When Elena woke up a few hours later, she blinked with confusion and glanced around in a disoriented fog. The dim light of a television illuminated a space that was definitely not her bedroom. More perplexing were the strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and holding her close to a warm, powerful and very male body.

Damon.

Elena didn't dare move as she tried to figure out how the hell she had ended up on top of him. Sometime after she had dozed off, Damon had stretched out across the long, wide sofa cushions. He had either dragged her on top of him or—more mortifyingly—she had crawled on top of him like a koala bear seeking heat and comfort.

Although her dating experiences included some serious heavy petting and wild make-out sessions, Elena had never, ever found herself in this position. She grew intensely aware of the hard, masculine form beneath her. The scent of his cologne teased her, and she wanted nothing more than to burrow in against him and inhale that intoxicating scent that was so perfectly him.

But she couldn't do that. This wasn't right. They hadn't even shared a real kiss. She had no business sleeping on top of Damon with their legs entwined and their bodies lined up in a dangerous way. Embarrassed by the thought of him waking up to find them so dangerously entangled, Elena planted a hand on the back of the couch and started to push up as slowly and easily as possible.

"Don't even think about moving," Damon warned in a gruff, sleep-roughened voice.

Elena was startled by how attuned he was to his surroundings, even in his sleep. "But I'm crushing you."

A deep rumble of laughter escaped his throat. "Impossible."

"This can't possibly be comfortable for you."

"I have never been more comfortable in my life." Damon let his hand drift from her upper back along the bow of her spine and right down to the fleshy curve of her bottom. He gave her backside a gentle pat and then a playful squeeze. Elena sucked in a shocked, excited breath and tried not to hyperventilate as he touched her so intimately. "I think this might be my new favourite sleeping position."

Damon's sensual, commanding presence left her trembling inside. She was beginning to understand why other women had eagerly agreed to be his mistress and to abide by whatever stipulations he had for occupying that role. He made her want things that had always frightened her. He made her want to throw caution to the wind and let him discover all the secrets her body had yet to share. She clenched her thighs together to assuage the pulse of heat building between them as she imagined his masterful hands roaming her naked body and making her cry out in pleasure.

He swatted her bottom, and Elena gasped. "I'm trying to get some rest, but if you keep squirming like that, I will have no choice but to take this new relationship of ours to the next level right here on this couch."

Instantly, Elena froze. The mention of their new relationship perplexed and excited her. What did Damon mean by relationship? Was he offering her what he had offered countless other women or was he offering her something different?

Elena wasn't sure she could accept the first possibility. When he had asked her if she wanted him, she had answered truthfully. She did want Damon, but she wanted him her way and on her terms. She didn't want to play his mistress game.

You don't have a choice, she reminded herself. Damon is the only thing between you and bunch of racist thugs and one pissed off drug kingpin.

The advice Enzo had given her went round and round in her head. If she could keep Damon happy, he would take care of her. If she wanted something more than he was offering, she would have to either find a way to come to accept his terms or show him that she was worth more than some seedy arrangement.

"Elena," he whispered sleepily. "Stop thinking and relax. It is late, and we both need rest." His arms tightened around her and his hand gently pushed her head back to the comfortable spot it had occupied against his chest. "Go back to sleep."

Elena held her breath when his lips brushed the top of her head. Safe in his arms, she let her tired, overwrought mind shut down. The slow, even thud of his heartbeat under her ear lulled her to sleep again.

When Elena awoke the second time, she was alone on the couch. For a second, she panicked, thinking that Damon had left without a word, but then she smelled coffee. Sitting up, she pushed aside the blanket covering her and combed her fingers through her unruly hair. The memory of Damon doing the same thing last night made her stomach flutter.

She rose from the sofa and went in search of him. She had just walked into the master suite when the door to the bathroom was flung open suddenly. With only a fluffy white towel around his trim waist, Damon strode out of the steaming hot bathroom. Elena's brain misfired as she tried to take in all of his deliciously sexy manliness. The well-defined muscles of his chest and abdomen were incredible.

As if he walked around half-naked in front of her every day, Damon strode towards the garment bag resting flat on the bed. "You must have been really tired. You didn't even move when my clothing was delivered."

"Which minion brought that?" Elena asked with a teasing smile.

Damon grinned at her, and Elena swore her heart skipped four whole beats. "My housekeeper's son."

Taking a seat on the edge of the mattress, she watched him take out a charcoal black suit with a fine pinstripe and a sky blue shirt. When he produced a pair of boxer briefs, she glanced away. Her eyes widened as I heard him drop his towel, but she kept her gaze fixed on the wall, refusing to indulge the overwhelming desire to peek at his nakedness.

