"All right, here we are," Kol announced as he unlocked the door to the penthouse and opened the door. They headed inside and he threw the key on the table before turning and facing her.

"Are you sure that's where you want to put that?" She asked, pointing. "It could fall off the table and roll somewhere you'll never see it again!"

He made a face when he realized she was still standing in the doorway. "Well, I hope you don't plan to stand in the doorway all night," he said, dangling the key in front of her. "You think you have a better place to put this, why don't you come in and do it?" He moved so he was standing right in front of her, one hand on his hip. "Come on, Amy! Come on! You can do it!"

Amy swallowed and wrapped the blazer tighter around herself, even though he didn't even look remotely threatening. Then she glared, grabbed his keys, and put them in a basket near the spot on the counter where he put his phone, then readjusted the blazer.

"All right, all right," he put his hands up and gave her a wink. "I can see you're nervous, so I promise I won't say things that will make you run straight to my bed for at least an hour. Or show you my sexy playroom."

Amy's jaw dropped and she actually put a hand on her chest, swaying on her feet. "You...you have a sex toy room?"

"Oh, yes," he nodded, keeping a straight face. Then, when he saw she was about to be sick at the thought, he shook his head. "No, no, I'm teasing. I mean, look at me! Why would I need that sort of help?" He grinned wickedly. "But I really had you going there, didn't I?" He murmured, getting close to her.

"You are really something," Amy said. "I wish I still felt nauseaous so I could throw up on you!"

"Oh, Amy, you're adorable," he said, coming up to her and beeping her on the nose. "Why don't you come in and take off-"

"Hey!" Amy cried and tried to kick him.

"If you had let me finish," he told her, moving out of the way gracefully, "I would have said 'my blazer'."

"Right," Amy nodded. "Sorry." She took off the jacket and handed it to him, having no idea why he was making her act so defensive and rude. "Thank...thank you for that. It's warm."

"You're welcome," he told her and put it on the back of a chair. "Any time."

Taking a deep breath, Amy looked around, unable to take in everything she wanted to see at once. "You know, I'm really surprised you picked a penthouse apartment like this," she observed.

"Why?" He asked with a sly wink. "Is it not big enough for you?"

"No!" She shook her head, completely missing the joke. "I just...it's like what your father has and you don't seem like you need to do what he does."

"Yeah, well...It's not something I was planning on having," Kol told her. "I still have the house I shared with your sister and our daughter...and Vicky too, when she came along."

"I wondered when you were gonna remember Regina," she said with a smile.

"Well, why didn't you correct me?" Kol asked. "I would think you would know who your niece is."

"I'm not completely heartless," Amy shot back. "I know how hard Vicky's murder was on Regina and how she just...divorced her husband and ran off. I know it was hard for you too, so if one of your ways to cope was to forget and think of Vicky as your daughter instead...who was I to correct you?"

Kol sighed. "Thanks, I guess. Anyway, I still have that house and use it. It's where Kayla had Florence. But I also realized I needed a place to be alone and have peace. Being up and away from everyone gives me that. Besides, how many people are gonna be able to barge into a penthouse at any hour of the day, really?"

Amy smiled and stepped forward to look out the ceiling to floor windows. The color scheme was a well-thought out mix of primary colors and neutrals, the furniture both modern and classic, and every surface seemed to be covered in souvenirs from all over the world as the bookshelves overflowed with books.

He cleared his throat after a little while and waited for her to meet his eye. "Can I offer you a glass of wine?" He asked.

"Thank you but I don't think that's a good idea," she said, shaking her head and rubbing her hands. "Would it be too much trouble to make tea? That might take away the chill I'm feeling."

He got closer to her. "I have something much more enjoyable to suggest that would also do a good job of warming you up, but I understand. I understand if you let your guard down, you might kiss me again like you did in the barn. Is that why you don't want wine? Cause you might kiss me?"

Amy sighed, closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and counted to ten. "Would you stop?" She asked. "Are you trying to torture me? Are you trying to make me miserable?"

"No," he whispered near her ear, his breath hitting her skin and making her break out in goosebumps. "I don't think I'm doing anything and I just want to make it clear that I think the one who is making you miserable is you."

She turned around to give him an outraged response, but he got away just in time and ran to open a cabinet that was actually a makeshift bar and pour himself a big glass of Bourbon.

While he did that, Amy settled herself on the couch and looked at the African masks and wall hangings. "These are spectacular," she told him. "They are African, aren't they?"

"Yes," Kol nodded. "I've been to that continent a few times and these are some of the souvenirs I brought back from my trips." He then stood against the wall, slowly sipping his drink and taking in her looks of awe and appreciation.

When she got up and took hold of a statuette to give it a closer look, he burst out laughing.

