Friday Night
Elena roused from sleep when the Camaro rolled to a stop, gravel crunching under its wheels. She raised her head from Damon's shoulder and blinked drowsily.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." Reaching up and pulling down the visor mirror, she patted vaguely at her hair, checking self-consciously for errant strands or tangles.
"Not even close to a problem," Damon said. "Your snoring is adorable."
"I do not snore!"
Her feigned pique faded when she looked around and realized where they were: her family's lake house. The front porch lights were on, and a fresh stack of firewood lay piled beside the door.
Jeez, she must have been asleep for a lot longer than she'd thought. They were driving back from Richmond – that's right, he'd taken her to the big city to see the Richmond Ballet perform, and it was amazing – which was more than an hour drive from Mystic Falls. Nowhere near her family's lake house.
"What're we doing here? I thought you were taking me home."
His teeth flashed white in the darkness. "The fun's not over yet. In fact, our romantic weekend is just beginning."
"Really? Just you and me? All weekend?" Excitement coursed through her at the thought of so much uninterrupted alone time with him. Surely now they would finally get to end the interminable waiting he was infuriatingly, endearingly determined to uphold. Every time they were together, she craved him so badly, but he somehow always found the strength to stop them just before things went too far. Sure, he'd tease and play with her, give her brain-melting orgasms, but it wasn't the same. And he knew it, the sweet, sexy jerk.
The glint in his eye indicated that he knew exactly where her thoughts lay. "Really. Just you and me. All weekend."
A smile broke out on her face even as a cloud crept across her thoughts. "But I don't have the key with me. Or any spare clothes."
"You don't need to worry about a thing. It's all been taken care of."
He got out, walked to the passenger side, and opened the door for her. Though it was dark out and shadows roamed the hollows of his face, she sensed his admiring gaze as she unfolded herself from his car. She was dressed up for a night out on the town in a small black dress that left no curve to the imagination and fell to mid-thigh, emphasizing the long, toned lines of her tan legs. Her hair hung straight and glossy down her back. Three inch heels and a silver locket completed her look.
She had barely managed to fully stand when he pulled her into his arms and slanted full, sculpted lips over hers. As the earth tilted crazily under her feet, she made a soft, yielding sound and melted against him, hands sliding up the silken material of his black button-down shirt stretched tightly over hard back muscles.
Strong fingers caressed the curve of her hip. She felt each one of his words as a soft puff of warm air on her cheek. "Besides, you already know you don't really need any clothes since I plan on keeping you naked the whole time."
Her pulse quickened and her insides dissolved like sun-warmed honey, though she gave him a look as well as a rueful shake of her head.
"Don't worry," he assured her, "I'll be naked, too."
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked. The question was mostly rhetorical.
His answering smirk was as wicked and mischievous as any devil's. "Are you taking suggestions?"
When she laughed, he took her hand and led her toward the lake house. He let her in first and flicked on the lights, so that the cabin filled with dim, amber light.
This was her first time here since … well, it had been a really long time. Since before she was a vampire. Everything looked exactly the way she remembered it … until he ushered her into kitchen area.
Drawing the eye immediately was an impressive bouquet of bright red roses in full bloom arranged in a crystal vase on the counter top. She estimated there must be at least two dozen flowers. Next to them, less noticeable, was a long, dark blue jewelry box.
His hand came to rest on the small of her back, and he gave her a gentle nudge, indicating that it was for her, that she should open it.
Butterflies quivering excitedly in her stomach, she went to the counter and picked up the jewelry box, ran a finger over the soft velvet covering it. She could feel his expectant gaze on her as she slowly lifted the lid. She gasped softly. She wasn't entirely sure what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't this. Nestled inside was a single strand of perfectly round, iridescent pink pearls that shimmered even in the low, amber lights. Below the necklace were matching pink pearl earrings and a bracelet.
"Do you like it?" he prompted.
She glanced up. "Yes, thank you so much, I love it!" Turning, she swept her hair aside, out of the way. "Do you mind?"
"Of course not."
Moving up behind her, he undid her locket and fastened the pearls around her throat, fingertips brushing lightly across her nape like feathers from a dark angel's wing.