It was as though Damon had flipped some switch. Yesterday morning, they were friends, and their relationship had been strictly platonic. Now, the air between them was sexually charged and sizzling. He wasn't hiding his attraction to her or shielding her from his very flirtatious ways.

Desperate to find something to talk about that didn't include his naked body that was only a foot or two from her, Elena said, "I'm surprised you don't keep more clothing here."

"I have never spent the night the here."

"What? Never?" Elena heard his legs swooshing against the fabric of his perfectly tailored pants and judged that it was safe to look at him again. "You have this ridiculously expensive apartment, and you have never slept in it?"

"I didn't buy it for sleep," Damon answered matter-of-factly while zipping his trousers.

"Oh. Right." Her face burned hot as she imagined what types of erotic delights kept him awake all night here. A pang of something that was far worse than jealousy stabbed at her chest. Memories of earlier that morning, of Damon caressing her body and the way he had alluded to the physical relationship he wanted with her reminded Elena that she was wholly out of her depth here.

Didn't he understand? she thought. Couldn't he see that I wasn't mistress material? I didn't have the first idea of how to seduce him or please him. I didn't fit the mould and I didn't belong in a place like this. He was a man who strutted around daily wearing thousands of dollars in clothing and shoes. I was a girl who shopped the clearance racks and thrift stores, Elena reminded herself.

Feeling inadequate, she tugged the bottom of the hoodie she still wore down around her knees. Thinking of how the women who entertained him here must have looked, she could only imagine what a disappointment she was in the cold light of morning with her mussed hair and ill-fitting clothing. He was probably used to silk lingerie and elegant robes and artfully arranged hair, not this hot mess she presented.

As if confirming her suspicion, he suggested, "You should shower and get dressed before Enzo arrives." Damon slipped into his shirt. "We will have breakfast before I leave."

"All right." Elena pushed off the bed and gave him a wide berth as she headed for the bathroom.

"Elena." Damon snatched her hand before she reached the bathroom door. With a little tug, he pulled her towards him. When he stepped into her, forcing their bodies into contact, Elena held her breath and wondered what would happen next. He cupped her face and trailed his fingertips over the bruise on her cheek and the healing split in her lip. "This looks better than I expected."

"It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would." Gazing up into his handsome face, Elena let herself wonder what it would be like to wake up like this every morning, to sit in bed and watch him dress, to have breakfast together, to have his warm, possessive hands on her.

"I should apologize for the way I groped you this morning when I was half-asleep," Damon said, "but I don't think I will. I think you understand the sort of man I am. I could pretend to be someone else but that is disingenuous. I won't have lies between us."

"It surprised me," Elena admitted, "to have you touch me like that when you have always been so careful to not touch me." Feeling brave, she placed her palm against his bare chest. "But I liked it."

"Good." Damon dipped down and teased her with ticklish kisses he pressed along the curve of her throat. "You need to understand that you are in control of this part of our relationship." His hand moved down her spine until it rested on her lower back. "Until you're ready, I will wait."

Elena leaned into him, resting her cheek against his hard chest, and closed her eyes. She wanted to tell him that she was ready now, that she had waited long enough to experience everything he had to offer, but she knew that it wasn't the right time. They were both still reeling from last night's traumatic events. They needed some time to figure out what this was.

Very slowly, she stepped out of his embrace and walked over to her suitcase. She wasn't quite sure what she would find inside but she was pleasantly surprised to see what Damon had packed. After choosing some comfortable yoga pants, a long-sleeve tee and underclothes, she grabbed the small selection of toiletries and locked herself in the bathroom.

Elena's one indulgence every morning was a long shower, but this morning she wanted to have more time with Damon before he left for work. Knowing the hours he kept, she probably wouldn't see him again until well after dark. As she showered and changed, she made a short list of questions she needed answered. Without a blow dryer at hand, she wound my damp hair into a loose coil, secured it with a hot pink elastic band and left the bathroom.

Damon was plucking piping hot English muffins from the toaster when she found him. He flashed that sexy grin of his, the one that made her knees week, and gestured for her to take a seat at the island. "We can eat at the formal dining table, if you prefer."

Elena hopped onto a chair and picked up the glass of orange juice waiting for her. "No, I like this."

Damon dropped an English muffin onto her plate of scrambled eggs and fresh fruit and walked to the other end of the island to grab her purse. He brought it back to her. "Your phone ended up under my seat. I found it last night when I got back from the trip to your house. You had some missed calls."

Anxious to hear from her sister, Elena snatched her phone out of her purse and scrolled down the screen. There was only one message from Katherine.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

She was sorry? Feeling uncharitable and angry with her older sister, Elena wasn't ready to accept her apology. Katherine had nearly gotten her killed—and for what? Money? It was ridiculous and horrible.