"Sorry!" She cried, startled, and then put it back. "Was I not supposed to touch it?"

"Oh, no," Kol smirked, coming over to grab her hand. "You can touch anything you want in this house." He paused and gave her a wink. "And I do mean anything. I just...that's a fertility statue and I didn't think you would want to have anything to do with it. Since you're nervous enough as it is when it comes to sleeping with me and I don't think you need the added pressure."

"Ewww!" Amy cried, putting the statue back so fast it was as if it had burned her.

He threw his head back and burst into laughter while she scowled at him.

"You are a mean man, Kol Mikaelson!" She cried and shook her finger at him.

"Would you just chill out, please, Amy?" He asked. "I'm only making a joke! You're like a bomb that's gonna go off at any minute if you stand too close to me." He got closer to close the space between them. "Tell me something: did you ever do this scared rabbit routine around Klaus and Elijah or am I just lucky?"

She shrugged, her cheeks turning pink. There was no way she was going to dignify that with a response.

"No need to say anything," Kol winked. "I have my answer."

"So," Amy cleared her throat. "You've been to Africa a lot? How fascinating!" It was a transparent way to change the subject and she knew he could see right through her.

"Very often," Kol nodded, giving her a cute grin. "I studied witchcraft in remote villages and wrote articles about it." His eyes brushed over all the stuff on the walls. "Then I studied their views on Obayifo and the Osasabonsam and the beliefs in their culture on-"

"Vampirism and demonic acts!" Amy interrupted in shock. "And I know that because I read all the articles by Julian Lewis in the Council newsletter. That same Julian Lewis no one has ever met and took a lot of trips to Africa over the years. He's become a legend in the magical community."

Kol grinned and put a finger to his lips. "Please don't tell anyone, Amy. Let's keep this our little secret."

"Oh, my god!" Amy cried, her jaw dropping. "You're him! You're Julian Lewis!" Her hand went up to her chest. "I read all the articles! They're amazing! I-I-I-"

Kol chuckled. "It's always nice to meet a fan," he said. "Now that you know this...does it make you more attracted to me?"

"It's not funny, Kol!" Amy shook her head. "I don't know why you would keep something so wonderful from people!"

"Because who would believe it?" Kol asked. "Everyone has an idea who I am, even my own family. Just a shallow fool. No one would believe I was capapble of something like writing those articles. But if I pretend to be someone else, they would."

Amy could tell he was sincere and gave him a shy smile of approval before wrapping her arms around herself.

"Still cold?" Kol asked kindly.

'I don't know why I chose this dress," Amy shook her head. "It's not the right time of the year for it."

"I understand," Kol said, running his hand over Amy's arms. "It looks beautiful on you there's no crime in looking amazing!" He paused. "But because I'm kind and merciful, I would be more than happy to give you a large t-shirt of mine to keep you warm and cover you from my eyes." He paused. "Then you can pick a room for yourself. There are a couple guest rooms to choose from." He gestured down the hall.

"Thank you," Amy smiled. "I'd like that very much."

"You're very welcome, Amy."

After changing into an extra large t-shirt, Amy timidly headed to Kol's room and found him on his bed in the master suite, dressed in a pair of pajama pants, glasses, and a smile. Amy tried to look away from his bare chest, but she found it very hard.

"Are you available to talk?" She asked. "Or are you busy?"

"Oh, no," Kol shook his head. "Please come sit!"

Giving him a shy smile, Amy say at the end of the bed, some distance away from him. Then they talked about his time in Africa until she felt her eyes droop and her body fall forward onto Kol's lap.

Kol didn't mind this and continued to read articles on his tablet as he stroked her hair, smiling every time she admitted a tiny snore. She woke up two hours later, surprising both Kol and herself.

"What time is it?" She asked, sitting up and running a hand through her hair.

"Past midnight," Kol told her with a wink. "You fell asleep on my lap and I couldn't resist stroking your hair while you slept. I hope you don't feel like giving me a lecture about not getting permission."

Amy blushed. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She was beginning to remember falling asleep. "I hope I didn't hurt any part of you when I fell asleep."

"No," Kol grinned. "Everything is in good working order. But thank you for asking."

"Don't!" Amy cried, going pale as she pulled on the large t-shirt.

"Don't worry," Kol assured her. "I didn't undress you, darling. I gave you that large t-shirt and you put it on. Stop that little hamster in your head. It's going to drive you mad." He grinned wickedly. "If it had been me who'd undressed you, you'd be between the sheets and not just lying on top of the comforter!"

Amy sighed. "I remember now," she admitted. "I'm sorry for accusing you of something that you had nothing to do with."

"You're apologizing again? That's two times in thirty seconds," Kol grinned.

