Thank you for all the fabulous reviews on the last chapter – I really struggled with it. I suppose we're all guilty of being more critical of our own writing than anybody else – am I right, or am I right? Y'all made me feel loads better about the way it turned out. I've found that reviews are the best confidence booster of all time – I'm addicted to them, really. I check my email several times a day just to see if I have more LOL. So thank you. :)
I didn't read this chapter over at all, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few mistakes. Just…ignore them. Turn a blind eye. For my sake.
Enjoy!
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"Good morning, love. How are you feeling this morning?"
Elena squinted at the hybrid with bleary eyes, sitting at the kitchen table.
"I'm okay," she replied, tiredly and somewhat warily.
Klaus noticed the dark circles under her eyes. An emotion welled up in him – one that he hadn't felt in a very long time: concern.
"Nightmares again, eh?" he asked softly.
She bristled. "Yes, well, some of us find killing another human being a traumatic experience. I guess after a thousand years you get used to it, but I don't have that luxury." She rested her head on the table, sighing. "Finally I asked Rebekah to…help."
He smiled. Three weeks ago the acerbic statement would have offended him; now, coming from her, it was tolerable. It added to her charm.
She was generally grumpy in the mornings, he'd noticed. It was Gaia's day off, so he'd been the one to make the coffee this morning. Smirking, he set a mug of it down in front of her.
Her head shot up and she inhaled deeply through her nose, reaching out to cradle the mug in her hands. "Oh, you are a saint," she breathed gratefully.
He chuckled. "That's a first." He sat down across from her. She smiled into her coffee.
"What about me, darling?"
Kol strolled into the room, wearing nothing but swim trunks with a towel slung over his shoulder.
Klaus and Elena snorted simultaneously, sipping at their coffee. No words were needed.
His younger brother scowled. "Whatever," he said darkly. He stalked out onto the terrace and dove smoothly into the pool.
Elena smiled at him. "He's such a little prat."
Klaus threw back his head and laughed. She had quickly picked up his sister's vocabulary, and he found it endlessly amusing. "He is, isn't he?"
"I guess it runs in the family." She smirked slyly.
He frowned. "Yes, well," he admitted, "I pull it off a lot better than he does."
She giggled. He took a moment to observe her – she was still in her pajamas, a purple tank top and striped pajama shorts, with little purple slippers on her feet. Her hair was mussed from sleep and her eyes had yet to fully open.
He gave serious thought to seducing her. She was certainly pretty enough…and Elijah would have a fit. He smiled internally at the thought. He loved to rile his older brother up.
However, his brother's feelings were more complicated this time. Whether Elijah knew it or not, he was in love with the girl. His siblings were aware of it, and Klaus was sure even Gaia knew, but Elena was oblivious to it and the eldest Original was in serious denial.
To make a move on the doppelganger might push his brother to the breaking point. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, Klaus was really enjoying his peaceful existence with his siblings. It was mostly due to Elena's presence in the household; she had a positive affect on them all – even him. Especially him. It was hard to have a bad attitude when someone so optimistic was around all the time. She took the wind out of his sails, and for the first time in a very long time he felt…relaxed.
Still…it was tempting to try to take her to bed. It would take some time, however, and time was something he did not have – not as long as Elijah was around. With his charming, handsome brother in the picture competing for her affections, he didn't stand a chance. Elena had already had feelings for the eldest Mikaelson before she moved away with them – now they had increased ten-fold with the absence of her precious Salvatore brothers. And Klaus was very aware of how she felt about him: she no longer hated him, he was sure, but she had just started to warm up to him. She was far from jumping into his arms.
And next weekend she was going away with Elijah – and only Elijah. Klaus had business to attend to in London and Rebekah was accompanying him, and Kol was off to reestablish some connections in southern Africa. He and his siblings would no longer be there to come between them. And if he knew his brother at all, Elijah would take full advantage of the situation. He turned the seduction of women into an art, and there was no doubt Elena would be tumbling into his bed as soon as he had her alone. She underestimated Elijah because of his honor – but his brother was not so honorable, really, when it came down to it. When Elijah wanted something, he took it. He was noble, yes – but only to a point. He did not let his nobility get in the way of his desires. And he had the patience of a saint and was just as tenacious, so he almost always got what he wanted.
So in the end, was it really worth it?
Before he could think too hard about it, the doorbell rang. He frowned, looking at his watch. He was expecting someone at noon for a lunch meeting, but it was only nine o'clock.
He went to the front door and opened it. The breath whooshed out of his lungs, and all coherent thoughts, of Elena or anything else, flew out of his head.
She was as beautiful as ever in a sweet yellow sundress, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and aviator sunglasses perched on top of her head. A small suitcase sat next to her on the front stoop, and a purse was slung over her shoulder. Her blue eyes were wide and lovely. There was no malice in them: only anticipation and…nervousness?
She cleared her throat. "Klaus…hi."
His surprise at her presence quickly faded into something akin to joy. Confusion still raged within his mind – how had she found them? – but it was overshadowed by his longing for her.
She was his greatest weakness.
