Elena

All night I tossed and turned, pounding my pillow and alternately folding my covers neatly over myself and then kicking them to the foot of the bed. I was furious with Damon who made me behaved like a teenager in the throes of my first big infatuation. I didn't understand how he had gotten to me this way. There was nothing between us except sex. We had sex for one night. Yeah right. He took your virginity, Elena Gilbert. Don't pretend it wasn't a big deal.

Yes, it was a big deal but I got over it. I thought I did. Until tonight. Until I had let him kiss me. Again. I had wanted to go on kissing him. The truth was I couldn't stop myself. I wanted him so badly. Thankfully Damon called a halt. I couldn't believe I lost control of myself like that. This wasn't love or romance. This was lust. Triggered, no doubt, by the adrenaline overload, frustration and exhaustion we both had experienced the whole day. But why did it hurt so much? When I arrived back to my apartment, I was still in shock. I covered my face as I leaned against the door, breathing hard, not sure whether to laugh or cry. This was crazy, absolutely crazy. I couldn't I fall for someone like Damon Salvatore. He was a womanizer. He must have used his money and charm to deceive dozens of women but I wasn't going to be one of them. I searched for traces of deception in Damon's face but all I could see were two captivating blue eyes and a sensuous, smiling mouth. With that picture fixed in my mind, I eventually dropped off into a restless slumber.

I was a nervous wreck in the morning when I stepped into the office. I wasn't ready to face Damon yet. I wasn't sure I would ever ready to face him after what had happened last night. His office was still dark and I sighed with a relief. Nadia, Damon's secretary was busying typing on the computer when I approached my desk.

"Morning, Elena," she murmured softly while looking up from her screen. "Don't worry, he isn't here yet." She gave me a wink before continuing typing.

I smiled before I settled into my chair. Everyone in the office was scared of Damon who was always in control and obsessed with the idea that he was superior to the people around him. But I knew underneath the cold and arrogant mask of Damon Salvatore, there was something good, something gentle inside. I could feel he let down his shield when we had dinner together last night but somehow the shield was quickly rebuilt as if he wanted to push people away. Wait a minute, why would I care? Damon Salvatore was womaniser and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

At 9:00 Damon walked into the office. There were dark circles around his eyes and my heart ached to see him in this state. Did he sleep last night?

"Get Rick into my office, "Damon said as he approached Nadia's desk. His voice was flint-hard and ice cold. "And Elena, I want the proposal on my desk before the end of the day," he glanced at me over his shoulder. His face was expressionless. Then he turned on his heel and stalked off to his own office where he shut the door firmly behind him. It wasn't quite a slam. But it was loud enough to give both Nadia and I a jump.

As I watched the light in his office flicked on, something came over me. I expected it to be defeat, agony or heartache, but it wasn't. Rage. Rage and more rage. How dare he? How dare he kissed me like that and pretended nothing had happened? Bastard! Because he was a bastard – that was the reason. I must be the biggest fool in the history to believe there was something good in Damon Salvatore. I took a deep breath before absorbing myself in my work.

Another week passed. Damon had left more than enough assignments to keep me busy for the whole month. He met with me for over two hours this morning, trying to get up to speed on all aspects of the business, and then he had given me a long list of things he needed done. I was searching for a file in the file cabinet and a voice behind me made me jump.

"Ouch!" I clutched my elbow.

"Are you all right?" Someone reached out and gently touched my arm. "Let me see."

I turned around and I found Aaron Whitmore, the office boy standing beside me looking concerned.

"It's okay," I said, my voice an agonized whisper. "I just bumped my funny bone. I'll be alright."

"It's my fault. I'm so sorry." Aaron said apologetically and pressed softly onto my elbow. "Let me give you my famous message."

I gave an involuntary groan as his fingers touched my elbow as it was still numb and smarting like hell.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

The deadly voice was like a cannon shot in the room. My gazed flew to my desk and there stood Damon, his jaw rigid and his lips tightened.

"Let me put it another way," he continued when both Aaron and I were too shocked to move or speak. "I'd better not to be interrupting anything." He fixed a cold, blue stare on Aaron Whitmore.

Nervously, I pulled my arm away from Aaron. "Carry on if you wish," Damon mocked and folded his arms across his chest. "I can wait."

"Sorry," Aaron mumbled, his eyes wide with the shock of seeing the boss of the corporation standing in front of my desk. "I was looking for Nadia but she wasn't there. I…I will leave the folder on her desk." He quickly put the folder on Nadia's desk and dashed out of the office.

For a moment Damon said nothing and when he finally spoke his words, sharp as a knife, sliced through me, cutting me off midstream. "Whatever is going on between you and that office boy, take it out of the office. I'm running a business here."

Now that hurt. How ridiculous? He accused me of pursuing a personal 'interest' on the job. I had worked so damn hard since I started working in Lockwood Holdings. This was an unfair statement.

"Meet me in the meeting room in half an hour." Then the door slammed behind him.

Alone again, fighting back my tears, I took a deep breath and sank into my chair. I wasn't going to let Damon beat me. How could he? How could he say something like that? I hated him. I hated Damon Salvatore.