When he was done, she turned back around and repeated, "Thank you."
"Don't thank me too much. This is purely a selfish gift on my part."
"Why do you say that?"
His lips twitched. "You'll see. Something to look forward to. Hope you like pad Thai?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," she stammered out, startled by the abrupt change in subject.
"Shrimp?"
"Sure, that sounds great."
"Then give me thirty minutes to whip some up. But first…." He handed her a wine glass full of blood. It smelled so good, and she took a sip.
The taste made her frown in puzzlement. Not because she detected the bite of alcohol. That was expected. No, there was something else. She took another larger swallow. Was that … cinnamon? And cloves? And dare she say … vanilla? "Did you add spices to this?"
"Just a little zest. Good, isn't it?"
She gulped down almost half the glass. It filled her belly with a pleasing warmth. "Yum, it is good."
"Well, there's plenty more, so drink up." He began dicing garlic on a cutting board, knife flashing in the low light. Other ingredients waited nearby.
"I'm going to go freshen up a bit," she told him, setting her glass down beside the rose-filled vase.
He nodded and smiled agreeably.
She made her way to the downstairs bathroom and exchanged her earrings for the ones he'd just given her. She also put on the pearl bracelet. Then, she spent a moment admiring her new jewelry in the mirror. The shimmery pink color truly complimented the warm brown of her skin.
When she emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, she could hear him still slicing and preparing, so she figured she had a little bit of time before he missed her. She decided to take a quick detour upstairs, intending to put her old jewelry away before it got accidentally misplaced.
She opened her bedroom door and stopped in surprise. Her bedroom had been converted into a lover's dream. A multitude of candles waiting to be lit adorned every blank surface: her dresser, her nightstand, the window ledge.
Except for her bed. There were no candles on her bed. Instead, the comforter was drawn back, revealing white silk sheets and an abundance of rose petals sprinkled liberally atop them.
A vision of their naked bodies moving and straining together as candlelight flickered and the sweet scent of roses floated all around them flew unbidden before her mind's eye.
It made butterflies in her stomach flutter with delight. He was truly putting forth an effort to please her even though he didn't need to – she would sleep with him without all this, and he knew that. Her heart swelled with so much love, she put a hand over her chest to keep it from bursting.
On shaky legs, she walked over to her dresser and cleared a small space on top to set her jewelry down. Operating on a hunch, she opened the top drawer. He had oh so thoughtfully filled it with all manner of sexy lingerie. She looked through the selection, exploratory fingers drifting over the tiny scraps of satiny material.
There were your standard lacy bras and thongs that revealed more than they hid all the way up to something that didn't seem to be anything but thin black leather straps, and she couldn't even begin to make heads nor tails of it. Undoubtedly, he'd be happy to help her figure it out how to wear it - and then how to take it off.
She pulled open a second drawer. Inside she found multiple sexy costumes. Let's see, he'd picked out a nurse's outfit – not a very practical one; a cheerleading uniform – she didn't remember her uniform from high school being that skimpy; and even a kitty-cat ensemble – which mostly consisted of a headband with ears, a long slinky tail, and not much else.
She closed the drawers with a grin. Beside herself with anticipation, she returned downstairs. An Italian love song now filtered through the cabin. A newly lit fire crackled invitingly in the fireplace. Damon was whistling slightly off key to the music while stirring rice noodles in a pot on the stove, back turned to her. The spice-laden scent of pad Thai permeated the air.
She went to him. His arm shot out and hooked around her middle, tugging her into his side. He nuzzled her hair.
She smiled tenderly, radiantly. "Somebody's certainly gone to a lot of effort creating a romantic mood."
"That's because somebody's getting laid tonight. Play your cards right, and it might be you." He set his teeth on her throat and nipped gently.
She giggled and turned into him, twining her arms around his neck. "It better be me. I'll even dress up as a sexy kitty cat for you." Another giggle bubbled forth. "I had no idea that was your secret fetish."
