Caroline is the the interior designer for K's house and maybe not so subtly keeps on hinting that the bath is designed to fit two people comfortably and if she says it one more word he's gonna throw her in and ravage her" (smut, obvs)

something heretical in our sera
a peeking thing, half mischievous
and i, trying to see if you are my mirror if you
recognize the streak in me as your own something - dissident, to virility by Lauren Sage

The bathroom tipped the scale.

Caroline stood in the master bedroom, clipboard held tightly between her fingers. This was supposed to be the final walkthrough. The cumulation of ten years of work. She honestly hadn't worried when her assistant had hastily switched out a few pages, murmuring about a few last minutes changes.

"Mr. Mikaelson was pretty specific about them," Caroline remembered vaguely hearing as she juggled her things. "With the family issue, he didn't want to bother you."

These were not last minute changes.

Klaus liked darker colors and heavy furniture, and there had been several heated discussions via email and over the phone in the last year. Caroline was all for catering to taste, and even she'd admit he had an extraordinary eye for color, but she'd never been around someone so medieval. Klaus had laughed at her snarl during one of their many phone calls, the sin of his voice all the richer for his amusement.

"Of course I am love," Klaus had drawled and she glared at the phone on her desk.

Eyes rolling, because she knew he couldn't see, she blew out a breath. "Klaus if you keep that monstrosity in your sitting room, I'll quit."

Another low noise of amusement. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about mere upholstery, sweetheart."

"It's hideous, I refuse to have my name attached to it. You're furnishing a palazzo; a palazzo you've spent quite a bit of money on to keep the framework intact while modernizing. You might be comfortable with the feeling of an underground torture chamber, but if you're going to pick blocky, ugly furniture, it might as well be comfortable. That is not."

A soft, considering sound and she bit her lip to keep from shivering. The last time he'd sounded so intrigued, his tongue had been hot and wet against the hollow of her throat.

Memories she needed to forget.

"Let's compromise," Klaus suggested. "Come to Italy, and we'll go shopping, together."

Caroline was shaking her head, before he'd finished. "You know I can't."

"Caroline," Klaus murmured, something old and dangerous creeping into his voice. "If you require assistance…"

"Thank you," she replied automatically, nails biting into her palm. "But I'm fine."

Caroline was uncertain how much Klaus knew of her situation. He'd offered her no hints, had simply continued to inquire if she needed aid. She'd never been entirely certain what he knew of her kind. She'd always been firm, regarding her need for privacy, and Klaus had never pushed her directly.

His network was large, and while her kind were rare, they were not unknown.

"You will, of course, be there for the final walkthrough?" Klaus said instead, voice deliberately light. "It'd be a shame, after all your hard work, if you weren't there for its completion."

She'd agreed.

It'd taken work to finally extract herself from the politics that had so dominated her life for the past few years. Her mother's death had put the community into a bind, and while several of the council had felt that Caroline was a natural choice as a replacement, she hadn't agreed.

In the end, it had been her ties to the Mikaelson family that had thoroughly disqualified her. She'd been given a wrenching choice, and Caroline had made it. She'd chosen without hesitation, but she mourned the life she'd let go.

It hurt, to walk away.

Two days ago, she'd checked into her hotel in Dubrovnik utterly exhausted. Croatia was a beautiful country, but Caroline hadn't had a chance to admire it on this trip. She'd caught up on emails, finalized plans, and slept. That morning, she'd finally woken with purpose.

Caroline had spent the day ordering her two remaining employees around, and it'd felt wonderful. For the first time in two years, she'd felt in control. A finished project had always left her energized, and she enjoyed putting together the final touches.

Finally, she'd kicked everyone out, worn but delighted. In a perfect world, she'd have walked through one last time barefoot, cradling a glass of wine. The late hour and drive to her hotel didn't allow the indulgence tonight, but she'd promised herself a nightcap and cake when she was back in her hotel room.

Now, standing in the master suite, Caroline had no idea what to think. A little dazed, her eyes tracked over the wide room. The bed was still sturdy and dark, but it offset the rest of the room beautifully. Wide windows showcased the colors of the setting sun across the sea.

The bathroom had also undergone changes that had never been in her plans. Originally cramped and small, they'd gutted the room next to the master for additional closet space and room for a shower. Klaus had been very particular in his requirements.

Caroline hadn't expected this number of changes, however. There were so many windows. The entire room was painted in the colors of the sunset, and her gaze had trouble moving away from the gorgeous sunken tub.

Caroline had spent years on the remodeling plans, and she remembered none of this.

"Do you like it?"

She jolted, and the clipboard slipped from her hands in surprise. Caroline spun, heart in her throat, and swallowed hard at the sight of Klaus. His gaze glittered as he leaned against the doorframe, dressed as casually as she'd ever seen him. The sudden spike of awareness, the butterflies in her belly hadn't changed an iota from the last time she'd seen him.

