+ Hey guys! New chapter again :) I am VERY eager to hear what you'll think of this one :O

++ Some people asked in which century this story takes place: it's supposed to be set somewhere in the 19th century. I originally planned for this story to be a bit like 'Pride and Prejudice' but as you may have noticed, it isn't very similar. Writing took me to new ideas ;) Of course the story is not really historically exact, I hope you don't mind that too much.

+++ Happy reading!

"There's nobody who wants you like I do
Who is to say?
Who is to say?
Who is to know the truth?"
~ 'Weightless' by Black Lab ~

I had been kissed before; some stolen, sneaky kisses in secret during boring social appointments but they had been quick and innocent compared to this.

No one had ever kissed me like this in my whole life.

When our lips crashed together, my brain shut completely off. He occupied my mouth and my thougts at the same time and I got overwhelmed by an inexplicable feeling that was stronger and deeper than everything I had ever experienced before.

His fingers wove their way into my hair and leaned my head backwards so that he could have his way with me. Even though my back was already against the wall, I hold on to him as firmly as I could because I felt like my legs were going to wilt under the pressure.

Dizzy and thirsty for his kiss, I pulled him closer to me. It wasn't enough just to feel his mouth, I needed to feel his body, too. He groaned and my heart jumped triumphantly.

„Ahem."

The sound of someone coughing suddenly interrupted us.

Klaus broke off from me a little but didn't release me. „Go away", he growled without taking his eyes of my swollen lips.

I shivered and looked over his shoulder, spotting Elijah standing in the middle of the room, fully dressed now and with an amused expression on his face. „Now that's what I call proper payback, Caroline", he smiled. „Though I am mainly here to tell you that dinner's ready."

Klaus swore under his breath and finally took his hands away from me. Although I yearned to continue where we had left off, the pain in my stomach told me that I needed to eat something urgently.

„We are not done here", Klaus whispered into my ear and made me shudder pleasantly.

The dining hall was dimly enlightened. The table was set for five persons and Rebekah and Stefan were already awaiting us.

Though they sat next to each other, they weren't talking but looking into different directions. I was certain that the fact that Rebekah was nursing Kol right now wasn't exactly pleasing to Stefan, even if his betrothal to her was only affected. As we entered the room, both looked up at once and appeared relieved to be finally escaping the awkward silence between them.

„Miss Forbes, how are you feeling?", Stefan asked me worriedly. „I heard about your accident."

„No need to euphemise, Stefan", Klaus responded and had a seat next to me. „It wasn't an accident, my foolish brother in fact attacked her."

Being so close to him again after what happened in his painting room slightly distracted me.

The first course was served and everybody was eating in quiet. As I reached out to grab the salt, Klaus moved at the same time and our hands randomly collided. The contact with his bare skin set me on fire immediately. He inhaled sharply and we exchanged glances.

I saw the hunger in his eyes and was sure it had nothing to do with the meal we were just ingesting. Quickly I withdrew. „Sorry", I muttered.

He said nothing, took the salt and served me first. While he was doing it, our knees touched under the table top. I trembled and almost dropped my fork. This time I was sure he had done it on purpose. I had seen through his little play but if he thought he could confound me like that without being punished, he was wrong.

Instead of asking for the water bottle which was placed on his left side, I leaned forward to get it myself so that my breasts brushed his shoulder. His reaction was immediate: he winced and overthrew his wine glass. The white table cloath sucked the red liquid up.

„Oh, I'm so terribly sorry." I pretended to be bewildered. „This is completely my fault."

I stood up and prepared to clean the mess with my napkin while my the curve of my hips touched his right arm.

„Stop it", he growled huskily and wrenched the napkin from me.

I sat down again and withheld my giggling – the sight of him was just too hilarious. But before I had the time to enjoy my small victory, his fingers met my cheek and caressed it gently. His touch nearly made me moan in front of everybody and I choked to suppress it.

„I thought there was something", Klaus explained innocently as I shot him an reproachful look. But he wasn't fooling me - I saw the jolly laughter in his eyes.

Oh, just you wait, my friend. This is far from over.

During the next courses, there was no holding back anymore. While Elijah and Stefan started a conversation about wine-growing estates, Rebekah escaped this boredom by drinking almost two bottles of wine and the servants dished up the most diverse food, each one better than the one before, a war between Klaus and me started that none of the others took notice of.