"Caroline: what a pleasant surprise," he said smoothly. "Would you like to come in?"
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When Caroline stepped into the beautiful Greek abode, it took all of ten seconds for her to be ambushed by a squealing brunette. She threw her arms around her best friend, hugging her like her life depended on it. They stood there for a few minutes, merely holding each other, before Elena pulled away.
"But…how?" Elena looked over to Klaus, who had concealed his befuddlement with amusement. The doppelganger launched herself at him, embracing him forcefully. The expression on Klaus's face was priceless.
Caroline would not ruin the moment by telling her friend that it was Elijah, not Klaus, who had invited her here. After all, it wasn't really necessary for her to know, was it?
Klaus patted her awkwardly on the back, his confused blue eyes meeting Caroline's.
She had forgotten how beautiful his eyes were.
She had forgotten how much she hated herself for thinking of him. He was here, in the flesh, and her dead heart did somersaults within her chest.
Elena pulled away. "Thank you, Nik," she said gently, her gratitude sincere. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
Neither Klaus nor Caroline missed the nickname that was only ever used by his adoring younger sister. His eyes widened.
He cleared his throat. "Oh, I think I have some idea." He paused awkwardly. "I'm…glad you're happy."
Caroline appreciated that he wasn't openly taking credit for Elena's happiness. There was no false pride there for an action he had not facilitated. She cocked her head, smiling gently at him.
Her apprehension faded with his returning smile.
She had forgotten how charming his dimples were.
"She's only got a few days here, Elena," he said, a hand on the doppelganger's bare shoulder, "you certainly shouldn't waste it talking to me. Go, get dressed," he commanded, urging her up the stairs.
Caroline had forgotten how much he bamboozled her; had forgotten what a conundrum he was. He was so…complicated.
"Right, of course," Elena responded. She grabbed Caroline's hand and tugged her up the stairs.
When Caroline glanced back, he was staring at her, his eyes full of longing.
She had forgotten how much he wanted her.
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By the time Thursday rolled around, Caroline had developed a golden tan and her hair looked almost white with the amount of sun she'd gotten.
Rebekah had been jealous at first – Klaus could only imagine that she felt her newfound relationship with Elena had been threatened – but after a day of careful tact on Elena's part she came around and was polite to Caroline. Klaus was pleasantly surprised when his doppelganger did not exclude his sister in favor of spending time alone with her best friend from Mystic Falls – instead, she and Caroline (despite the young vampire's initial discomfort) included her in almost everything.
The thought made his heart swell. His baby sister had never really had friends – it was hard to get close to people when you were part of the Original family. He longed to see her happy.
He was angry with Elijah at first, for going behind his back – especially given his older brother's intentions. Klaus was not a fool: he knew Elijah had invited Caroline as a distraction, feeling threatened by his growing interest in Elena.
It had worked.
Every day in Caroline's presence made his feelings for her grow, and his anger with his brother quickly faded into nothing. He could not control his emotion when it came to the perky young vampire; and for once he found that he did not want to. It was irritating, to be so attached to her, but it was freeing, in a way.
Oddly enough, she did not seem to mind his attentions. He made sure to give her space during her visit – trying to pursue her would only be obnoxious, at this point, and he didn't want to push it – but she was cordial to him for the entirety of her stay there, and had even flirted with him once or twice. He tried not to get his hopes up, but when she sat next to him at the dinner table that Tuesday evening and playfully stole a carrot from his plate, he couldn't keep his heart from leaping and his mind from jumping to conclusions.
He was sad to see her go.
After Elena said her tearful goodbyes that Thursday morning, Klaus had walked Caroline to the front door. A car waited to take her back to the airport.
He closed the door behind him and handed her suitcase to the driver. He cleared his throat.
"I'm glad you were able to come," he said softly, looking her in the eye. "I was incensed with Elijah for a moment there, but he did the right thing, inviting you here; I'm not so sure I would have agreed to it if he had consulted me first. But Elena and Rebekah really enjoyed your company this week…and so did I." He swallowed.
The kiss was unexpected. It completely blindsided him, and was over far too quickly, but it was like a slice of heaven. It was funny how the barest press of her lips against his had him reeling.
She pulled away, her eyes shy and full of emotion. She beamed at him. "Perhaps…perhaps I can come again sometime? I graduate this summer, you know, and – "
"I know," he interrupted. "Did you think I'd forgotten, Caroline? This is you we're talking about here. You know how much I care for you."
He'd never seen a vampire blush before – did not even know it was physically possible – but she pulled it off with grace. She nodded, speechless.
"I'll tell you what," he offered kindly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear – the action made her shudder involuntarily, "how about I call you? I can't come to your graduation, of course, seeing as how I'm not allowed back in Mystic Falls, but I can give you a graduation present." He flashed his dimples at her. "How would you and Elena like to travel around Europe for a few weeks?"
She gasped, her eyes wide. She grinned at him. "Well, since you can't make it to my graduation…I suppose a trip to Europe would suffice," she said teasingly.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, dangerously close to the corner of her lips. "I sense we have a deal, then."