A lurch in her chest, as she realized she'd missed him.

"Klaus, I thought you weren't arriving until tomorrow?" Her voice was high with surprise as she mentally scrambled. She was not prepared for this. He straightened, walking into the bathroom with a pleased curve of his lips.

"I arrived a week ago."

She blinked, bit her lip. "Why?"

His head tilted, and Klaus watched her with gold flecked eyes. "You've been avoiding me, since our trip to Kea."

"You're perfectly aware of why," she reminded him, as her tongue wet her lips nervously. He murmured a dissent, even as his gaze tracked the movement of her mouth.

"It's been two years, Caroline." His hands were clasped behind his back, and he kept his distance, but Klaus had planted himself firmly between her and the doorway. "I've allowed the distance, because I'm aware of your need for privacy. What are a few years after a thousand? But I've found myself growing impatient."

Her spine straightened as she narrowed her gaze. "You don't get to dictate to me, Klaus. I'm not one of your minions."

His lips curled, and dimples creased his cheeks, but there was too much predator behind his gaze for her to relax. "Of that I'm quite aware, love. But here I'd thought we'd had such a lovely time in Greece."

"You kissed me!" She snapped. The blue left his gaze entirely, and she felt her magic shift along her bones in response. Caroline's skin prickled, as his tongue snaked along his lips, as if he recalled the taste of her on his lips. Her abdomen went tight with the first brush of arousal and she ground her teeth in frustration.

The livewire that blazed between them hadn't lessened, with space. The widening of his pupils, told her that he still felt it too. In the two decades that she'd known him, he'd never bothered to hide what he wanted from her. Caroline had just never imagined it would go on for this long.

"Now, Caroline, that's hardly all I did," Klaus cajoled, eyes burning. "And you enjoyed it."

Her lips compressed even as her cheeks burned. He was right. She had enjoyed it. The taste of him against her tongue, the cleverness of his fingers insinuated down the front of her slacks. His mouth hot along the tops of her breasts. Being interrupted had left her in a foul mood, one Klaus had promised to coax her out of later as he licked his fingers clean.

It hadn't been until Tyler's surprise appearance that she'd run.

Not even Klaus could follow her into the sea.

But he was here now, barefoot and hunting, and he studied her in a way that should've left her scrambling for an exit. But it was difficult to feel frightened with windows that showed her the water and Klaus in front of her. He'd never inspired terror in her, and the wildness of his monsters had always soothed hers.

She knew the mercurial violence that lived beneath his skin. The shifting of his moods as wild and turbulent as the waters she'd been born. Klaus should have frightened her. Wolf and vampire, he was an old world nightmare. Instead, she'd always been stupidly fascinated by this man and his tangled monsters.

"Did I frighten you?"

Her gaze jumped to his, as he interrupted her thoughts. Wolf in his gaze, the dark veins beneath his eyes, she swallowed hard. It wasn't fear that his predator aroused, and his eyes gleamed knowingly. Scowling, she bent and picked up the dropped clipboard.

"Look, if you're here, we might as well…"

Her words died as Klaus was suddenly so close, she could feel the heat of him against her skin. Her head snapped up, and fingertips she'd fantasized about more than once brushed down the curve of her chin. "The palazzo is finished, the checks deposited. Shall I walk you to your car, Caroline? If you are set against me, I will offer you this chance to walk away."

Her breath caught, at the look behind his eyes. For the first time since they'd met, Caroline realized she was facing the possibility of him walking away for good. Swallowing, she tightened her grip on the clipboard. "Or?"

His lips curved, and his hand brushed down the column of her throat to skim the splash of freckles that dusted her shoulders. She shivered, as he traced down to the edge of her sleeve, her dress hiding the rest of her secrets.

"Or you can stay."

Eyes wide, she felt a chill as he stepped away. Struck silent as he walked out of the bathroom, she tried to grapple with what had just happened. Fingers white-knuckled against the clipboard, she caught her lip tightly and tried to think.

It'd been twenty years since their first chance meeting. She'd been in a rush, newly divorced, struggling to figure out the challenges of a career and keeping her newly reclaimed magic hidden. The hotel lobby had been packed, and she'd tripped over a stupid human and straight into a guest waiting impatiently in the lobby.

Muttering apologies, she straightened herself with a scowl. Shoving her wild hair away from her face, she'd gone wide-eyed and still, at the inhuman eyes that took her in. Vampire, but a kind she'd never seen, with yellow in his gaze. There was an age to him she hadn't felt before, and his eyes were filled with curiosity.

"And what are you, sweetheart?"

The endearment curled off his tongue and an unexpected heat flushed her cheeks, even as alarm stirred her beast. Stepping back, she compressed her lips and glared at him. Amusement kicked up the edges of his mouth and she glanced at her watch with a mental curse.