He leaned in, mouth floating just above hers. "You are my fetish, Elena," he murmured, "and there's nothing secret about it." Then, he kissed her slowly, sweetly. Their lips parted slightly so that they were breathing each other's air. Her fingers toyed with the thick, silky ends of his hair, black as night itself, curling just above his collar. Some people might think his hair was a bit too long, but she thought it was just right.
He ended the kiss and drew back with a small, panty-melting smile. His hands rose to cradle her face, thumbs resting gently on the fine bones of her cheek, fingertips soft on the line of her jaw.
"Everything upstairs is completely optional," he informed her in a low voice. "I didn't know what would appeal to you, so I got a little bit of everything. This weekend is all about you. I just want you to have fun and do whatever makes you feel comfortable." His thumb shifted from her cheek, caressed her lush, pink bottom lip. "In fact, I only have one teeny tiny request."
She raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "What would that be?"
"At least once, I want to fuck you in nothing but these pearls. I want you on top, riding me hard, so I can watch them bounce."
Though he'd framed it as a request, his statement came out sounding more like an unequivocal declaration of intent.
Her mouth went completely dry as the minuscule amount of space between them crackled like the thick, charged air before a storm. So that's why he'd claimed her necklace was really a selfish gift on his part. He wanted to watch … while she …. Gulp.
He reached down and fingered one of the large individual pink pearls lying just above the swell of her cleavage, then let it drop, light and cool on her flushed skin. Releasing her face, he turned with fluid grace back to the stove and stirred some shrimp and vegetables sizzling in a pan.
"Can I do anything to help?" she offered. She was a terrible cook, but she could handle the basics like boiling water.
"Nope, just sit your sexy little ass down over there." He pointed to the table with his spatula.
She dropped into a seat, still vibrating from his nearness and helplessly aroused. Her hand went to the pearls around her neck and clutched them tightly, remembering his request.
Not long after, he served her a heaping plate of pad Thai and noodles, and it was delicious. For dessert, they shared a generous slice of chocolate cake. Watching him eat, the way his lips curled around his fork and his tongue cleaned the icing from the tines, was a form of foreplay in and of itself.
He saved the last bite for her. When they were finished, he stood and reached for her plate.
She objected quickly, "You cooked. I'll clean."
"Nope." He whisked the plate out of her grasp and headed for the sink.
She sat there indecisively for a moment, then made up her mind. "I'll be right back."
"Uh, okay," she heard him agree as she rose to her feet.
She raced upstairs to her room. Time to light a fire under him and drastically speed things up. All day long, since the moment he'd picked her up from her house to take her to see the ballet, her body had been acutely, almost painfully aware of his, and she didn't think she could stand another minute with so much unbearable, unresolved sexual tension filling the air between them.
She knew that he meant for tonight to be tender and romantic, had no doubt planned everything out carefully in advance, intending to take his time and love her thoroughly and sweetly – and don't get her wrong, she appreciated the thought, but she wanted none of it. Not right now. Not yet.
Sifting through her dresser drawers, she searched for something sexy, something that would make Damon lose his mind, and she found it.
She removed her dress and put on a pink & black lace bra, a matching lacy thong, and a black garter belt with thigh-high sheer silk stockings. Unsurprisingly, he'd gotten her measurements exactly right. When combined with her high heels and pink pearls, she looked like quite the bombshell.
Or at least, she hoped she did.
Since there was no way for her to sneak back down without him hearing, she boldly descended, heels clicking on the stairs. She tried to contain the nervous flush – what if he didn't like it, or he laughed? – creeping up her neck, but to no avail. It advanced across her face relentlessly, and she could only pray that she didn't look all splotchy.
The kitchen area came into view. He was facing away from her, looking like total girl porn as he finished up the last of the dishes and placed them into the dishwasher. Lithe muscles shifted and contracted visibly beneath his button-down shirt as he worked.
Finally turning in her direction, he froze in the act of drying his hands on a towel. She heard his heart stutter, then start knocking madly against his ribs, the sound of it resonating in her ears and boosting her confidence.
She offered him a timid smile and performed a pirouette, just to make sure he could see everything that she was – and wasn't - wearing. "You like?"