But Elena still loved her. No matter what mistakes Katherine had made, she was still her sister, and Elena loved her.

Call me. I need to know you are okay.

There were more than a dozen messages and seven missed calls from Bonnie. By the looks of them, she was freaking out. Not wanting her to get the cops involved and make things worse for Katherine or herself, Elena hastily composed a text and hit send.

I'm okay. Elena snuck a glance at Damon who was busy stirring creamer into his coffee and smiled at the thought of using Bonnie's nickname for him. The Italian fox saved me. I will call later with details.

As if Bonnie had been waiting for her answer, Bonnie zipped back a message only a few seconds later.

OMG. I was so worried. You sure you are okay?

Yes. I'm fine. Really.

Call me. ASAP.

I will.

"Is everything okay?" Damon stabbed at his eggs. "I don't want to pry into your personal business, but if the police become involved…"

"No, everything is fine. It is just Bonnie. She is my best friend. We worked together last night. I guess she got back to CleanRite and saw my busted up car and really freaked out. She went by the house this morning, and I wasn't there so she assumed the worst."

"Invite her over. Let her see that you are safe." He sipped his coffee. "We will put her on the visitor list downstairs, but she has to come alone."

Elena played with her fork as she considered the authoritarian tone he had just used. Maybe it was better to just get all of the uncomfortable questions out of the way. "Damon, am I your mistress now?"

"Yes." Damon eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup. "Unless you have changed your answer from last night?"

"No."

He put down his cup and studied her. A vulnerable expression flashed across his face. "But?"

"But I don't know what you want from me or what you expect from me, Damon." Clenching her fork, Elena admitted, "I don't know how to be a mistress."

Damon pried the fork from her hand and slowly unfurled her fingers. "What I want is you, Elena." He stroked her fingers. "I have wanted you, just as you are, since that night I took you home. If you only knew how hard it has been for me…" He clasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. "All I want is for you to be happy. That's it."

"Nothing is that simple, Damon." Elena wanted to believe it could be, but she had seen enough heartache in her life to know better. "You have offered me sanctuary, and you have put your life on the line for me. I'm so eternally grateful for that, but I don't want you to think that I'm here with you now only because of that. I don't want you to think that I'm trading myself—my body—for safety."

"I don't think that, and if I did, I wouldn't be here. I don't want to take advantage of you. I don't want to hurt you or make you feel used. I offered my help freely. You can say no to this arrangement of ours at any time, and I will still make sure you are protected."

Damon seemed to be intent on making that point very clear to Elena. He wasn't asking her to pay for safety with sex. He was giving his protection freely because they were friends and because he cared for her. She would never be able to adequately thank him for what he had done. Damon had willingly put himself in extreme danger for her.

"As for what I expect from a mistress? The rules are simple." Damon lifted her hand and kissed each of her fingertips as he ticked off his rules. "You will not have any male visitors in this apartment. Period. You will not have any overnight guests in this apartment without clearing it with me first. You will not smoke or take drugs. You will not work. You will be available to me whenever I call."

It took Elena a few seconds to take all of that in and process it. Indignation swelled within her. "I'm not giving up my work, Damon."

Damon seemed surprised that she was pushing back so quickly. "I don't want you cleaning floors or waiting tables anymore. Your handbag business is different. In fact, I want you to put your full focus on it."

"But how am I supposed to support myself? I have school loans. My car was probably totalled last night. I have health insurance costs and—"

"The car is easy enough for me to replace, and I will take care of your monthly expenses."

The thought of Damon paying for her living expenses made Elena so uncomfortable. "Damon, I've been working and supporting myself since I was, like, sixteen."

"And it is high time you got a break," he grumbled roughly. Reaching out to touch her cheek, he urged, "Don't fight me on this. Let me take care of you."

It was a tempting offer, one that Elena would be stupid to cast aside in her current predicament, but a lifetime of broken promises had taught her to be wary. She desperately wanted to pursue a relationship with Damon, but she had to be careful. He was obviously a man used to getting his way in all things.

"Look at you," he said with a faint smile. "You are so grim. Is what I'm offering really so bad?"

Damon was trying to tease but Elena sensed he was hurt by her reaction. Taking his hand between both of hers, she held his gaze. "This isn't easy for me. My past…"

"I know," he murmured. "I know." He seemed to truly understand her wariness. "Just give me a chance to show you that I can be trusted to come through for you." He leaned in and brushed a tender kiss to her cheek. "Always."