"Late," she said as she spun to push back through the crowd. She'd no time and no interest in flirting with strangers, even interesting ones. She didn't expect him to fall into step next to her, the crowd parting with the force of his presence.

"I've lived quite some time, and I've never seen your like," the monster next to her murmured.

"Haven't much experience with interior designers?" She countered. "Surprising."

A low chuckle, as she stepped into the afternoon sun. He didn't follow her and she pushed down the twinge of disappointment.

Two days later, he'd had shown up in her tiny office and introduced himself: Klaus Mikaelson, Original hybrid. Old world elegance, modern ass. He'd laughed the first time she'd muttered the words under his breath, dimples cutting deep.

He'd hired her to renovate an apartment in Paris, lips curled with challenge when he questioned if she spoke French. She did. More importantly, she needed the money, so she'd taken the job. When she finished, when everything finally met even his exacting standards, she thought was the end of it.

It wasn't.

Caroline couldn't remember going a full year without seeing him after that first project. Klaus cropped up over the years at the oddest time, an offer for dinner or an interesting new renovation. He'd never settled for just business, coaxing bits and pieces of Caroline into their conversations.

But underneath the cautious friendship was heat, his stubborn curiosity in regards to her magic. She'd seen him at his most charming, and had stood her ground through the shifting sands of his temper. Klaus had never bothered to hide who or what he was from her. All the dangerous angles and the quicksilver ruthlessness of his mind.

Caroline had seen him fresh from the kill, blood slick down his chin and clothes, monsters wild.

Klaus could be terrifying, but he'd never attempted to terrorize her. She supposed that was why she'd continued to find herself in his company, the predator in her bones unwilling to bend in the face of his. Why she'd found herself cautiously opening up.

Then the palazzo had been dropped on her desk. It was the largest remodel she'd agreed to do for him. Somehow, he'd talked her into a trip to Greece, for research. A night at his Villa in Kea.

And somehow, Tyler had been there.

Fifteen years had not blunted the impact of her emotions.

They'd startled each other. Tyler had grown older, hair salt and pepper, a ring on his finger. But as the surprise died in his eyes, old resentment had bloomed, and a greed she knew too well had risen to the surface.

She'd bolted.

Klaus had not been amused, the bitten off voicemails waiting for her when she'd landed in London had shaken her already rattled nerves. She might have managed to deal with with her past, if she hadn't returned to a notice from her clan.

She'd been summoned.

Emotionally unbalanced, Caroline had left Klaus a rambling voicemail as she packed a bag and walked away from everything she'd tried to build.

Klaus hadn't let her. Voicemails, texts and very irritable emails had pushed and prodded until she'd given in and called him.

"I gave you three suggestions for firms that will do at least as good a job as I can," Caroline snapped at his hello.

"If I was interested in hiring anyone else, I'd have already done so," Klaus said cooly. "Abandoning a project, love? Quite unlike you."

She ground her teeth. "I told you, it's a family emergency."

"Yes, and you've been rather sparse on the details."

"That's because it's none of your business," Caroline said, just as firmly. Her stomach trembled at the low growl that echoed down the phone. Her mind tried to flash to when she'd heard a similar noise from Klaus, under much more interesting circumstances. Shaky fingers raked through her curls. "Look, I'll consult, alright?"

"No," Klaus said dangerously. "I'll expect a rough draft of your initial thoughts per our initial timeline, Caroline, or I'll come looking."

He'd hung up, before she could respond.

She'd emailed him twenty minutes before midnight on their agreed upon original date. Her email had been brief and laden with rude suggestions. His response had been waiting on her that morning. It too, had been brief, and ended in a reminder that he was capable of providing a variety of aid.

Somehow, refusing to email him shifted to near daily discussions that kept her occupied in between long meetings and arguments. Never let it be said her people made decisions quickly.

But once made, they were final.

She'd walked away from the remains of her people because they'd wanted to cage her with their expectations. They'd refused to change. Caroline had promised herself to never be the victim of someone else's expectations again, and she'd refused to live that way, even for the departed mother she'd loved.

And here was Klaus, giving her choices.

She could choose to return to the comfortable life she'd built for herself and leverage the palazzo for the career she'd chased for decades. She could stay. Allow herself to see if the draw between them was more than just sexual attraction.

But to stay was to accept more than just sex. She'd seen Klaus' rage and jealousy, when Tyler had touched her. Had heard the taut control when they'd spoken over the phone these past two years.

Annoyance mingled with exasperation and frustrated admiration for his tactics. Caroline wasn't entirely certain if she should slug Klaus or kiss him, for this expert manipulation. He was gambling, had baited the trap, and left the decision to her. Engage or withdraw?

Irritation rose to the surface.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're an unbelievable ass?" Caroline demanded as she strode back into the bedroom. Klaus was standing in front of a window, the low lighting in the room accommodating the deepening night outside.