She smiled shyly and shifted position so that she was sitting on her feet as Kol shut off his tablet and put his glasses on the bedside table. Then he locked eyes with her.

"I'm sorry if I've disturbed your reading," she apologized. "How late is it? After midnight?"

"Yes," Kol nodded, narrowing his eyes.

"Aren't you tired?"

Kol chuckled. "I'm a creature of the night, remember?" He paused and looked her over. "You know, you're extremely beautiful, Amy. My brother is an idiot who only thinks of himself."

Amy nodded her head toward the bedroom door. "I...I should probably go to my own room now, to sleep, you know?"

"You don't have to, unless that's what you really want," Kol told her.

She avoided his gaze. "It doesn't matter what I want."

"It does," Kol assured her. "It matters to me."

"Kol, I'm married to your brother!" She reminded him. "And my sister was your wife."

"Was," Kol nodded. "We're divorced now so that's irrelevant." He paused. "Now look at yourself; you're sitting half naked on my bed in the wee hours of the morning. Care to reach down into the darkest depths of your soul and figure out why? As for my brother, I think we both know your marriage to him is over; you're much too smart to stay married to someone who treats you badly. Or at least I hope you know you are."

Amy nodded. "I suppose you're right. And thank you for the compliment." She paused. "You don't mind being with someone who's older than you?"

"No," Kol shook his head, a grin playing on his lips. "It's always been my dream to go to bed with a cougar." He paused after giving her a wink. "Although honestly, if we're going by years we've existed on this planet, I'm still more than twice your age." He paused, giving her a piercing look. "That being said, I hope you're done."

"I am if you are," Amy spat. Her chin was raised and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The man was driving her mad with desire! And he knew it too!

"Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy," he murmured her name over and over while reaching out to play with her hair. "When are you going to let all this worry go and just be? It would be much better for you." Sighing and rubbing his temple, he lowered himself onto his pillow and tried to calm down. Then he opened his eyes and sat up, his jaw dropping.

Amy had peeled off his t-shirt and narrowed her gaze on his as she stood naked in front of him.

He sucked in a breath as his eyes locked on hers. "Fuck me," he breathed. "Ignore everything I said before. You're not only beautiful, you're as gorgeous as a woman can get!"

Amy blushed, looking downward so that her face was hidden by her hair. "I don't...why...I mean, I gained weight when I was pregnant with Natalie and I never quite lost it. It's safe to say you haven't caught me in my prime."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Amy! I don't care about that!" He hopped off the bed and pulled off his pajama bottoms so that he was as naked as she was. "A word of advice, darling: after I say you're beautiful. I don't need to hear anything more than 'Thank you, Kol'. I truly don't give a rats' ass about your weight gain."

Biting her lip, she shamelessly looked over his naked body, trying not to stare too much as she realized he wasn't lying about not needing a car to impress women.

It didn't take long for him to realize what she was looking at. "See anything you like?" He asked with a wink.

She quickly averted her gaze, embarrassed at being caught. "Please don't do this, Kol," she begged. "Don't make me uncomfortable."

"You want me to stop breathing?" He asked with a laugh. "And there's no need to be embarrassed about taking a look. Not when you're giving me the same in return."

"Before you join me, would you mind grabbing some condoms? They're in the drawer of the night table on your side of the bed.

Amy moved there and opened the drawer, surprised when she saw the box. "It's not open!"

"No," Kol shook his head. "I only have them just in case, but that's not very often. Contrary to what some people might think, I'm not the type to sleep around."

She nodded and pulled one from the box.

"You wanna put it on me, please?" He asked, putting his hands behind his head.

Amy blushed and unwrapped the condom. How could he do it? How could he make her, a mother of more than five children, make her feel like shy teenaged virgin?

Her hands were shaking as she got close to him.

"You have beautiful breasts," he observed bluntly. Then, when she was close enough to him, he reached out a hand to cup one, causing electricity to shoot through her. It was too much!

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling away as tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry if it feels like I'm leading you on, but I can't do this. I just can't!"

Kol kneeled and grabbed her hand to pull her to him. "It's okay," he assured her. "It's fine; no need to panic. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do." He tried to calm her down. "We can get dressed and just talk, all right?" He put a hand on either side of her face, desperately trying to get the worry out of her eyes.

"I...I think I'd like that very much," she said, and he let out a sigh of relief as he felt her body relax.

"All right," he nodded. "We'll stop then."

"No," she took a deep breath and let it out. "I...I want you very much." She shut her eyes and brushed his lips with a gentle kiss, which to him, for all its gentleness, rocked him to his core.

He growled, sliding both hands down her arms until he reached the small of her back and pulled her closer to his body, his tongue sliding between her lips and making her let out a moan, then deepened the kiss to something hungry and desperate. "Oh," she moaned. "Oh, my."