She smiled into his eyes. "Goodbye, Niklaus," she whispered, using his full name. "I'll see you in a couple of months."
"Goodbye, Caroline," he replied. "Safe travels. And," he added, "happy 18th birthday – early."
This time he was ready for her kiss, and buried his hands in her golden tresses. She smelled like heaven, and as her lips opened under his, she tasted like orange juice.
He pulled away all too quickly, reluctant to let go of her. "You're going to miss your flight," he whispered against her lips.
Her eyes were still closed. "That would give me an excuse to stay a little longer," she whispered back.
He chuckled, his hands cupping her neck. He brought his lips up to her forehead. "You're mother would have a fit."
She sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She finally pulled herself out of his embrace, looking exhilarated, and flounced down the stairs. "Bye, Klaus. And make sure to send me some sort of awesome birthday present."
He laughed. "There's a package already in the mail as we speak, love. You underestimate me."
She climbed into the car, laughing in delight. "Of course there is. You never for a minute gave up, did you?"
"Never," he called back easily. He waved as the car pulled away.
He held a hand to his tingling lips.
What a day this was turning out to be.
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Elena was at the sink, rinsing off her breakfast plate, when she felt someone behind her. A pair of tan, muscled arms caged her in, large, masculine hands resting on the edge of the counter. She froze.
She knew who it was instantly as his smell engulfed her. God, what was that? Was it some sort of cologne, or his laundry detergent, or did he just smell like that naturally? It drove her crazy.
"Morning," he whispered in her ear, dangerously close to nuzzling the side of her neck. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she could feel his breath on her skin. She shivered. A pang of arousal hit her womb. She knew he could probably smell her desire for him, but at this point she couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed. They were past that point. Now she just felt nervous.
"Good morning, Elijah," she said. Her plate was clean but she continued to wash it, needing something to do with her hands. "Sleep well?"
"Not at all," he returned, the rumble of his voice vibrating against her back. "I had a lot on my mind. Did Rebekah help with your nightmares last night? I heard you sleeping soundly in your room."
She swallowed. He wasn't moving away from her. Why wasn't he moving away from her? She could only wash a plate for so long.
"Yes, she's been very helpful these last few days." A sparkle entered her eye, and she couldn't resist her next statement, said to tease him. "And her imagination isn't as torrid as yours, so my dreams are safe when she falls asleep." She turned her head slightly to the right, smirking.
He chuckled behind her. "Yes, but hers aren't nearly as fun, are they?" he murmured against her ear, his lips brushing imperceptibly against the shell of her ear.
She quivered. Oh God. Sweet Lord above. She was dying. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't function at all.
Suddenly, finding her strength, she whipped around to face him. His eyes were scorching, and she could not look away, even as they burned through her soul.
His face descended to hers. Millimeters away, he nuzzled her lips with his own. Her mouth parted and her eyes closed in anticipation.
"Well…I would say 'good morning,' but it seems as if you two don't need my well-wishing, do you?"
Elijah sighed against her lips before he pulled away. Elena did not open her eyes, unwilling to look at him just yet. She felt her face redden against her will.
"Good morning, Niklaus. You slept well, I hope?" Elijah's tone was one of forced politeness. She could hear the irritation in his voice, simmering just below the surface. After weeks of living with him, she had come to sort out the nuances of his speech. In fact, she had become familiar with all of the siblings' expressions and affects.
She opened her eyes and looked over at the annoying hybrid. The expression on his face was one of mischief and malicious glee. Caroline had left yesterday morning and Klaus had returned to his usual self, although in light of his behavior during her friend's visit she could no longer think of him as evil.
Thanks, Caroline. Way to ruin my opinion of him. Now everything is screwed up in my mind.
"Yes of course, brother."
"Dreaming of a certain blonde cheerleader, were we?"
Klaus scowled. "Shove off, Elijah." He stalked out of the room.
Elijah chuckled. Elena swallowed nervously when she realized he was still boxing her in against the counter.
He looked at her for a long, tortuous moment, and for a second she thought he was going to finish what he started and try to kiss her again. She was both relieved and disappointed when he pulled away to lean against the kitchen island.
"Are you packed?" he asked casually. "Our flight leaves at noon."
She nodded. "Gaia helped me put things together last night. I'm all set. If you don't mind, I think I'll spend the next couple of hours out by the pool."
"Of course," he said, gesturing to the terrace. "I'll come get you at quarter past eleven."
She thanked him and made a quick escape, nearly sprinting up the stairs to change.
She could have sworn she heard him chuckle behind her.
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The flight had been unbearable.
They had flown first class, of course (Klaus and Rebekah had taken the jet to London) but it still seemed too small of a distance between him and Elena. For nearly three hours he sat, fidgeting, itching to touch her.
She was equally as uncomfortable, sending sidelong glances his way out of the corner of her eye. She had attempted to distract herself by reading, but he noticed she had not flipped the page in quite a while.