Very deliberately, he set the hand towel down on the counter. His nostrils flared and his head canted a few degrees to the left. He raked her with a predatory gaze that made the fine hairs on her neck stand up straight and alarm bells in her mind start ringing. Her nipples hardened to points, and her stomach knotted.
"Run," he commanded, imbuing that one word with a dark, sexual urgency that caused something in her to thrill and rise in kind.
Pivoting, she fled back the way she'd come, faster than the wind. She made it to the top of the stairs before a force tackled her from behind. As she hurtled toward the ground at breakneck speed, steely arms banded around her midsection, twisting her in midair so that he ended up beneath her, sparing her the brunt of the fall. Once they hit the ground, he rolled on top of her with lightning quickness.
An amused sound rumbled deep in his throat. A crooked smirk stretched his lips. "You didn't really think I'd let you escape."
For a few heartbeats, she didn't say anything, just basked in the feel of his body stretched over hers, reminiscent of a sleek panther pinning down a quivering doe. The dark, exotic, spicy scent of his skin was a sinful aphrodisiac, drugging her senses and making it hard to think.
Swept up in a primitive desire so overwhelming it shocked her, she gathered her wits as best she could and fixed him with a sultry look that wiped the smirk right off his face. "You didn't really think I was trying to escape."
He glanced up, calculating how quickly he could get them from the hallway floor to the bedroom. It didn't matter. Whatever the answer was, it was too long.
"Damon," she whispered urgently.
His eyes found hers again. They were slightly wild, pupils blown so that only a thin rim of blue was visible.
She begged, "Please."
Incredulous wrinkles furrowed his brow. "Right here?"
She bit her lip and nodded, sliding her hands down his back, feeling all of the barely restrained power trembling through taut muscles. "Hurry."
There was a second of inaction as he absorbed her request. Then his mouth slammed down on hers. Possessing not even an ounce of finesse, he shoved his fingers under her lacy thong and ripped it off, tossing the tattered remnants away in the same instant that she unfastened his jeans and plunged a hand inside, grabbing a hold of his rigid arousal. He burned like hot velvet in her palm.
Good, he was primed and ready to go. So was she.
Swiftly, she guided him to the right place, and with one powerful flex of his hips, he was inside her. The way he felt buried so deep, filling every inch of her to the brim, was so divine, so perfect she almost wept with relief. She did moan in ecstasy and wrap her stocking-clad legs around his waist so he couldn't escape, though judging by appearances, escape was the furthest thing from his mind.
"Is this what you needed, baby girl?" His voice was low and aggressive.
"Yes," she chanted, "yes, yes, yes." Frantically, she yanked at his clothes, his hair, anything that might induce him to start moving.
His hips flexed again, plunging once more into achingly swollen flesh, and that was all it took. Intense pleasure consumed her senses, left her gasping.
He powered right on through her climax, setting a hard, pounding rhythm as her body arched helplessly under his, pearls bouncing madly above her breasts.
She grasped the contours of his rock-hard ass, angling her hips, rolling to meet and cushion his thrusts. She felt the carpet runner rucking up beneath them as every vigorous plunge scooted them further down the hall. When he had driven them almost into a wall, he placed a protective hand on her nape, pulling her face into his shoulder so she wouldn't bump her head.
This put her in dangerous proximity to the blood speeding by under his skin, an irresistible temptation. Her eyes grew hot as they filled with blood, and her fangs punctured through her gums. Without a moment's hesitation, she bit into the meat of his shoulder, right through his shirt, seeking and finding a vein. Passion-fired blood spurted rich and coppery into her mouth.
"Sweet, beautiful girl," he rasped as his blood slid down her throat like crimson silk, "you feel so fucking good. So." He thrust hard to accentuate his words. "Fucking." Another hard thrust. "Perfect."
She knew exactly what he meant. Nothing had ever felt better than this. She loved being the focus of all his passion. Loved making him lose control.
It was so good that once more, she found herself hovering on the edge, so close that she only required the tiniest little nudge….
Retracting her fangs from his shoulder, she panted in his ear with bloodstained lips, "More. I want more."
He growled and pumped his hips with greater fervency, hitting her right where she needed him to. Her soul cried out in exhilaration as an unbelievable rush of euphoria swirled through her.