He grabbed her wrist and lay her down on the bedspread, his gaze burning into hers as he lay her down on the bed spread. "Darling, we just need to kiss again to connect." He spoke the words on top of her lips, then slid his fingers down her right arm to grab the condom she held. "Give me two seconds, could you, baby?"

Amy growled. That was two seconds too long for her. She needed him now!

Finally, she felt his weight against her trembling body, and threw her arms around his neck to kiss him again.

"I can feel how tense you are," he told her. "It's going to hurt like hell if you don't relax. As you can see, I'm not compensating for my car." He was serious, but his voice was teasing so she wouldn't freak out when things were going so well. Then he slid his lips down her neck and slapped her bottom. "Relax."

"Kol," she muttered, her eyes closing as he swirled his tongue around her erect nipples.

"Legs around my waist," he instructed. "And hurry; I can't wait much longer to be inside of you."

She did as he asked then gasped as she felt him slide inside her. "Oh, Kol!" She arched her back, her nails scratching his.

"Open your eyes, baby," he ordered and waited for her to obey. Then his lips curved into a grin. "Amy," he murmured. "Oh, baby!"

She chuckled and caressed the back of his neck and hair before he filled her deep, making her feel every movement.

Kol woke up early the next morning, put on his pajama bottoms, and then, realizing how peaceful Amy looked, gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and then left her to sleep while he made a breakfast feast.

After about an hour, he realized he wasn't alone in the kitchen. He turned around and smiled at Amy, who leaned back a little as if she were trying not to be seen. "Hi," he greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"I don't see how I could have slept any other way after last night," she said. She jumped from one foot to the other and rubbed her hands. "I just...I wondered if you wanted me to leave after breakfast or this morning? After all you've done, I really wouldn't want to overstay my welcome."

"You could never do that," he shook his head. "In fact, you don't need to leave at all!" His eyes locked on her body and looked her over. Her red hair was tangled, a style he liked very much. Her skin was flushed, probably from all the blood coursing through it thanks to all the sex they'd had that night, and her lips were full and very kissable. Suddenly a growl escaped his throat. He was surrounded by food, but suddenly, that wasn't what he was hungry for.

He strode close to her and put his lips against her ear, making her moan. "Good morning, Amy."

She shook her head and looked down at her bare feet, her cheeks even redder.

Sighing, he stepped away and got back to cooking. "Say hello to the hamster in your head for me. If it stays much longer, maybe you should start charging rent."

"What I did was so bad," she pleaded, trying to get him to see as she tried not to cry. "So bad! Don't you get it?"

"I didn't think any of it was bad so you have to be specific about which time you mean," he said. "May I remind you that there were a lot of times? That box of condoms is half empty! I admire your stamina, darling!"

"Kol!" She scolded, stomping a bare foot on the tile floor.

"Yes, Amy?" He grinned. "I realize it may take hours, days, even weeks of intense therapy to get you to change your mindset, but lucky for you, I'm entirely free these days and at your service."

"This isn't a joke!" Amy's face was getting red. "What kind of good, decent woman sleeps with three brothers?"

"Well, first, I would never have thought you'd talk about your sister-in-law Selina that way, and second...on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate me?" Kol asked as he slid an omelet onto a plate.

"I won't answer that!" Amy cried as she felt her cheeks go pink and she strode over to stand by the large sink.

Kol smirked. "Really? That high? Maybe a 9.5 since I didn't have time to plan anything and it was all very sudden. Doesn't surprise me because let's face it: you don't have to tell me that Elijah bored you to tears. You get the romantic side but the sex must've been so blah and repetitive. I'm sure he's improved now that he and Selina are together but that's cause of her. If it was up to him, the whole thing would be dead in the water. As for Klaus...I bet it was wild, carnal, insane...but my brother couldn't be romantic if his life depended on it. How close am I?" He looked at her appealingly.

Amy crossed her arms and raised her chin. "Are you done?" Then she gasped as she felt his lips against her left ear.

"With you, darling?" He whispered. "Not even close." He paused. "And I bet you're not even close to being done either."

She let out a cry of surprise as she felt him pull her close, her back hitting his chest. Then one arm went around her waist and the other hand went between her legs to caress her.

He thought she would try and get away, but instead, she just relaxed, shut her eyes, and let him keep going.

"Kol," she murmured. "Oh, Kol!"

"Shush," he whispered. "And relax; you're tensing up again." He left a trail of kisses down her neck and then she gasped as he slipped a finger inside her.

"Oh," she murmured, her eyes opening wide as she climaxed after a minute or so. Her whole body was shaking.