When they finally arrived at his little apartment in the heart of Paris, he took her bags to her room and allowed her to explore. He exited the apartment, claiming he had a meeting (which was in fact not for another hour) and told her he would be back at 6:30 to change and escort her to the ball, which started at seven.
It was going to be a long night.
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Elena sighed in relief when Elijah left, relaxing for the first time since that morning. She needed some time alone to collect herself; she couldn't seem to function when he was so close all the time. Her attraction for him was getting out of control – it was like a floodgate had been dropped since that dream, her feelings creating a maelstrom inside her head.
She looked around the apartment. It was lovely, everything she'd imagined Paris to be. The walls were ivory with ornate crown molding, and a delicate crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling. It was obviously very old, but well cared for and beautifully decorated, the furniture classic and very old-world charming.
She went into the room he had put her things in, and started to get ready.
All of the choices of her appearance were made with him in mind; she was not intentionally trying to drive him crazy, but her subconscious mind was hell bent on seducing him, even if she was not aware of it.
She showered and spent hours getting ready, applying her makeup carefully and styling her hair to perfection.
When she heard Elijah reenter the apartment, her heart jumped.
She waited until he had closed the door to his room before she emerged nervously, smoothing down the skirt of her gown.
Her dress was a simple silk backless gown with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline. The burgundy material flowed gently from her hips to the floor, and when she moved her left leg peeked out through a slit that came to mid-thigh and her matching peep-toe heels could be seen under the skirt. Rebekah had helped her select it from the variety of gowns in her closet in Greece.
She had pulled her hair back into a simple chignon, securing it with diamond-adorned bobby pins (she'd done the best she could, without Gaia's help). Dangly diamond earrings hung from her ears, and her neck was bare. Rebekah had insisted upon no necklace, for some reason, and so Elena went along with it.
She was too naïve to recognize that the blonde was setting her up to look like the ultimate Elijah snack. Dark red dress, hair swept back and neck bare of jewelry…yes, she was vampire bait, and for one Original vampire in particular. She only came to realize it when the vampire in question stepped out of his room, straightening his bowtie, and looked at her.
He froze in his doorway, his hands dropping to his sides. His eyes raked over her figure so blatantly that she shifted under his gaze. She laughed nervously, and spun for him.
"So? Do I pass inspection? What do you think?"
His eyes skimmed over her body once more before settling on her brown orbs. "I can't."
"Can't what?" she asked, frowning.
"Can't think." He swallowed, staring at her. "You look stunning, Elena."
She knew that she looked nice, but hearing him say it was something else entirely. She smiled. "Worthy of accompanying an Original to a ball?"
He smiled and held out his arm. "Most assuredly."
Pleased, she slipped her hand around his arm and stepped with him through the door.
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"You're quite the dancer, Miss Gilbert."
She held her head up haughtily. "You sound surprised. I was in the running for Miss Mystic Falls, you know. I've known most of these dances since I was a child."
"Ah yes, I seem to recall you mentioning that. Still, I'm impressed. You're a natural."
Elena almost stumbled when his hand slipped from her waist to her uncovered back, the skin of his palm warm. She gave him a warning glare.
"You're trying to distract me."
He feigned innocence; he almost pulled it off, but his eyes gave him away. "Whatever do you mean, Elena?"
She scowled. "You're testing me. Seeing if I'll slip up. It won't work, you know."
He smirked at her. "I would never."
She smirked back at him. She'd had several glasses of champagne at this point, and was feeling rather brazen. She stopped dancing, and he halted with her. She leaned up towards him, bringing her lips to his ear.
"You're trying to seduce me."
He didn't bother denying it. He merely stroked his hand down her back, letting it settle in the dip of her lower back just above her ass, and brushed his lips along her jaw.
"And how's that working out for me?'
Her answering shudder told him all he needed to know, but she continued. "Not as well as you think. You're the one who's been staring at me all night, not the other way around."
He chuckled, pulling back to look her in the eye. "You should know better than to wear that color around vampires, lovely Elena. And your throat," he said, placing a hand on her neck, "is exposed. I can see the blood pulsing under your skin. I would have to be blind, gay and human not to stare at you." Her eyes went wide. "Plus: how would you know I was staring at you if you weren't also staring at me?"
She gulped, and his hand slipped lower on her throat, his thumb brushing across her artery. "I can feel your eyes on me."
"And I can feel yours on me," he countered slyly, his face twisting into a smirk. He turned and guided her off the dance floor, grabbing two flutes of champagne from a waiter's tray in passing, handing one to her. "We've been playing this game for a while, Elena."
"What game?" she asked coyly.
He chuckled, but did not answer, taking a sip of his drink and looking her up and down. He waved to someone behind her, and she turned.
"Elena, this is Adele Prevost, an old friend of mine. I have some things I need to discuss with her husband – I trust she will keep you safe until my return." Before she could protest, he had walked away with a tall, handsome grey-haired man. She frowned.
"Ah, I know how it is, cherie…before I met my husband, I was hopelessly in love with Elijah Mikaelson."