Klaus seemed to be dissatisfied with my clothes all of a sudden because he kept on adjusting them all the time: He pretended to tie the ribbon of my dress once again, tugged at my sleeves or removed invisible spots on the material, while in reality he searched for excuses to touch me at absolute inproper parts of my body – and instead of telling him off, I relished it and provoked him even more by constantly licking my lips.

As soon as the dessert was served – fruits with melted chocolate – there was no holding me back anymore; I took a deep red strawberry, dipped it into the chocolate and licked it off appreciatively. „Hmm", I curred. „This is delicious."

I put the strawberry into my mouth and sucked it slowly.

In a flash, Klaus was on his feet and grabbed me. „Excuse us", he told the others in a flat voice. „There's something urgent we need to discuss."

Then he dragged me violently out of the room. Even before he let the door shut completely, we already went for each other. His kiss was so passionate that I was running out of air. Our teeth crashed against each other's and I crawled my fingers into his hair.

„Don't ever do that in public again", he hissed. „Or I won't be able to pull myself together."
I snickered deligthed. „I will do whatever I want. Boss your siblings around if you must but don't even try that commanding tone of yours on me, it won't work. I'm not afraid of you."

„Is that so?" With a concentrated mien he eyed me up, searching for something in my face that he didn't find.

„Yes", I assured him calmly. „I trust you, Klaus."

He kissed me again, more gently this time. „You still taste like strawberry", he mumbled against my lips. „Ah, Caroline. I want to make you mine."

And I want to be yours. I closed my eyes and leaned my forhead against his. This was what peace must truly felt like, I thought to myself. It was the most beautiful thing on earth. When I was with him, there was nothing to worry about, nothing to fear or to take care of. It was only him and me, in this precious moment of intimacy. His arms around me were destined to be there. Everything felt right.

But all good things came to an end once ...

„I wish I could stay with you", I said resigned. „But I need to return home tomorrow. My parents are probably going crazy right now."

Klaus chuckled. „Oh, they are, trust me. I received some very nasty letters already, something about skilled hunters they will put onto me if I don't release you soon from this prison."
„Glad that at least one of us thinks that's funny", I remarked drily. „You are aware that they will never allow me to visit you again, are you? Let alone you coming to our place."

„Don't worry about that, I'll find my way to you", he assured me cryptically. He cupped my face with his hands and lifted my chin. „You are tired. You should go to bed now."
I smiled. „Only if you come with me."

„That was my plan all along."

With that he heaved my whole body as if I was as light as a feather and carried me towards his room.

We talked the whole night. At first there was still space between us on his bed but afer a while I got so comfortable around thim, that I rested my head on his chest. His fingers played with my hair and he told me stories from his past, about foreign countries he had seen, other supernatural creatures he had met and his experiences with the different decades.
My favorite era in his tales was the time he had been born, the 10th century. Not only sounded the period of the Vikings thrilling but the way he narrated it captivated me. His soft, husky voice lulled me and after hours of story-telling, I finally felt my eyelids become heavy.

I huddled up against him and closed my eyes.

„Good night, love", he whispered. „Sweet dreams."

I fell asleep before I could wish him the same.

„Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

Someone opened up the curtains of the window and blazing light shined into the room.

I screwed up my eyes and blinked. Instantly my fingers felt for Klaus next to me – but the sheets where he had been lying were empty.

There was no sign of Klaus in the room. Instead of him Rebekah was standing next to the bed and smiling down on me. „Honestly, Caroline, you've slept since forever. Be thankful that I'm here to get you some action."

I rolled my eyes at that. „What do you want?"

„Am I so easily to see through?" She sighed and dropped the smile. „Well, since you asked, I am going to be totally honest with you: I have someone here that wants to talk to you. You may not be too keen on meeting him again but –"

I rose in panic. „Rebekah, you did not invite Kol here, did you?"

„Relax, Caroline. He is not going to hurt you, I promise. He just wants to talk to you."

„What could he possibly have to say to me?", I scolded.

„How about an apology?"

I stiffened as Klaus youngest brother entered the room. His wounds had healed, the blood was washed off from his skin and he was wearing fresh clothes – Rebekah surely had done a pretty good job on taking care of him. He didn't come any closer to me, probably because he noticed my sudden fear, but stopped behind the door sill.

