Chapter 7
A/N: Hey guys! I am so so sorry for such a delay in posting, it's been way too long. I've had a bit of a writer's block, life got in the way and everything was hectic for a while. That really impacted my ability to write so that's the reason for the delay. I'll try to get back to one chapter per week. I am so thankful for the amazing reviews for the last chapter, they are so sweet and mean so so much to me. Thank you for your continued support. I hope you enjoy this one, I tried as best I could to put out something of good quality - although it's not exactly how I planned it would turn out. Have a lovely weekend x
Elena lazily opened her eyes and they instantly began to wander around the room, as she took in her surroundings. The curtains were drawn which blocked sunlight from peeking into the room - but the clock on the wall opposite showed that it was almost 6 in the morning. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head - it was too early to be awake. Her mind instantly drifted to the previous night and the reason for her sleeping in Damon's bed -
Fuck. She quickly peeked out of the covers and located the body sleeping next to her. Damon looked as peaceful as ever - there was no trace of arrogance and no smirk on his face, his beautiful blue eyes were now tightly shut, and his face was simply motionless. It was the first time she saw him with his guard down, so calm and dare she think sweet. A strand of hair was carelessly hanging over his forehead and it took all the restraint she had not push it behind his ear, and gently caress his face. That man was drop dead gorgeous at every hour of the day and he didn't even need to try, talk about how life is fair.
Getting out of bed and facing the day was not a priority for Elena now, so she sunk back into the bed and sighed heavily. Last night was a disaster, but it was also undeniably amazing. The guilt crept in as she battled with her thoughts; Was it selfish of her to be happy that things between her and Damon were moving forward, that the air between had been cleaned? Bonnie must have had a massive argument with Enzo - who like Elena, had no idea about anything.
It was a hard pill to swallow, the one rule the three of them strictly lived by was this: the secret to a great friendship is to have the same taste in wine but different taste in men. They never went after the others ex's or guys they had a thing for, it only seemed fair. So, naturally it stung her that Damon had something with Bonnie - no matter how insignificant it was.
"Morning." Damon muttered, rubbing his eyes.
"I thought you were asleep." Elena turned to lay on her side and face him.
"I was. You woke me up, I could hear your thoughts running wild in my sleep."
He chuckled softly, also turning to face her. He certainly wasn't wrong thinking that waking up to such a beautiful face would instantly rule the day a good one. He found himself enjoying the feel of her soft skin against his during the night, although sleeping with a woman in the purest way never enticed him, this night felt different.
"I literally just woke up."
"Elena."
"Well there's a lot to think about, Damon." She rolled her eyes, sighing. He knew her all too well for someone who has been in her life for less than a month.
"Stop right there. You need to stop worrying about everything, you can't solve other people's problems. Bonnie and Enzo will be fine, he just needs time to cool off."
"Maybe you're right." She released a heavy sigh, agreeing unwillingly. "This was supposed to be nice and relaxing getaway, so far it's a disaster."
He gently stroked the side of her face, finally breaking off the unwanted distance between them. Her cheeks were rosy and felt warm under his touch, like her body instantly burned up at his merest touch. Every part of her was soft and delicate, begging to be cherished and loved. He could see how effortless it would be to love this woman right in front of him.
"It can't be that bad if you're waking up next to a guy a like me."
The wide grin on his face instantly washed away the tension from her body, as she laughed and shook her head in disbelief of how cocky he was.
She admired his ability to make her laugh in such stressful moments when her mind was playing tricks on her. She never shared her problems with anyone else, she was always taught to deal with them by herself. This led to difficult situations, she would panic and overthink - coming up with scenarios never had a chance of happening, yet they still seemed probable.
"I guess it could be worse."
She smiled back at him and relaxed back into the huge fluffy pillow, taking in a deep breath and then slowly releasing it. Maybe this was a start of something new, something better.
What started as a perfectly blissful early morning unfortunately couldn't last forever. They say that we learn something new every day, and Elena learned that waking up next to Damon had its perks and it wasn't all down to pleasing a woman sexually. Surprisingly enough he had the gift of making her forget all her worries and work her way past them. She sneaked out, almost shamelessly, trying to get into her bedroom before everyone else woke up.
"Elena?"
Her head turned at the sound of Bonnie's voice, to see her standing at the end of the hallway. She looked rough, like she hadn't slept all night. Her face was smeared with makeup and her eyes were puffy from crying. It broke Elena's heart to see her best friend in a state like this.