"Not recently, but I'm certain it's been suggested once or twice," Klaus responded with amusement as he faced her. Brow arching, he smiled, brows arching. "Come to a decision, love?"

Hand settling on her hip, she pointed her clipboard at him. "Is this because of Tyler?"

The smile wiped from his face, gaze going hard. Caroline didn't flinch from the sudden anger, the iron that filled his eyes. "Careful, Caroline. That's a discussion you may not be be ready for, when you've remained so indecisive regarding the rest, hmm?"

"Don't tell me what I do or do not want to do, Klaus," Caroline ground out, eyes darkening. "Answer my question."

"Do you imagine I take orders?"

"You want me in your bed? Then you can explain yourself, explain this!"

Klaus stepped closer, smile dangerous. "Ah, but Caroline, that is where you are mistaken. I've no intention of settling for you only in my bed. I want you in my life. I want the secrets you hide in your bones, that you cover with wary eyes and fierce teeth. You showed me the depth of your want in Kea, and then you abandoned me on the shores."

Caroline studied the vividness of his temper, considered the biting fury of his tone. She'd hurt him, when she'd left. She hadn't meant to. It was that knowledge, that unspoken evidence of his emotional involvement that allowed her to soften.

"Tyler is a wound I've never handled well," Caroline said slowly, watching him. Klaus' eyes narrowed, gold threading back through blue, but he said nothing. She took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to hurt you when I left."

"I do not require an apology, nor do I want one, Caroline," Klaus said. "I need an answer."

She licked her lips. "You know what I am?"

His gaze heated, eyes sliding down her body. The dress covered her from shoulders to knees, as was her preference. It didn't seem to matter to Klaus, his eyes hot with blatant want when he met her gaze.

"Yes."

It had always been a question of when Klaus figured it out, not if. Selkies were rare now, the shapeshifters rarely choosing to walk on land. The old families who knew how to steal their skins, trap them for the luck, were dying out. But her past was riddled with mistakes, and she'd suffered the seas being denied to her. Her teeth worried her lip.

"Don't pout, love." Klaus murmured, something potent in his eyes. "It took years of careful research. I was fairly certain before your ex ran his mouth, but it was nice to have my suspicions confirmed."

Wary now, Caroline eyed him. "What did Tyler say?"

He stepped close, and his fingertips lifted to linger in the hollow of her throat. "He spoke drunkenly of his ruin. How he regretted your skin being returned, as Selkies are creatures of luck."

Caroline bared the edge her teeth. "Did he speak of the years he denied me the ocean, until I ferreted out my skin? How he wished to use tradition to force my magic to benefit him? I couldn't shift."

"Is that why you ran, Caroline?" Klaus questioned, voice low and bladed. "You fear I'd take your skin and hide it from you? Leave you stranded on these shores, deny you entrance to the ocean you so adore?"

There was something old and violent in his words. But it wasn't directed at her.

"To take my skin, you'd have to kill me," she said fiercely. "I've learned from my mistakes. I will not be caged again."

Lips tilting, he canted his head. "Then why hesitate? It has never been a lack of want between us."

She huffed out a breath, a sliver of shyness turning her cheeks pink. "In order to protect my skin, I wear it. Everywhere. And…"

She didn't hate Tyler. Her emotions were too tangled for merely hatred. After she'd stolen back her skin, she'd only seen him once before the disaster in Greece. The look in his eyes had cut deeper than she'd ever imagined as he'd looked at the truth of her. A mingling of horror and loathing, until she'd tucked the bits of the sea that clung to her back beneath her skin.

The ruin of their marriage still lingered in the quiet parts of her heart. In the end, it'd been a part of the reason she'd walked from her clan. Tradition demanded she become a mother before her second century, that she continue the line. Male Selkies were rare and their species too closely related to safely marry within. Her only choice were humans now, and she wouldn't risk her skin again.

She'd learned that lesson from Tyler.

Others might've believed temporary captivity a reasonable price to pay for a child, but she did not. She found that she balked at hiding her truth from someone who should be her partner, but what human would think her creature beautiful? Rarely had she taken lovers and she'd never allowed them to see her as she really was.

Then Klaus had walked into her life, with coveting eyes and monstrous teeth. He would never be satisfied with just parts of her. Emotionally, physically… he wasn't a man to let her be.

Klaus studied her with narrowed eyes, fingers coming to trace the skin of her shoulder. "Perhaps I decided too hastily to allow this Tyler to live, if he put that look behind your eyes, sweetheart."

"I chose to let Tyler live," she rebuked, voice firm. "He is not yours to punish."

"No?"

"No."

"So you do not want my hand for vengeance?" Klaus arched his brows, cheekbones sharp with temper. "Tell me, Caroline, do you want me? My life, my home?"

