Elena pressed the glass stem from her perfume bottle to the pulse point in her neck and wrists. A heady scent of jasmine and hyacinth floated up to her. She loved the scent and hoped Damon would too. She heard a light knock on the door and smiled. She was about to find out.

She opened the door, her body already thrumming with desire. But she was taken up short when she saw Caroline standing in her dressing gown on the other side.

"Caroline? What is it? Is Lizzie alright?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes, she's fine. She's sound asleep. Can I come in?"

Elena stepped back to allow her entrance. She took a quick look into the hallway, praying Damon would stay away until Caroline stated her business and left.

Caroline moved over to the little wooden chair in the corner and sat down. She remained silent and Elena sat down on the edge of the bed, nervous about what had prompted this midnight visit.

Caroline straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, clearly steeling herself. The action made Elena worried enough to start wringing her hands.

"I want you to take these two weeks as a vacation."

Elena let go of the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A vacation? That was what Caroline wanted to talk to her about?

"You should spend that time deciding what you want to do with your future." Caroline said quietly.

Elena's heart jumped back into her throat. "Are you…trying to fire me?" Elena asked, her throat dry.

Caroline looked stricken. "No, Elena, of course not!"

Elena felt her rigid shoulders relax.

"I just want you to have the chance to…" Caroline broke off and Elena noticed two bright pink spots had appeared on her cheeks. "I want you to have the time to spend with Damon."

Elena felt her face flood with color. Had she really been that transparent?

"I don't know what you mean." Elena said, unconvincingly.

Caroline gave her a very knowing look before continuing. "I believe that you and Damon have a connection and I want you to have time to explore that so that you will hopefully come to the same conclusion I have. Damon will not marry you. He may make you an offer, but it will not be marriage."

Elena's head jerked up to look Caroline in the eye, her expression giving her away.

Caroline nodded. "I see. He's already made the offer. Well, then you should know then, that that's all he's capable of, Elena. He's not the kind of man who marries. Or at least if he ever does, it will be a marriage of convenience, one that will enhance his company somehow or strengthen his coffers. He will not marry for love. I'm not sure if he's capable of it."

Caroline shook her head. "I know I'm making him sound terrible and I don't mean to. As I've said, he's a wonderful brother and uncle. But…" Caroline hesitated. "Well, Damon and Stefan had a very hard time with their father as boys. To hear Stefan tell it, Damon got the worst end of things since he was usually the one stepping in and protecting their mother and Stefan. Their parents had a terrible marriage, full of violence and anger. It made Damon incredibly jaded toward the whole institution. The only reason he'd ever marry would be to improve the company, to bring in a large dowry or secure a business deal."

Elena sat transfixed listening to things she was sure Damon didn't want her to know. She didn't want to hear this from Caroline. If Damon wanted to tell her about his childhood, he would. She knew what it was to feel secretive about your early years and the parents that had shaped you.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say to all of this." She knew her voice had a bit of an edge to it, but she couldn't help it.

Caroline seemed to hear her annoyance because she became slightly defensive.

"You don't have to say anything, Elena. I just want you to know the truth of the situation, so you don't go into this time with Damon holding on to some kind romantic notions. He is who he is and you can't change that."

Elena didn't bother to hide her frustration now. "I'm not some kind of romantic fool, Miss Caroline." She added the Miss, in an attempt to remind herself that she was speaking to her employer; her employer who seemed to know something had happened with Damon and wasn't immediately firing her for her inappropriate behavior. She took a deep breath.

"I understand what you're saying. I have never believed or imagined that Damon was interested in marrying a governess from questionable beginnings. And really, you don't have to give me a vacation. I don't need or want 'time with Damon' as you put it." Even as she said it, images of two weeks spent alone with Damon began rolling through her mind, making her last words into a complete lie.

Caroline's face took on the stubborn look Elena had come to learn meant she would brook no argument. "You will have the next two weeks off. I have asked Damon to find a nice hotel for you to stay in. This time off is our Christmas gift to you. You are welcome to do whatever you want with it."

Caroline stood up. "I just wanted to tell you to take the time, and…and tell you the other things I've told you in the hope that the next two weeks will allow you to return home happier than you've been."

She reached out for Elena's hand and squeezed it. "I really just want you to be happy, Elena. Truly."

Her big blue eyes were sincere and slightly moist. Elena nodded and squeezed back.

"I know, Caroline. I'm so grateful for your kindness and understanding."

Caroline gave her a slight smile and then left the room.

Elena dropped back onto the side of the bed and put her head in her hands. She heard the door open and close quietly and she knew without looking up that Damon had entered.

When she did look up, all her thoughts scattered at the sight of him, standing just inside the door. He was fully dressed in the light gray suit he'd worn to dinner that night. She supposed he hadn't wanted to be strolling around the hallway half dressed. But she wanted to peel the jacket and shirt off of him immediately. They hid too much.

He walked slowly to where she sat and got down on his haunches. He tipped her chin up.

"I saw Caroline walking out. What did she want?" He must have seen Elena's look of panic because he shook his head. "She didn't see me. I thought I heard her voice coming from your room, so I hid around the corner until she went back downstairs. What did she want?" He repeated.

Elena shrugged. "She just wanted to tell me that she was giving me two weeks off, and that I'm going to be staying in a hotel."