"Hi."
Elena stood awkwardly by the door, not knowing whether she should talk to her, shout at her or ignore her. The anger was still there, but the annoying voice in her head screamed at her to let it go and be there for Bonnie.
"So. are you okay?" Elena asked nervously, knowing the answer to her question.
"He left. Enzo left last night, and I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive me." Bonnie released a shuddering breath. The tears pent up in her eyes again and her voice was shaky.
She pulled her into a tight hug and rubbed her back in comfort, as Bonnie sobbed into her shoulder. She quickly dismissed the previously felt anger, knowing very well how hard it is to lose someone you love dearly. It wasn't definite, it couldn't be - Enzo was angry and he was hurt, a fresh wound hurts the most.
"Honey, he just needs time to process this. You lied to him for a very long time and that clearly hurt him, but he loves you so much."
"He was so angry Lena, I've never seen him like this. I don't think he has it in him to forgive me. And I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you, I should have, I know that now."
"Bonnie, I'm not mad at you. You should have told me, but I get it, it's okay." Elena pulled back and looked at Bonnie, giving her the warmest and most comforting smile, she could.
"Come on, we don't want the rest of the guys to see you like this. We can do all the crying and eat ice cream later, but now let's get you cleaned up."
1 week later
Salvatore Inc. A huge building located in Downtown Manhattan, wrapped in a cold wash of blue glass. It had over five floors and an army of employees in every corner. The receptionists sat behind their black marble desks and typed away on their Macs, all impeccably dressed, genuine smiles painted on their faces. Elena's stiletto heels thumped against the marble floor as she made her way to the elevator, where she was directed to by the front desk and kindly informed that the boss' office was on the 3rd floor.
The elevator door closing had her heart racing, as she nervously tapped her fingernails against her purse. She was nervous, after all she was in Damon's office and he was most definitely not expecting her to show up. Would it seem too desperate, like she was throwing herself at him? They did just see each other a few nights ago, and they talked on the phone almost every night ever since they came back from the lake house.
Events of the last few days have been followed by a chain of questions that she had yet to find answers for, but she was becoming more and more convinced that they were close to perfection. The early mornings, the late nights, the stolen kisses and secret glances. Waking up to his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her body against his warm chest and his beautiful face hidden in the crook of her neck. It felt like everything she ever wanted was in the vicinity of this man's bed.
A loud ringing noise alerted her that the elevator has reached her desired floor. Elena let out a deep breath and stepped out in a confident manner. She walked up to the front desk and looked up to see a blonde woman looking her up and down. To Elena's unpleasant surprise it was the same woman that had sent Damon those photos, and this memory instantly changed her demeanour.
To know that women were literally serving themselves on a silver platter for Damon was one thing, but to know that the woman who was obsessed with him also worked as his personal assistant, was a totally different thing. How low did you have to sink to send almost nude photos of yourself to your boss, that was something unimaginable to Elena - mostly on a professional level, but also because it honestly bothered her that Damon saw this woman every day at work.
"I'm here to see Mr Salvatore." Elena sent her a fake forced smile.
"Do you have a scheduled meeting with him?" She raised her brows in return, not hiding her dislike of Elena.
"No, but if you give him my name I'm sure that he'll be happy to see me. It's Elena Gilbert."
The blonde shook her head and answered with arrogance. "Well excuse me, but Mr Salvatore isn't just sitting around and waiting for random woman to show up and-
"Elena, come on in." They both turned their heads to see Damon standing in the doorway of his office. The crisp black suit with a contrasting white shirt and sleek black tie made him look irresistible and it had both women lose their breath for a second. The thought of what was hiding underneath those clothes had Elena biting her lip and wishing they were back in his apartment. How did he always manage to look like a dream?
He gestured at Elena to come in, and so she did as he held the door open with one hand.
"Andie, don't put any calls through." He looked over at his secretary, clearly angry with her. "Also, I want to see you in my office after I'm done." His tone was cold and unpleasant.
She simply nodded and turned her gaze back to the screen with a heavy sigh. The thought of Damon being involved with another woman boiled her blood, especially when it was being done right under her nose.
"So is that..."