Kol held her and grinned. "I love how quickly you come when I touch you," he said, his hand sliding out from between her legs and up to his lips to taste her. "You know, I was missing honey in my recipes this morning, but not anymore!" He winked and slowly lowered his head to capture her lips, then turned her to face him so he could bring her into a close embrace. She threw her arms around his neck, enjoying the satisfying kiss immensely.

Gosh, she thought as she pulled away for a moment. "What was he doing to her? It was as if she had no control over her body anymore!

"Come!" He mouthed the word against her lips and grabbed her hand to lead her to the island.

"Wow," Amy's jaw dropped. "You cooked a feast! How many eggs did you make?"

"Three," Kol told her as he leaned against the island, his arms crossed: scrambled eggs, omelets, and eggs Benedict."

"Oh!" Amy said with a smile. "Thank you for doing this for me! But truly, toast with jelly and coffee would have been enough!"

"Tell me something, Amy," Kol encouraged. "What sort of eggs do you like?"

Amy thought. "I like all three."

"Yes, but if you had to have only one for the rest of your life, which one would it be?"

"Well," Amy thought. "Not eggs Benedict because it's too rich and I have trouble digesting the creme Anglaise." She touched the plate and moved onto the next one. "Scrambled eggs are okay but they look like a mess on the plate and it makes me crazy."

Kol raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"So I like simple but delightful things," she shrugged, pulling the omelet plate toward herself. "I'd eat it every day if I could."

"And would it bother you if people disliked it?"

"Why?" Amy asked. "It's no one's business how I like my eggs!"

Kol grinned, tilting his head.

"Oh, my gosh!" She explained, blushing yet again. "Did you just compare yourself and your brothers to eggs?"

"Did I?" Kol asked, faking a clueless look. "Would I do something like that to make something get through that head of yours?" He questioned, putting a finger near her temple. "So...I'm going to go out on a limb here: The eggs Benedict are Elijah; too over the top. And the messy scrambled eggs are Klaus, of course."

"Are we eating or what?" Amy asked impatiently. She grabbed the omelet plate and went to sit at the small kitchen table, stabbing the omelet and shoving a forkful in her mouth.

"I think there's nothing as good as a nice omelet," he said with a chuckle as he grabbed a plate of his own, then grabbed the coffee pot. "Coffee, darling?"

She rolled her eyes and handed her cup to him, then taking it back and drinking it with a wince.

"What's the matter?" Kol asked. "That's blood."

"I know," Amy nodded, reluctantly.

"Well, then why the face? You're a vampire! Blood is good!"

Amy sighed. "Not if it...it reminds me that I'm not a witch anymore." She sighed and choked down another gulp. "Can we not talk about it? At least not now? Please?"

Kol sighed, looking at her with concern but obeying. "All right," he said. "So, how did you sleep?"

Feeling better once she had coffee in her cup rather than blood, Amy grinned and stared blissfully out at the boats on the water.

"Did you know you have such a good view of the boats?" She asked, turning to face him.

"Oh, yes," Kol nodded. "I love it too." He set a basket beside her on the table. "There are two more croissants left and because I'm a gentleman, I'm going to let you have them."

"That's a sweet offer, but I've eaten so much already and I-I need to watch my weight," Amy told him, scowling as her hands went to her stomach.

Kol sighed and rolled his eyes. "You don't have to worry about that; you're my woman now and I love a woman with curves, not a skinny skeleton!"

"Skeletons can't be skinny!" Amy pointed out and stuck out her tongue.

He crossed his arms. "I'll have to pay more attention to those underappreciated curves of yours the next time we make love, I guess," he said with a smile. "There's no way around it."

Amy blushed deeply and shook her head. "There's not going to be a next time, Kol!" She said. "It was a one-time thing that happened because I was lonely and sad and pitying myself. But I'm stronger now so we're gonna take it and bury it forever."

"Oh, great," Kol scoffed. "I'm a used tissue!" Then he smirked. "It was more than a one time thing, if I recall correctly; there were many times!"

"You know what I meant!" She cried, beginning to feel agitated.

"All right, I hear you loud and clear," he shrugged. "I would have loved a lot more, but...if you say we're done, we're done."

"Really?" Amy asked in surprise. "You're not going to argue with me?"

"Well..." He rose to his feet and grabbed both their plates, putting them in the sink, then coming back to whisper in her ear. "I think we both know that now that we've tasted each other, you won't be able to stay away, no matter what you say. So since you're not listening to a word I say, since I can't convince you of the obvious, I'm just going to let you figure it out for yourself. I'll enjoy seeing that I'm right."

"You can have whatever theories you want , but I can stay away from you easily because last night shouldn't have happened and you know it, Kol Mikaelson!"

"It should and you know it cause you enjoyed yourself," he smirked. "You even sucked my dick last night!"

Tears were filling her eyes as she pounded the table and hopped to her feet. "Why are you being so crude? Why are you doing this to me?"