That also marked the limit of his endurance. He buried himself in her to the hilt a final time and gasped out, "Elena."
Once he was spent, he collapsed bonelessly on top of her. For a short while, they lay tangled together in a disheveled stupor of satisfaction, the only sounds their ragged breaths, pounding hearts, and the husky crooning of an Italian singer. She cherished every second of it.
Too soon, she felt him shift and raise his head. He stared down at her with a dazed look. A single, chagrined laugh escaped him. "This went very differently in my head." Gently, he straightened the pearls hanging in a haphazard line across the slender column of her throat. "You just looked so goddamn sexy. You make me completely insane."
She released a sigh because he was so adorable. Couldn't he tell that she didn't have a single regret because what had just happened between them was so beyond perfect that words didn't even exist to describe how perfect she felt right now?
"Don't you dare say you're sorry," she warned. "I'm not. After all, we do have all weekend to try again. And again. And again. However long it takes."
He pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose and grinned. "I like you a lot."
Then, he rose to his feet with her clasped tightly in his arms and bee lined for her bedroom. As she shrieked with laughter, they tumbled into bed together on top of white silk sheets and scattered rose petals, and this time when they made love, it was every bit as tender and romantic as a girl could ever dream of.
Sunday Morning
She achieved consciousness peacefully. Long, shiny lashes fluttered, then lifted. She was wrapped in warm, snugly blankets, and the snow white silk sheets and pillow made her feel like she was floating peacefully on a heavenly cloud.
That was appropriate since this weekend had certainly felt like paradise. They'd made love in almost every single room - even the deck. Couldn't forget deck-sex. She highly recommended it.
They'd also made love while skinny-dipping in the lake, clinging together in the wan light of the moon.
He'd even gotten his chance to make love to her in nothing but pink pearls.
She'd modeled several fun and sexy outfits for him, including the sexy kitty one. And even though at first she'd felt kind of silly, he'd been so sweet and patient that she'd quickly relaxed and had fun playing with him until they reached the inevitable point where he'd rip off her costume in a frenzy of passion and proceed to make mind-blowing, out of control love to her.
And yeah, they'd also done other stuff like talk and eat, but there'd mostly just been a lot of sex. And as far as she was concerned, that was exactly the way it should be.
Lips curling up in a smile at the memories they'd made so far, she stirred and looked around. Where was Damon? The slightest flare of irrational panic flared through her. He should be here in bed with her.
Then her ears also woke and attuned themselves, allowing her to detect the sound of running water from the adjacent room.
Ooo, she thought, panic replaced by delight, Damon naked in the shower. Yes, please.
She abandoned the warmth of the bed and walked to the bathroom. She didn't have any clothes on and was still all tingly from last night. And earlier this morning.
The shower's glass door was fogged with steam, but she could still make out the hazy shape of his body. Her mouth watered. She pulled the door open. With water and suds sluicing over the flawless expanse of his pale flesh, he looked like a gorgeous, masculine Adonis. A wet dream come true. Literally.
She pretended to pout. "You weren't in bed. We were supposed to have sleepy morning sex."
He grinned at her from beneath black locks of hair plastered to his forehead. "Sorry, princess, I was trying shower real quick and cook breakfast before you woke. Guess not, though, huh."
"It's okay." She slipped inside the shower, joining him under the hot spray of the shower nozzle. "This way actually works out, because now we can save water."
"Your logic is impeccable."
She placed her hands on the smooth, chiseled wall of his stomach and slowly started journeying upwards. "And while I don't have any fantasies that involve you dressing up like a cat - "
"Your loss. I make one hell of a sexy kitty-cat." He batted his eyelashes. "Meow."
She narrowed her eyes, unable to prevent herself from envisioning him in ears and a tail and nothing else. "I can't tell if you're joking or not." Her fingertips ghosted over his nipples, felt them harden to stiff points. "Anyway, I do have this one fantasy where you're in the shower."
"I hope you're in there with me."
"Oh, definitely." She was still playing with his nipples, circling around and around.
"What else happens in this fantasy of yours?" His hands were gliding slowly down the backs of her arms, leaving invisible sparks in their wake.