She didn't know what to call her: the ex-girlfriend, the psycho, the slut? All those words fit the glove, but none seemed appropriate. She didn't want to come across as jealous, was she even allowed to be jealous? They hadn't exactly put a label on whatever was going on between them.
"Yeah, I need to figure out how to deal with her." Damon sighed as he ruffled his hair with one hand.
She simply nodded. It wasn't the time nor the place for this conversation, she didn't come all this way to fight with him. It was the last thing on her mind right now, so the blonde bimbo discussion would have to be postponed.
"I'm sorry about the way she treated you, I promise it won't happen again."
The fatigue was evident on his pale face, the dark circles under his eyes begged for her to kiss them away. And she really wished she could just kiss all his worries away and wave them goodbye. He had been overworking himself, pushing to do as much work during the day, so that he could spend the evenings with her, even if it meant speaking on the phone. The urge to see her or even talk to her was stronger than ever.
"Mm, are you planning on having me here again sometime soon?" She smiled provocatively.
He slowly began to approach her, effectively backing her onto his desk. His hands travelled from her small waist to her hips, as he helped to comfortably situate her ass on the desk. She automatically parted her thighs allowing him to slide in between them, closing off the distance between their bodies.
"If we're being totally honest, I wouldn't mind seeing you here every day." He flashed her a soft smile, his eyes sparkling with intensity as he stared into hers. His thumbs began to trace lazy circles on the sides of her thighs.
Elena didn't dare to move, she found herself awestruck. The touch of his hands sent a warm wave through her entire body, and it felt so right for him to touch her like this. She kept her eyes on his, as she innocently bit into her full bottom lip.
"I guess I can see what could be done about that." She said in a hoarse voice.
Without any hesitation, her small hand crept up his chest and grabbed a hold of his tie, assertively pulling his face down to hers. She instantly crushed her longing lips onto his, the passion finally exploding. Her hands snaked around the back of his neck, as he eagerly opened his mouth and invited her tongue in. The kiss began slowly as one mouth explored the other, with each stroke and bite of the lip the hunger for one another grew stronger.
His hands skimmed down her body and cupped her bottom, so that his erection was now pressed against her core. Their mouths were tangled in a series of hot kisses, as he slowly began to move his lips down her jaw and eventually settled on her neck, where he knew she had a sweet spot. The way his lips latched onto her neck elicited a small moan from Elena, as she snuck her hands under his shirt feeding the urge to feel his skin. She was drowning in desire for his lips on every inch of her body, as she felt his manhood growing and pushing at her core. She wanted nothing more than to grind against it in ache for some release.
"Damon..." She muttered breathlessly.
"Hm?" He rasped in between the kisses
She gently cupped his face, pulling it away from her neck. His eyes were darkened with lust, and she instantly forgot what she wanted to say to him. So, she pulled him in for a passionate kiss, as his hand now moved dangerously close to the area where she craved his touch the most. The dress that she was wearing allowed his hands to freely explore her bare thighs, as he delicately traced every inch of her skin.
Damon released soft growl at the feel of her damp lace underwear against his fingers. "Fuck, Elena, we have to stop now, or I will take you right here on this desk." He whispered huskily into her ear. He was still somewhat aware of their surroundings and the fact that anyone could walk in at any moment.
Elena managed to nod her head amidst the haze, her mind felt blurry and all she could think about was his lips on hers. She placed her hands on his heaving chest, looked up at him and giggled.
"You're probably right."
She loved the way his hair looks so thoroughly ravished, his shirt was hanging out of his pants and his tie somehow found its way to the floor. The best feeling was knowing that all of this was her doing. Never did she think that she'd be the possessive type.
"I better get going, I was only supposed to be out for half an hour." She rolled her eyes, sliding off his desk. She started pulling down on her dress to make herself look presentable again.
"Already? You just came. I thought we could grab some lunch together." He groaned at the thought of her leaving so soon. If he could have his way he would take her straight back to his apartment and never let her leave his bed.
"I'd really love to, but I can't. I have to go to a meeting with Elijah."
"Right, because he can't do anything without you by his side."
"Since when are you so bothered by him?" Elena arched her brows in curiosity.
"Since he's been hogging you like he has exclusive rights to you." He exclaimed like the reason was blatantly obvious.
"Well It's not like I give him updates on my dating life." She shrugged her shoulders and began arranging her hair into place.
"Maybe you should."