"I'm not doing anything to you!" Kol protested. "You're doing this to yourself, Amy!" He shrugged. "I've never been the man who sugarcoats things to make things pretty. To me, an orange is an orange, a woman is a woman, and sex is sex. I'm going to use the proper terms for what happened last night, even if you can't. Even if you're happier lying to yourself."

"You want me to feel guilty, don't you?" She spat. "All right, so we had sex, okay? Did you hear me say it? We had sex sex sex sex sex! A single night of sex and now...no more! It's done!"

"Fine!" Kol shouted back. "If that's the case, what are you getting so mad for? I'm telling you that I'm agreeing to your conditions and you're throwing a tantrum." He paused, trying to catch a breath. "You wanna know what I think? I think what's upsetting you is that this narrow idea you have of how you're supposed to behave has filled your head with a bunch of bullshit and made you feel you have to go against everything your heart wants...everything standing right in front of you. You want me!" He threw his hands up. "You know what? I give up. I'm done. I can't do this anymore. I'm gonna take a shower and then I'll get you home so you don't have to suffer by being in my presence anymore. Because all I want is to make you happy and if that's the only thing that will do it then damn it, so be it!"

He strode off before Amy could do more than open her mouth to utter a shocked reply. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and she felt, just a little, that maybe she had gone too far. She strode to the sink, turned on the water, filled it with soap, and started doing the dishes, but didn't get far before she stopped, put her head in her hands, and started to cry.

Kol stepped into the shower, turning the water on and putting his arms on the shower wall, looking downward as the warmth covered his body. He'd known Amy was as stubborn as can be, but clearly he'd underestimated how stubborn that was!

The noise of the shower muffled the sound of the bathroom door opening as Amy stared at Kol's naked body through the glass of the shower and bit her lip. He was right, of course, that she wanted him more than anything, and it frightened her more than she could believe.

Eventually, he sensed her presence and turned around to stare at her. They locked eyes for a moment, then she stepped further into the bathroom, removed her shirt, and, naked, made her way toward the shower.

Kol grinned as he opened the door a crack and gave her his hand so he could help her inside. "Did we just have our first couple fight?" He asked, his arms encircling her so he could pull her close to his bare body.

"I don't know, did we?" She asked, blushing as she so often did around him, then putting both hands on his shoulders and kissing his neck.

"Amy..." he whispered her name and closed his eyes, thinking if this was what happened after a fight, they should fight more often. He lowered his hands down her back and grabbed her bottom, lifting her up so he could set her down on the little shelf in the shower that was supposed to hold shampoo and soap but was also big enough to be used as a seat if need be. "I need more of us...more of you." Then he knelt down in front of her. "Open your legs to me, darling. Please."

She bit her bottom lip and did as he asked.

He sucked in a breath and licked his bottom lip, such a hot look in his eyes that she thought she'd climax right then.

"Fuck me," he whispered. "I can't wait to taste you again." He groaned and then kissed her knee and up her inner thigh before reaching the most intimate parts of her.

The slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue made her gasp, her hips bucking as she grabbed his hair in her fists. "Oh, Kol! Oh, my!"

She was very glad to be sitting down because with how she was feeling, she knew she would have fallen and cracked her head on the shower floor. Her whole body felt tingly and weak. She didn't feel like she could really hold herself up. His licks and bites and nibbles as he slid his lips and tongue between her legs was more than she could handle and all she'd wanted since that night they'd kissed in the barn.

Her climax was so strong that she knew she would have fallen over if he hadn't lifted her up and braced her against the wall, instructing her to wrap her legs around him so that he could slowly enter her.

"Oh," he moaned. "Oh, Amy, you don't just taste like the sweetest honey, you also feel like heaven!" He moaned again, slowly moving in and out of her, her own moans making him go harder.

"You...you know," she got out in between loud pants. "We're never going to get clean this way!"

"There's no rush," he shook his head. "I have all day to give you a good scrubbing and wash your hair." He gave her a slow thrust, then she begged him.

"Fuck me hard, Kol!" She cried. "Fuck me hard!"

He was surprised that she was able to go as fast as him when he listened. And those hips...the thrusting of those hips was driving him wild!

"Well, well, well...look who let the little hamster out of the cage," he teased before giving her a grin.

"Oh, shut up," she smirked right back and crashed her lips on his before he could say another word.