"Lots of stuff."
"I'm all ears." He looked down between them, then back up with a lopsided smile. "Well, not all ears."
She pressed her palms flat on his pecs. "For starters, you're definitely always completely naked."
He waggled his eyebrows. "Check."
"And all glisten-y." She dipped her head and licked a water droplet off his collarbone to illustrate her point.
"Batting a thousand so far." He sounded a little hoarse.
"And all…," her hands dropped to waist level and she grabbed him, "like this."
He'd already been well on his way to standing at full attention, but her touch finished the job.
His lids descended until only a sliver of blue shone through dark lashes spiked together with moisture, glittering like diamonds. "Naughty little girl."
He advanced on her, forcing her to give ground. Her backside fetched up against cool, wet tiles. He placed his hands on either side of her, caging her in, and leaned in really closely. "Do I get to fuck you now? Is that part of your fantasy?"
She didn't have to answer him, because he already knew what her answer was. Good thing, since she was too aroused to make coherent sounds.
When a hand drifted down to her breast, it wasn't possible for her to do anything but experience the sensation of his thumb brushing over her nipple, granting him a direct line to all the nerves in her body. Her skin suffused with a warmth that wasn't even the least bit due to the heated water beating down around them.
"How do you want it, Elena?" he inquired huskily, still skillfully fondling the pebbled nub.
As a response, she exhaled, "Damon!" That was literally her answer to his question. As long as he was inside her, she didn't care – it didn't matter!
Questing fingers skimmed over her rib cage and down her taut, tan stomach, gently stroked the heated juncture between her legs. "Slow and sweet? Fast and hard?"
"Yes," she breathed.
Amused, he met her gaze directly. The sensual impact of those eyes, blue as a clear, cold winter sky, sent an electric shock skittering through her right down to her toes. She wondered if she'd ever get used to them, if they'd ever lose their power to affect her so deeply.
Probably not.
Cupping her ass, he lifted her up like she weighed nothing. She hooked lissome, supple legs over his waist and brought her hands to his biceps, feeling the coiled power there as he supported her. Her eyes were wide, dark, looking nowhere but at him as he penetrated her, wedding them together in an exquisite, unparalleled communion.
He drew back and slid between her tender thighs again, over and over, keeping her pinned against the wall. He was relentless yet gentle, his thrusts steady, a sublime rhythm for giving rapturous pleasure. As their bodies moved together, their very breaths aligned and echoed in tandem in the confines of the shower.
His compelling gaze still held her hostage, made her feel like an insect trapped in slow moving tree sap, a viscous fluid that would eventually harden and freeze her in place forever within a beautiful amber shell. She didn't want to look away, couldn't summon even the slightest inclination to free herself.
He stared back, seeing her also, all of her right down to her soul. She had no defenses anymore. Every emotion was unveiled. He divined her desire and her love and even the fear that still lurked inside her, the minute sliver of apprehension at the possibility that he might leave her again, that she might lose him.
To allay this lingering doubt, he whispered, "You're fucking everything to me, sweet angel. Everything. You know that, right?"
She nodded.
"I'm not going anywhere," he continued, "not now, not ever. I'm yours as long as you'll have me."
"Promise me, Damon!" Her hands rose from his biceps to cup his pale, handsome face. "Promise me this is forever."
"I promise."
Maybe it was the way his voice broke with the intensity of his passion. Maybe it was the guileless, transparent blue of his eyes. Whatever it was, she believed him. Any residual misgivings flowed out of her like water and spiraled down the shower drain, gone for good, never to take root in her heart again.
He claimed her mouth in an ardent kiss, and her arms wound around his neck. This, the man of her wildest dreams, his taste, his scent, the way he made her feel so alive, was hers forever.
The pressure and friction he was generating between her legs crescendoed to a single point and erupted, radiating shock waves of pure sensation through every fiber of her being.
As she splintered into a thousand tiny pieces, there was joy in her heart, a joy that tethered her fractured parts which bliss had sent freewheeling through space and kept her from completely losing herself.
Swept along with her, Damon groaned her name into her mouth and tensed all over. She could feel his pulsating release, hot and deep inside her.