She turned to the woman next to her, and was stunned by her beauty. Long hair the color of wheat was braided back from a fine-boned, aristocratic face. Vivid green eyes sat above high rosy cheekbones, and her smile flashed perfectly straight teeth. Her tall, willowy body was draped in a slinky navy blue dress, a slit cut up to her hip revealing one perfect leg the color of cream. Her lips were painted a bright red.
Elena didn't know whether or not to feel jealous – the woman was married, after all. But she mentioned being in love with Elijah…had they…? The question teased her jealous mind.
"I thought vampires didn't get married?" she asked curiously.
The vampire smiled. "They don't, usually. But Henri and I are stuck together for life anyway, so we decided to tie the knot." Her voice was heavily accented.
"Stuck together for life?" Elena inquired, confused.
"Oui," she replied. "You see, Elijah turned me long ago, in the fourteenth century; he saved my life, actually. I was dying of the plague. For years after that we were very close, and I watched him throw his life away on his brother's mad quest to break the curse of his werewolf gene. Elijah never saw me as more than his child, of course, whereas I was madly in love with him. In 1492, when the doppelganger Katerina turned herself into a vampire and fled, he disappeared for a while. While he was off the grid I moved back to Paris, where I met Henri. He is my mate."
"Your mate?"
"Sometimes vampires have mates. It is very rare, and we mate for life. I have only met one other mated pair in my life." She smiled wistfully. "I am very happy with mine."
From a distance Elena watched Elijah speak with Henri. They seemed to be talking about something important. "I'd never heard of that before. I dated a vampire for quite a while, and he never mentioned it to me."
"You dated a vampire?" Adele asked skeptically. "That is unusual, for a human. Many vampires do not know that the mating bond exists, or only believe it is a myth. If he is relatively young, it is likely that he'd never heard of it. Interesting, though, that he should find companionship in a human."
Elena shrugged. It was not said in a demeaning tone, and she was not offended by it.
"We dated for almost two years…then I sort of fell in love with his brother, and then Klaus ruined things…" She sighed. "It didn't really work out. Obviously."
Adele grinned. "And now you are in love with the oldest living vampire on earth. Complicated, no?"
Elena frowned. "I'm not in love with Elijah," she denied. Of course she wasn't! That would be absurd.
Adele merely chuckled and sipped at her champagne. "No, of course not," she said teasingly. "How silly of me."
"I'm not!" The statement came out as a squeak. She sounded ridiculous to her own ears. She fumed. "I mean, I am attracted to him, and he's great, he really is, but he's a Mikaelson. That will never happen."
Adele raised an eyebrow at her. "Henri and I have already placed bets."
High spots of color rose on Elena's cheeks. "Sorry?"
"Nothing you need to worry about, cherie," the French woman said, blowing her off. "Just…enjoy your night. See? Here they come. I am going to dance with my husband…it was lovely talking to you, Elena. Perhaps we will meet again, yes?"
Henri nodded to her in passing, his eyes glittering with something akin to mischief. Her mouth hung open.
Bets?
A gentle hand came up to push at her chin, closing her jaw. She turned to Elijah and blushed, feeling more hot and bothered by the second.
He held out his hand. "One last dance before we head home?" he asked, bowing.
She downed the rest of her champagne in one gulp. She would need it.
She nodded. "It would be my pleasure."
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The dance helped to calm her nerves a little, but it was only temporary. When they got in the hired car to go home, they returned full force, and when Elijah unlocked the door to the apartment, she almost retched with anxiety.
They were alone. Completely and utterly alone.
She brushed past him into the apartment, going immediately to the liquor cabinet (she had discovered it earlier in her exploration, and had secretly gulped down some rum straight from the bottle before the ball to boost her confidence) and pulling down a bottle of scotch and a glass. She poured herself some and continued to face the wall as she shot it back, the dark liquor smooth and strong as it ran down her throat. It went immediately to her head.
Good. Having her head spin because of alcohol was a far cry better than having it spin because of Elijah.
Unfortunately for her, the respite didn't last long.
"Do I make you nervous, Miss Gilbert? You've imbibed quite a bit of alcohol this evening."
Her skin quivered when she felt his cool hand on her back, his knuckles skimming down her spine to her tailbone. She gasped, frozen, when his fingers dipped under the material, brushing over the lace waistband of her scarlet thong.
"Elijah," she warned, her voice breathier than she would have liked.
"Elena," he mimicked mockingly. His second hand came to join its brother, and they slid around to her sides, gliding up under the silky material of her gown to rest below her chest. His fingers pressed against her ribcage and his thumbs skimmed over the sides of her breasts. She quivered. Her body was tingling under his touch and her temperature was sky high.
She closed her eyes and moved her head to the side as his lips found the junction between her neck and shoulder. She did not stop him when his hands traveled up to push the straps of her dress off her shoulders, and did not protest when he pinned her arms to her sides and slid her dress down her body. It pooled at her feet.
One of his hands slid down her stomach and he pulled her hips back against him. She gasped at the hard bulge of his erection pressed against her ass. Her breath hitched when his fingers dipped quickly into the waistband of her thong and ran along her slit. She moaned. She hadn't realized how aroused she was until he touched her, spreading her juices around her womanhood. His other hand went to her breast, tweaking the nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
Oh, God. She knew his hands would feel like this.