Caroline froze, heart thumping in her throat. The predator that lived in her bones shifted awake, at his snarled words and her gaze skittered across the room. "Your… home?"

He couldn't know how that tempted her beast, how she'd floundered since being cut off from her village. She'd made the right choice for her, but she'd never been so utterly alone. Having the option to go home, to return to those who loved her, was gone. It hurt.

Now, Klaus casually, angrily, offered her what she'd given up and more. As if it was a simple matter of her just taking what she needed. Uncertain, she stared at him.

"You cannot imagine I've made certain changes based on my own preferences," Klaus murmured, voice softening at her apparent bewilderment. "I, who've no particular attachment to the seas. Did you imagine I'd avoided this place for any other reason than my imagination making it impossible to work? I want you naked on my sheets, I want to bend you over the bath and run my hands over slick skin. I want to taste the salt of your arousal on my tongue until you're feral with need. You've only given me such a small taste."

She stared at his face, and swallowed. She wanted him. She'd wanted him for years. Her reluctance had nothing to do with his monsters, the blood he wore so carelessly, regardless of his apparent beliefs. There were wounds, old ones, that Tyler had cut into her heart and her family's recent rejection had left bleeding.

But that wasn't fair to either of them. So Caroline braced herself, and took the dive, words rushed and a little desperate. "I do want you. But the last man to see me naked wasn't particularly aroused by the sight."

Something old and violent slipped through his words, triumph mingled with scorn. "Tyler was a fool."

"I hold my magic for a reason," she said softly. "All Selkies do."

Klaus' eyes flashed, and he stepped into her. Head dipping, he pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat, scraped his teeth across the curve of her shoulder. His words were harsh and uncompromising when he spoke against her skin.

"You will not hide from me."

She curled a hand into his hair, shivered at the rasp of his tongue across her freckles. "You might regret that."

Klaus sucked strongly for a moment before pulling away, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze filled with challenge. "Take off your dress."

Caroline froze. She swallowed. "I'm not human, Klaus, not the way you are. This isn't the form I was made for, and I carry the sea with me."

His eyes caught hers, held them. "Take off your dress, Caroline."

Her fingers fumbled, but she pulled her dress over her head at his velvet order. She was grateful for the cups of her bra, when his gaze raked across her skin, eyes narrowing. With her glamour, the only hint of her beast were the freckles on her shoulders, a splash across her abdomen.

"Caroline."

Stomach clenching with nerves, she relaxed her grip on the magic that tucked away her selkie skin. Caroline peaked at Klaus from beneath her lashes, pulse a rapid staccato in her veins. He didn't look horrified, but enraptured, as his gaze slowly moved down her body.

The freckles on her shoulders weren't true freckles, but the beginning of her beasts' markings. They scattered across her chest, darkened and widened into true spots beneath her breasts. Clusters chased down the line of her ribs to the tops of her thighs, spots mingling black and blue-black in the light. Lighter grey and white spots dotted along her abdomen, so that her pale skin shimmered in the light. Her back was darkly riddled from the back of her shoulders and to the backs of her knees. Her arms and calves only had the palest of dusting.

Klaus stepped close, utterly silent as he traced his palms up the flat plane of her abdomen. The faint catch of calluses left her skin prickling. Caroline's breath hitched, as his fingers shifted and spanned her ribs.

"I want to draw you on silk sheets," he breathed, thumbs grazing beneath her breasts. She shivered as he repeated the motion, his eyes fascinated. Her skin was softer than a human's, slicker, particularly on her abdomen. "With open windows, so the sun brings out each shade of color, and later, in moonlight just like this, to trace the shadows."

"Oh," she whispered, voice shaky.

"Tonight," Klaus rumbled, brushing the edge of her bra. "I'll settle for licking across this lovely skin, sinking my fangs into your thigh, your neck, to see how the sea has flavored your blood. How you taste after you've come on my cock."

Caroline shuddered. His thumb pressed just beneath the cup of her bra, nail a slight rasp against the curve of her breast and she inhaled sharply, her nipples tight with sensual awareness. The world changed, color shifting as her beast bled into her eyes. She wasn't a true seal, her form still too human, so she didn't lose her ability to see color. But the shadows sharpened, vision made for hunting in dark seas reflecting the low light until Klaus' hybrid eyes were moon glow yellow.

Those vibrant eyes held hers, the starkness of his monsters' veins a lovely counterpoint to his gaze. His mouth curled as he took in the change of her eyes, blue shaded to black, and he smoothed his hand along her side. "You're utterly breathtaking, Caroline, and I want to touch you."

Throat moving as she swallowed, Caroline twisted one arm behind her back, and unhooked her bra. Klaus' gaze burned, but his eyes did not lower even as the straps slipped down her arms. Her bra hit the floor with a soft sound.