Damon smiled and stood up. "Yes. I found you a beautiful place to stay. I think you'll really like it."

He reached out and grabbed hold of her upper arms, pulling her up to stand in front of him. He cupped her cheek. "You're suite has a private entrance." His thumb brushed her lower lip before he pressed his lips to hers, feather light.

Elena breathed in deeply, drawing in his scent along with the courage to say what she wanted to say to him.

"I want to spend the two weeks with you."

Damon nodded and kissed her again, deeper this time. "Of course." He said, his breath a little rough. "I'll come over every night."

Elena shook her head. He didn't understand her request.

"No, Damon. I want to live the next two weeks as if…as if I was your mistress."

Damon pulled back from her, studying her. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. If your offer still stands, I'd like to use these two weeks as a kind of test. I want to know just what my life would be like." The logical, proper side of her, the side that had spent her whole life trying desperately to escape even the smallest appearance of impropriety, was screaming at her that this was an awful idea.

But as she looked at Damon's smile, she knew she had to at least know what she was giving up if she continued living her life as a governess. Caroline had wanted her to make a decision about her future and in order to do that, she had to know both futures.

"Alright." Damon said, his eyes bright. "I'll set everything up."

Elena nodded and was suddenly, inexplicably shy. It was as though the boldness of her request had taken all her bravado and now she was just a shivering little virgin again, standing in the embrace of the most alluring man she'd ever known. She wanted him to kiss her and make her forget herself again. But she was no longer bold enough to ask him.

Thankfully, Damon seemed to have incredible intuition where she was concerned. In the span of a breath he scooped her into his arms and laid her on the bed. He undid the buttons on her nightgown all the way to her waist and then slid the garment out from underneath her, leaving her completely naked on the bed, shivering from his gaze more than from the cool air on her skin.

He took his jacket off and then began to slowly unbutton his shirt. With every inch of skin he exposed Elena could feel the tension build, first in her stomach, her muscles clenching with anticipation, before she began to feel the heat and wet pooling between her legs, her blood throbbing and pumping at her core.

She instinctively put her hand there, surprised at the heat and wet she felt. As Damon slipped his shirt from his shoulders, she slipped her fingers into the slick folds and found the spot Damon had stroked the last time they were together and discovered she could make herself feel the same incredible tension and pleasure his touch had brought her. Well, it was almost the same.

Damon watched her, his gaze blazing. He watched her pleasure herself and the heat in his cobalt blue eyes made the pleasure more intense. Elena stroked herself again and a moan escaped her as Damon popped open the button at his waistband.

He slipped his hand into the front of his pants, and Elena knew he was stroking himself as well. His head fell back a moment before he pushed his pants all the way off.

Elena looked at the long shaft that sprang forth and unlike the last time, the sight of him didn't surprise or frighten her. She knew the feel of it now, knew how it jumped slightly under her hand and she wanted to feel it again.

She sat up and reached out for him, wrapping the shaft in her hand the way he'd taught her. Her fingers were slick from her own body and the dampness made it easy to slide her hand up and down. Damon groaned loudly and the shaft in her hand became even harder.

He pushed her down on the bed a little roughly, but she didn't mind. She felt and reciprocated his eagerness.

He climbed in beside her, but his head was aimed toward the end of the bed. At first she was confused until she felt his fingers where hers had been minutes ago. He rolled her onto her side and immediately began tasting her, his mouth hot and his tongue agile. He found the small nub inside the folds and grazed it slightly with his teeth before sucking on it gently.

Elena turned her head into the pillow, barely smothering the sound of her scream. In seconds she felt her body convulsing, muscles clenching as waves of exquisite pleasure spread through her body.

She reached out to Damon, grabbing hold of his shaft, determined to give him the same release. She followed his lead and took him into her mouth, sucking gently. His guttural moan told her it felt just as good for him as it had for her. In almost as short a time as her, she felt his body buck and he pulled out of her mouth and spent himself on the bed.

She was curious what he tasted like and pulled him back into her mouth to see. He tasted salty and ever so slightly sweet. He gave another shudder and was still.

She rolled over onto her back, loving the completely decadent feeling of being naked while Damon rested his cheek on her inner thigh. She could feel his stubble graze her sensitive skin there and the familiar tension begin to build again. Suddenly Damon grabbed hold of her hips and pulled her closer to him. He lifted her right leg and put it over his shoulder, so that he could pull her up to his mouth easily.

He began again, first licking and the sucking gently on that incredibly sensitive flesh. She exploded for a second time, but before she could even catch her breath, his mouth was back again, tongue exploring, pressing his fingers into the folds of her flesh until she felt herself break again.

And again.

And again.

Before long she was whimpering from both need and exhaustion. She had never in all her life imagined feeling this completely sated.

Finally Damon kissed his way back up her body until he was lying alongside her. He ran a hand up and down her torso, soothing her skin and nerves, and giving her the feeling of a well fed cat. She giggled sleepily at the thought.

Damon's voice came as a whisper to her ear. "What?"

She opened her eyes briefly to see his satisfied grin.

"I think I'm a cat." She said, knowing she was making no sense, but he'd just have to deal with it. He was the one that had made her completely senseless.

She tried to tell him that, but instead gave in to the oblivion that approached, only managing to wrap her arm around his waist and snuggle her face into his shoulder before it encompassed her.