back, up my chest and play with the skin exposed by the deep V of my dress. I'm nearly panting with need for him.

"And when you're finally naked and in my arms," he breathes, his open wet lips trailing upward from the base of my neck to nibble on the spot below my ear that makes my knees weak. "I'm going to make love to you."

Oh. My. God.

White hot lust shoots through me, almost taking me down, but Damon holds me steady. His hand tangles in my hair, holding my head just how he wants it, and the other dances down my chest and around to my lower back, grinding his hardness into me as his lips capture mine. The moan that escapes my throat is urgent and needy. I need him to make love to me and show me with his body how he feels about me. I clutch his shoulders, trying to get as close to him as humanly possible.

His hands cup my ass, lifting me, and I wrap my legs around his waist, hiking up the skirt of my dress, as he walks us inside. He places me on the bed, his mouth still moving languorously against mine. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, probing and tasting until he pulls away. I let out a mewl of protest. I don't want him to pull away. I want him to let me crawl inside of him and stay forever.

The hungry look in his eyes tells me that he wants the same thing I do, and he wants it soon. His fingers graze my shoulders, pushing the straps of my dress down over my arms, revealing more of my skin to his scorching gaze. He groans when the top half of the dress falls down, and he runs his hands up my stomach, over my lace-clad breasts and into my hair. He's panting when he pulls me close, near enough to kiss me, but he doesn't.

"Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are or what you do to me?" he groans, his lips moving against mine as he speaks.

I can't help my reaction, blushing furiously. I feel it warm my chest, creep up my neck and bleed onto my cheeks. Damon leans back, his eyes devouring the now-pink skin.

He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, like he's trying to pull himself together. "Oh God, you need to stop that or this night is going to end very differently than I imagined."

I want to smile at the power I have over him, but his dark molten eyes ensnare me, and I can do nothing but stare at him with an open mouth. He is all man, and all mine.

His fingers deftly rid me of my dress and underwear until he is standing between my parted legs, fully clothed, while I'm spread out before him not wearing a single stitch. I want to cover myself, as I don't remember ever being naked like this for a man before, but I'm frozen by Damon's stare. Never have I been made love to just by someone's eyes. It's dizzying.

But I become restless in my need for him. I want to see him too, see his skin and feel it against mine. My shaky fingers reach out and untuck his crisp dress shirt. I have to try two or three times on several buttons before the shirt opens. I pull his tie loose and he lets them both fall to the floor. God almighty, he is beautiful. My hands coast up the hard ridges of his chest and pull him down to me. I need him to kiss me, to do something before I explode. I moan into his mouth, and Damon snaps out of his trance. His big, calloused hands touch me all over, dancing down my spine, cupping my breasts and tracing the insides of my thighs, making me pant in anticipation.

His weight presses me back into the mattress while his lips travel down my body, sucking and nibbling on my skin, taking extra time on my breasts to swirl his tongue around each nipple before softly scraping his teeth against them. I'm writhing with need when his tongue dips into my belly button, and then I feel his breath move lower, right there in the place that no other man has been except for him.

As if reading my mind, he groans and says, "I'm so glad no other man has seen you like this. Otherwise, I'd have to kill him."

I don't have much time to process that statement, because his hands push my knees apart and his mouth settles on me - warm and slick. Fireworks go off behind my eyes and I fist the sheets in my hands, needing something, anything, to ground me while the pleasure threatens to wash me away. His tongue probes and laps and swirls while his hands hold me down. I can hardly breathe and I have no idea what kind of sounds I am making. My fingers move to clutch his hair, both holding him closer and pulling him away. I don't know what I want or need, but I will go crazy if I don't get it.

His name leaves my lips like a prayer, and with just a few more flicks of his tongue, the abyss that threatened to overwhelm me sweeps me away. Wave after wave of toe-curling pleasure cuts through me and I'm a slave to it, forced to ride it out and go where it takes me. When I'm back on planet earth, I realize Damon is pressing tender kisses against my center before he slowly moves up my body to take my lips. I can taste myself on him, which just ramps up my need for him again, but the sweet and gentle way his lips move over mine forces me to calm down and enjoy his kiss.