"I've never had sex wearing my skin," she murmured, voice husky. "I've tucked it away, in my blood and bones."

Klaus made a harsh sound in his throat. "Will you run?"

"No."

His head dipped and Klaus took her nipple into his mouth, his tongue a velvet rasp before he sucked strongly. His hand settled on her hip, and his free palm moved along the sensitive skin of her back in a slow drag. Voice a whine in her throat, Caroline's hand flew to his hair, his shoulder, and her nails dug into his skin. Klaus made an approving sound, mouth moving across her sternum before his teeth dragged across the curve of her breast.

"Harder."

He rewarded the scrap of her nails with the hot suction of his mouth, until she whimpered. Klaus lifted his head, eyes heavy lidded and greedy. Dipping his chin, his tongue flicked across a collection of spots and she moaned.

"So soft," he mused, nose tracing down her skin. He turned his head, brushed the scruff of his beard below her breasts. Her breath hitched, lips parting as she panted, and Klaus dimpled. The movement of his cheek shifted his beard and she shuddered. "Do you think about that day in Greece, Caroline? When I had my mouth on you, my fingers just brushing against the wet heat of you? I've thought of it often, how I sucked the salt of your arousal off my fingertips. Your taste haunts me."

"Yes," Caroline rasped, her skin to hot. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, chest and cheeks flushed with arousal.

His smile was dimples and sin, as his tongue slid along his lower lip. "Tell me."

"I think about your hands," she said, when it became apparent he'd no intention of moving an inch until she did so. The hot exhales of his breath left her hyper aware, and she struggled not to squirm. She could smell his arousal, see it in the flare of his pupils and the flush of his cheeks. It left her achingly wet, knowing that he wanted her so badly beneath the iron of his control.

"Do you?" Klaus question lowly, gravel roughening his voice. His fingertips skimmed back down her spine, to brush just under the elastic of her panties, callouses rasping along the curve of her ass. "Have you thought about my hands while you touched yourself?"

It was unfair, how he used the low rumble in his voice, how hot that wicked gleam in his gaze got her. But she was no youth to let him dictate and she wanted his hands, his tongue, on her skin. She needed to be touched.

Dipping her head, Caroline licked at his perfect mouth as her nails dragged behind his ear. Klaus' lean body shuddered and she smiled. "Hmmm. It's been years since I've shared my bed. When I couldn't sleep, I'd think of you. How badly I wanted your fingers inside me, how you promised to make it up to me. Are you going to keep that promise, Klaus?"

His eyes flared and Klaus righted himself, and his palm shifted to cup her ass, and he hauled her off her feet. Caroline gasped as her body pressed against the hard line of his erection. His free hand tangled in her hair, and he urged her close enough his mouth brushed hers as he spoke.

"It's been two years, love, since you disappeared. I'll keep my promise," he rumbled, wolf clear in his eyes. "But you'll beg first."

Her gaze narrowed, but he didn't give her a chance to respond. Klaus moved swiftly towards the bed and each step rocked her against him; Caroline fought to keep her eyes open at the delicious friction. He stripped away the bedding, and he lowered her delicately to the mattress. His palms lifted and cupped her jaw, gaze devouring as his eyes traced the curves of her face. Caroline adored the way he seemed to absorb each hitched breath, every way her body reacted to him, but she was out of patience. Promises or not, she needed to come.

"Should I start then?" She taunted. "I'm so wet, it wouldn't take long to get off. It's been ages since I've allowed someone else to touch me, but if you're going to be shy…"

Klaus gaze locked with hers and he released her face. She was tempted to cup her breasts, see how he would respond. Before she could decide, he freed to top sheet he'd shoved to the foot of the bed with a single, hard yank. Then, utterly silent as he watched her, Klaus ripped the bedding into strips.

Caroline's mouth ran bone dry.

"Put your hands on the headboard, Caroline," he ordered, voice a velvet stroke against her senses. She hesitated and his smile turned wicked, and dimples creased his cheeks. There was something nearly feral in his eyes and awareness ran hotly down her spine. Her nipples ached, breasts flushed with need.

"Come now, sweetheart. I'll let you come, once I've explored every glorious inch of you. Aren't you curious? You've admitted that you've never worn your skin during sex, and I'd hate for those clever hands of yours to be tempted to wander. Particularly, when my cock is so eager for you."

Caroline pressed her thighs together, stomach clenching at the rush of arousal that left her soaked and struggling for air. "I thought you wanted me to beg?"

"Oh, we'll get to that," Klaus murmured, voice a dark promise. "If you're a good girl, Caroline, after the bed we'll spend some time in the bath I built for you. I've fantasized about you in it, skin all slicked and flushed pink, riding my cock."

Caroline had never allowed a lover the control Klaus wanted. She studied him. His skin stretched taut across his cheekbones, his muscles were tensed and the hard edge of his cock tempted from behind his pants. She found she wasn't adverse. God, he'd pushed her so close with just his words. Just a brush, and she'd shatter. What would do if she gave him this?