Some indeterminate amount of time later, the fragments of her self came slowly back together until she was whole again. But she didn't think she was quite the same as she was before. And she made up her mind that that was a good thing.
Maneuvering them both back under the hot spray of water, still inside her, her enervated legs still somehow hugging his waist, he pressed his forehead to hers and grinned. "Your fantasy was amazing."
She made a soft sound of agreement, then, "You can go make breakfast now."
He laughed. "Okay, but that means I have to put you down first."
She pouted. "Oh, I forgot about that. Nevermind, then."
Despite what she'd said, she reluctantly unlocked her legs from around his waist and let him slowly lower her back to the tile floor. When he pulled out, she felt devastatingly empty.
As he was exiting the shower, he glanced back. "Any requests?"
"Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. And bacon. And pancakes."
He tweaked the tip of her nose. "Done."
After he left, she quickly shampooed and rinsed and got out. On the outside of the shower door, Damon had thoughtfully draped a white terry cloth robe. She slid it on, relishing sheer luxury of the soft, fluffy fabric gliding over her freshly cleansed skin. She sat down on the edge of the nearby tub to brush the tangles out of her hair.
As she was finishing up, Damon strolled in wearing only a pair of jeans with the top button unfastened and no shirt.
"Hey, shouldn't you be downstairs making coffee and food?" she asked teasingly.
The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. "Oh, I would be, but, see, it's just that I have this girl, and she's insatiable. Can't keep her greedy little paws off me."
"Me?" she said indignantly, then realized he was teasing her back. She stuck her tongue out at him. "It is not my fault if you're too old to keep up."
"Ouch." A smile appeared on his face, though it quickly vanished. He sat down next to her on the tub ledge. "Actually, I wanted to give you something. I was planning to wait until later, but …. well, nothing ever seems to go as planned with us, and I did just promise you forever so it seemed sort of fitting." He held out his hand. Resting on his palm was a ring box.
"What is it?" she asked nervously, not taking it.
"Open it and see."
While ostensibly innocuous, she accepted it gingerly, as though suspicious that it might at any moment suddenly sprout teeth and attempt to bite her. "You don't have to keep giving me things. I don't need - "
"Just open it." As an afterthought, he added, "Please."
With a deep inhale, she lifted the lid. Then released an equally deep exhale. There was a ring in it. A diamond engagement ring. The diamond itself was huge and round with flawless clarity. Deep blue sapphires flanked it on either side, the same deep blue as the lapis lazuli stone on his daylight ring. The band was white gold.
Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. For an agonizingly long minute, words failed her. Finally, she was able to get out, "It's beautiful."
"Yeah, I, uh, found it looking through some stuff in the attic. It was my mother's."
"Lily," Elena said softly. All she knew of the woman was that she had died of a horrible disease when Damon and Stefan were young and that they had loved her very much.
Confusion wormed its way through her. "I don't understand. What is this? Why are you giving me your mother's engagement ring?"
"When I saw it, all I could think of was you and that it should be yours. I don't know, I guess I just thought that maybe you'd like to wear it." A deep crease showed upon his forehead. "Until, you know, you're ready for your own. Assuming you ever are, of course."
She swallowed. "Are you sure Stefan doesn't mind if you give it to me?"
He smiled thinly. "Finder's keepers."
"Damon, she's his mother, too."
"I don't want to talk about my brother right now."
Of course, what was wrong with her? She gave herself a stern mental shake and stared at the diamond ring in her hand. Catching the sunlight that flooded through the window over the tub, the jewels winked and glittered almost as if they were alive. Meanwhile, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions roiled within her.
It wasn't that she didn't want to wear his ring, because she did. She really, really did. But it was definitely too soon to accept something like this. And sure, they'd just promised each other forever, but this was a really big, next level type of step. They were supposed to be taking things slowly. She didn't want them to rush their relationship and make a huge mistake. She didn't want this to just be one of his impulses that he'd eventually regret.