She stopped what she was doing and turned to face Damon. She eyed him up carefully, searching for a smirk on his face or waiting for him to start laughing. This was unexpected coming from the guy who'd never been in a proper relationship. Truthfully, it made her nervous for many reasons, for instance she didn't even know how ready she was for a step in this direction.
"What do you mean?"
Damon looked puzzled. He blurted it out without giving it much thought, but at the same time it really did bother him that no one knew about 'them'. Weirdly enough he found himself wanting to be known as Elena's partner, man, boyfriend - anything attached to Elena would be sufficient.
The look on her face did not encourage him to speak his mind, but to hell with it, he thought. They only met a few weeks ago, shared a few passionate kisses, shared a bed and she could easily be treated as a stranger. But Elena was so much more, and if there was a chance of moving things forward - he'd try his hardest.
"Maybe you should tell him that you're seeing me." He cleared his throat, trying to sound casual.
She took a deep breath before speaking up.
"I don't know if that's a good idea Damon, we don't even know what this is." She bit her lip nervously.
Well, she wasn't wrong. Damon had no clue what this was, he had never acted so fast on his feelings - maybe because they didn't appear all that often.
"Okay, maybe you're right." He nodded before continuing. "But we know that there's something between us, and we're exclusive, right?" The uncertainty was evident in his voice.
"Well I guess we are, unless you have..."
"I haven't." He quickly added, cutting her imagination short.
Elena couldn't help but be a little proud of the fact that Damon Salvatore was seriously considering monogamy for her sake. Proud, but also seriously shocked - were things moving too fast, was this the right choice to make? She sent him a small smile and walked up to find herself right next to him.
"Okay, I'll let him know." She settled one hand on his cheek and gently stroked the side of his face, feeling the smoothly shaved skin under her fingertips.
He released a short breath; the tension finally left his body. He gently curled his right hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a soft kiss.
Andie apart from being a secretary, was also Damon's personal assistant and whilst she was good at fulfilling her duties, she was a nightmare of an ex-girlfriend. Especially when Damon failed to give her the time of the day. The blonde stormed into Damon's office, wearing a tight red bodycon dress and black pumps which accentuated her long lean legs. No doubt the outfit was picked out for Damon's benefit.
Damon arched his eyebrows in confusion, irritated by her ghastly entrance. "Do you need something from me?" He said as he lifted his eyes from the paperwork.
"You've been ignoring me all day, again." She exclaimed bluntly, resting one hand on her hip.
"That's interesting, seeing as you're my employee and have been doing tasks for me all day."
"Don't treat me like an idiot. I'm not talking about work, Damon. Have you not thought about us at all?" She pulled out the chair on the opposite side of his desk and sat down in it.
Her hand hovered over his to touch him, but he quickly removed it.
"There's no us Andie, how many times do you need to hear it to finally believe it? You're my employee and I'm your boss, that's it." He gritted through his teeth.
"Oh, I see how it is now I'm just your stupid useless secretary. I can't believe you're throwing away our relationship just like that." She brooded, tears welling up in her eyes.
He had his doubts when it came to breaking up with her, but the more he thought about it the more convinced he was that it was a simple move of desperation in the first place. He never loved Andie and couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life with her. He caught her gawking from the first day at work, then the skirts would get shorter and the tops would get tighter, the buttons would loosen up. Then there was a work party, one drink led to another and the next morning he woke up with Andie beside him.
It was a comfortable agreement. There was chemistry and heat in the bedroom, they got along, and managed to have decent conversations, he knew that he could trust her. Andie was devoted and craved a deep, true love - something that she found with Damon and somewhere along the way he believed that he could continue to give that to her. But after a while he realised that there wasn't much in it for him, apart from the sex - there were no feelings of love and it made no sense to hope that one day they would magically resurface.
He groaned as he shut his laptop and rested his elbows on top of it. He looked straight at her with a stern look on his face. She looked so fragile and upset, and he really didn't want to be the cause of that - but she had it coming, and he couldn't just leave it like this.
"I'm done explaining this over and over again. I don't have any feelings for you, I don't want a relationship with you and you need to accept that. Or we'll have to go our separate ways career wise as well."
"You can't fire me. And this is not over, Damon. I'm not giving up on us."
There was no expression on her face, she sounded dead serious and emotionless. She stood up, turned on her heel and left.
"She really fucking is insane." Damon shook his head in disbelief, leaning back in his chair.