Klaus looked like he wanted to take a bite.

Carefully, she scooted back to the headboard. She arranged the pillows, and Klaus' expression didn't so much as twitch. Once she settled, Klaus crawled up her body. He took his time tying her wrists to the slotted headboard. His jeans brushed tantalizingly against her thighs, and she shifted restlessly.

"Comfortable?" Klaus rumbled.

"Yes."

"Good."

He tangled his hands in her hair, tipped her chin, and kissed her. He devoured her mouth with greedy strokes of his tongue and bruising nips of his teeth until she was whimpering low in her throat. Moving back, he smiled before pulling the damp cotton of his shirt over his head. Caroline stared without shame at the gorgeous muscles that shifted with each breath.

She clenched her fists, that she couldn't touch.

"That's mean."

A wicked smirk, and then the hands she'd been desperate to have on her body, cupped the weight of her breasts for just a fleeting moment. "Such lovely breasts, Caroline. I could suck on them, play with your pretty pink nipples until you beg for my mouth. Would you like me to slide my cock inside you, tease you with my mouth until neither of us can take it, and I have to move?"

Her thoughts scattered at the softest brush of his thumb across her aching nipple. It took a moment to find her words and her voice was hoarse when she spoke. "Did you tie me up just to have theoretical discussions about how you're going to touch me?"

A pinch and she jolted, pussy clenching.

"Forgive me," Klaus drawled, eyes wild beneath his lashes. "I'm feeling a bit shy."

She'd have bitten him if she could've reached him. But then his hands lowered, and he traced agonizingly gentle patterns across her skin. Shapes across her ribs, the curve of her thighs, fingertips lingering on clusters of spots until she cursed. Klaus finally dragged his fingers along the sweat slicked skin of her belly, and he lingered on the pale silver-grey that marked her flesh. "So lovely. Tell me, Caroline, when you shift, what do you change too?"

Her brain struggled to process his question, voice tight with arousal when she spoke. "Leopard seal."

Klaus looked intrigued. "I'd like to see you."

Straining, body wound tight and hot, she snarled. "And I want to come."

He made a thoughtful noise as he reached back up and toyed with a nipple. She shuddered as her hips rocked uselessly; his fingers slipped beneath the edge of her underwear, little grazes of sensation. His gaze flickered to her desperate eyes and he smiled, dangerous and oh so hungry. Without warning, Klaus speared his fingers beneath the wet lace and pinched her clit, thumb rough on her nipple and it felt like she'd been electrocuted. A scream strained her throat, and her back bowed through the rush of pleasure. Spots danced at the edge of her vision and she slowly blinked them away, lowering her chin as she dazedly watched as Klaus licked his fingers clean.

"Delicious," he breathed. "I want more."

Her underwear disappeared as he slid down her body, and his tongue licked up her wet slit. Klaus' chest rumbled and she gasped as her hands grasped uselessly at the bindings. Sensitive from her orgasm, Caroline bucked and yanked at her bindings. "No, I can't…"

Klaus ignored her and teased her clit with the tip of his tongue before he delved for a deeper taste. Sweat turned her skin slick, but his grip never faltered, holding her thighs open. When he finally lifted his mouth, his lips were wet, eyes dark.

"Do you remember when I said I wanted to hear you beg?"

Caroline gripped her bindings and tried to scowl, but it was difficult as he dragged his tongue along her wet folds. She stared at him with her beast in her eyes, bared a hint of her predators teeth. "Make me."

He bit her thigh with blunt teeth. She cried out and the sting was replaced by heat of his tongue, and the noise he made curled her toes. It wasn't until Klaus lifted his head that she realized he'd broken skin. Blood lingered at on his lips, and his veins were dark beneath his eyes.

"You really can't help yourself, can you?" Klaus said softly, and his eyes glittered from blood and her taunt. He unbuttoned his pants, but his hands trembled, and the look in his gaze scorched her.

Caroline traced her mouth with her tongue, and deliberately spread her thighs. Klaus' words were harshly bitten off, and his pants disappeared in tatters. Her toes curled into the bedding, as she took in his aroused cock. She expected him to crawl up her torso, to drive the length of his erection inside her clenching body.

Instead, he moved between her thighs to delicately brush his calloused fingertips down her clit. She jolted, back bowed, and he smiled with wicked teeth before his fingers delved through her folds, one finger hooking inside her. A second, a third, and just as she started to tumble, he pulled his hand free.

Her snarled cut off as Klaus fisted his cock with fingers slicked with her arousal.

Caroline froze, and her eyes jerked to his. His gazed was feral, and his lips parted with a harsh groan, the cords in his neck clearly visible as he stroked himself. A low whimper that might have been his name escaped her and he braced himself on his free hand, careful not to block her view.