"You've been wet for me all night," he whispered seductively in her ear. His voice was pure sin, dripping from his tongue like poisoned honey. Smooth and sweet – but deadly. "You can't deny it," he continued. "I could smell your desire from across the room, Elena. It's been making me crazy all night."
She whimpered as his index finger circled her sensitive bud, teasing but not satisfying. "Elijah, please. Don't tease me."
She gasped as his fingernail raked over her clit, and then let out a strangled groan when his middle and index fingers pressed firmly against the bundle of nerves, sending a jolt of pleasure through her body.
"Who's teasing?" he replied huskily. He thumbed her straining nipple and nipped at the skin of her neck. His fingers started to work her clit in earnest, rubbing it in circles with a steady pressure and speed. One of her hands went to clutch the edge of the counter, and the other wrapped around the back of his head, her fingers tangling in his hair.
Two minutes passed, his fingers tirelessly manipulating her clit, and she was coming, screaming his name into the apartment as her body arched and shook and her cum coated his hand. Spots danced in front of her vision as she came down from her high, panting. She resisted the urge to collapse, boneless, to the floor. Instead she pulled his hand from inside her panties and turned to face him, keeping her face expressionless.
She pushed him back away from her body and side stepped him easily. Trailing her hand lightly along his bicep, she walked past him. He growled.
She may have been a child compared to his years of experience, but she knew how to play. The game never changed.
She shucked her thong and stepped out of it, and she tugged out the pins in her hair on her way to his bedroom, looking over her shoulder at him as she did so.
She hoped he would take the hint.
Lucky for her, Elijah wasn't a fool.
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He could hear her heart pounding, struggling to come down from the high of her orgasm.
This time, he wanted to look at her face as she came.
He wanted to taste her. And why deny himself the pleasure? He smirked, following her into the bedroom, tugging at his bowtie and toeing off his shoes. He would have her screaming his name for hours on end. He had been patient these past few weeks, and now was the time to collect. By morning the name Salvatore would mean nothing to her.
She stood facing him next to his bed, stark naked and beautiful, shaking her hair out from it's confines. He strode over to her, looked at her for a long, lingering moment, and kissed her.
It was the first real kiss they'd shared, he realized; they had always been interrupted before. He groaned into her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers. He kissed her with all the skill he'd acquired over the past millennium, and poured all of the passion he felt for her into it.
She moaned into his mouth and her hands went to his shoulders, pushing his jacket down; he threw it somewhere across the room – he didn't care where. Her fingers were deftly undoing his buttons and his hands went to his belt. In a matter of seconds they had his clothes off.
Her small hand squeezed his hard length, her thumb brushing over the tip. He groaned, and tipped his head back, allowing her to stroke him a few times, letting her come to terms with his size, before he grabbed her by the waist and threw her on the bed.
Maneuvering in between her legs, he spread her thighs to his hungry gaze. Without hesitation he leaned forward and swiped at her slit with his tongue.
He closed his eyes. "God, you taste like heaven," he whispered. She groaned and threaded her fingers through his hair as he began lapping at her core, tasting her juices like a starved man.
He brought his hand up to test her slick channel, working a finger into her snug heat as he continued to languidly stroke her clit with his tongue. She was tight.
"Elijah," she whined impatiently. Her voice had him climbing up her body to claim her lips, sucking her tongue into his mouth. Her legs spread wider to accommodate him, and he positioned himself at her entrance.
"I'm going too fast," he whispered against her lips. "But I can't wait any longer."
"You can go slow later," she replied, thrusting her hips against his wantonly. "Now I just need you inside of me. I've been waiting for weeks for you to make love to me, Elijah. Please."
Her words had him pushing forward and sinking into her wet sheath until he was lodged in to the hilt. They both groaned. Finally, they were joined as one – they had only been dancing around each other for a month, but to them it felt like years.
She threw her head back and gasped when he started to move against her, his thrusts strong and sure in the way that only hundreds of years of experience can afford. She hiked a leg up higher around his waist and moaned.
"God, Elijah, why didn't we do this sooner?" she breathed, her hands running through his hair and down across his back. She lifted her hips up to meet his, pulling him deeper inside of her.
He chuckled into her neck, nipping playfully at her skin. "Honor," he replied, giving her an extra hard thrust.
"Fuck honor," she groaned, closing her eyes as he stroked in and out of her in a steady rhythm that he knew would have her pleasure building in no time. "Crazy Original vampire sex and honor don't belong together."
He was greedy – he wanted to see how many times he could make her come in one night. Impatient, he leaned back and lifted her legs to his shoulder. He grinned. "You're right, of course," he replied, kissing her ankle, "but I had to keep up appearances."
Without further ado he thrust into her hard, relishing her cries of pleasure. He set a brutal pace this time, the shoves of his cock into her pussy demanding and ruthless. He watched, fascinated, as his shaft disappeared into her wet cunt over and over again, her fluids coating his thick length. Fuck. He really should have done this sooner – she was perfect.