My hands take charge and hone in on his pants, unbuckling his belt and lowering the zipper. I use my feet to help push them down and off of his hips, and he kicks them the rest of the way off, giving me a moment to admire him fully naked and needy for me. I lie back while he looms over me, big, powerful and yet, the look in his eyes is soft and tender and melts my bones. I watch in fascination as he tears open a condom wrapper and sheathes himself, preparing to be inside of me. The thought makes me tremble with excitement.

As if I weigh nothing, he lifts me into his arms and places us in the middle of the bed, him propped up against the headboard and me on top of him, my knees on either side of his hips. I take his face in my hands and kiss him deeply, trying to show him all of the things I feel for him with just my kiss. He takes himself in hand and runs the head of him up and down my center, making me gasp and push harder against him. His blue eyes are filled with heat and blaze into mine. My heart is in my throat and every nerve ending in my body is on high alert, as I rock against him to the rhythm he's created. I've loved this man since I was a kid and have wanted him like this since I became a woman. Now the moment is finally here and everything is perfect.

My eyes well up and a single tear slides down my cheek. He tenderly wipes it away with the pad of his thumb, his eyes full of concern.

"Elena," he whispers.

"It's okay, Damon. I want this. I want you. I've waited for so long." My words are thick and jumbled with the emotions running through me.

He kisses me sweetly before guiding himself into me. His hands hold my hips, but he lets me take control of lowering onto him. I move slowly, but my body welcomes the intrusion, obviously happy to have him back. I gasp when the backs of my thighs touch his hips and he's completely inside of me. My nails dig into his chest while his hands encourage my hips to move, up and down, back and forth. I learn quickly and find my rhythm, one that stokes the fire already burning inside of me. Damon's chest heaves with his heavy breaths, and I'm mesmerized by the ecstasy on his face. He is so beautiful it almost hurts. As the heat inside of me builds, my pace becomes frantic, wanting to take us both to the edge and throw us over.

I press my face into his neck, licking the sweat off of his skin. He smells like heaven and he tastes even better. He has consumed me - physically, mentally, and emotionally. I feel everything for this man beneath me.

My legs burn with exertion, but I crave that release, and I want to give it to Damon. I want him to feel everything I'm feeling. His arms wrap tightly around my back and without breaking our connection, I'm on my back beneath him as his hips power into me. Fuck - this is exactly what I need. I need him wild for me, out of control for me. It's heady and intoxicating, and I could do this for the rest of my life and die happy.

I wrap my arms around him, pulling him close so that my breasts are pressed against his chest, moving with him. My fingers tighten in his hair as the coil tightens inside of me. He catches my leg behind the knee and hooks it around his back, letting himself slide deeper.

"Elena," he breathes my name, pushing the sweaty hair off my face, and I detonate around him.

I cry his name and clutch him to me as he soon finds his own release. We are both still moving mindlessly against each other, trying to prolong the other's orgasm. He holds me tight, like I'm the only thing keeping him on earth, as he buries his face in my neck.

When the waves have finally calmed and we are both jittery with the aftershocks, he collapses on top of me. I welcome his weight, cradling him with my entire body. I run my fingers up and down his back, unable to get enough of the feel of his skin. I let my eyes slip shut, snuggling into his warmth, and that's when images begin to assail me.

Damon and I dancing in a hotel room.

Damon grinding against me.

Damon's face between my legs, driving me to the brink of insanity.

Damon positioning himself at my entrance for the first time.

Damon whispering sweet words into my ear as the pain of the intrusion subsides.

Damon pumping himself into me until we come together.

Damon collapsing on top of me while I wrap myself around him with a sated sigh.

They aren't memories from tonight. They are memories from our first time. My first time.

I remember it.


A/N: You had to know that was coming eventually, right?!

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