"I want you to watch," Klaus said in a voice that was more beast than man. "I'm going to come all over your pretty skin, and then I'm going to make you beg with my mouth. And if you ask very nicely, I'll use my cock to make you come again."

She choked on a breath as her eyes widened, but any irritation she might've expressed died in her throat as his thumb brushed along the tip of his erection. Caroline bit her lip until she tasted blood, as Klaus stroked himself with the hands she'd fantasized about so often. His breathing turned heavy, and his gaze dragged a path between her breasts to her dripping folds. He groaned, body shuddering, and she whimpered as his hand grew slick with their mingled arousal.

Caroline's heart pounded in her ears, body shifted restlessly as Klaus strained between her thighs. The low noises he made, the way his body trembled, left her thighs slick with arousal. Her clit throbbed, her nipples ached and her hands hurt with how tightly she gripped her bindings as he finally reached his release. He spilled hot and sticky across her belly and thighs, foreign words ragged in his throat.

His head dipped as Klaus tried to catch his breath, weight braced heavily on his arm. Caroline's breath hitched her when his eyes returned to hers. He dragged his tongue along the edges of his mouth before he deliberately lowered himself between her thighs. Lightly kissing her sticky clit, something wicked crawled behind his gaze.

A quick, delicate flick of his tongue, and her neck arched, a sob caught inner throat. "It's a good thing you're holding onto something, hmm, love?"

Caroline screamed herself hoarse.

The headboard held, as she lost that little bit of control over her beast. Sharp teeth, sharper cheekbones and black eyes, she'd nearly thrashed herself free when he finally let her come. Klaus gave her no time to recover, shoving her knees towards her arms and thrusting inside her in one smooth movement.

Caroline's eyes rolled back at the sensory overload, breath harsh in her throat. She'd come twice, and the rough grind of his hips against her clit nearly sent her spiraling a third time. Klaus sensed it, and the sudden burn of his fangs in her neck, coupled with another rough thrust of his cock, sent her careening. She'd barely come down, body limp and sensitive, when he started to move again. He rolled his hips slowly, and dragged against her clit with each thrust.

"Klaus," she managed as her head lolled. "Oh god."

His hand tunneled beneath her skull and cradled her scalp as he lifted his bloody mouth. The feral edge in his eyes, the dual monsters and her blood staining his smile and her body burned for more.

"You feel divine," he said roughly. "You'll come for me again. I want to feel it."

Bloody lips cut off her sob, and the metal and salt of her blood, mingled with their combined arousal on his tongue, sent her head spinning. She clenched down in a vice around his cock, body straining for a impossible fourth release. Another shift of his hips, a rough grind against at her clit, and her body let go.

She returned to awareness sticky, and smelling heavily of Klaus and sex. He was sprawled next to her, the rapidly healing abrasions of her wrist pressed to his lips. He watched her with covetous eyes, lips curled up at the corners.

Caroline was too sated to move, her bones melted. Klaus leaned forward and nipped her lower lip. "How about that bath?"

Somehow, Klaus coaxed her limp body into the heat of the tub. Then he stroked her skin, until it wasn't just the heat that turned her cheeks pink. He watched her with blue eyes gone feral, as his hands gripped her ass and waist as she rode him slow.

Her orgasm rippled through her and she felt Klaus follow her as she sank against his chest, cheek pressed against his throat as she panted. Too sated to move, body wrung dry, she drifted. One of Klaus' hands shifted to tangle in her hair, the water cooling around them as he dragged his fingertips lazily down the knots of her spine.

"The bath was an excellent idea," she murmured sluggishly. "But I've no idea how I'm going get out. I can't feel my legs."

Klaus laughed low in his throat. "I think I can manage to get us both into bed, sweetheart. We've a few more moments before the water turns cool."

Delighted, Caroline shifted to curl an arm around his waist, and pillowed her cheek on his shoulder. She skimmed her fingertips along his tattoo, and considering. "We still have things to discuss."

"Hmmm," he hummed. "Those things can wait 'til morning. I've a list, and I imagine you do as well."

She nodded. "Yes."

Warm fingers slick from bath water curved along her nape. "You said you'd stay."

Caroline dug her nails into his hip. "I will."

"Then everything else can wait," Klaus said firmly. His hands shifted, and his palm gripped her ass as he stood. She gasped, legs tightening around his waist. Blue and gold, his gaze held hers as his lips curled into a wicked smile, dimples creasing his cheeks. "I admire your clever brain, Caroline, but I'm a touch insulted that it's still functioning. Let's see what we can do about that, hmm?"

When dawn crept into the room, Caroline was tangled possessively around Klaus. Hair a wild ruin across his pillows, her fingers pressed into skin, with their legs twined. For the first time in years, both woman and beast slept.

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