And yet they had been through so much in such a short time that it didn't feel too soon, not if she was being honest with herself. She likened their relationship to a bar of steel that had been exposed to fire and beaten and hammered and stuck back into the fire and beaten and hammered on some more until it was forged into the proper shape, an unbending, unbreakable blade with a razor keen edge. They now stood together on the other side of the fire, stronger and wiser.
Plus, there was the simple fact that she already knew she wanted to be with him forever. She had learned how horrible it was to not have him in her life, and she never wanted to go through that ever again. She believed with all her heart that what they had was real. Powerful. Unique. A once in a lifetime love worth fighting for. This man who had once been nothing to her but a stranger that she'd met one dark night in the middle of a lonely road had turned out to be her soulmate.
No, she resolved, the only huge mistake she could make was letting fear stand in the way of her happiness, her chance at true love. She deserved to be happy, to live the life that she wanted. And she wanted that life to be with Damon.
While she silently worked through all that, Damon cleared his throat uncomfortably. "This was a terrible idea, wasn't it?" He stretched out his hand. "You know what, just forget I - "
"No! I mean, yes!" She clutched the open ring box to her chest so he couldn't take it from her. "I want to wear it."
One side of his mouth curled up tentatively. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
With a trembling hand, she pulled the ring out of the box and went to put it on, but she hesitated, unsure which finger to put it on. He plucked it out of her grasp and stood, helping her to her feet at the same time. Then, slowly, with the air of someone performing a profound ritual, he slid the ring down her left ring finger.
She looked at in wonder, then up at him. "It fits perfectly."
"I thought it might."
She glanced back down at her hand, contemplating everything this gorgeous, sparkly ring represented for their future together, a future that for a time she'd thought would never be possible. Her eyes misted over with tears. "I love you so much, Damon."
"I love you, too, Elena, more than I can ever put into words. I want forever with you."
She rose on her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I promise I'll take good care of it for the next generation of Salvatores." She turned slightly pink. "I mean, if we ever get to that point."
"Vampires can't procreate, remember? If we could, it would've happened by now, trust me. There'd be beautiful little blue-eyed babies running around all over the place."
She frowned slightly, not enjoying the reminder of his libertine past. At the same time, though, her ovaries exploded like Fourth of July fireworks at the thought of his 'beautiful little blue-eyed babies.'
"I was thinking we could adopt," she told him. "I was adopted, after all, remember?"
"How could I forget?" he commented dryly. Then his look grew doubtful. "I don't know if I should be trusted with another person's upbringing and moral development."
"Oh, I think there's hope for you yet. It wouldn't be for a long time, until we were both ready. And if we ever are, we'll do it together."
He still had a light grip on her hands. His thumbs began to stroke over the delicate bumps of her knuckles. "Maybe we could start with something small first."
"A puppy!" she exclaimed with delight.
He squinted. "I was thinking something even smaller, like a goldfish or a ficus tree."
"A puppy!" she repeated, employing her sweetest smile.
"You might be able to talk me into a puppy," he grumbled.
"Talk! I have a much more effective method of convincing you than that." She hooked her fingers in the belt loops on his jeans and tugged him closer.
"Mmm, at this rate, I'll be cooking you dinner instead of breakfast." It wasn't a complaint; his eyes gleamed eagerly.
She smiled as he slipped her robe down over her shoulders. It puddled around her feet. "I'm strangely okay with that. It's not like there's any reason to be in a hurry, not when we have forever."
"Forever," he echoed back as if he couldn't quite believe his luck.
Then, his hands were on her bare skin, lips whispering along her jaw, and there was no more room in her head for thoughts of anything except the man with whom she knew in her heart she was going to spend the rest of her immortal life.
The End
So that's it for this story. I feel like I get weird and cheesy when they don't have anything to fight about, LOL. I'm already planning my next D&E story, so I'm going to focus on that. :)
I know I stretched the characters almost to their breaking points throughout this story, and I'm very aware that what I find funny/entertaining/sexy to write is not necessarily funny/entertaining/sexy to other people, so I've been quite surprised and humbled and at times overwhelmed by the kindness and support from you, my dear readers, as I was working on this story. Please know that you have all of my heartfelt gratitude, and thank you so much for reading. I'd love to hear what you thought of my story. :)
As always, all my best,
JustiniaK