Amy grinned and slid herself into a more comfortable position on the bed, which was very easy to do when the sheets were silk. Then she sat up and covered her breasts with the sheet. She was alone in the bed at the moment since Kol had had to go answer the call of the penthouse doorbell. She didn't mind too much, though, since it finally gave her the opportunity to take a breath. The man had more of a libido than a thousand bunny rabbits, not to mention that ego of his that she also had to contend with. It was a lot, and almost distracted her from the guilt she felt sleeping with her husband's brother. And not only sleeping with him, but feeling extremely satisfied while doing so. Probably the first time a man had satisfied her that well in her entire life! And not just sexually, although that was amazing (even if she wasn't ready to say it to his face yet), but also because he was the first man who had ever been totally honest with her. Who acted like an actual adult and didn't have to have things sugarcoated for him or hidden from him to get through life. That was something she really liked about him, even if his bluntness sometimes made her uncomfortable. She had to wonder: underneath all the bravado and playfulness...was there actually a sensible side waiting to be discovered?

As Kol returned, she buried herself under the blanket again. "Cold?" He asked with a smirk as he removed his pajama bottoms again and joined her. "I have just the thing to warm you up!"

"I'm all right," she said. "But...who was at the door? What did they want? Nothing bad, I hope?" She snuggled against him and waited for his answer.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," he was quick to reassure her with a gentle kiss to her forehead. "They're just doing some concrete work in the parking garage and needed my permission to move my car. That's what the concierge was here about. And of course I gave it to them. If they promised to be careful, which they did."

"I'm amazed you let them move your toy," Amy teased playfully.

Kol raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at her. "Miss Amy Burke, are you mocking me?"

"No," She shook her head and lowered her eyes but he could still see a bit of a smile.

"Good," he nodded. "Behave!" He gently spanked her bottom. "It's true I let them move my car but there's no way I'd let them move my other new toy from my bed." He grinned wickedly.

"Oh, stop!" Amy blushed and gently hit his chest.

"What? It's true," he chuckled and began playing with her hair. "I like how soft your hair is and I loved shampooing it earlier."

Her eyes met his now. "Thank you for that. I really enjoyed myself too."

"You're welcome, darling."

"Kol?"

"Mmm?" He asked as he sniffed her hair.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you in the kitchen this morning," she apologized in a rush. "You didn't do anything wrong; It was all me, cause everything's crazy now, and.."

"You're forgiven," he said with a wink. "Especially since you gave yourself to me in the shower."

"Stop it!" She chided, gently hitting his bare chest with her closed fist. "You don't just say things like that!"

"Why not?" Kol asked. "I'm in the privacy of my own home. It's not something I'd blurt out in public." He paused. "And speaking of our time in the shower, I think we need to be more careful about impulsive sex sessions."

"Why?" Amy asked. "I thought you enjoyed yourself."

"I did, but...I also almost did something that we both would probably have regretted later," he said.

"What?" Amy made a face. "You didn't do anything I hated, I promise!"

"No, not that!" Kol shook his head. "Since we didn't plan out what we did in the shower, I wasn't wearing a condom when whe did it! I was bare inside you!"

"Oh," Amy sucked in a breath. "Right. I guess...I guess I wanted it enough that I didn't even think of that." She paused. "But even so...would it be bad for me to admit that I liked it...bare?"

"No, of course not," Kol shook his head. "I would be crazy if I said that having a condom in the way feels better than being without one, cause it doesn't, but...you are very lucky that I pulled out in time, Miss Amy!" He rapped her gently on the nose.

"Well, luckily for you, I'm no fool," Amy replied. "I'm on pills. I think we'll be okay."

"Have you taken them yet today?"

"Um..." Amy's eyes widened. "I...I..no...I don't think..."

"I rest my case," Kol nodded. "My brothers might feel they don't have to be careful about having children because thats their family plan or they just don't give a crap, but...but I do. And I'm not ready yet."

"That's okay," Amy assured him, stroking his chest. "I understand that. And...just so you know, I wasn't trying to trick you or anything. I wasn't trying to get pregnant myself." She gave him a look. "I hope you don't think that's what I was up to, because if it was..." She pulled away from him and tried to move to another part of the bed.

"Oh, no!" Kol grabbed her arm to reel her back in. "Come back here, you. I'm not done yet." When he was sure he had her attention, he spoke again. "I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. It's just that I know you have enough on your plate right now without adding another baby to it. I don't want to be a source of stress in your life. I want to be the opposite in fact. I'm trying to be responsible here. Do you understand?"

Amy nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just...I always though that you weren't, you know, as your brothers, which is why you and Margot only had Regina. Not that it's any of my business, of course-"

"No, it's not!" Kol cried, actually looking angry for once. "I can't believe you actually said that! That you think I'm not as fertile as my brothers! Well, I am, maybe even more so. Your sister and I only had Regina because one was all we wanted. Big families aren't for everyone, you know." He scoffed. "I can't believe you think I'm not as fertile as my brothers. After all we've done! If you want to test how fertile I am, we can go a whole day with no protection and then we'll see who's fertile!" He gave her a good hard spank.