„Rebekah told me it was you who persuaded Klaus to let me go", he said quietly. „I wanted to thank you for that."

„I didn't do it for you!", I responded grimly. „I did it for her."

He just shrugged at my comment. „Either way, I owe you. And I take such obligation very serious. If you're ever in need for anything, come to me and I'll do whatever I can to help you. You should know that."
I didn't know how to respond to that. The man standing in front of me wasn't the monster that had attacked me but that didn't mean we would be friends from now on. I still didn't trust him and really wished he would leave. His presence made me nervous.

Rebekah's eyes jumpily travelled back and forth between us. I could see how anxious she was that this encounter proceeded peacefully and it soothed me a bit.

„However, I don't regret what I did to you", Kol suddenly stated and had my attention again.

„Kol!", Rebekah hissed taunting but he ignored her.

„I needed to do it. I am sorry though that you were the one I had to hurt. It was nothing personal, you were just collateral damage. Sorry, Bekah", he applied to Rebekah who looked outraged. „That's the best apology I can offer."

„I will think about what you said", I told him. „But that doesn't mean that I forgive you. Just so you know."

He smirked before he left the chamber again. „Fair is fair, I guess."

„Well, well." Agitatedly Rebekah clapped her hands. „That didn't went as well as I hoped. But not as badly as I feared either."

Grinning I shook my head. „How long did you had to persuade him to come to me?"

„Some hours", she answered me with such an honest face that it made me laugh again.

„Thank you. I know you only had good intentions." I climbed out of the bed and started to dress up. „I'm going to return home today. Do you know where I can find Klaus? I need to say goodbye to him."

She shook her head. „Haven't seen him since he felt you up at dinner yesterday and you two eagerly went off to ‚discuss' something."

I blushed deeply. So much for no one noticing us …

After I had put on new clothes and sneaked into the kitchen to steal some food that was left from the breakfast earlier, I walked around to search for Klaus. He was nowhere to be found, not even in the library, his favorite place, but the booklover inside of me still got stuck there for a while and went through the huge supply of novels, biographies and short stories.

Self-forgotten I extracted some of his collection, looked at the covers and read the description. I thought about my first day here where he had provided me to take ‚Great Expectations' as a present and I had refused – I couldn't think now what had came over me, I really needed to take him up on that offer again.

„And who might you be now?"

Startled I cringed, dropped the book in my hands and turned around.

In the middle of the room stood an elusively beautiful woman in a gorgeous, fasionable, blue dress made out of silk, that was halfway through printed with dark roses. Her eyes were as black as her hair which she was wearing open and curly and her hands were covered in expensive white gloves. For a woman, she was very tall, an impression that was furhtermore amplified through her gazelle-like, dainty thinness.

Her whole appearance was as impressing as it was intimidating and even though she was smiling at me, there was something odd about her that told me to be on my guard against her.

She patterend me from head to toe. „Have you lost your voice?", she asked me, still smiling very broad. „I asked you a question."

I frowned. Even though her words were impolite, her tone was so inordinately friendly that she could get away with it and that bugged me.

„My name is Caroline Forbes", I told her carefully and curtsied. „And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

„Camille Thornton." She approached me and bended down to pick up the book that had fallen to the ground. „These are valuable", she told me reprehending as she got up again. „You shouldn't handle them as careless as you just did."

Iritated by the way she was talking to me, I raised an eyebrow. „Excuse me but who exactly are you? I have never seen you here before."

She dissolved into giggles. „Then you can't have been around for long. This estate whose books you were just damaging is after all mine."

This was her home? Klaus had told me last night that he had two other siblings apart from the ones I already met but I as I recalled it both had been brothers. Had I misunderstood him?

„Are you Klaus' sister?", I asked cautiously, looking for any resembling details in her

doll- like face.

„Oh no, silly." Camille gave a high, clear laugh again, a noise I already hated. „I'm not his sister." Her smile widened and exposed white, perfect formed teeth. „I am Klaus' fiancée."

So, cliffhanger again. I know, I know, y'all hate me for this, haha, but I just love ending a chapter like that ;)

What do you think of Camille? On a skala from 1 - 10, how bitchy is she? :P