It was only a matter of minutes before she began chanting his name, her head thrashing from side to side and her eyes squeezed closed. Her walls started to flutter around him, and he increased the pace of his thrusts, the head of his cock hitting her womb with each plunge into her tight sheath.
"Elena," he groaned, feeling close to completion himself. "Look at me."
She did as he commanded, staring at him through hooded eyes the color of mahogany. He brought a hand down to her clit and vibrated his thumb against it.
"Come for me, beautiful Elena," he ordered, his pressure on her clit and the surety of his thrusts intensifying. "Let go and come for me."
Seconds later she was keening and clutching desperately at the sheets, and he watched her eyes go blind as her channel tightened impossibly around his cock. He shuddered as she milked him, and let his orgasm wash over him, shooting his seed into her warm, pliant body. Stars exploded behind his eyes.
It had been far too long since he'd engaged in any sort of carnal pleasure. And now that he'd had a taste of Elena Gilbert…well, let's just say that the doppelganger would not be resting any time soon.
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When their orgasms had faded, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the master bathroom. Setting her down and turning on the shower, he tugged her under the spray with him.
Elena sighed. Hot damn. That was the best sex of her life.
Little did she know it was only uphill from there.
It took less than a minute under the hot water for his hands to start wandering her body again – good Lord; did the man have no recovery time? – and less than a minute for her body to start humming again under his attentions. He played her like a tuning fork, his hands lathering her body with soap, circling her breasts and running between her legs and down the cleft of her bottom. She gasped when she felt his full erection against her stomach.
"Don't you have a refractory period?" she asked as he hoisted her up into his arms.
He smirked as his hard cock slid into her body. Her lady parts were sore, but they still welcomed the intrusion, eager to have his manhood buried deeply within her again.
"You tell me," he said teasingly. "Do I?"
Her head thunked back against the glass wall of the shower. "No. I suppose not."
He chuckled and brought his head down to suck at a spot on her neck. She clutched at his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his skin, as he began to move, his hands kneading the flesh of her buttocks. His cock stroked languidly in and out of her, his pace unhurried.
Just because he was gentler and slower with her than he was before did not mean the sex was any less pleasurable. It was a different kind of pleasure: a slow, steady burn that spread through her body, leaving her tingling. Her toes curled, and she felt herself climbing again towards the inevitable peak of her climax. How did he do it? She had never come so quickly before as she did with him, or so violently.
She could not control the moans that came from her mouth; she sounded wanton to her own ears, but she did not know how to stop it. Her body was on fire. With each thrust his pubic bone bumped against her clit, and his cock was so long, and so thick… Her breath was coming in short pants, her eyes focused blurrily on his. He looked so calm…how was he so calm? Eager to destroy him as he was destroying her, she brought her face to his and sucked his lower lip into her mouth.
She succeeded; his eyes closed and he groaned into her mouth, his hands squeezing her ass and his hips thrusting sharply against hers. Her breath hitched.
"Elijah," she moaned. Her mouth slid down to his chin, kissing the cleft there, and she brushed her lips along his jaw to nuzzle the skin behind his ear.
"Elena." His voice was hoarse and strained. She could sense he was close; so was she.
"Come with me," she whispered in his ear. "I want to feel you."
He groaned and obeyed, filling her channel with his seed. The warmth of his cum inside her vagina had the wave of her orgasm washing over her, engulfing her in its heat. Her legs trembled around his waist as she shook apart around him, moaning as the pleasure of her climax tore through her body. It was longer lasting than her first two orgasms, multiple waves of pleasure crashing over her and making her writhe in coital bliss.
He was shuddering against her, his lips on her neck. She felt his fangs scrape her skin. "Do it, Elijah," she commanded, baring her neck to him.
She thought he'd refuse for the sake of not hurting her, but she had no sooner issued the invitation than his fangs were buried within the tender flesh of her throat. She hiccupped in pain, but the sting in her neck only intensified and drew out the effects of her orgasm. She had never expected that being fed on would be something pleasurable; but then again, she'd never had much experience with it, either. The only times she'd been bitten had been painful and done in acts of violence.
One of his hands left her ass and came up to cradle the nape of her neck, supporting her head as he continued to drink from her. When she felt her eyes drifting closed he pulled away. She brought her hand up to trace her fingers over the veins underneath his eyes. He let his vampire visage fade, and she leaned forward to kiss his bloodstained mouth.
"Thank you," he said gratefully, staring into her eyes and setting her gently back on her feet. "You didn't have to let me do that."
"I know," she replied, smiling and slipping from his arms. "I…wanted you to." Stepping under the shower spray and pulling her hair to the side, she let the water cleanse her skin. Blood dripped down onto the white tile and was washed down the drain.
She sighed as her lover's arms encircled her from behind and let her head fall back onto his shoulder. He nuzzled her hair. The hot water warmed their bodies and they simply stood there for a few minutes in each other's embrace, satisfied.