"Ouch!" Amy cried. "What was that for?"

"You know," Kol said resolutely. "Let's not speak of it again."

"Oh, all right, I'm sorry," Amy sighed. "Why are you always so blunt and direct about everything?"

"Because I live for the joy of rattling the cage of that hamster that lives in your head," he told her with a wink.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Laying her head down on his chest, she took a deep breath and shut her eyes to rest them, but when he spoke next, they popped open again.

"Why do you hate vampirism? Why is blood so distasteful to you?"

"I don't dislike blood and I don't hate vampire men, Kol!" She snapped, looking him right in the eye.

"I never said you hated vampire men," Kol told her. "If that was the case, you wouldn't have had..." realizing that he was wading into shark infested waters, he trailed off.

"If you mention your brothers..." Amy warned. "If you mention your brothers, I will punch you in the face!"

"I wasn't going to mention my brothers!" Kol insisted. "Why would I bring them up when we're here together? I was going to say that if you didn't hate vampire men, you wouldn't let yourself be around so many in your personal life and at the Council."

"Oh..." Amy nodded, lowering her eyes. "Okay."

"So...why do you hate vampirism?" He asked, moving a strand of red hair out of her eyes.

"I don't hate vampirism in general," Amy said. "But for me...for me becoming one was just awful! I'm a witch at heart and you know that once you're on the outside, it's very hard, if not impossible, to get back in! I've been tainted, and if Astrid and I weren't good friends, there's no way anyone would let me near witch stuff now. She gave me a job doing research and things for the Council which gave me something to live on once I had to quit my other job cause no self-respecting witch or warlock would hire a vampire life coach...but I feel guilty about that, even. Astrid's always walking on thin ice with the stuffier people in the witch government and I hate that I'm part of that risk."

"I know you adore being a witch, Amy," Kol nodded. "And I love that about you. But the fact is that you are a vampire now and nothing short of a stake through the heart will change that, and I'm sure that's not what you want."

Amy shook her head.

"So...you need to try and get more comfortable with your vampire side," he encouraged. "Embrace it. At least then you won't feel sick to your stomach when you see your glass of blood in the morning." He gave her what he hoped was a comforting and encouraging smile.

"You're right," she nodded. "I'll give it shot. And it's...it's not like I'm a horrible person if I do. I'm sure there are lots of vampires who are comfortable with who they are without being awful, savage monsters."

"Right," Kol nodded. "Some open up bakeries and make cakes for weddings."

Amy smiled. "Right."

"Good girl," Kol said, softly caressing her cheek. "I'm very proud of you."

"What am I going to do with my life, Kol?" She cried. "I'm so afraid! I've always thought of myself as a strong and capable woman and now all I'm good for is...hunting down rich guys and living off their money."

"You know that's not true!" Kol said. "Give yourself more credit than that. And no one is telling you that you have to make big life decisions right now. You have a roof over your head and money in the bank. That's a good start." He paused. "But you will have to face Klaus sometime though."

"Right," Amy nodded. "And what do you mean I have a roof over my head? No I don't! My last roof was at Klaus'! A real crappy thing to realize for someone who wants to be independent and get better self-esteem!"

Kol thought a moment. "Now, I promise you the next thing I say is not meant to be any sort of trick, okay? Do you promise me that you believe that?"

"Yes," Amy nodded. "I believe you. What's in your head?"

"Well, down the hall, there's a small apartment," he told her. "The previous owner had a butler who lived with him and that place was meant to give him privacy when he wasn't working. I don't use it, but I've seen it: it has a nice little kitchenette, a counter with two stools, a small living room, and two bedrooms. The people who own the building haven't figured out what to do with it, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind taking you on as a tenant." He paused. "It would give you space of your own and room for people to come stay with you. Like...Natalie, maybe?" He grinned. "Also, as an added bonus, it would make it easy for you to come visit me!"

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "I...really? That would be ideal!"

"I thought you would," Kol smiled. "Not that I know anything about your finances but I think you'll be able to afford it. If you want, I'll call the owner and let him know you're interested." Then he paused as her previously happy face fell. "What now?"

"Well, I mean...we're going to be living in close proximity! People will talk!" Amy cried. "People will think that I've become your-"

"Shush," he ordered before crashing his lips against hers. "Everything's going to be fine; there's no need to worry." Then he pulled her underneath him and cupped both her breasts.

"And now...what?" Amy asked with a blush as he gently squeezed her nipples.

"Now?" He looked at the half-empty box of condoms on the bedside table. "Now it looks like you and I have a box of condoms to empty. Does that work for you?"

"Yes," Amy chuckled and reached for the box as he kissed her soundly again and rubbed gently between her legs. "Yes...yes, please!"