Elena's skin was still alight with the tingling pressure of his lips when he put her fork back in her hands and urged her to eat. While they had breakfast, he talked to her about the building's amenities and the nearby shops.

"But I don't want you going out by yourself," he warned before finishing his coffee. "Enzo will be following you like a shadow. That is non-negotiable."

"Until?" Elena pushed the grapes around her plate with the fork.

"Until I say it is safe," he replied matter-of-factly and polished off his orange segments. Pushing away his plate, he said, "We need to talk about your sister."

Elena really didn't want to talk about Katherine. She feared what Damon would say, but there was no way around it. "All right."

"If your sister is smart, she has already crossed two or three state lines. If she is not, if she is still in Virginia, she is in a lot of trouble. That means you are in trouble, and I can't have that." He tapped his fingers against the granite. "Your sister is not welcome in this building. Frankly, I would prefer you have zero contact with her, but I know that is impossible for you."

"I'm not cutting my sister out of my life, Damon."

"I won't force you to rat your sister out to Marko or Kai, but I have to put my foot down when it comes to seeing her again."

"Damon, she is my sister. She is all the family I have. You are asking to turn my back on my blood."

"I'm asking you to be smart and to help me keep you alive," Damon countered. "I know what I'm asking is difficult and it hurts—but you have to do it. Katherine made her decision when she chose to help Mason with this scam. Don't let her put all that guilt on you when she is the reason this is happening. You are just reacting to a bad situation in the best way you can."

"She is my sister," Elena reiterated. "She is all I have left."

Damon started to say something but then he clamped his mouth shut. A second later, he finally said, "Whatever happens with Katherine, you are not alone. I'm here for you."

"Until you get tired of me like you did your other mistresses," Elena replied in a quiet but firm voice. It was a petulant thing to say, and she instantly regretted it. Damon's head snapped back as if she had smacked him. In a way, she had, only she had used words instead of her hand.

Before Elena could apologize, Damon was pushing out of his chair and gathering up their dishes. "Enzo will be here any minute. I need to finish up some last minute arrangements for him."

"Damon…"

"I'm fine, Elena." He had his back to her as he dropped our plates and silverware in the dishwasher. "You should unpack and get settled."

Not at all used to being dismissed like a naughty child, Elena nevertheless slid off her chair and returned to the master suite. It didn't take her long to unpack her one suitcase or the two boxes of tools and materials. She was examining the handbag she had been working on yesterday when Damon appeared in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Enzo is here." He leaned against the frame. "I need to leave."

Not wanting him to leave with all this tension existing between them, Elena set aside the handbag and crossed the bedroom. "Damon, I'm sorry about what I said."

"Why should you be sorry? You didn't say anything untrue. I did get tired of the other women before you. Six months? Seven months? The flame burned out, and I sent them on their way."

His description of his earlier relationships caused a painful clenching sensation in her stomach. Was he trying to tell her that she shouldn't get too comfortable with him? That they were already running the clock on the expiration date for their new relationship?

Damon shoved off the frame and closed the short distance between them. "Do you know the friendship I have had with you is the longest I have ever shared with any woman? We are closing in on twelve months, Elena." He eyed her curiously. "All this time, you have had me right in the palm of your hand, and I have never even kissed you properly."

That big, warm hand of his cradled her nape, and he slowly lowered his face, all the while searching her eyes as if looking for a sign that he needed to stop. Just before his lips touched hers, he whispered, "Is this all right?"

Elena clutched at the lapels of his suit jacket and lifted on tiptoes to meet his descending mouth. "Yes."

Their lips met cautiously, but Damon quickly took command. Eyes closed, Elena clung to his powerful frame and revelled in the wicked, wicked way he kissed her. When his tongue flicked against the seam of her lips, she answered his silent plea for entrance by shyly touching her tongue to his. He groaned, the low, rumbling noise reverberating through her, and tugged her tighter to his body.

With a little pressure, he guided her towards the closest wall. Trapped against his hard chest, Elena surrendered to his sensual onslaught. She slid one hand to his shoulders and combed the fingers of the other through his short hair while he plundered her mouth, taking and taking until she was shaking and breathless. The ache between her thighs left her quivering with need.

She shuddered as Damon kissed the fingertip bruises on her throat and then skimmed his lips along her jaw. He claimed her mouth one last time and traced her swollen pout with his thumb. "I will see you this evening. Stay inside with Enzo, and you will be safe."

"I will." Still a bit dazed from his kisses, Elena sagged against the wall. Damon backed away slowly and left the bedroom. Trying to get her racing heartbeat under control, she shook her head and touched her tingling mouth.

What have I gotten myself into now? Elena couldn't stop asking herself.