Eventually the water turned lukewarm, and she reached out reluctantly to turn it off. She was sated, and tired. The prospect of a warm bed and a body to curl up next to appealed to her.
She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, noticing that the tiles were not heated like they were in Mykonos. She had grown used to the luxury and she shivered, wrapping a towel around her figure and making a beeline for the bed.
She was stopped before she could climb on top of it; a pair of male hands snaked around to undo her towel, removing it from her body. She felt him press against her back, and she groaned.
"Really, Elijah? Can't this wait until morning?" she whined, her body warring between desire and exhaustion.
"Mmm…no," he replied simply, his hands kneading her breasts.
Using his hands he quickly worked her up into a frenzy again, juices pouring from her sex with her newfound arousal and coating his fingers and running down her thighs. She did not have the strength to protest when he pushed her up onto the bed and entered her roughly from behind.
"Oh, fuck," she breathed out as he pushed her shoulders into the mattress and slammed into her – hard. It felt like his cock was reaching halfway to her heart, prodding against her womb with every deep thrust of his hips.
She squealed when she felt a finger press against her puckered asshole, slipping inside. She gasped at the unfamiliar feeling.
"Has anyone ever taken you here, Elena?" he purred from behind her, continuing to shove his cock into her without abandon.
She shook her head, heat flooding her cheeks. She'd never been touched back there. She didn't want to be; or so she'd thought. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.
"No?" he said. He hummed, but pulled his finger from her back door. "Another time, then…you won't regret it, I can assure you."
She shook her head. "I don't think so," she protested weakly. It sounded pathetic to her own ears. At this point, she admitted to herself, she would let him do just about anything to her body.
He chuckled darkly, his hands grabbing her hips and pulling her back to meet him thrust for thrust. "We'll see."
Each plunge of his cock into her supple body had her crying out in pleasure. She'd never been penetrated so deeply; had never been fucked so recklessly. He was moving with inhuman speed now, urged on by her hiccups and breathy moans. Her head and shoulders were pressed to the bed, her arms outstretched and clutching the bedspread as he angled her hips higher up towards him. She was close, so close…
She flew apart under him, her pussy clenching tightly around his cock – but he did not stop. She sobbed in pleasure as he continued to move above her at a breakneck pace, fucking her into the mattress. As soon as her orgasm passed another one followed right on its heels, and the thrusts of his hips became more erratic. The slap of skin on skin and their simultaneous moans were the only sound that filled the room as they came together as one, their sexual fluids mixing in a cocktail that ran down between her legs.
He leaned down to kiss her spine before he pulled out of her and flopped down onto his back. She collapsed onto her stomach, her face pressed to the sheets, trying to catch her breath.
"Please tell me that I'm allowed to go to sleep now," she groaned into the mattress, her blood pumping in her ears and her body tingling all over. "You have to remember that I'm human, Elijah."
He chuckled, folding his arms behind his head. He was the picture of arrogance. She scowled at him. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Elena. You'll be fine. You'd be amazed at the abuse the human body can handle." The look he gave her was sly and full of heat; his eyes were filled with the promise of carnal pleasures she could only guess at. She shivered; what had she gotten herself into? Had she really thought she could handle an Original?
She scooted up next to him, and he helped her climb under the covers. "Not so. My nerve endings are completely shot. I can't feel my legs. There may be some broken bones, too; I won't know the extent of the damage until I regain the feeling in my extremities." She turned away from him and tried to keep her voice serious, but she could not keep the smile from her face as he snuggled up behind her and nuzzled her neck affectionately.
"Well when you do regain feeling in your extremities, let me know…that's how I'll know you're ready for more," he purred seductively, smirking against her skin and running a hand over her waist to tweak her nipple.
"Elijah!" she scolded, slapping at his hand. She giggled when he pinched her on the hip in response. "Stop it. I mean it."
He sighed into her hair and kissed her temple. "Very well, Miss Gilbert; if you insist." He scooted back a tad to put a few inches in between them – which she was grateful for, because she liked her space while sleeping – but kept his hand on her waist, his thumb rubbing soothing circles over her ribs. "Goodnight, sweet Elena."
"Goodnight, Elijah," she yawned, already slipping into sleep, tired from sex and blood loss. Closing her eyes, she drifted into her dreams.
This time, there were no nightmares, only soft lips and laughing brown eyes.
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So I am exhausted…I wrote this in a matter of a few hours after the funeral of a friend to get my mind off of things. I didn't intend to update so soon – but I hope you enjoyed it.
More smut and Elejah in Paris in the next chapter, as well as a hint of broody Stefan and possibly more Klaroline…I haven't decided how fast I want to progress yet. Every time I start writing with certain goals in mind my intentions end up flying out the window and my story morphs into something else entirely. That's why I prefer writing one-shots…I don't have to worry about what's coming after, LOL. Sort of an author's wham, bam, thank you ma'am (I've always enjoyed one-night-stands, and I suppose it's carried over to my writing, haha). So this story has been tough to follow through on.
Thanks for all the continued reviews and support! (Electricsymphony and siberia21, I love you dearly.)
xoxoxo